Quinazolinones, 2-substituted and 3-substituted, mainly synthesized by microwave irradiation, were subjected to anti-platelet aggregation and inhibition of superoxide anion generation assays. Interestingly, 2-phenyl-4-quinazolinone (4) exhibited significant inhibitory activities toward platelet aggregation and neutrophil activation, and it might therefore serve as a prototype lead compound.

A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to determine the contents of psoralen and angelicin from some medicinal herbs. The optimum eluent for chromatography was 20 v/v% acetonitrile in water on a Zorbax 300SB $C_{18}$ column. The identification was carried out by comparing the retention time and mass spectra of the relevant peaks with their standards. The variation of the concentration of psoralen and angelicin was wide between different species. The seeds of Psoralea corylifolia showed the highest contents of psoralen (7.8 mg/g) and angelicin (2.3 mg/g) among the tested herbs.

Phytochemical works on the aerial parts of Aster oharai (Compositae) led to the isolation of a new sesquiterpene hydroperoxide, 7$\alpha$-hydroperoxy-3, 11-eudesmadiene (2) and seven known compounds, teucdiol B (1), $\alpha$-spinasterol (3), oleanolic acid (4), $\alpha$-spinasterol 3-Ο-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside (5), methyl 3,5-di-Ο-caffeoyl quinate (6), 3,5-di-Ο-caffeoylquinic acid (7), 3,4-di-Ο-caffeoylquinic acid (8). The chemical structures of 1-8 were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compound 2 showed cytotoxicity against cultured human tumor cell lines in vitro, SK-OV-3 (ovarian), SK-MEL-2 (skin melanoma), and HCT15 (colon) with $ED_{50}$ values ranging from 3.86-17.21 $\mu$g/mL.

KR-31378 is a new drug candidate intended for the use in the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion damage. The objective of this preformulation study was to determine the physicochemical properties of KR-31378. The n-octanol to water partition coefficients of KR-31378 were 0.0504 at pH 3 and 0.8874 at pH 10. Accelerated stability of KR-31378 in solution and solid state was studied at 5, 40, $60^{\circ}C$. The stability testing indicated that the t90 for the drug in solid was estimated to be 2 years and 128.6 days at $25^{\circ}C$, while the that in aquesou solution was 68.6 days at $25^{\circ}C$. The KR-31378 was also found to be unstable under the relative humidity of 76%, probably because of the hygroscopic nature of the drug. In order to study compatibility of KR-31378 with typical excipients, potential change in differential scanning calorimetry spectrum was studied in 1:1 binary mixtures of KR-31378 and Aerosil, Avicel, Eudragit, lactose, PEG, talc, CMC, PVP, starch. As a result, CMC, PVP, and starch were found to be incompatible with KR-31378, indicating the addition of these excipients may complicate the manufacturing of the formulation for the drug. Particle size distribution of KR-31378 powder was in the size range of 9-93 $\mu$ m with the mean particle size of 37.9 $\mu$ m. The flowability of KR-31378 was apparently inadequate, indicating the granulation may be necessary for the processing of the drug to solid dosage forms. Crystallization of the drug with a number of organic solvents did not lead a crystalline polymorphism. In addition, dissolution of the drug from the powder was adequately rapid at $37^{\circ}C$ in water.

Kojic acid dimethyl ether (1), and the known kojic acid mono methyl ether (2), kojic acid (3) and phomaligol A (4) have been isolated from the organic extract of the broth of the marine-derived fungus Altenaria sp. collected from the surface of the marine green alga Ulva pertusa. The structures were assigned on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. Each isolate was tested for its tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Kojic acid (3) was found to have significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity, but compounds 1, 2, and 4 were found to be inactive.

The EtOAc soluble fraction from the stem of Sorghum bicolor showed a strong free radical scavenging activity. Five major compounds were isolated from this fraction. They were identified by spectral data as methyl ferulate (1), methyl p-hydroxycinnamate (2), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (3), tricin (4), and quercetin 3,4 -dimethyl ether (5). Among these compounds, 1 exhibited a strong, free radical scavenging activity on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with an $IC_50$ value of 0.7 $\mu$M. We further studied the effects of these isolated compounds on the lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes induced by non-enzymatic method. All five compounds showed anti-lipid peroxidation activity ($IC_50$ values of 0.5, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.3 $\mu$ M, respectively).

Morphine, an analgesic with significant abuse potential, is considered addictive because of drug craving and psychological dependence. It is reported that repeated treatment of morphine can produce conditioned place preference (CPP) showing a reinforcing effect in mice. CPP is a useful method for the screening of morphine-induced psychological dependence. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the methanolic extract of Coptis japonica (MCJ) on morphine-induced CPP in mice. Furthermore, we examined c-fos expression in the parietal cortex, piriform cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus of the morphine-induced CPP mouse brain. Treatment of MCJ 100 mg/kg inhibited morphine-induced CPP. Expression of c-fos was increased in the cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens, and hippocampus of the morphine-induced CPP mouse brain. These increases of expression were inhibited by treatment with MCJ 100 mg/kg, compared to the morphine control group. Taken together, these results suggest that MCJ inhibits morphine-induced CPP through the regulation of c-fos expression in the mouse brain.

The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a characteristic response to inflammation, which can be inhibited with sodium salicylate. IL-1$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$ can induce extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), IKK, IkB degradation and NF-$\kappa$B activation. Salicylate inhibited the IL-1$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$-induced COX-2 expressions, regulated the activation of ERK, IKK and IkB degradation, and the subsequent activation of NF-$\kappa$B, in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. The inhibition of the ERK pathway, with a selective inhibitor, PD098059, blocked the expressions of IL-1$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$-induced COX-2 and $PGE_2$ release. The antioxidant, N-acetyl-cysteine, also reduced the glutathione or catalase- attenuated COX-2 expressions in IL-1$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$-treated cells. This antioxidant also inhibited the activation of ERK and NF-$\kappa$B in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. In addition, IL-1$\beta$ and TNF-$\alpha$-stimulated the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cardiomyocytes. However, salicylate had no inhibitory effect on the release of ROS in the DCFDA assay. The results showed that salicylate inhibited the activation of ERK and IKK, I$\kappa$B degradation and NF-$\kappa$B activation, independently of the release of ROS, which suggested that salicylate exerts its anti-inflammatory action through the inhibition of ERK, IKK, IkB and NF-$\kappa$B, and the resultant COX-2 expression pathway in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes.

Platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity has been identified in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples taken from children with meningitis. We reported that PAF-AH activity is significantly increased, by about 3 fold, in patients with meningitis compared to control subjects. Because of limited knowledge about this enzyme in CSF, we examined the biochemical properties of CSF PAF-AH. PAF-AH of CSF was calcium independent, showed a broad pH spectrum and was relatively heat stable. In addition, this enzyme activity was strongly inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), partially inhibited by p-bromophenacylbromide (p-BPB), uninhibited by iodoacetamide, and moderately stimulated by dithiothreitol (DTT). PAF-AH of CSF did not degrade phospholipid with a long chain fatty acyl group at sn-2 position. This enzyme hydrolyzed PAF and oxidatively modified phosphatidylcholine. Furthermore, we identified a monomeric polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 45 kDa by Western blot using human plasma PAF-AH antibody. These results suggested that plasma type PAF-AH activity exist in CSF taken from children with meningitis.

Cytokines produced by immune cells infiltrating pancreatic islets have been incriminated as important mediators of $\beta$-cell destruction in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In non insulin-dependent diabetes, cytokines are also associated with impaired $\beta$-cell function in high glucose condition. By the screening of various natural products blocking $\beta$-cell destruction, we have recently found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) can prevent the in vitro destruction of RINm5F cell, an insulinoma cell line, that is induced by cytokines. In that study we suggested that EGCG could prevent cytokine-induced $\beta$-cell destruction by down-regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) through inhibition of NF-kB activation. Here, to verify the in vivo antidiabetogenic effect of EGCG, we examined the possibility that EGCG could also prevent the experimental autoimmune diabetes induced by the treatment of multiple low doses of streptozotocin (MLD-STZ), which is recognized as an inducer of type I autoimmune diabetes. Administration of EGCG (100 mg/day/kg for 10 days) during the MLD-STZ induction of diabetes reduced the increase of blood glucose levels caused by MLD-STZ. Ex vivo analysis of $\beta$-islets showed that EGCG downregulates the MLD-STZ-induced expression of inducible NOS (iNOS). In addition, morphological examination showed that EGCG treatment ameliorated the decrease of islet mass induced by MLD-STZ. In combination these results suggest that EGCG could prevent the onset of MLD-STZ-induced diabetes by protecting pancreatic islets. Our results therefore revealed the possible therapeutic value of EGCG for the prevention of diabetes mellitus progression.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of gliclazide were studied after an oral administration of gliclazide tablets in healthy volunteers. After an overnight fasting, gliclazide tablet was orally administered to 11 volunteers; Additional 10 volunteers were used as a control group (i.e., no gliclazide administration). Blood samples were collected, and the concentration determined for gliclazide and glucose up to 24 after the administration. Standard pharmacokinetic analysis was carried out for gliclazide. Pharmacodynamic activity of the drug was expressed by increase of glucose concentration ($\Delta$PG), by area under the increase of glucose concentration-time curve ($AUC_{$\Delta$PG}$) or by the difference in increase of glucose concentration ($D_{$\Delta$PG}$) at each time between groups with and without gliclazide administration. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that $C_{max}, T_{max}$, CL/F (apparent clearance), V/F (apparent volume of distribution) and half-life of gliclazide were $4.69\pm1.38 mg/L, 3.45\pm1.11 h, 1.26\pm0.35 L/h, 17.78\pm5.27 L, and 9.99\pm2.15 h$, respectively. When compared with the no drug administration group, gliclazide decreased significantly the $AUC_{$\Delta$PG}$ s at 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 h (p＜0.05). The $\Delta$PGs were positively correlated with $AUC_{gliclazide}$ at 1 and 1.5 h (p＜0.05), and the correlation coefficient was maximum at 1 h (r = 0.642) and gradually decreased at 4 h after the administration. The $AUC_{$\Delta$PG}$s were positively correlated with $AUC_{gliclazide}$ at 1, 2, 3 and 4 h (p＜0.05), and the maximum correlation coefficient was obtained at 2 h (r=0.642) after the administration. The $D_{$\Delta$PG}$ reached the maximum at 1 h, remained constant from 1 h to 3 h, and decreased afterwards. Therefore, these observations indicated that maximum hypoglycemic effect of gliclazide was reached at approximately at 1.5 h after the administration and the effect decreased, probably because of the homeostasis mechanism, in health volunteers.

Controlled-release amitriptyline pellets (ATP) were formulated and its oral bioavailability was assessed in human volunteers after oral administration under fasting conditions. Core pellets were prepared using a CF granulator by two different methods (powder layering and solvent spraying) and coated with Eudragit RS or RL 100. Physical characteristics and dissolution rates of core pellets and coated pellets were evaluated to optimize the formulation. Powder layering method resulted in a better surface morphology than solvent spraying method. However, physical properties of the products were poorer when prepared by powder layering method with respect to hardness, friability and density. The dissolution profile of amitriptyline coated with Eudragit RS 100 was comparable to that of commercially available amitriptyline enteric-coated pellets ($Saroten^{\circledR}$ retard). After the oral administration of both products at the dose of 50 mg, the mean maximum concentrations ($C_{max}$) were 36.4 and 29.7 ng/mL, and the mean areas under the concentration-time curve ($AUC_{0-96}$) were 1180.2 and 1010.7 ng.h/mL for ATP and Saroten retard, respectively. The time to reach the maximum concentrations ($T_{max}$) was 6 h for both formulations. Statistical evaluation suggested that ATP was bioequivalent to Saroten retard.

The present study was designed to develop a microencapsulated L-ascorbic acid and iron that could be used to fortify milk and to determine the sensory properties of milk fortified with microencapuslation. Coating material was medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT), and selected core material was ferric ammonium sulfate and L-ascorbic acid. The highest efficiency of microencapsulation was 95.0% in the ratio of 15:1 as coating to core material. Ascorbic acid release was increased sharply up to 5 d storage as 6.5%. TBA value was the lowest when both capsulated iron and ascorbic acid were added during 12 d storage, compared with other treatments. In sensory analysis, most aspects were not significantly different between control and capsulated ascorbic acid fortified milk at 5 d storage. The present study indicated that the use of microencapsulated ascorbic acid with MCT is effective for fortifying milk. In addition, these results suggest that acceptable milk products can be prepared with microencapsulated ascorbic acid and iron.