• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.182-192
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• 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate on the antimicrobial effect on the periodontal pathogens and anti-inflammatory effect of Eriobotryae folium. Eriobotryae folium are constituent herbs of Gagamgamroum, which has been used for a long time in oriental medicine as a herbal medicine for treating halitosis and toothache. Method: Eriobotryae folium was prepared by extracting medicinal herb with water. We investigated antimicrobial activity by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test. We also investigated inhibition of $IL-1{\beta}-induced$ collagenase (mmp-1), stromelysin-1 (mmp-3), interleukin-6 gene expression in human gingival fibroblasts using RTPCR analysis. Result: The antimicrobial effects of Eriobotryae folium was evaluated with MIC against periodontopathogens; Porphyromonas gingivalis 2561, W50, A7A1-28, 9-14K-1, Prevotella intermedia 28, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4. MICs of Eriobotryae folium were 1.25 mg/ml, 2.5 mg/ml, 0.625 mg/ml, 1.25 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml. The anti-inflammatory effect of Eriobotryae folium was evaluated with influence of herbs on the $IL-1{\beta}-induced$ expression of mmp-1, mmp-3, and interleukin-6. $IL-1{\beta}$ increased mmp-1, mmp-3, and interleukin-6 mRNA levels. Eriobotryae folium significantly inhibited $IL-1{\beta}-induced$ mmp-1, mmp-3, and interleukin-6 gene expressions in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results suggested that Eriobotryae folium might reduce the excessive proteolytic capacity of the gingival fibroblast during inflammation and could be developed as a new drug for periodontitis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.260-266
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• 2012

Because the embryological features of Jeffersonia dubia are poorly understood, we conducted the first embryological study comparing it to other related genera of Berberidaceae. Important embryological features of J. dubia are as follows: the anther is tetrasporangiate, anther wall formation confirms basic type, glandular tapetum cells are two nucleate, the epidermis persistent, and the endothecium develops fibrous thickenings, anther dehiscence by two valves, meiosis in a microspore mother cell is accompanied by simultaneous cytokinesis, microspore tetrads are usually tetrahedral, pollen grains two cells at the time of anthesis. The ovule is bitegmic, anatropous and crassinucellate, archesporium single celled, development of the embryo sac Polygonum type, a mature embryo sac is ellipsoidal in shape. Endosperm formation is of Nuclear type and embryogeny Onagrad type. Seeds are arillate and seed coat exotestal type. Embryological comparisons showed that Jeffersonia resemble to Epimedium and Vancouveria rather than Berberis and Mahonia in some features, like as number of tapetal cells, cytokinesis in meiosis, and thickness of exotesta. It also resembles to Gymnospermium in mode of anther wall formation, number of tapetal cells, formation of nucellar cap, and nature of antipodal cells. Nevertheless, Jeffersonia and Gymnospermium differ from several other embryological features and molecular data too. Therefore, embryological evidences support that Jeffersonia is closely related with Epimedium and Vancouveria.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2013

Morinda officinalis (MO) is a oriental medicinal herb which has been used traditionally for the treatment of impotence, anti-inflammatory, menstrual irregularity action and various brain diseases including antidepressant and anti-stress. In order to examine the mechanism of anticonvulsive effect, we treated the methanol extract of MO (100, 200 mg/kg, P.0) to the sleeping time and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced convulsive mice. The methanol extract of MO prolonged sleep time by pentobarbital. Dose-dependent of methanol extracts of MO were effected the concentration of GABA and GABA-T activity in the brain of PTZ-induced mice. Methanol extracts of MO significantly inhibited the convulsion state as well as the level of lipid peroxidation in the brain. The butanol and dichloromethane fraction of methanol extracts among the others effectively inhibited in vitro lipid peroxidation dose dependently ($5.0{\times}10^{-2}{\sim}20.0{\times}10^{-2}g/ml$).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.424-430
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of mycelia of Lentinus edoes mushroom-cultured Lonicera japonica Thunberg (LLJ) on proliferation of the cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa), sarcoma 180 (S-180) and antiallergy. In an anti-cancer test using Hep3B (hepatic cancer cell), MCF-7 (breast cancer cell) and HeLa (uterine cancer cell), LLJ extract showed higher antiproliferating effect than that of LJ (Lonicera japonica Thunberg) extract. In an anti-cancer testing using Hep3B cells, LLJ extract showed growth-inhibitory effect of $85.60{\pm}4.66%$ at 3mg/rnL. In an anti-cancer testing using MCF-7 cells, LLJ and LJ extracts showed high antiproliferating effect. LLJ showed the tumor suppressive effect in mice injected with S-180 cells. The growth-inhibitory rates against tumor cells were 61% for LLJ, 37% for LJ. LLJ inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells activated by compound 48/80. These results suggest that Lentinus edodes mushroom-cultured herb has an antiproliferating effect against cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa) and S-180 tumor, and will be beneficial in the treatment of allergic reaction.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.99-110
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was designed to investigate the effect of a herbal preparation HJ01 consisting of Salicornia herbacea, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Crataegi Fructus and Glycyrrhizae Radix on adipocyte differentiation in OP9 cells and on poloxamer 407(P-407)-induced hyperlipidemia in mice. Methods : 1. MTT assay was used to evaluate the potential cytotoxicity of Salicornia herbacea, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Crataegi Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix and HJ01, respectively. 2. Bone-marrow derived OP9 cells were treated with HJ01, and the alterations in fat storage in the cells were determined by the Oil red O assay. 3. The protein level of CAAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha($C/EBP{\alpha}$), as a adipocyte differentiation marker, was examined using western blot analysis in differentiated OP6 cells. 4. Adult male C57BL6 mice received intraperitoneal injections of P407 to induce hyperlipidemia, simultaneously, were treated with HJ01 for 4 weeks. Then the cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels in sera and liver tissues were measured. Results : 1. The MTT assay exhibited that Salicornia herbacea, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Crataegi Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix and HJ01 showed no significant cytotoxicity in tested dosages. 2. Ten days' treatment with HJ01 markedly inhibited the increases in fat storage in differentiated OP6 cells. 3. Four weeks' treatment with HJ01 down-regulated the protein level of CAAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha($C/EBP{\alpha}$) but up-regulated the levels of adiponectin in differentiated OP9 cells. 5. HJ01 inhibited the accumulation of TC and TG in liver tissues and increased serum levels of TC in hyperlipidemic mice. Conclusions : These results suggest that HJ01 can in vitro inhibit adipocyte differentiation and fat storage in OP6 cells, in vivo improve the hyperlipidemia induced by P-407 in mice, which may be mediated by promoting glucose uptake and improving a lipid metabolite profile.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2016

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a well-characterized medicinal herb listed in the classic oriental herbal dictionary as "Shin-nong-bon-cho-kyung." Ginseng has diverse pharmacologic and therapeutic properties. Black ginseng (BG, Ginseng Radix nigra) is produced by repeatedly steaming fresh ginseng nine times. Studies of BG have shown that prolonged heat treatment enhances the antioxidant activity with increased radical scavenging activity. Several recent studies have showed the effects of BG on increased lipid profiles in mice. In this study report the effects of water and ethanol extracts of BG on hypercholesterolemia in rats. To our knowledge, this is the first time such an effect has been reported. Methods: Experiments were conducted on male Sprague Dawley rats fed with a high-cholesterol diet supplemented with the water and ethanol extracts of BG (200 mg/kg). Their blood cholesterol levels, serum white blood cell levels, and cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were determined. Liver and adipose tissues were histologically analyzed. Results: We found that BG extracts efficiently reduced the total serum cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels with increased food efficiency ratio and increased number of neutrophil cells. It also attenuated the key genes responsible for lipogenesis, that is, acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acetyltransferase 2, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2, at the mRNA level inside liver cells. Furthermore, the BG extract also reduced the accumulation of fat in adipose tissues, and inhibited the neutral fat content in liver cells stained with hematoxylin and eosin and oil red O. Conclusion: Administration of BG extracts to Sprague Dawley rats fed with high-cholesterol diet ameliorated hypercholesterolemia, which was mediated via modulation of cholesterol-metabolizing marker genes. This data throw a light on BG's cardioprotective effects.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2007

Salicornia herbacea L. (Chenopodiaceae: S. herbacea) is a salt marsh plant, which has long been prescribed in traditional medicines for the treatment of intestinal ailments, nephropathy, and hepatitis in Oriental countries. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of this herb, we conducted an anti-oxidative activity, the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production, and the suppression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, with the solvent-extracts of S. herbacea. We found that both ethyl acetate and n-butanol tractions showed potent anti-oxidative effects in comparison to other fractions using xanthine oxidase assay with $IC_{50}$ values of $66.0{\pm}0.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $82.5{\pm}3.8\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In addition, both ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions showed more electron donating activity (EDA) than other tractions, according to DPPH (2, 2-Diphenyl-lpicrylhydrazyl radical) assay. The EDA of ethyl acetate fraction ($IC_{50}$ values of $117.5{\pm}3.8\;{\mu}g/ml$) is more significant than that of n-butanol fraction ($IC_{50}$ values of $375.0{\pm}12.5\;{\mu}g/ml$). Among potential anti-oxidative tractions, ethyl acetate traction dose-dependently suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cell, while n-butanol did not. As expected, ethyl acetate fraction suppressed the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 cell stimulated by $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$ of LPS. Moreover, the ethyl acetate traction suppressed the expression of interleukin-1 $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) mRNA in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that S. herbacea may have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities by modulating radical-induced toxicity and various pro-inflammatory responses.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.289-300
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• 2020

Objectives : In this paper, We pointed out medico-historical meaning of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang (鄕藥救急方, Medical Recipes of Local Botanicals for Emergency Use), a medical book of Koryŏ Dynasty, breaking from the existing analysis view based on Hyang'yak (鄕藥), local herbs produced in Korean Peninsula. Methods : For that purpose, we analyzed the clinical characteristics of the diseases and symptoms, strategies of treatment, therapeutic tools, drug formulations, composition of herbal formulas in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. Results : The following characteristics were confirmed in Hyang'yak Kugŭppang. First, it contained a way to cope with the diseases and symptoms that do not have to check the exterior, interior, cold, and heat. Also, it introduced basic strategies such as reducing, facilitating flow, draining downward, warming, or tonifying, etc. It mainly included herbal medicine as the therapeutic tools, and introduced formulas composed by single herb than complex recipes. It suggested external applications more than internal use, and proposed formulations in the form of decoctions or powders, etc. The herbs of formulas were used by experience without explanations of nature & taste, efficacy of each herbs. Conclusions : Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is a book of medical recipes for emergency use that has been distributed to help gentries, even if they do not have professional medical knowledge, to instantly cope with diseases and symptoms with medicines that are easy to obtain. Previous researches has analyzed the value of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang as a collection of information of hyang'yak, and used it as a historical basis of the uniqueness of Korean medicine. Since Hyang'yak Kugŭppang is not a book specialized for herbs, but rather a clinical medical book that introduces recipes for specific symptoms of diseases, if we pay attention to the clinical characteristics of Hyang'yak Kugŭppang, it will provide an opportunity to describe Koryŏ or Korean medicine in a new way.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.408-412
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• 2009

The Artemisia capillaris THUNB is a perennial herb that belongs to the family Compositae spp. and probably the most common plant among the various herbal folk remedies being used in the treatment of abdominal pain, hepatitis, chronic liver disease, jaundice and coughing in Korea. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Artemisia capillaris extracts on the amounts of splenocytes-derived cytokine ($TNF-{\alpha},\;IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-10). In in vivo experimental tests using 210 ICR mice with Hepa-1c1c7 or sarcoma 180 cancer line, splenocytes derived cytokine contents were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the Hepa-1c1c7 and Sarcoma 180 inoculated vehicle controls, HP and SP, compared to those of the intact vehicle control on both the $28^{th}$ day and the $42^{nd}$ day, respectively. However, these decreases of $TNF-{\alpha},\;IL-1{\beta}$ and IL-10 levels induced by tumor inoculations were significantly (p < 0.01, p < 0.05) inhibited by mACH (Artemisia capillaris methanol extracts) treatment regardless of the type of experiments and tumor cells inoculated. The results suggest that Artemisia capillaris methanol extracts have prominent anti-inflammation effects on the cancer cell lines Hepa-1c1c7 and Sarcoma 180.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.102-108
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• 2005

We have studied the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation of traditional herbal medicines with processing. Evodia fruit (EF) has processed for the purpose of detoxification and reduction of its bitter taste. There are various methods of processing EF in Oriental medicinal reference. Among them, we processed EF according to the method of Sang-han theory, the most famous medicinal reference. We processed EF with washing in hot water, and then dried. Processed EFs(PEFs) were prepared according to the above procedure through repetition of 1,3,5 and 7 times respectively. The contents of weight loss, water extract, diluted ethanol extract, ether extract, total ash, acid insoluble ash, alkaloids and limonin in non-processed EF (NPEF) and PEFs were examined. The weight loss, and contents of water extract and dilute ethanol extract in PEF showed decrease in proportion to increase of washing time, while the contents of ether extract, total ash and acid insoluble ash showed little change as compared with those of NPEF. And the content of evodiamine and rutaecarpine was not changed distinctly. However, the content of limonin decreased in the final processed material in proportion to increase of washing times with hot water. And the intense of bitter taste in PEF was also reduced. These results were ascribed to the flowing-out of the water-soluble portion. The biological activities of NPEF and PEF were also investigated. In the test of DPPH scavenging effect, xanthine oxidase inhibition effect and TBA-Rs effect, PEF was more effective than NPEF in vitro. Also, both NPEF and PEF showed potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects against in mice. Especially, PEF by 3 times washing with hot water was more effective than other PEFs. From these results, it is considered that PEF should be prepared by 3 times washing with hot water.