• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.267-274
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• 2017

This paper deals with the natural occurrence of total aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$, and $G_2$) in commercial herbs for food and medicine. To monitor aflatoxins in commercial herbs for food and medicine not included in the specifications of Food Code, a total of 62 samples of 6 different herbs (Bombycis Corpus, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Menthae Herba, Nelumbinis Semen, Polygalae Radix, Zizyphi Semen) were collected from Yangnyeong market in Seoul, Korea. The samples were treated by the immunoaffinity column clean-up method and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with on-line post column photochemical derivatization (PHRED) and fluorescence detection (FLD). The analytical method for aflatoxins was validated by accuracy, precision and detection limits. The method showed recovery values in the 86.9~114.0% range and the values of percent coefficient of variaton (CV%) in the 0.9~9.8% range. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ) in herb were ranged from 0.020 to $0.363{\mu}g/kg$ and from 0.059 to $1.101{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. Of 62 samples analyzed, 6 semens (the original form of 2 Nelumbinis Semen and 2 Zizyphi Semen, the powder of 1 Nelumbinis Semen and 1 Zizyphi Semen) were aflatoxin positive. Aflatoxins $B_1$ or $B_2$ were detected in all positive samples, and the presence of aflatoxins $G_1$ and $G_2$ were not detected. The amount of total aflatoxins ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$, and $G_2$) in the powder and original form of Nelumbinis Semen and Zizyphi Semen were observed around $ND{\sim}21.8{\mu}g/kg$, which is not regulated presently in Korea. The 56 samples presented levels below the limits of detection and quantitation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1081-1090
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• 2015

Diabetes has been one of major health risks in industrialized countries. Allium hookeri is a wild herb distributed in India and Myanmar. The root of the plant has been used as food and medicine in Southeast Asia. We investigated Allium hookeri extract improves type 2 diabetes mellitus in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse. C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse arise out of Type 2 diabetes and we treated Allium hookeri methanol extract 400 mg/kg (AH 400), 800 mg/kg (AH 800), positive control group (thiazolidinedine;TZDs) were administered orally for 8weeks. AH treated group normalized lipid enzyme system (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol) and serum glucose, HbA1c and plasma insulin level. AH treated group recovered β-cell damage by hyperglycemia and fatty liver disease. AH treated group significantly up regulated expression of Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase4 (PDK4), Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP 1) and fork head box O1 (FOX 01) proteins in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. And we found that AH treated group decreased hepatic malondialdehyde formation in C57BL/KSJ db/db obese mouse liver. These results indicate that Allium hookeri methanol extract might be a potential anti-diabetic agent and could be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2007

A preliminary diet experiment utilizing Jerusalem artichoke's inulin, lotus leaf powder, nettle powder and eucalyptus powder extract indicated that combining all four elements gave the most effective result. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of combined diet for weight loss. In this study, Sprague-Dawley, male white rats about 200 g in weight was fed with high fat diet for 8 weeks in order to induce obesity followed by 4 week administration of combined diet to look into the effect of the diet. After a total of 12 weeks of feeding, factors relevant to weight, blood, and lipid metabolism by liver in the body were researched and histologic change was examined with optical microscope. In terms of weight change, both high fat diet group and regular diet group gained weight from high fat diet for 8 weeks compared to normal group. Then, for another 4 weeks, while normal group and high fat diet group kept gaining weight, combined diet group which was provided with high fat diet for 8 weeks, lost weight to the normal group level after 3 week administration of diet. However, after the 4th week of administration, the group weighted significantly less than the normal group and the efficiency of diet also significantly dropped. In the biochemical analysis of blood, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, GOT, GPT, ${\gamma}-GTP$ and creatine showed significant increase in high fat diet group and there was no significant difference between diet group and normal group except for GPT, ${\gamma}-GTP$ and creatine. In the biochemical analysis of liver, there was significant increase in LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride of high fat diet group compared to normal group, while there was no significant difference in term of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Compared to normal group, diet group had higher HDL-cholesterol, while total cholesterol dropped significantly. There was no significant difference in terms of LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride. Besides, in high fat diet group, observation of histologic change in liver and change in ultrastructure showed volume increase of hepatic cell and severe fatty degeneration in hepatic cell around hepatic vein. However in diet group, like normal group, no pathological change was observed in terms of cytoplasm, nucleus and capillary in hepatocyte and the alignment of hepatocyte had regularity thanks to the administration of combined diet. Therefore, combined diet utilizing Jerusalem artichoke's inulin, lotus leaf powder, nettle powder and eucalyptus powder was proven to be an effective measure to prevent and improve obesity as a result of abnormal adipose deposition.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.219-227
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• 2009

The antifatigue and endurance promoting properties of two Korean medicinal herb extracts and molasses with various mineral components were studied by evaluating forced-swimming capacity and biochemical parameters in ICR mice. The treatment groups were orally administered mineral beverages which were contained 6% sugar with the mixture of Maesil (Prunus mume fruit) extracts, Omija (Schisandra chinensis fruit) extracts and molasses for 4 weeks. The exercised forced-swimming tests were conducted after 28 days of beverage supplementation. The swimming times to exhaustion were longer 1.5${\sim}$2 times in group 6 and group 10 than control goup (Control: 93.2${\pm}$10.4 sec; Beverage 6; 190.8${\pm}$25.6 sec, Beverage 10; 173.6${\pm}$21.8 sec; p<0.05). Moreover, the activity of hexokinase (Control: 5.23${\pm}$0.38 ${\mu}mol$l/g tissue; Beverage 6: 5.99${\pm}$0.18 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, Beverage 10: 6.13${\pm}$0.25 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, p<0.05) and citrate synthase (control: 42.9${\pm}$1.87 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue; Beverage 6: 56.8${\pm}$3.98 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, Beverage 10; 59.5${\pm}$3.09 ${\mu}mol$/g tissue, p<0.05) were also significantly higher than those of control group. Even if the treatment groups had long swimming than control group, there is no significant difference in the glycogen contents of gastrocnemus muscle or liver between the control group and each treatment group. This demonstrated an improvement in endurance. These results suggest that reported herbal beverage is very effective to combat fatigue, improve endurance and increase overall physical activity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.236-242
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• 1996

Orostachys japonjcus, called Wasong in herb medicine, has been artificially cultivated as an anti-tumor medicinal. The experiment was done to examine the effect of night-break periods imposed immediately before its bolting time on its morphological, flowering-related characters and fraction dry weights. After a plant was grown in a 15cm plastic pot containing a 2:1 soil:Peat moss mixture for about 3 months, three different night-break periods (0.5, 1 and 2 hours) around midnight were treated from Aug. 24. to compare with the natural daylength. The plants were sampled 6 times by 2-week interval after the treatments. Plant height and inflorescence length of all the treatments inclined with time lapse after the treatment and were shorter in 2 hour night-break due to slow increment than in the other treatments, while stem diameter showed reverse result. All the treatments except 2 hour night -break were nearly same in fraction, shoot and total dry weights per plant; two hour night-break treatment had greater leaf and bract weight from 6 weeks, greater stem, shoot and total weights from 2 weeks and greater root weight from 4 weeks but did less floret weight after the treatment. Although florets on the inflorescence were formed in 2 hour night-break treatment, flowering florets and flowering plants never occurred. In the other treatments showed the similar response, however, more florets appeared from 2 weeks, flowering florets was sharply increased from 6 weeks and flowering plants were reached up to 100% from 6 to 8 weeks after the treatment. Inflorescence length or number of total florets per plant in 2 hour night-break was positive-correlated to all the fraction dry weights except that those of natural daylength was not done, meaning that its artificial cultivation should permit bolting to secure more shoot dry matter.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.17-36
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• 1965

Besides it's all important analgesic action, morphine has, among others, hyperglycemic effect, though not important clinically, which is believed to be resulted from augmented glycogenolysis in the liver and muscles due to the increased liberation of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla upon the stimulation of the posterior part of hypothalamus. It is known that adrenergic blocking agents are acting inhibitory to this sort of hyperglycemia. Much, however, should as yet be studied for the drugs which affect central nervous system and release of endogenous catecholamine as far as their effects on hyperglycemia are concerned. Much is still not known about the effect of ginseng, which has been highly regarded in the Herb Medicine, as far as it's influence on the blood sugar is concerned. Author investigated the effects of chlorpromazine, reserpine and ginseng on epinephrine induced, and morphine-induced hyperglycemiae. Animals used in this experiment were healthy albino rabbits weighing approximately 2.0 kg of body weight and were all fasted for 24 hours, before the experiment undertaken. Blood sugar determination was carried out by Nelson-Somogy method. Results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. The groups of rabbits administered intravenously with epinephrine 0.02 mg/kg, and 0.05 mg/kg, showed marked and transient hyperglycemia within 15 minutes after injection. The maximal rate of elevation in blood sugar to the control level, were 28% and 57% respectively. The blood sugar returned to the control level within 3 hours. Thus, the hyperglycemic responses were paralleled with epinephrine doses. 2. The hyperglycemic responses by morphine were different according to the doses. The groups of rabbits in which 4 mg/kg of morphine was administered, did not show any hyperglycemic effect, but, in which 10 mg/kg of morphine administered, showed severe hyperglycemic effect, resulting in the maximal level within 2 hours after injection. The maximal rate of increasing in blood sugar ,level was 88%. Compared .with epinephrine-injected groups, morphjne-injected groups showed more persistent hyperglycemic effect, but returned to control blood sugar .level in 6 hours after injection. 3. The intravenous injection of chlorpromazine 2 mg/kg and 8 mg/kg evoked a slight, and persistent hyperglycemia. The maximal rate of increasing in blood sugar level were 15% and 23% respectively. These hyperglycemia gradually returned to the normal level in 5 or 6 hours after injection. Thus, the intensity of response was paralleled with the dose of chlorpromazine. 4. The intravenous injection of reserpine 0.2 mg/kg and 0.5mg/kg, showed the most persistent but steady elevation of blood sugar level in this experiments, resulting in the maximal level in 5 hours after injection. The maximal rate of increasing of blood sugar level were 18% and 39% respectively. 5. The blood sugar level from 24 hours to 30 hours after intraperitoneal administration of reserpine 1.0mg/kg, did not show statistically significant difference, compared with control groups. 6. The oral administration of ginseng extract 15 ml/kg did not. show any :change in blood sugar level. 7. The intravenous administration of epinephrine 0.05 mg/kg or morphine 4 mg/kg to the group pretreated with ginseng extract 15 ml/kg $20{\sim}30$ minutes before the experiment, evoked more marked hyperglycemic effect than the non-pretreated group. 8. The intravenous administration of epinephrine 0.02 mg/kg, morphine 4 mg/kg, or morphine 10 mg/kg to the groups pretreated with reserpine 0.2 mg/kg or 0.5 mg/kg $20{\sim}30$ minutes before experiment, produced more marked and persistent hyperglycemic effects than the groups injected with single epinephrine or morphine injection. 9. When epinephrine 0.05 mg/kg or morphine 10 mg/kg administered intravenously to the groups pretreated with the intraperitoneal administration of reserpine 1 mg/kg 24 hours before experiment morphine-induced hyperglycemia was inbibited, but epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia was augmented. 10. When epinephrine 0.05mg/kg or morphine 10 mg/kg administered intravenously to the groups pretreated with chlorpromazine, 2 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, and 8 mg/kg $20{\sim}30$ minutes before the experiment, morphine-induced hyperglycemia was inbibited, but epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia was more persistent.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.452-463
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• 2020

Purpose: Aster tataricus (AT) is one of the Asteraceae perennial herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The herb contains various bioactive substances, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic compounds in the roots, and exhibits a range of effects including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study compared the immunomodulatory effects of ethanol and water extracts of whole AT, except the roots, and analyzed the molecular mechanisms for the regulatory effects on cytokine secretion from THP-1 cells. Methods: The effects of AT extract on the cell viability and proliferation of THP-1 cells were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cell culture supernatant of the AT-treated THP-1 cells were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in the cell lysates were determined by western blotting. Results: The water extract and the ethanol extract of AT did not affect the cell viability, and increased the proliferation of THP-1 cells significantly compared to the vehicle. The water extract increased the secretion of IL-1β from THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but the ethanol extract had no effect. The expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and the phosphorylation of MAPK and Akt were induced in AT-treated cells. In addition, IκBα was degraded by AT in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-1β secretion by AT was reduced by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors, while TNF-α secretion was decreased by inhibitors of ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK. Interestingly, the p38 MAPK inhibitor increased the production of IL-1β by AT further. Conclusion: The water extract of the above-ground parts of AT contains immunomodulatory bioactive substances that stimulate immune cells through the MAPK signaling pathway.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.597-603
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• 1997

Orostachys japonicus, Wasong as herb medicine, has been artificially cultivated as an anti-tumor medicinal. The experiment was carried out to examine the effect of natural daylength as control or night-break treatment (NB) imposed at June 20, July 18 or Aug. 15 on its growth, dry weights of leaf and bract, stem, floret and root, and morphological characters including bolting and floret flowering. After a plant was grown in a 15cm plastic pot containing a 2 : 1 soil : peat moss mixture on May 23, three treatments with above differing night-break had been imposed around midnight up to Nov. 7. The plants were sampled 3 times at the same day forced to night-break and then done 6 times by 2-week interval after the final NB. Plant height and inflorescence length of all the NB increased with delayed NB but declined in comparison with the natural daylength. No. of leaves including bracts showed similar response to plant height although NB given before July 18 showed less leaves and bracts. Stem diameters of NB were continuously increased to middle Sept. to middle Oct. while that of natural daylength decreased after middle Oct. Natural daylength or NB given on Aug. 15 had greater fraction, shoot and total dry weights resulting from increment of leaf and bract up to Aug. or of floret, stem and root after Sept. The earlier NB, the later formation of florets and the less number of flowering florets whereas in natural daylength florets on inflorescence begun to be formed from middle Sept. were sharply increased up to middle Oct. when all the plants were flowered. Bolting was not formed in the plant of the earliest NB of June 20, and thereby no anthesis of florets up to early Nov. It was concluded that year-round cultivation of Orostachys japonicus plants was possible through controlling the NB timing because its bolting and flowering of florets separately occurred.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.178-183
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• 1993

This study was carried out to investigate the contents of ash and inorganicelements in the herbaceous paeony roots collected from the markets of 9 regions in Korea. The contents of paeoniflorin ranged from 2.14% to 3.7%, and the average was 2.87%. The mean contents of ash was 4.2% and acid insoluble ash content was 0.55%. Total nitrogen of herbaceous paeony roots was 0.7%, phosphorus 0.69%, potassium 0.73%, calcium monoxide 1.02% and ferric oxide 82.15ppm respectively. The content of zinc ranged from 19.80ppm to 103.02ppm and the average was 34.59ppm ; this value showed some differences than other elements were, and the mean content of magnesium was 0.25%. The cadmium content showed 0.31ppm copper 4.95ppm, and plumbum 20.47ppm respectively. As above results, we could say that there was no health problems with local products, if we use a the herb medicine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.805-813
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• 2005

In our previous study, a novel herb mixture (HIM-I) of Angelim gigas radix, Cnidium officinale rhizoma, and Paeonia japonica radix was developed to protect the intestinal and immune systems and promote its recovery against radiation damage. In this study, a new herbal preparation (HemoHIM) with the high immune modulating activity was developed from HIM-I. HIM-I was fractionated into ethanol fraction (HIM-I-E) and polysaccharide fraction (HIM-I-P). And HemoHIM was prepared by adding HIM-I-P to HIM-I. The protective activities against $\gamma$ -irradiation were compared among HemoHIM, HIM-I and the fractions. HemoHIM and HIM-I significantly decreased the radiation-induced DNA damage in vitro, and scavenged hydroxyl radicals in a dose-dependent manner. HemoHIM showed similar activity to HIM-I. In vitro proliferation assay with mouse lymphocytes and bone marrow cells showed that HIM-I-P was remarkably higher than HIM-I and HIM-I-E in cell proliferating activity. HemoHIM showed higher activity than HIM-I and this might be associated with the higher polysaccharide content. The in vivo protective effects of HemoHIM and HIM-I were investigated in $\gamma$-irradiated mice. HemoHIM increased the surviving intestinal crypts to a similar extent compared with HIM-I. In contrast, HemoHIM appeared to be more effective than HIM-I in endogenous spleen colony formation assay. The recovery of white blood cells and lymphocytes in irradiated mice were significantly enhanced by the administration of HemoHIM. Also HemoHIM administration prolonged the survival of irradiated mice. These results showed that the novel herbal preparation, HemoHIM, effectively protected the self-renewal tissues and immune system, and promoted the survival of irradiated mice. Moreover, in comparison with HIM-I, HemoHIM maintained similar activity in the reduction of oxidative damage of self-renewal tissue but exhibited the higher activity in protection and proliferation of immune and hematopoietic cells. These results suggested that HemoHIM might be more effective than HIM-I in immune modulation as well as radioprotection.