• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.207-211
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• 2004

Recently a case of liver injury from ingestion of Taeyeumjowi-tang containing Ma-huang(Ephedra sinica stapf) arose. The patient, a 30 year-old woman, was diagnosed with asthenia and anorexia after 6 weeks of ingesting Taeyeumjowi-tang containing Ma-huang(Ephedra sinica stapf) as a treatment for her obesity. Tests showed elevated levels of serum transaminase(ALT 903 IU/L, AST 716 IU/L), alkaline phosphatase (229 IU/L), total bilirubin (1.4 mg/dl). Other possible causes of liver injury were excluded by laboratory test and medical history, so the liver injury was taken to be drug-induced. Saenggangeonbi-tang was administered. After 2 weeks of treatment with this medication, the clinical symptoms and liver function improved. This case is reported with a call for further accumulation of objective data on drug-induced liver injury, and to bring more attention to the relative levels of safety and toxicity of herbal medicines.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.15-22
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• 2013

Objective: Evaluations of the in-vitro anti-bacterial activities of aqueous extracts of Acacia catechu (L.F.)Willd, Castanea sativa, Ephedra sinica stapf and Shilajita mumiyo against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia) and gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) are reasonable since these ethnomedicinal plants have been used in Persian folk medicine for treating skin diseases, venereal diseases, respiratory problems and nervous disorders for ages. Methods: The well diffusion method (KB testing) with a concentration of $250{\mu}g/disc$ was used for evaluating the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Maximum synergistic effects of different combinations of components were also observed. Results: A particular combination of Acacia catechu (L.F.) Willd, Castanea sativa, Ephedra sinica stapf and shilajita mumiyo extracts possesses an outstanding anti-bacterial activity. It's inhibiting effect on microorganisms is significant when compared to the control group (P<0.05). Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive microorganism. The highest anti-bacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia) or gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was exerted by formula number 2 (table 1). Conclusion: The results reveal the presence of anti-bacterial activities of Acacia catechu, Castanea sativa husk, Ephedra sp. and Mumiyo against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Synergistic effects in a combined formula, especially in formula number 2 (ASLAN$^{(R)}$) can lead to potential sources of new antiseptic agents for treatment of acute or chronic skin ulcers. These results considering the significant anti-bacterial effect of the present formulation, support ethnopharmacological uses against diarrheal and venereal diseases and demonstrate use of these plants to treat infectious diseases.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.644-649
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• 1988

The inhibitory activities against bacterial ${\alpha}-amylase$of oriental drugs from animals, plant and mineral origin were investigated. In final screening test, it was found that Areca catechu L., Cinnamomum cassia Pres 1. and Ephedra sinica Stapf had stronger inhibitory activities against ${\alpha}-amylase$ than other oriental drugs used in this experiment.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.77-83
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• 2009

Objectives : We investigated the effects of Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture Treatment in Obese Patients by analysing Body mass index(BMI), waist measurement and weight. Methods : We investigated on 52 volunteers consisted of 24 subjects in experiment(Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture) group and 28 subjects in control(Normal Saline) group. The Study form was a single-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial. 24 subjects in experiment group were injected Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture with additional common treatment and 28 subjects in control group were injected Normal Saline with additional common treatment with Dietic Theraphy and Exercise. We measured BMI, waist measurement and weight on 3 times : before 1st session, after first 5 sessions, and after 10 sessions. The SPSS 13.0 for Windows was used to analyze the data and the wilcoxon signed ranks test (in group), mann Whitney u t-test(between two groups) and ${\chi}^2$-test(description of number) were used to verify the result. Results : In experiment group. BMI, waist measurement and weight were significantly low at the period of after first 5 sessions and after 10 sessions. In control group, BMI, waist measurement and weight were significantly low at the period of after 10 sessions but weren't significantly low at the period of after first 5 sessions. The changes of BMI, waist measurement and weight in experiment group were significantly more than that in control group. Conclusions : The Results suggest that Mahuang(Ephedra sinica Stapf)-Chuanwu(Aconitum carmichaeli Debx) Pharmacopuncture is effective on the treatment of obesity, compared to Normal Saline.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.735-739
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• 2014

Ephedra sinica Stapf, known as a medicinal plant, inhibited not only syncytium formation, but also trafficking of viral glycoprotein, hemagglutinin-neuramidase (HN) to the cell-surface. Trafficking of viral glycoprotein to the surface of infected-cells results in syncytium formation in Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells. Viral glycoprotein in the infected-cell is processed within the endoplasmic reticulum during routing into surface. The processing of viral glycoprotein like a N-linked oligosaccharide trimming by ${\alpha}$-glucosidase in cell is necessary for virus infection. Methanol extracts showed inhibitory activities ($IC_{50}$ $15{\mu}g/mL$) against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase. This suggested that E. sinica extracts inhibited the cell-surface expression of NDV-HN glycoprotein without significantly affecting HN glycoprotein synthesis in NDV-infected BHK cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2013

The herbal composition Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 (GGEx18), which is composed of three herbs, Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), and Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae), has been used as an anti-obesity drug in Korean local clinics. Thus, we investigated whether GGEx18 regulates obesity by suppressing appetite in high fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. Administration of GGEx18 to obese mice for 9 weeks significantly decreased body weight gain, epididymal adipose tissue weight, and food efficiency ratio. GGEx18 also caused a significant decrease in the circulating levels of leptin, which were increased by about 450% in obese control mice compared with normal lean mice. Concomitantly, GGEx18 decreased mRNA levels of a potent appetite-stimulating hormone neuropeptide Y, but increased an appetite-suppressing hormone pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA levels. These results suggest that GGEx18 may prevent obesity through regulating appetite in nutritionally obese mice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2011

Objectives : This study was undertaken to verify the modulation mechanism of Gyeongshingangjeehwan18 (GGEx18) in ob/ob male mice. Methods : Eight-week old mice (wild-type C57BL/6J and ob/ob) were used for all experiments. Wild-type C57BL/6J mice were used as lean control and obese ob/ob mice were randomly divided into 5 groups : obese control, GGEx15 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Rheum palmatum L.), GGEx16 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Laminaria japonica Aresch), GGEx17 (Rheum palmatum L. + Laminaria japonica Aresch), and GGEx18 (Ephedra sinica Stapf + Laminaria japonica Aresch + Rheum palmatum L.). After mice were treated with several kinds of GGEx for 11 weeks, the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) target genes and uncoupling protein (UCP) were measured. In addition, $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ transactivation was examined in NMu2Li hepatocytes, C2C12 myocytes, and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes using transient transfection assays. Results : 1. Hepatic $PPAR{\alpha}$ target genes, such as ACOX and VLCAD mRNA levels were significantly increased by GGEx18 compared with obese controls. In skeletal muscle, LCAD mRNA expression was stimulated by GGEx16, GGEx17, and GGEx18, whereas MCAD mRNA expression by GGEx17 and GGEx18. $PPAR{\beta}$ target LPL mRNA levels were also increased by GGEx16, GGEx17, and GGEx18 in skeletal muscle, but adipose LPL mRNA levels were decreased. In addition, GGEx18 upregulated UCP mRNA expression in skeletal muslce. 2. $PPAR{\alpha}$ reporter gene expression was increased by GGEx18 in NMu2Li cells compared with vehicle. $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ reporter activities were also increased by all GGEx treatments in C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that GGEx can act as $PPAR{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\beta}$ activators, and that GGEx may regulate obesity by stimulating $PPAR{\alpha}$, $PPAR{\beta}$, and UCP activity. Of the 4 compositions, GGEx18 seems to be most effective in improving obesity and lipid disorders.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.346-351
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• 2003

The current studies investigated the therapeutic effects of Ephedra sinica Stapf (ES) herb-acupuncture on the inflammatory responses of rat arthritic joint, which was induced by the intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis emulsified in squalene to the base of the tail. The measurements of body weight and articular index were exploited as the assessment methods addressing arthritic symptoms, and the expression profiles of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in the rat joint were analyzed using RT-PCR. The articular indexes of arthritic rats were significantly restored after the treatment with ES herb-acupuncture. Although the clinical symptoms of arthritic rats were apparently alleviated by the ES treatments, their body weights were not recovered. It maybe due to the weight-loss and energy enhancement effects of ES extracts. The expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 genes, which were highly stimulated in the knee joints of arthritic rats, were restored to the levels of normal rats after the ES treatment. The therapeutic effect of ES herb-acupuncture was not observed in ES-treated, non-acupoint arthritic group as a sham control. The ES herb-acupuncture into an acupoint ST36 was found to be effective in alleviating the arthritic symptoms in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats as regards the body weight, joint appearance and the expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.836-844
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• 2006

Background: Mahuang (Ephedra sinica STAPF) is well known as an herbal medicine and has been widely used to reduce body weight and increase athletic ability. However, as a result of reporting many cases of adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, use of dietary supplements containing ephedra was prohibited by the FDA. Objectives : The object of this study was to find the effectiveness of ephedra on weight loss without severe adverse effect. Methods : 16 healthy volunteers consisting of an ephedra group (N=8) and a placebo group (N=8) were investigated. Study form was a randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. The ephedra group took 12g of ephedra while the placebo group took 12g of glutinous rice powder. Both groups were measured with BCA (body composition analysis) on weight loss and with HRV (heart rate variability) on its adverse effect before and after medication. Results : The following results were obtained after taking 12g of ephedra for 14 days. In the ephedra group, body weight reduced significantly. In the placebo group, there were no significant differences of body weight between before and after placebo treatment. There was a slight increase of heart beat rate and deactivation of cardiac activity. Parasympathetic nerves were deactivated, but balances of autonomic nervous system were well maintained. Conclusions : The results suggest that ephedra in healthy adults tends to reduce body weight and deactivation of autonomic nervous system and cardiac activity.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2010

This study showed the increase of antitumor activities of water soluble E. sinica extract by nano-encapsulation process with lecithin. Five groups of lecithin only group (LO), lecithin nano-encapsulated E. sinica group (LE), E. sinica only group (EO), one negative control group (NCO) and positive control group (PCO) were set for several anticancer experiment and fed into Sarcoma-180 injected mice. The cytotoxicity of LE on the human normal kidney cell (HEK293) showed 14.8% lower than 19.2% of EO and 18.4% of LO. Growth of human liver carcinoma cell and human stomach carcinoma cell as representative of digestive system in vitro was inhibited up to about 85.1% and 87.3%, in adding 1.0 mg/$m{\ell}$ of LE, which values 15% higher than that from conventional EO. The survival rates of each mice group were 40%, 63%, 48%, 33% and 100%, respectively after 40 days of injecting Sarcoma-180. The increment of their body weights of the extract feeding groups was suppressed down to 10~15%, compared to the negative control. The nano-particles also reduced the hypertrophy of the internal organs such as spleen and liver down to 15~20%, compared to those as the other groups. Among them, LE effectively reduced the size of tumor form to 20%. From these results, in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of E. sinica could be enhanced by using nano-encapsulation process with lecithin because of better permeation into the cancer cells by confocal observations.