• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.363-374
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• 2017

Dried fruits of Schizandra chinensis Baillon, Fructus Schisandrae, have been widely used for many years to prevent and treat various diseases in Asian countries including Korea and Russia. It has recently been reported that extracts of Fructus Schisandrae are effective for controlling muscle and skeletal diseases. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of ethanol extract of Fructus Schisandrae (EEFS) on apoptosis and inflammatory response in gastrocnemius muscle of dexamethasone-induced catabolic muscle atrophy mice as part of natural substance discovery and functional analysis for improving muscle function. According to the results of this study, EEFS supplementation attenuated body weight gains and suppressed calf thickness loss in dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophic mice. Gastrocnemius muscle immunohistochemistry showed that expression of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, which are representative apoptotic markers, was markedly increased in dexamethasone control mice; however, their expression was effectively reduced in the EEFS-fed mice. EEFS supplementation also prevented dexamethasone-induced increases in immunoreactivity of muscle fibers for myostatin, an important negative regulator of skeletal muscle mass. In addition, EEFS significantly normalized the increased numbers of nitrotyrosine, 4-hydroxynonenal and inducible nitric oxide synthase-positive muscle fibers compared to that found in dexamethasone control mice. These results suggest that EEFS protects dexamethasone-induced muscular atrophy by decreasing apoptosis and inflammatory responses, and EEFS is more likely to be developed as a muscle strengthening agent.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2013

We invesitagat the effects of antioxidant and suppression of MMP-1 in UV-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) by schizandrin isolated from Schisandra chinensis. Ultrasonic technique was used to extract schizandrin from S. chinensis. The higher contents of schizandrin (6.34 mg/ml) in 70% EtOH extract obtained by ultrasonic treatment at 20 MHz for 2 h during 10 days. Schizandrin had antioxidant activities. Schizandrin (1-10 ${\mu}g/ml$) induced a significant dose-dependent decrease in the expression fo MMP-1 protein. These results suggest that schizandrin is a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of skin aging.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2015

Objectives: Schizandrae fructus (Schizandra chinensis) is one of very common herbs, it is known as natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agent. Also some reports show that its extract works to regulate of dyslipidemia. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Schizandrae fructus chloroform fraction (SFCF) on serum lipid levels in dyslipidemic mice. Methods: The levels of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting blood glucose in serum were measured. Histopathological and gene expression changes in liver tissue were also observed. Results: Oral administration of SFCF lowered levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride, which were elevated by high-fat diet. But SFCF did not affect on weight changes and serum AST, ALT levels in dyslipidemic mice. After carrying out gene ontological analysis, large numbers of genes in high-fat diet group were up-(347) or down-regulated (235). In SFCF treated mice, some changed expression of the genes was restored to normal levels, with a recovery rate of 17%. And it seems that fatty acid biosynthesis pathway was one of important key pathways to recovery. Conclusions: SFCF has beneficial effect on dyslipidemia, and could be used to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2016

A phytoformula containing the root barks of Morus alba, the fructus of Schizandra sinensis and the roots of Asparagus cochinchinensis (MSA) was prepared as a potential new herbal remedy, and its therapeutic potential for alleviating inflammatory lung conditions was examined. For in vivo evaluation, an animal model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice was used. With oral administration of 6 - 60 mg/kg, MSA potently and dose-dependently inhibited bronchitis-like symptoms in acute lung injury induced by intranasal treatment of LPS as judged by the number of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and histological observation. The inhibitory potency was comparable with that of dexamethasone. For in vitro assay, the effects on the production of proinflammatory molecules in lung epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages were examined. Although MSA inhibited IL-6 production in IL-$1{\beta}$-treated lung epithelial cells (A549) only at a high concentration ($300{\mu}g/ml$), the formula strongly and concentration-dependently inhibited NO production in LPS-treated alveolar macrophages (MH-S) at $20-300{\mu}g/ml$. Based on all of these findings, the new phytoformula MSA is suggested to have the potential to control inflammatory lung diseases including bronchitis, at least in part, by inhibiting inducible nitric oxide synthase-catalyzed NO production.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1282-1284
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• 2006

In the course of search for hepatoprotective agents from oriental traditional medicines, one compound was isolated from the MeOH extract of the fruits of Schizandra chinensis, and its structure was determined as gomisin J(1). The evaluation for hepatoprotective activity of isolated compound 1 on drug-induced cytotoxicity was conducted, and compound 1 showed protective effect with an EC$_{50}$value of 86.0 ${\pm}$ 5.3 ${\mu}$M against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep G2 cells. One of the well-known hepatoprotective agents, silybin, used as a positive control, and the hepatoprotective effect of compound 1 is similar with that of silybin (EC$_{50}$ value = 90.5 ${\pm}$ 9.8 ${\mu}$M).

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2003

Backgrounds : It has been investigated about ageing theory. However, ageing mechanism still remains to be unknown. Since Harman proposes that ageing and ageing related diseases might be due to oxidative damage and these are modifiable by genetic and environmental factors. For designing an optimal nutritional countermeasure against ageing and ageing related disease, it is necessary to understand the ageing mechanism and other reactive species. Objectives : Schizandra Chinesis has been clinically used to treat brain disease, respiratory or inflammatory disease etc. in Oriental medicine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the scavenging effect of Schizandrae Fructus herbal-acupuncture solution(SFHA) on NO, DPPH and IL-4. Results : The results are summarized as follows; (1) There is a significant scavenging effect of SFHA on NO in 0.1, 1, 10mg/ml group after 24hrs. (2) There is a significant scavenging effect of SFHA on DPPH in 1, $10{\mu}g/ml$ group. (3) There is a significant inhibitory effect of SFHA on IL-4 in 1, 10, $100{\mu}g/ml$ group. Conclusions : These findings indicate that SFHA can be used as antioxidant or antiimflammatory drug. But further study is needed about the effect of SFHA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.91-96
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• 1992

Twenty kinds of medicinal herbs were extracted by water and 95% ethanol and then antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated against various kinds of microorganisms. Water extracts of Gardeniae fructus (Gardenia jasminoides), Lycii fructus (Lycium chinense) and Schizandrae fructus (Schizandra chinensis) showed inhibitory effects on the growth of most of the bacteria. In the case of ethanol extracts, the 3 kinds of the samples such as Gardeniae fructus, Schizandrae fructus and Lithospermi radix (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) showed inhibitory effects on the growth of almost all bacteria. In particular, ethanol extract from Phellodendri cortex (Phellodendron amurense) showed the best inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus in the concentration of 0.01%. By the way, inhibitory effects of water extracts from these medicinal herbs were not so good on the growth of fungi but those of ethanol extracts were better and ethanol extracts of Phellodendri cortex showed best. Antimicrobial activity was variable according to the used extracting solvent. For example, inhibitory effets of ethanol ext-racts were $2{\sim}100$ times better than those of water extracts. Ethanol extract of Lithospermi radix was the most effective not only bactericidal effects but also sensory evaluation tests for tastes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2011

The flower of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. with antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory functions has been a widely used traditional herb as a healthy beverage and medicine. The aim of the present study was to investigate a herb tea consisting of C. morifolium Ramat., Corni fructus and Schizandra chinensis Baillon for its hepatoprotective activity against $CCl_4$-induced toxicity in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes and antigenotoxic effect against oxidative stress induced DNA damage in human leukocytes. Three different compositions of the herb tea (Mix I, II, and III) were prepared by extracting with water at $90^{\circ}C$. Freshly isolated rat hepatocytes were exposed to $CCl_4$ along with/without various concentrations of each tea. Protection of rat primary cells against $CCl_4$-induced damage was determined by the MTT assay. The significant antihepatotoxic effect of the tea was shown in Mix I and II. The increased transaminase (AST and/or ALT) release in media of $CCl_4$ treated hepatocytes was significantly lowered by all the teas tested. The effect of the tea on DNA damage in human leukocytes was evaluated by Comet assay. All teas showed a protective effect against $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage. From these results, it is assumed that herb tea based on C. morifolium Ramat., Corni fructus and Schizandra chinensis Baillon exerted antihepatotoxic and antigenotoxic effects.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.267-274
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• 2016

This study was conducted to examine the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of medicinal fruit extracts (Corni fructus, Schizandra chinensis, Rubus coreanus Miquel and Lycii folium) with different extraction mixing ratios (MS, an equal ratio of the medicinal fruit = 1.25:1.25:1.25:1.25; M1, 2:1:1:1; M2, 1:2:1:1; M3, 1:1:2:1 and M4, 1:1:1:2) from medicinal fruit. pH, sugar content and acidity of the extracts were 3.22~3.52, $3.20{\sim}4.20^{\circ}Brix$ and 3.60~5.85%, respectively. The extraction yield of M2 (42.33%) was higher than those of MS (36.03%), M1 (40.40%), M3 (32.53%) and M4 (35.90%). The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of M3 were 14.54 g/100 g and 5.65 g/100 g, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of M3 at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ were 86.09% and 90.49%, respectively. The ferric-reducing antioxidant power and the reducing power of M3 at $250{\sim}1,000{\mu}g/mL$ were $0.36{\sim}0.86{\mu}M$ and 0.21~0.96, respectively. The antioxidant activities of M3 were significantly higher than those of the other extracts. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that medicinal fruit extracts had potential as a functional material.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.893-897
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• 2003

Prunus mume and Schizandra chinenis H-20 were found to have antibacterial properties against B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli KCCM 11591, and P. aeruginosa KCTC 1750. Prunus mume and S. chinenis H-20 showed clear zones of $6{\sim}10\;mm$ for the microbes used, while jujube, Lycii fructus and pine needle showed clear zones of $0.1{\sim}1\;mm$. In the experiment on DNA action, S. chinenis H-20 completely inhibited the growth of B. subtilis, S. aureus, and E. coli KCCM 11591 in the beginning of cultivation and even when added 5 hr after initiating cultivation. Moreover, as the microbes of about $l0^8$ cfu were shown by this test to have strong antibacterial power, they will most likely have an effect in vivo. Prunus mume and S. chinenis H-20 extracts were added to kochujang and fermented at $30^{\circ}C$ for 35 days. Prunus mume kochujang showed a sensory score of 4.29 (somewhat good), suggesting that Prunus mume can he utilized as a functional food ingredient.