Seawater has been used for thalassotherapy and atopic dermatitis for a long time in medical treatment. However, there are still many obscure points in the scientific evidence about the effective of medical treatment.Deep seawater at depths between about 500 m and 1000 m circulates around the world. 1) Deep seawater is known to have such characteristics as being clean and rich in mineral components compared to surface seawater, [2][3][4] and application has been attempted in many fields. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11] In health food and medical fields, deep seawater has been processed into drinking water, and various beneficial effects have been suggested, but they have not been confirmed scientifically. In particular, differences between surface and deep seawater remain unqualified.We reported previously that deep seawater was effective for hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis prevention. 12)In this study, we prepared drinking water samples containing the same amounts of major mineral constituents Na, K, Ca, and Mg, with hardness of 1200, by filtering with a semipermeable membrane using surface and deep seawater collected in the sea area of Muroto, Kochi Prefecture, known for the up-flow of deep seawater, and examined the effects of the drinking water samples on the prevention of a typical lifestyle-related disorder, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS AnimalsMale Japanese white rabbits weighing 1.8 to 2.0 kg (Shimizu, Kyoto, Japan) were used in this study. These animals were acclimatized on a 12 h light/dark cycle in a humidity-and temperature-controlled facility and allowed free access to food and water for 1 week before the experiment.Deep and Surface Seawater Deep seawater pumped up from a depth of 374 m off Muroto Cape (Kochi, Japan) was separated into desalinated water and concentrated by a semipermeable membrane. Various concentrations of water (with sodium eliminated etc.) were added to the desalinated water, and deep seawaters were prepared. (hardness of about 1200; Muroto Marinefood Corporation, Odanikokufun Corporation) The surface seawater of the Muroto Cape ocean space was taken and same process was performed to prepare the drinking water (hardness of about 1200; Kochi Prefectural Deep seawater Laboratory).The mineral-ingredient content of each drinking seawater is shown in Table 1.Administration of Deep or Surface Seawater Cholesterol fed rabbits were divided into three groups and medicated with 150 ml/d of deep seawater, surface seawater and distilled water in a water-supply bottle ad libitum, and fed * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Murotomisaki-cho, Muroto, Kochi 781-7101, Japan: c Muroto Marinefood Corporation; 3507-5 Murotomisaki-cho, Muroto, Kochi 780-8123, Japan: and d Odanikokufun Corporation; 939-4 Takasu, Kochi, Kochi 780-8123, Japan. Received July 13, 2004; accepted September 9, 2004; published online September 10, 2004 Using surface and deep seawater collected in the sea area of Muroto Cape (Kochi, Japan), desalinated drinking samples of about 1200 hard...

We have clarified that Eriobotrya japonica seed extract has strong antioxidative activity, and is effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as hepatopathy and nephropathy. In this study, to investigate the influences of components of Eriobotrya japonica seed extract on its antioxidative activity, extracts were prepared using various solvents (n-hexane (Hex), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), methanol (MeOH) and H 2 O) and the antioxidative activity of the solvent fractions and components was evaluated based on the scavenging of various radicals (DPPH and O 2 ؊ ) measured by the ESR method and the inhibition of Fe 3؉ -ADP induced NADPH dependent lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes. The radical scavenging activities and inhibitory activities on lipid peroxidation differed among the solvent fractions and components. In the n-BuOH, MeOH and H 2 O fractions, radical scavenging activity and inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation were high. In addition, these fractions contained abundant polyphenols, and the radical scavenging activity increased with the polyphenol content. In the low-polar Hex and EtOAc fractions, the radical scavenging activity was low, but the lipid peroxidation inhibition activity was high. These fractions contained b b-sitosterol, and the inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation was high. Based on these findings, the antioxidative activity of Eriobotrya japonica seed extract may be derived from many components involved in a complex mechanism, resulting in high activity.

Recent studies have shown that oxidative damage in the body induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals is frequently involved in the development of many diseases.1-3) ROS are continuously produced physiologically, and play an important role in the expression of cell functions such as the transmission of impulse information. However, if they are produced excessively from any cause, they act cytotoxically as mediators of adverse events such as inflammation, necrosis, and apoptosis. In the kidney, ROS are important causes of acute and subacute renal failure in most cases. It has also been reported that renal failure results from decreased levels of the antioxidant vitamin E and decreased activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx), 4,5) and can be prevented by free-radical scavengers and polyphenols. 6,7) Also, certain anticancer drugs themselves produce free radicals, and act as factors promoting nephrotoxicity. 8) In particular, adriamycin (ADR), which is used to treat leukemia and lung cancer, generates superoxide anions and hydroxy radicals, thereby inducing nephrotoxicity, suggesting that the administration of antioxidant substances is effective in inhibiting nephrotoxicity. However, no clinically useful drugs are currently available.Eriobotrya japonica is widely cultivated as a fruit crop. Among Chinese medicine preparations, Eriobotrya japonica folia are an ingredient in Shini-seihai-to and Biwayo-to used as antiphlogistic, analgesic, antitussive, and expectorant agents. Recently, the blood sugar-reducing 9-11) and antiphlogistic actions 12,13) of Eriobotrya japonica folia have also been reported. On the other hand, Eriobotrya japonica seeds, like those of apricots and peaches of the same genus (Rosaceae), contain amygdalin as the main constituent; therefore, they were used as a substitute medication for the latter seeds in prewar Japan.To date, we have discovered the antioxidant action and associated hepatotoxicity-inhibiting action of an extract from Eriobotrya japonica seeds.14) In this study, to clarify the physiological action of an extract from Eriobotrya japonica seeds, we administered an Eriobotrya japonica seed extract (ESE) with 70% ethanol to rats with ADR nephrotoxicity, and evaluated its improvement effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS MaterialsSufficiently sun-dried seeds of Mogi-loquant collected at Muroto and Susaki cities in Kochi Prefecture of Japan were the Eriobotrya japonica seeds used. Adriamycin (ADR) was provided by Kyowahakko (Japan). All other chemicals were of reagent grade.Extraction of Seed Eriobotrya japonica seeds were extracted by 70% ethanol. Briefly, 1.0 kg of seeds was crushed in a blender equipped with a refrigerator at 1000 rpm, and then continuously stirred by a mixer at 300 rpm for 7 d after being dissolved in the 70% ethanol. The supernatant was then collected and evaporated to dryness to prepare the dried extracts.Animals Male Wistar rats, aged seven weeks, 180-200 g, were purchased from NSC Japan. Animals were acclimatized for seven days ...

Frequent/massive administration of anticancer agents frequently causes mucositis. This condition involves the entire oral cavity in many cases, inducing pain and hemorrhage. Therefore, it decreases dietary intake, markedly reducing the quality of life (QOL). [1][2][3] In addition, severe mucositis influences the administration schedule of anticancer agents, affecting cancer treatment. Thus, it is important to prevent and treat chemotherapy-induced mucositis.Chemotherapy-induced mucositis is associated with two factors. [4][5][6] First, free radicals produced by anticancer agents act on the oral mucosa as oxidative stress, destroying the mucosal tissue and causing mucositis. Secondly, the oral cavity enters an infection-prone state via the bone marrow-suppressing effects of anticancer agents, resulting in mucositis via bacterial infection. However, actually, these two factors may be intricately involved. Therefore, it is important to inhibit excessive anticancer agent-related oxidative stress and prevent bacterial infection in the oral cavity, for the prevention and treatment of mucositis.Currently, chemotherapy-induced mucositis is being investigated in clinical practice. Several studies have reported that gargling with antioxidants, cryotherapy in which the development of free radicals in the oral cavity is prevented by reducing oral mucosal transfer of anticancer agents, and maintenance of a clean oral cavity achieved specific effects. [7][8][9][10] However, it is difficult to prevent and treat chemotherapyinduced mucositis, and symptomatic therapy is mainly performed in clinical practice. Thus, strategies against chemotherapy-induced mucositis should be established.Eriobotrya japonica seed extract (ESE), which was used in this study, was extracted from Eriobotrya japonica seeds with 70% EtOH. We previously confirmed that this extract contained various substances such as polyphenols, amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids 11,12) ( Fig. 1). Furthermore, an in vitro study demonstrated the radical-scavenging actions of ESE. 11) In several in vivo studies, ESE was useful for treating rats with dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatopathy, a rat nephropathy model prepared by administering adriamycin, an anticancer agent, and a rat inflammation model prepared by administering lipopolysaccharide comprising Gram-negative bacteria. We confirmed that these effects were achieved via the antioxidant actions of ESE. 12-14)These results suggest that ESE exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions, and that this extract is useful for treating chemotherapy-induced mucositis. In this study, we investigated the effects of ESE using a hamster mucositis model prepared by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS MaterialsSufficiently sun-drided seeds of Mogi-loquant collected at Muroto and Susaki cities in Kochi Prefecture and Shimotsucho in Wakayama Prefecture of Japan were used. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was provided by Kyowahakko (Japan). All other chemicals were of reagent grade.Preparation of ESE Eriobotrya...

The effect of Eriobotrya japonica seed extract (ESE) prepared with 70% ethanol on gastric mucosal injury was investigated. Six experimental models with different action mechanisms were used for the evaluation. Three concentrations of ESE were prepared for each model. ESE administration was initiated 14 days before induction of gastric mucosal injury, and its effect was investigated. ESE inhibited formation of gastric mucosal injury.