Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein plays a major role in the development and maintenance of central and peripheral nervous system. Recent data suggest that reduced availability of NGF may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of diabetic $polyneuropathy.^{1)}$ In our previous study, steroidal saponin from Liriope platyphylla showed neurotrophic effect by stimulation of NGF synthesis and activation of tyrosine kinase $signaling.^{2)}$ In this study, we examined the neurotrophic effect of Liriope platyphylla (LP); which was from Mylyang(MYL) and Cheongyang(CHE), and Ophiopogon japonicus (CHI) on in vitro and in vivo model for the comparison of their NGF induction. We quantitatively analyzed spicatoside A in the LP and CHI by HPLC. And we investigated the correlation between the contents of spicatoside A and NGF induction efficacy on PC 12 cells and mouse serum. These results suggest that spicatoside A may enhance NGF induction in animal model.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the common diseases in elderly men. Recently, the old-aged population has increased, with the interest in the clinical importance of BPH ever growing. This study is designed to investigate the effects of KH-305 on BPH induced rat. The herb formulation KH-305 is consisted of Rubus coreanus, Cornus officinalis and Cuscuta chinensis. An experimental prostatic hyperplasia was induced in male rats by the administration of testosterone propionate, 3 mg/kg SC, for 2 months. The rats were divided into 3 experimental groups: the control, BPH-induced, oral KH-305 ingestion group. After 2 months, the prostates were removed, and analyzed for their prostatic weight and histological examination. The prostate weights were measured in each group, and found to be 820${\pm}$38mg, 3140${\pm}$26mg, 1880${\pm}$21mg in the control, BPH-induced, and oral KH-305 ingestion group, respectively. The BPH induced group showed statistically significant increases in their prostatic weights compared with control group(p<0.05) but oral KH-305 ingestion group showed more significant decreases than BPH-induced group statically(p<0.05). Histologically injected testosterone lead to prostatic hyperplasia in rats, but oral KH-305 ingestion decreased this change. These results suggest that KH-305 may be effective in treatment of BPH, and complementary medicine of BPH.

Two decursin derivatives were synthesized from decursinol. Compounds 1 and 2 were determined as 7-{3-[4-(2-Methoxy-phenyl)-piperazin-1-yl]-propoxy}-8,8-dimethyl-7,8-dihydro-6H-pyranochromen-2-one (1) and decursinol 3'-O-E-pmethoxycinnamic acid ester (2), respectively and newly reported. Compounds 1 and 2 significantly inhibited AChE activity and ameliorated memory impairment induced in mice by scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg body weight s.c.) as measured in passive avoidance test. We suggest, therefore, that compounds 1 and 2 has both anti-AChE and anti-amnesic activities that may ultimately hold significant therapeutic value in alleviating certain memory impairment observed in Alzheimer's disease.

Column chromatographic separation of the MeOH extract from the aerial parts of Paris verticillata led to the isolation of three phenolics, two terpene glucosides and two pyrrolidine alkaloids. Their structures were characterized to be methyl caffeate (1), 5-hydroxy pyrrolidin-2-one (2), vanillic acid (3), benzyl alcohol glucopyranoside (4), (6S, 9R)-roseoside (5), staphylionoside H (6) and 5-methoxy pyrrolidin-2-one (7) by spectroscopic means. The isolated compounds (1-7) were for the first time reported from this source. The isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against four human tumor cell lines by SRB method in vitro.

In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects by kaempferol-3-O-${\beta}$-D-sophoroside (KS) isolated from Sophora japonica (Leguminosae) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin ($PGE_2$) production by RAW 264.7 cell line compared with kaempferol. KS significantly inhibited the LPS-induced NO and $PGE_2$ production. Consistent with these observations, KS reduced the LPS-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at the protein and mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the release and the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also reduced by KS. Moreover, KS attenuated the LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF{-\kappa}B$), a transcription factor necessary for pro-inflammatory mediators, iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 expression. These results suggest that the down regulation of iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}$, and IL-6 expression by KS are achieved by the downregulation of $NF{-\kappa}B$ activity, and that is also responsible for its anti-inflammatory effects.

We previously reported that anti-inflammatory properties of poncirin, isolated from fruit of Poncirus trifoliata, might be the result from the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis $factor-{\acute{a}}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interlukin-6 (IL-6) expression via the down-regulation of $NF{-\kappa}B$ binding activity. In this study, we investigated whether poncirin has an inhibitory effect on the production of pro-inflammatory mediators ex vivo and whether poncirin could relieve the symptoms of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice model of inflammatory bowel disease. Poncirin significantly inhibited the productions of NO, IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse peritoneal macrophage. In addition, poncirin-treated mice when compared to control mice not receiving treatment recovered better from the weight loss caused by DSS-induced colitis. Changes in disease activity index (DAI) of poncirin-treated mice were also more favorable than for control mice and were comparable with mice treated with a typical anti-inflammatory-drug, 5-aminosalichylic acid (5-ASA). In addition, suppression of plasma NO and IL-6 productions of poncirin-treated mice was also observed in DSS-induced colitis. These results suggest that poncirin has potentially useful anti-inflammatory effects mediated by suppression of inflammatory mediator productions.

In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of salidroside (SAL) isolated from the MeOH extract of Acer tegmentosum Maxim heartwood in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. SAL pretreatment significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) productions in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed that SAL inhibited the LPS-induced expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) at the protein and mRNA levels in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, SAL reduced the release and the mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Furthermore, nuclear factorkappa B ($NF{-\kappa}B$) luciferase reporter assay was performed to know the involvement of SAL in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, we confirmed that LPS-induced transcription activity of $NF{-\kappa}B$ was inhibited by SAL. Taken together, our data indicate that anti-inflammatory property of salidroside might be the result from the inhibition of iNOS, COX-2, $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 expressions via the down-regulation of $NF{-\kappa}B$ activity.

This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects of betulinic acid isolated from Ziziphus jujuba on various human rotavirus, such as KU, S2 and YO. The results obtained are summarized as follows: At the concentration of betulinic acid 0.1/2%, all human rotavirus is showed a maximum effect on their growth even though it's evaluated on the in vitro test. The each inhibitory rate of MA-104 cells infected by human rotavirus KU, S2 and YO was 62.1%, 59.7% and 65.2%, respectively, at the concentration of 0.1/2%. The anti-virus activity of betulinic acid was showed as the dose-dependent manner at the used dosages except at the dose of 0.1%.

The five flavonoids, isoqueritrin, juglanin, astragalin and 2-O-trans-p-coumaroyl astragalin were quantitatively analyzed in the leaves, unripe- and ripe fruits of four Korean Rubus species including Rubus crataegifolius, R. pungens var. oldhami, R. parvifolius, and R. coreanus belonging to the Rosaceae family. The HPLC analysis demonstrated that flavonoids are more abundant in the leaves than in the fruits. In the four Rubus species, ripe fruits generally contained similar or more amount of flavonoids than in unripe fruits. In particular, the quantity levels of total flavonoid (49.81${\pm}$0.50 mg/g) and isoquercitrin (35.08${\pm}$0.37 mg/g) were highest in the leaf of R. crataegifolius. In addition, the content of the flavonoids were quite low in the unripe fruits of R. coreanus that is most widely used as Rubi Fructus.

From the under ground part of Aconitum volubile Pall. (Ranunculaceae),seven nor- or di-terpenoid alkaloids were isolated and identified by NMR spectra and mass spectrum. The alkaloids were three $C_{19}$-norditerpenoid alkaloids such as isotalatizidine, altaconitine and vilmorrianine A, and four $C_{20}$-diterpenoid alkaloids such as 12-epidehydronapelline, 12-epinapelline, songoramine and songorine. Some of the isolated diterpenoid alkaloids were subjected to oxidation reaction with active $MnO_2$ and oxoammonium salt. The results were C-12 oxidation(ketone formation) and N-dealkylation in veatchin-type and decomposition to non-alkaloidal compounds in atisine-type ajaconine.

Chinese crude drug 'Gye Ji(桂枝)' is listed in Shen-nung-pen-tsao-ching(神農本草經), as the remedy for dispelling pathogenic factor from the exterior of the body by diaphoresis. In Korean, herbals origin of Gye Ji is branch of Cinnamomum cassia. Considering the descriptions in many herbals(本草書), the origin of Gye Ji reported by Su-Ching(蘇敬), Han-Pao-Sheng(韓保昇) and Li -Shin-Chen(李時珍) is regarded as the bark of branch of Cinnamomum cassia.

Korean folk medicine 'Ki Rin Cho' has been used to cure stanching and counteracting poison. The botanical origin of the crude drug has never been studied pharmacognostically. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Ki Rin Cho', the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Sedum species growing in Korea, i.e. S. aizoon, S. kamtschaticum and S. latiovalifolium were studied. As a result, 'Ki Rin Cho' was proved to be Sedum kamtschaticum and Sedum aizoon.

Five compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Oenanthe javanica(Umbelliferae). Their chemical structures were identified as isorhamnetin(1), uracil(2), adenosine(3), persicarin(4) and uridine(5) by comparison of their spectral data with those of authentic samples and compounds 2, 3 and 5 were isolated from Oenanthe javanica for the first time. Compound 1 showed the strong radical scavenging activity among the compounds isolated from Oenanthe javanica.

From the leaves of Angelica keiskei (Umbelliferae), luteolin, protocatechuic acid, guaijaverin, hyperoside and cynaroside were isolated and characterized by spectral data. Luteolin and protocatechuic acid showed potent DPPH radical scavenging activity.

Butein is a one of polyphenolic compound widely available in numerous plants. It has broad biological activities including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which contributed to its protective effects against cancer. Evidences that butein influence proliferation of tumor cells make it important to determine how butein affects cell death of various cancers. In this study, we show that butein, a phenolic compound, induces apoptosis in human T lymphoma jurkat cells. We found that treatment of cells with butein increased apoptosis in a dose- and time- dependent manner as determined by staining cells with Annexin V and 7AAD. There was no significant apoptotic cell death when normal lymphocytes and monocytes from healthy donor were treated with butein. We also found caspase-3 activity was increased during butein-induced apoptosis. The buteininduced apoptotic cell death was blocked by the treatment of cells with caspase-3 inhibitor. These results indicate that butein has the potential to provide an effective strategy against cancer with the advantage of being widely avalible.

This study was carried out to search the natural antioxidants from the 36 medicinal plants. $IC_{50}$ values of linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition to the BHA, BHT and ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ showed $7.2{\mu}g/ml$, $7.3{\mu}g/ml$, and $26.6{\mu}g/ml$, but hexane extract of Zingiber officinale showed $13.2{\mu}g/ml$, EtOAc extracts of Phellinus linteus, Morus alba, Zingiber officinale and butanol extract of Diospyros kaki showed $15.9{\mu}g/ml$, $16.9{\mu}g/ml$, $20.1{\mu}g/ml$, and $21.5{\mu}g/ml$ respectively. $IC_{50}$ values of DPPH radical scavenging activity of BHA, BHT and $\alpha$-tocopherol showed $14.9{\sim}27.7{\mu}g/ml$, but EtOAc extract of Paeonia suffruticosa showed the lowest $6.5{\mu}g/ml$ than those of other extracts, EtOAc extracts of Camellia sinensis, Salvia miltiorrhiz, and Phellinus linteus showed $8.0{\mu}g/ml$, $11.5{\mu}g/ml$, and $13.0{\mu}g/ml$ respectively.