• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1422-1427
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• 2011

This study was performed to develop effective antithrombotic agents from traditional herb extracts. Prunella vulgaris L. has been used traditionally as a medical resource in cancer therapy, as well as treatment of hypertension and inflammation, and as a diuretic. However, the effects of Prunella vulgaris on thrombosis and platelet activation have not been clearly understood. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities of oriental medicinal herbs were investigated by evaluating the effect of the aqueous extract from Prunella vulgaris on the blood coagulation, platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis. Prunella vulgaris extracts showed effective anticoagulant activity in coagulation times such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT). Prunella vulgaris also inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. In addition, evaluation of fibrinolytic activity showed that the Prunella vulgaris extracts have high solubility. From these results, it is suggested that Prunella vulgaris can be a potential candidate for anticoagulants and antiplatelets, as well as fibrinolytic agents.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.107-114
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• 2024

Objective : Cicadae Periostracum (CP), which is the discarded shell of the Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius, 1775), is a recognized component of oriental medicine for treatment sore throat, itching, shock, sedation, edema. However, the safety and toxicity of CP have not yet been established. It has been reported that symptoms of addiction or side effects may occur in patients who take high doses of CP or who are hypersensitive to it. Therefore, we investigated the acute toxicity of an CP extracts in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Methods : To study acute toxicity, five SD rats of each sex per group were treated with CP extracts at single doses of 0, 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg administrated by oral gavage, and body weight, clinical signs, and mortality were observed after dosing. At the end of 14-day observation period, all animals were sacrificed and complete hematological and macroscopic examinations were performed. Results : There were no dead animal and test article-related effects on body weight change or the gross finding. No toxicologically significant results were observed between control and treated groups in hematology. Although salivation related to stress at the highest dose was observed in clinical signs immediately after administration, it is considered to have no toxicological significance. Conclusion : As the results, we did not find any adverse effect at the dose levels of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg in rats. The minimal lethal dose was considered to be over 2000 mg/kg body weight in rats.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.663-665
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• 2003

For the screening of anti-inflammation and antioxidative activities, ethanolic extract of 40 species of traditional herbal medicines were examined in vitro their hyaluronidase inhibitory effect and radical scavenging activity. Astragali Radix, Eucommia Cortex, Schizandrae Fructus, Scutellaria Radix and Moutan Radicis Coritex showed more than 50% hyaluronidase inhibitory effects. Moutan Radicis Cortex, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Plantaginis Semen and Sorbus commixta Hedl. showed more than 90% in electron donating activity. The scavenging effects of ethanolic extracts on hydroxyl radical showed significantly activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.156-161
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• 2009

Rubus coreanus, commonly known as 'red raspberry' is used as a traditional oriental medicine in Korea for the management of diseases such as impotence, spermatorrhea and athsma, and for allergies, in combination with other herbal preparations, in many centuries. We undertook a comparison of the hepatoprotective effect of ethanol extracts of the unripe (UREx) and ripe (RREx) R. coreanus extract against acetaminophen (AAP) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. UREx reduced the elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TB), alkaline phosphatase (AP), lipid peroxide and nitric oxide content which had been increased by AAP administration. UREx also increased the cellular glutathione (GSH) content and induced the glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) content which had been decreased by AAP. RREx did not exhibit strong hepatoprotective effect or antioxidant activity under the same conditions. The experimental results show that the degree of the ripening of R. coreanus affects the hepatoprotective activity in the AAP-intoxicated rats. These findings of a protective mechanism are supportive evidence for the utility of unripened R. coreanus in traditional medicine for liver ailments.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2023

Objectives: Murraya paniculata (family-Rutaceae), popularly known as orange jasmine, is the most important evergreen plant. The Rutaceae family is economically significant due to its diverse edible fruits and essential oils. Methods: Murraya paniculata extracts (MPE) of leaf have been shown to include phenolic compounds, highly oxygenated flavonoids, flavanones, sesquiterpenoids, polymethoxy glycosides, and coumarins. Cyclocitral, methyl salicylate, trans-nerolidol, cubenol, isogermacrene, -cadinol, and cubeb-11-ene are all abundant in MPE. The usages of various parts of this plant, such as bark, leaves and flower, as a remedy for a variety of ailments as widely recorded in the traditional literature. The plant has anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, antibacterial, anti-implantation, anti-oxidative, cytotoxic, anti-diarrheal, antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties and many others. Results: The goal of the review is to reignite interest in this potential plant, encouraging researchers to continue their research in order to uncover novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment and management of a range of infections. The current review provided a comprehensive overview of this traditional unique plant. Conclusion: The review paves a way for exploring its active chemical elements with substantial pharmacological values further for potential benefits of mankind.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.55-59
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• 2015

The extracts of Aruncus dioicus were investigated for anti-oxidant and biological activities in order to verify its potential as functional ingredients of cosmetic products. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of A. dioicus showed excellent scavenging activity using DPPH and ABTS anti-oxidant analysis at the $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ concentration. While tyrosinase inhibitory effect was measure for whitening assay and showed 59.2%, the suppression levels of elastase and collagenase were 56% and 90% respectively for anti-wrinkle activity. Therefore, it is plausible to conclude that A. dioicus extract, especially EtOAc fraction which has outstanding whitening, anti-oxidant, and anti-wrinkle activities, could be used as a new functional materials for cosmetics.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.7-13
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• 2014

Objectives : Anti-obesity drugs that have been developed so far have limited efficacies and considerable adverse effects affecting tolerability and safety. Therefore, most anti-obesity durgs have been withdrawn. We tried to develop anti-obesity agent by combinations from herbs that are used in food ingredients as well as in traditional medicines. Methods : The 80% (v/v) ethanol extracts from Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescence) leaf (BL) and Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) and their 1:1 combination (BLSB) was evaluated on high fat diet induced obese mice compared to Omega-3 as a positive control. The mice were divided into six groups (n=5), one group fed a normal diet (ND), and the others fed a high fat diets for eight weeks. Two weeks after starting feeding the diets, the high fat diet groups were orally administered vehicle and Omega-3, BL, SB, and BLSB at dosage of 200 mg/kg/day for six weeks. All groups were assayed for body weights, food efficiency ratio, blood biochemistry parameters, and organic tissue weights. Results : BLSB group showed significant reductions in body weight gain and fat weights of liver and epididymal adipose tissue compared to BL or SB alone as well as control. Total-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels significantly decreased, and HDL-cholesterol level increased. In liver tissue, macrovesicular steaotisis was remarkably improved and its fat cell size was also significantly decreased. Conclusions : These results suggested that a combination preparation of bamboo leaf and S. baicalensis has anti-obesity effect and have synergistic effect compared to bamboo leaf or S. baicalesis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.349-361
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• 2018

Socheongryong-tang (SCRT) was one of the major traditional herbal medicines wildly used in the treatment of respiratory disease. SCRT is being commercially produced in the form of mix extracts powder and soft dry extract by different extract methods in the Korean Herbal Pharmacopeia (KHP). In this study, the contents of marker components and biological activities of the SCRT mix extract powder were compared with those of the SCRT decoction. To analyze the marker components of SCRT, nine marker from eight herbal preparations were chosen. And the method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode-array detector method was established for the simultaneous analysis. Method validation was accomplished by linearity, precision test, and recovery test. The contents of nine marker components in this extract was ascertained by ratio. The biological activities were examined the effect of SCRT on anti-oxidation and pro-inflammation mediated by LPS-stimulation. We confirmed that both of SCRT mix extrct powder and decoction have the similar contents on total polyphenol and flavonoid and inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide (NO), $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and the expression of iNOS, COX-2, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-{\alpha}$. These results suggest that SCRT mix extract powder and decoction have a significant correlation.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2020

Stauntonia hexaphylla (SH) and Vaccinium bracteatum (VB) are herbal extracts widely used in food and traditional herbal medicine, and have the ability to perform a wide range of biological activities. We aimed to investigate the effects of the SH and VB combination (SHVB) on mice models of chronic restraint stress (CRS) and pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors to elucidate its possible mechanisms of action. CRS-exposed mice treated with SHVB showed significantly decreased immobility time, increased swimming and climbing times in the forced swim test (FST), and increased locomotor activity in the open field test (OFT). SHVB decreased serum CORT levels, but enhanced brain monoamine neurotransmitters. SHVB significantly decreased the sleep latency and increased total sleep duration in pentobarbital-induced sleeping behavior in mice. SHVB showed inhibitory effect on 5-HT_2A receptor-mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These results suggest that SHVB has antidepressant and hypnotic effects by regulating the 5-HT_2A receptor.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.46-52
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• 2014

In traditional Korean and Chinese medicine, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) for the treatment of central nervous system-related symptoms such as tremor, seizure, stroke and epilepsy. We investigated the effects of safflower could influence cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal and cognitive impairments. Administration of safflower for 1 day (200 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) increased the survival of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons after transient global brain ischemia. And neurological functions measured as short term memory. Post-treatment with safflower for 2 times decreased the induction/reduction - induced production of neuronal cell loss from global cerebral ischemia. Safflower markedly decreased neuronal cell death and also caused a decrease in the content of thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) ($55.2{\pm}9.4{\mu}mol\;mg^{-1}$) and significant improvement of activities of glutathione (GSH) ($27.2{\pm}5.0{\mu}mol\;mg^{-1}$) in hippocampus. We conclude that treatment with safflower attenuated learning and memory deficits, and neuronal cell loss induced by global cerebral ischemia. These results suggest that safflower may be a potential candidate for the treatment of vascular dementia.