ABSTRACT
Acanthopanax divaricatus, a member of the Araliaceae family, has been used as an invigorant in traditional Korean medicine. During disease monitoring, a stem with small, irregular, brown lesions was sampled at a farm in Cheonan in 2011. The symptoms seen were sunken cankers and reddish-brown needles on the infected twig. The isolated fungal colonies were whitish, having crenated edges and aerial mycelium on the surface, and with black gregarious fruiting bodies. The reverse plate was creamy white. Conidia were 17~22 x 3.5~4.2 microm, fusiform, 4-septate, and straight to slightly curved. The nucleotide sequence of the partial translation elongation factor 1 alpha gene of the fungal isolate, shares 99% sequence identity with that of known Pestalotiopsis ellipsospora. Based on the results of the morphological and molecular analyses, the fungal isolate was identified as P. ellipsospora. In Korea, this is the first report of canker on A. divaricatus.
Subject(s)
Humans , Eleutherococcus , Araliaceae , Base Sequence , Fruit , Korea , Mycelium , Needles , Peptide Elongation Factor 1 , Spores, FungalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (ADA) extract has been reported to have anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-mutagenic activity. MATERIALS/METHODS: We investigated the effects of ADA extract on two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD); intracerebroventricular injection of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) and amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1)-transgenic mice. RESULTS: Intra-gastric administration of ADA stem extract (0.25 g/kg, every 12 hrs started from one day prior to injection of Abeta1-42 until evaluation) effectively blocked Abeta1-42-induced impairment in passive avoidance performance, and Abeta1-42-induced increase in immunoreactivities of glial fibrillary acidic protein and interleukin (IL)-1alpha in the hippocampus. In addition, it alleviated the Abeta1-42-induced decrease in acetylcholine and increase in malondialdehyde levels in the cortex. In APP/PS1-transgenic mice, chronic oral administration of ADA stem extract (0.1 or 0.5 g/kg/day for six months from the age of six to 12 months) resulted in significantly enhanced performance of the novel-object recognition task, and reduced amyloid deposition and IL-1beta in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ADA stem extract may be useful for prevention and treatment of AD.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Eleutherococcus , Acetylcholine , Administration, Oral , Alzheimer Disease , Amyloid , Brain , Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein , Hippocampus , Interleukins , Malondialdehyde , Plaque, AmyloidABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (ADA) extract has been reported to have anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-mutagenic activity. MATERIALS/METHODS: We investigated the effects of ADA extract on two mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD); intracerebroventricular injection of beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) and amyloid precursor protein/presenilin 1 (APP/PS1)-transgenic mice. RESULTS: Intra-gastric administration of ADA stem extract (0.25 g/kg, every 12 hrs started from one day prior to injection of Abeta1-42 until evaluation) effectively blocked Abeta1-42-induced impairment in passive avoidance performance, and Abeta1-42-induced increase in immunoreactivities of glial fibrillary acidic protein and interleukin (IL)-1alpha in the hippocampus. In addition, it alleviated the Abeta1-42-induced decrease in acetylcholine and increase in malondialdehyde levels in the cortex. In APP/PS1-transgenic mice, chronic oral administration of ADA stem extract (0.1 or 0.5 g/kg/day for six months from the age of six to 12 months) resulted in significantly enhanced performance of the novel-object recognition task, and reduced amyloid deposition and IL-1beta in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that ADA stem extract may be useful for prevention and treatment of AD.