Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), an oriental herbal medicine, has been shown to favorably affect choleretic, antirheumatic and diuretin properties. Recent reports have indicated that excessive oxidative stress contributes to the development of atherosclerosislinked metabolic syndrome. The objective of this current study was to investigate the possible hypolipidemic and antioxidative effects of dandelion root and leaf in rabbits fed with a high-cholesterol diet. A group of twenty eight male rabbits was divided into four subgroups; a normal diet group, a high-cholesterol diet group, a high-cholesterol diet with 1% (w/w) dandelion leaf group, and a high-cholesterol diet with 1% (w/w) dandelion root group. After the treatment period, the plasma antioxidant enzymes and lipid profiles were determined. Our results show that treatment with dandelion root and leaf positively changed plasma antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid profiles in cholesterol-fed rabbits, and thus may have potential hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. Dandelion root and leaf could protect against oxidative stress linked atherosclerosis and decrease the atherogenic index.

In this study, the effect of low-molecular weight white ginseng compounds on various biochemical indices, including blood lipid concentrations and antioxidant enzyme activities and morphological changes was investigated in rabbits with high cholesterol diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. The experimental animals were 16-week-old male New Zealand white rabbits divided into normal control diet, high cholesterol diet, and high cholesterol with 0.05% white ginseng low-molecule compound groups, treated for 4 weeks. Blood lipid concentrations were higher in the high cholesterol groups compared to the normal control group but were not improved by the white ginseng low-molecular weight compound. We note however that antioxidant enzyme activities and morphological changes of the aorta showed that white ginseng small compounds had a positive effect on hypercholesterolemia. Based on such results, low-molecular weight compounds rich in phenolic compounds in white ginseng can be said to be effective in part in improving hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis induced by a high cholesterol diet among New Zealand white rabbits.

We recently reported the immune-enhancing effects of a high-molecular-weight fraction (HMF) of CW in macrophages and immunosuppressed mice, and this effect was attributed to a crude polysaccharide. As polysaccharides may also have anti-inflammatory functions, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and related molecular mechanisms of a crude polysaccharide (HMFO) obtained from HMF of CW in mice with dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colitis and in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. HMFO ameliorated the pathological characteristics of colitis and significantly reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines in the serum. Histological analysis indicated that HMFO improved the signs of histological damage such as abnormal crypts, crypt loss, and inflammatory cell infiltration induced by DSS. In addition, HMFO inhibited iNOS and COX-2 protein expression, as well as phosphorylated NF-κB p65 levels in the colon tissue of mice with DSS-induced colitis. In macrophages, HMFO inhibited several cytokines and enzymes involved in inflammation such as prostaglandin E₂, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 by attenuating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases. HMFO attenuated inflammation both in vitro and in vivo, primarily by inhibiting NF-κB activation. Our findings indicate that HMFO is a promising remedy for treating inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis.

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.f.) leaves have traditionally been used as a phytomedicine, in health beverages to treat cardiovascular and respiratory disease and to promote maternal health in East Asia. In particular, polysaccharides from persimmon are known to have anti-coagulant, anti-oxidant, and immune-stimulatory activities. However, their beneficial effects against osteoporosis have not been reported. In the present study, we investigated the anti-osteoporotic effects of polysaccharides from persimmon leaves (PLE0) using an in vivo model of ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss and an in vitro system of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation. In the OVX mouse model, PLE0 remarkably improved OVX-induced trabecular bone loss by suppressing osteoclast activity. In primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs), PLE0 dose-dependently inhibited osteoclast differentiation. In addition, PLE0 down-regulated RANKL-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as p38, ERK, and JNK resulting in suppression of nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) expression. Our results indicate that PLE0 has anti-osteoporotic effects in OVX-induced bone loss via inhibition of osteoclast differentiation. Taken together, PLE0 from persimmon may prevent postmenopausal bone loss and osteoporotic bone fragility.

Red ginseng has been reported to elicit various therapeutic effects relevant to cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory diseases. However, the effect of red ginseng on exercise endurance and skeletal muscle function remains unclear. Herein, we sought to investigate whether red ginseng could affect exercise endurance and examined its molecular mechanism. Mice were fed with red ginseng extract (RG) and undertook swimming exercises to determine the time to exhaustion. Animals fed with RG had significantly longer swimming endurance. RG treatment was also observed to enhance ATP production levels in myoblasts. RG increased mRNA expressions of mitochondrial biogenesis regulators, NRF-1, TFAM, and PGC-1α, which was accompanied by an elevation in mitochondrial DNA, suggesting an enhancement in mitochondrial energy-generating capacity. Importantly, RG treatment induced phosphorylation of p38 and AMPK and upregulated PGC1α expression in both myoblasts and in vivo muscle tissue. In addition, RG treatment also stimulated C2C12 myogenic differentiation. Our findings show that red ginseng improves exercise endurance, suggesting that it may have applications in supporting skeletal muscle function and exercise performance.