BACKGROUND: Postpartum telogen effluvium refers to a phenomenon in which some hair in the growth phase progresses rapidly to the resting phase, which leads to excessive hair loss. This causes a high level of psychological stress. Therefore, an increasing number of women are seeking treatment for this condition. METHODS: The subjects of this study were postpartum women in the age range of 20 to 40 years who visited a university hospital between June 2015 and May 2016. Seven patients out of a total of 25 subjects were excluded, and their final follow-up visits were not performed because they found it difficult to return for the follow-up. After screening before delivery, the subjects were provided with hair care products. They visited the hospital 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after giving birth. During each visit, the hair density and thickness were measured by photographing with a camera and using Folliscope® (Aram Huvis Corporation, Seoul, Korea). RESULTS: The hair thickness at the V-point improved from 0.089 µm at the baseline to 0.094 µm after using the shampoo for 3 months (P=0.028), and the hair density at the P-point increased significantly, from 75.24/cm² at the baseline to 81.33/cm² after using the shampoo for 3 months (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a shampoo and a tonic in which the main material was horse placental growth factor combined with various materials, such as pumpkin extract, panthenol, and niacinamide, were clinically applied.
Alopecia ; Cucurbita ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; G0 Phase ; Hair* ; Horses ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Niacinamide ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period* ; Seoul ; Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUND: Postpartum telogen effluvium refers to a phenomenon in which some hair in the growth phase progresses rapidly to the resting phase, which leads to excessive hair loss. This causes a high level of psychological stress. Therefore, an increasing number of women are seeking treatment for this condition. METHODS: The subjects of this study were postpartum women in the age range of 20 to 40 years who visited a university hospital between June 2015 and May 2016. Seven patients out of a total of 25 subjects were excluded, and their final follow-up visits were not performed because they found it difficult to return for the follow-up. After screening before delivery, the subjects were provided with hair care products. They visited the hospital 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after giving birth. During each visit, the hair density and thickness were measured by photographing with a camera and using Folliscope® (Aram Huvis Corporation, Seoul, Korea). RESULTS: The hair thickness at the V-point improved from 0.089 µm at the baseline to 0.094 µm after using the shampoo for 3 months (P=0.028), and the hair density at the P-point increased significantly, from 75.24/cm² at the baseline to 81.33/cm² after using the shampoo for 3 months (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a shampoo and a tonic in which the main material was horse placental growth factor combined with various materials, such as pumpkin extract, panthenol, and niacinamide, were clinically applied.
Alopecia ; Cucurbita ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; G0 Phase ; Hair* ; Horses ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Niacinamide ; Parturition ; Postpartum Period* ; Seoul ; Stress, Psychological

β-carotene is present in carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. It suppresses many types of cancers by regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis through a variety of mechanisms. However, the effects of β -carotene on oral cancer cells have not been clearly established. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of β-carotene on cell growth and apoptosis in oral cancer cells. Our results demonstrate that treatment with β-carotene induced inhibition of cell growth, and that the effect was dependent on β-carotene treatment time and concentration in KB cells. Furthermore, treatment with β-carotene induced nuclear condensation and fragmentation in KB cells. β-carotene promoted proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8 and -9 with associated increases in the concentration of cleaved caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9. In addition, the level of cleaved PARP was increased by β-carotene treatment in KB cells. These results suggest that β-carotene can suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis in KB human oral cancer cells, and that it may have potential usefulness in anti-cancer drug discovery efforts.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Cucurbita ; Daucus carota ; Drug Discovery ; Humans* ; Ipomoea batatas ; KB Cells ; Mouth Neoplasms*

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Cucurbita ; chemistry ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Lipids ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Rats

In the course of survey of endophytic fungi from Bangladesh pumpkin seeds in 2011~2012, two strains (CNU111042 and CNU111043) with similar colony characteristics were isolated and characterized by their morphology and by molecular phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer, glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd), and Alternaria allergen a1 (Alt a1) sequences. Phylogenetic analysis of all three sequences and their combined dataset revealed that the fungus formed a subclade within the A. alternata clade, matching A. burnsi and showing differences with its other closely related Alternaria species, such as A. longipes, A. tomato, and A. tomaticola. Long ellipsoid, obclavate or ovoid beakless conidia, shorter and thinner conidial size (16~60 [90] x 6.5~14 [~16] microm) distinguish this fungus from other related species. These isolates showed more transverse septation (2~11) and less longitudinal septation (0~3) than did other related species. Moreover, the isolate did not produce any diffusible pigment on media. Therefore, our results reveal that the newly recorded fungus from a new host, Cucurbita maxima, is Alternaria burnsii Uppal, Patel & Kamat.
Alternaria* ; Bangladesh* ; Cucurbita* ; Dataset ; Fungi ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Oxidoreductases ; Phylogeny ; Spores, Fungal ; Virulence*

The polysaccharides from pumpkin fruit (PP) were obtained and purified by hot-water extraction, anion-exchange chromatography, and gel column chromatography. The physicochemical properties of PP were determined by gel filtration chromatography, gas chromatography, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results indicated that the molecular weight of PP was about 23 kDa and PP was composed of D-Arabinose, D-Mannose, D-Glucose, and D-Galactose with a molar ratio of 1 : 7.79 : 70.32 : 7.05. FTIR and NMR spectra indicated that PP was the polysaccharide containing pyranose ring. Additionally, PP protected islets cells from streptozotocin (STZ) injury in vitro via increasing the levels of super-oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and reducing the production of NO. The experiment of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction further proved that PP inhibited apoptosis via modulating the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 in STZ-damaged islet cells. In conclusion, PP could be explored as a novel agent for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Chromatography, Gas ; Chromatography, Gel ; Cucurbita ; chemistry ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Islets of Langerhans ; drug effects ; injuries ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Molecular Weight ; Monosaccharides ; analysis ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Superoxide Dismutase ; drug effects ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; drug effects

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We investigated total 26 ingredients of Saengshik which will be commercially produced as an anti-diabetic dietary supplement. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Thirteen vegetables, nine cereals, three legumes and one seed were extracted with aqueous ethanol for 2 h at 60degrees C, and evaluated for their inhibitory effects against alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase and for total phenolic and flavonoid contents. RESULTS: All ingredients inhibited alpha-amylase activity except cabbage. Strong inhibitory activity of alpha-amylase was observed in leek, black rice, angelica and barley compared with acarbose as a positive control. Stronger inhibition of alpha-glucosidase activity was found in small water dropwort, radish leaves, sorghum and cabbage than acarbose. All Saengshik ingredients suppressed alpha-glucosidase activity in the range of 0.3-60.5%. Most ingredients contained total phenols which were in the range of 1.2-229.4 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dried extract. But, total phenolic contents were not observed in carrot, pumpkin and radish. All ingredients contained flavonoid in the range of 11.6-380.7 mg catechin equivalent/g dried extract. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that Saengshik containing these ingredients would be an effective dietary supplement for diabetes.
Acarbose ; alpha-Amylases* ; alpha-Glucosidases* ; Angelica ; Brassica ; Catechin ; Edible Grain ; Cucurbita ; Daucus carota ; Dietary Supplements ; Ethanol ; Fabaceae ; Gallic Acid ; Food, Organic* ; Hordeum ; Oenanthe ; Phenol ; Phenols ; Raphanus ; Sorghum ; Vegetables

Eleven types of nuts and seeds were analyzed to determine their energy (326-733 mg), moisture (1.6-18.3 mg), carbohydrate (8.8-70.9 mg), protein (4.9-30.5 mg), lipid (2.5-69.8 mg), and ash (1.2-5.5 mg) contents per 100 g of sample. Energy content was highest in pine nuts (733 mg/100 g), carbohydrate level was highest in dried figs (70.9 mg/100 g) and protein was highest in peanuts (30.5 mg/100 g). The amino acid compositions of nuts and seeds were characterized by the dominance of hydrophobic (range = 1,348.6-10,284.6 mg), hydrophilic (range = 341.1-3,244.3 mg), acidic (range = 956.1-8,426.5 mg), and basic (range = 408.6-4,738.5 mg) amino acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were highest in macadamia nuts (81.3%), whereas polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were highest in the walnuts (76.7%). Macadamia nuts did not contain any vitamin E, whereas sunflower seeds contained the highest level (60.3 mg/kg). Iron (Fe) content was highest in pumpkin seeds (95.85 +/- 33.01 ppm), zinc (Zn) content was highest in pistachios (67.24 +/- 30.25 ppm), copper (Cu) content was greatest in walnuts (25.45 +/- 21.51 ppm), and lead (Pb) content was greatest in wheat nuts (25.49 +/- 4.64 ppm), significantly (P < 0.05). In conclusion, current commercial nuts and seeds have no safety concerns, although further analysis of Pb contents is necessary to ensure safety.
Amino Acids ; Arachis ; Copper ; Cucurbita ; Dietary Sucrose ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Helianthus ; Iron ; Juglans ; Korea ; Macadamia ; Nuts ; Pistacia ; Seeds ; Triticum ; Vitamins ; Zinc

A total of 62 bacterial isolates were obtained from Gomsohang mud flat, Mohang mud flat, and Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Among them, the isolate CNU114001 showed significant antagonistic activity against pathogenic fungi by dual culture method. The isolate CNU114001 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by morphological observation and molecular data analysis, including 16SrDNA and gyraseA (gyrA) gene sequences. Antifungal substances of the isolate were extracted and purified by silica gel column chromatography, thin layer chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography. The heat and UV ray stable compound was identified as iturin, a lipopeptide (LP). The isolate CNU114001 showed broad spectrum activity against 12 phytopathogenic fungi by dual culture method. The semi purified compound significantly inhibits the mycelial growth of pathogenic fungi (Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinera, Colletotrichum orbiculare, Penicillium digitatum, Pyricularia grisea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) at 200 ppm concentration. Spore germ tube elongation of Botrytis cinerea was inhibited by culture filtrate of the isolate. Crude antifungal substance showed antagonistic activity against cucumber scleotiorum rot in laboratory, and showed antagonistic activity against tomato gray mold, cucumber, and pumpkin powdery mildew in greenhouse condition.
Ascomycota ; Bacillus* ; Botrytis ; Chromatography ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Colletotrichum ; Cucurbita ; Fungi ; Hot Temperature ; Jeju-do ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Panax ; Penicillium ; Plant Diseases* ; Plants* ; Pyricularia grisea ; Republic of Korea ; Silica Gel ; Spores ; Statistics as Topic

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic cutaneous disease, has increased rapidly worldwide. Since AD is the most common disease affecting infants, maternal food intake during pregnancy as well as lactation is important. The purpose of this research was to examine the difference in maternal food intake during pregnancy between mothers having children with or without AD. One hundred forty-eight mothers with children aged under 2 years with AD (AD group, n=74) or without AD (non-AD group, n=74) were included in the study. Diet during pregnancy was examined using a food frequency questionnaire. There were no differences in the status of mothers' food consumption during pregnancy between the AD and non-AD groups. Mothers in the AD group consumed significantly less white fish (P<0.05), carrot & pumpkin (P<0.01), walnut & pine nut (P<0.05), mandarin & orange (P<0.05), and peach (P<0.05) than those in the non-AD group. As food frequencies were categorized according to <1/month, 1~3/month, 1~6/week, and 1~3/day, lower consumption of carrot & pumpkin (Odds Ratio (OR)=6.67, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)=1.98~22.44), tomato (OR=5.11, 95% CI=1.62~16.08), mandarin & orange (OR=8.64, 95% CI=1.59~46.81), and walnut & pine nut (OR=3.85, 95% CI=1.26~11.77) increased the risk of childhood AD. According to the results, maternal food intakes during pregnancy were significantly different between the AD and non-AD groups. Therefore, further studies are necessary to examine the causal relationship between maternal food intake and prevalence of AD in children.
Aged ; Child ; Citrus sinensis ; Cucurbita ; Daucus carota ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Diet ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Juglans ; Lactation ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Mothers ; Nuts ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Prunus persica ; Surveys and Questionnaires