• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.308-315
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• 2012

Opuntia humifusa known as the Eastern prickly pear have been used as a treatment of burns, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatism, gonorrhea, and diabetes in alternative medicine. O. humifusa is widely cultivated in the middle and southern provinces of Korea and distributed in North America. The aim of this study is to investigate anti-diabetic effect of O. humifusa stem (OHS) water or 80% MeOH extract using 3T3-L1 adipocytes and db/db mice animal models. OHS 80% MeOH extract at a dose of $250{\mu}g/ml$ significantly increased the glucose uptake and lipid accumulation compared with the control in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Blood glucose, plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced by oral treatment of OHS 80% MeOH extract (200 mg/kg BW) for 6 weeks in db/db mice. Also, the oral treatment of OHS 80% MeOH extract slightly changed the plasma insulin and insulin resistance levels in db/db mice, but were no significance in comparison to control. Glucose transporter(GLUT)4 expressions of adipose tissue and muscle were significantly increased more than that in the control. Therefore, these results suggest that OHS 80% MeOH extract inhibits the blood glucose level through regulation of lipid profile, insulin resistance, and GLUT4 expression in db/db mice and its diabetic effect is effective more than water extract.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.519-525
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• 2013

The Opuntia extract has been traditionally used to treat diabetes, inflammation, and rheumatoid arthritis in oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate characteristics of biological activity between Opuntia humifusa and Opuntia ficus-indica which is cultivating in korea using cell-free system or cell-based assay. O. humifusa extract effectively inhibited ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity or improved the immune function, and its biological activity was more effective than O. ficus-indica extract. The scavenging activity of DPPH radical and the inhibitory effect of tyrosinase similarly showed by O. humifusa and O. ficus-indica extract, however neuroprotective effect only showed a tendency to increase compared with control in PC12 cells. Therefore the results suggest that O. humifusa can be a useful agent for treatment of diabetes and immunodeficiency.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.254-258
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• 2007

Five flavonoids, isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-galactosyl-4'-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (1), isorhamnetin 3,4'-di-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (2), isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-(6-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnosyl)glucosyl-4'-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (3), isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-(6-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnosyl)glucoside (4), and isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-D-(6-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnosyl) galactoside (5) were isolated from the stems of Opuntia humifusa (Raf.) Raf. and their structures were identified based on LC-MS and NMR data.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.523-530
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• 2011

This study was conducted to investigate antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities of Opuntia humifusa (OH) petal extracts. The methanol and hexane extracts of OH petals showed their highest antimicrobial activity against Clostridium perfringens. The OH petal butanol fraction had the best antioxidative peroxynitrite scavenging activity among OH petal extracts. The DPPH scavenging activity of OH petals was lower than the peroxynitrite scavenging effect. The hexane and methanol fractions at a concentration of 200 ${\mu}g$/mL inhibited proliferation >80% in four kinds of human cervical cancer cells(B16F10, HepG2, HT-29 and MCF-7). In particular, the anticancer effect against B16F10 human skin cancer cells at the same concentration was higher than that in the other cancer cells.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.381-388
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• 2018

Various characteristics of Opuntia humifusa (O. humifusa) extract solution obtained under low temperature and reduced pressure were examined and cosmetic essences using the extract solution as a humectant were prepared. The O. humifusa extract solution represented very small surface tension (25 mN/m) and contact angle ($8^{\circ}$), compared with other humectants such as glycerine and 1% hyaluronic acid solution. Also, the viscosity and stickiness of the extract solution were very low. The O. humifusa extract solution made it possible for a small amount of oil to be dispersed stably in water without any surfactant. Unlike other humectants, the viscosity and stickiness of cosmetic essences were reduced as the extract solution content in formulation increased. These results show that the O. humifusa extract solution obtained under low temperature and reduced pressure can be used as a natural humectant that provides moisturizing property and less sticky feeling.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.805-819
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• 2022

The taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationship of Opuntia monacantha Haw. f. jejuensis J. K. Kim ex Y. S. Yang (Jejubaiknyuncho), which is native to southern coast of Jeju Island, Korea was analyzed using DNA markers obtained from Korean Opuntia. Opuntia stricta Haw., O. humifusa Raf., and O. humifusa Raf. f. jeollaensis E. J. Kim and S. S. Whang, native or cultivated in Korea, have no stripes on the back of tepals and have a purple pulp, whereas O. monacantha f. jejuensis has purple stripes on the back of tepals and a greenish-yellow pulp color. Opuntia monacantha has purple stripes on both the front and back of its tepals, whereas stripes appear only on the back of tepals of O. monacantha f. jejuensis. Opuntia monacantha f. jejuensis was assigned to Elatae series in phylogenetic analysis and was found to be more closely related to O. monacantha subsp. arechavaletae (Speg.) Guiggi, compared with O. monacantha at a molecular level. Based on its phylogenetic and morphological differences from O. monacantha and O. monacantha subsp. arechavaletae, which are native or have been cultivated in Jeju areas, O. monacantha f. jejuensis was named as a new forma in this study.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.680-687
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• 2017

Recently, there has been a marked increase in the use of bioactive products resulting from the fermentation of natural substances by microorganisms. In this study, Opuntia humifusa (OH) was fermented using Lactobacillus plantarum (fermented Opuntia humifusa; fOH). We then examined the anti-obesity effect of fOH in mice fed a 45% Kcal high fat diet (HFD). In this study, mice were treated with fOH concentrations of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg. The mice in the control group were treated with OH at a concentration of 400 mg/kg based on previous animal experiments. All of the mice given a continuous HFD showed an increase in their weight, the density of abdominal fat, and the accumulated periovaric and abdominal fat. All of these obesity-linked factors, however, were significantly decreased in the groups treated with fOH at concentrations of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Mice treated with fOH at 100 mg/kg did not show a significant decrease in these obesity-linked factors compared to the control group. It appears that fOH fermented by L. plantarum has a greater anti-obesity effect in HFD-supplied mice compared to unfermented OH. While further studies of fOH are needed to examine its effect on obesity, hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, renal function, and type II diabetes with its relevant complications, fOH may have significant therapeutic potential in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1525-1530
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate anti-tumor activities, general composition, elemental composition and mineral contents of fermented liquid stem, root and fruit of Opuntia humifusa. In the general composition, the energy, crude protein, crude lipid and crude carbohydrate contents of fermented liquid stem were 86.21 Kcal, 0.92$\%$, 0.12$\%$, and 20.34$\%$, respectively. Fermented liquid fruit showed 65.32 Kcal, 1.04$\%$, 0.08$\%$, and 15.15$\%$. In mineral analysis, fermented liquid stem and fruit showed 1,800 and 388 mg of calcium per 100g. The ferrous concentrations of fermented liquid stem and fruit were 21 and 10 mg per 100 g, respectively. Methanol, ethanol and water extracts of nonfermented liquid stem and fruit did not inhibit the proliferation in human cervical cancer cells (Caski, SiHa and HaCaT), but the fermented liquid fruit showed the inhibition of Proliferation with dose-response manner in Caski and SiHa cells, but not HaCaT. Therefore, it suggests that fermented cactus may be used as one of potential adjuvant for the treatment of cervical carcinomas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.661-667
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• 2014

To investigate the anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects of Opuntia humifusa cladodes, O. humifusa cladodes powder was extracted with 75% ethanol and fractionated with various solvents. Among the extracts fractionated with various solvents, ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities of O. humifusa cladodes were highest ($89.94{\pm}1.15%$ and $29.01{\pm}3.03%$, respectively) in the ethyl acetate fraction. Further, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the ethyl acetate fraction were the highest ($196.02{\pm}5.26$ and $114.00{\pm}10.03{\mu}g/mg$, respectively). DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities increased according to the concentration of O. humifusa cladodes extract, and those of the ethyl acetate fraction were the highest. Ferric reducing antioxidant powers of chloroform and the ethyl acetate fraction were higher than those of other fractions. Overall, the ethyl acetate fraction of O. humifusa cladodes showed the highest anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects. Results indicate that O. humifusa cladodes powder has potential as a useful ingredient with anti-diabetic and antioxidant effects.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.211-215
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• 2014

Opuntia humifusa, also called as Cheonnyuncho, is a cactus widely cultivated in southern regions of Korea. It has been known to have diverse biological activities, but most of the studies were performed with the MeOH extracts or solvent-partitioned fractions. Furthermore, the efforts to identify the responsible compounds for the biological activities are very limited. In this study, we tested the inhibitory effect of extracts and solvent-partitioned fractions of O. humifusa against LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in Raw264.7 cells. The butanol fractions of O. humifusa efficiently inhibited the production of NO in Raw264.7 cells, but it was not due to the reduction of cell viability. Bioassay-guided isolation of butanol fractions of O. humifusa allowed the isolation of three flavonoids isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-galactosyl-4'-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-glucoside (1), isorhamnetin 3,4'-di-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-glucoside (2) and isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-(6-O-${\alpha}$-$\small{L}$-rhamnosyl)glucoside (3), and one lignan syringaresinol O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-glucopyranoside (4). Among them, isorhamnetin 3-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-galactosyl-4'-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-glucoside (1) and isorhamnetin 3,4'-di-O-${\beta}$-$\small{D}$-glucoside (2) exhibited the moderate inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO production. This is the first time to report anti-inflammatory effects of these compounds.