The total synthesis of norneolignans isolated from Krameria species, 2-aryl-5-(E)-propenylbenzofurans (5, 11), is described. The key step involves the one-pot reaction for 2-arylbenzofurans (2, 7) from 4-hydroxyphenylacetone with 4'-acetoxy-2-chloro-2-(methylthio)acetophenone (1) and 2-chloro-2-methylthio-(2',4',6'-trimethoxy)acetophenone (6) under Friedel-Crafts reactionconditions.

Michael addition of certain nucleophiles on ${\alpha}$ , ${\beta}$-unsaturated ketones 1 led to the formation of adducts 2-7 as well as the reaction of arylidene derivatives with secondary amines afforded the amino compounds 9 and 11. Also, dialkylmalonates were treated with ${\alpha}$-cyano cinnamide to afford 13. On the other hand, double Michael cycloaddition of ethylcyanoacetate or tetrachlorophthalic anhydride to the suitable divinylketone were synthesized to produce 15-17. Selected compounds (13 and 6) were screened for muscle relaxant, anticonvulsant, and sedative activities using established pharmacological models. Their activities were compared with that of phenobarbital sodium taken as standard. Compound 6 was the most potent muscle relaxant while compounds 13a and 13c offered the highest anticonvulsant activity. Meanwhile compound 13c showed the highest potentiation of phenobarbital induced sleep in mice.

A rapid, sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/ MS) method for the determination of lithospermic acid B (LSB) in rat serum was developed. LSB and internal standard, 7-hydroxy-3-phenyl-chromen-4-one (HPC) were extracted from rat serum with methyl-tert-butyl ether at acidic pH and analyzed on a Luna $C_8$ column with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-ammonium formate (10 mM, pH 6.5) (50:50, v/v). The analytes were detected using a negative electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple- reaction-monitoring mode. The standard curve was linear $(r^2 = 0.997)$ over the concentration range of 10.0-500 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and interassay at three QC levels were 1.1~6.2% and -10.3~-2.7%, respectively. The recovery of LSB from serum sample ranged from 73.2 to 79.5%, with that of HPC (internal standard) being 75.1 %. The lower limit of quantification for LSB was 10 ng/mL using 50 ${\mu}L$ of serum sample.

The antidiabetic activity-guided fractionation and isolation of the 80% EtOH extracts from Peucedani Radix (Peucedanum japonicum, Umbelliferae) led to the isolation and characterization of a coumarin and a cyclitol as active principles, that is, peucedanol 7-O-${\beta}$ -D-glucopyranoside (1) and myo-inositol (2). Their structures were identified by spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 showed 39% inhibition of postprandial hyperglycemia at 5.8 mg/kg dose, and compound 2 also significantly inhibited postprandial hyperglycemia by 34% (P<0.05).

Ten coumarins were isolated from the root of Angelica dahurica by repeated silica gel column chromatography. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basic of physicochemical and spectroscopic data. Among them, oxypeucedanin hydrate acetonide (7) was isolated for the first time from this plant. Cytotoxicity of coumarins isolated were determined in vitro against L1210, HL-60, K562, and B16F10 tumor cell lines by MTT method. Pangelin (5) and oxypeucedanin hydrate acetonide (7) showed a potent cytotoxic activity with the $IC_{50}$ values of 8.6 to 14.6 ${\mu}g$ /mL against four kinds of tumor cell lines. Other compounds showed the moderate cytotoxic activity or no activity against the tumor cell lines.

Spinoside, new coumaroyl flavone glycoside was isolated from the n-butanol fraction of the mathanolic extract of the whole plant of Amaranthus spinosus and assigned the structure 7-pcoumaroyl apigenin 4-O-${\beta}$ -D-glucopyranoside (1) on the basis of spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. In addition ${\alpha}$ - xylofuranosyl uracil (2), ${\beta}$ -D-ribofuranosyl adenine (3) and ${\beta}$ -sitosterol glucoside (4) have also been isolated for the first time from this species.

The overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is known to be responsible for vasodilation and hypotension observed in septic shock and inflammation. Inhibitors of iNOS, thus, may be useful candidates for the treatment of inflammatory diseases accompanied by overproduction of NO. In the course of screening oriental anti-inflammatory herbs for the inhibitory activity of NO synthesis, a crude methanolic extract of Curcuma zedoaria exhibited significant activity. The activity-guided fractionation and repetitive chromatographic procedures with the EtOAc soluble fraction allowed us to isolate three active compounds. They were identified as 1,7-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one (1), procurcumenol (2) and epiprocurcumenol (3) by spectral data analyses. Their concentrations for the 50% inhibition of NO production $(IC_{50})$ in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages were 8, 75, 77 ${\mu}M$, respectively. Compound 1 showed the most potent inhibitory activity for NO production in LPS-activated macrophages, while the epimeric isomers, compound 2 and 3 showed weak and similar potency. Inhibition of NO synthesis by compound 1 was very weak when activated macrophages were treated with 1 after iNOS induction. In the immunoblot analysis, compound 1 suppressed the expression of iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, 1,7-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one from Curcuma zedoaria inhibited NO production in LPS-activated macrophages through suppression of iNOS expression. These results imply that the traditional use of C. zedoaria rhizome as anti-inflammatory drug may be explained at least in part, by inhibition of NO production.

Extracts from seventeen seaweeds were determined for tyrosinase inhibitory activity using mushroom tyrosinase with L-tyrosine as a substrate. Only one of them, Ecklonia stolonifera OKAMURA (Laminariaceae) belonging to brown algae, showed high tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction from the methanolic extract of E. stolonifera, led us to the isolation of phloroglucinol derivatives [phloroglucinol (1), eckstolonol (2), eckol (3), phlorofucofuroeckol A (4), and dieckol (5)]. Compounds 1~5 were found to inhibit the oxidation of L-tyrosine catalyzed by mushroom tyrosinase with $IC_{50}$ values of 92.8, 126, 33.2, 177, and 2.16 ${\mu}g$ /mL, respectively. It was compared with those of kojic acid and arbutin, well-known tyrosinase inhibitors, with $IC_{50}$ values of 6.32 and 112 ${\mu}g$ / mL, respectively. The inhibitory kinetics analyzed from Lineweaver-Burk plots, showed compounds 1 and 2 to be competitive inhibitors with $K_i$ of $2.3{\times}10^{-4}\;and\;3.1{times}10^{-4}$ M, and compounds 3~5 to be noncompetitive inhibitors with $K_i$ of $1.9{\times}10^{-5},\;1.4{\times}10^{-3}\;and\;1.5{\times}10^{-5}$ M, respectively. This work showed that phloroglucinol derivatives, natural compounds found in brown algae, could be involved in the control of pigmentation in plants and other organisms through inhibition of tyrosinase activity using L-tyrosine as a substrate.

The effects of four tanshinones isolated from Tanshen (the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Labiatae) were tested for their inhibition of nitric oxide production in macrophage cells, and the underlying molecular mechanisms studied. Of the four tanshinones used, 15, 16-dihydrotanshinone- I, tanshinone-IIA and cryptotanshinone, but not tanshinone I, demonstrated significant inhibition of the LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells, with calculated $IC_{50}$ values of 5, 8, and 1.5 ${\mu}M$ , respectively. Tanshinones exerted inhibitory activities on the LPS-induced nitric oxide production only when applied concurrently with LPS, and tanshinone- IIA and cryptotanshinone were found to inhibit LPS-induced NF-$_KB$ mobilization and extracellular- regulated kinase (ERK) activation, respectively. These results suggest that tanshinones inhibit LPS-induced nitric oxide generation by interfering with the initial stage of LPS-induced expression of certain genes. NF-$_KB$ and ERK could be the molecular targets for tanshinones for the inhibition of LPS-induced nitric oxide production in macrophage cells.

The suppressive effects of Platycodi Radix (Changkil: CK), the root of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC (Campanulaceae), on the progress of acute carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$-induced hepatic fibrosis were investigated in the rat. CK significantly suppressed $(CCl_4)$-induced hepatic necrosis and inflammation, as determined by the serum enzymatic activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase and serum tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ levels, in dose-dependent manners. In addition, the increased hepatic fibrosis after acute $(CCl_4)$ treatment was suppressed by the administration of CK. CK also significantly prevented the elevation of hepatic ${\alpha}$ 1(I) procollagen (type I collagen) mRNA and ${\alpha}$ -smooth muscle actin (${\alpha}$ -SMA) expressions in the liver of $(CCl_4)$-intoxicated rats and also suppressed the induction of ${\alpha}$ -SMA and type I collagen in cultured hepatic stellate cells, in dose-dependent manners. These results suggest that the suppressive effects of CK against the progress of acute $(CCl_4)$-induced hepatic fibrosis possibly involve mechanisms related to its ability to block both hepatic inflammation and the activation of hepatic stellate cells.

Although ascorbate (vitamin C) has been shown to have anti-cancer actions, its effect on human hepatoma cells has not yet been investigated, and thus, the exact mechanism of this action is not fully understood. In this study, the mechanism by which ascorbate induces apoptosis using HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells is investigated. Ascorbate induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner in the cells, was assessed through flow cytometric analysis. Contrary to expectation, ascorbate did not alter the cellular redox status, and treatment with antioxidants (N-acetyl cysteine and N,N-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine) had no influence on the ascorbate-induced apoptosis. However, ascorbate induced a rapid and sustained increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. EGTA, an extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator did not significantly alter the ascorbate-induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase and apoptosis, whereas dantrolene, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release blocker, completely blocked these actions of ascorbate. In addition, phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors (U-73122 and manoalide) significantly suppressed the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release and apoptosis induced by ascorbate. Collectively, these results suggest that ascorbate induced apoptosis without changes in the cellular redox status in HepG2 cells, and that the PLC-coupled intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release mechanism may mediate ascorbate-induced apoptosis.

6-Methoxydihydrosanguinarine (6ME), a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from the methanol extracts of Hylomecon hylomeconoides, showed a dose-dependent effect at 1-10 ${\mu}M$ on causing apoptotic cell death in HT29 colon carcinoma cells $(IC_{50} = 5.0{\pm}0.2 {\mu}M)$. Treatment of HT-29 cells with 6ME resulted in the formation of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Treatment of the cells with 6ME caused activation of caspase-3, -8 and 9 protease and subsequent proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase. 6ME increased the expression of p53 and Bax and decreased the expression of Bid. These results indicate that p53 and proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins might participate in the antiproliferative activity of 6ME in HT29 cells.

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 is an enzyme that degrades intracellular cAMP. In the present study, the effect of rolipram, a specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor, on osteoclast formation was investigated. Rolipram induced osteoclast formation in cocultures of mouse bone marrow cells and calvarial osteoblasts. This activity was not observed in the absence of calvarial osteoblasts, suggesting that calvarial osteoblasts are likely target cells of rolipram. Osteoclast formation by rolipram was completely blocked by the addition of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a soluble decoy receptor for the osteoclast differentiation factor, TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE, identical to RANKL, ODF, and OPGL). Northern blot analysis revealed the effect of rolipram to be associated with the increased expression of TRANCE mRNA in mouse calvarial osteoblasts. Collectively, these data indicate that PDE4 inhibitor up-regulates the TRANCE mRNA expression in osteoblasts, which in turn controls osteoclast formation.

The objective of this study was to characterize immunoliposomes carrying plasmid DNA with optimal encapsulation efficiency and antibody density. Plasmid DNA was encapsulated by the freezing/thawing method into liposomes composed of POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol- 3-phosphocholine), DDAB (didodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide), DSPE-PEG 2000 (distearoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine polyethylene glycol 2000) and DSPE-PEG 2000-maleimide. The liposomes carrying plasmid DNA were extruded through two stacked polycarbonate filters, of different pore size, to control the liposome size. Then, rat IgG molecules were conjugated to the liposomes. The immunoliposomes containing plasmid DNA were separated from the free plasmid DNA and unconjugated IgG by Sepharose CL-4B column chromatography. The DNA amount encapsulated was affected by DDAB (cationic lipid) concentration, the initial amount of plasmid DNA between 10 ${\mu}g$ and 200 ${\mu}g$, the total lipid amount and plasmid DNA size, but not significantly by liposome size. By varying the ratio of DSPE-PEG 2000-maleimide to IgG, the number of IgG molecules per liposome was changed significantly.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to determine the genetic relationships among seventeen species of the Acanthopanax species. The DNA isolated from the leaves of the samples was used as template in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with twenty random decamer primers in order to distinguish plant subspecies at the level of their genomes. The RAPD patterns were compared by calculating pairwise distances using Dice similarity index, and produced to the genetic similarity dendrogram by unweighted pair-group method arithmetic averaged (UPGMA) analysis, showing three groups; a major cluster(twelve species), minor cluster (4 species) and single-clustering species. The results of RAPD were compatible with the morphological classification, as well as the chemotaxonomic classification of the Acanthopanax species. The Acanthopanax species containing 3,4-seco-lupane type triterpene compounds in their leaves corresponded to the major cluster, another species having oleanane or normal lupane type constituents to minor clusters, and one species not containing triterpenoidal compound to single-cluster.

Fate of the nascent thyrolglobulin (Tg) molecule is characterized by multimerization. To establish the formation of Tg multimers, the partially unfolded/reduced Tg or deoxycholate-treated/ reduced Tg was subjected to protein disulfide isomerase (PDI)-mediated multimerization. Oxidized glutathione/PDI-mediated formation of multimeric Tg forms, requiring at least an equivalent molar ratio of PDI/Tg monomer, decreased with increasing concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), suggesting the oxidizing role of PDI. Additional support was obtained when PDI alone, at a PDI/Tg molar ratio of 0.3, expressed a rapid multimerization. Independently, the exposure of partially unfolded Tg to GSH resulted in Tg multimerization, enhanced by PDI, according to thiol-disulfide exchange. Though to a lower extent, a similar result was observed with the dimerization of deoxycholate-pretreated Tg monomer. Consequently, it is implied that intermolecular disulfide linkage may be facilitated at a limited region of unfolded Tg. In an attempt to examine the multimerization site, the cysteine residue-rich fragments of the Tg were subjected to GSH-induced multimerization; a 50 kDa fragment, containing three vicinal dithiols, was multimerized, while an N-terminal domain was not. Present results suggest that the oxidase as well as isomerase function of PDI may be involved in the multimerization of partially unfolded Tg or deoxycholate-treated Tg.

Galactosylated chitosan-graft-poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (GCPVP) was synthesized and characterized for hepatocyte-targeting gene carrier. GCPVP itself as well as GCPVP/DNA complex had negligible cytotoxicity regardless of the concentration of GCPVP and the charge ratio, but GCPVP/DNA complex had slightly cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cells only in the case of the higher charge ratio and 20 mM of $Ca^{2+}$ concentration used. Through the confocal laser scanning microscopy, it is shown that the endocytosis by interaction between galactose ligands of GCPVP and ASGPR of the hepatocytes was the major route of transfection of GCPVP/F-plasmid complexes.

The ${\beta}$-blockers possess at least one chiral center and the S(-)-enantiomer shows higher affinity for binding to the ${\beta}$-adrenergic receptors than antipode. The stability constants of acebutolol, celiprolol, propranolol and terbutaline in the inclusion complexes with single-isomer heptakis (2,3-dimethyl-6-sulfato)- ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin (HDMS-${\beta}$-CD) were determined by capillary electrophoresis. The approximation and linear double reciprocal methods were adapted with comparable results. Among the ${\beta}$-blockers studied, propranolol had the lowest stability constant but the highest enantioselectivity, indicating that the magnitudes of the stability constants carried little information about enantioseparation. The magnitudes of enantioselectivities between the enantiomer pair were in the order of propranolol > celiprolol > terbutaline > acebutolol.

The enantiomeric composition tests on flurbiprofen and ketoprofen present in patch products and in urine excretions following patch applications were performed as diastereomeric (R)-(+)- 1-phenylethylamides by achiral gas chromatography and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode. The method for determination of (R)- and (S)-enantiomers in the range from 0.1 to 5.0 ${\mu}$g was linear (r ${\ge}$ 0.9996) with acceptable precision (% RSD ${\le}$5.2) and accuracy (% RE = 0.6 ~ -2.4). The enantiomeric compositions of flurbiprofen in one patch product and of ketoprofen in five different products were identified to be racemic with relatively good precision (${\le}$ 6.4%). The urinary excretion level of (R)-flurbiprofen was two times higher than its antipode, while the comparable excretion levels of (R)- and (S)-enantiomers for ketoprofen were observed.