• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.264.2-264.2
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• 2003

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.2 s.141
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• pp.88-92
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• 2005

Apoptosis plays an important role in autoimmune chronic (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis, a disorder that often results in hypothyroidism. The goal of this study was to induce apoptosis by the combination of inflammatory cytokines, interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and to investigate a potential role of medicinal plants in the thyroid follicular cells (FRTL) in vitro. The apoptosis was evaluated by cellular viability, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Extract of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix, and Cnidii Rhizoma) $(0.3{\sim}9.0mg/ml)$ was shown to maintain the viability of cells treated with $IFN-{\gamma}(100U/ml)$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ (0.5 ng/ml). FRTL cells were found to undergo DNA fragmentation with the inflammatory cytokines. The extract of GGT inhibited DNA fragmentation in dose-dependent manner. The cells with TUNEL-positive nuclei were detected with $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ treatment. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased with the treatment of extract of GGT. These results indicate that medicinal plants inhibit the occurrence of apoptosis in thyroid follicular cells, therefore, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of autoimmune chronic thyroiditis.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.171-174
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• 2007

Neuronal death is a common characteristic hallmark of a variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. However, there have been no effective drugs to successfully prevent neuronal death in those diseases, whereas oriental medicinal plants have to possess valuable therapeutic potentials to treat neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, in an attempt to provide neuroprotective agents from natural plants, 80% methanol extracts of a wide range of medicinal plants, which are native to Jeju Island in Korea, were prepared and their protective effects on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptotic cell death were examined. Among those tested, extracts from Smilax china and Saururus chinesis significantly decreased hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptotic cell death. The extracts attenuated hydrogen peroxide($H_2O_2$)-induced caspase-3 activation in a dose-dependent manner. Further, plant extracts restored $H_2O_2$-induced depletion of intracellular glutathione, a major endogenous antioxidant. The data suggest that Jeju native medicinal plants could potentially be used as therapeutic agents for treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases in which oxidative stress is implicated.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 1982

Potential toxicity of 15 medicinal plants used for herbal drugs, which were also described as being tonic for hematopoietic system or being toxic for the system in a oriental book 'Dong Ee Bo Gam', were evaluated in mice. Six plants among 15 plants tested appeared to exhibit acute toxicity along with bone marrow depression or with abnormally enhancing the $^3H-thymidine$ incorporation into DNA biosynthesis in bone marrow cells. Six plants were Paeonia albiflora, Pharbitis nil, Cemphalia lapidescens, Scutellaria baicalensis, Akebia quinata and Glycyrriza uralensis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1 s.29
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• pp.475-498
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• 1995

For the purpose of developing Korean Herbalogy with the plants of Urticaceae which grow wild and is planted in Korea, the these and writings on herbalogy, from literature of successive generations, have been thoroughly investigative and the results obtained were as follows: 1. There were totaled 11 genera and 44 species in Korea and among them medecinal plants are 9 genera, 19 species, some 43% in total but the number of species may be added because of similar plants. 2. According to the oriental name which can be used for medical purpose, the medicinal plants beloning to the Urticaceae were classified as Herba 10, Radix 8, Folium 3, Cortex 1, Flos 1, Rhizoma 1. Thus it was noticed that Herba was the main kind. 3. According to sum of 44 species in Urticaceae they were classified into Boehemeria genera 18, Urtica genera 9, Pliea genera 5, Elastosma genera 3, Parietaria genera 2, Pellionia genera 2, Achudemia 1, Debregeasia genera 1, Girardinia genera 1, Laportea genera 1, Nanocnide genera 1 etc. Thus it was noticed that Boehemeria genera was the main kind, some 41% in total. 4. According to nature and flavour of medicinal plants, they were classified into cold, cool; 6 each, wormth, heat; 4 each, balance 3. Thus it was noticed that cold and cool is the main in nature and flavour of medicinal plants. 5. According to the Properties and Principal Curative action, they were classified into, clearing up heat and toxin 9, drugs for urination an removing abscess 7, drugs for circulating blood and hemostasis 7, drugs for expelling wind 5, drugs for comporting embryo 4, 6. Comparing to whole medicinal plants 44 kinds, toxic durgs include minor toxin were 2 kinds, 5% of the whole. Thus toxic durgs were rare. From this result, It was revealed that the plants for medical purpose in Urticaceae was 43% kinds of the whole, in which Herba was mostly abundunt, toxic plants were so rare that it will be used for clinical treatments more easily. It is considered that many clinical experiments and approaches must be continued to use widely.

• Plant Resources
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.196-199
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• 2001

Medicinal plants were screened for the inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pretense. Of the extracts tested, the strong inhibitory effects were observed in the acetone extracts of the pericarp of Camellia japonica. Camelliatannin H from the pericarp of C. japonica showed a potent inhibitory activity on HIV-1 pretense. Effects of the extract and compound from leaves of Zanthoxylum piperitum on the enzyme activities were investigated in the liver of bromobenzene-treated rats. The methanol extract and protocatechuic acid isolated from Z. pipetitum reduced the activity of aniline hydroxylase that increased by bromobenzene, while did not affect the activities of aminopyrin N-demethylase and glutathione S-transferase. The extract and protocatechuic acid recovered significantly the activity of epoxide hydrolase decreased by bromobenzene.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.68-73
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• 2001

Medicinal plants were screened for the inhibitory effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pretense Of the extracts tested, the strong inhibitory effects were observed in the acetone extracts of the pericarp of Camellia japonica. Camelliatannin H from the pericarp of C. japonica showed a potent inhibitory activity on HIV- 1 pretense. Effects of the extract and compound from leaves of Zanthoxylum piperitum on the enzyme activities were investigated in the liver of bromobenzene-treated rats. The methanol extract and protocatechuic acid isolated from Z. piperitum reduced the activity of aniline hydroxylase that increased by bromobenzene, while did not affect the activities of aminopyrin N-demethylase and glutathione S-transferase The extract and protocatechuic acid recovered significantly the activity of epoxide hydrolase decreased by bromobenzene.

• 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).

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.119-123
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• 2005

In the courses of in vitro screening for the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of the various extracts from medicinal plants, n-BuOH soluble extract of the seeds of Xanthium strumarium was found to exhibit distinctive angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation and purification of the n-BuOH soluble extract of the seeds of Xanthium strumarium afforded a new $xanthiazone-11-{\beta}-glucopyranoside$. The ACE activity was significantly inhibited by the addition of a new $xanthiazone-11-{\beta}-glucopyranosidein$ a dose-dependent manner of which $IC_{50}$ value was $21.8\;{\mu}g/ml$.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.165-173
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• 2013

The fruits of Schisandra chinensis have been used as an edible ingredient and traditional medicine in Korea. Due to morphological similarities of dried mature fruits, the correct identification of S. chinensis from other closely related Schisandrae species is very difficult. Therefore, molecular biological tools based on genetic analysis are required to identify authentic Schisandrae Fructus. Random amplifed polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) were used to develop an easy, reliable and reproducible method for the authentication of these four species. In this paper, we developed several RAPD-derived species specific SCAR markers and established a multiplex-PCR condition suitable to discriminate each species. These genetic markers will be useful to distinguish and authenticate Schisandrae Fructus and four medicinal plants, S. chinensis, S. sphenanthera, S. repanda and K. japonica, in species level.