Kyung Hee University · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Professor Tong Ho Kang's research lab specializes in natural product-based neuroprotection and metabolic disease modulation, focusing on bioactive compounds from medicinal plants such as ginger, mulberry leaves, diosgenin-rich Dioscorea species, and traditional herbs. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic potential of these natural compounds in diabetic neuropathy, neurodegenerative disorders, gastric ulcers, and obesity, with an emphasis on enhancing bioactivity through processing techniques like steaming and anaerobic treatment. Key research directions include neurotrophic factor regulation (e.g., NGF), GABA accumulation for neuroprotection, and enzyme inhibition for metabolic syndrome management.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Diabetic neuropathy is characterized by axonal degeneration, demyelination, and atrophy in association with failed axonal regeneration, remyelination, and synaptogenesis. Recent reports suggest that reduced levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of diabetic polyneuropathy. In this study, we investigated the regulation of NGF by steroid diosgenin (DG) in a diabetic neuropathy rodent model. We found that DG, the primary spirostane-type steroid in severa
Several neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases have been attributed to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) depletion in the brain. In order to provide a pharmacological basis for the neuroprotective actions of the enhanced accumulation of GABA in mulberry leaves (ML) against cerebral ischemia in vitro and in vivo, a process was developed to enhance the accumulation of GABA in mulberry leaves (GAML) as a result of the various anaerobic treatments. The GABA concentrations w
Ginger (<i>Zingiber officianale</i>), the most widely consumed species, is traditionally used as a folk medicine to treat some inflammatory diseases in China and Korea. However, the functional activity of steamed ginger extract on gastric ulcers has not been previously explored. The present study aimed to investigate antiulcer activity of steamed ginger extract (GGE03) against ethanol (EtOH)/HCl-induced gastric ulcers in a rat model. GGE03 (100 mg/kg) was orally administered for 14 days to rats
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most modern chronic metabolic diseases in the world. Moreover, DM is one of the major causes of modern neurological diseases. In the present study, the therapeutic actions of Korean red ginseng were evaluated in type 1 and type 2 diabetic mouse models using auditory electrophysiological measurement. The comprehensive results from auditory brainstem response (ABR), auditory middle latency response (AMLR), and transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) demon
Ginger (<i>Zingiber officinale</i> Roscoe) and its active compounds (gingerols, shogaols and paradols) have been reported as having beneficial functions for several diseases, including diabetes. In this study, we revealed that the steaming process could enhance the anti-diabetic potential of ginger. To confirm the anti-diabetic effect of steamed ginger extract (GG03), we assessed pancreatic islets impaired by alloxan in zebrafish and demonstrated anti-hyperglycemic efficacy in a mouse model. The
This study sought to evaluate the effects of <i>Phaseolus multiflorus</i> var. albus Bailey extract (PM extract) and <i>Pleurotus eryngii</i> var. ferulae extract (PF extract) on the inhibition of digestive enzymes and to confirm the anti-obesity effect of DKB-117 (a mixture of PM extract and PF extract) in digestive enzyme inhibition in a mouse model of obesity induced by a high-fat diet. In in vitro studies, PM extract and PF extract have increased dose-dependent inhibitory activity on <i>α-</
Despite the excellent antimicrobial activity of aminoglycoside antibiotics, permanent inner ear damage associated with the use of these drugs has resulted in the need to develop strategies to address the ototoxic risk given their widespread use. In a previous study, we showed that avocado oil protects ear hair cells from damage caused by neomycin. However, the detailed mechanism by which this protection occurs is still unclear. Here, we investigated the auditory cell-protective mechanism of enha
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