• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2006

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to cause oxidative modification of DNA, proteins, lipids and small cellular molecules and are associated with tissue damage and are the contributing factors for diabetes, inflammation, aging, cancer, arteriosclerosis, and hypertension. We screened the anti-oxidative effect on V79-4 hamster lung fibroblast cells induced by hydrogen peroxide with eleven extracts of combined medicinal plants. Dancheonhwankakambang and Samikangyabtang were found to show the scavenging activities of DPPH radical and intracellular reactive oxygen species, which is measured by dichlorodihydrofluorescin diacetate method (DCHF-DA).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 1982

Thirtyfour species of Korean medicinal plants which have been frequently used in oriental herb prescriptions were evaluated on their cytotoxicity and potential antitumor activities against AC glioma(9 ASK) in vitro. Dose of $100{\mu}g/ml$ of plant extracts appeared to exhibit slight cytotoxicity. Seven plant extracts, Aralia continentalis(Araliaceae), Lycium chinensis(Solanaceae), Epimedium koreanum(Berberidaceae), Platyodon grandiflorium(Campanulaceae), Pleuropterus multiflorus(Polygonaceae), Rheum undulatun(Polygonaceae) and Scutellaria baicalensis(Laminaceae), exhibited significant reversal$(51{\sim}90%)$ of astrocyte formation into original neuroglial cells' morphology through the prescreen tests.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.190-195
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• 2009

Osteoblasts play an important role in bone metabolism by bone formation. Natural medicines having a stimulatory activity on osteoblast proliferation and differentiation can improve bone diseases such as osteoporosis. The methanol extracts of 159 herbal medicines were screened for the stimulatory activity on osteoblast proliferation by MTT assay and differentiation in the presence of ascorbic acid and $\beta$-glycerophosphate. Among the tested extracts, Alpiniae Semen, Amomi Semen, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma, Bambusae Folium, Cannabis Semen, Dalbergiae odoriferae Lignum, and Luffae Fructus Retinervus showed relatively strong stimulatory activity on osteoblast proliferation, whereas Amomi Semen showed strong stimulatory activity on osteoblast differentiation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.1004-1009
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• 2007

The effects of crude extracts from medicinal plants on biological activity were investigated. The crude ethanol extract of H. paucistipula inhibited the growth of the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis ATCC 19659, (2 mm inhibition zone at 150 ${\mu}g$/disc) and the dermatophyte Trichophyton mentagrophytes ATCC 28185, (7 mm inhibition zone at 150 ${\mu}g$/disc), and toxic to P388 murine leukaemia cells ($IC_{50}\;2.48\;{\mu}g/ml$ at 75 ${\mu}g$/disk). This crude ethanol extract of H. paucistipula is the strongest antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities against P388 murine leukaemia cells (ATCC CCL 46 P388D1).

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.3 s.58
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• pp.135-140
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• 2006

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a critical transcription factor for maximal expression of many of the cytokines that are involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. In this study, we found that 12 plant extracts among 200 plants, namely, Forsythia koreana, Capsicum annuum L, Mentha arvenis, Duchesnea chrysantha, Morus alba, Saururus Chinenis (Lour) Baill, Pine needle, Zingiber mioga (Thunb.), Roscoe, Houttuynia, Prunus yedoenis, Sasa quelpaertenis, significantly inhibited LPS- induced NF-kappaB activation in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, 12 plant extracts were found to have antioxidant activities in DPPH assay Therefore, we have attempted to determine whether 12 herbal extracts could inhibit the expression of cytokines possessing NF-kappaB promoter in their promoter regions. Consistently 12 herbal extracts inhibited LPS-induced production of TNF alpha and interleukin-8 (IL-8). These results show that 12 herbal extracts suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory mediators through the inhibition of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway, we suggest that 12 herbal extracts can be used as a anti-inflammatory and soothing agent.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.77-77
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• 2019

Herbal medicines have been used as a basic means of clinical trial throughout history, and traditional medicines are targeted to seek functional components. To discover new cosmetic or food ingredients among numerous natural resources from Jeju island, we screened for inhibition activity against nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Although NO formation plays an important role to relax vascular muscles or eliminate tumors, NO produced excessively in inflammatory condition can cause metabolic diseases or inflammatory dysfunctions. Among 52 natural resources ethanol extracts, 5 extracts inhibited NO production over 25% compared to only LPS-treated control at the concentration of $100{\mu}g/mL$. In further study, we try to investigate other bio-activities and the phytochemicals of 5 different extracts as useful ingredients for cosmetics or functional foods.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.77-95
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was to analyze the definitions of herbs, herbal drugs, crude drugs and natural products in the relevant laws and regulations, understand the related problems, and propose directions for improvement. Methods : I analyzed the legal definitions in respect of herbs, herbal drugs, crude drugs and natural products in relevant laws and regulations since 1945, explained the problems, and suggested the solution-considering the academic stance of Traditional Korean Medicine and the dualistic medical and pharmaceutical system. Results : Herbs are defined as "refined things that are cut and dried in their most original state". The definition of crude drugs includes herbs and the "cell contents, secretion, extracts, minerals and other parts of animals and plants that are used medicinally". The concept of natural products is expanded to adding tissue cultures to the definition of crude drugs. Conclusions : The definition of herbs should at least include all products that are "processed, extracted and prepared" as well as contents that consist of various forms of hospital-prepared herbs. The term "herbal drug" corresponds to a traditional term of "drug", and this should be established as a concept to explain "drugs in raw materials that are used to prepare herbs and/or manufacture herbal medicine". The legal definition of herbs should include the concept of crude drugs. Herbal drug preparations and crude drugs should be included in the definition of herbal drugs.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.95-100
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate antiaging and antioxidant effects on cultured human skin fibroblast with supercritical fluid extracts of Dendropanax morbifera, Corni fructus and Lycii Fructus. Methods : Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique was applied to extract from three medicinal plants including stem of Dendropanax morbifera, Corni fructus and Lycii Fructus. Antioxidant activity of extract was evaluated by two different assays as 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and super oxide dismutase (SOD) like activities. These extracts were tested for cell viability on HS68 skin fibroblast by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. We investigated the effects of Ultraviolet-B irradiation on cytotoxicity, type 1 collagen, elastin level and oxidative damage in cultured human skin fibroblast (HS68). Recently, many studies have reported that elastin is also involved in inhibiting or repairing wrinkle formation, although collagen is a major factor in the skin wrinkle formation. Results : The extracts obtained dose-dependently increased the scavenging activity on DPPH radical scavenging activity and SOD like activity. The supercritical fluid extracts of complex herbal medicine showed low cytotoxicity as more than 100% cell viability in 100ppm/ml concentration. HS68 fibroblasts were survived 70% at $120mJ/cm^2$ UVB irradiation and treated tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. The levels of aging factors and cytotoxicity were decreased by supercritical fluid extract of complex herbal medicine. Conclusions : These results suggest that supercritical fluid extracts may have value as the potential antioxidant and antiaging medicinal plant.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2005

Nitric Oxide (NO), derived from L-arginine, is produced by two types (constitutive and inducible) of nitric oxide synthase (NOS: cNOS and iNOS). The NO produced in large amounts by the iNOS is known to be responsible for the vasodilation and hypotension observed in septic shock, cancer metastasis and inflammation. The inhibitors of iNOS, thus, may be useful candidates for the treatment of inflammatory diseases accompanied by the overproduction of NO. We prepared alcoholic extracts of herbal drugs which have been used for the treatment of inflammation in oriental medicine. We have screened the inhibitory activity of NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages after the treatment of these extracts. Among 82 kinds of extracts of herbal drugs, 35 extracts showed the potent inhibitory activity of NO production above 50% at the concentration of $50\;{\mu}g/mL$. The inhibitory activities of NO production were also evaluated for several solvent fractions at two different concentrations. Especially, hexane and EtOAc fractions of Alpinia officinarum, Angelica gigas, Ostericum koreanum, Saussurea lappa, Torilis japonica, and hexane fractions of Agrimonia pilosa, Machilus thunbergii, Hydrangea serrata, Magnolia obovata, Prunella vulgaris, Tussilago farfara, and EtOAC fractions of Perilla frutescence showed a significant activity at 10 and/or $25\;{\mu}g/mL$. In Western blot analysis, the hexane fractions ($5\;{\mu}g/mL$) of Magnolia obovata and Saussurea lappa, and EtOAc fractions ($20\;{\mu}g/mL$) of Hydrangea Serrata, Perilla frutescence and Torilis japonica inhibited the expression of iNOS protein in LPS-activated macrophages. These plants may be promising candidates for the study of the activity-guided purification of active compounds and might be useful for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and endotoxemia accompanying overproduction of NO.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2009

Medicinal herbs are significant source of synthetic and herbal drugs. In the commercial market, medicinal herbs are used as raw drugs, extracts or tinctures. Isolated active constituents are used for applied research. For the last few decades, phytochemistry (study of plants) has been making rapid progress and herbal products are becoming popular. According to Ayurveda, the ancient healing system of India, the classical texts of Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita were written around 1000 B.C. The Ayurvedic Materia Medica includes 600 medicinal plants along with therapeutics. Herbs like turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, garlic and holy basil are integral part of Ayurvedic formulations. The formulations incorporate single herb or more than two herbs (poly-herbal formulations). Medicinal herb contains multitude of chemical compounds like alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, resins, oleoresins, sesquiterpene, lactones and oils (essential and fixed). Today there is growing interest in chemical composition of plant based medicines. Several bioactive constituents have been isolated and studied for pharmacological activity. R. cordifolia is an important medicinal plant commonly used in the traditional and Ayurvedic system of medicine for treatment of different ailments. This review illustrates its major constituents, pharmacological actions substantiating the claims made about this plant in the traditional system of medicine and its clinical applications.