Earticle

수명이 짧은 예쁜꼬마선충은 수명 연장 등 많은 연구의 모델생물으로서 사용되고있다. 해조류 추출물들이 포함된 선충배양용 한천배지에서 선충(N2 야생형)을 키우면서 그 수명을 측정하였다. 13종의 흔한 해조류 중에서 갈조류 톳의 에탄올추출물이 난 부화, 성장 및 생존율에서 가장 큰 효과를 보였다. 그 수명은 에탄올추출물(0.05 mg/ml) 및 주 활성성분인 fucosterol (0.05 mg/ml) 첨가에 의하여 1.54배 및 1.23배 정도로 유의미하게 증가되었다. 또한 에탄올추출물에 의하여 chemotaxis는 1.13배 증가, 한 배에서의 새끼는 0.74배 감소, 첫 산란시기는 0.96 배 단축되었다. 이와 같은 결과들로 보아서 양식 가능한 해조류 톳은 건강에 이로운 건강보조 식품으로서의 좋은 재료가 될 수 있을 것이다.

The short-lived nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has been used as a model organism for many studies, including lifespan extension. To screen common seaweeds for natural anti-aging agents, the lifespan of C. elegans (N2 wild-type strain) was measured by its hatch rate, growth rate, survival rate, chemotaxis, brood size, and egg-laying time after exposure to nematode growth medium (NGM) containing seaweed extracts. Approximately 30 animals synchronized at the first larval stage were incubated until they reached their adult stages before laying their eggs and were transferred to fresh NGM every 3 days. We also identified the major active compound from the seaweed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and tested its optimal dose for longevity. Of 13 common seaweed species, an ethanol extract of the brown seaweed Hizikia fusiformis showed the greatest effect on hatching, growth, and survival rates. The lifespan of C. elegans was significantly expanded 1.54-fold and 1.23-fold in the presence of the ethanol extract (0.05 mg/ml) and the main active component, fucosterol (0.05 mg/ml), respectively. Exposure to the ethanol extract also increased chemotaxis 1.13-fold, decreased brood size 0.74-fold, and shortened egg-laying time 0.96-fold. These results suggest that the aquaculturable H. fusiformis may be a promising source of a diet supplement to support health care.

We report here the use of high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) in the preparative isolation and purification of the bioactive component, fucosterol, from Pelvetia siliquosa. A crude extract was obtained by ultrasonic extraction of powdered P. siliquosa using methylene chloride and was then subjected to separation and purification by HSCCC, coupled with evaporative light-scattering detection. Preparative HSCCC was performed successfully using a two-phase solvent system, n-heptane:methanol (3:2, v/v), to obtain 10.96 mg fucosterol with 96.8% purity from 50 mg of crude extract; the recovery rate was approximately 90.5%.

A new method for the quantitative determination of fucosterol in the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa by gas chromatography was established. A HP-1 column programmed as $200^{\circ}C\;(5\;min)\;{\rightarrow}\;5/min\;{\rightarrow}\;280^{\circ}C\;(10\;min)$ was developed. The analysis of fucosterol in P. siliquosa was successfully carried out within 30 min.

Fucosterol isolated from Pelvetia siliquosa was tested for its anti-diabetic activity in vivo. Fucosterol, when administered orally at 30 mg/kg in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, was caused a significant decrease in serum glucose concentrations, and exhibited an inhibition of sorbitol accumulations in the lenses. Fucosterol, when administered orally at 300 mg/kg in epinephrine-induced diabetic rats, was also caused an inhibition of blood glucose level and glycogen degradation. These results demonstrated that fucosterol is a main anti-diabetic principle from the marine algae P. siliquosa.

The anti-oxidant activities of fucosterol isolated from the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa were investigated. Fucosterol exhibited a significant decrease in serum transaminase activities elevated by hepatic damage induced by $CCl_4$-intoxication in rats. Fucosterol inhibited the sGOT and sGPT activities by 25.57 and 63.16%, respectively. Fucosterol showed the increase in the anti-oxidant enzymes such as hepatic cytosolic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activities by 33.89, 21.56 and 39.24%, respectively, in $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. These results suggest that fucosterol possess not only the anti-oxidant, but also the hepatoprotective activities in rats.

The anti-oxidant activities of fucosterol isolated from the marine algae Pelvetia siliquosa were investigated. Fucosterol exhibited a significant decrease in serum transaminase activities elevated by hepatic damage induced by CCl$_4$-intoxication in rats. Fucosterol inhibited the sGOT and sGPT activities by 25.57 and 63.16%, respectively. Fucosterol showed the increase in the anti-oxidant enzymes such as hepatic cytosolic superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities by 33.89, 21.56 and 39.24%, respectively, in CCl$_4$-intoxicated rats. (omitted)

아롱부챗말은 갈조강에 속하는 갈조류의 일종이다. 이전의 보고에 의하면 아롱부챗말은 amyloid-β에 의한 신경병증을 완화하고 혈소판 응집도 억제하는 것으로 알려져 있다. 본 연구는 아롱부챗말의 피부미백 효과를 평가하고 활성 성분을 확인하도록 고안되었다. 이러한 연구를 위하여 아롱부챗말 99% 에틸알코올을 이용하여 추출하였고 활성은 arbutin을 양성 대조군으로 하여 비교하였다. 먼저, 아롱부챗말 추출물은 멜라닌 생성의 속도조절효소인 tyrosinase의 활성을 용량 의존적으로 억제함을 확인하였다. 주목할만한 점으로, 200 μM arbutin은 tyrosinase의 활성을 58.1% 억제한 반면, 0.5% 아롱부챗말 추출물은 76.7% 억제하였다. 아롱부챗말 추출물은 α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone에 의한 TRP-1과 TRP-2 mRNA 발현 증가도 저해하였다. 게다가, 아롱부챗말 추출물은 흑색종 세포인 B16F10 세포에서 멜라닌의 합성을 유의하게 감소시켰다. 아롱부챗말의 활성성분으로는 fucosterol이 확인되었고 함량분석에서 0.66%로 확인되었다. Fucosterol은 흑생종 세포에서 멜라닌 합성 억제 효과가 고시 성분인 arbutin과 유사하였다. 마지막으로, 아롱부챗말의 세포독성을 MTT assay와 LDH release assay를 이용하여 분석하였다. 이 실험에서 아롱부챗말 추출물은 LDH 유출을 유의하게 감소시키는 것을 확인하였다. 종합하면, 본 연구에서는 아롱부챗말 추출물이 피부 미백용 화장품의 활성성분으로 사용되기에 충분한 가능성을 갖고 있는 것으로 확인하였다.

Padina gymnospora is a brown algae of the class Phaeophyceae. It has been established that P. gymnospora ameliorates amyloid-β-induced neuropathology and has an anticoagulation effect, but this study was designed to estimate its skin-whitening effect and identify its active component. The ingredients of P. gymnospora were extracted with ethanol and its activity was compared with arbutin. First, the P. gymnospora extract was observed to inhibit tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner, tyrosinase being the rate-limiting enzyme of melanin synthesis. Notably, where 200 μM of arbutin inhibited tyrosinase activity by 58.1%, P. gymnospora extract (0.5%) achieved 76.7%. The P. gymnospora extract also significantly reduced α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-induced TRP-1 and TRP-2 mRNA expression. In addition, it significantly inhibited melanin synthesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. We identified the 0.66% fucosterol content that inhibited melanin synthesis as comparable to that of arbutin. Additionally, we tested the potential cytotoxicity of P. gymnospora by MTT and LDH release assay and found that the extract significantly reduced LDH release in CCD-986sk cells. These results indicate that P. gymnospora extract could be a potential active ingredient of cosmetics with a skin-whitening effect.

Fucosterol is a sterol metabolite of brown algae and regulates genes involved with cholesterol homeostasis. As a part of our continuous search for anti-obesity agents from natural marine sources, the anti-adipogenic activities of Ecklonia stolonifera and its sterol, fucosterol, were evaluated for the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation and lipid formation. Oil Red O staining was used to evaluate triglyceride contents in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes primed by differentiation medium (DM) I and DM II. The methanolic extract of E. stolonifera showed strong anti-adipogenic activity, and was thus fractionated with several solvents. Among the tested fractions, the dichloromethane ($CH_2Cl_2$) fraction was found to be the most active fraction, with significant inhibition (40.5 %) of intracellular lipid accumulation at a non-toxic concentration, followed by the ethyl acetate fraction (30.2 %) at the same concentration, while the n-butanol and water fractions did not show inhibitory activity within the tested concentrations. The strong anti-adipogenic $CH_2Cl_2$-soluble fraction was further purified by a repeated chromatography to yield fucosterol. Fucosterol reduced lipid contents in a concentration-dependent manner without showing any cytotoxicity. Fucosterol treatment also yielded a decrease in the expression of the adipocyte marker proteins peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein ${\alpha}$($C/EBP{\alpha}$) in a concentration-dependent manner. Taken together, these results suggest that fucosterol inhibits expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and $C/EBP{\alpha}$, resulting in a decrease of lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes, indicating that the potential use of E. stolonifera and its bioactive fucosterol as an anti-obesity agent.