• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.246-252
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to obtain a natural antibiotic from Phenol-rich compounds; for the dressing and the treatment of chronic wounds. Methods: The Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was prepared by blending four natural herbal extracts, Acacia catechu (L.F.), Momia (Shilajit), Castanea sativa, and Ephedra sinica stapf, with combination of a sweet gel medium, including honey, maple saps, Phoenix dactylifera L. (date), pomegranate extract and Azadirachta indica gum as a stabilizer. The combinations were screened by using a well-diffusion assay with cloxacillin as a control. Pseudomonas spp. was tested with our novel antimicrobial compound. The zones of inhibition in agar culture were measured for each individual component and for the compound, and the results were compared with those of the control group which had been treated with cloxacillin. Data were expressed as means ${\pm}$ standard deviations. Quantitative analyses were performed using the paired t-test. Results: The antibiotic effect of the Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was statistically shown to be more significant than that of cloxacillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our novel approach to fighting the antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas proved to be successful. The Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was found to be suitable for use as an alternative medicine and bioactive dressing material, for the treatment of patients with various types of wounds, including burns, venous leg ulcers, ulcers of various etiologies, leg ulcers on the feet of diabetic, unhealed graft sampling sites, abscesses, boils, surgical wounds, necrotic process, post-operative and neonatal wound infection, and should be considered as an alternative to the usual methods of cure.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.17-25
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• 2001

By process of treatment for a case which diagnosed as HNP of left posterolateral aspect of L4/5 disc and treated from the 10th, May 2001 to the 23rd, Jun 2001, the results are as follows. Method & Results : This patient was medicated Hwallaktang-gami, taken acupuncture, phototherapy, TENS, electric acupuncture, exercises, Mori Cortex-bee venom acupuncture. As a result, the patient's clinical symptom were improved but a computed tomagraphy confirmed L4/5 and L5/S1 HNP was not changed as seen on repeated CT scanning. Conclusion : These results suggest that among conservative therapies the oriental medical treatments including Mori Cortex-bee venom acupuncture improve clinical symptom effectively. But in this case, the structure of herniated disc was not changed.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.7 no.1 s.12
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• pp.15-26
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• 2004

Background : This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of wild ginseng herbal acupuncture developed for the intravenous use. Healthy male and female volunteers(n=57) went through Randomized Control Trials(RCT). Methods : For those who are under a medication due to common cold or other illnesses were excluded in the primary stage and the subjects with possible abnormalities in the pre-screening process were also excluded in the secondary stage. Then the examination groups were determined by random sampling. Experiment groups were divided into Normal saline injection group(control group), cultivated wild ginseng herbal acupuncture group(experiment group 1) and natural wild ginseng herbal acupuncture group(experiment group 2) Blood tension, body temperature, pulse, and other criteria were measured and analyzed. Results : 1. Intravenous injection of cultivated wild ginseng herbal acupuncture and natural wild ginseng herbal acupuncture didn't cause significant changes in the blood tension, pulse, body temperature, and etc. 2. No significant differences were witnessed in CBC, ESR, biochemistry of blood test and UA between the experiment groups. 3. No significant changes were noted in the thermography before and after the test in the experiment groups. 4. Some of the common physical changes occurring during and after the administration were fatigue, chest distension, and headache in all of the experiment groups. 5. Comparing general condition after one week from the termination of administration, the control group showed worst condition while as the natural wild ginseng herbal acupuncture group displayed best condition. Conclusion : From the above results, we can carefully deduce that the intravenous injection of the wild ginseng herbal acupuncture didn't show significant differences compared to injection of the normal saline. We can infer it is safe on the human body and further studies and reports must be followed.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.10 no.2 s.23
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• pp.81-86
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was conducted to carry out quantitative evaluation and safety of Sweet Bee Venom. Methods : Content analysis was done using HPLC, measurement of LD$^{50}$ was conducted intravenous, subcutaneous, and intramuscular injection to the ICR mice. Results : 1. According to HPLC analysis, removal of the enzymes containing phospholipase A2 was successfully rendered on Sweet Bee Venom. And analyzing melittin content, Sweet Bee Venom contained 12% more melittin than Bee Venom. 2. LD$^{50}$ of ICR mice with Sweet Bee Venom was more than 20mg/kg in subcutaneous injection and intravenous injection, between 15mg/kg and 20mg/kg in muscular injection. 3. LD$^{50}$ of ICR mice with Bee Venom was between 6 and 9mg/kg in subcutaneous injection and intravenous injection, and more than 9mg/kg in muscular injection. Conclusion : Above results indicate that Sweet Bee Venom was more safe than Bee Venom and the process of removing enzymes was well rendered in Sweet Bee Venom.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2012

Objective: This experimental study was designed to investigate the safety and the effectiveness of Samjeong pharmacopuncture solution (SPS) manufactured by using a the lowtemperature extract on process. Methods: To identify the safety and the effectiveness of using SPS as eye drops, we performed applied eye irritation tests on rabbits and antibacterial tests for Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Candida albicans. The eye irritation test was performed according to the toxicity testing regulation of the Korea Food & Drug Administration (2009. 8. 24, KFDA 2009-116). After SPS had been applied on the left eye of the rabbits, eye irritation in the cornea, iris and conjunctiva was observed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 7th day. After SPS had been dropped on bacterial species that cause keratitis, the minimum inhibition concentration and the size of the inhibition zone were measured. The anti-bacterial potency was also measured by taking the size of inhibition zone. Results: After SPS had been administered on the left eye of the rabbits, none of nine rabbits were found to show abnormal signs or weight changes. After SPS had been administered on the left eye of the rabbits, no eye irritation in the cornea, iris and conjunctiva was observed on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 7th day. No specific response was detected in MIC for bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Candida albicans after SPS had been applied. Conclusions: This study suggests that SPS is a non-toxic and non-irritant medicine that does not cause any of eye irritation in rabbits, but it has no antibacterial effects on bacterial species that are well known to cause keratitis. These results suggest that more research is required on extracts from herbal medicines for treating keratitis.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.41-53
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• 2021

Objectives: Cesarean sections are one of the common surgical procedures around the world. Management of cesarean section side effects, including pain, hematoma, delayed wound healing, is of particular importance in maintaining maternal health and ability to care for the baby. The tendency to use complementary medicine strategies is on the rise because of the easy treatment with low side effects. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the efficacy and safety of clinical trials performed in Iran and worldwide on the effect of complementary medicine on pain relief and wound healing after cesarean section. Methods: PRISMA checklist was followed to prepare the report of this systematic review. The search process was carried out on databases on databases of Magiran, SID, Iran Medex, Scopus, Pub Med, Science direct, Medline and Cochrane library using keywords of cesarean, pain, wound healing, Herbal medicine, acupressure, massage, complementary medicine and their Persian equivalent and all possible combinations, from inception until February 2020. We used the Jadad scale to assess the quality of the searched articles. According to the Jadad scale, the articles with a score of at least 3 were included in the study. Results: Finally, 28 clinical trials (with a sample size of 3,245) scored at least 3 on the Jadad scale were included into the analysis. This article reviewed 13 articles on medicinal herbs, 4 articles on massage, 1 article on reflexology, 2 articles on acupressure. Conclusion: According to the present review, the use of medicinal herbs was the most common method of complementary medicine in pain relief and wound healing after cesarean section.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.196-205
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• 2021

Objectives: Bruising is an important side effect of enoxaparin injection. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is used to treat different types of wounds, bone fractures, and bruising in traditional medicine in many countries for centuries. This study aimed to determine the effects of the Comfrey ointment on the bruise size and color following enoxaparin injection. Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The participants were randomly divided into two groups of 40, namely Comfrey and Placebo. Changes in bruise size and color in both groups were assessed daily before and after the intervention. Results: The Comfrey and Placebo groups were homogeneous in demographic and clinical variables. A downward trend was observed in the bruise size in both groups throughout the study. However, the bruise size was smaller in the Comfrey group than the Placebo group on day 2-5 of the intervention. Moreover, there was a significant difference in bruise color between the groups, with a shorter healing course in the Comfrey group. Conclusion: The Comfrey ointment accelerated the healing process of enoxaparin injection-induced bruising in patients with ACS. It is recommended as a safe and simple approach for these patients.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2022

Objectives: Post-term pregnancy is a condition associated with increased maternal and fetal complications. Administration of castor oil causes cervical stimulation by increasing the production of prostaglandins. We examined the effects of castor oil on cervical ripening and labor induction through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: The search process was performed to obtain relevant articles from databases including Pubmed, Cochrane library, Scopus, Science direct, SID, Iran Medex, and Google Scholar using the English keywords of cervical ripening, post-term, castor oil, labor induction, Bishop score, and pregnancy considering all possible combinations without time constraints and their Persian equivalents from national databases. Results: A total of eight related articles from the 19 primary studies were extracted and systematically reviewed. According to a cumulative chart, the difference in the post-intervention Bishop score was statistically significant (standard mean difference [SMD]: 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.67-2.11, p = 0.001), indicating an effect of castor oil on increasing the Bishop score. In addition, the difference in labor induction was statistically significant after the intervention (odds ratio: 11.67, 95% CI: 3.34-40.81, p = 0.001), indicating an effect of castor oil on increasing the odds ratio of labor induction (experience of vaginal delivery). Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that oral administration of castor oil is effective for cervical ripening and labor induction. Midwives should closely monitor pregnant women with prolonged labor and collaborate with obstetricians to employ castor oil as a safe intervention to induce cervical ripening and labor to prevent undue caesarean surgery.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2008

Objectives The aim of this experiment is to provide an differentiation of ginseng, red ginseng, cultivated wild ginseng(CWG), and red wild ginseng(RWG) through component analysis using HPLC(High Performance Liquid Chromatography, hereafter HPLC). Methods Comparative analyses of ginsenoside $Rg_3$, ginsenoside $Rh_2$, and ginsenosides $Rb_1$ and $Rg_1$ of various ginsengs were conducted using HPLC. Results 1. CWG was relatively heat-resistant and showed slow change in color during the process of steaming and drying, compared to cultivated ginseng. 2. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was not detected in cultivated ginseng and CWG, whereas it was high in red ginseng and RWG. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ was more generated in red ginseng than in RWG. 3. Ginsenoside $Rh_2$ appreared during steaming and drying of cultivated ginseng, whereas it was more increased during steaming and drying of CWG. 4. Ginsenoside $Rg_1$ content was more increased during steaming and drying of cultivated ginseng, whereas it was more decreased during steaming and drying of CWG. 5. Ginsenoside $Rb_1$ content was increased about 500% during steaming and drying of cultivated ginseng, whereas it was increased about 30% during steaming and drying of CWG, indicating that ginsenoside $Rb_1$ was more generated in red ginseng than in RWG. 6. Ginsenoside $Rg_3$ content was higher, whereas ginsenoside $Rg_1$ content was lower in 11th RWG than in 9th RWG, indicating that ginsenoside $Rg_3$ content was increased and $Rg_1$ content was decreased as steaming and drying continued to proceed. Ginsenoside $Rh_2$ and $Rb_1$ contents began to be increased, followed by decreased after 9th steaming and drying process. Conclusions Above experiment data can be an important indicator for the dentification of ginseng, red ginseng, CWG, and RWG. And the following studies will be need for making good product using CWG.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.85-89
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• 2007

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate if Sweet Bee Venom therapy has the equal effect in comparison with Bee Venom Therapy on Low back pain with Radiation pain. Methods Clinical studies were done 24 patients who were treated low back pain with radiation pain to Dept. of Acupuncture & Moxibusition, of Oriental Medicine Se-Myung University from April 1, 2007 to September 30, 2007. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups ; Bee Venom treated group(Group A, n=10), Sweet Bee Venom treatred group(Group B, n=14). In Bee Venom treated group(Group A), we treated patients with dry needle acupuncture and Bee Venom therapy. In Sweet Bee Venom treatred group(Group B), we treated patients with dry needle acupuncture and Sweet Bee Venom therapy. All process of treatment were performed by double blinding method. To estimate the efficacy of controlling pain. we checked Visual Analog Scale(VAS). For evaluating functional change of patients, Straight Leg Raising Test(S.L.R.T) was measured. Results 1. In controlling pain, Sweet Bee Venom treatred group(Group B) had similar ability in comparison with Bee Venom treated group(Group A). 2. In promoting function, Sweet Bee Venom treatred group(Group B) had similar ability in comparison with Bee Venom treated group(Group A). Conclusions It may be equal effects as compared with using Bee Venom to treat low back pain with radiation pain using Sweet Bee Venom. We can try to treat other disease known to have effect with Bee Venom.