• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.489-499
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• 2015

Background : Plants belonging to 5 species of the genus Eleutherococcus are currently distributed in the Korean peninsula. The traditional medicine 'Ogapi', derived from Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus and other related species, and 'Gasiogapi', derived from Eleutherococcus senticosus, are frequently mixed up and marketed. Therefore, accurated identification of their origins in urgently required. Methods and Results : Candidate genes from nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of Eleutherococcus plants were analyzed. Whereas the nrDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were useful in elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among the plants, the cpDNA regions were not as effective. Therefore, a combined analysis with nrDNA-ITS was performed. Various combinations of nrDNA and matK were effective for discriminating among the plants. However, the matK and rpoC1 combination was ineffective for discriminating among some species. Based on these results, it was found that OG1, OG4, OG5, OG7, GS1, GS2, and GS3 were derived from E. sessiliflorus. In particular, it was confirmed that GS1, GS2, and GS3 were not derived from E. senticosus. However, more samples need to be analyzed because identification of the origins of OG2, OG3, OG6 and GS4 was not possible. Conclusion : The ITS2, ITS5a, and matK combination was the most effective in identifying the phylogenetic relationship among Eleutherococcus plants and traditional medicines based on Eleutherococcus.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2017

Background: The study was conducted to investigate the distributions of faecal bacteria in commercial oriental medicine herb products. Methods and Results: A survey was conducted on the microbial contamination levels and antimicrobial specificity of Bacillus cereus and other microbes using 106 oriental medicine herb products on sale in Seoul. Pouring and isolation methods such as standard plate counts were used to identify the bacteria. The isolated bacterias included coliforms, Bacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Listeria spp.were identified by using gram staining and an API (analytical profile index) kit. Antimicrobial drugs discs were determined by CLSI (clinical and laboratory standards institute). Conclusions: The bacterial isolates present in the herbal medicines included 98 coliforms, 45 Bacillus spp., 29 Enterococcus spp., and 2 Listeria spp. Among these, there were nine Bacillus cereus strains, one Enterococcus faecium strain, and one Enterococcus faecalis strain present. The 9 Bacillus cereus strains were tested for susceptibility to 36 types of antibiotics products by the disc diffusion method. The strains showed resistance to 13 of these antibiotic products and semi-resistance to 5 antibiotic products. On the basis of these results, any oriental medicine herb product can be assumed to be contain resistant or semi-resistant bacterial strains. Therefore, we suggest prescribing guidelines and special management for the use of antibiotics in farms producing oriental medicine herb products.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 2017

In this study, to investigate of safety for Benzo(a)pyrene in medicinal herb, 8 kinds of selected commercial herbal medicines (Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Preparata, Amomi Tsao-Ko Fructus, Cimicifugae Rhizoma, Cyperi Rhizoma, Magnoliae Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, Scrophulariae Radix) were analysed using the high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector and assessed the health risk. The levels of benzo(a)pyrene were from non-detection to $28.1{\mu}g/kg$, and the average was $3.6{\mu}g/kg$. Based on a nationwide survey of the consumption of medicinal herb by the Korean population, we estimated the potential risk from the ingestion of benzo(a)pyrene. The estimated daily intake of benzo(a)pyrene was 1.6 ng/kg b.w./day for group only know the daily average intake of medicinal herb. The MOE (margin of exposure) of benzo(a)pyrene for estimate of health risk was $1.93{\times}10^5$. Therefore, health risk from benzo(a)pyrene through intake of herbal medicine was considered negligible.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the residual contents of sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) in commercial medicinal herbs in Korea in 2012. Among a total of 136 samples of 16 different kinds of herbs, 86 samples (15 Kinds) were domestic, and 50 samples (14 Kinds) were imported. Sulfur dioxide in the samples was measured by a modified Monier-Williams method. Of the 136 samples, 17 samples (12.5%, 6 Kinds) failed to meet the regulations for sulfur dioxide residues of KFDA in medicinal herbs. Among 17 unsuitable samples, 7 samples (8.1%, 3 Kinds) were domestic, and 10 samples (20.0%, 6 Kinds) were imported. The highest amount of sulfur dioxide residues was 3,167.94 mg/kg (Lycii Fructus) in the domestic samples. The detection frequency of sulfur dioxide by medicinal herb parts used, Rhizoma 25.7%, Flos 20.0%. Cortex 12.5%, Radix 15.3%, Fructus 7.6%, p-value 0.011. This results will be used as a basic data for the future legislation on the quality estimation and safety of medicinal herbs.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.146-150
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• 2020

Amomum Tsao-ko used as a traditional oriental herbal medicine, is indigenous to several Asia countries. This study was carried out to investigate the contamination by Benzo(a)pyrene in Amomum Tsao-ko Fruit of Medicinal Herbs. 20 samples of Amomum Tsao-ko Fruit were evaluated for the Benzo(a)pyrene contamination. They were analyzed for Benzo(a)pyrene using high-performance liquid chromatogrphy(HPLC)-fluorescence detection and the positive samples were confirmed using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The levels of Benzo(a)pyrene were from 9.2 to 95.5 ㎍/kg and the average was 40.6 ㎍/kg. There are no Benzo(a)pyrene standards for Amomum Tsao-ko Fruit of Medicinal Herbs. These data will be used as a basic data for the future legislation on the regulation and control of benzo(a)pyrene of Amomum Tsao-ko Fruit of Medicinal Herbs.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1109-1115
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• 2004

This study was investigated the residual contents of sulfur dioxide on the 373 kinds of herbal medicine distributed from Korea, China, and Japan. A modified Monier-Williams method was described for the determination of $SO_{2}$ contents in herbal medicines. The residual contents of $SO_{2}$ were not detected at 221 products$(59.8{\%})$ in total 373 products. Regardless of region, $SO_{2}$ contents were not found at Farfarae Flos, Zizyphi Spinosi Semen, Castanea crenata, and Strychni Ignatii Semen. But it's found at Asparagi Radix, Codonopsitis Radix, Lilii Bulbus, and Kaempferiae Rhizoma of every region collected the samples. Also, $SO_{2}$ contents were not detected at the herbal medicines which collected cultural fields of dometic. $SO_{2}$ contents ranged 11$\~$3990 mg/kg(mean 152 mg/kg) at domestic samples, 11$\~$3440 mg/kg(mean 603 mg/kg) at imported samples. After treated with water wash and hot water extraction, the reduction rates of sulfur dioxide were appeared with $24.4{\%}\~68.7{\%}\;and\;83.8{\%}\~100.0{\%},$ respectively. These data will be used to establish a criteron of residual sulfur dioxide in herbal medicines.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.811-817
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• 2006

We were carried out to monitor pesticide residues in herbal medicine. In Korea Pharmacy, these are no critics for pesticides except 5 kinds of organic chlorines (BHC, DDT, Aldrin, Endrin, Dieldrin) and heavy metals. We analysed 53 kinds of pesticides consisted of 14 kinds of organochlorines, 20 kinds of organophosphoruses, and 19 kinds of pesticides estimated endocrine disruptor on 373 samples consisted with 30kinds of herbal medicine. In this study, Domestic, Chinese and Japanese herbal medicines were tested with GC/ECD, GC/NPD and then confirmed with GC/MSD. Recoveries were 75$\sim$l10% in ECD detector and 76$\sim$97% in NPD detector. Detection limits were 0.004$\sim$0.064ppm in ECD detector and 0.006$\sim$0.094ppm in NPD detector. Organochlorines and others were not detected in samples.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.345-360
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the content of sulfur dioxide residues in medicinal herbs in Seoul in 2009. Sulfur dioxide in the samples were determined by Monnier-Williams's modified method. A total of 1,821 samples of 205 different types of herbs were collected from Kyung-Dong Herb markets and Oriental medicine hospitals in Seoul. Of these samples, 642 samples were domestic, and 1,179 samples were imported. Of the 1,821 samples, 61 (3.3%, 31 types) failed to meet the regulations for sulfur dioxide residues of KFDA in medicinal herbs. Among these 61 unsuitable samples, 17 (7 types) were domestic, and 44 samples (26 types) were imported. The content of sulfur dioxide in the domestic medicinal herbs ranged from 0 to 809 mg/kg, while those in imported medicinal herbs ranged from 0 to 4,481 mg/kg. Approximately 84.6% of the samples contained less than 10 mg/kg of sulfur dioxide and about 10.0% of samples contained more than 30 mg/kg of sulfur dioxide.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.455-458
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• 2000

Research on pesticide residues as endocrine disruptors in natural medicines was initiated by Korea Food & Drug Administration this year. We determined the presence and levels of certain pesticides in selected natural medicines. The natural medicines collected this year are Glycyrrhiza Root, Cinnamon Bark, Pueraria Root, Polygonatum Rhizome, Jujube, Schizandra Fruit, Lycium Fruit, Liriope Tuber, Eucommia Bark, Peony Root, Korean Angelica, Dioscorea Rhizome, Cnidium Rhizome, Cassia Seed, Platycodon Root, Comus Fruit, Mentha Herb, Epimedium Herb, Bupleurum Root, and Ginger, which have no data for pesticide residues and 192 samples of them were circulated in Korea, 28 samples were circulated in China. In order to analyze many pesticides in large number of samples we used simultaneous multi-residue analysis of pesticides by GC-ECD, which was followed by GC-MSD analysis to confirm the identity of the detected pesticide in each sample.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.267-280
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• 2023

This study investigated the contents of Pb, Cd, As, and Hg for 4333 samples with 2 09 types of herbal medicines distributed in Seoul area from 2019 to 2021, and evaluated risk assessment according to medicinal part used and origin. The contents of heavy metals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and mercury analyzer. The average contents (mg/kg) of heavy metals by medicinal parts were 0.123 to 1.290 for Pb, 0.018 to 0.131 for Cd, 0.034 to 0.290 for As, and 0.003 to 0.015 for Hg. The contents of Pb were higher in Leaves and Whole Herbs (above-ground part) than underground part (Radix & Rhizoma) (ANOVA-test, p < 0.05). The contents of Cd were high in Leaves, Radix & Rhizoma, and Stems & Woods (ANOVA-test, p <0 .05), and exceeded regulatory limits in various types. Levels of Pb, Cd concentrations exceeding regulatory limits were observed in 8, 22 samples (8, 14 types). No sample exceeded regulatory limits of As and Hg. In the comparison between countries of origin, the contents of Cd, As, and Hg were high in imported herbal medicines (t-test, p < 0.05). As a result of the risk assessment, except for Thujae Orientalis Folium and Spirodelae Herba, the MOE values of Pb were all 1 or more, and most samples were safe. The Hazard Index (HI) for Cd, As, and Hg were evaluated to be less than 100 % even if the risk (%) of each heavy metal was added, and the risk from taking herbal medicines was evaluated to be safe.