• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.193-207
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• 2023

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional herbal medicine as a stand-alone treatment group through major English databases due to the lack of RCTs in Korea, and to provide a review of the herbal interventions used. Methods: Using four databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, OASIS, RISS), combination of words such as "Coronavirus" "RCT" "Herb" "Decoction" "TCM" were used. RCTs using herbal medicines to treat coronavirus were searched. Final 4 studies were selected by two authors according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 1,435 patients were studied. The Chinese herbs used in the treatment group were Shengmai Yin, JingYinGuBiao granules, Jinhua Qinggan granules, and Bufei Huoxue capsules. The intervention group showed greater attenuation of pneumonia lesions on CT. Also, improvement in 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and negative conversion rate in treatment group were reported. Furthermore, scores on the Fatigue Assessment Inventory (FAI) were lower in the herbal group than in the placebo group. The median time to recovery of COVID-19 related symptoms was shorter in TCM group compared to the control group. Reported adverse effects were diarrhea, liver dysfunction, and excessive menstruation, and two papers did not mention side effects in detail. Conclusion: Herbal medicine alone can increase the conversion rate of viral negativity and relieve COVID-19 related symptoms without significant adverse effects.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2001

Chemical compositions and texture of Allium senescens that is one of Korean indigenous culinary herbs were analyzed. The contents of carbohydrate and calorie were higher than those of Chinese chive. Proline, glutamine, valine, leucine and threonine were the major total amino acids in white and green portions of Allium senescens leaves. Methionine and cysteine were identified in white and green portions of Allium senescens leaves. The values of sodium and iron in Allium senescens were lower than in Chinese chive. Trace amount of selenium was also detected in Allium senescens leaves. The C$_{20:5}$ and C$_{20:6}$ were identified in leaves of Allium senescens. As a result of Rheometer analysis and sensory evaluation, texture of Allium senescens was more tender than that of green portion of Chinese chive leaves.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.36-49
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• 2014

Objectives: Quercetin and curcuminoids are important bioactive compounds found in many herbs. Previously reported high performance liquid chromatography ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methods for the detection of quercetin and curcuminoids have several disadvantages, including unsatisfactory separation times and lack of validation according the standard guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. Methods: A rapid, specific, reversed phase, HPLC-UV method with an isocratic elution of acetonitrile and 2% v/v acetic acid (40% : 60% v/v) (pH 2.6) at a flow rate of 1.3 mL/minutes, a column temperature of $35^{\circ}C$, and ultraviolet (UV) detection at 370 nm was developed. The method was validated and applied to the quantification of different types of market available Chinese medicine extracts, pills and tablets. Results: The method allowed simultaneous determination of quercetin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin and curcumin in the concentration ranges of $0.00488-200{\mu}g/mL$, $0.625-320{\mu}g/mL$, $0.07813-320{\mu}g/mL$ and $0.03906-320{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification, respectively, were 0.00488 and $0.03906{\mu}g/mL$ for quercetin, 0.62500 and $2.50000{\mu}g/mL$ for bisdemethoxycurcumin, 0.07813 and $0.31250{\mu}g/mL$ for demethoxycurcumin, and 0.03906 and $0.07813{\mu}g/mL$ for curcumin. The percent relative intra day standard deviation (% RSD) values were $0.432-0.806{\mu}g/mL$, $0.576-0.723{\mu}g/mL$, $0.635-0.752{\mu}g/mL$ and $0.655-0.732{\mu}g/mL$ for quercetin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin and curcumin, respectively, and those for intra day precision were $0.323-0.968{\mu}g/mL$, $0.805-0.854{\mu}g/mL$, $0.078-0.844{\mu}g/mL$ and $0.275-0.829{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The intra day accuracies were 99.589%-100.821%, 98.588%-101.084%, 9.289%-100.88%, and 98.292%-101.022% for quercetin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin and curcumin, respectively, and the inter day accuracy were 99.665%-103.06%, 97.669%-103.513%, 99.569%-103.617%, and 97.929%-103.606%, respectively. Conclusion: The method was found to be simple, accurate and precise and is recommended for routine quality control analysis of commercial Chinese medicine products containing the flour flavonoids as their principle components in the extracts.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.334-343
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• 2017

Eclipta prostrata and E. alba are annual herbal medicinal plants and have been used as Chinese medicinal tonics. Both species are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Korea. Both species have similar morphological features but E. alba has smoother leaf blade margins compared with E. prostrata. Although both species are utilized as oriental medicines, E. prostrata is more widely used than E. alba. Morphological semblances have confounded identification of either species. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genomes of both species to provide an authentication system between the two species and understand their diversity. Both chloroplast genomes were 151,733-151,757 bp long and composed of a large single copy (83,285-83,300 bp), a small single copy (18,283-18,346 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (25,075-25,063 bp). Gene annotation revealed 80 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genus Eclipta is grouped with Heliantheae tribe species in the Asteraceae family. A comparative analysis verified 29 InDels and 58 SNPs between chloroplast genomes of E. prostrata and E. alba. The low chloroplast genome sequence diversity indicates that both species are really close to each other and are not completely diverged yet. We developed six DNA markers that distinguish E. prostrata and E. alba based on the polymorphisms of chloroplast genomes between E. prostrata and E. alba. The chloroplast genome sequences and the molecular markers generated in this study will be useful for further research of Eclipta species and accurate classification of medicinal herbs.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.108-115
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• 2011

The current study aims to analyze the acceptance of International Standard Terminology (IST) related to herbs and formulas used in Korea. It also intends to examine limitations of each term source by linking texts for herbal medicine research and formula research used in schools of oriental medicine with medicinal substance-formula classification names within the IST framework. This study examined 64 medicinal classification names of IST, including synonyms, 41 formula classification names, 65 classification names of "Herbal Medicine Study," 89 medicinal classification names of "Shin's Clinical Herbal Medicine Study," and lastly 83 formula classification names of "Formula Study." Data on their chief virtue, efficacy and characteristics as medicinal substances were extracted from their definitions, and such data were used to perform Chinese character-English mapping using the IST. The outcomes of the mapping were then analyzed in terms of both lexical matching and semantic matching. In terms of classification names for medicinal substances, "Herbal Medicine Study" had 60.0% lexical matching, whereas "Shin's Clinical Herbal Medicine Study" had 48.3% lexical matching. When semantic matching was also applied, "Herbal Medicine Study" showed a value of 87.7% and "Shin's Clinical Herbal Medicine Study" 74.2%. In terms of formula classification names, lexical matching was 28.9% of 83 subjects, and when semantic matching was also considered, the value was 30.1%. When the conceptual elements of this study were applied, some IST terms that are classified with other codes were found to be conceptually consistent, and some terms were not accepted due to different depths in the classification systems of each source.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.550-569
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of herbal medicine treatment for patients with migraine and to suggest research methods for herbal medicine treatment on migraine. Methods: In this study, a search was conducted through several academic sites using a combination of terms '편두통', 'Migraine', '한약', '한약치료', 'Herbal medicine', 'Herbal medicines', 'Herb', 'Traditional Chinese Medicine', and 'TCM'. Randomized controlled trials using herbal medicine treatments for adult patients with migraine were selected. Results: Ultimately, 46 papers were selected and analyzed. A statistically significant improvement was noted in the treatment group in terms of clinical migraine symptoms and other migraine evaluation tools before and after the herbal medicine treatment. Herbal medicines were administered in decoction, pill, and granule formulations. Many kinds of medicinal herbs, such as 解表藥類, 補益藥類, 淸熱藥類, 活血祛瘀藥類, and 平肝藥類, have been used for migraine. Among them, 川芎, belonging to 活血祛瘀藥類, is mentioned 36 times and is the most frequently used medicine. Herbal medicine was used safely for migraine treatment, without major adverse reactions, and the recurrence rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group. Conclusions: In conclusion, the herbal medicine treatment for patients with migraine showed a statistically significant improvement in 46 papers. Future studies should utilize standardized and objective evaluation tools, along with appropriate experimental design. The relevant articles should be increased to a significant level to verify the effect of herbal medicine treatments on migraine.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.520-549
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• 2018

Objectives: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the recent clinical research trends regarding the effects of traditional herbal medicine (THM) on chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. Methods: Randomized controlled trials that verified effects of herbal medicine treating chemotherapy induced leukopenia were included in the study. A literature search was performed in the English, Chinese, and Korean databases for papers published from January 1, 2007, to September 1, 2017. The selected literature was assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias (RoB). Results: Forty-two of 232 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. The most commonly used herbal prescriptions called '升白湯 (shengbai decoction)' which means elevating the numbers of White blood cells (WBCs). And the mostly included herbs such as Astragali Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba, Codonopsis Pilosulae, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Ligustri Lucidi Fructus are commonly used to elevate qi, blood and yin. The count of WBC in peripheral blood, the level of leukopenia presented in WHO (World Health Organization), and clinical symptoms were used to evaluate the treatments. The effective rate was 68.6-98.18% and the effectiveness was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group in 38 articles (p<0.05). No serious adverse events were reported. Only five articles (5/42, 11.9%) were rated as having adequate methodological quality with a low level of bias. Conclusion: Some traditional herbal medicines may be effective as therapeutic treatments for chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, but the majority of reviewed studies were of poor quality. The present findings need to be confirmed by rigorously conducted high-quality trials, including pharmacokinetic studies, to confirm the absence of interactions between traditional herbal medicine agents and chemotherapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.8-19
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• 2017

This study on "Wenbingtiaobian" covers identifying pattern of prescription, understanding system of multiple syndrome differentiations, characteristics of treatment and medicinal substances. The source books are "Korean translation of Wenbingtiaobian", "Modern Shanghanlun", "Jinkuiyaolueyishi", "Chinese Medicine Formulas". "Wenbingtiaobian" has system of multiple patterns including three energizer syndrome differentiation, classification of disease, six meridian syndrome differentiation and wei-qi-ying-xue syndrome differentiation. That describes cause, location, nature, power and transmutation of disease. Wei-qi-ying-xue pattern is meaningful to warm-heat disease and three energizer pattern is relevant to dampness-heat disease. The warm disease shows mostly yang brightness bowel syndrome and patterns of three yin viscera. In aspect of the heat disease, qi aspect pattern makes up the largest number of syndrome differentiation and have sometimes with bowel excess or fluid deficiency. And treatment for wei aspect pattern is primarily 'outthrust the pathogen with pungent-cool'. Deficiency cold pattern and cold pattern with dampness occupy most of cold patterns. And many dampness patterns are dampness-heat pattern in middle energizer and 'inhibited lung qi transforming' is major mechanism. Patterns with fluid deficiency in qi aspect syndrome appear mostly in upper or middle energizer and in xue aspect syndrome appear mostly in lower energizer and they form 20% of all syndrome differentiations. The treatment of clearing heat uses pungent-cool(cold) for upper energizer, sweet-cold for middle energizer, sweet(salty)-cold for lower energizer. The treatment of tonifying yin uses mostly salty-cold for middle or lower energizer. The treatment of outthrusting pathogen is applied to all the wei-qi-ying-xue aspect combined with other treatments by using pungent-cool(cold) and light herbs. Understanding diseases in the respect of syndrome differentiation can enhance understanding of modern diseases from a perspective of Korean Traditional Medicinal(KTM) and can make clinical application of KTM treatments easy. Data from this study are expected to be basic for standardization and systemization of KTM.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.19-28
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• 2003

Sokmyeungtang was the representative prescription for Apoplexy under the rule of Tang and Song dynasty of which the cultures were thriving in the history of China. However, the clinical use of Sokmyeungtang has been gradually reduced since Geumwon dynasty of China because it was misunderstood that the dryness heat drugs of pungent in flavor and warm in property such as Ephedra, Pubescent Angelica Root, Chinese Cassia Tree-Bark, Divaricate Saposhnikovia Root, Prepared Aconite Root, Fresh Ginger, and Wildginger Herb included in the presciption for Apoplexy supplemented heat as damaging Yin flood. In fact, the drugs pungent in flavor and warm in property activate exterior and interior circulation, circulate channels and collaterals, promote blood circulation, and remove blood stasis with the side effect of relieving exterior syndrome with drugs warming channels. When treating Apoplexy with Sokmyeungtang, the cold drugs such as Gypsum, Baikai Skullcap Root, and Pueraria Root are prescribed to suppress fire of pungent dryness and to control excessive heat of people with Apoplexy as reducing the effects of hot drugs causing impairment of Yin. For treatment of Apoplexy, the above drugs accelerate blood and Qi circulation in channels and collaterals and then in necrotic tissue of human body as removing blood stasis. Consequently, these drugs improve disorders of capillary tube circulation. If Sokmyeungtang, an old prescription, is properly understood, it will be substantially helpful to all kinds of treatments in clinical cases

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.74-84
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• 2011

Objectives: Palmul-tang (hachimotsu-to in Japanese and bawu-tang in Chinese) is a mixture of eight herbs. It is traditionally used for the treatment of anemia, anorexia, general weakness, and female infertility in China, Japan, and Korea. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of Palmul-tang water extract (PTE) against ethanol-induced acute gastric injury in rats. Material and Methods: Acute gastric lesions were induced by intragastric administration of 5mL/kg body weight of absolute ethanol to each rat. Control group rats were given PBS orally and the ethanol group (EtOH group) received absolute ethanol (5mL/kg) by oral gavage. The positive control group and the PTE group were given oral doses of omeprazole (50mg/kg) or PTE (400mg/kg), respectively, 2 h prior to the administration of absolute ethanol. The stomach of each animal was excised and examined for gastric mucosal lesions. To confirm the protective effects of PTE, we evaluated the degree of lipid peroxidation, the level of reduced glutathione (GSH), and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in the stomach. Results: PTE reduced ethanol-induced hemorrhage and hyperemia in the gastric mucosa. PTE reduced the increase in lipid peroxidation associated with ethanol-induced acute gastric lesions and increased mucosal GSH content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion: These results indicate that PTE protects gastric mucosa against ethanol-induced acute gastric injury by increasing antioxidant status. We suggest that PTE could be developed as an effective drug for the treatment of acute gastric injury.