• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.137-145
• /
• 2011

Objectives : This research dealt with the content of the hot medicinal compress technique in Donguibogam in order to develope the hot medicinal compress technique as a new therapy technique. Methods : In this research, we searched for the hot medicinal compress treatment in Donguibogam. Results : The hot medicinal compress technique mainly cures the diseases on the body surface and it can be applied to digestive troubles and gynecologic diseases. The hot medicinal compress technique is operated mainly at wound around the affected parts and it is applied to the constitutional symptom at the abdominal region. In the hot medicinal compress technique was used much more with medication, and the herbs used in the treatment consists of hot tastes and the warm characteristics. In the hot medicinal compress method with direct heating the herbs was mainly used. Conclusions : The hot medicinal compress technique is considered as treatment which can be utilized easily and it can be used an easy and useful self-treatment.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.213-218
• /
• 2006

Objectives : Radix Bupleuri is from the dried root of the herb of the Perennial herbaceous plant, Bulpleurum falcatum L. or Bulpleurum chinense DC. or Bulpleurum. scorzonerifolium Willd., family Umbelliferae. Medicinal Properties are bitter and pungent in flavor, slightly cold in nature and attributed to the liver and gallbladder meridians. Actions in modern Materia Medica are regulate the functional relation of internal organs to relieve fever, disperse the stagnated liver-qi and uplift yang-qi to raise sinking. The ‘uplift yang-qi to raise sinking’ efficacy, out of three efficacies (regulate the functional relation of internal organs to relieve fever, disperse the stagnated liver-qi and uplift yang-qi to raise sinking), has been disputed in the medical profession for a long period. Hereupon, this study ascertained the reason why it has been disputed. Methods : With respect to this medicinal herb, the efficacies of regulate the functional relation of internal organs to relieve fever, disperse the stagnated liver-qi and uplift yang-qi to raise sinking were described as to what was written in ‘Shen Nong's Herbal’ from Chin and Han dynasties until Jin and Yuan dynasties. Results : The beginning of Jin and Yuan dynasties, it began to deal with the ‘uplift yang-qi to raise sinking’ efficacy and so it has been carried on modern textbooks and medical books. The reason why it was added is that it was influenced by the theory of ‘Raise Sinking’ advocated by Zhang jieku who lived in the period of Jin and Yuan dynasties. Since then, the properties of ‘Radix Bupleuri’ have been wrongly known to the public. Additionally, ‘Radix Stellariae Seu Gypsophilae’, which was begun to be introduced from the Four Cities since the Five Dynasties, has been combined with the best stuffs of ‘Radix Bupleuri’ produced from Yin Zhou. Consequently, its original properties were remarkably disordered. Likewise, respective medical schools’ theories were changed by the influence of ‘Bulpleurum. scorzonerifolium Willd’ begun to be used since Tang dynasty. Conclusion : it is considered that the current ‘Raise Sinking’ efficacy of Radix Bupleuri is unreasonable to be applied to the efficacy of the whole Radix Bupleuri because it is limited to certain species.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.386-396
• /
• 2002

This study screened 76 Korean traditional patent medicines and 58 medicinal herbs for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. Among the prescriptions methanol and hot water extracts of Samsoum, Chujunghwang-yont'ang, and Sashinhwan showed antimicrobial activities against E. coli and Chujunghwang-yont'ang showed the strongest antimicrobial activity. Among the medicinal herbs, hot water and methanol extracts of Terminalia chebula, Caesalpinia sappan, and Coptis chinensis showed the strongest antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli O157, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella flexnery, Shigella sonnei and Salmonella typhimurium. An interesting characteristic of the traditional medicines such as Samsoum, Chujunghwang-yont'ang, and Sashinhwan was that both methanol and hot water extracts were active. Chujunghwang-yont'ang exhibited the strongest antimicrobial activities against the microorganisms tested. Water and methanol extracts of Terminalia chebula, Caesalpinia sappan, and Coptis chinensis showed the strong of inhibitory effects on the growth of all microorganisms tested.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.43-48
• /
• 2012

Objectives : This study was investigated to determine the contents of pesticide residues and sulfur dioxide residues in commercial herbal medicines in Korea. Methods : Chromatographic test was performed on 100 samples consisted with 10 kinds of medicinal plants including improted and domestic products. To establish 19 pesticide residues (DDE, DDD, DDT, Dieldrin, Methoxychlor, BHC isomers, Aldrin, Endosulfan isomers, Endrin, Captan, Procymidone, Chlorpyrifos and Imidacloprid) in commercial herbal medicines, chromatographic equipments were used with the gas chromatography-mass detector and gas chromatography-electron capture detector for qualitative analysis. The imidacloprid analysis was performed by high performance liquid chromatograpgy-ultraviolet detector at 270 nm UV wavelength. The contents of sulfur dioxides were analyzed by modified Monnier-Williams method. All methods were based on notification procedure of Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA). Results : The residual pesticides were not founded in improted and domestic samples. Among 100 samples, the residues of sulfur dioxide in 73 samples were not detected and 25 samples showed contents in the range of 0~21.90 mg/kg. The excess samples of MRLs were 2 samples (30 mg/kg to medicinal herbs), Asiasari Radix et Rhizoma (Imported product) and the average amount of sulfur dioxide in 2 unsuitable samples were 14.83 mg/kg. These samples were found to transgress KFDA regulatory guidance of residual sulfur dioxide. Conclusion : These results are able to use as basic data to improve the reliability and value of commercial medicinal herbs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.79-89
• /
• 2004

Saussurea lappa and Taraxacum mongolicum have been used for herbal medicinal treatments against cancers in East Asia. We performed this study to understand the molecular basis underlying the anti-tumor effects of two herbs and analyzed the effects of these medicinal herbs on proliferation and on expression of cell growth/apoptosis related molecules by using an AGS gastric cancer cell line. The treatments of Saussurea lappa dramatically reduced cell viabilities in a dose and time-dependent manner, but Taraxacum mongolicum did not. FACS analysis and Annexin V staining assay also showed that Saussurea lappa induces apoptotic cell death of AGS. Expression analyses via RT-PCR and Western blots revealed that Saussurea lappa increased expression of the p53 and its downstream effector p21/sup Waf1/, and that the both increased expression of apoptosis related Bax and cleavage of active caspase-3 protein. We also confirmed the translocation of Bax to mitochondria Collectively, our data demonstrate that Saussurea lappa induces growth inhibition and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, and these effects are correlated with down- and up-regulation of growth-regulating apoptotic and tumor suppressor genes, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.282-288
• /
• 2006

The effects of extracts from various Oriental medicinal herbs on mast-cell-mediated allergic reactions were investigated in this study. Out of these extracts, the medicinal herb Atractylodis rhizoma alba exhibited the most potent activity in the cells, with $IC_50$ values of $20.5\;{\mu}g/ml$, by DNP-BSA and $33.04\;{\mu}g/ml$, by compound 48/80. Similar to the in vitro activity, Atractylodis rhizoma alba inhibited compound-48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis by 31.3% at 300 mg/kg in mice. It also suppressed the secretion of $TNF-{\alpha}$, a major pro-inflammatory cytokine in the cells. These results may suggest that Atractylodis rhizoma alba shows anti-allergic activity in compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic mice through the inhibition of mast cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.96-101
• /
• 2006

Phytoestrogens have been used as a food supplement to prevent osteoporosis. The isoflavones in the phytoestrogens are daidzein, genistein and formononetin which are present in various herbs. This study examined the quantity of isoflavones in medicinal herbs, which can be used as a phytoestrogen supplement; soybean. These isoflavones were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a UV/VIS detector. The concentration of daidzein in Puerariae Radix was $10,436.16{\pm}2,143.83\;mg/kg$ of the dried herb, which was much higher than that extracted from soybeans, $341.47{\pm}18.96\;mg/kg$. The amount of genistein in Sophorae flavescentis Radix ($336.09{\pm}50.89mg/kg$) was approximately 11 times higher than that extracted from soybean ($30.03{\pm}7.17mg/kg$). The level of formononetin in Dalbergiae odoriferae Lignum, $2,189.14{\pm}136.46mg/kg$, was the highest among the herbs tested. The total isoflavone content of Puerariae Radix was approximately 30 times higher than that extracted from soybean. Therefore, plants from the family Leguminosae, particularly Puerariae Radix, can be a good source of phytoestrogens.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.2 s.89
• /
• pp.186-191
• /
• 2006

Metal contamination of medicinal herbs is of growing concern because of their potential adverse health effects. In this study, metal exposures were estimated and their potential health risks were preliminarily evaluated using available data including metal contamination levels and consumption estimates of herbal medicine in Korea. Consumption and contamination data of 34 medicinal herbs abundantly used in Oriental medicine in Korea were used in this study. Lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, and chrome were identified as contaminants of potential health concerns. Even based on a conservative exposure scenario, i.e., consuming 5 times more herbal medicine with 95th percentile contamination levels, health risks associated with herbal medicine consumption were estimated to be minuscule. Herbal consumption was 0.3% of the provisional tolerable daily intake levels recommended by Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of WHO/FAO. However, it should be noted that there are several important assumptions and uncertainties associated with this evaluation: This study was conducted for only 34 types of medicinal herbs of which consumption and metal contamination data were available. In addition, there are no reliable herbal medicine consumption data among Korean population. The pattern and amount of herbal (medicine) consumption in Korea need to be investigated in order to conduct more refined risk assessment associated with metal contamination in medicinal herbs.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.662-672
• /
• 2009

Obesity has increased dramatically increased in recent days. It has resulted in obesity-associated diseases and metabolic syndromes including hyperlipidemia, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Our study was investigated to determine the antiobese effects of mixed 2 medicinal herbs (AR+AC) in rats fed high-fat diet with an abundance of carbohydrates. Two groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different diets during 8 weeks: normal diet containing 5% corn oil (w/w), high-fat diet containing 10% (w/w) lard plus 5% (w/w) corn oil (HF). And High-fat diet group was treated with saline or 100 mg/kg ARAC or 300 mg/kg ARAC (PO). Antiobese effect was evaluated by measuring the changes of body weight, adipose tissues weight. Also we examined levels of leptin, adiponectin and lipid profiles in serum. Finally we compared morphological change in adipocytes and hepatocytes between HF and ARAC group. Mixed combination of 2 medicinal herbs, but not alone, caused significant decrease in body weight, organ weight (liver, epididymal fat, and BAT) compared with control HF group. The ARAC group had markedly lower serum levels of adiponectin when compared with HF group. Also the epididymal white adipocyte size of ARAC group were diminished comparing to the HF group. These results suggest that the possibility of ARAC combination, as an antiobese formula, by suppression of body weight gain and increased lipid profiles.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.12
• /
• pp.1729-1739
• /
• 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of fermented medicinal herbs. A search of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed databases and Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine in 2000-2011 located 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the clinical efficacy of fermented medicinal herbs. Domestic RCTs reported clinical efficacy on improvement of immune responses and clinical safety on usage of fermented medicinal herbs in subjects suffering from cerebral hemodynamics. Countries other than Chinareported studies on the cause of esophageal cancer and on local inflammatory reactions. In China, studies were reported on the effectiveness of fermented medicinal herbs on scapulohumeral periarthritis of the stasis type, chronic superficial gastritis, dysuria induced by benign prostatic hyperplasia of deficiency of kidney yang, diabetic nephropathy, essential hypertension, and benign prostate hyperplasia. These results indicate that fermented medicinal herbs have obvious clinical effects in some diseases and no adverse reactions. Therefore, we need to initiate more fermentation research with useful bacteria, fungi, and mushrooms to produce fermented medicinal herbs. Both governments and research authorities should focus on research involving fermentation of medicinal herbs.