Chrysanthemum zawadskii, a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Compositae, grows wild in Asian countries, including Japan, China, and Korea. The biological, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities of C. zawadskii have been reported, its antiobesity activity has not been elucidated. In the present study, the effect of C. zawadskii methanol extract (CZME) on pancreatic lipase enzyme activity, adipocyte differentiation, and adipogenesis was investigated using an in vitro assay and a cell model system. CZME effectively suppressed lipase enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. CZME also inhibited insulin, dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (MDI)-induced adipocyte differentiation, lipid accumulation, and the level of triglyceride in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity. The antiobesity effect of CZME might be modulated by gene and protein expression of cytidine-cytidine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine (CCAAT)/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBP) α, C/EBPβ, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR γ). CZME also triggered lipolysis in a dose-dependent manner in MDI-induced 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Taken together, these results provide important new insights into the antiobesity activities of C. zawadskii, showing that they involve pancreatic lipase inhibition, as well as antiadipogenic and lipolysis effects. CZME might be a promising source in the field of nutraceuticals. However, the active compounds that confer the antiobesity activities of CZME need to be identified. /enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, C/EBPδ) 등 과 같은 adipogenic transcription factor 등이 중요한 조절자로 서 관여하는 것으로 알려져 있다 [6,12,28]. 이 중 C/EBPβ와 C/EBPδ는 분화초기에 insulin, DEX, IBMX 등과 같은 hormonal cocktail에 의해 일시적이고 빠르게 발현되는 반면 C/EBP α와 PPARγ는 분화 후기에 발현되어 지방세포에 특이적인 유 전자의 발현을 활성화 시킴으로써 분화를 더욱 촉진시켜 분화 과정을 완성시킨다 [28]. 또한 C/EBPα는 PPARγ의 활성화 및

Traditional medicinal plants are widely used to treat many diseases, such as inflammation, infections, and even cancer. Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, a Chinese elm species, is distributed in Korea, China, and Japan. The stem bark is widely employed in Korean traditional medicine to treat dermatitis, mastitis, and edema. The aim of this study was to investigate whether water extract of U. macrocarpa Hance bark (Ulmus cortex) has a immune-modulating function in a mouse model. Three different concentrations (30 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg) of Ulmus cortex water extract (UCWE) were orally administered to mice for 14 days, and their immune responses were analyzed. Cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, and IFN-γ, increased in the blood of UCWE-fed groups when compared with a control group. In contrast, the IL-4 level did not change in any of the UCWE-fed groups Cell-mediated cytotoxicity was also assayed using lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK). LAK showed greater cytotoxicity in the UCWE-fed groups than LAK in the control group. Internal organ indices, such as liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus, were similar in all the groups, including the control group, indicating that UCWE may have been nontoxic in the experimental animals. These data suggest that UCWE has an immune-modulating function in a mouse model.

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The immune system protects the body from bacterial infection and disease, as well as cancer that develops following the mutation of cells. Aging exerts adverse effects on the immune system, such as chronic inflammation, resulting in rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of Scutellaria baicalensis, which contains baicalin. HPLC analysis showed that S. baicalensis hot water extracts (SBWE) contained 42.2 mg/g of baicalin. To evaluate the cytotoxicity of SBWE, an MTT assay was carried out in Raw264.7 cells. No cytotoxicity was observed below 160 μg/ml of SBWE. SBWE at 40 μg/ml reduced the amount of nitric oxide produced by macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide by 40%. In addition, SBWE inhibited phagocytosis stimulated with zymosan. Furthermore, the content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) produced by the macrophages was decreased in the presence of SBWE in a dose-dependent manner. SBWE also inhibited the production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 β) in a time course experiment. Moreover, treatment with 20 μg/ml of SBWE remarkably decreased the expression level of cyclooxynase-2. The results provide evidence that SBWE may exert an anti-inflammatory effect through modulation of the immune system.