A Study on Acne Improvement Effect of Fermented Rhus verniciflua Stokes and Orostachys japonicus A. Berger Complex Extract Cosmetics

In this study, a clinical trial was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of cosmetics containing Fermented <i>Rhus verniciflua</i> Stokes · <i>Orostachys japonicus</i> A. Berger Complex Extract (FRO) on acne skin improvement. The result is as follows: After 6 weeks of using FRO cosmetics, it was confirmed that acne comedones, papules, and pustules were significantly reduced. In addition, as a result of analyzing the change in acne status with the KAGS grade, the experimental group improved from M = 2.07 before the experiment to M = 1 after 6 weeks. In addition, the results of acne improvement satisfaction were statistically significant at the 2nd week (p<.01), 4th week (p<.04), and 6th week (p<.01) between the experimental group and the control group. In addition, as a result of analyzing the acne improvement effect of experts, it was statistically significant at the 2nd week (p<.001), 4^th week (p<.001), and 6th week (p<.001) between the experimental group and the control group. Therefore, It was confirmed that Fermented <i>Rhus verniciflua</i> Stokes · <i>Orostachys japonicus</i> A. Berger complex extract (FRO) can be useful as a functional cosmetic because it has the effect of improving acne skin.

A Study on Acne Improvement Effect of Fermented Rhus verniciflua Stokes and Orostachys japonicus A. Berger Complex Extract Cosmetics

In this study, a clinical trial was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of cosmetics containing Fermented Rhus verniciflua Stokes · Orostachys japonicus A. Berger Complex Extract (FRO) on acne skin improvement. The result is as follows: After 6 weeks of using FRO cosmetics, it was confirmed that acne comedones, papules, and pustules were significantly reduced. In addition, as a result of analyzing the change in acne status with the KAGS grade, the experimental group improved from M = 2.07 before the experiment to M = 1 after 6 weeks. In addition, the results of acne improvement satisfaction were statistically significant at the 2nd week (p<.01), 4th week (p<.04), and 6th week (p<.01) between the experimental group and the control group. In addition, as a result of analyzing the acne improvement effect of experts, it was statistically significant at the 2nd week (p<.001), 4th week (p<.001), and 6th week (p<.001) between the experimental group and the control group. Therefore, It was confirmed that Fermented Rhus verniciflua Stokes · Orostachys japonicus A. Berger complex extract (FRO) can be useful as a functional cosmetic because it has the effect of improving acne skin.

Genotoxicity of Water Extract from Bark-Removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes

Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has been traditionally used as an herbal remedy to support the digestive functions in traditional Korean medicine. Additionally, the pharmacological effects of RVS, including antioxidative, antimicrobial and anticancer activities, have been well-reported. The genotoxicity of RVS, however, is elusive; thus, we evaluated the genotoxicity of RVS without bark (RVX) for safe application as a resource of functional food or a medical drug. To evaluate the genotoxicity of RVX, we used a bacterial reverse mutation test, chromosomal aberration test and comet assay, according to the “Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development” (OECD) guidelines. Briefly, for the reverse mutation test, samples (5000, 1667, 556, 185, 62 and 0 μg/plate of RVX or the positive control) were treated with a precultured strain (TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 or WP2µvrA) with or without the S9 mix, in which RVX partially induced a reverse mutation in four bacterial strains. From the chromosomal aberration test and comet assay, the RVX samples (556, 185, 62, 20 and 0 μg/mL of RVX or the positive control) were treated in a Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO-K1 cells) in the conditions of the S9 mix absent or S9 mix present and in Chang liver cells and C2C12 myoblasts, respectively. No chromosomal aberrations in CHO-K1 or DNA damage in Chang liver cells and C2C12 myoblasts was observed. In conclusion, our results suggest the non-genotoxicity of RVX, which would be helpful as a reference for the safe application of bark-removed Rhus verniciflua Stokes as functional raw materials in the food, cosmetics or pharmaceutical fields.

Fermented Rhus Verniciflua Stokes Extract Alleviates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver through the AMPK/SREBP1/PCSK9 Pathway in HFD-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Animal Model

Background: We have previously reported the anti-hepatic lipogenic effect of fermented Rhus verniciflua stokes extract (FRVE) in an oleic-acid-treated HepG2 cell model. Methods: Herein, we advanced our understanding and evaluated the impact of FRVE in HFD-fed C57BL/6 mice using an animal model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Milk thistle extract was used as a positive control to compare the effects of FRVE. Results: FRVE decreased body weight, intra-abdominal fat weight, and liver weight. Furthermore, FRVE decreased HFD-induced elevated serum levels of ALT, AST, TC, and TG, and downregulated the increase in hepatic lipid accumulation and TG levels. FRVE reduced hepatic SREBP-1, PCSK-9, SREBP-2, and ApoB mRNA levels. IHC data showed that FRVE reduced the levels of nucleic SREBP-1, increased the levels of LDLR, and upregulated the expression of p-AMPK. Conclusion: Overall, these results demonstrate the anti-hepatic lipidemic effect of FRVE in an animal model. These findings are consistent with our previous study and strongly suggest that FRVE exerts anti-hepatic lipogenic effects by activating AMPK.

Immune Checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 CTLA-4/CD80 are Blocked by Rhus verniciflua Stokes and its Active Compounds

The bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has been used to treat cancer in Korean herbal medicine. When we screened for PD-1 and CTLA-4 immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1/PD-L1 CTLA-4/CD80) from around 800 herbal extracts using competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), we found that RVS blocked both the PD-1/PD-L1 and the CTLA-4/CD80 interactions. To identify the active compounds from RVS, we performed bioactivity-guided fractionation, and the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of RVS proved to be the most effective at blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4/CD80 interactions. In addition, we isolated and identified 20 major compounds in the EtOAc fraction of RVS and then examined the blocking effects of these 20 compounds on PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4/CD80. Among them, four compounds [eriodictyol (7) > fisetin (9) > quercetin (18) > liquiritigenin (13)] blocked the interaction of PD-1/PD-L1 on competitive ELISA. In addition, four different compounds [protocatechuic acid (2) > caffeic acid (19) > taxifolin (5) > butin (6)] blocked the interaction of CTLA-4/CD80. Our findings suggest that RVS and its components could be used as a potential immune checkpoint inhibitor blockade and could be developed for immuno-oncological therapeutics.