• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.25-29
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• 2012

Objectives : This article reviews a solution preventing the illegal distribution of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine and risks on public health by conducting safety management of food and medicine. Also, this article would like to contribute to improvement of public health treating diseases in compliance with accurate diagnosis and prescription of Oriental Medicine Doctor("OMD")'s. Methods : An approach in this research can be categorized into two : first, to examine the current administrative situation and problems of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine based on policy documents of Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Food and Drug Adminstration("KFDA") and academic articles of the herbal medicine;second, to find reasonable administrative solutions to solve the problems. Solutions : A solution is to strengthen the management level of herbal medicine in common use for food and medicine by selecting 117 items as target items requiring concentrated management. In case herbal medicine is imported for food, KFDA strengthens the quality management level of herbal medicine by making use of inspection frequency at random, collecting and verifying herbal medicine on the market. However, KFDA decides to maintain current different quality specification system of food and medicine reflecting a civil complaint that quality specification of food and medicine should separately managed according to the purpose of use. Herbal medicine as medicine that is functioned as treating diseases and alleviating symptoms, unlike herbal medicine for food, can cure all kinds of diseases by recovering inner balance of human body, making use of other properties of herbal medicine. Medicine has its own properties. If a doctor uses properties of medicine appropriately, he cures diseases. If a doctor uses herbal medicine inappropriately. he may damage human body. Thus, whether side effects of medicine depend on a doctor who uses herbal medicine. Conclusions : All herbal medicine will be supplied into the market after strict safety control of manufacturers of herbal medicine according to the revised Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, beginning in April, 2012. Thus, people can take safer and more reliable herbal medicine through strengthening safety management of herbal medicine and improving quality and transparency in the distribution system. Herbal medicine should appropriately be prescribed by licensed OMD because herbal medicine is used to treat diseases and alleviate symptoms, unlike herbal medicine for food.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1500-1506
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• 2017

Plants are reservoirs of naturally occurring chemical compounds and of structurally diverse bioactive molecules. The aim of this investigation was to screen for the presence of phytochemicals responsible for the lipolysis activity in mulberry (Morus alba) leaves, which are important in traditional Asian medicinal plants. Powdered mulberry leaves were extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Daucosterol was isolated from the EtOAc extract of mulberry leaves, and its structure was elucidated by NMR spectral analyses. The NMR assignments for the compound were determined using $^1H$, $^{13}C$, DEPT, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC NMR spectral data. Daucosterol showed a concentration-dependent lipolysis activity that may impart medicinal properties that can be exploited by medical practitioners for the treatment of various diseases. However, further studies should be conducted to elucidate additional mechanisms of daucosterol.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2017

The Monascus azaphilone (MAz) pigment is a well-known food colorant that has yellow, orange and red components. The structures of the yellow and orange MAz differ by two hydride reductions, with yellow MAz being the reduced form. Orange MAz can be non-enzymatically converted to red MAz in the presence of amine derivatives. It was previously demonstrated that mppE and mppG are involved in the biosynthesis of yellow and orange MAz, respectively. However, ${\Delta}mppE$ and ${\Delta}mppG$ knockout mutants maintained residual production of yellow and orange MAz, respectively. In this study, we deleted the region encompassing mppD, mppE and mppG in M. purpureus and compared the phenotype of the resulting mutant (${\Delta}mppDEG$) with that of an mppD knockout mutant (${\Delta}mppD$). It was previously reported that the ${\Delta}mppD$ strain retained the ability to produce MAz but at approximately 10% of the level observed in the wildtype strain. A chemical analysis demonstrated that the ${\Delta}mppDEG$ strain was still capable of producing both yellow and orange MAz, suggesting the presence of minor MAz route(s) not involving mppE or mppG. Unexpectedly, the ${\Delta}mppDEG$ strain was observed to accumulate fast-eluting pigments in a reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. A LC-MS analysis identified these pigments as ethanolamine derivatives of red MAz, which had been previously identified in an mppE knockout mutant that produces high amounts of orange MAz. Although the underlying mechanism is largely unknown, this study has yielded an M. purpureus strain that selectively accumulates red MAz.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.225-236
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• 2021

The epipyrone (EPN) biosynthetic gene cluster of Epicoccum nigrum is composed of epnC, epnB, and epnA, which encode cytochrome P450 oxidase, glycosyltransferase, and highly reducing polyketide synthase, respectively. Gene inactivation mutants for epnA, epnB, and epnC were previously generated, and it was found that all of them were incapable of producing EPN and any of its related compounds. It was also reported that epnB inactivation abolished epnA transcription, generating ΔepnAB. This study shows that the introduction of native epnC readily restored EPN production in ΔepnC, suggesting that epnC is essential for polyketide release from EpnA and implies that EpnC works during the polyketide chain assembly of EpnA. Introduction of epnC promoter-epnA restored EPN production in ΔepnA. The ΔepnB genotype was prepared by introducing the epnA expression vector into ΔepnAB, and it was found that the resulting recombinant strain did not produce any EPN-related compounds. A canonical epnB inactivation strain was also generated by deleting its 5'-end. At the deletion point, an Aspergllus nidulans gpdA promoter was inserted to ensure the transcription of epnA, which is located downstream of epnB. Examination of the metabolite profile of the resulting ΔepnB mutant via LC-mass spectrometry verified that no EPN-related compound was produced in this strain. This substantiates that C-glycosylation by EpnB is a prerequisite for the release of EpnA-tethered product. In conclusion, it is proposed that cytochrome P450 oxidase and glycosyltransferase work in concert with polyketide synthase to generate EPN without the occurrence of any free intermediates.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.4
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• pp.103-127
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• 2022

The influx of modern culture in the early 20th century in Korea led to numerous changes in the country's ginseng industry. With the development of ginseng cultivation technology and commerce, the production and consumption of ginseng increased, and various ginseng products were developed using modern manufacturing technology. Consequently, competition for the sales of these products became fierce. At that time, newspaper advertisements showed detailed trends in the development and sales competition of ginseng products. Before 1920, however, there were few advertisements of ginseng in newspapers. This is thought to be because newspapers had not yet been generalized, and the ginseng industry had not developed that much. Ginseng advertisements started to revitalize in the early 1920s after the launch of the Korean daily newspapers Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo. Such advertisements in this period focused on emphasizing the traditional efficacy of Oriental medicine and the mysterious effects of ginseng. There were many advertisements for products that prescribed the combination of ginseng and deer antler, indicating the great popularity of this prescription at the time. Furthermore, advertisements showed many personal experience stories about taking such products. Mail order and telemarketing sales were already widely used in the 1920s . In 1925, there were advertisements that ginseng products were delivered every day. The advertisements revealed that ginseng roots were classified more elaborately than they are now according to size and quality. Ginseng products in the 1920s did not deviate significantly from the scope of traditional Oriental medicine formulations such as liquid medicine, pill, and concentrated extract. In the 1930s, ginseng advertisements became more active. At this time, experts such as university professors and doctors in medicine or in pharmacy appeared in the advertisements. They recommended ginseng products or explained the ingredients and medicinal effects of the products. Even their experimental notes based on scientific research results appeared in the advertisements to enhance the reliability of the ginseng products. In 1931, modern tablet advertisements appeared. Ginseng products supplemented with vitamins and other specific ingredients as well as ginseng thin rice gruel for the sick appeared at this time. In 1938, ginseng advertisements became more popular, and advertisements using talents as models, such as dancer Choi Seunghee or famous movie stars, models appeared. Ginseng advertisements in the 1920s and 1930s clearly show a side of our rapidly changing society at the time.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2014

Cordycepin is the major functional component of Cordyceps species and is widely used in traditional oriental medicine. Cordycepin has been shown to possess many pharmacological properties, such as enhancement of immune function along with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, and anti-cancer effects. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of cordycepin on cell migration and invasion, which are two critical cellular processes that are often deregulated during metastasis, using HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma cells. According to our data, cordycepin at non-cytotoxic concentrations markedly inhibited the motility and invasiveness of HCT116 cells in a time-dependent manner. RT-PCR and Western blotting results indicated that cordycepin reduced the levels of claudin proteins, which are major components of tight junctions (TJs), and induced tightening of TJs. Cordycepin also attenuated the expression and activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2 and -9, whereas levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)-1 and -2 were simultaneously elevated. These findings suggest that cordycepin reduces the migration and invasion of HCT116 cells by modulating the activities of TJs and MMPs.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

Background: Rehmanniae radix preparata (RRP) has been used as a traditional medicine and is one of the most important oriental herbal medicines. However, the physical characteristics of RRP are not suitable for use in industry. The present study was under-taken to determined the preparation method of RRP powder and the physicochemical characteristics of RRP powder by milling under different pre-freezing temperatures. Methods and Results: Moisture content, powder yield, particle size, bulk density, compressive stress, extraction yield, and 5-HMF content of PRR powders by milling with pre-freezing temperatures (-20, -40, -60, and $-80^{\circ}C$) were analyzed, and correlation among these factors was determined. Powder yield increased and particle size decreased in a pre-freezing temperature-dependent manner from -20 to $-60^{\circ}C$. The Hausner ratio increased from 1.186 to 1.225 with decreasing temperature from -20 to $-80^{\circ}C$, whereas compressive stress showed the opposite trend. Extraction yield and 5-HMF content were not significantly different between RRP powder. Significant correlations were observed among pre-freezing temperature and physical characteristics (e.g., yield, particle size, Hausner ratio, and compressive stress). Conclusions: These results suggest that the pre-freezing temperature is an important factor affecting the physical characteristics of PRR powder and applicable to the industrial production of RRP powder.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.847-852
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• 2008

In order to determine the effects of puffing red ginseng (PRG) powder on the antioxidant enzyme activities of hepatotoxicity in benzo($\alpha$) pyrene[B($\alpha$)P]-treated mice, the mice were divided into 5 groups. The dried red ginseng were prepared by puffing conditions of moisture content 10% and puffing pressure $5\;kgf/cm^2$, and then powdered. PRG powder was injected i.p. once a day for 5 successive days, followed by the administration of B($\alpha$)P treatment on the fifth day. We also evaluated the relationship between lipid peroxidation and PRG powder on oxidative stress. The increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase observed following B($\alpha$)P-treatment were reduced by the treatment of PRG powder. Whereas the glutathione content and glutathione S-transferase activity depleted by B $\alpha$)P were significantly increased, the B($\alpha$)P-associated elevation of cytochrome P-450 activities and lipid peroxide content were reduced as the result of PRG powder treatment. Especially, PRG powder had higher antioxidant activities than RG powder. These results suggest that puffing red ginseng powder can protect against B($\alpha$)P intoxicification through its antioxidant properties.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.923-929
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• 2011

For the purpose of investigating the in vitro antidiabetic activity of a medicinal herb mixture prepared through traditional antidiabetic prescription, the study analyzed the existence of insulin-similar components and examined ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibition activity. As a result of arranging the medicinal herb mixture extracts over the 3T3-L1 fibroblast in the concentration of $10{\mu}g/mL$, which confirmed that it included much of insulin sensitizer components as 151.7% in the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblast. The inhibition activity against ${\alpha}$-amylase of the medicinal herb mixture extracts as hypoglycemic agent were 38.4, 31.5 and 16.6% in the concentration of 10.0, 1.0 and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. The inhibition activity against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase of the medicinal herb mixture extracts were 81.3, 35.8 and 26.7% in the concentration of 10.0, 1.0 and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. The inhibition activity against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase in the ethyl acetate fractions of the water and 80% ethanol extracts were 66.9% and 55.1%, respectively, the highest levels in the various solvent extracts.