Korean red ginseng extract enhances paclitaxel distribution to mammary tumors and its oral bioavailability by P-glycoprotein inhibition.

1. Drug efflux by P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a common resistance mechanism of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel, the primary chemotherapy in breast cancer. As a means of overcoming the drug resistance-mediated failure of paclitaxel chemotherapy, the potential of Korean red ginseng extract (KRG) as an adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported only in in vitro.

Isoliquiritigenin ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis through the inhibition of MAPK pathway.

Isoliquiritigenin (isoLQ), a chalcone found in licorice, has shown a variety of biological activity including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, and the distribution of isoLQ in gastrointestinal tract was higher than any other tissues. Thus, we evaluated whether or not isoLQ attenuated the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis by observing the physiological changes (body weight loss, diarrhea, bleeding stool, overall disease activity index (DAI) scores, colon length), histopathological analysis and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities of esophagus and colon. Also, the MAPK pathways including phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38, and AKT, and the activation of NK-κB were evaluated in colon tissue.

Mangosteen Extract Attenuates the Metabolic Disorders of High-Fat-Fed Mice by Activating AMPK.

This study investigated the effects of mangosteen on metabolic syndromes in high-fat (HF) diet-fed mice and the underlying mechanisms related to adipogenesis. Mangosteen-supplemented mice gained significantly less body weight, compared with the HF group. The levels were markedly elevated in HF mice for serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and free fatty acid; whereas these levels were significantly lower in the 200 mg/kg of the mangosteen extract-treated group.

α-Mangostin Regulates Hepatic Steatosis and Obesity through SirT1-AMPK and PPARγ Pathways in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Previous studies have shown that α-mangostin (α-MG) suppresses intracellular fat accumulation and stimulation of lipolysis in in vitro systems. Together with the relatively high distribution of α-MG in liver and fat, these observations made it possible to propose a plausible hypothesis that an α-MG supplement may regulate hepatic steatosis and obesity. An α-MG supplement (50 mg/kg) reduced the body weight gain (13.

Pharmacokinetics of isoliquiritigenin and its metabolites in rats: low bioavailability is primarily due to the hepatic and intestinal metabolism.

Isoliquiritigenin, a chalcone found in licorice has shown a variety of biological activities including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic, chemopreventive and antitumor effects. Thus, pharmacokinetics of isoliquiritigenin and its metabolites [liquiritigenin, glucuronidated isoliquiritigenin (M1), and glucuronidated liquiritigenin (M2)] after intravenous and oral administration of isoliquiritigenin was evaluated in rats. The pharmacokinetics of isoliquiritigenin, liquiritigenin, M1, and M2 showed no dose dependence after both intravenous and oral administration of isoliquiritigenin.