• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.128-131
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• 2007

Tumor angiogenesis is a critical step f3r the growth and metastasis of solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most important angiogenic molecule associated with tumor-induced neovascularization. VEGF exerts its activity through binding to its receptor tyrosine kinase, KDR/Flk-1, expressed on the surface of endothelial cells. This study was carried out to investigate inhibitory effect of extracts from root cortex of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews on VEGF binding to VEGF receptor. The MeOH extract from P. suffrutiocosa Andr. inhibited the binding of KDR/Flk-1-Fc to immobilized VEGF$_{165}$ more than 45% at the concentration of 100 ${\mu}$g/mL. The MeOH extract was further fractionated into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-BuOH, and aqueous fractions. Among the four fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction from the root cortex of P. suffruticosa Andr. exhibited highly effective inhibition (${\approx}$ 79% inhibition) and then n-BuOH fraction (${\approx}$ 45% inhibition) on the binding of KDR/Flk-1-Fc to immobilized VEGF$_{165}$ at the concentration of 100 ${\mu}$g/mL. The ethyl acetate fraction from the root cortex of P. suffruticosa Andr. more efficiently blocked VEGF-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation, than the growth of HT1080 human fibrosarcoma. Our results suggest that P. suffruticosa Andr. may be used as a candidate fur developing anti-angiogenic agent.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1123-1126
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• 2004

The bioassay-guided fractionation of protective agents against sepsis-induced lethality from the root cortex of Paeonia suffruticosa ANDREWS (Ranunculaceae) led to the isolation of eight known compounds: paeonol (1), 2,5-dihydroxy-4-methoxyacetophenone (2), acetovanillone (3), paeonoside (4), paeoniflorin (5), oxypaeoniflorin (6), apiopaeonoside (7), and methyl 3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzoate (8). Among them, 3 showed the highest survival rate (100% with a dose of 30 mg/kg versus 17% for the control experiment) and reduced alanine aminotransferase level to be a half of the control value on the sepsis model induced by lipopolysaccharide/D-galactosamine.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2005

We analyzed six cultivars of Chinese Moutan, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, using HPLC for the investigation of appropriate root harvesting time and distributions of paeonol and paeoniflorin according to the seasonal changes. The contents of paeonol remained nearly constant at different harvesting times. However, the paeoniflorin contents have changed significantly during the harvesting time. These showed the increasing tendency in May, July and September. We compared the distribution of two compounds between two cultivars with different flower forms, Dan Feng and Wu Long Feng Sheng. The contents of paeonol were very low in the leaf and annual shoot. This tendency was not changed during five harvesting times. But the paeoniflorin existed abundantly in the leaf and root. The contents of paeoniflorin in the leaf were highest in May, and gradually decreased.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2008

Objective : Skin aging is commonly observed in patients with diabetes mellitus, which can be accessed by the amount of skin collagen and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). In the present study, anti-skin-aging effects of Root Cortex of Paeonia Suffruticosa Andrews (PSA), which has been widely used to treat diabetes mellitus, are investigated. Methods : Streptozotocin (STZ) was intraperitoneally injected to rats to induce diabetes. Body weights, feed intake, organ weights, blood glucose, and other biochemical index are determined in both normal and diabetic rats. In order to study the effect of PSA on skin aging, the amount of skin collagen was measured in diabetic rats after PSA treatments. Also, MMP-1 synthesis in UVB-irradiated human skin fibroblasts was investigated. Results : 1. When PSA was administered to STZ-induced diabetic rats, feed intake was significantly increased and blood glucose and total cholesterol were decreased in a dose-dependent manner. However, there are no differences in individual organ weights, GOT, and GPT. 2. A decrease of skin collagen in diabetic rats was significantly suppressed when PSA was treated. 3. PSA also inhibited MMP-1 synthesis in UVB-irradiated normal human skin fibroblasts, similar to retinoid, a well-known effective anti-skin-aging substance. Conclusion: PSA suppressed a collagen decrease in diabetic rats and inhibited MMP-1 synthesis in UVB-irradiated human skin fibroblasts. Therefore, the treatment of PSA is very effective to slow down the skin aging process.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2015

Paeonol is a major component found in the Paeoniaceae family such as Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews. Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews has traditionally been used to enhance blood flow and relieve joint pain in east Asian countries including China, Korea and Japan. Current research has shown that paeonol blocked the voltage-gated sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. However, there is a lack of research to reveal the relation between cardiac function and blockade of ion channels by paeonol. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether paeonol has anti-arrhythmic effects via modulating cardiac ion channels. It is collected that the effects of paeonol on multiple ion channels such as the fast sodium channel and L-type calcium channel from published papers. To incorporate the information on multi-channel block, we computed the effects using the mathematical cardiac model of the guinea-pig and rat ventricular cells (Noble 1998 and 1991 model) and induced early after-depolarizations (EADs) to generate an arrhythmia in the whole heart. Paeonol slightly shortened the action potential duration in the normal cardiac ventricular action potential by the inhibition of sodium channel and L-type calcium channel. Paeonol presented the protective effect from EADs by the inactivation of sodium channel but not L-type calcium channel. Paeonol did not show any changes when it treated on normal ventricular cells through the inhibition of sodium channel, but the protective effect of paeonol through sodium channel on EADs was dose-dependent. These findings suggest that paeonol and its original plant may possess anti-arrhythmic activity, which implies their cardioprotective effects.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.5778-5784
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• 2013

In order to develop anti-wrinkle agent, we measured the anti-oxidative activity of gallic acid (GA) from Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews and investigated its cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells and then investigated its effect on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$)-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) mRNA, protein expressions and secretion in same cells. GA showed anti-oxidative activity with $IC_{50}$ of 30 ${\mu}g/mL$ and its activity was higher than that of butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA). GA showed weak cytotoxicity with high concentration (200 ${\mu}g/mL$) in HaCaT cells. MMP-1 mRNA, protein expression and secretion induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$) in HaCaT cells were significantly decreased by treatment of GA with dose-dependent manner(p<0.05). Therefore, our findings suggest that GA can be useful as an active ingredient for cosmeceuticals of anti-wrinkle effects.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.163-187
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• 2008

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the treatment of precocious puberty in current traditional Chinese medical journals. Methods To figure out diagnosis methods, treatment methods, treatment effects of oriental medicine about precious puberty, Chinese medical journals from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) which was published from 1999 to 2007 were analyzed and precocious puberty was also been searched. Results 82 articles were selected. 1. Yin and purging Fire(滋陰瀉火) from traditional Chinese Medicine was usually used. 2. The herbs were almost used such as Rehmannia glutinosa(地黃), Anemarrhena asphodeloides (知母), Phellodendron amurense(黃柏), Thesium chinense(夏枯草), Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews(牧丹皮), Alisma canaliculatum(澤瀉), Testudinis Plastrum(龜板), Paeonia japonica(白芍藥), Bupleurum falcatum(柴胡), Genianae Scabrae Radix(龍膽草). 3. The total improvement rate was 72.50 to 100% Conclusions The oriental medical treatments for precocious puberty were presumed to be effective, but more studies are still needed.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2010

The application of PCR analysis on the herbal medicine Moutan Cortex (Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews) was evaluated by the comparison of the genetic relationship based on the DNA sequence with Paeoniae Radix (Paeonia lactiflora Pallas) following development of specific primers. Moutan Cortex and Paeoniae Radix were distinguished through the PCR analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-PCR) from nuclear ribosomal DNA region. The 294 bp PCR products both of Moutan Cortex and Paeoniae Radix was amplified by MIF1 and MIR1. And a Moutan Cortex specific 225 bp PCR amplification product was amplified by MIF2 and MIR1 primers. The 225 bp sequence could be successfully amplified from Mortan Cortex of dried herbal preparations. PCR analysis based on ITS (ITS-PCR) may be an efficient tool for the discrimination of Moutan Cortex.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.530-536
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• 2014

Root barks of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (PS) was reported as contraindicated drugs of pregnancy by many Korean medical classics. Recently, a major ingredient component of PS, paeonol was reported that has contraceptive effect on early pregnancy in rats. However, the accurate molecular mechanism is not clear. In this study, we showed that PS decreased the expression of receptor for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIFR) in human endometrial Ishikawa cells at non-toxic dose, although the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) was increased by PS. In addition, PS inhibited the adhesion of human trophoblastic JAR cells onto Ishikawa cells. Given importance of LIF-LIFR signaling pathway in the process of embryo implantation, the decreased LIFR expression by PS will be a good explanation on the PS- or its ingredient compounds-induced contraception.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.228-233
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• 2008

Antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of about 60 endemic Korean herbs and medicinal plants were investigated. When compared to the group treated with phenoxyethanol as a positive control, the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inhibited by Styrax japonica, Stevia rebaudiana, Morus Leaf, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (97%). The growth of Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by Acorus calamus, Pinus densiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, Chrysanthemum zawadskii, Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge and Coptis chinensis, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (99%). The growth of yeast type fungi Candida albicans was inhibited to about 35% by Scutellaria baicalensis Geogr and about 33% by Coptis chinensis as determined by paper disk method. The growth of bacterium Malassezia furfur was inhibited by Paeonia lactiflora, Rosa multiflora, Coptis chinensis, Citrus aurantium L. subsp, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, and Galla rhois, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (57%). The growth of Propionibacterium acnes was inhibited by Galla rhois, Paeonia lactiflora, Morus bombycis, Cucumis sativus, Stevia rebaudiana, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge. Interestingly, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge showed the strongest inhibition (99%) similar to that in postive control. The possible components and their action modes were suggested and discussed.