Expression of Escherichia coli Heat-Labile Enterotoxin B Subunit in Centella (Centella asiatica (L.) Urban) via Biolistic Transformation.

Background: Heat-Labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) produced by Escherichia coli, a non-toxic protein subunit with potential biological properties, is a powerful mucosal and parenteral adjuvant which can induce a strong immune response against co-administered antigens.

Objective: In the present study, LTB protein, encoded by the optimized ltb (also known synthetic ltb, s-ltb) gene in centella plant (Centella asiatica) for use as an antigen, has been discussed.

Methods: The s-ltb gene was cloned into a plant expression vector, pMYO51, adjacent to the CaMV 35S promoter and was then introduced into centella plant by biolistic transformation.

Suppression of Th2-type immune response-mediated allergic diarrhea following oral administration of traditional Korean medicine: Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is well-known as a digestive and tonic material and is widely used in traditional Korean herbal medicines. Previously, we found that protein samples obtained from the medicines could induce a preferential stimulation of type 1, rather than type 2, helper T lymphocytes (Th) immune responses in vitro. Since immune response induction is controlled by the balanced activation between Th1- and Th2-type immune responses, we tested to see whether or not the AMK protein sample could inhibit the ovalbumin (OVA)-mediated allergic diarrhea, whose induction has been known to be mediated by the Th2-type immune responses.

Selective antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of flavonoids purified from Rhus verniciflua Stokes on normal versus transformed hepatic cell lines.

Considerable attention is being concentrated on dietary flavonoids in developing novel cancer-preventive approaches due to their potential ability to induce selective apoptosis of cancer cells. In this study, we prepared a flavonoid-containing fraction from a crude acetone extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), traditionally used as a food additive and as an herbal medicine, and named RVS chloroform-methanol fraction (RCMF). We evaluated the effects of RCMF on proliferation and apoptosis using mouse embryonic primary hepatic cells (MPHC), embryonic normal hepatic cell line (BNL CL.

Selective effects of quercetin on the cell growth and antioxidant defense system in normal versus transformed mouse hepatic cell lines.

Quercetin is a dietary anticancer chemical that is capable of inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. However, little is known about its biological effect on nonmalignant cells, although the effect is one of the critical criteria to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the anticancer agent. In this study, we investigated the effects of quercetin on cell growth and apoptosis using embryonic normal hepatic cell line (BNL CL.

Extract from Rhus verniciflua Stokes is capable of inhibiting the growth of human lymphoma cells.

Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS), used as a food additive and a traditional herbal medicine, has both antioxidant and antitumor activities which are known to be closely associated with the polyphenolic compounds that it contains. In the present study, we purified a fraction from a crude acetone extract of RVS, named RCMF (RVS chloroform-methanol fraction), and evaluated its ability to scavenge free radicals and inhibit cell growth. In addition, the active compounds responsible for the activities were identified.

Selective priming of Th1-mediated antigen-specific immune responses following oral administration of mixed prescriptions of traditional Korean medicines.

Background: In previous studies, we showed that oral administration of traditional Korean medicines, Soamsan (SA) and Bo-yang-hwan-o-tang (BHT), modulated antigen-specific immune responses in mice.

Methods: We attempted to strengthen cell-mediated immune responses in mice using two mixed prescriptions composed mainly of components used in SA and/or BHT. The effect of oral administration of the medicines on the induction of antigen-specific immune responses was investigated using hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) as a model antigen system.