• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.64-67
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• 2003

The purgative activities of Whangryunhaedoktang (WT), Chunghyuldan (CD) and Rhei Rhizoma were measured to choose herbal formulae available for stroke patients suffering from constipation. When the laxative activity of Rhei Rhizoma and CD (the same dose as Rhei Rhizoma) compared, Rhei Rhizoma was more potent than CD. WT contained Gardeniae Fructus, which has been used as a laxative, as a ingredient. Nevertheless, WT did not show the purgative activity. WT and CD did not stimulate the transportation of small intestine. However, CD weakly stimulated the transportation of large intestine than Rhei Rhizoma. Accordingly, we believe that CD can be used as a useful purgative for stroke patients with constipation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.214-219
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• 2005

Chunghyuldan (Qingxuedan in Chinese) (CHD) has been used for patients with atherosclerosis and brain ischemia in Korea. To evaluate antiischemic activity of CHD, its antiinflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 cells was investigated. CHD potently inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced BV-2 cells with an $IC_{50}$ value of 4.8${\mu}g/ml$. CHD did not only inhibit mRNA and protein expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in LPS-induced BV-2 cells, but also repressed mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-l$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$. CHD also downregulated the activation of NF-kB and AP-l transcription factors induced by LPS. These results suggest that CHD may improve inflammatory brain ischemia by the downregulation the activation of NF-kB and AP-l transcription factors.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.38-43
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• 2003

Pancreatic lipase-inhibitory activity of the rhizome of Rhei Rhizoma and its antihyperlipidemic activity were measured. Rhei Rhizoma inhibited pancreatic lipase with $IC_{50}$ value of 6.5 mg/ml (triolein as a substrate). Rhei Rhizoma significantly inhibited serum TG level in corn oil feeding-induced mice, and serum TG and cholesterol in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mice. However, Rhei Rhizoma did not show the hypolipidemic activity in high cholesterol diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice. When in vitro pancreatic lipase-inhibitory and in vivo antihyperlipidemic activities of Whangryunhaedoktang (WT) and Chunghyuldan (CD), which is consisted of ingredients of WT and Rhei Rhizoma, were measured, CD exhibited more potent inhibitory activities than WT. Therefore these results suggest that antihyperlipidemic activity of Rhei Rhizoma and CD may be more or less originated from the inhibition of pancreatic lipase.