• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.46-58
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• 2013

Objectives : The object of this study was to obtain acute information (single oral dose toxicity) of Scutellariae Radix Aqueous Extracts (SR; yield = 27.20%) which traditionally have been used in Korean medicine for treating various diseases including inflammatory diseases. Methods : In order to observe the 50% lethal dose ($LD_{50}$), approximate lethal dosage (ALD) and target organs, SR Aqueous Extracts were once orally administered to female and male ICR mice at dose levels of 2,000, 1,000, 500 and 0 (control) mg/kg (body weight.) according to the recommendation of KFDA Guidelines. The mortality and changes on body weight, clinical signs and gross observation were monitored during 14 days after single oral treatment of SR according to KFDA Guidelines with organ weights and histopathological observations of 14 types of principle organs. Results : After single oral treatment of SR, we could not find any mortality and toxicological evidences up to 2,000 mg/kg treated group, the limited dosages in rodents, on the body and organ weights, clinical signs, gross and histopathological observations, except for some accidental findings. Conclusions : The results obtained in this study suggest that the $LD_{50}$ and ALD of SR in both female and male mice after single oral treatment be considered as over 2,000 mg/kg because no mortalities were detected up to 2,000 mg/kg that was the highest dose recommended by KFDA and OECD, and can be safely used in clinics.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2011

The object of this study was to observe the effects of Scutellariae Radix (SR) aqueous extracts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat acute lung injury. Five different dosages of SR extracts were orally administered once a day for 28 days before LPS treatments, and then 5 hours after lipopolysaccharide treatment, all rats were sacrificed. 8 groups, each of 16 rats per group were used in the present study. Changes on the body weights, lung weights, pulmonary transcapillary albumin transit, arterial gas parameters (pH, $PaO_2$ and $PaCO_2$) bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-1${\beta}$ (IL-1${\beta}$) contents, total cell numbers, neutrophil and alveolar macrophage ratios, lung malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), proinflammatory cytokine TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-1${\beta}$ contents were observed with histopathology of the lung, changes on luminal surface of alveolus (LSA), thickness of alveolar septum, number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). The results were compared with a potent antioxidant ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid, 60 mg/kg, in which the effects on LPS-induced acute lung injury were already confirmed. The results obtained in this study suggest that over 125 mg/kg of SR extracts showed favorable effects on the LPS-induced acute lung injury, and 250 mg/kg of SR extracts resembling acute respiratory distress syndrome mediated by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and .as similar to ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid in the present study. Therefore, it is expected that SR will be showed favorable effects on the acute respiratory distress syndrome.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.81-89
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• 2012

Objectives : In this research, the genotoxic effect of $Scutellariae$ $Radix$(SR), the dried roots of $Scutellaria$ $baicalensis$ Georgi has been traditionally used as antipyretic agent, was evaluated using the mouse micronucleus test. Methods : SR aqueous extract(yield = 27.2%) was administered once a day for 2 continuous days by oral gavage to male ICR mice at doses of 2,000, 1,000 and 500 mg/kg. Cyclophosphamide(CPA) 70 mg/kg was used as a known genotoxic agent in a positive control. The appearance of a micronucleus(MN) in polychromatic erythrocyte(PCE) is used as an index for genotoxic potential, and PCE ratio is used as an index of cytotoxicity. Results and Conclusions : Although significant(p<0.01) increase of the number of PCE with one or more nuclei(MNPCE) was detected in CPA treated groups, no significant increases of MNPCE numbers were observed in all three different dosages of SR extracts treated mice with over 0.33 of the individual polychromatic erythrocyte ratio in all mice used in this study. The results obtained indicated that SR extract shows no genotoxicity effects up to 2,000 mg/kg dosing levels - the limit dosage in rodents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.874-885
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• 2012

In the present study, the possibility of whether the pharmacological effects of Scutellariae Radix Aqueous Extracts(SR) were favorably changed by report that lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced rat acute lung injury was treated with Red-Koji(Monascus purpureus 12002) fermentation. Three different dosages of Red-Koji fermented SR extract(fSR), 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg were orally administered once a day for 28 days before LPS(Escherichia coli 0111:B4) treatments, and then 5 hours after LPS treatment(500 ${\mu}g$/head, intra trachea instillation), all rats were sacrificed. Changes in the body weights, lung weights, pulmonary transcapillary albumin transit, arterial gas parameters(pH, $PaO_2$ and $PaCO_2$) bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) protein, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$(TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin-$1{\beta}$(IL-$1{\beta}$) contents, total cell numbers, neutrophil and alveolar macrophage ratios, lung malondialdehyde(MDA), myeloperoxidase(MPO), proinflammatory cytokine TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents were observed with histopathology of the lung, changes on luminal surface of alveolus(LSA), thickness of alveolar septum, number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils(PMNs). As results of LPS-injection, dramatical increases in lung weights, pulmonary transcapillary albumin transit increases in $PaCO_2$, decreases in pH of arterial blood and $PaO_2$, increases of BALF protein, LDH, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents, total cells, neutrophil and alveolar macrophage ratios, lung MDA, MPO, TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-$1{\beta}$ contents increases were detected with decreases in LSA and increases of alveolar septum and PMNs numbers, respectively as compared with intact control. Especially fSR 125 mg/kg showed quite similar favorable effects on the LPS-induced acute lung injuries as compared with 60 mg/kg of ${\alpha}$-lipoic acid and 250 mg/kg of SR. The results suggest that over 125 mg/kg of fSR extracts showed favorable effects on the LPS-induced acute lung injury mediated by their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, increases of the pharmacological effects of SR on LPS-induced acute lung injury were observed by Red-Koji fermentation in this study, at least 2-fold higher.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.13-22
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• 2011

Objectives : This Study was performed to evaluate the effects of Scutellariae Radix(SR) water-extract on the tissue and neuronal apoptosis of the spinal cord injury(SCI). Methods: SCI was induced by mechanical contusion following laminectomy of 10th thoracic vertebra in Sprague-Dawley rats. SR was orally given once a day for 7 days after SCI. Neuronal apoptosis was examined with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTPnick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay. Bax (Bcl-2-asociated X protein), Bcl-2(B-cell blastoma 2), c-Fos(FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene) expressions were examined using immuno-histochemistry. Individual TUNEL and immuno-labeled cells expressing Bax, Bcl-2 and c-Fos were counted on the same level in peri-damaged region and in ventral horn. Results: 1. SR significantly reduced number of TUNEL labeled apoptotic cells induced by the spinal cord contusion injury. 2. SR significantly reduced Bax positive cells expression on the motor neuron in the ventral horn induced by the spinal cord contusion injury. 3. SR strengthened Bcl-2 expression on the motor neuron in the ventral horn induced by the spinal cord contusion injury. 4. SR reduced c-Fos expression on the motor neuron in the ventral horn induced by the spinal cord contusion injury. Conclusions : These results suggest that SR plays an inhibitory role against neuronal apoptosis and has significant effects for locomotor disfunction induced by SCI.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.184-190
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• 2020

This study was performed to find antibacterial substances contained in Scutellariae Radix (SR) using a systems pharmacological analysis method and to establish an effective strategy for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Analysis of the main active ingredients of SR was performed using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) Database and Analysis Platform. 36 active compounds were screened by the parameter values of Drug-Likeness (DL), Oral Bioavailability (OB), and Caco-2 permeability (Caco-2), which were based on the drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion indicators. The UniProt database was used to obtain information on 159 genes associated with active compounds. The main active compounds with antibacterial effects were wogonin, β-sitosterol, baicalein, acacetin and oroxylin-A. Target proteins associated with the antibacterial action were chemokine ligand 2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, caspase-8,9 and mitogen-activated protein kinase 14. In the future, systems pharmacological analysis of traditional medicine will be able to make it easy to find the important mechanism of action of active substances present in natural medicines and to optimize the efficacy of medicinal effects for combinations of major ingredients to help treat certain diseases.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.190-195
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• 2000

In the previous reports, we selected 80% MeOH extract of 7 herbs including Scutellariae Radix(SR), Paeoniae Radix Rubra(PRR), Moutan Cortex(MC), Angelicae Gigantis Radix(AGR), Crataegi Fructus(CF), Bambusae Caulis in Taeniam(BCT) and Cinnamomi Ramulus(CR), which exhibited the inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase and DPPH free radical scavenging effect in vitro, and antihyperlipidemic effects on antihyperlipidemic rats induced by Triton WR 1339 in vivo. Among them, SR, MC, AGR and BCT showed significant suppression of elevated serum LDL-cholesterol level, and AGR and CF showed significant liver weight increase on high cholesterol diet induced hyperlipidemic mice. And, SR, PRR, AGR, BCT and CR significantly suppressed the elevated serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels on corn oil induced hyperlipidemic rats. Then, in order to research new antihyperlipidemic agents from the oriental medicinal herbs, we chose SR, AGR, CR and BCT which have the antihyperlipidemic effect in vitro and in vivo, and those herbs were systematically fractionated with organic solvent. EtOAc fraction of SR, hexane fraction of BCT, AGR and chloroform fraction of CR exhibited remarkably inhibitory effect on HMG-CoA reductase activity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.390-395
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• 2014

Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria. monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus are pathogenic bacteria that should not be detected in cosmetics and foodstuffs. Therefore, we first investigated the antimicrobial activities of extracts of Scutellariae Radix(SR), Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and salicylic acid(SA) in these pathogenic microorganisms. Although SA has been known to exhibit anti-inflammation and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, a high concentration of SA may cause serious side effects such as skin redness, skin burning, peeling or tissue damage. Hence, we focused on diminishing side effects followed by treatment of a high concentration of SA and investigated whether the combinations of SA with various concentrations(25-400 mg/mL), SR and CR with a concentration(100 mg/mL) which did not show antimicrobial activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa exhibited meaningful antimicrobial effect against both strains. In our results, the combinations of SA with the lowest concentration(25 mg/mL), SR(100 mg/mL) and CR(100 mg/mL) exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against E.coli in comparison to SA alone(25 mg/mL) showing no antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the combinations of SA (100 mg/mL), SR and CR showed seven times higher antimicrobial activity against E. coli than SA alone(100 mg/mL) and exhibited a significant antimicrobial activity in comparison to ampicilin (p<0.05). The combinations of SA(100 mg/mL), SR and CR showed two times higher antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa than SA alone. Therefore, these results indicated that the combinations of SR, CR and SA with low concentration expressed the synergistic antimicrobial effect against E. coli and P. aeruginosa and showed great potential as an antimicrobial agent.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.151-163
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• 2010

Objective: We investigated the oral malodor inhibitory effect of Scutellariae Radix (SR), Phellodendri Cortex (PC), Moutan Cortex (MTC) and Magnoliae Cortex (MGC) for the development of a gargle solution. Methods: 1. Against P. gingivalis and Pr. intermedia, the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) and the change of viable cells that were exposed to 1% each herbal extract were observed. 2. Deodorizing activity of 2% herbal extract and Garglin $Mint^{(R)}$ against methyl mercaptan were evaluated by gas chromatography (GC). 3. We used the salivary sediment system (SSS) as the malodor model. 4. The clinical examination was repeated 3 times by 2 subjects by $Halimeter^{(R)}$. Baseline VSC of each subject was measured. Then, the control subject gargled with cysteine for 30 sec. After 4 min, subjects would gargle for 30 seconds with herbal extracts (2%) and Garglin $Mint^{(R)}$. Subsequently, the concentration of VSC was measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 40 and 60 minutes. Results: 1. Against P. gingivalis, MBC of SR, PC and MTC was 0.1%, and MBC of MGC was 1%. Removal time of P. gingivalis was as follows; 5 hr in MGC, 24 hr in SR and PC, and 48 hr in MTC. Against Pr. intermedia, MBC of SR and PC was 0.5%, and MBC of MTC, MGC was 1%. Removal time of Pr. intermedia was as follows; 5 hr in MTC and 24 hr in SR, PC and MGC. 2. Deodorizing effect of herbal extracts against methyl mercaptan was as follows; MGC and MTC had 100%, SR had 82.22%, PC had 66.60%, Garglin $Mint^{(R)}$ had 40.54%. 3. In the experiment using SSS, PC and MTC had statistically significant malodor-inhibitory effects (p<.05). 4. In the clinical examination, PC and MGC had statistically significant inhibitory effects at every elapsed time compared to the control subject. MTC had that until 40 min. SR had that at 0, 4, 8, 20, and 60 min. Conclusions: SR, PC, MTC and MGC have an antibacterial effect and the chemical removable activity of the oral malodor caused by VSC. These four herbs could have potential as effective anti-malodor agents.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.55-73
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• 2024

Objectives: In this study, we used network-based systems pharmacology analysis and molecular docking methods to predict the therapeutic mechanism of Scutellariae Radix on viral pneumonia. Methods: We screened active components of Scutellariae Radix and its' genes by TCMSP. Also, we extracted viral pneumonia related target genes through Gene Cards, CTD and DisGeNet. To construct Protein-protein Interaction, STRING database was used. For functional enrichment, using SRplot platform, genes were classified by 3 categories: cellular component (CC), molecular function (MF) and biological process (BP). Molecular docking was conducted by AutoDockTools (version 4.2.6). Results: 32 Network-based systematic pharmacology analysis identified 37 target genes associated with baicalein. Based on the network and gene ontology analysis of the active ingredient's target genes and disease target genes, we identified nine core genes (AKT1, BAX, BCL2, CASP3, HIF1A, PTGS2, RELA, TP53, VEGFA) and HSP90 as involved. Notably, HIF1A showed the highest relevance, overlapping with two or more utilized programs. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) has been implicated in the expression of inflammatory cytokines, the induction of hypoxia, and the triggering of cytokine storms. Baicalein, a major component of SR, binds to both HIF-1α and HSP90, suggesting that it may be a possible targeted treatment for viral pneumonia. Conclusions: Baicalein may bind to HIF-1α to control inflammation caused by viral infectious diseases and may also regulate hypoxic conditions to prevent impairment of lung function caused by an overactive immune system. These findings suggest further research into the molecular mechanisms involved in hypoxia and provide a scientific basis for improving the treatment of viral infectious diseases.