• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2010

We have shown that myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) was required for the off-contraction in response to the electrical field stimulation (EFS) of feline esophageal smooth muscle. In this study, we investigated whether protein kinase C (PKC) may require the on-contraction in response to EFS using feline esophageal smooth muscle. The contractions were recorded using an isometric force transducer. On-contraction occurred in the presence of $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), suggesting that nitric oxide acts as an inhibitory mediator in smooth muscle. The excitatory composition of both contractions was cholinergic dependent which was blocked by tetrodotoxin or atropine. The on-contraction was abolished in $Ca^{2+}$-free buffer but reappeared in normal $Ca^{2+}$-containing buffer indicating that the contraction was $Ca^{2+}$ dependent. 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), voltage-dependent $K^+$ channel blocker, significantly enhanced on-contraction. Aluminum fluoride (a G-protein activator) increased on-contraction. Pertussis toxin (a $G_i$ inactivator) and C3 exoenzyme (a rhoA inactivator) significantly decreased on-contraction suggesting that Gi or rhoA protein may be related with $Ca^{2+}$ and $K^+$ channel. ML-9, a MLCK inhibitor, significantly inhibited on-contraction, and chelerythrine (PKC inhibitor) affected on the contraction. These results suggest that endogenous cholinergic contractions activated directly by low-frequency EFS may be mediated by $Ca^{2+}$, and G proteins, such as Gi and rhoA, which resulted in the activation of MLCK, and PKC to produce the contraction in feline distal esophageal smooth muscle.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.553-574
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to find out effects of prescriptions according to the formula, manipulation of Rhei Rhizoma, configuration. The following results were reached through investigations on the prescriptions using Rhei Rhizoma as a main component. Objectives : Analysis of prescriptions According to the formula : Liquid Extract Prescriptions were used widely on three parts to treat fever and damp heat in the interior organs. Powder Prescriptions were taken with hot water, thin porridge, tea etc. to treat damp heat, congestion of phlegm, acute episodes. Liquid Mixed Pill treat congestion of QI, damp heat, phlegm. Honey Mixed Pill treat accumulated fever, distension, acute excessive fever. Paste Pill treat blood stagnation, excessive toxic-fever, epidemic diseases. External Application treat inflammation by injury, swelling due to severe fever by internal damage. Methods : Analysis of prescriptions According to the manipulation of Rhei Rhizoma : Prescriptions including Liquor processed Rhei Rhizoma treat excessive toxic-fever, congestion of phlegm, blocking orifices on the upper side. Steamed Rhei Rhizoma strengthen effects of making evacuate and cooling of heat. Processed Rhei Rhizoma with vinegar strengthen effects of removing blood stagnation by activating blood movement, releasing gathering. Results : Analysis of prescriptions According to the Composition of Rhei Rhizoma : 41% of the total prescriptions were on the area of less than 20%. In case of lower groups show increased frequency of combination with Pharbitidis Semen, Persicae Semen, Scutellariae Radix and manipulation of baking, steaming, roasting. In case of higher groups show increased frequency of treating excess syndrome, critical illness, acute severe illness, and using proccesed Rhei Rhizoma with vinegar. Treatment of damp heat on the liver and gallbladder, disorder of the spleen and stomach is done mostly by prescriptions on the area of less than 30%. Conclusions : Rhei Rhizoma-Coptidis Rhizoma pair treat damp heat, heat toxins in blood, and Constipation caused by excessive heat. Rhei Rhizoma-Glycyrrhizae Radix pair relieve effects of Rhei Rhizoma passing blocked feces, removing the poison, activating blood movement, releasing gathering with the effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix relaxing tension by harmonizing Middle. Rhei Rhizoma-Magnoliae Cortex pair are used to treat damp heat in middle area, excessive heat in the stomach and intestine. Rhei Rhizoma-Pharbitidis Semen pair act on both blood system and QI system treating edema, damp, stagnation, heat toxins, feces. Rhei Rhizoma-Persicae Semen pair treat blood stagnation with fever on blood system.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.175-181
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• 2015

Compositions of essential oils extracted from mint herb such as Mentha piperita, Mentha spicata, and Mentha ${\times}$ piperita var. citrate produced in Jeju were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and headspace-GC-MS (HS-GC-MS). By the GC-MS analysis, 13 compounds were tentatively identified in Mentha piperita, Mentha spicata, and Mentha ${\times}$ piperita var. citrate, respectively. Peperitenone oxide, carvone, and linalool were detected as major compounds in Mentha piperita, in Mentha spicata, in Mentha ${\times}$ piperita var. citrate, respectively, based on the ratio of peak intensity in the total ion chromatogram. The greater number of compounds, including volatile alcohols and acetates were identified by HS-GC-MsS than by GC-MS in these all three essential oils. Similar patterns of composition were detected in both Mentha spicata and Mentha ${\times}$ piperita var. citrate by either one of GC-MS methods. However, in case of Mentha piperita, $\small{L}$-(-)-menthol, which was identified as the major compound by HS-GC-MS was detected in dramatically reduced quantity by GC-MS. Interestingly, we found that both linalyl acetate and linalool were identified as the dominant compounds in the essential oil of Mentha ${\times}$ piperita var. citrate.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.695-707
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• 2019

This study was intended to suggest the appropriate vegetation management methodology by analyzing phytosociology for ecotourism resources. We carried out the classification and interpretation of the vegetation structure and the analysis of the relationship between communities and environmental conditions in Pocheon valley, Mt. Gaya. The vegetation in Pocheon valley was composed of 5 communities: Pinus densiflora-Quercus mongolica community, Quercus serrata-Quercus variabilis community, Larix kaempferi-Quercus serrata community, Pinus densiflora-Castanea crenata community, and Salix gracilistyla-Phragmites japonica community. The Quercus serrata-Quercus variabilis community was further segmented into two types according to the differences of composition species and location of habitats. The methodologies that satisfy both the use of nature for ecotourism resources and the sustentation of natural vegetation are as follows: - maintenance the present vegetation (dominance species) by strictly avoiding artificial management in the tree layer; - maintenance of the existing vegetation structure through the artificial management of the usual vigorous tree species when the species in the shrub layer grow up to the subtree layer; and - continued artificial management to maintain high balanced diversity and evenness of various species in shrub and herb layers.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.243-252
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• 2014

Forest tree species usually takes for long periods to be harvested and cultivated but spearmints are a good model system for woody plant because of reducing and shortening cultivation time. Spearmints are good model plants (Mentha species) for research about terpenoids production and industrial essential oil manufacture. Isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase (Iso) and limonene synthase (Limo) are the key enzymes of terpenoid biosynthesis pathway. Transgenic and wild spearmints (Mentha spicata, MS) were cultured in vitro and assessed for the essential oil contents. The content of essential oil of transgenic spearmint also was enhanced slightly depending on the target terpenoid genes. In an attempt to increase productivity of terpenoids further, salt and fungal elicitation strategy was adopted on transgenic Mentha spicata. The salt (800 mM NaCl) as abiotic and two fungi (Botrytis cinerea and Glomerella cingulata) as biotic were used for elicitors. In the absence of salt stress four terpenoids were detected from the spearmint extracts, all of them being monoterpenes. On the other hand, the transgenic (MSIso) extracts contained eleven terpenoids (10 monoterpenes and 1 phenylpropene) while transgenic (MSLimo) extracts contained seven monoterpenes. After 3 days of fungal infection, the resistance indices further increased to 4.38, 3.89 and 2.04 for wild type, MSIso and MSLimo, respectively. The salt and fungal elicitators proved beneficial towards modifying both the terpenoids profile and improvement in the composition of essential oil. These results have important applications for the large-scale production of essential oils and forest biotechnology with respect to spearmint.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.372-379
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• 2013

This study was to investigate the chemical properties and nitrite scavenging and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities from Salicornia herbaciea seed. The lactic acid content of seed was about 2.0 fold higher than that of stem. Among various free sugars, the maximum fructose of seed, glucose of stem, and mannose contents of root were obtained, 176.3, 125.6, and 112.8 mg/100g, respectively. The maximum leucine content of seed among the essential amino acid was obtained, 853.7 mg/100g, which was about 3.0 or 6.0 folds higher than that of root or stem. In the case of glutamic acid of seed, it was 2,388.7 mg/100g, which was 5.6 or 9.8 folds higher han that of root or stem. The ratio of essential amino acid and total amino acid of seed was 30.14%. The ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid contents of seed, stem, and root were 43.87, 23.88, and 27.8 mg/100g, respectively. The catechin content of seed was an order of epigallocatechin (723.2 mg/100g) > epigallocatechingallate (654.3 mg/100g) > epicatechin (443.5 mg/100g) > gallocatechin (314.1 mg/100g). Especially, the non-gallated catechins content was about 2.0 folds higher than that of gallated catechins content. The nitrite scavenging activity of seed increased from 38.7 to 65.9% when the hot-water extract content of seed at pH 1.2 increased from 1.0 to 5.0 mg/mL. However, it was decreased to 25.7% at pH 6. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of seed was increased from 13.2 to 44.6% when the extract content increased from 20 to 100 mg/mL. These results show that S. herbaciea seed has a good potential to be used as a source of material or additive in cosmetics, food, and drug compositions.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.289-300
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• 2020

Objectives : In this paper, We pointed out medico-historical meaning of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang (鄕藥救急方, Medical Recipes of Local Botanicals for Emergency Use), a medical book of Koryŏ Dynasty, breaking from the existing analysis view based on Hyang'yak (鄕藥), local herbs produced in Korean Peninsula. Methods : For that purpose, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of the diseases and symptoms, strategies of treatment, therapeutic tools, drug formulations, composition of herbal formulas in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. Results : The following characteristics were confirmed in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. First, it contained a way to cope with the diseases and symptoms that do not have to check the exterior, interior, cold, and heat. Also, it introduced basic strategies such as reducing, facilitating flow, draining downward, warming, or tonifying, etc. It mainly included herbal medicine as the therapeutic tools, and introduced formulas composed by single herb than complex recipes. It suggested external applications more than internal use, and proposed formulations in the form of decoctions or powders, etc. The herbs of formulas were used by experience without explanations of nature & taste, efficacy of each herbs. Conclusions : Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is a book of medical recipes for emergency use that has been distributed to help gentries, even if they do not have professional medical knowledge, to instantly cope with diseases and symptoms with medicines that are easy to obtain. Previous researches has analyzed the value of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang as a collection of information of hyang'yak, and used it as a historical basis of the uniqueness of Korean medicine. Since Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is not a book specialized for herbs, but rather a clinical medical book that introduces recipes for specific symptoms of diseases, if we pay attention to the clinical characteristics of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang, it will provide an opportunity to describe Koryŏ or Korean medicine in a new way.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 1981

The wormwood is one of the plants which occur widely throughout the world. Though the precise data on the entire chemical composition of mugwort leaves are not available, the major principles which have been found so far include inulin, alkaloid, thujon, sesquiterpene and several vitamins. Santonin, a parasiticide, is one of the glucosides extracted from the limited species of wormwood. It has long been known in herb medicine that the plants of this family has not only strong hemostatic, analgesic and parasiticidal actions but also therapeutic effects for diarrhea, stomachache and asthma. In recent pharmaceutical botany the wormwood is introduced to have antipyretic and astringent actions also. The mugwort(Artemisia asiatica Nakai) is the most common species of wormwood that occurs in Korea. The usage of this edible leaves of mugwort is rather various. It is used not only for wormwood bath but also as forage, moxa and medicinal agents. Recently Kim et al reported from their study on the effect of mugwort on the motility of isolated intestine of rabbits that tonus and motility were markedly enhanced by mugwort but this effect of mugwort on intestinal motility was almost completely blocked by atropine suggesting that activity of mugwort was exerted through its cholinergic effect. It was the findings of Kim et al that prompted the authors to do the present experiment. The present study was undertaken to investigate effects of mugwort(Artemisia asiatica Nakai) juice on the respiration and blood pressure in cats. And also studied was the mechanism of depressor action of Artemisia asiatica Nakai Juice (AAJ). The results obtained are as follows; 1) It was observed that mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were decreased markedly by AAJ. Following administration of 0.15 ml/kg and 0.3 ml/kg AAJ into cats the maximum depressor responses observed were $77.5{\pm}2.2\;mmHg$ and $94.0{\pm}3.7\;mmHg$ respectively. 2) Depressor responses to AAJ were blocked markedly by atropine whereas the responses were not affected by propranolol and dibenamine. Therefore it is strongly inferred that depressor action of AAJ results mainly from its cholinergic effect. This inference was further substantiated by the fact that heart rate change which invariably accompanies depressor responses to AAJ was almost completely abolished by atropinization. 3) After administration of AAJ into cats frequency of respiration was markedly increased while depth of respiration decreased during first 2-3 seconds.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.13
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• pp.45-53
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• 1995

This research was conducted to investigate morphological and genetic variation of Allium victorialis val. platyphyllum which growed wild in Mt. Hambaek, Mt. Odae, and Ullungdo. The tree layer of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum community in Mt. Hambaek and Mt. Odae was dominated by Quercus mongolica. The tree layer of Ullungdo generally consist of Fagus crenata var. multinervis, Acer triflorum, Sorbus commixta, and Tilia insularis. In the herb layer, Rumohra standishii, Trillium tschonoskii, and Lilium hansonii are common at Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum community in Ullungdo. The vegetation in Ullungdo was widely different from those in Mt. Hambaek and Mt. Odae by species composition. The result of Principal Component Analysis(PCA) and Canonical Discriminent Analysis of by the 8 characters showed that Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum could be classified into 2 groups: (one ; Mt. Hambaek and Mt. Odae, the other ; Ullungdo). In PCA, the major factors in the first principal component group was angle of leaf apex. Variation of band by isozyme GOT(glautamate oxaloaccetate transaminase) is similar between Mt. Hambaek and Mt. Odae. However, Ullungdo differed from Mt. Hambaek and Mt. Odae in variation of bands.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2015

Morinda officinalis (Rubiaceae) is a medicinal herb that has traditionally been used for the treatment of skin inflammation. The present study was to investigate the inhibitory efficacy of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (MMP-1) of the extracts of the root of M. officinalis, which was autoclaved at $132^{\circ}C$ and $1.2kgf/cm^2$ for 15 min using an autoclave. The composition of the extracts were compared with that prepared without autoclaved treatment. Total phenol and flavonoid contents were analyzed for the autoclaved M. officinalis root extract (AME) and M. officinalis root extract (ME). Results showed that the autoclaved AME contained total phenol and flavonoid contents 1.5-fold times more than those from ME. AME showed DPPH and superoxide radical scavenging activities as 79.25% and 94.5%, respectively, at the concentration of $500{\mu}g/mL$. In anti-inflammatory assay, AME inhibited the activity of COX-2 and 5-LOX metabolites. In addition, AME showed higher an inhibition rate in MMP-1 expression than ME in UVA-irradiated human dermal fibroblast (HDF) without any significant cytotoxicity. UVB-induced cytotoxicity and cell death were effectively suppressed by AME. In conclusion, autoclaving the M. officinalis root increased the phenol and flavonoid contents. The extracts of the autoclaved M. officinalis enhanced the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-MMP-1 effects. Thus, the extracts could be an useful active ingredient in cosmetics.