Deciphering chemical diversity among five variants of flowers through metabolomics analysis.

(Oleaceae), endemic to the Korean Peninsula and the sole member of its genus and species, possesses high scarcity value, escalating its importance under the Nagoya Protocol. Despite its significance, their metabolites and activities of flowers remain unexplored. This study employs an integrated metabolomic approach utilizing NMR, LC/MS, GC/MS, and FTIR techniques to comprehensively analyze the metabolite profile of flowers.

The Effects of Body Fat Reduction through the Metabolic Control of Steam-Processed Ginger Extract in High-Fat-Diet-Fed Mice.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing globally due to behavioral and environmental changes. There are many therapeutic agents available for the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, but the data on their efficacy and safety are lacking. Through a pilot study by our group, rhizomes used as a spice and functional food were selected as an anti-obesity candidate.

Phenylalkyl Glycosides from the Flowers of L. and Their Radical Scavenging Effect and Protective Effect on Pancreatic Islets Damaged by Alloxan in Zebrafish () Larvae.

The study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of L. flower extracts, solvent fractions, and isolated compounds. L flowers were extracted with aqueous methanol, and concentrated extract was successively partitioned into EtOAc, -BuOH, and HO fractions.

Synthesis of Alpha-Linked Glucosides from Soybean Isoflavone Aglycones Using Amylosucrase from .

Soybean isoflavone aglycones (SIAs) have many biological activities but are poorly water-soluble in the human body. Glycosylation provides structural diversity to SIAs and can alter their physicochemical properties, including water solubility. An alpha-linked glucosylation of SIA was achieved using amylosucrase from .

8-paradol from ginger exacerbates PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy to induce apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma.

Gastric cancer (GC) occurs in the gastric mucosa, and its high morbidity and mortality make it an international health crisis. Therefore, novel drugs are needed for its treatment. The use of natural products and their components in cancer treatments has shown promise.

Label-free affinity screening, design and synthesis of inhibitors targeting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase.

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to persist in its host may enable an evolutionary advantage for drug resistant variants to emerge. A potential strategy to prevent persistence and gain drug efficacy is to directly target the activity of enzymes that are crucial for persistence. We present a method for expedited discovery and structure-based design of lead compounds by targeting the hypoxia-associated enzyme L-alanine dehydrogenase (AlaDH).

Phenolic Compounds from the Fruits of Prunus davidiana (Rosaceae) and Their Antioxidant Activities.

This research was supported by Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project No. PJ014204032019) and the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2020R1A6A3A01100042).

Steppogenin suppresses tumor growth and sprouting angiogenesis through inhibition of HIF-1α in tumors and DLL4 activity in the endothelium.

Background: Hypoxia is a characteristic feature of many solid tumors. As an adaptive response to hypoxia, tumor cells activate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Under hypoxic conditions, angiogenesis mediated by HIF-1α is involved in the growth and metastasis of tumor cells.

8-Methoxybutin inhibits α-MSH induced melanogenesis and proliferation of skin melanoma by suppression of the transactivation activity of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor.

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is highly expressed in melanocytes and is the main regulator of melanogenesis and melanocyte cell fate. Although MITF is important for the differentiation and development of melanocytes, it is also considered an oncogene of skin melanoma. Based on these findings, MITF could be an attractive therapeutic target for skin cancer intervention.

Three New Phthalide Glycosides from the Rhizomes of and Their Recovery Effect on Damaged Otic Hair Cells in Zebrafish.

The extract from rhizomes was shown in a prior experiment to markedly recover otic hair cells in zebrafish damaged by neomycin. The current study was brought about to identify the principal metabolite. Column chromatography using octadecyl SiO and SiO was performed to isolate the major metabolites from the active fraction.

Whitening and inhibiting NF-κB-mediated inflammation properties of the biotransformed green ginseng berry of new cultivar K1, ginsenoside Rg2 enriched, on B16 and LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Background: Main bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions of ripened red ginseng berry ( Meyer) have been frequently reported. Yet, the research gap targeting the beneficial activities of transformed green ginseng berries has not reported elsewhere.

Methods: Ginsenosides of new green berry cultivar K-1 (GK-1) were identified by HPLC-QTOF/MS.

Aurones and Flavonols from L. Flowers and Their Anti-Oxidant, Pro-Inflammatory Inhibition Effects, and Recovery Effects on Alloxan-Induced Pancreatic Islets in Zebrafish.

(1) Background: Many flavonoids have been reported to exhibit pharmacological activity; a preparatory study confirmed that flowers (CLFs) contained high flavonoid structure content; (2) Methods: CLFs were extracted in aqueous methanol (MeOH:HO = 4:1) and fractionated into acetic ester (EtOAc), normal butanol (-BuOH), and HO fractions. Repeated column chromatographies for two fractions led to the isolation of two aurones and two flavonols; (3) Results: Four flavonoids were identified based on a variety of spectroscopic data analyses to be leptosidin (), leptosin (), isoquercetin (), and astragalin (), respectively. This is the first report for isolation of - from CLFs.

Noble 3,4-Seco-triterpenoid Glycosides from the Fruits of and Their Anti-Neuroinflammatory Effects.

(Araliaceae) have been reported to exhibit many pharmacological activities. Our preliminary study suggested that fruits include many bioactive 3,4-seco-triterpenoids. fruits were extracted in aqueous EtOH and fractionated into EtOAc, -BuOH, and HO fractions.

Volatile Profiles of Five Variants of Flowers Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) Analysis.

(Oleaceae), which is the only species in the monotypic genus and is grown only on the Korean peninsula, has a high scarcity value. Its five variants (white, pink, round, blue, and ivory) have different morphological characteristics in terms of the color of petals and sepals or shape of the fruits. Despite its high value, there has been no study on variant classification except in terms of their morphological characteristics.

Glycosyltransformation of ginsenoside Rh2 into two novel ginsenosides using recombinant glycosyltransferase from and its applications.

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2 is well known for many pharmacological activities, such as anticancer, antidiabetes, antiinflammatory, and antiobesity properties. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are ubiquitous enzymes present in nature and are widely used for the synthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoconjugates, and novel derivatives. We aimed to synthesize new ginsenosides from Rh2 using the recombinant GT enzyme and investigate its cytotoxicity with diverse cell lines.

Correction to: A brief history and spectroscopic analysis of soy isoflavones.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s10068-020-00815-6.].

A brief history and spectroscopic analysis of soy isoflavones.

The production of soybean continues to increase worldwide. People are showing more interest in the beneficial health effects of soybeans than before. However, the origin and history of soybeans are still being discussed among many researchers.

Using Amylosucrase for the Controlled Synthesis of Novel Isoquercitrin Glycosides with Different Glycosidic Linkages.

Many attempts have been made to obtain natural products with certain glycosidic linkages for improvement of their chemo-physical characteristics. Amylosucrase from (DGAS; EC.4.

Amylosucrase from Deinococcus geothermalis can be modulated under different reaction conditions to produce novel quercetin 4'-O-α-d-isomaltoside.

Amylosucrase (ASase, EC.4.2.

Syringoleosides A-H, Secoiridoids from Flowers and Their Inhibition of NO Production in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7 Cells.

Repeated column chromatography of flowers, a native shrub to Korea, led to the isolation of eight new oleoside-type secoiridoids, syringoleosides A-H (-), as well as five known secoiridoids (-). The new chemical structures were identified through spectroscopic data analysis, as well as the application of chemical methods. Compounds , , , , , and showed suppression effects on NO production in LPS-induced RAW 264.

Critical enzymes for biosynthesis of cucurbitacin derivatives in watermelon and their biological significance.

Various cucurbitacins have been isolated, and their structures have been elucidated. Owing to their economic potential and importance as active pharmacological compounds, their cytotoxicity in various cancer cells has been assessed. Here, we mined several candidate genes with potential involvement in cucurbitacin biosynthesis in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and performed in vitro enzymatic assays and instrumental analyses using various substrates to identify cucurbitacin functions and products.

A Comparative Study on Processed Products Using HR-MAS NMR-Based Metabolomics.

is processed to diversify efficacy. Four processed ginsengs containing white ginseng (WG), tae-geuk ginseng (TG), red ginseng (RG), and black ginseng (BG) were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for screening overall primary metabolites. There were significant differences in the sugar content among these four processed ginseng products.

Steamed Ginger May Enhance Insulin Secretion through K Channel Closure in Pancreatic β-Cells Potentially by Increasing 1-Dehydro-6-Gingerdione Content.

Ginger ( Roscoe) and its active compounds (gingerols, shogaols and paradols) have been reported as having beneficial functions for several diseases, including diabetes. In this study, we revealed that the steaming process could enhance the anti-diabetic potential of ginger. To confirm the anti-diabetic effect of steamed ginger extract (GG03), we assessed pancreatic islets impaired by alloxan in zebrafish and demonstrated anti-hyperglycemic efficacy in a mouse model.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Flavonoids from L. Flowers.

L. (Solanaceae), commonly known as "angel's trumpet," is widely grown in North America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. It has been mainly used for ornamental purposes as well as analgesic, anti-rheumatic, vulnerary, decongestant, and anti-spasmodic materials.

Production, Structural Characterization, and In Vitro Assessment of the Prebiotic Potential of Butyl-Fructooligosaccharides.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), especially butyrate, produced in mammalian intestinal tracts via fermentation of dietary fiber, are known biofunctional compounds in humans. However, the variability of fermentable fiber consumed on a daily basis and the diversity of gut microbiota within individuals often limits the production of short-chain fatty acids in the human gut. In this study, we attempted to enhance the butyrate levels in human fecal samples by utilizing butyl-fructooligosaccharides (B-FOS) as a novel prebiotic substance.