• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.135-143
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to determine whether the methanol extract of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino, a naturally growing plant in Korea, could prevent the renal-ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model or not. Methods : The radical scavenging activities of the extracts, and ascorbic acid as a positive control, were measured in vitro. At one hour after an intraperitoneal injection of the extract (400 mg/kg), renal ischemia/reperfusion injury was generated by 40 min clamping of the left renal artery in rats. After renal ischemia/reperfusion and 24 hr restoration of blood circulation, the serum creatinine concentration was measured. And the extent of epithelial cell injury and apoptosis was assessed by various staining technologies. The Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and activated caspase-3 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results : The extract showed a slightly lower level of radical scavenging activity than that of ascorbic acid. Compared to those of the vehicle-treated group, the extract-treated group displayed a significantly smaller tubular epithelial cell injury of 54% reduction in the outer medulla region and a lower serum creatinine concentration of 50% reduction. It seems that the reduction in cellular injury is due to the attenuation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, and the inhibition of caspase-3 activation by the extract of Cassia mimosoides. Conclusions : Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino could be a good candidate for a prophylactic agent against the ischemia/reperfusion/induced kidney injury.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 2009

Daucosterol and naphthalene glycoside were isolated from the seeds of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino. The isolated compounds were identified by spectral means including 1D, 2D-NMR and FAB-MS experiments. Daucosterol was characterized as ${\beta}$-sitosterol-3-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside and naphthalene glucoside was done as 2-acetyl-3-methyl-6-methoxynaphthalene-1,8-diol 8-O-glucosyl-(1${\rightarrow}$6)-glucoside. These compounds were isolated for the first time from Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.177-183
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• 2012

Interruption of blood flow through coronary arteries and its subsequent restoration triggers the generation of a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to myocardial cell death. In this study, we determined whether a methanol extract of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino could prevent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. When radical scavenging activity of the extract was measured in vitro using its ${\alpha}$,${\alpha}$-diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical quenching ability, the extract showed an activity slightly lower than that of ascorbic acid. Three days after oral administration of the extract (400 mg/kg/day) to rats, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury was generated by 30 min of ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), followed by 3 hr reperfusion. Compared with the vehicle-treated group, administration of the extract significantly reduced infarct size (IS) (ratio of infarct area to area at risk) in the extract-treated group by 28.3%. Reduction in the cellular injury was mediated by attenuation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio by 33.3%, inhibition of caspase-3 activation from procaspase-3 by 40%, and subsequent reduction in the number of apoptotic cells by 66.3%. These results suggest that the extract attenuates myocardial injury in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion by scavenging ROS, including free radicals, and consequently blocking apoptotic cascades. Therefore, intake of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino might be beneficial for preventing ischemic myocardial injury.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.255-261
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• 2010

Ischemic stroke, a major cause of death and disability worldwide, is caused by occlusion of cerebral arteries that, coupled with or without reperfusion, results in prolonged ischemia (hypoxia and hypoglycemia) and, ultimately, brain damage. In this study, we examined whether methanol extract of the whole plant of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino that grows naturally in Korea, as well as Japan and China, and some of its fractions obtained by partitioning with organic solvents could protect human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) under hypoxic condition by inhibiting apoptosis. We also investigated if these extracts could attenuate brain damage in a rat model of 2 hr of ischemia, generated by middle cerebral artery occlusion, and 22 hr of reperfusion. The whole extract ($100{\mu}g$/mL) maintained the cell number at more than half of that initially plated, even after 24 hr of cell culture under hypoxic condition (3% $O_2$). In the absence of the whole extract, almost all of the cells were dead by this time point. This improvement of cell viability came from a delay of apoptosis, which was confirmed by observing the timing of the formation of a DNA ladder when assessed by gel electrophoresis. Of fractions soluble in hexane, ethyl acetate (EA), butanol and water, EA extracts were selected for the animal experiments, as they improved cell viability at the lowest concentration ($10{\mu}g$/mL). The whole extract (200 mg/kg) and EA extract (10 and 20 mg/kg) significantly reduced infarct size, a measure of brain damage, by 34.7, 33.8 and 45.2.0%, respectively, when assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. The results suggest that intake of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino might be beneficial for preventing ischemic stroke through inhibition of brain cell apoptosis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.199-202
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• 1991

The esterase isozyme of several legume plants were separated and visualized by horizontal starch gel electrophoresis using enzyme-specific staining. Extracts used were prepared from fully expanded young leaf and stem of six legume species which were red clover(Trifolium Pretense L.), ladino clover(Trifolium repense L.), wild white clover(Trifolium repense L.), alfalfa(Medicage sativa L.), mimosoides(Cassia mimosoides var nomame Makino), and amoena(Vicia amoena Fisch). The number of band, Phenotype and staining intensity of esterase isozyme in leaf and stem varies depending on the plant species. However, there are little difference between leaf and stem esterase isozyme in same species except alfalfa. And in the leaf and stem of mimosoides and amoena showed not any esterase(Fig. 2). Among the examined plants, the highest staining intensity and the rapidest migrating esterase isozyme was Est 1.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2016

Drought tolerant species from 26 Korean native plants were selected using different physiological indicators. Arundinella hirta, Solanum carolinense and Carpesium divaricatum were withered after 8days of the stopping of irrigation. Plants except Kummerowia striata, Lespedeza cuneata and Ulmus parvifolia were withered in over 80% at 9-10days of the irrigation stopping. K. striata was withered after 10days, and L. cuneata and U. parvifolia were withered in over 90% after 11days of the stopping of irrigation. As stopping experiment of irrigation, A. hirta, S. carolinense, C. divaricatum, K. striata, L. cuneata and U. parvifolia were proved to be drought tolerant species. Among those plant species, transpiration rate of Cassia mimosoides var. nomame Makino was high as 0.042ml/㎠·4hr. However, unit transpiration rate of U. parvifolia and L. cuneata were 0.005 and 0.010ml/㎠·4hr, respectively. In testing of physiological indicators, leaf area and transpiration rate were different among plant species. Unit transpiration rate of U. parvifolia was lower compared with other plant species. L. cuneata, U. parvifolia, Kummerowia striata, Arundinella hirta and C. divaricatum were high in relative water content and low in relative water loss. As this results, L. cuneata and U. parvifolia. were identified as drought tolerant species.