Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effect of Oenanthe stolonifera D.C extract (OJE) on Hep3B, a human liver cancer cell, and identify the anticancer mechanisms. When treated with 1.0 mg/mL of OJE in HEK-293 and HEP3B to test the anticancer effect based on cell viability and mobility, the extract showed no growth inhibitory effect on HEK-293, while Hep3B's cell viability and mobility significantly decreased to 62.5% and 48.6%, respectively. The RNA expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), protein-53 (p53), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which are key genes of carcinogenesis, were examined to investigate the mechanism of the anticancer effect. OJE downregulated COX-2 and increased the expression of cancer suppressors AMPK and p53 in a concentration-dependent manner. HPLC analysis was conducted to quantify secondary metabolites in OJE, and 0.50 mg/g DM of chlorogenic acid was identified as the main substance. Therefore, Oenanthe stolonifera D.C containing bioactive substances is valuable as a natural source for anticancer agent in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract Cell apoptosis induction and metastasis suppression in human breast cancer cell, MDA-MB-231, were studied to assess the potential of Cirsium setidens extract (CSE) on breast cancer treatment. Cell viability and metastasis analysis using MDA-MB-231 confirmed CSE significantly inhibited the growth and proliferation of cancer cell without suppressing normal cell growth in the range of 0.25 to 0.5 mg/mL of CSE. To analyze the anticancer effect of CSE, the expressions of major genes related to in the apoptosis, including p53, AMPK-α, Bcl-2, and Bax were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expressions of AMPK-α, p53, and Bax increased by 45, 43, and 68%, respectively, while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased by 12%, showing that CSE treatment induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231. The major compound of CSE was identified as rhoifolin, a type of flavone, through analysis using LC-MS/MS. Our findings confirmed that rhoifolin, known to possess a variety of significant biological activities, could be obtained from C. setidens and used as an effective natural compound to suppress breast cancer.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of bioconverted Oenanthe javanica extract (BOE) using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SM4 on production of bioactive compounds. Response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions including the extraction time, extraction temperature, and ethanol concentration for the enhancement of bioactive compounds production. The predicted optimum UAE conditions were extraction time of 26.0 min, extraction temperature of 92.8 °C, and 59.9% ethanol, respectively, and 5.14 mg GAE/g DM of TPC and 0.59 mg QE/g DM of TFC were produced under the optimum condition. Then, O. javanica extraction (OJE) has been bioconverted by using L. plantarum SM4 to increase the bioactive compounds. In HPLC-mass spectrometry analyses, higher concentration of p-coumaric acid was identified in BOE than in OJE, and chlorogenic acid in OJE was converted to quinic acid, confirming an increase in bioactive compounds by bioconversion. Thus, we have concluded that optimization of UAE and the BOE is an effective process for enhancement bioactive compounds from O. Javanica and this finding provides a scientific basis of bioactive compounds in natural product can be utilized as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical materials from BOE.

Abstract Statically-based optimization was employed to maximize the total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and radical scavenging activity from purple carrot (Daucus carota L.) using ultrasound-assisted extraction. To enhance the extraction of bioactive components, key variables of ultrasound-assisted extraction including extraction time (5.0 ~ 55.0 min), extraction temperature (26.0 ~ 94.5 °C), and ethanol concentration (0.0 ~ 99.5%) were chosen as independent variables and optimized using Response surface methodology. The optimal extraction conditions were predicted as 41.9 °C, 46.1 min, and 26.0% ethanol, under these conditions, total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and radical scavenging activity were found to be 16.1 mg GAE/g DM, 0.86 QE/g DM, and 25.6%, respectively, similar to the experimental values of the validation experiment. When the purple carrot extract was analyzed using HPLC, chlorogenic acid was identified as a main substance. Therefore, ultrasound-assisted extraction can effectively increase the anti-oxidant production of purple carrot, and purple carrot extract has high potential as functional food and cosmetic raw material.

Background: The melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) plays an important role in regulating food intake and body weight in mammals. In the present study, we identified the MC4R gene in native Korean brown, brindle, and black cattle by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and investigated its association with economic traits. A total of 413 cattle from the three breeds were tested for backfat thickness, carcass weight, longissimus muscle area, and marbling score, and statistical data were analyzed using the SAS program. Results: The C allele had the highest frequency in brown and brindle cattle, and the G allele frequency was highest in black cattle. The C1069G SNP was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with only marbling scores in brown and brindle cattle but no significant association was detected between the marbling scores and polymorphism in black cattle. Conclusions: These results suggest that a C1069G SNP of the MC4R gene may be useful as a genetic marker for marbling scores in Korean brown and brindle cattle.