• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.125-137
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• 2009

Objectives : We studied anti-allergic effects of Cinnamomi Ramulus(CR) herbal acupuncture and Cinnamomi Ramulus extract. Methods : In vivo, animals were herbal-acupunctured with CR at both ST36s three times for 5 days. Then, we induced active systemic anaphylatic shock using compound 48/80 in ICR mice, and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis using anti-DNP IgE in Sprague Dawley rat. In vitro, we measured cell viability, ${\beta}$ -hexosaminidase release and the expressions of IL-4, TNF-${\alpha}$ and COX-2 mRNA in RBL-2H3 cells after treatment of various concentrations of CR extract. Results : In vivo, CR herbal acupuncture pretreatments at both ST36s inhibited compound 48/80-induced active systemic anaphylatic shock. Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis was inhibited by CR herbal acupuncture pretreatments at both ST36s and optional points. In vitro, CR extract treatments did not affect on cell viability and inhibited ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release. CR extract treatments also decreased the expressions of IL-4, TNF-${\alpha}$ and COX-2 mRNA in RBL-2H3 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that CR herbal acupuncture and CR extract should be beneficial in the inhibition of allergic inflammatory response.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.592-597
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• 2010

Cinnamomi Ramulus is one of the medicinal plants that have been used to improve various diseases caused by insufficient blood circulation. This study was performed for the investigation of vasodilation efficacy ethanol extract of Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR). CR exhibited vascular relaxation against phenylephrine (PE, $10^{-6}M$)-, KCl- and NaF-induced contraction in rat thoracic aorta. In addition, its relaxation was endothelium-independent. Treatment of potassium channel blockers such as gilbenclamide (Gli, $10^{-5}M$), tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM) and 4-aminopyridine (4-AP, 0.2 mM) did not effect on the relaxation of CR. The relaxant effects were also not inhibited by pre-treatment of rat aorta with L-NAME ($10^{-4}M$), methylene blue ($10^{-5}M$), indomethacin ($10^{-5}M$), and atropine ($10^{-6}M$). However, nifedipine ($10^{-5}M$), L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, in part attenuated the relaxation of CR ($0.2\;mg/m{\ell}$), but SK&F96365 ($3{\times}10^{-5}M$), receptor activated $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker and 2-APB ($10^{-4}M$), store operated $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker did not affact dilation of CR. These findings suggest that the endothelium-independent relaxation effect of CR is partly related with inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx via voltage dependent $Ca^{2+}$ channel.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.140-151
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• 2005

Objectives: Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR), the young twig of Cinnamomum loureirri nees, has been used for treating symptoms related to pain, rheumatic arthritis and inflammation in Korean herb medicine. This study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of CR in vivo and in vitro. Methods: Extracts of CR were prepared and the chemical components of the extracts were examined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The extracts were administrated to the rat paw edema model induced by carrageenan to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of CR. The expressions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were also quantified in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)­induced RAW 264.7 macrophages to survey the effect of CR in vitro. The main components were cinnamaldehyde and coumarin. Results: We examined the anti-inflammatory activity of the $80\%$ ethanol extract of Cinnamomi Ramulus in vivo by using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. Maximum inhibition of $54.91\%$ was noted at the dose of l1000mg/kg after 2 hours of drug administration in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and this showed a potent anti-inflammatory effect. Conclusions: The results showed that Cinnamomi Ramulus suppressed dose-dependently LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages and also decreased iNOS protein expression. Cinnamomi Ramulus also showed a significant inhibitory effect in LPS-induced PGE2 production and COX-2 expression.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

Objectives : For evaluation of preventive and anti-diabetic activities of Cinnamomi ramulus(CR) herbal acupuncture on pancreatic islet damage in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rat. Methods : CR herbal acupuncture was performed at Bisu($BL_{20}$) for 3 weeks subcutaneously starting1 week before STZ i.p. injection. SD rats were divided into four groups(n=10 for each group); 1) NC group, non-treated normal control group, 2) STZ group, STZ administered control group, 3) CR125 group, CR(125mg/kg) + STZ administered group, and 4) CR250 group, CR(250mg/kg) + STZ administered group. Results : Both of CR250 and CR125 groups showed increase in insulin secretion and decrease in the level of serum triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acid in a dose-dependent manner compared to the STZ group. Only CR250 group showed decrease in the levels of glucose and total cholesterol compared to the STZ group. CR herbal acupuncture prevents $\beta$-cell damage of pancreatic islet, showing round figure on the sections of the pancreas. In the pancreatic cells, expressions of iNOS, JNK-2, P-JNK-1/2 and ERK-1/2 were decreased compared to the STZ group. CR herbal acupuncture solution did not show any cytotoxicity by MTS assay and inhibited expressions of iNOS and COX-2 in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. Conclusions : Therefore, we suggest that CR herbal acupuncture may act as a prophylactic as well as a therapeutic modality for diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.542-547
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• 2008

In order to examine anti-inflammatory effect of Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR) alcohol extract on rheumatoid arthritis, the present study investigated the viability and TNF-${\alpha}$ production in Raw264.7 cells treated with CR and collagen induced arthritis in DBA/1J mice which were orally administered with CR prior to immunization. The results are as follows: CR extract at $20{\mu}g/ml$ inhibited the viability of Raw264.7 by 50%. CR at 15 and $20{\mu}g/ml$ showed a significant decrease in TNF-${\alpha}$ levels from Raw264.7 cells treated with LPS. CR administration decreased arthritic index in DBA/1J mice immunized with bovine collagen type II but it did not reach statistical significance. CR administration significantly decreased spleen weights obtained from mice in 6 weeks after immunization. CR administration significantly decreased serum anti-type II collagen antibody levels compared with control group. CR administration decreased serum IL-6 levels compared with control group but it did not reach statistical significance.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• 제26권2호
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• pp.11-15
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• 2011

Objectives : In the present study, the contents of cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde in three different parts of Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR) (the whole body, the bark part, and the wood part) was evaluated using UPLC (ultra performance liquid chromatography) in order to investigate a suitable cutting method. Methods : Analysis was performed on SMART LC with UV detector. Reference compounds were separated on Inertsil ODS-4 column ($2.1mm{\times}50mm$, $3{\mu}m$, GL Science, Japan) using isolation elution with water and acetonitrile each containing acetic acid at a flow rate of $500{\mu}L/min$. Additionally, samples of CR were purchased from pharmacy of medicinal herb. Results : The correlation coefficients of the cinnamic acid and cinnamaldehyde levels showed good linearity ($r^2{\geq}0.9999$) over the linear ranges. Furthermore, the bark part exhibited higher concentration levels of reference compounds than the wood part in all samples. In addition the bark exfoliation rates in oblique and perpendicular-long cut samples of CR were lower than the perpendicular-short cut samples. Conclusions : These results suggested that the optimal cutting method would be able to reduce the bark exfoliation. Therefore, the oblique or perpendicular-long cutting method is considered to be a better cutting type than the perpendicular-short cutting method.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• 제31권2호
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• pp.190-195
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• 2000

In the previous reports, we selected 80% MeOH extract of 7 herbs including Scutellariae Radix(SR), Paeoniae Radix Rubra(PRR), Moutan Cortex(MC), Angelicae Gigantis Radix(AGR), Crataegi Fructus(CF), Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam(BCT) and Cinnamomi Ramulus(CR), which exhibited the inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase and DPPH free radical scavenging effect in vitro, and antihyperlipidemic effects on antihyperlipidemic rats induced by Triton WR 1339 in vivo. Among them, SR, MC, AGR and BCT showed significant suppression of elevated serum LDL-cholesterol level, and AGR and CF showed significant liver weight increase on high cholesterol diet induced hyperlipidemic mice. And, SR, PRR, AGR, BCT and CR significantly suppressed the elevated serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels on corn oil induced hyperlipidemic rats. Then, in order to research new antihyperlipidemic agents from the oriental medicinal herbs, we chose SR, AGR, CR and BCT which have the antihyperlipidemic effect in vitro and in vivo, and those herbs were systematically fractionated with organic solvent. EtOAc fraction of SR, hexane fraction of BCT, AGR and chloroform fraction of CR exhibited remarkably inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• 제35권4호통권139호
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• pp.288-292
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• 2004

To evaluate the quality of the crude drugs using three kinds of Cinnamomum Cortex (CC), Vietnamese CC (VCC, the stem bark of Cinnamomum obtusifolium), periderm-peeled Chinese CC (PPCC, periderm-peeled stem bark of C. cassia), Chinese CC (CCC, stem bark of C. cassia) and a Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR, the twig of C. cassia), the four essential oils were prepared by steam distillation method. Cinnamaldehdye (CAN) and an unknown substance tentatively named hydroxy-cinnamaldehdye(HCNA) were detected in the four essential oils by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the contents of which are significantly different one another. Vietnamese CC had the highest content of HCNA whereas CR had the highest CAN content and the lowest HCNA. Vietnamese CC exhibited the greatest cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines, A549, HepG-2, HL-60, P-388, U-937, and KB and CR the lowest cytotoxicity. Contents of CAN and HCNA in CCC and PPCC are positioned between VCC and CR. These results suggest that measurement of HCNA and cytotoxicity may determine the quality of CC and CR.