Korean folk medicine 'BoRiSuNaMu' has been used mainly to cure apepsia and cough. With regard to the botanical origin of BoRiSuNaMu, it has been considered to be Elaeagnus species of Elaeagnaceae, but there was no pharmacognostical conformation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'BoRiSuNaMu', the anatomical characteristics of the branches of Elaeagnus species growing wild in Korea, Elaeagnus glabra, E. macrophylla, E. multiflora, E. submacrophylla, E. umbellata and E. umbellata var. coreana were studied. As a result, it was clarified that 'BoRiSuNaMu' was the branches of Elaeagnus umbellata.

'BaegDuOng(白頭翁)' is one of the Chinese crude drugs used mainly as a pruritus, arthritis, cough and abdominal pain. The botanical origin of the crude drug has never been studied pharmacognostically. To clarify the botanical origin of 'BaegDuOng', the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Pulsatilla species growing in Korea, i.e. Pulsatilla koreana Nakai and P. cernua (Thunb.) Spreng. were studied. As a result, BaegDuOng from Korea was proved to be the root of Pulsatilla koreana.

The fruit body of Forsythiae Fructus (Oleaceae), a common Korean medical herb, is widely used in the treatment of cold and inflammation. In order to elucidate the action mechanism and the active principles from the plant against anti-influenza virus, the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene RT-PCR and Viral Screening & Identification (VSI) assay were conducted, and the activity against viral replication was also investigated. Consequently, one active constituent, namely pinoresinol showed the in vitro antiviral principle using a cytopathic effect (CPE) reduction method, indicating pinoresinol possessed anti-influenza viral activity. Furthermore, combination of pinoresinol and Tamiflu exhibited higher activities than Tamiflu alone against influenza virus (H3N2) infection. The results suggested that combination of pinoresinol with Tamiflu could be a better candidate for an ant-H3N2 viral agent in the treatment of the influenza.

Scrophulariae Radix (Scrophulariaceae) has been traditionally used to treat pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, fever, and edema. To compare the quality of the Scrophulariae Radix produced from Gyeongbuk with that from China, a quantitative analysis on the major component, E-harpagoside, was performed by reversed-phase HPLC, and a relative inhibitory activity of nitric oxide (NO) was assayed in the Raw 264.7 cells. Using a Luna $C_{18}$(2) column, we carried out quantitative analysis with a gradient of 0.1% phosphoric acid in water and acetonitrile. Our results demonstrated that the content of E-harpagoside in Gyeongbuk's Scrophulariae Radix were three times higher than that of Chinese. Moreover, the inhibitory activity of Scrophulariae Radix of Gyeongbuk's in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production was higher than that of Chinese.

Korean traditional prescription, Oyaksungisan was usually used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis. In this study, we compared the contents of five major components, ephedrine HCl, ferulic acid, hesperidin, 6-gingerol, glycyrrhizin and various unknown compounds in Ohyaksungisan (OY) with fermented Ohyaksungisan (FOY) by established HPLC-DAD method. The neuroprotective activity against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 cell of OY and FOY was investigated by MTT assay. And anti-oxidative activity of OY and FOY was measured by DPPH radical, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. After fermentation, contents of five major components and some unknown compounds (1), (2), (3) and (4) were increased in FOY. Also, FOY showed more potent neuroprotective activity. Furthermore, anti-oxidative activity of FOY was increased. In conclusion, the fermentation of OY could change contents various compounds and improved its neuroprotective activity.

The ameliorating effect of the saponin rich fraction (SRF) prepared from the roots extract of Platycodon grandiflorum (Campanulaceae) on the scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice were investigated by way of Moris water maze task. The mice with repeated oral administration of the SRF for four weeks showed markedly reduced the swimming time and swimming distance to reach the platform as well as the increase of number of crossing the platform on the Moris water maze task performed after scopolamine intoxication. The results suggest that SRF obtained from the roots extract of P. grandiflorum exert a cognitive enhancing effect on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice.

The effects of herbal ethanol extract from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP extract) on chronic stress-induced anxiety in mice were investigated. The animals were treated with GP extracts (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 21 days before exposure to electric footshock (EF; duration and interval 10 sec for 3 min, 2 mA) for chronic stress once a day. The ambulatory locomotor activity was reduced by chronic EF stress and it was recovered by 12.9-15.1% in GP extract-treated groups. The grip strength was also significantly decreased by chronic EF stress, however, the EF-stressed groups treated with GP extract increased grip strength from 13.9% to 56.8% compared to EF-stressed groups. In addition, the serum levels of corticosterone were significantly elevated by chronic EF stress to 197% of the control levels, which was reduced to 73.1% by treatment with GP extract (100 mg/kg). In contrast, the brain levels of dopamine and serotonin were reduced to 67.6% and 63.1% by chronic EF stress, which was recovered to 90% of the control levels by treatment with GP extract. These results indicate that GP extract shows the ameliorating effects on chronic EF stress-induced anxiety in mice and it can be developed as the promising anti-anxiety agent.

Mountainous vegetables are usually used in the early stage of plant growth. We attempted to identify the quantity of polyphenols (caffoeoylquinic acids (CQs) and flavonoids) and peroxynitrite scavenging effect ($ONOO^-$) of eight Korean mountainous vegetables. The prominent characteristics were as follows: Only the roots of two plants Taraxacum platycarpum and Ixeris dentata contained chicoric acid. Five CQs were identified in the leaves of Cacalia firma whereas only 3-p-coumaroylquinic acid in the petioles of the plant was shown. The quantities of polyphenols such as quinic acid or tartaric acid derivatives in the mountainous vegetables were generally high, though those of flavonoids were very low. The $IC_{50}$ of chlorogenic acid, chicoric acid and kaempferol were 0.31, 0.12 and $0.25\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been postulated to play a central role in the development of diabetic complications. A variety of different agents that inhibit AGEs have been under investigation. In this study, 66 herbal medicines from China have been investigated with an in vitro evaluation system using AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Of these, 31 herbal medicines ($IC_{50}$ < $50\;{\mu}g/ml$) were found to have significant AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Particularly, 5 herbal medicines, Camptotheca acuminata (branches and leaves), Quercus franchetii (branches), Camellia pitardii (leaves, branches, and fruits), Antidesma bunius (whole plants), and Loranthus parasiticus (whole plants) showed more potent inhibitory activity (approximately 6-20 fold) than the positive control aminoguanidine ($IC_{50}=52.96\;{\mu}g/ml$).

In an attempt to find the activity of Aster glehni (Compositae) leaves on the obesity in vivo, 30% ethanolic extract rich in caffeoylquinic acids was orally treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg for consecutive four weeks during feeding high-fat diet in rats for 6 weeks. This extract prevented the increase of atherogenic index and body weight and oxidative stress from dietinduced obese rats probably due to the pharmacological mechanism of the CQ complex.

In this study, we evaluated the bioactivities of methanol extract and its solvent fractions of Sonchus asper (L.) Hill. The EtOAc fraction of S. asper exhibited more strong antioxidant activity than other extracts as evidenced by the strongest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity with a $EC_{50}$ value at $33.55\;{\mu}g/mL$ and reducing power, the total polyphenol (180.71 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid contents (145.86 mg QE/g) of S. asper extract were higher than other extracts. The EtOAc fraction of the S. asper also showed 47.38% mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity, 56.22% ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition and 46.58% ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibition ratio at 1 mg/mL. Both methylene chloride and EtOAc fractions of methanol extract of S. asper effectively reduced of the 86.34% and 62.03% angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) activity at 2 mg/mL, respectively. These findings suggest that the EtOAc fraction of the S. asper could be a potential antioxidant in food additive, medicinal, and industry product.

A new lectin was purified from Bombyx mori (BML) by physiological saline extraction, ammonium sulfate precipitants, anion exchange column chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A-50 and gel filtration column chromatography on Sephadex G-200. BML agglutinated trypsinized and glutaraldehyde-fixed erythrocytes, and was observed the most high activity with rabbit, chicken erythrocytes and rat splenic lymphocytes. Agglutinability was markedly affected at highly acidic pH, but was relatively stable with high temperature. The effect of metal ions was observed and BML was affected by bivalaent cations, especially depending on $Ca^{2+}$, $Fe^{2+}$, $Mn^{2+}$, whereas, inhibited by $Mg^{2+}$. Agglutination was strongly inhibited by heparin and glucuronic acid. BML was proved to be a glycoprotein which contains 17.16% of sugars. By mass spectrometry analysis, we found 2 bands that were considered as lectin subunits.

The study of irritation and toxicity of honeybee(Apis mellifera. L) venom collected by a bee venom collector applied topically to the skin and mucous membrane were carried out to prove the safety of honeybee venom in clinical use. Animal for the research was the rabbit and the solution for the test was made from honeybee venom. Six animals were used for the skin test and nine animals were used for the eye mucous membrane test. In results, both tests proved that honeybee venom makes no irritable reaction on skin and eye mucous membrane of rabbit. We consider that this result is helpful for saying about the safety of honeybee venom in clinical use.

This study was carried out to investigate the optimum conditions for extraction of soluble acidic polysaccharides from ginseng marc. Method of carbazole-sulfuric acid was applied to determine the amount of acidic polysaccharides in ginseng marc. The amounts of soluble acidic polysaccharides in water extract of ginseng marc were increased with increasing extraction temperature. The contents of acidic polysaccharides were not significantly different despite the extraction time increasing from 0.5 hours to 6 hours. To estimate the rehydration rate of the freeze dried polysaccharide, the extracted acidic polysaccharide fraction powder was determined the amount of soluble acidic polysaccharides by carbazole-sulfuric acid method again. The rehydration rate of acidic polysaccharides from water-extract of red ginseng marc at room temperature was 100%. On the other hand, the rehydration rate of acidic polysaccharide of red ginseng marc at boiling temperature was about 50%. The rehydration rate of acidic polysaccharides from water-extract of white ginseng marc at room temperature was 50%. The rehydration rate of acidic polysaccharide of red ginseng marc at boiling temperature was about 40%. The rate of soluble acidic polysaccharide of Red Ginseng is higher than that of White Ginseng. We can find out the maximum extraction method of soluble acidic polysaccharide from ginseng marc.

This study was conducted to investigate tyrosinase inhibitory effect, hyaluronidase inhibitory effect and antioxidant activity by DPPH radical scavenging method on the MeOH extract of 50 species medicinal plant for screening of functional properties. As a result, Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne extract among 50 species medicinal plant turned out to be having tyrosinase, hyaluronidase inhibitory effect and antioxidant activity. The major component of tyrosinase and hyaluronidase inhibitory effect was isolated from EtOAc extract of Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne. And the component of antioxidant activity was isolated from n-BuOH extract of Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne. Their structure of compounds were identified as oleanolic acid and (-)-epicatechin by spectroscopic evidence, respectively.

Acne, one of the most common skin disease, is a chronic inflammatory disease and is caused by uncertain and multiple factors. Propionibacterium acnes belongs to the human cutaneous normal flora and is a major etiologic agent of acne vulgaris. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial effect of 19 medicinal plants. Antibacterial activity of extracts prepared from the 19 medicinal plants was investigated against bacteria related to acnes, Propionibacterium acnes. Among them, some medicinal plants inhibited the growth of the P. acnes. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Polygonum aviculare (Herb) was 0.2 mg/ml against P. acnes. MIC of Dianthus chinensis (Aerial Part), Forsythia viridissima (Fruit), Lygodium japonicum (Spore) and Sophora flavescens (Root) were 0.4 mg/ml. Based on these results, Polygonum aviculare (Herb), Dianthus chinensis (Aerial Part), Forsythia viridissima (Fruit), Lygodium japonicum (Spore) and Sophora flavescens (Root) may be considered as a candidate for a good medicine for acne.