• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.124-130
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• 2008

Herbal plants or traditional Oriental medicine have been considered as a potential resource of new drug development worldwide. However, traditional Korean medicine has given little effort to the field of new drug development. This study reports on a plant-derived hepatotherapeutic drug, silymarin, which has been popularly used in many countries. It was discovered as an active compound from Silybum marianum (milk thistle) which has been known as a medicinal plant having hepatoprotective properties in both European and Asian countries. While it has been used as an herbal prescription in Asia, its active compounds or scientific mechanisms were intensively studied in Europe. Currently, silymarin is one of the most powerful herbal extracts in the world, and its usage is being expanded to many other medical purposes. This report would be helpful for providing an informative example of herbal-derived drug development to Oriental doctors or scientists in the Oriental medicinal field.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2009

Rhubarb is the well-known and frequently used herbal medicine for the treatment of constipation, inflammation, and cancer. As described in the Korea and Chinese Pharmacopoeia, rhubarb consists of the roots and rhizomes of Rheum palmatum, R. officinale, and R. tanguticum. However, the pharmacological differences among rhubarb have not been scientifically established. In the present study, we investigated and compared the inhibitory effects of 70% ethanolic extracts from R. palmatum (RPE), R. officinale (ROE), R. nobile (RNE), and R. franzenbachii (RFE) on the production of inflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), interlukin-1beta ($IL-1{\beta}$), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. ROE, RNE, and RFE significantly inhibited the release of NO, $PGE_2$, $IL-1{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. RPE significantly reduced the release of $IL-1{\beta}$, but not NO, $PGE_2$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. Overall, RFE was found to inhibit the release of $PGE_2$ and $IL-1{\beta}$, to a far greater degree than RPE, ROE, and RNE. Our results indicate that RFE possess the strongest anti-inflammatory activity among 4 tested rhubarb.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.79-92
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• 2008

Objective The analysis method based on the herbal formula's effects is a general tool, in traditional medicine. In effective applications of herbal formula, Korean herbal medicines traditionally used the classification methods based on the curative effects through the various compositions of herbal formulas. However' the effects of herbal formulas were not filed systemically in ancient literatures, and the standards to confirm their effects are not clear. Thus, it is not easy to classify herbal formulas according to the curative effects. Furthermore, there are no standards to estimate the effects of prescriptions frequently directed in clinic. In this study, we aimed to provide the methodology of classifying the curative effects of herbal formulas by calculating the combination of the effect of each compositional herb through the DB systems. Results : By comparing effects of herbal formula with those of compositional herbs, we found that about 25-50% of the herbal effects were included in herbal formula's effects. These results showed that the prospective estimation of herbal formula's effects may be possible through the DB systems filing herbal effects. To enhance the accuracy in explaining the herbal formula's effect, more studies are needed by giving prominence to major effects and by subtracting minor effects.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.71-88
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• 2019

Objectives: The present study aims to review the antidepressant effect of herbal medicines reported in Korean local journals. Methods: We searched in electronic databases (Koreantk, KISS, OASIS, NDSL) for studies, published in Korean national journals, that assessed herbal medicine effect of depression model. The search term was 'depression' in the abstract or whole text. Depression model, herbal material, experimental results, mechanisms were extracted. Results: We included 43 articles in which 38 studies were in vitro experiments, and the rest 5 were in vivo experiments. The most common experiment subject model was a rat and the most widely used method to induce depression was Despair behavior test. 21 studies used simple herbal medicines, and 22 studies used complex herbal medication. Glycyrrhizae Radix was the most commonly used herbal material to improve depression model. The most common mechanisms of herbal medicine with antidepressant effect were inhibition of Monoamine activation mechanism and depression related neurohormone secretion. Conclusions: Herbal medicines may be a promising resource for treating depression.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.14-24
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• 2000

Objectives : To direct methods of management and development of herbs and their derived products, and at the end of this study to inform the process of making new herbal drug regulations in Korea. Methods : This study analyzed the regulations and laws of western medicine drugs. Results : We have got some herbal prescriptions which are not in the eleven books of oriental medicine now in use but which have proved effective. We need to establish standards for permissions to produce medical products through those prescriptions. Besides, we need the special permissions to produce herbal products through prescriptions, especially those which have been used to treat incurable diseases. And, we can contribute to globalization of oriental medicine and to well situating of herb products and medicinal acupunctures if we produce them according to international standards. It is thought that herbal medicine has no side effect in the medical society in Korea. But, it is getting popular to administer herbal medicine and western medicine together. Thus, the side effects of taking both medicines at the same time should be documented. Conclusions : Herbal medicines and herbal products should be under the control over the whole process of production, circulation, and sales. Now, it is time for herbal medicine to be known to all over the world. Therefore, herbal medicine must meet and adhere to the standards set by the western society and WHO.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.1-14
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• 2019

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze clinical studies on effectiveness of herbal medicine in influenza compared with Oseltamivir. Methods We searched the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with herbal medicine treatment on influenza compared to Oseltamivir from the Pubmed, CNKI, OASIS, NDSL, J-stage, and CiNii. Results 14 out of 717 studies were selected and analyzed. The herbal medicine treatment had a significant effects on the alleviation of fever, cough, sore throat than the Oseltamivir control treatment. Herbal medicine had same therapeutic effectiveness like Oseltamivir on duration of influenza-like symptoms and viral shedding. No serious adverse reactions were reported from the herbal medicine treatment. Conclusions The results of these trials showed that the herbal medicine may be more effective than the Oseltamivir in the treatment of influenza. Well-designed RCTs for domestic herbal medicine treatment on influenza are needed to prove its efficacy clearly.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2011

Objectives : This study investigated oriental diagnosis and treatment of reflex esophagitis (RE) such as syndrome differentiation and herbal medicine by reviewing Chinese journals. Methods : A journal search was performed using China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from January 2006 to December 2010. The keywords were the various combinations of 'reflex esophagitis', 'Chinese medicine', 'syndrome differentiation', and 'herbal medicine'. All types of journal entries that explained or referred to herbal medicines and definite syndrome differentiations were included. The Types of the journals were randomized clinical trials (RCT), reviews, essays, case series and reports. Vague syndrome differentiations and experimental studies were excluded. Selected journals were extracted and summarized by two researchers independently. Results : 47 Chinese entries were finally selected. 61% of them were case-control trials that had non-randomized, active controlled clinical trials. 36 kinds of syndrome differentiations about RE were investigated. We summarized and divided them into 10 syndrome differentiation groups. 肝胃不和(syndrome of liver qi invading the stomach) in syndrome differentiation, 和胃降逆 (harmonize the stomach and direct qi downward) in method of treatment, and Jwa kum-whan (左金丸) were cited with high frequency in RE. Conclusions : We find that many kinds of syndrome differentiation groups and herbal medicines for reflex esophagitis are used in China, compared with Korea. Further studies will be required about oriental syndrome differentiation and treatment of this disease.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-54
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• 2007

Objectives : This study has been done to know which herbs and herbal formulae are frequently used for the treatment of obesity in Korea and overseas since 2000. Methods : We conducted a computerized literature search in KISS (Korean studies Information Service System), Pubmed, Journal of Oriental Association for Study of Obesity ,and Journal of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine(2000 -Apr. 2006) using search key words obesity, obese, weight loss, weight control combined with herb, herbal formula. Result and conclusion : Seventy-two studies have been identified(50 Korean papers and 22 pubmed papers) and 81 herbs have been found. In USA it was mainly used as single herb for food, but in Korea it was mainly used as herbal formula. For single herb, ephedra(麻黃) was the most studied single herb both in Korea and the USA. For herbal formulae, Sasang Constitutional Medicine(SCM, 19times) was the most frequently used herbal formula, in which the herbs for Tae-eum type person like Taeyeumjowui-tang(太陰調胃湯, 7times) and Choweseungcheng-tang(調胃升淸湯, 5times) were mainly prescribed. The next was Chegameuiin-tang(體減薏苡仁湯, 11times) and Bangpungtongsungsan( 防風通聖散, 3times). Calculating each herb consisted in each herbal formula, Coicis Semen(薏苡仁), Angelicae gigantis Radix(當歸), and Glycyrrhizae Radix(甘草), Raspberry Ketone, Cnidii Rhizoma(川芎), and Ephedra Herba(麻黃) turned out to be the most frequently used herb.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.145-154
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• 2006

Objectives : The purpose of this research is to study the effect of Ginger-Herbal acupuncture on shoulder pain of cerebral paralytic patients. Methods : 53 person were selected among patients hospitalized in Dong-eui Oriental medical hospital from 1st, May, 2005 to 1st, Oct, 2005. They were divided into two groups, i.e acupuncture group and ginger-herbal acupuncture group. For 2 weeks, 22 patients were treated by ginger-herbal acupuncture treatments and 31 patients were treated by only acupuncture treatments. Research tools are Visual Analogue Scale by Cline et al. for measuring the severity of shoulder pain, and measured Range of Movement of shoulder joint Results : The ginger-herbal acupuncture treatments group showed significant pain decrease while acupuncture treatments group showed pain decrease. The range of shoulder movement was not significantly improved in both 2 groups. Conclusion : Based on the above results, it can be determined that ginger-herbal acupuncture therapy can be used as the effective treatments for reducing of shoulder pain. But more cases are to be studied in order to make more effective treatments in the case of shoulder pain of paralytic patients.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2013

Objectives : Artemisia princeps is used as moxa in moxibustion and traditional herbal medicine. And its extracts or compounds is known to have an efficacy of antioxidant, anti-diabete, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation and neuroprotection. This study was performed to investigate the cytoprotective effect of Artemisia princeps extract (APE) against arachidonic acid (AA)+iron-induced oxidative stress on HepG2 cell. Methods : The effects of APE on cell viability has been assessed using MTT assay. And flow cytometric analysis was performed to estimate APE's effects on mitochondrial function. To investigate its underlying mechanism, related protein was analysed by using immunoblot analysis. Results : Treatment of APE increased relative cell viability, prevented a decline of B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and procaspase-3, and also protected mitochondrial membrane permeability (MMP) against oxidative stress induced by AA+iron. In addition, APE treatment increased phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) exerts a cytoprotective effect. Conclusions : This results demonstrate that APE has an ability to activation of AMPK which protects cells from AA+iron-induced oxidative stress and restores MMP.