• Nutritional Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.3-9
• /
• 2005

Obesity can be defined as a metabolic disease due to an increased fat accumulation in the body caused by an imbalance of calorie intake and output The prevalence of obesity has increased substantially over the past 2-3 decades in developed and developing countries. The health impact of weight gain is so marked that obesity has now been classified as a major global public health problem In order to investigate the effect of diet conversion and oral administration of Platycodon grandiflorum extracts on the treatment of obesity, male Spraque-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: a group converted to normal diet (Control group), a group maintained high fat (30%) diet (H), and two groups with Platycodon grandiflorum extract added to the previously mentioned two groups. All animals were fed high fat diet for 7 weeks to induce the obesity. Then they were divided as mentioned above. Animals were fed experimental diet and Platycodon grandiflorum extract (150 mg/ml/rat/day) for 7 weeks. Body weight, adipose tissue weight (subcutaneous, epididymal, peritoneal fat pads) and serum lipids (total cholesterol and triglyceride) showed some differences among groups. The Platycodon grandiflorum feeding markedly decreased both body weight and adipose tissue weight in control group compared to H, high fat diet maintaining, group. Platycodon grandiflorum extracts significantly decreased the concentrations of serum lipids compared to H group. Fat cell numbers and sizes were significantly reduced in the oriental medicinal herb extract administrated group. Increased fatty acid binding protein (FABP) expression in high fat diet group was decreased by the dietary conversion to normal diet and the oral administration of Platycodon glandiflorum extracts. In contrast, there was no significant effect on FABP expression in the high fat maintenance group. In this study, the conversion from high fat diet to low fat or normal diet had a beneficial effect on body weight loss and serum lipid profiles. Dietary Platycodon glandiflorum extracts had an additive beneficial effect on the prevention and treatment of obesity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.42 no.10
• /
• pp.1712-1716
• /
• 2013

In our study, as many as 29 edible medicinal herbs were selected for testing their ability in the effective treatment of gout based on oriental medicine theory. We extracted each medicinal herb (135 g) with 4 L of distilled water at $100{\sim}105^{\circ}C$ for 210 min. Thereafter, we evaluated both the antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibition activities of the extracts obtained. Among all the edible medicinal herbs used in our study, only the extract from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Korean name: hwang-geum) showed (1) the maximum total phenolic content (TPC) (2.25 mg gallic acid equivalent/mL), (2) DPPH radical scavenging activity (94.04%), and (3) xanthine oxidase inhibition activity (87.75%). We also observed that TPC was relatively highly correlated with both the DPPH radical scavenging activity (r=0.63) and xanthine oxidase inhibition activity (r=0.77). Our results suggest that S. baicalensis G. may be a potent antioxidant source for the extraction and development of nutraceuticals that may be utilized for effective treatment of gout.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.60-69
• /
• 2013

The worldwide prevalence and severity of allergic diseases including atopic and contact dermatitis has increased dramatically over the past decade, especially in developed countries. Mast cells are important effector cells in allergic reactions. The purpose of this study was undertaken to investigate the anti-allergic and anti-pruritic effects of Diospyros lotus leaf extract (DLE). DLE was prepared by extracting with distilled water. In the present study, we investigated the effect of DLE on the production of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\alpha}$) and histamine in rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs), and on the skin lesion, leukocyte infiltration and scratching behavior in mice. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus calcium ionophore A23187 significantly increased TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ production compared with media control. However, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 production increased by PMA plus A23187 treatment were significantly inhibited by DLE in a dose-dependent manner. DLE also inhibited the histamine release from RPMCs stimulated by compound 48/80, which promotes histamine release. Moreover, DLE administration had an inhibitory effects on the scratching behavior induced by pruritogen (compound 48/80, histamine) in ICR mice. Furthermore, DLE inhibited the skin lesions, inflammatory and mast cells in hairless mice sensitized by 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). DLE administration reduced the IL-4 and IgE production induced by DNFB sensitization in hairless mice. These results suggest that DLE has a potential use as a herb medicine for treatment against allergy and pruritus-related disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5983-5987
• /
• 2013

Radix Tetrastigma Hemsleyani Flavone (RTHF) is widely used as a traditional herb for its detoxification and anti-inflammation activity. Recently, several studies have shown that RTHF can inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. However, the mechanisms are not completely understood yet. In this study we investigated the potential effects of RTHF on growth and apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as well as its mechanisms. A549 cells were treated with RTHF at various concentrations for different times. In vitro the MTT assay showed that RTHF had obvious anti-proliferation effects on A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell morphological changes observed by inverted microscope and Hoechst33258 methods were compared with apoptotic changes observed by fluorescence microscope. Cell apoptosis inspected by flow cytometry showed significant increase in the treatment group over the control group (P<0.01). Expression of apoptosis related Bax/Bcl-2, caspases and MAPK pathway proteins were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that RTHF up-regulated the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cle-caspase3/9, cle-PARP expression in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of p-p38 increased, p-ERK decreased significantly and that of p-JNK was little changed in the RTHF group when compared with the control group. These results suggest that RTHF might exert anti-growth and apoptosis activity against lung cancer A549 cells through activation of caspases and Bcl-2 family proteins and the MAPK pathway, therefore presenting as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of lung cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.4303-4310
• /
• 2015

Rumex vesicarius is an edible herb distributed in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The whole plant has significant value in folk medicine and it has been used to alleviate several diseases. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the major primary malignant tumor of the liver, is one of the most life-threatening human cancers. The goal of the current study was to explore the potent role of Rumex vesicarius extract against HCC induced in rats. Thirty adult male albino rats were divided into 3 groups: (I): Healthy animals received orally 0.9 % normal saline and served as negative control group, (II): HCC group in which rats were orally administered N-nitrosodiethylamine NDEA, (III): HCC group treated orally with R. vesicarius extract in a dose of 400 mg/kg b.wt daily for two months. ALT and AST, ALP and ${\gamma}$-GT activities were estimated. CEA, AFP, AFU, GPC-3, Gp-73 and VEGF levels were quantified. Histopathological examination of liver tissue sections was also carried out. The results of the current study showed that the treatment of the HCC group with R. vesicarius extract reversed the significant increase in liver enzymes activity, CEA, AFP, AFU, glypican 3, golgi 73 and VEGF levels in serum as compared to HCC-untreated counterparts. In addition, the favorable impact of R. vesicarius treatment was evidenced by the marked improvement in the histopathological features of the liver of the treated group. In conclusion, the present experimental setting provided evidence for the significance of R. vesicarius as anticancer candidate with a promising anticancer potential against HCC. The powerful hepatoprotective properties, the potent antiangiogenic activity and the effective antiproliferative capacity are responsible for the anticancer effect of this plant.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.15-27
• /
• 2020

Objectives : We selected three herb-combined remedies, Bigihwan (BGH), Daechilgitang (DCGT) and Mokwhyangbinranghwan (MHBRH), through Donguibogam text-mining analysis, and evaluated their anti-cancer effects on human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B cells. Methods : Cytotoxicity was assessed by an MTT assay. Apoptosis rate, autophagy and ROS level were detected by flow cytometry. The autophagy was also observed by Cyto-ID staining fluorescence microscopy. The expression of autophagy, mitophagy and pexophagy regulatory proteins was detected by Western blot analysis. Results : BGH showed the strongest effect among the three prescriptions in inhibiting Hep3B cell viability, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis and autophagy. Autophagy blockers improved cell viability and reduced apoptosis after BGH and DCGT treatments, indicating that autophagy by these prescriptions enhanced Hep3B cells against their cytotoxicity. However, MHBRH enhanced the reduction of cell viability and apoptosis by autophagy blockers. Induction of autophagy by BGH treatment was associated with mitophagy due to mitochondrial dysfunction than DCGT and MHBRH-treated cells. In addition, induction of apoptosis by BGH treatment was ROS-dependent and showed the possibility of pexophagy involvement. Conclusion : Although further studies need to be conducted to study the efficacy and mechanism of accurate anticancer activity, the present results will serve as important sources of understanding the mechanism of action of herbal remedies prescribed for liver disease as documented in Donguibogam.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2022.09a
• /
• pp.103-103
• /
• 2022

Ganghwaljetongyeum (GHJTY) is a complex herbal decoction comprising 18 plants; it is used to treat arthritis. In order to develop a new anti-arthritic herbal medication, we selected 5 out of 18 GHJTY plants by using bioinformatics analysis. The new medication, called ChondroT, comprised water extracts of Osterici Radix, Lonicerae Folium, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Clematidis Radix, and Phellodendri Cortex. This study was designed to investigate its chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects to develop an anti-arthritic herb medicine. ChondroT was validated using a convenient and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography. photodiode array (HPLC-PDA) detection method for simultaneous determination of its seven reference components. The concentrations of the seven marker constituents were in the range of 0.81-5.46 mg/g. The chondroprotective effects were evaluated based on SW1353 chondrocytes and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) expression. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of ChondroT were studied by Western blotting of pro-inflammatory enzymes and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. ChondroT enhanced the growth of SW1353 chondrocytes and also significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced MMP-1 expression. However, ChondroT did not show any effects on the growth of HeLa and RAW264.7 cells. The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells, which was significantly decreased by pre-treatment with ChondroT. In addition, ChondroT reduced the activation of NF-κB and production of inflammatory mediators, such as IL-1β, IL-6, PGE2, and nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. These results show that ChondroT exerted a chondroprotective effect and demonstrated multi-target mechanisms related to inflammation and arthritis. In addition, the suppressive effect was greater than that exhibited by GHJTY, suggesting that ChondroT, a new complex herbal medication, has therapeutic potential for the treatment of arthritis.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.248-252
• /
• 2019

Objectives: The aim of the present work is evaluating the special effects of Urtica Dioica and Lamium Album on the serum level of K-Ras and GSK-3 beta in diabetic rats. Methods: In the present experimental study, 32 male Wistar rats randomly divided into 4 groups (Group I: normal control rats; receiving daily PBS, Group 2: diabetic control rats; receiving single dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) and daily PBS, Group 3: Diabetic rats treated with 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract of the U. dioica, Group 4: Diabetic rats treated with 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract of L. Album. Diabetes-induced by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/ kg). On the 14 th day of treatment, the weight, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and on 28 th day blood glucose, K-Ras and GSK3 beta was measured. Results: In diabetic group blood GSK- 3 beta increase in comparison to control group (P < 0.05), also blood K-Ras decrease in the diabetic group (P < 0.05). Both extracts reduced GSK-3 beta level, however, this reduction was only statistically significant by U.dioica (P < 0.05). Compared to diabetic group, blood K-Ras level increased by both extract (P < 0.05). Also diabetes induction increase blood glucose levels and both extracts decrease its level significantly (P < 0.05).there is no significant differences among both extract effects on blood glucose, and K-Ras. Conclusion: For the first time shown that both extracts by regulating GSK-3 beta and K-Ras improve blood glucose level. More studies are needed to determine all the effects of these herbs.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.304-309
• /
• 2010

Scutellaria pinnatifida A. Hamilt. (Lamiaceae) is an endemic Turkish herb. This plant is also endemic to Iran, and grows abundantly in other central and western Asian countries. Several species of the Scutellaria are known for their traditional uses in the treatment of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, inflammatory diseases, hepatitis, allergy, cancer and diarrhoea. Free-radical-scavenging property, antibacterial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of the n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of S. pinnatifida were assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the resazurin microtitre plate based assay, and the brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. The DCM and MeOH extracts exhibited free-radical-scavenging property, with the $RC_{50}$ values of 0.362 and 0.127 mg/ml, respectively. Among the solid-phase extraction fractions of the MeOH extract, the 50% aqueous-MeOH fraction showed the highest level of free-radicalscavenging activity ($RC_{50}$ = 0.039 mg/ml). While the DCM extract showed low level of antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli, the MeOH extract was active against B. cereus, B. subtilis, E. coli and ampicillin-resistant E. coli. However, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the MeOH extract against these bacterial strains were >10 mg/ml. None of the extracts showed any significant toxicity towards brine shrimps ($LD_{50}$ = > 1.00 mg/ml).

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.85-98
• /
• 2012

Objectives : The histrionic personality disorder(HPD) is characterized by a pattern of excessive emotion and attention-seeking behavior, including a seductive behavior. It is known that HPD is closely related to a somatization disorder. The somatization disorder is characterized with various physical symptoms that have no pathologic manifestation. This report is on a case of 55 years old woman with HPD, who has been suffering from various physical symptoms that are coincided with diagnostic criteria for somatization disorder by DSM-IV. Methods : The patient was treated with oriental medical treatments (acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping therapy, and herb-medication), hypnotic therapy, and emotional freedom techniques. The effects of treatment were measured by VAS. Results : Chest pain was improved by hypnotic therapy and oriental medical treatments. But the patient's pantalgia and abdominal discomfort were controlled effectively by emotional freedom techniques. Conclusions : This result suggests that EFT might be effective for the defensive and dependent somatization disorder patient with HPD.