• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.461-472
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• 2004

Objectives : For the screening of neuroprotective effects of medicinal herbs, the complex system of animal models suffer some disadvantages in controlling critical parameters such as blood pressure and body temperature. Additionally, application of drugs to the appropriate brain area sometimes is difficult, due to poor permeability though the blood brain barrier, and so potential protective effects might be masked. Methods : Organotypic hippocampal slice culture (OHSC) method has the advantages of being relatively easy to prepare and of maintaining the general structure, including tissue integrity and the connections between cells. Drugs can easily be applied and neuronal damage can easily be quantified by using tissues and culture media. This study demonstrates neuroprotective effects of Puerariae radix (葛根, PR), Salviae miltiorrhizae radix (丹蔘, SR), Rhei rhizoma (大黃, RR), and Bupleuri radix (柴胡, BR). These were screenedand compared to MK-801, antagonist of NMDA receptors, by using OHSC of 1 week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) were conducted in an anaerobic chamber $(85%\;N_2,\;10%\;CO_2\;and\;5%\;H_2)$ in a deoxygenated glucose-free medium for 60 minutes. Water extracts of each herbs were treated to culture media with $5\;{\mu}g/ml$ for 48 hours. Results : Neuronal cell death in the cultures was monitored by densitometric measurements of the cellular uptake of propidium iodide (PI). PI fluorescence images were obtained at 48 hours after the OGD and medicinal herb treatment. Also TUNEL-positive cells in the CAI and DG regions and LDH concentrations in culture media were measured at 48 hours after the OGD. According to measured data, MK-801, PR, SR and BR demonstrated significant neuroprotective effect against excessive neuronal cell death and apoptosis induced by the OGD insult. Especially, PR revealed similar neuroprotective effect to MK-801 and RR demonstrated weak neuroprotective effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that OHSC can be a suitable method for screening of neuroprotective effects of medicinal herbs. (This work was supported by the research program of Dongguk University and Grant 01-PJ9-PG1-01CO03-0003 from Ministry of Health & Welfare.)

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.713-719
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• 1995

These studies were carried out to investigate the effects of Puerariae radix catechins(PRC) administration on the biochemical parameters of liver function in liver of carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)-treated rats. Thirty six healthy Sprague-Dawley rats weighing about 120g were used for this experiment and divided intot he following 3 groups : normal control group(NCON), $CCl_4$ control group(CCON), PRC treated group(PRC). Fifty percent $CCl_4$ in oil was administered(I.P.) by 2ml per kg body weight two times a week for 3 weeks. PRC treated groups were administered orally at the leaves of 1% per day in distilled water for 8 weeks. Lipid hydroperoxides were analyzed by using chemiluminescence-high performance liquid chromatography(CL-HPLC) method as a phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide value(PCOOH) in liver tissues. $CCl_4$ treatment significantly(p<0.05) resulted in an increase in GPT & GOT activities and liver hydroperoxide values comparing with those of the untreated control, while administration of PRC to the $CCl_4-treated$ rats significantly(p<0.001) decreased GPT & GOT activities and liver hydroperoxide value. Their ultrastructual changes of hepatocellular organelles were shown to clarify the morphologic nature of protective effects of PRC on hepatocytic injuries. $CCl_4$ treatment observed to change the ultrastructual nature of outer membrane of hepatocytes. However, the hepatic changes on PRC treatment to $CCl_4$ group was not found. PRC administration may inhibit the formatiion of liver lipid hydroperoxides in vivo and were very effective in recovering the liver function in $CCl_4-treated$ rats.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.204-209
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• 1996

Several medicinal Plants in Jeonbuk are screened for the contraction or relaxation to the acetylcholine and histamine induced contraction in the isolated rat and guinea pig's trachea smooth muscle. Contractions evoked by acetylcholine and histamine were inhibited by Flos Farfarae, Poria and Rhizoma alismatis, but contractions were increased Tuber Pinelliae, Herba Chelidonii, Fructus Qusqualis, Radix Asari, Semen Perillae, Folium Artemisiae and Fructus Schizamdrae increased the contractions evoked by acetylcholine and histamine. Radix Puerariae, Radix Osterici Koreani, Rhizoma Zingiberis siccatum, Radix Sanguisorbae, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Fructus gardeniae and Cortex Magnoliae did not effect the contractions evoked by acetylcholine and histamine.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 2002.08a
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• pp.140.2-140
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• 2002

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze anti-obesity effects of the main single medicinal herbs which have effects on obesity or metabolic syndrome. Methods: We selected the 8 main single medicinal herbs, and then 3 databases were searched using search words "obesity", and "each scientific name of selected 8 main herbs". Results and Conclusions: Only Ephedra sinica and Panax ginseng were analyzed through 3 methods, in vitro, animal studies and randomized controlled trial (RCT)s, Ephedra sinica was shown weight loss effects in RCTs, but Panax ginseng couldn't. Other 6 selected medicinal herbs were not verified in RCTs, all had anti-obesity effects in high fat fed mice (or rats) and the others except for Radix notoginseng and Radix puerariae had inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.167-178
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• 2005

As a part of the quality control of herbal prescriptions which has been used for diabetes and related diseases, a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of the three marker compounds, puerarin (Puerariae Radix), glycyrrhizin (Glycyrrhizae Radix), schizandrin (Schizandrae Fructus) in Oc Chun San. The HPLC analysis method was validated for parameters such as linearity, Limits of Detection(LOD), quantification(LOQ), repeatability, stability and recovery.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.24
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• pp.29-35
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• 2006

In this study we evaluated the anti-diabetic potential of Puerariae Radix and its isoflavone (puerarin) by investigating their inhibitory activities against digestive enzymes, ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and lipase and effect on glucose uptake and PPAR ${\gamma}$ expression. The activities of carbohydrate digestive enzymes were not inhibited by puerarin. Glucose uptake in differentiated adipocytes was stimulated by puerarin. Furthermore, puerarin enhanced the differentiation of preadipocytes as evaluated by triacylglycerol (TG) accumulation, which is specific for differentiated adipocytes. The effect of puerarin on expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$ (PPAR-${\gamma}$) gene, which is associated with obesity and dyslipidemia, was examined by both real-time PCR and reverse transcriptase PCR. The study demonstrated that puerarin increased the expression of PPAR-${\gamma}$. In conclusion, puerarin showed potential to exert anti-diabetic action by enhancing cellular glucose uptake and thereby TG accumulation in adipocyte tissue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1997

Antioxidative activity of daidzin and puerarin isolated from Puerariae radix against oxidation of low density lipoprotein(LDL) was investigated. The concentration of daidzin at 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ and puerarin at 60$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ inhibited Cu$^{2+}$-mediated oxidation of LDL almost completely. The electrophoretic mobility of oxidized LDL by addition of daidzin(100$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) and puerarin(60$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) was faster than that of native LDL, but slower than that of oxidized LDL. The oxidized LDL induced by J774 or macrophage was inhibited strongly in the presence of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ daidzin and 60$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ Puerarin. The formation of conjugated dienes in the oxidized LDL was strongly inhibited by 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ daidzin and 60$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ puerarin.n.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.75-81
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• 2014

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effect of root extract of Pueraria thunbergiana Bentham (Puerariae Radix, PR) in diabetic mice as similar as emaciation-thirst disease in Oriental medicine. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were fed high fat (HF) and high sucrose (HS) for 8 weeks, and then administrated with 90 mg/kg body weight (bw) of streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of diabetes which is similar to the middle emaciation stage. After 5 days, blood glucose levels were measured, and selected the mice with ranges above $250mg/d{\ell}$. PR water extract was administrated orally once a day for 4 weeks with high fat and high sucrose. The levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ${\gamma}glutamyl$ transpeptidase (${\gamma}GTP$), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were analysed in the serum. Also, observed their histological changes by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) of different organs, lung, heart, pancreas, stomach, liver, and kidney. Results : PR extract significantly decreased the levels of serum glucose and insulin in diabetic mice. PR extract significantly increased the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, GOT and GPT in diabetic mice. In H&E stain, PR extract inhibited the histopathological changes of lung (as a channel of the upper emaciation stage in the channel-tropism theory), pancreas (as a channel of the middle emaciation stage) and kidney (as a channel of the lower emaciation stage) in diabetic damage. Conclusions : PR extract has an anti-diabetic effect in HF/HS and low-dose STZ-induced diabetic mice. This result suggests that PR follows the channel-tropism theory in the emaciation-thirst disease through the protection of lung, pancreas and kidney.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.291-295
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• 1996

For the screening of antidiabetic effect, this study was carried out to some natural products by measurements of glucose level. MeOH and $CH_2Cl_2$ extracts of natural products were investigated for the effect on glucose level of $N_2$-STZ diabeted Rat. Among the natural products, Dioscorea Rhizoma, Trichosanthes Radix, Nelumbis Semem and Lycii Fructus were shown a remarkable antidiabetic effect.