• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2007

Antioxidant activity of 70% aqueous ethanolic extract of leaves of Justicia gendarussa (EJ) was evaluated. EJ was prepared by cold maceration method. The antioxidant potency of EJ was investigated employing various established in vitro systems, such as DPPH radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, ${\beta}-carotene$ linoleic acid module system (${\beta}$ CLAMS), hydroxyl (OH) radical scavenging, anti lipid peroxidation. $IC_{50}$ values were determined in each experiment. Also, ferric ion reduction capacity of extracts in presence and absence of chelating agent (EDTA) and total antioxidant capacity were determined. Preliminary phytochemical investigation was carried out to know the nature of constituents present in the leaves and correlate it with antioxidant activity. Further total phenolic content was determined in EJ. $IC_{50}$ values of EJ were 123.09 ${\pm}$ 3.01, 643.0 ${\pm}$ 61.10, 132.3 ${\pm}$ 6.03, 68.5 ${\pm}$ 11.5 and 68.13 ${\pm}$ 1.38 ${\mu}g/mL$ in DPPH radical scavenging, NO scavenging, ${\beta}$ CLAMS, OH radical scavenging and anti lipid peroxidation activity respectively. In total antioxidant capacity assay, ascorbic acid equivalent value was found to be 205.56 ${\pm}$ 4.69 ${\mu}g/mg$ of extract. Total phenolic content was found to be 43.76 ${\pm}$ 4.27 ${\mu}g$ equivalent of gallic acid per mg of extract. Phytochemical investigation reveals the presence of flavonoids. The results indicate that EJ possess antioxidant activity and flavonoids are responsible for this activity.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.2 s.20
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• pp.157-164
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• 2007

An imbalance in bone remodeling that is caused by increased bone resorption over bone formation leads to most adult skeletal diseases including osteoporosis. Since the development of anti-resorptive agents from natural substances has recently gained more interest in the treatment of osteoporosis, we evaluated the effects of 222 natural compounds on receptor activator of $NF-{\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced of tartrate-resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cell, and found that berberine chloride is one of compounds inhibiting RANKL-induced TRAP activity. Berberine chloride significantly inhibited the RANKL-induced TRAP activity and the formation of multinucleated osteoclasts in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, berberine chloride prevented the RANKL-induced mRNA expression of TRAP, matrix metalloproteinase 9 and c-Src, which have been known to be highly expressed in the process of osteoclastogenesis. Interestingly, berberine chloride prevented the RANKL-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) which is one of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. In conclusion, berberine chloride could inhibit the osteoclastogenesis via preventing the activation of ERK/MAP kinase signaling pathway.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2004

To illuminate the physiological response to salinity, barnyard grass (Echinochloa hispidula) was germinated with high concentration of NaCl and KCL. Duration and promptness of seed germination were observed. Under salt stress, lipid peroxidation and polyamine biosynthesis were also analyzed. It appeared that high salt treatments per se did not provoke an inhibition of germination although the process of germination was significantly delayed. In context of lipid peroxidation and polyamine biosynthesis, we would imply that barnyard grass is tolerant to salinity. The increase in lipid peroxidation and putrescine content was prolonged only for 1 day after saline treatment. It could be concluded that these early acciimulation of putrescine and production of lipid peroxide seems to be associated with salt tolerance in the short-term. The physiological interest of these responses was discussed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1101-1108
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• 2008

Geldanamycin and its analogs are important anticancer agents that inhibit the newly targeted heat-shock protein (Hsp) 90, which is a chaperone protein in eukaryotic cells. To resolve which geldanamycin biosynthetic genes are responsible for particular post-polyketide synthase (PKS) processing steps and in which order the reactions occur, we individually inactivated candidate genes in Streptomyces hygroscopicus subsp. duamyceticus JCM4427 and isolated and elucidated the structures of intermediates from each mutant. The results indicated that gel7 governs at least one of the benzoquinone ring oxidation steps. The gel16 was found to be involved in double-bond formation between C-4 and C-5 of 4,5-dihydrogeldanamycin, which confirmed our previous findings that this double bond is reduced during the post-PKS modification of the polyketide assembly. In addition, pro-geldanamycin, which does not possess a double bond at C-4/5, was purified from the gel7 and gel8 double-gene-inactivated mutant.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.784-789
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• 2020

Background: The separation of isomeric compounds from a mixture is a recurring problem in chemistry and phytochemistry research. The purification of pharmacologically active ginsenoside Rb₃ from ginseng extracts is limited by the co-existence of its isomer Rb₂. The aim of the present study was to develop an enzymatic elimination-combined purification method to obtain pure Rb₃ from a mixture of isomers. Methods: To isolate Rb₃ from the isomeric mixture, a simple enzymatic selective elimination method was used. A ginsenoside-transforming glycoside hydrolase (Bgp2) was employed to selectively hydrolyze Rb₂ into ginsenoside Rd. Ginsenoside Rb₃ was then efficiently separated from the mixture using a traditional chromatographic method. Results: Chromatographic purification of Rb₃ was achieved using this novel enzymatic elimination-combined method, with 58.6-times higher yield and 13.1% less time than those of the traditional chromatographic method, with a lower minimum column length for purification. The novelty of this study was the use of a recombinant glycosidase for the selective elimination of the isomer. The isolated ginsenoside Rb₃ can be used in further pharmaceutical studies. Conclusions: Herein, we demonstrated a novel enzymatic elimination-combined purification method for the chromatographic purification of ginsenoside Rb₃. This method can also be applied to purify other isomeric glycoconjugates in mixtures.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.196-204
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• 2003

Aqueous extract of Enicostemma littorale is reported to have antidiabetic activity. In the present investigation, we studied the effect of aqueous extract of E. littorale and its different fractions i.e., toluene, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions and remaining residual fraction in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced neonatal type 2 diabetic rats. Fasting glucose and insulin levels in NIDDM were significantly (P<0.05) higher than control rats and they were significantly decreased by treatment with aqueous extract of E. littorale and its n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions. Results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that aqueous extract and its n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions significantly (P<0.05) decrease both $AUC_{glucose}$ and $AUC_{insulin}$ values in NIDDM treated groups. Insulin sensitivity $(K_{ITT})$ index of NIDDM control was significantly lower as compared to normal control and this was significantly (P<0.05) increased after treatment with aqueous extract, its n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions. Treatment with aqueous extract of E. littorale and its n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions lowered the elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels observed in NIDDM rats. Treatment with aqueous extract of E. littorale and its n-butanol fraction showed significant decrease in creatinine, urea, SGPT and SGOT levels as compared to NIDDM control rats. However ethyl acetate fraction showed significant changes only in creatinine and SGOT levels, and not in the levels of urea, and SGPT as compared to NIDDM control rats. Treatment with toluene, chloroform and residual fractions of E. littorale did not produce any effect on glucose, insulin, triglyceride, cholesterol, creatinine, urea, SGPT or SGOT levels as compared to NIDDM control rats. Our data suggest that n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions contain the active compounds which may be responsible for the above activity and associated complications in NIDDM diabetes mellitus.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.336-340
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• 2007

Plants from the genus Centaurea (C.) (Family: Asteraceae alt. Compositae), widely distributed in Asia, Europe and North America, have traditionally been used in the treatment of various ailments. As a part of our on-going studies on the plants from the genus C. for their phytochemistry and biological activities, extracts of the seeds of Turkish endemic C. species, C. bornmuelleri and C. huber-morathii, were tested for their cytotoxicity towards the CaCo2 colon cancer cell line as well as for the toxicity towards the brine shrimps, using the MTT and the brine shrimp lethality assays, respectively. Among the extracts, the MeOH extract of these plants showed significant toxicity towards the brine shrimps ($LD_{50}=55.2{\times}10^{-2}\;and\;42.4{\times}10^{-2}mg/ml$, respectively). The MeOH extract of both C. species also inhibited the growth of CaCo2 colon cancer cells in the MTT assay ($IC_{50}$=29.9 and 33.0 g/ml, respectively). As the most prominent activities in both assays were observed with the MeOH extracts, it can be assumed that the compound(s) responsible for these activities are polar in nature.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1972

One of the characteristics features of Chinese Medicine is recognized as the practical use of combinations of crude drugs in the forms of various prescriptions according to the symptoms of illness. Such crude drugs are mostly dried plant roots, rhizomes, leaves, fruits and seeds, sometimes dried animla organ preparations even fossils or minerals. In the oldest book of Chinese Medicine, Sang Han Ron, 113 prescriptions were described in which about 80 crude drugs were included, and in other old literature, Shin Nong Bon Tcho Keun, 363 crude drugs were recorded. Such drugs, in particular, those included in Sang Han Ron are generally low toxic, and the prescriptions are acting mild with less side effects, but obviously not so easy task to determine the effect of the indivisual drug from the total effects of various prescriptions which are generally consisted of many kinds of crude drugs. About 200 years ago, in the middle of Edo era, a Japanese medical doctor, Yoshimasu Todo wrote a series of books named "Yakucho", in which he described the essential various prescriptions in which the certain drugs plays the main role. This book is very suggestive to evaluate the effects of some Chinese drugs. The actual effects of Chinese medicine and drugs have widely been recognized by the East Asian peoples during their long age experiences, but still it has not been studied sufficiently by modern scientific methods to give generally acceptable evidences. During past some years, my collaborators and I have been engaged to study some well-known Chinese drugs chemically to find out the active principles in determining their chemical structures under the collaboration of pharmacologists, Prof. K. Takagi and his coworkers. In the present lecture, I would like to present two topics from our recent investigations: The studies on the principles of Paeony and Ginseng roots.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5553-5565
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• 2013

Plants play important roles in human life not only as suppliers of oxygen but also as a fundamental resource to sustain the human race on this earthly plane. Plants also play a major role in our nutrition by converting energy from the sun during photosynthesis. In addition, plants have been used extensively in traditional medicine since time immemorial. Information in the biomedical literature has indicated that many natural herbs have been investigated for their efficacy against lethal irradiation. Pharmacological studies by various groups of investigators have shown that natural herbs possess significant radioprotective activity. In view of the immense medicinal importance of natural product based radioprotective agents, this review aims at compiling all currently available information on radioprotective agents from medicinal plants and herbs, especially the evaluation methods and mechanisms of action. In this review we particularly emphasize on ethnomedicinal uses, botany, phytochemistry, mechanisms of action and toxicology. We also describe modern techniques for evaluating herbal samples as radioprotective agents. The usage of herbal remedies for combating lethal irradiation is a green anti-irradiation approach for the betterment of human beings without high cost, side effects and toxicity.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.270-276
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to find a rapid determination of the hot air stress in maize (Zea mays L.) leaves using a portable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging instrument. To assess the photosynthetic activity of maize leaves, an imaging analysis of the photochemical responses of maize was performed with chlorophyll fluorescence camera. The observed chlorophyll imaging photos were numerically transformed to the photochemical parameters on the basis of chlorophyll a fluorescence. Chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging (CFI) method showed that a rapid decrease in maximum fluorescence intensity ($F_m$) of leaf occurred under hot air stress. Although no change was observed in the maximum quantum yield ($F_v/F_m$) of the hot air stressed maize leaves, the other photochemical parameters such as maximum fluorescence intensity ($F_m$) and Maximum fluorescence value ($F_p$) were relatively lowered after hot air stress. In hot air stressed maize leaves, an increase was observed in the nonphotoquenching (NPQ) and decrease in the effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in photosystem II (${\Phi}PSII$). Thus, NPQ and ${\Phi}PSII$ were available to be determined non-destructively in maize leaves under hot air stress. Our results clearly indicated that the hot air could be a source of stress in maize leaves. Thus, the CFI analysis along with its related parameters can be used as a rapid indicating technique for the determining hot air stress in plants.