Further studies have been done on the constituents of the tubers of Liriope spicata $L_{OUR}$ (Liliaceae). Four steroidal glycosides, tentatively designated as compounds I. II, III and IV, were isolated from the n-BuOH soluble fraction of this plant. The structures of these glycosides were established as ${\beta}-sitosterol$ glucoside, prosapogenin II of spicatoside A, ophiopogonin B, and prosapogenin III of spicatoside A.

From the whole plants of Orostachys japonicus(Crassulaceae), fatty acid ester mixture, seco-A-triterpene mixture, glutinone, friedelin, ${\beta}-amyrin$, glutinol, epifridelanol, 1-hexatriacontanol, sterol mixture, steryl glucoside mixture were isolated and characterized by spectral data.

The seasonal variation of two flavonol glycosides, icariin and epimedoside A, in the aerial parts and underground parts of Epimedium koreanum from June through September was investigated. The icariin concentration was decreased with time in both parts. Epimedoside A concentration was fluctuated, being highest in June and lowest in July in the underground parts. In the aerial parts, however, it was almost same in concentration. Determinations were made of the occurrence of two new flavonol glycosides, 2‘-O-rbamnosyl ikarisoside A and 2’-O-rhamnosyl icarisid II in the aerial parts and their changes in concentration were similar to those in the underground parts, being highest in July in both parts.

Callus was derived from the seedlings of Agastache rugosa(Labiatae). The growth rate of callus and the production of essential oil were studied with the variation of culturing conditions. 2, 4-D 2ppm in the medium was more effective for the production of essential oil than NAA 2ppm. The growth rate of callus and the production of essential oil were inhibited by the illumination of the light. The essential oils from Agastache rugosa and the callus cultivated on the medium containing 2, 4-D 2 ppm and kinetin 0.2 ppm were analysed by TLC, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. These two oils showed different compositions. The main component of the plant oil, methyl chavicol was not contained in the callus oil.

Salviae miltiorrhizae(SM) Radix extract increased $[^3H]-thymidine$ incorporation into rat hepatocytes at the concentration ranging from $5{\times}10^{-5}\;to\;5{\times}10^{-1}mg/ml$. It decreased the activities of s-GOT and s-GPT in cirrhotic rats induced by $CCl_4$, TAA and D-GalN, respectively and reduced the sleeping time induced by hexobarbital in $CCl_4$,TAA and D-GalN intoxicated mice, respectively. SM extract shortened the half-life of sulfobromophthalein in $CCl_4$ intoxicated rats.

Polyphenol oxidase(PPO) was purified from an extract of Puerariae Radix by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by Sephadex G-150 column chromatography, which resulted in a 56-fold increase in specific activity. The enzyme was optimum of pH 6.5. The optimum temperature of enzymic reaction was about $40^{\circ}$. The enzyme was thermostable with a half-life equal to 32 min at $70^{\circ}$. Km values of the PPO for catechol and pyrogallol from Lineweaver Burk plots were $1.3{\times}10^{-2}M$, $1.16{\times}10^{-2}M$, respectively. The substrate specificity of the Puerariae Radix PPO showed high affinity toward pyrogallol. Reducing reagents such as cysteine, potassium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, 2-mercaptoethanol completely inhibited the PPO activity at $10^{-2}M$ level. Linewear-Burk analysis of inhibition data revealed that the inhibition by cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol, 4-nitrocatechol, potassium cyanide was competitive with Ki values of $4.3{\times10^{-2}M,\;0.73{\times}10^{-6}M,\;6.9{\times}10^{-6}M,\;6.4{\times}10^{-7}M$, respectively. The browning reaction by PPO was observed to decrease temporarily with the addition of sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate, a well known copper chelating agent. Among the divalent cations, $Cu^{2+}$ ion was strong activator on PPO and $Mn^{2+},\;Co^{2+}$ ions was effect on PPO activity. $Zn^{2+},\;Mg^{2+}$ ions was inhibitor on PPO.

Traditional drugs(herbal and animal drugs) of Korea, China and Japan have developed essentially from the same origin, since the traditional medicine of three countries has been originated from ancient China. Due to different geographical locations and discrepancy of plant resources of the traditional drugs, some divergency in terms of systematic botany in traditional drug materials has appeared in the three countries. Present report aims to survey traditional herbal drugs that have been called same traditional names in three countries, but they are actually different with respect to systematic botanical view-point. The official drug compendia(pharmacopoeia and natural drug standards) of three countries were subject to examination. Survey was conducted by the following categories. Traditional drugs were listed under same name, however, 1) they belong to different genus; 7 traditional herbal drugs were listed. 2) they belong to same genus, but different species; 24 traditional herbal drugs were found. 3) a variety of related species are used; 15 traditional drugs were listed. 4) actually same plant, but taxonomical name is differently called and/or different parts of plant are used; 10 traditional drugs were counted. 5) animal drugs belong to one of the above categories; 7 traditional animal drugs were found. Total 63 traditional drugs(herbal and animal) were found to comprise different taxonomical names when the official drug compendia of Korea, China and Japan were examined.

In the preceding paper, it was reported that total 63 traditional Korean herbal medicines listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia and Korean Natural Drug Standards were found to be different plants in terms of systematic botany when those were compared with other two countries' drug compendia, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia and Japanese Natural Drug Standards. Among 63 traditional Korean herbal drugs, 28 items were subject to the chemical identification test by using official methods that are described in the Korean Pharmacopoeia and the Korean Natural Drug Standards. In addition, 5 items were also tested by using the official methods described in Chinese and Japanese drug compendia, since there are no official chemical tests available in the Korean drug compendia. It was found that most of chemical tests appeared to be suitable. It was noted that the chemical test for Atractylodis Rhizoma(蒼朮) was incorrect and unapplicable. Those chemical tests for Clematidis Radix(威靈仙), Rubi Fructus(覆盆子) and Viticis Fructus(蔓荊子) are desirable to be revised for more accurate identification.

Sengwe Dan(生胃丹) is a Chinese patent medicine, which is used for stomachic disorder, heavy drinking, voracious eating, acute and chronic indigestion, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting in Korea. In the future, the demand for the drug is likely to increase, as the number of aged people increases. This medicine is in the large of pills consisting 19 kinds of powdered crude drugs. For the identification of individual ingredients in such powdery mixtures, microscopic method may advantageously be used as it requires only a small amount of specimens. In this paper, the effectiveness of this method is exemplified by the identification of the ingredients in Seng-We-Dan which contains 19 powdered crude drug ingredients.

In an effort to make it possible to cultivate Coptis japonica in Korea, the environmental and ecological conditions allowing the wild growth and distribution of Coptis sp. in Japan were investigated. The environmental conditions of the culture yard and the culture methods of C. japonica were also investigated. From these studies, it was concluded that the cultivation of C. japonica requires a well-drained sandy soil, $pH\;4.5{\sim}5.5$, which is facing North or Northwest. The area suitable for the cultivation of C. japonica should have rainfall of $1,000{\sim}1,500mm$ per year, be covered with snow for $30{\sim}60$ days in the winter, and be blocked $40{\sim}70%$, of the sun shine. These findings suggest that in korea the cultivation of C. japonica may be possible in the areas ranging from Sock-cho to Kang-neung, Mt. Odae, Mt. Taebaek and Mt. Sobaek where is chill and much moisturous in summer.

A steroidal sapogenin, neochlorogenin, was isolated from Solanum nigrum. This is the first report from this plant.