• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.373-381
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• 2011

Liu Hejian maintained that the six types of energy can become fire and focused on the treatment of fire and heat symptoms along with the prescriptions of cryotherapy, believing that a vast majority of disease are due to fire. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of Hejian's formulae by classifying medicinal ingredients in consideration of medicinal properties and efficacy in order to examine how many cold and hot medicinal ingredients are included in the formulae of Hejian. We analysis 848 formulae among 1,055 formulae in total, excluding 207 redundant ones, which includes 366 Sunmyunglon formulae, 223 Bomyeongjip formulae, 8 Samsolon formulae, 61 Sanghanjigkyeok formulae, 68 Sanghanpyobon formulae, 22 Sanghansimyo formulae, 103 Hwalbeopgiyo formulae, 186 Bodongbiyo formulae, and 18 Gagamyoungbisippalbang formulae. In the analysis of the frequency of using each medicinal herb after classifying medicinal ingredients of Hejian's formulae by medicinal properties, we found that cold medicinal ingredients accounted for 40%, the biggest share in the formulae, and hot medicinal ingredients accounted for around 45%, which indicates that Hejian's formulae consist of both elimination and reinforcement and cold and heat, rather than cold medicinal ingredients only. As a comparison of the frequency of using each medicinal ingredients for the formulae by efficacy, we found that clear heat medicinal ingredients, totify qi and replenish blood medicinal herbs, and activate blood medicinal ingredients were most frequently used.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1143-1150
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• 2002

Recent evidence suggests that many Oriental Medicinal prescriptions are effective in cancer patients as a supportive care. Oriental Medicinal herbs have been investigated extensively and are known to have multiple pharmacological effect. These herbs contain a variety of ingredients which may act synergistically to inhibit tumor cell division, to increase tumor cell death (apoptosis), and to increase the proportion of immune cells within tumor. Paljinhangahm-dan (Paljin) has been used to treat for cancer patients in Oriental Medicine for decades. The effects of aqueous extract of Paljin on the induction of apoptotic cell death were investigated in human leukemia cell lines (HL-60, Jurkat, Molt-4 and U937). The viability of leukemia cells was markedly decreased by Paljin in a dose-dependent manner. Paljin induced the apoptotic death of leukemia cells, which was characterized by the ladder-pattern DNA fragmentation, and chromatin condensation of the nuclei. Paljin digested Bid protein but did not affect Bcl-2 protein level and also, induced mitochondrial dysfunction disrupted as shown as the mitochondrial membrane potential. It activated caspase-9 and caspase-3. thereby resulted in cleavage of poly(ADP) ribose polymerase(PARP). These results indicate that Paljin induces apoptosis of human leukemia cells via activation of intrinsic caspase cascades with mitochondrial dysfunction.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.306-313
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• 2012

Herbal medicines are medicinal products containing a single or a mixture of two or more different herbal substances or herbal preparations as active principles. Recently, much attention has been paid to developing various kinds of fermented herbal extracts, a new type of traditional herbal medicine in the field of Korean traditional medicine. The fermentation of medicinal herbs is intended to exert a favorable influence on bioestability, bioavaliablilty and pharmacological activity of herbal extract in the gastrointestinal tract as well as intensifying the nutritional and pharmacological aspects of the medicinal herbs. The purpose of this study was to investigate biological activities of fermented Rehmanniae Radix by lactic acid bacteria at $30^{\circ}C$ for 3 days in comparison with those for Rehmanniae Radix The fermented Rehmanniae Radix exhibited different chemical profile to Rehmanniae Radix generated with HPLC, indicating production of new ingredients during fermentation. Rehmanniae Radix served as good nutritional sources for the growth of lactic acid bacteria showing increased number of bacteria during fermentation. Toxic effect of the fermented Rehmanniae Radix to cells were not seen judged by the MTT assay. The fermented Rehmanniae Radix exhibited better antioxidant effect than non-fermented Rehmanniae Radix analyzed by a SOD-likely assay. Both hypoglycemic and hypotensive effects of the fermented Rehmanniae Radix were also detected and better than those for Rehmanniae Radix in showing dose-dependent inhibitory effects on alpha-glucosidase and ACE, respectively. In conclusion, fermented Rehmanniae Radix appears to have more biological activities than non-feremented Rehmanniae Radix showing not only antioxidant effect but also cardiovascular protection.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2014

Background: The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3)is constitutively activated in many human cancers. It promotes tumor cell proliferation,inhibits apoptosis, induces angiogenesis and metastasis, and suppresses antitumor hostimmune responses. Therefore, Stat3 has emerged as a promising molecular target for cancertherapies. In this study, we evaluated the Stat3-suppressive activity of 38 herbal medicinestraditionally used in Korea.Methods: Medicinal herb extracts in 70% ethanol were screened for their ability to suppressStat3 in the A549 human lung cancer cell line. A Stat3-responsive reporter assay system wasused to detect intracellular Stat3 activity in extract-treated cells, and Western blot analyseswere performed to measure the expression profiles of Stat3-regulated proteins.Results: Fifty percent of the 38 extracts possessed at least mild Stat3-suppressive activities(i.e., activity less than 75% of the vehicle control). Ethanol extracts of Bupleurum falcatumL., Taraxacum officinale Weber, Solanum nigrum L., Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, Euonymus alatusSieb., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill inhibited up to 75% of thevehicle control Stat3 activity level. A549 cells treated with these extracts also had reducedBcl-xL, Survivin, c-Myc, and Mcl-1 expression.Conclusion: Many medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea contain Stat3 activity-suppressing substances. Because of the therapeutic impact of Stat3 inhibition, these resultscould be useful when developing novel cancer therapeutics from medicinal herbs.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.65-82
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• 2018

Objectives : The purpose of this study is 1) to explore the general tendency of the herbs or herbal formula for acne treatment in clinical practice 2) and to provide a basis for explaining the principles of acne treatment in Korean Medicine in order to make patients understand more easily based on pharmacological mechanism by analyzing the herbs or herbal formula using for acne treatment in clinical practice. Methods : In the domestic databases (Oriental medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System-OASIS, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal-KTKP, National Discovery for Science Leader-NDSL, Research Information Sharing Service-RISS), we selected among the papers published using search terms related to "acne". Reports related to sasang constitutional medicine were excluded and a total of 23 papers were finally selected. Results : 29 prescriptions were retrieved from 23 papers. Chungan-tang (淸顔湯) notified formulas ranked first by Cheongsangbangpung- tang (淸上防風湯), Hwangnyeonhaedok-tang (黃連解毒湯), Dangguijakyaksan (當歸芍藥散) and Bipachungpe-eum (枇杷淸肺飮). Commonly used herbs are Forsythiae Fructus (連翹), Scutellariae Radix (黃芩), Gardeniae Fructus (梔子), Ligustici Rhizoma (川芎), and Angelicae Gigantis Radix (當歸). In most patients with inflammatory lesions or excessive flushing, exterior-releasing medicinal (解表藥) and heat-clearing medicinal (淸熱藥) were mainly prescribed for acne treatment, while in patients with acne accompanied hyperkeratinization, Excess sebum secretion, Dysmenorrhea or indigestion, qi-tonifying medicinal (補氣藥) or blood-tonifying medicinal (補血藥) were mainly used. KAGS (Korean Acne Grading System) was the most commonly used method for acne severity assessment. Conclusions : These findings suggest that the herbs or herbal formula for acne treatment in Korean Medicine is prescribed differently according to the cause and symptoms of acne in a unique way for control the whole body balance. Also, our findings could provide a basis for explaining the principles of acne treatment in Korean Medicine in order to make patients understand more easily based on pharmacological mechanism in clinical practice.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.45-48
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• 2011

Traditional medicines usually use combinational formula that are prepared by mixing different varieties of medicinal herbs and boiling them in water to yield a decoction. In recent years a modified method has been proposed and practiced wherein the individual herbs are boiled with water separately and later these extracts are mixed together for use. We attempted to evaluate their equivalence in terms of its polyphenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The polyphenol contents as well as the DPPH radical scavenging activities were very similar to each other.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-172
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• 2011

Traditional medicines usually use combinational formula that is prepared by mixing different varieties of medicinal herbs and boiling them in water to yield a decoction. In recent years a modified method has been proposed and practiced wherein the individual herbs are boiled with water separately and later these extracts are mixed together for use. This practice has lead to a constant controversy concerning the chemical and biological equivalence between the preparations arriving out of these two methodologies. In this research, we attempted to study the effects of traditional and individual preparation of Ssanghwa-tang (ST) to evaluate their equivalence in terms of its antioxidant activity and polyphenol content. The study results indicate that the polyphenol contents as well as the extraction yields of these two preparations were very similar to each other.

• CELLMED
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.11.1-11.5
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• 2015

Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) prescriptions typically consist of several herbs based on the assumption that the herbs operate synergistically and/or cooperate on several related pathways simultaneously. This is a general concept that is widely accepted in TEAM, but it has not been tested systematically. To check this assumption statistically, we have text mined traditional Korean medicine text the Inje-ji(仁濟志, Collections of benevolent savings), a text that contains more than 5000 herb-cocktail prescriptions. We created herb-pairing network based on herb-herb pairing specificity and performed a systematic network analysis. Herbs were shown to be used selectively with other herbs and not randomly. Moreover, herb pairs were more specifically associated with symptoms than were single herbs. Single herbs and combinations of herbs specifically used for diabetes mellitus were successfully identified. As conclusion, herb-pairings in TEAM are not randomly constructed; instead, each herb was selectively used with other herbs. In terms of statistical significance, herb pairs were more specifically associated with symptoms than were single herbs alone. Collectively, these results suggest that it may be important to understand the interactions among multiple ingredients contained in herb pairs rather than trying to identify a single compound to resolve symptoms.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.77-81
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this research was to examine the oriental medical term 'Yukjin(in chinese, liuchen)' i.e. 'good long-term storage of the six oriental medicinal herbs'. Yukjin has meant the six sorts of drugs which were well known for the older they stored, the better efficacious they were. This research was carried out to obtain more conclusive information about the time and the reason of the giving a naming Yukjin, and to arrange Yukjin's properties, toxicities and processes. Methods : We investigated the documents recorded in the medical classics of Yukjin and did the current issues and recent experimental researches of these medicines. Results : 1. The properties and flavors of Yukjin are pungent and bitter. When they were stored for a long time after gathering, their toxicities and stimuli were growing thinner, regarded as positive clinically with age and they should be used after processing. 2. The efficacies of Yukjin are not always in proportion to storage period. In case, they are stored too long, their efficacies and qualities may be deteriorated though volatility or pungent flavors are enfeebled. Conclusions : Consequently, toxicities and strong flavors of Yukjin can be reduced in various processes. So the traditional theory of long-term preservation is not necessarily retained. It may be desirable to store them for 1 to 3 years after harvest, to safen their toxicities and adverse reactions in the way of processing. If we use them properly according to oriental medicine method, it will be effective on treating and preventing the various diseases.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.410-418
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• 1998

From the ancient times, herbs, animals and minerals were used as natural medicine to cure human disease in diverse ways. One of the representative forms in oral intake is decoction. But medicinal decoction degenerates as time passes just as all foods do by the environmental factors, such as micro-organism, enzyme, light and the air. Nowadays, as medicinal decoctions are kept in bottles and retort pouch for longtime, some standard data for preservation is necessary. In order to measure the standard statistics for safe preservation, Youngsunjetongeum used to treat rheumatism, and gout 'were used. According to this experiment which measured pH, specific gravity, analgesic effect and anti-inflammatory effect, the results were as follows: 1. No remarkable change was found in pH and in the specific gravity of decoction. 2. As for the analgesic effect induced by acetic acid in mice, no remarkable decrease in its medicinal efficacy was found, until the 9th day, but it showed in its medicinal efficacy from the 11th day. 3. As for the resultant anti-inflammatory effect caused by vascular permeability, induced by carrageenin and acetic acid, no remarkable decrease in its medicinal efficacy was found until the 9th day, but showed decrease in its medicinal efficacy from 11th day. In conclusion, keeping the natural medicinal decoction more than 9 days should be avoided.