• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2009

Rhubarb is the well-known and frequently used herbal medicine for the treatment of constipation, inflammation, and cancer. As described in the Korea and Chinese Pharmacopoeia, rhubarb consists of the roots and rhizomes of Rheum palmatum, R. officinale, and R. tanguticum. However, the pharmacological differences among rhubarb have not been scientifically established. In the present study, we investigated and compared the inhibitory effects of 70% ethanolic extracts from R. palmatum (RPE), R. officinale (ROE), R. nobile (RNE), and R. franzenbachii (RFE) on the production of inflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), interlukin-1beta ($IL-1{\beta}$), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. ROE, RNE, and RFE significantly inhibited the release of NO, $PGE_2$, $IL-1{\beta}$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. RPE significantly reduced the release of $IL-1{\beta}$, but not NO, $PGE_2$, and $TNF-{\alpha}$. Overall, RFE was found to inhibit the release of $PGE_2$ and $IL-1{\beta}$, to a far greater degree than RPE, ROE, and RNE. Our results indicate that RFE possess the strongest anti-inflammatory activity among 4 tested rhubarb.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2010

Objective : The purpose of this study is to compare anti-thrombotic activities of 4 Rhubarb species. Methods : Rhubarb has been used as medical and edible resources worldwide for the therapy of cancer, constipation and inflammation, etc. To compare the anti-thrombotic activities among the species within rhubarb, we investigated and compared the inhibitory properties of water extracts from R. palmatum(RPE), R. officinale(ROE), R. nobile(RNE), and R. franzenbachii (RFE) on the fibrinolysis, blood coagulation and platelet aggregation. APTT and PT, blood coagulation time, were measured by apparatus of auto blood coagulation analysis that called ACL-7000. The measurement of fibrinolysis was measured and compares with the width of clear zone from melted fibrin plate. The platelet aggregation was measured and compared with inhibition rate of aggregation. Results : We found out the best species from rhubarb showing the significant fibrinolytic, anti-coagulant and anti-platelet aggregation activity. Our results show that Rheum nobile (RNE) has the most effective anti-thrombotic activity among 4 tested rhubarb. Conclusions : This study, therefore, RNE will be able to be used the development of drug which is thrombosis treatment.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2011

Rhubarb (Rhei Rhizoma) has been used for the various clinical purposes such as purgative, stomach protective and pain relief for a long time. However, rhubarb in current market has a problem of quality control under which many of rhubarb fail to meet the standard specified in Korean Pharmacopoeia. This study was carried out to validate the method for the evaluation of the quality of five rhubarbs and Rumex species; Rheum palmatum, R. officinale, R. tanguticum, R. franzenbachii, R. undulatum, and Rumex species. The content of sennoside A with five anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion) in five rhubarbs and one Rumex has been performed by using HPLC quantitation analysis. In results, only four samples in Palmata sect. were qualified with sennoside A and those samples were R. officinale and R. tanguticum. Samples of R. palmatum did not meet the standard contents of sennoside A. The contents of anthraquinones in Palmata sect. were two times larger than those in Rhapontica sect. Moreover the content variations of anthraquinones were smaller than those of sennoside A. Thus, anthraquinones can be the key characterizing molecules to control quality of rhubarb.