• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2005

Earlier we have reported the antidiabetic activity of fresh juice of rhizomes of Zingiber officinale (Z. officinale) and its correlation with 5-HT receptor antagonism. Since 6-gingerol the marker compound of Z. officinale is reported to posses 5-HT anatgonistic activity, the present investigation, was undertaken to find out the concentration of 6-gingerol present in methanolic extract of Z. officinale and its different fractions (petroleum ether, toluene and chloroform). We also evaluated these fractions for antidiabetic activity in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced neonatal type 2 diabetic rats. Fasting glucose and insulin levels in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) rats were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) higher than control rats and these were significantly decreased by treatment with methanolic extract of Z. officinale and its fractions. The results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) showed that methanolic extract and its fractions significantly (P < 0.05) decreased both STZ-induced increase in $AUC_{glucose}$ and $AUC_{insulin}$ values in NIDDM groups. Treatment with petroleum ether fraction produced a greater reduction in elevated glucose and $AUC_{glucose}$ levels as compared to treatment with other fractions. Treatment with methanolic extract of Z. officinale and its fractions also produced significant reduction in the elevated lipid, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels in NIDDM rats. The effect of petroleum ether fraction on elevated lipid, SGOT and SGPT levels was significantly greater as compared to treatment with other fractions. The concentration of 6-gingerol was found to be maximum in petroleum ether fraction (11.430%) and minimum in chloroform fraction (0.973%). The methanolic extract and toluene fraction was found to contain 3.080% and 2.191 %, 6-gingerol respectively. In conclusion, our data suggest that methonolic extract and its fractions possess significant antidiabetic activity in NIDDM rats. The extent of activity appears to be dependent on the concentration of 6-gingerol present in the extract or its fractions.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2013

Objectives : "Donguibogam(東醫寶鑑)" is a medical book of the Joseon Dynasty compiled by Heo Jun and was first published in 1613. It recorded a great deal of prescriptions which contained pork and gave detailed explanations of parts of pork's natural properties and effects. Pork is widely used as a food ingredient in the world but the traditional medicine community has a contraindication of pork and traditional herbal medicines taken together. The aim of this study was to find the supports to develop pork functional foods for the treatment of diseases in "Donguibogam". Methods : Therefore we investigated the documents recorded in "Donguibogam" about usefulness of pork which were used for not only a food ingredient but also a medicine. Results : "Donguibogam" introduced 25 parts of pork including liver, kidney, stomach, bladder, heart etc, and a variety of taking ways i.e. common usages which are internal, external, common use, and aid use which cure a variety of diseases not a simple food but a therapies food. Conclusions : We confirmed that pork has been used to treat many diseases, so we propose to develop pork functional foods available for prevention and cure of certain diseases.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.239-253
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• 2010

Coenzyme $Q_{10}$ ($CoQ_{10}$, or ubiquinone) is an electron carrier of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (electron transport chain) with antioxidant properties. In view of the involvement of $CoQ_{10}$ in oxidative phosphorylation and cellular antioxidant protection a deficiency in this quinone would be expected to contribute to disease pathophysiology by causing a failure in energy metabolism and antioxidant status. Indeed, a deficit in $CoQ_{10}$ status has been determined in a number of neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders. Primary disorders of $CoQ_{10}$ biosynthesis are potentially treatable conditions and therefore a high degree of clinical awareness about this condition is essential. A secondary loss of $CoQ_{10}$ status following HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statins) treatment has been implicated in the pathophysiology of the myotoxicity associated with this pharmacotherapy. $CoQ_{10}$ and its analogue, idebenone, have been widely used in the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuromuscular disorders. These compounds could potentially play a role in the treatment of mitochondrial disorders, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Friedreich's ataxia, and other conditions which have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. This article reviews the physiological roles of $CoQ_{10}$, as well as the rationale and the role in clinical practice of $CoQ_{10}$ supplementation in different neurological diseases, from primary $CoQ_{10}$ deficiency to neurodegenerative disorders. These will help in future for treatment of patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.8-13
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of mycelia of Lentinus edoes mushroom-cultured Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (LAM) on proliferation of cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa), sarcoma 180 (S-180), and anti-allergy. In an anti-cancer test using Hep3B (hepatic cancer cell), MCF-7 (breast cancer cell) and HeLa (uterine cancer cell), LAM extract showed higher antiproliferating effect than that of Astragalus membranaceus Bunge (AM) extract. In an anti-cancer testing using Hep3B cells and MCF-7 cells, LAM extract showed growth-inhibitory effect of 65.23% at 3 mg/mL and 69.23% at 5 mg/mL, respectively. In an anti-cancer testing using HeLa cells, LAM extract showed growth-inhibitory effect of 42.01% at 5 mg/mL. In addition, LAM showed the tumor suppressive effect in mice injected with S-180 cells. The growth-inhibitory rates against tumor cells were 47% for LAM and 37% for AM. LAM inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells activated by compound 48/80. These results suggest that Lentinus edodes mushroom-cultured herb has an antiproliferating effect against cancer cell lines (Hep3B, MCF-7 and HeLa), S-180 tumor and will be beneficial in the treatment of allergic reaction.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.158-162
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• 1999

The rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge(Labiatae) has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of coronary heart diseases and myocardial infarction. As a part of a research for standardization of crude oriental drugs, we have determined the content of tanshinone IIA in Salvia miltiorrhiza purchased from various regions of Korea. The HPLC method by which quantitative analysis was conducted, showed reproducible results and chromatographic isolation of tanshinone IIA was accomplished successively.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.423-429
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• 2008

Ayurveda, an ancient System of Indian Medicine, has recommended a number of drugs from indigenous plant sources for the treatment of inflammation. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of methanol extract of Triphala were investigated in Wister albino rats and mice. The methanol extract of Triphala were found to encompass substantial anti-inflammatory effect in acute and sub-acute models and analgesic effect. Animal models of carrageenan induced edema and cotton pellet induced granuloma in albino rats were used. Extract of 200 mg/kg shows significantly reduced paw edema. Analgesics activity of Triphala with 200 mg/kg shown by significant reduction of writhing. These report shows to support the use methanol extract of Triphala in relieving inflammation and pain.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2009

Lindera obtusiloba has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine in Korea and recently known to have an anti-fibrotic effect. In this report, we investigated the effect of hot water extract from L. obtusiloba (WELB) on the mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation and studied its possible mechanisms of action. WELB inhibited phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI)-induced histamine release in HMC-1 human mast cells. WELB reduced PMACI-induced gene expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$, interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, and IL-8. The inhibitory effect of WELB on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines was c-jun N-terminal kinase and nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ dependent. These results indicate that WELB may be beneficial in the treatment of mast cell-mediated allergic inflammation.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2014

Background: Oriental lifestyle for treating diseases has been developed and well-accepted for a long time among Koreans. Sasang Constitution theory, originated from Korean traditional medicine, suggests that medication treatment should be differentiated by each patient's body classification (So-yang [SY], So-eum [SE], Tae-yang [TY], and Tae-eum [TE]), in contrary to western medicine's theory that medication should be applied equally by disease indication without such classification. However, the pharmacotherapeutic outcomes of these theories have not been compared to date. In this study, we aimed to compare the two theories by evaluating blood pressure (BP), which is lowered as a therapeutic outcome, among hypertensive patients taking angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) or calcium channel blockers (CCBs), two most commonly used antihypertensive classes in Korea. Methods: From April 2006 to June 2012, we retrospectively collected data on hypertensive patients with Sasang Constitution classification at Kyunghee University Hospital at Gangdong, one of the East-West collaborative medical centers in Korea. We collected information on age, gender, underlying diseases, antihypertensive drugs (ARB, CCB, ARB+CCB), and BP by reviewing the electronic medical records. We excluded patients with missing blood pressure at baseline or follow-up, or those who had a change in their antihypertensive drug class during follow-up. Results: We selected a total of 573 patients (SY: 165, SE: 158, TY: 0, TE: 250). Baseline BPs were on average 139.0/82.0 mmHg for SY, 137.8/78.5 mmHg for SE, and 138.7/79.2 mmHg for TE. In all three groups, CCBs were the most prescribed, followed by combination therapy with ARB+CCB, then ARBs. BP reduction after 1 month of initial medication was significantly different among the drug classes, but not in Sasang constitutional classification (ARB [SY: -12.4/-4.7, SE: -12.3/-2.5, TE: -8.6/-1.8], CCB [SY: -12.3/-5.4, SE: -13.0/-2.3, TE: -10.8/-6.0], ARB+CCB [SY: -15.6/-6.7, SE: -18.4/-8.1, TE: -20.2/-6.7], drug [$P{\leq}0.05$/P>0.05], constitutional type [P>0.05/P>0.05]). Conclusion: We observed significant differences in reduction of blood pressure by classes of drugs (ARB+CCB>CCB>ARB) but not by Sasang constitutional classification. Therefore, current approach of antihypertensive pharmacotherapy assisted by Western medicine is appropriate for treatment of hypertension. However, further larger scale or prospective studies are required in order to confirm these results.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.95-107
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• 2008

Objectives : Hwangnyeonhaedok-tang(HNHDT) is the one of well-known traditional herbal formula and has been widely used for the treatment of various diseases in Korea. For the quality improvement of commercial traditional herbal formula, we investigated the quality of prepared HNHDT. Methods: We measured the contents of baicalin, berberine and geniposide in the HNHDT Ex preparations on the market by HPLC and compared with the official notice of ingredients. Results: In 3 preparations of HNHDT covered with the national health insurance(NHI), the content of baicalin was various from 32.83mg to 185.05mg, the total berberine was $12.0{\sim}50.75mg$ and geniposide was $12.57{\sim}44.84mg$. Contents of marker ingredients in NHI Preparations were below the standard and showed a large variation. In 7 non NHI Preparations of HNHDT and the standard(STD) HNHDT manufactured in laboratory, the content of baicalin was $37.16{\sim}115.69mg$, the total berberine was $5.62{\sim}28.43mg$ and geniposide was $10.98{\sim}113.47mg$. But, because composition of non-NHI preparations is different from NHI preparations, every maker's contents were up to the notice for baicalin and berberine. There was newly enforced standard regulations of geniposide in non-NHI preparations, so contents of geniposide was up to that standard only in JI and STD. Conclusions: There was a large variation of contents in the HNHDT Ex preparations on the market and the quality differences were existed between NHI and non-NHI preparations of HNHDT. Further studies for evaluation of efficacy differences and standardization of manufacturing processes are necessary.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.111-115
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• 2010

The flowers of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn. of Oleaceae widely used in Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of diuresis, liver disorder, spleen enlargement sciatica, bitter, stomachic, carminative and tonic to hair. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the flowers of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis for hepatoprotective effect against carbontetrachloride induced liver damage in rats. Administration of alcoholic and aqueous extracts of the leaves of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis protect the liver from toxic effects of carbontetrachloride by reducing the elevated levels of Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, Alkaline phosphatase and serum bilirubin. Results revealed that both the alcoholic and aqueous extracts showed significant hepatoprotective activity by reducing the elevated levels of biochemical parameters at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight. The results were supported by histopathological studies of liver samples which showed regeneration of hepatocytes by the extracts.