• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.35-40
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• 2015

Objectives : Zizyphus jujube (ZJ) has been used as a traditional medicine for various diseases. However, the inhibitory effect of ZJ on intestinal inflammation has not been fully understood, yet. The aim of this study is to investigate anti-colitis activity of ZJ in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Methods : To investigate the protective effects of ZJ,the colitis mice were induced by drinking water containing 5% DSS for 7 days. Mice were randomized into groups receiving ZJ (500 mg/kg), sulfasalazine (SFZ) (150 mg/kg) as a positive control, or water as a negative control. We assayed the effects of ZJ on DSS-induced the clinical signs, measuring weight loss, colon length and disease activity index (DAI). Additionally, to find a possible explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of ZJ, we evaluated the effects of ZJ on the production of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) and expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in colitis tissue. Results : The results showed that mice treated with DSS showed considerable clinical signs, including weight loss, and reduced colon length. However, administration of ZJ significantly reduced the weight loss, shortens colon length, and improved DAI as clinical symptoms. Moreover, ZJ inhibited the $PGE_2$ production and COX-2 expression levels in DSS-treated colon tissues. Conclusions : Collectively, the findings of this study provide us with novel insights into the pharmacological actions of ZJ as a potential molecule for use in the treatment of intestinal inflammation including ulcerative colitis.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.165-172
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• 2010

The present study investigated the effect of silymarin, a flavonoid, on streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic dyslipidaemia in rats. Experimental diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg). Silymarin (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) was orally administered to diabetic rats for a period of 15 days. Blood glucose levels, serum lipid profile and liver glycogen levels were estimated following the established procedures. Biochemical observations were supplemented with histological examination of liver sections. Oral administration of silymarin to diabetic rats significantly (P < 0.001) decreased the blood glucose levels ($259.99{\pm}23.64$ vs. $99.90{\pm}2.62$ [25 mg] & $89.17{\pm}3.32$ [50 mg]). The most interesting finding was the significant (p < 0.001) increase in HDL-cholesterol levels ($26.99{\pm}0.61$ vs. $40.55{\pm}0.52$ [25 mg] & $41.12{\pm}0.37$ [50 mg]) whereas, there was a significant decrease in serum total cholesterol (TCh), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol levels observed in silymarin treated diabetic rats. STZ treatment caused significant degeneration of liver parenchyma, which was normalized to near normal morphology by administration of silymarin. The findings indicate that silymarin effectively improved the overall lipid profile and restored the glycogen stores in the liver of STZ-induced diabetic rats, in a dose dependent manner. The results indicate existence of abnormalities in lipid metabolism in STZ-induced diabetic rats and suggest a protective effect of silymarin in this animal model.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1732-1741
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• 2006

Obesity is chronic disease which influenced on health severly. The causes of obesity have been known as life change, lack of excercise, genetic factor, mental and social economic factors. Especially the obesity of women increased the risk of the diseases such as DM, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and infertility. The limitations of the widely used negative definition of health as the absence of disease and WHO's 1946 definition of health as total social, psychological and physical well-being have long been recognized (WHO 1958). The Quality of Life (QoL) includes functional ability, the degree and quality of social and community interaction, psychological well-being as somatic sensation and life satisfaction. I investigated to compare the differences between obese women (n=63), non-obese women (n=37) in clinic and general women (n=43, control) on baseline characteristics and WHO QoL-BREF. The purpose of this study is to assist the diagnosis and treatment of obesity. WHO QoL-BREF is self administered type which consisted of 26 questions. The prospective question is calculated with 5 scores by Likert's method. The results are as follows : The means of physical, psychological, social, overall and total scores of QoL were significant among BMI group (P<0.05). The score of control group (BMI < 25) was higher than other groups significantly (P<0.05). In multiple regression analysis, the variable of high school/below middle school was significant in environmental and overall domain of QoL scores (P<0.05). The variable of college/below middle school was significant in environmental, overall domain and total score of QoL scores (P<0.05). The variable of above university/below middle school was significant in physical health, environmental, overall domain and total score in QoL scores (P<0.05). The variable of Health perception (moderate/bad) was positively significant in physical health, environmental, overall domain and total score of QoL scores (P<0.05). The variable of Health perception (good/bed) was positively significant in physical health, environmental, social, overall domain and total score of QoL scores (P<0.05). The variable as BMI non-=obese women/control was negatively significant in social domain of QoL scores (P<0.05). Above the results, It suggests that the variable as BMI did't affect on the QoL in patients and control, but the variables as education and health perception affected on the QoL scores. Further study is required to conduct QoL differences between before and after treatment of obese patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1298-1303
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• 2015

Machilus thunbergii (Lauraceae) is an evergreen tree cultivated in Korea and Japan. M. thunbergii has long been used as a traditional medicine in Korea, China, and Japan to treat various diseases, including edema, abdominal pain, and abdominal distension. In this study, dried stem bark of M. thunbergii extracted in methanol and extract was partitioned into n-hexane, CHCl₃, and BuOH. The CHCl₃-soluble extracts chromatographed on silica gel column using a CHCl₃/acetone and n-hexane/EtOAc mixture to afford Compound 1 and 2. Two dibenzylbutane lignans, macelignan (1) and meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (2), were isolated from the CHCl₃-soluble extract of M. thunbergii stem bark. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic data analyses and a comparison with literature data. The tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated. Among these compounds, Compound 2 strongly inhibited the monophenolase (IC₅₀=10.2 μM) activity of tyrosinase. A kinetic analysis showed that Compound 2 was a competitive inhibitor. The apparent inhibition constant (K_i) for Compound 2 binding to free enzyme was 4.8 μM. Based on these results, it can be concluded that meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (2) is a potential candidate for the treatment of melanin biosynthesis-related skin diseases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.161-168
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• 2007

Salicornia herbacea L. (Chenopodiaceae: S. herbacea) is a salt marsh plant, which has long been prescribed in traditional medicines for the treatment of intestinal ailments, nephropathy, and hepatitis in Oriental countries. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of this herb, we conducted an anti-oxidative activity, the inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production, and the suppression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, with the solvent-extracts of S. herbacea. We found that both ethyl acetate and n-butanol tractions showed potent anti-oxidative effects in comparison to other fractions using xanthine oxidase assay with $IC_{50}$ values of $66.0{\pm}0.5\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $82.5{\pm}3.8\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In addition, both ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions showed more electron donating activity (EDA) than other tractions, according to DPPH (2, 2-Diphenyl-lpicrylhydrazyl radical) assay. The EDA of ethyl acetate fraction ($IC_{50}$ values of $117.5{\pm}3.8\;{\mu}g/ml$) is more significant than that of n-butanol fraction ($IC_{50}$ values of $375.0{\pm}12.5\;{\mu}g/ml$). Among potential anti-oxidative tractions, ethyl acetate traction dose-dependently suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cell, while n-butanol did not. As expected, ethyl acetate fraction suppressed the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 cell stimulated by $0.1\;{\mu}g/ml$ of LPS. Moreover, the ethyl acetate traction suppressed the expression of interleukin-1 $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) mRNA in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, these results suggest that S. herbacea may have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities by modulating radical-induced toxicity and various pro-inflammatory responses.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2005

In South America, natural products with unknown drug effects are used as folk remedies and for preventive medicine. Among South American natural products, we directed our attention to Propolis, which have been known as medicinal plants, and examined the mechanisms by which these substances affect antioxidant activity, anti-tumor activity and immunoresponse. When the antioxidant activities of Propolis were examined by the DPPH and Rhoudan iron methods, since Propolis contains high levels of flavonoids, it is thought that flavonoids may be responsible for the antioxidant activity in this study. In the examination of immunoenhancement activity, we measured lymphocyte versus polymorphonuclear leukocyte ratios (L/P activity). The number of lymphocytes was significantly increased in groups treated with Proplolis. Specifically, slightly high levels of $IFN-{\gamma}$ were measured in mice bearing the S-180 carcinoma, after administration of Propolis. This strongly suggests that cellular immunity is especially activated by treatment with Propolis, because production of $IFN-{\alpha}$ is limited to the T cells and NK cells stimulated by mitogen and sensitized antigen. $TNF-{\alpha}$ shows a different extent and mechanism of action depending on the target cells. When $TNF-{\alpha}$ was measured in mice bearing the S-180 carcinoma, mice treated with Propolis showed slightly higher $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels as compared to the control group. This suggests that activated macrophages produce $TNF-{\alpha}$ in mice treated with Prapolis, since activated macrophages and lymphocytes are the source of most $TNF-{\alpha}$. When anti-tumor action was examined using two kinds of sarcoma (Ehrlich solid carcinoma and Sarcoma-180 carcinoma), tumor-suppressive ratios after treatment with Propolis was 29.1%. When Sarcoma-180 solid carcinoma was used, tumor-suppressive ratios were 62%. Thus, Propolis showed strong anti-tumor activity against two kinds of solid carcinoma. Taken altogether, this strongly suggests that Propolis enhances original functions of macrophages and NK cells, and as a result, secondarily enhances the immune reaction and suppresses tumor growth.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.101-108
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• 2021

Objectives : A root of Dipsacus asperoides C. Y. Cheng et T. M. Ai (D. asperoides) has been traditionally used as a medicinal resource in several Asian countries, including Korean and traditional Chinese medicine that has been traditionally used for treating several medical conditions including pain, arthritis, and bone fractures in Korea. In the present study, we investigated potential subacute toxicities of D. asperoides extract. Methods : C57BL/6 mice (male, 7weeks) were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 mice. Except for the control group, the mice were orally administrated D. asperoides extract at doses of 50, 150, or 450 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, all mice were euthanized, and the following parameters were examined: mortality, body weight, clinical signs, gross findings, hematology, serum biochemistry, organ weight, and histopathology. Results : There were no abnormalities in mortality, clinical signs, body weight, gross findings, or organ weight after repeated administration of D. asperoides extract for 2 weeks, compared with the control group. In addition, there were no significant changes in hematological, serum biochemical, and histopathological parameters between the control group and D. asperoides extract administrated groups with doses of up to 450 mg/kg/day. Conclusion : In this study, D. asperoides extract showed no significant toxicities at a dose of up to 450 mg/kg/day in mice. Although we could not confirm the toxic dose of D. asperoides extract, it can be considered safe for further pharmacological use.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.475-483
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• 2016

The current study was conducted to evaluate beneficial effects of a new formula (CWC-9) using four traditional Oriental medicinal herbs, Cynanchum wilfordii, Rehmannia glutinosa, Polygala tenuifolia, and Acorus gramineus, on hippocampal cells and memory function. To examine the neuroprotective effects of a new four-herb extract, cell viability, cytotoxicity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays were performed in HT22 cells and behavioral tests (Morris water maze and passive avoidance retention), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were performed in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. In HT22 hippocampal cells, pretreatment with CWC-9 resulted in significantly reduced glutamate-induced cell death with suppression of ROS accumulation caused by glutamate. In a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia, we observed significant improvement of spatial and short-term memory function by treatment with CWC-9. Phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in hippocampus of ischemic mice were decreased by treatment with CWC-9, but phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) were significantly enhanced. By immunohistochemical analysis, we confirmed higher expression of phosphorylation of CREB in the hippocampal neurons of CWC-9 treated mice. These results suggest that new multi-herb formula CWC-9 mainly exerted beneficial effects on cognitive function through regulation of neuro-protective signaling pathways associated with CREB.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.169-191
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• 1997

Hyangpaeyangyeongtang, which was first prescribed in the book of Euijonggumgam (醫宗金鑑), has been widely applied to the treatment of scrofula and carbuncle in the neck and tumor as well in the oriental medicine. The Fritillariae roylei bulbus was also used as an anti-tumor medicine. In order to investigate the effect of Hyangpaeyangyeongtang and Fritillariae roylei bulbus extracts on the immune responses to the epithelioma induced by 3-methylcholanthrene and prostaglandin-$F_2{\alpha}$ in mice, the change of epithelioma size was observed and delayed type hypersensitivity, hemagglutinin titer, hemolysin titer, rosette forming cells, natural killer cell activity, lymphocyte transformation, productivity of interleukin-2 and phagocytic activity were also measured. The results were as follows; 1. The epithelioma size was decreased with statistical significance in the Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group at the 14th day, as compared with the control group. 2. Delayed type hypersensitivity was not shown any decrease in the Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group and the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group, as compared with the control group. 3. Hemagglutinin titer was increased with statistical significance in the Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group, but not in the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group as compared with the control group. 4. Hemolysin titer was increased with statistical significance in the Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group, but not in the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group as compared with the control group. 5. Rosette forming cells were not increased in the Hyangpaeyangyeong tang group, but increased with statistical significance in the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group as compared with the control group. 6. Natural killer cell activity at the ratio 100:1 of effector cells to target cells was increased with statistical significance in the Hyangpaeyayeongngtang group and the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group respectively, and the natural killer cell activity at the ratio of 50:1 and 10:1 of effector cells to target cells Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group was increased with statistical significance as compared with the control group. 7. Lymphocyte transformation was increased in the Hyangpaeyangyeong tang group and the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group respectively, as compared with the control group. 8. Productivity of interleukin-2 was increased in the Hyangpaeyangyecing tang group and the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group respectively, as compared with the control group. 9. Phagocytic activity was not shown any decrease in the Hyangpaeyangyeongtang group and the Fritillariae roylei bulbus group, as compared with the control group.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1007-1016
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• 2023

In this study, the effect of functional substances such as polyphenols and flavonoids contained in large quantities in red ginseng and herbal medicines on the antioxidant activity properties and flavor effect were investigated by increasing the content and activity of functional ingredients by convert red ginseng through a steaming heat-drying process compared to the traditional dry processing method of ginseng and herbal medicines. According to the experimental results, the addition of pre-heat treatment significantly increased antioxidant properties such as DPPH radical scavenging ability, polyphenols, and flavonoids. In addition, during the steaming and heat-dried red ginseng manufacturing process, the amino-carbonyl browning reaction was promoted, resulting in increased brownness and a savory flavor. However, the content of ginsenosides, the main medicinal ingredient in red ginseng, became the main cause of the bitter and harsh taste. In addition, the bitter and harsh taste of red ginseng has been significantly improved by roasting and producing powder, but on the other hand, Radix Angelicae sinensis, polymorphic angelica and Peony, which are used as main medicinal ingredients in oriental medicine for nutritional tonic prescriptions such as 10 herbal medicine and 4 herbal medicine have a very strong herbal medicine-specific flavor and have a bitter and harsh taste. It is so strong that in order to use it as an instant extraction material, it was reviewed that a steaming and heating manufacturing method was needed during the manufacturing process.