• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-237
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• 2023

Objectives: Pharmacopuncture is considered a unique new type of acupuncture in Korean medicine (KM). This study was performed to investigate the research trends regarding pharmacopuncture through a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer. Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection was searched for this study. The search terms were pharmacopuncture and pharmaco-puncture. The search was conducted on May 23, 2023, and 185 studies retrieved up to this date were included. Software VOSviewer version 1.6.19 was used to perform the bibliometric analysis. After data clearing, keyword co-occurrence and cooperation pattern analyses were performed. Results: The number of studies on pharmacopuncture have gradually increased since the mid-2000s, with the most published in 2020 (46 studies). The quality of the studies has also steadily increased, and recently, several randomized controlled trials of pharmacopuncture have been conducted. Moreover, this treatment has been investigated in the context of KM clinical practice guideline development in Korea. The scope of pharmacopuncture studies to date seems to be limited to musculoskeletal pain and bee venom pharmacopuncture. The researchers from Jaseng Medical Foundation have been the core researchers in the field of pharmacopuncture in Korea. They collaborated with researchers from universities or government-funded research institutes. However, small-scale research teams from KM clinics and university researchers were also identified as independent clusters. Conclusion: Pharmacopuncture research has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively, but the scope needs to be further expanded. There is also a gap between the use of pharmacopuncture by KM doctors in clinical settings and pharmacopuncture research. Based on these findings, some suggestions for future studies in this field are discussed. Furthermore, these findings may be used as data to expand and globalize pharmacopuncture research in the future.

• Mycobiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2017

Cordyceps militaris, known as Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao, produces the most cordycepin among Cordyceps species and can be cultured artificially. For these reasons, C. militaris is widely used as herb or functional food in the East Asia. In this study, we developed a new strain of C. militaris that produces higher cordycepin content than parent strains through mating-based sexual reproduction. Twenty parent strains were collected and identified as C. militaris based on internal trasncrived spacer and rDNA sequences. Seven single spores of MAT 1-1 idiomorph and five single spores of MAT 1-2 idiomorph were isolated from 12 parent strains. When 35 combinations were mated on the brown rice medium with the isolated single spores, eight combinations formed a stroma with a normal perithecia and confirmed mated strains. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis showed that mated strain KSP8 produced the most cordycepin in all the media among all the tested strains. This result showed due to genetic recombination occurring during the sexual reproduction of C. militaris. The development of C. militaris strain with increased cordycepin content by this approach can help not only to generate new C. militaris strains, but also to contribute to the health food or medicine industry.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.564-577
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to address differences between mental health according to sasang constitution and ego state among college students. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected by administration of questionnaires eliciting Woo's ego state scale, QSCC II for the sasang constitution classification, and SCL-90-R for mental health to 393 college students. Analysis was performed using IBM SPSS (version 19.0). Results: The Free Child ego and Adapted Child ego differed significantly among sasang types. The ego-gram pattern of So-eum type exhibited the N pattern (Nurturing Parent (NP)>Adapted Child (AC)>Adult (A)>Free Child (FC)>Critical Parent (CP), AC-high type), however, the ego-gram pattern of other constitution types showed the M pattern (NP>FC>A>AC>CP). No statistically significant differences in mental health were observed among sasang types, however, among ego states, AC and CP showed negative correlation with mental health status. Between So-eum type and So-yang type, AC was the factor predicting mental health. Between Tae-eum type and undefined type, AC and CP were factors predicting mental health. Conclusion: These findings suggest that sasang constitution could be an important factor in understanding the ego state and mental health status. We conclude that sasang constitution should be considered in interpretation of mental health status presentation in clients.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.611-618
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• 2023

Rhizome of Alisma orientale has been used as a traditional medicine for treating kidney diseases in East Asian countries. Its inhibitory effects on hypersensitivity responses have been reported for methanol extracts, with alisol B 23-acetate (AB23Ac) being the most active constituent among six terpenes in inhibiting the direct passive Arthus reaction. However, whether AB23Ac has efficacy against allergic asthma has not been tested to date. The in vivo efficacy of AB23Ac in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma mouse model was evaluated by administrating AB23Ac before OVA sensitization or OVA challenge in BALB/c mice. AB23Ac suppressed antigen-induced degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The administration of AB23Ac both before OVA sensitization and OVA challenge greatly lowered pulmonary resistance and the increase in immune cell counts and inflammatory responses around the peribronchial and perivascular regions. In addition, the inflammatory cytokine levels of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid decreased in the AB23Ac-treated groups. AB23Ac reduced the number of PAS-stained cells in the lungs. Furthermore, a computer modeling study indicated that AB23Ac can bind tightly to spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). These results suggest that AB23Ac may ameliorate allergic asthma by suppressing immune responses in dendritic cells during sensitization and in mast cells during challenge periods.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.99-107
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• 2024

Gastric cancer has been consistently decreasing worldwide, whereas cardia gastric cancer is on the rise. This indicates that the exposure rates to epidemiological causes are changing. In this study, we aim to review the risk factors for gastric cancer with respect to cardia and non-cardia types. One of the most significant risk factors for gastric cancer is Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori infection is known as a risk factor for non-cardia gastric cancer, and there have been results indicating that H. pylori infection is not associated with cardia gastric cancer. However, in the East Asian region, there is epidemiological evidence suggesting that H. pylori infection might be a risk factor for cardia gastric cancer. Smoking and alcohol consumption are known risk factors for gastric cancer, regardless of anatomical location. Obesity is considered a factor in the development of cardia gastric cancer. However, further research is needed to understand the specific relationship with non-cardia gastric cancer. The consumption of high-salt and processed meat is more distinctly associated with noncardia gastric cancer than in cardia gastric cancer. In addition to these factors, exposure to chemicals and radiation are considered risk factors for gastric cancer. Primary prevention of gastric cancer involves eliminating or avoiding risk factors such as H. pylori eradication and adopting a healthy lifestyle, including quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, and having a low-salt diet.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.1-7
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• 2022

Objectives: Bee venom (BV) is a widely used therapy in Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM). We previously reported that BV was clinically effective for treating Parkinson's disease, that phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) was the main component of BV, and that it induced regulatory T cells (Tregs) by binding CD206 on dendritic cells (DCs). Therefore, we aimed to reconfirm our findings in human blood samples and investigate the relationship between CD206⁺ DCs and clinical syndrome differentiation in TEAM. Methods: We surveyed 100 subjects with questionnaires on cold-heat patternization and obtained their blood samples. The obtained human peripheral blood monocytes (hPBMCs) were washed with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). After resuspension with ex vivo media, numbers of cells were counted. Tregs were counted after culturing the samples in a 37℃ CO₂ incubator for 72 h. Results: We divided the subjects into a relatively high CD206⁺ group or a relatively low CD206⁺ group. The heat factor scores of high CD206⁺ group were significantly higher than that of low CD206⁺ group (high vs low: 239.2 ± 54.1 vs 208.4 ± 55.1, p=0.023). After culturing with PLA₂, Tregs increased in the high CD206⁺ group but decreased in the low CD206⁺ group. Conclusion: In this study, we reconfirm that CD206⁺ DCs induced Treg differentiation by incubating human blood samples with PLA₂ and that they showed an association with syndrome differentiation, especially with heat patterns, in TEAM. A heat pattern in TEAM might be one indication for PLA₂ therapy because its score was elevated in the high CD206⁺ group.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.217-223
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• 2014

This study was performed to determine the optimal roasting temperature of mung beans for enhancement of antioxidative activities. Mung beans were roasted various roasting temperatures ($90{\sim}120^{\circ}C$ for 20 minutes), after which physicochemical compositions were determined. Variations in pH from 6.1 to 6.3, and reducing sugar content was highest in raw mung beans. Moisture decreased with increasing roasting temperature, whereas crude fat, crude ash, crude protein and carbohydrate contents showed no significant differences according to roasting temperature. The highest total phenol and flavonoid contents were under roasting conditions of $110^{\circ}C$ for 20 minutes. The highest DPPH radical, ABTS radical, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities were under conditions of $110^{\circ}C$ for 20 minutes. From these results, optimal roasting temperature of mung beans as a functional food resource was 110.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.818-826
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• 2013

To reduce the production cost of Lactobacillus, discarded red ginseng starch was collected from a factory of red ginseng extract in order to develop the Lactobacillus culture medium. According to the analysis of the gensenoside composition of red ginseng starch, the total gensenoside content of starch was 2.73 mg/g, and the gensenoside $Rb_1$, $Rb_2$ and $Rg_3$ contents were 0.1, 0.29 and 0.52 mg/g, respectively. For the preparation of the liquid media, red ginseng starch was added at rates of 0, 5, 10 and 20%. Further, Lactobacillus plantarum 15357 and Leuconostoc mesenteroides sub sp. strains were then inoculated to these prepared broths. With the red ginseng starch medium, the growth rates ($1.42{\times}10^7$ and $2.96{\times}10^{10}$ CFU/mL) and the final cell concentrations were higher than the MM medium ($1.0{\times}10^7$ CFU/mL). The optimal concentration of red ginseng starch and yeast extract as a medium were 20% and 10 g/L, respectively. Under these conditions, the cell mass of L. plantarum 15357 and L. mesenteroides sub sp. reached $5.11{\times}10^{10}$ and $8.17{\times}10^{10}$ CFU/mL. These results show a great possibility for the utilization of red ginseng starch as economic medium sources in the production of cell mass of lactic acid bacteria. This is the first trial of development of economic LAB growth medium using discarded red ginseng starch.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.514-519
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• 2011

Takju was manufactured using 150 g Rosa rugosa Thunb. (Haedanghwa) and two different preparations of 3,000 g each of cooked and uncooked rice. Nuruk (150 g) and yeast (60 g) were inoculated into both mixtures for fermentation, and physiochemical changes were investigated during 14 days of fermentation. The final brix value, pH, and ethanol concentration of Haedanghwa (uncooked rice Takju) were $13.0^{\circ}$Bx, 4.3, and 11.8%, respectively, whereas those of Haedanghwa (cooked rice Takju) were $14.0^{\circ}$Bx, 4.6, and 14.4%, respectively. Lactic and acetic acid levels in Haedanghwa (uncooked rice Takju) were significantly higher than those in Haedanghwa (cooked rice Takju) (p<0.05). The level of ${\gamma}$-amino-n-butyric acid in Haedanghwa Takju (uncooked rice) was twice than that of Haedanghwa Takju (cooked rice). Our results demonstrate that the use of uncooked rice in the preparation of Takju may help improve the taste and function of the final product.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.613-619
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• 2013

Konjac gel is known as a low calorie food, because the main component is water. Mugwort has been used for food and medicine for a long time due to itsfunctional property, which contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, konjac noodle-added mugwort was prepared. The konjac gel was made by from a centrifuge after adding water, alkali and mugwort power in konjac flour. The centrifuge was used to remove air in the gel. After centrifuging by heating the gel in boiling water for one hour, konjac noodle was made by pressing using a flat heating press. The results are as follows. In the drying process of mugwort freeze drying after blanching in 1% $NaHCO_3$ solution is better than other drying methods. The physical properties (hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, gumminess) of konjac gel were measured with a Rheometer. The optimum processing conditions were decided by these measured values. The optimum condition of making konjac gel is 9% concentration of konjac flour, a ph of 12.0, $Na_3PO_4$ coagulant and 1.5% concentration of mugwort power in konjac flour.