• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.576-579
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• 2009

Anti-HIV-1 activities for the extracts (buthanol, hexane, chloroform, and water) of medicinal plants widely used in the folk medicine were evaluated for screening of anti-AIDS agents. The activities of the extracts to inhibit HIV-1 replication were also analyzed. The 50% effective concentration (EC50) of inhibition activity of the p24 production for chloroform extract of Saphora flavescens, chloroform extract of Herba ephedrae, and hexane extract of Pachyma hoelen Rumph showed 5.8, 29.9, and 37.3 2g/ml, respectively, as good activities. Hexane extract of Sophora flavescens, buthanol extract of Tulipa edulis, hexane extracts of Tulipa edulis, Herba ephedra, and Pachyma hoelen Rumph in the 50% cytotoxic concentration ($CC_{50}$) in inhibition activities of recombinant HIV-1 RT showed 12.9, 19.5, 11.6, 12.0, and 36.8 % at concentration of 200 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively, as good activities. From these results, chloroform extract of Saphora flavescens, chloroform extract of Herba ephedrae, and hexane extract of Pachyma hoelen Rumph were very effective against HIV-1 among all extracts tested. Therefore, we expect these plants will be a useful for anti- HIV-1 therapeutics in future.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.69-76
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• 2005

Objectives : HERBA EPHEDRAE (HE) has been used cough and asthma for long time in korea. In the present study, we examined the effect HE on the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced airway hyper-reactivity (AHR). Methods : To examine the effect of HE on AHR, mice were sensitized with 100 mg of OVA and 1mg of alum intraperitoneally on day 0 and 14. On day 28, mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 3% OVA and AHR was assessed 24 h after the last challenge. To examine severity of airway hyper-reactivity, we examined eosinophil population and cytokine production in bronchoaveloar lavage fluid(BALF) and stained with hematoxylin and eosin in lung. Results : HE potently inhibited the development of airway hyper-reactivity and also reduced the number of eosinophil during OVA-induced airway hyper-reactivity. HE also inhibited cytokines production such as IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 in BALF. Furthermore, HE inhibited proliferation of eosinophil in a dose dependent manner. Conclusions : These results suggest that HE may be beneficial oriental medicine for AHR.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.762-765
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• 2008

Ephedrae herba(Ma-huang) has been used to treat respiratory conditions for over 5,000 years. The early 1990s, the herbal ephedra and other products containing ephedrine began to be promoted as weight loss aids in United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of hebal ephedra in rats. SPF Sprague-Dawley male and female rats were administered orally with herbal ephedra extract of 2,500 mg/kg(low dosage group), and 5,000 mg/kg(high dosage group). We daily examined number of deaths, clinical signs, body weights and gross findings for 14 days. No dead animal and no significant changes of body weights were found during the experimental period. In addition, no differences were found between control and treated groups in clinical signs, hematology, serum biochemistry, and other findings. In conclusion, herbal ephedra extract did not show any toxic effects and oral LD50 value was over 5,000 mg/kg in SD rats.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2010

A simple and reliable reverse phase HPLC method was developed to determine pharmacologically active marker compounds of Ephedrae Herba, Phytolaccae Radix and Polyporus. The stability test of water-extract of three natural medicines were examined for six months. However, no significant change in the content of the marker compounds of each extract observed during the time of investigation.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.30-43
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• 1991

Mahwangsan is used in the treatment of asthma due to wind and cold(風寒喘). This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Mahwangsan extract and each drug composing it on the contractile force of the isolated guinea pig trachea muscle and elucidate its mechanism. The results were obtained as follows; 1. The isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig was signifi-cantly relaxed by the administration of Mahwangsan extract. 2. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to histamine was significantly inhibited by the administration of Mahwangsan extract. 3. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to histamine was significantly inhibited by the administraction of Herba Ephedrae, Cortex Cinnamoni, Flos Farfarae, Fructus Chebulae and Semen Armeniacae extract. 4. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to acetylcholine was significantly inhibited by the administration of Mahwangsan extract. 5. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to acetylcholine was significantly inhibited by the administration of Herba Ephedrae, Flos Farfarae, Fructus Chebulae and Semen Armeniacae extract. 6. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to 5-hydroxytryptamine was significantly inhibited by the administration of Mahwangsan extract. 7. The contractile response of the isolated trachea smooth muscle of guinea pig to 5-hydroxytryptamine was significantly inhibited by the administration of Herba Ephedrae, Flos Farfarae, Fructus Chebulae and Semen Armeniacae extract.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.80-89
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• 2008

Objectives : This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Ephedrae Herba pharmacopuncture (EHP) on the adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, lipolysis in rat epididymal adipocytes and histological changes in porcine adipose tissue. Methods : Inhibition of preadipocyte differentiation and/or stimulation of lipolysis play important roles in reducing obesity. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated with adipogenic reagents by incubating for 3 days in the absence or presence of EHP ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$. The effect of EHP on adipogenesis was examined by measuring glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity and by oil red O staining. Mature adipocytes from rat epididymal fat pad were incubated with EHP ranging from 0.01 to 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$ for 3 days. The effect of EHP on lipolysis was examined by measuring free glycerol released. Fat tissue from porcine skin was injected with EHP ranging from 0.1 to 10.0 $mg/m{\ell}$ to examine the effect of EHP on histological changes under light microscopy. Results : The following results were obtained from present study on adipogenesis of preadipocytes, lipolysis of adipocytes and histological changes in fat tissue. Proliferation of preadipocytes was significantly inhibited by EHP at the concentration of 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$. Lipolysis of adipocytes was increased by EHP at the concentration of 0.1, 1.0 $mg/m{\ell}$. Porcine fat tissues were widely injured by EHP at the concentration of 10.0 $mg/m{\ell}$. Conclusions : From the above results, EHP efficiently induces inhibition of preadipocytes proliferation, lipolysis of adipocytes and histologic injury in fat tissues. Therefore, EHP may be useful to treat localized obesity.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.19-28
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• 2024

Objectives : Ephedrae Herba has been used in the East Asian traditional medicine, for treatment of asthma, cold and influenza. Silymarin is an effective antioxidant and its anti-fibrogenic, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties have been reported. This study was performed to explore an anti-fibrogenic potential of Ephedrae Herba extract (EHE) + silymarin on immortalized human hepatic stellate cell line, LX-2 cells. Methods : We studied the anti-fibrogenic effects of EHE + silymarin on transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway in LX-2 cells. Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. mRNA levels were detected by real-time PCR. TGF-β1 signaling-related proteins expression were detected by Western blot. Results : Silymarin 30 ㎍/mL and EHE 100 ㎍/mL showed cytotoxicity on LX-2 cells. Therefore, the concentrations of silymarin and EHE were studied at 10 ㎍/mL, respectively. Silymarin significantly reduced PAI-1 protein expression, Smad binding element (SBE) luciferase activity, and mRNA (PAI-1, MMP2 and 9) expression compared to TGF-β1. EHE significantly reduced SBE luciferase activity and mRNA (PAI-1, MMP2 and 9) expression compared to TGF-β1. More importantly, EHE + silymarin significantly reduced all parameters compared to TGF-β1, and also significantly reduced compared to EHE alone and silymarin alone. Conclusion : The results indicate that EHE + silymarin has anti-fibrogenic effect in LX-2 cells induced by TGF-β1. Additionally, EHE + silymarin shows more effective anti-fibrogenic effect than EHE alone and silymarin alone.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2006

Background : Recently, so many people are suffered from the allergic or auto-immune disease, and the representative disease is just Allergic Asthma. It is because human immune function has been decreased. Many treatments were done to treat this disease, and many methods were studied to increase immune function and to suppress the asthma. But, the effect of asthma-suppression and improvement of immune response of EH-HA(Ephedrae Herba Herbal Acupuncture) has not been studied in detail. To study the effects of EH-HA, we injected EH-HA at Joksamni(ST36) of C57BL/6 mice. Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of asthma-suppression and improvement of immune response of EH-HA(Ephedrae Herba Herbal Acupuncture). EH-HA was done at Joksamni(ST36) of the mice with ovalbumin-induced asthma. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA(ovalbumin) for 12 weeks. Two experimental groups were treated with different concentrations(1%, 0.1%) of EH-HA at Joksamni(ST36) for the later 8 weeks(3times/week). Results : 1. The lung weight of the group treated with EH-HA decreased significantly compared with that of control group. 2. The total cells in lung, total leukocytes and eosinophils in BALF of the group treated with EH-HA decreased significantly compared with those of control group. 3. Eosinophils in BALF of the group treated with EH-HA in photomicrographs decreased significantly compared with those of control group. 4. The concentrations of IL-13, IgE, IL-4 in serum and IL-4 in BALF of the group treated with EH-HA decreased significantly compared with those of control group. 5. The numbers of $Gr-1^+/CD11b^+\;cells,\;CD3e^-/CCR3^+\;cells,\;CD4^+\;cells,\;CD8^+\;cells,\;CD3e^+/CD69^+\;cells\;and\;IgE^+/B220^+\;cells$ in lung of the group treated with EH-HA decreased significantly compared with those of control group. 6. In RT-PCR, the mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in the group treated with EH-HA decreased compared with those of control group. Conclusion : These results suggested that EH-HA at Joksamni(ST36) in C57BL/6mice may be effective to OVA-induced asthma of C57BL/6 mice.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.139-176
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• 2019

Objectives: This study aims to review the herbal medicines containing substances banned by World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA), and to consider criteria for the using of herbal medicines. Methods: Using foreign(Pubmed, Cochrane, Embase, Google Scholar, WANFANG, CiNii) and domestic databases (NDSL, OASIS, RISS), we analyzed the content and pharmacokinetics of the prohibited substances in herbal medicines. Results: Herbal medicines containing the prohibited substances proposed in Korea, China, and Japan are Ephedrae Herba, Cannabis Semen, Strychni Semen, Strychni Ignatii Semen, Pinelliae Tuber, Rhizoma Pinelliae, Chelidonii Herba, Papaveris Fructus Deseminatus, Liriopis Tuber, Rehmanniae Radix Recens, Cistanchis Herba, Ponciri Fructus Immaturus, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, Moschus, Testudinis Plastrum, Otariae Testis et Penis, and Hominis Placenta. Of these, when using Ephedrae Herba, Cannabis Semen, Strychni Semen, Moschus, Strychni Ignatii Semen, and Otariae Testis et Penis, caution is needed in relation to the doping test. Other herbal medicines are considered safe for the doping test. In addition, by analyzing data related to higenamine added to the WADA's prohibited list of doping since 2017, we don't recommend using Nelumbinis Plumula. And in the case of the other herbal medicines containing higenamine, it is considered that care should be taken in doping test depending on the amount of usage. Conclusions: As a result of analyzing the herbal medicines which are in prohibited list about doping, we were able to know the criteria and precautions to use when prescribing the herbal medicines. Further research will be needed about common used herbal medicines and the amount of detection depending on extraction and boiling method.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 1981

In our country, in order to cure diseases, a large number of crude drug preparations has been available. Nevertheless, the development of crude drug preparations have been inhibited, because the quality control is not completed so far. Therefore, we have eontinued on studing the quality control method by Zig-zag TLC. profile analysis. The water extract of 'Samyo-Tang' and componental crude drug (Glycyrrhizae Radix, Ephedrae Herba, Armenicae Semen) were developed on Silica gel $60F_{254}\;plate\;(E.\;Merck)$ useing elution solvent. The developed plate were examined useing Dual Wavelength Zig-zag Scanner (Shimadzu). According to the results of the experiment, it could be summarized as follow: 1) Original patterns of TLC profiles of 'Samyo-Tang' componental crude drug and mixing two crude drugs of 'Samyo-Tang' were observed. 2) Original patterns TLC profile of each extract after spraying with 2% ninhydrine were observed. 3) In the extract of addition and subtraction of Ephedrae Herba, peak area of Rf 0.48 and Rf 0.60 were varied quantitatively.