Anti-Inflammatory, Barrier-Protective, and Antiwrinkle Properties of Kuntze in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes.

This work aimed to assess the skin-beneficial properties of Kuntze, an herbal medication used to treat different types of disorders in traditional folk medicine. The total phenolic compounds and total antiradical, nitrite scavenging, superoxide scavenging, antielastase, and antihyaluronidase activities of a hot water extract of Kuntze leaves (ARE) were spectrophotometrically determined. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was fluorometrically quantitated using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA).

Protective properties of ginsenoside Rb3 against UV-B radiation-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT keratinocytes.

This work aimed to evaluate the skin anti-photoaging properties of ginsenoside Rb3 (Rb3), one of the main protopanaxdiol-type ginsenosides from ginseng, in HaCaT keratinocytes. The skin anti-photoaging activity was assessed by analyzing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 (proMMP-2), pro-matrix metalloproteinase-9 (proMMP-9), total glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as well as cell viability in HaCaT keratinocytes under UV-B irradiation. When HaCaT keratinocytes were exposed to Rb3 prior to UV-B irradiation, Rb3 exhibited suppressive activities on UV-B-induced ROS, proMMP-2, and proMMP-9 enhancements.

Antioxidative properties of ginsenoside Ro against UV-B-induced oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts.

Ginsenoside Ro (Ro), an oleanolic acid-type ginsenoside, exhibited suppressive activities on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) elevation in UV-B-irradiated fibroblasts. Ro could overcome the reduction of the total glutathione (GSH) contents in UV-B-irradiated fibroblasts. Ro could not interfere with cell viabilities in UV-B-irradiated fibroblasts.

Molecular cloning and expression of a laccase from Ganoderma lucidum, and its antioxidative properties.

Laccases are multicopper-containing oxidases that catalyze the oxidation of many aromatic compounds with concomitant reduction of oxygen to water. Interest in this enzyme has arisen in many fields of industry, including detoxification, wine stabilization, paper processing, and enzymatic conversion of chemical intermediates. In this study, we cloned a laccase gene (GLlac1) from the white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum.

Carbon source-dependent regulation of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe pbh1 gene.

Pbh1, from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is a baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) repeat (BIR) domain-containing protein. Its unique encoding gene was previously found to be regulated by nitric oxide and nitrogen starvation. In the current work, the Pbh1-lacZ fusion gene was used to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of the pbh1 gene under various carbon sources.