A chemical examination of the aqueous acetone extract of the leaves of Securinega suffruticosa has led to the isolation of nine phenolic compounds. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences, the structures of these compounds were established to be gallic acid(1), corilagin(2), helioscopinin B(3), geraniin(4), bergenin (5), norbergenin(6), 11-O-galloyl norbergenin(7), gallocatechin(8) and rutin(9).

For the investigation of medicinal resource in Phyllanthus ussuriensis, the studies were conducted to evaluate the pharmaco-constituents in Phyllanthus ussuriensis, which is used as folk medicine in China. From the hot water extract of leaves, three phenolic compounds were isolated and identified as phloroglucinol, gallic acid and rutin by physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic evidences$(IR,{\;}^1H-NMR,{\;}^{13}C-NMR{\;}and{\;}Mass,{\;}etc.)$.

As part of search for new biologically active substances from marine organism, we have isolated a glyecrol glycoside from the marine red alga Gracilaria verrucosa. The structure of the glycerol glycoside was elucidated as 2-O-${\alpha}-_D$-galactopyranosylglycerol[floridoside(4)] on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical evidences.

Two kinds of new lectins, CATL-I and CATL-II, were partially purified from the intestine of Chlorostoma argyrostoma turbunatum by physical saline extraction, salt fractionation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. CATL-I and CATL-II were purified 39.4 and 15.8 fold with a yield of 8.8 and 7.4%, respectively. On polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, CATL-I demonstrated one major and one minor bands. This lectin agglutinated human and other animal erythrocytes nonspecifically and also agglutinated murine splenic lymphocytes. Carbohydrate specificity of the lectins was determined by inhibition of the agglutinability by methyl-${\alpha}-_D$-galactopyranoside and $_L-rhamnose$ at a final concentration of 6 mM. The lectins contained relatively high amounts of acidic amino acids, but the contents of sulfur containing amino acids were very low or was not estimated. Immunochemical studies were carried out to identify some properties of marine animal lectins.

To investigate the effect of Korean mistletoe on stimulation of macrophage, the activity to induce interleukine-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factors-${\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ from murine peritoneal macrophage by its extracts originated from oak was examined. From in vitro analysis of the cytokines using the culture supernatants of macrophages stimulated with its extracts for 1hr, it was found that Korean mistletoe induces IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from murine macrophage. Furthermore, both extracts of Korean mistletoes that were extracted with distilled water and 2% acetic acid exhibited a significant activity to induce two cytokines. In the stimulation for 30 min, Korean mistletoe at concentration of $1{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$ showed a significant induction of IL-1 from macrophage until 24 hrs after stimulation, showing maximal activity on $5{\sim}10\;hrs\;at\;10{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$. On the other hand, $TNF-{\alpha}$ was induced on the early period, 2 hrs, after stimulation at a wide range of concentration, $1{\sim}500\;\mu/ml$. In addition, the fraction of Korean mistletoe from 80% saturated ammonium sulphate precipitation showed a significant activity to induce both cytokines from macrophage. The present study demonstrates that Korean mistletoe contains immunoregulatory factors responsible for stimulating murine macrophage to secrete IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ which play an important role in immune responses, and suggests that the activity of Korean mistletoe to induce two cytokines is functioned by a possible independent stimulation manner.

During the serial attempts to identify the chemical and biological characteristics of Ailanthi Cortex Radicis, the root bark of Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae), we find out the serious toxic effect on kidney by chloroform fraction of the methanolic extract of the herb drug. The toxicities were revealed as the increase of urea nitrogen amount in blood and lactate dehydrogenase and ${\gamma}-glutamyltransferase$ activities in urine and the decrease of the concentration of glutathione and both of protein bound and non-protein bound -SH in kidney tissue.

The combined effects of Ulmi Cortex and some anti-cancer drugs on the proliferation of HeLa cells, Hep G2 cells and S 180 cells were estimated by MTT calorimetric assay. The n-BuOH fraction(UBF) of Ulmi Cortex inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cell at $10^{-3}\;g/ml$, Hep G2 cell at $10^{-5}\;g/ml$ and S 180 cell at $10^{-3}\;g/ml$. The inhibitory effects of mitomycin C(MMC), cisplatin(CPT) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), respectively, on Hep G2 cell was increased by the UBF. The UBF did not influence the proliferation of Balb/c 3T3 cells at concentrations of $10^{-6}$ to $10^{-4}\;g/ml$, but increased the proliferation of T cells at concentrations of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-4}\;g/ml$. The UBF did not influence the number of leukocyte, and on the thymus weight of mice. The UBF increased the number of total-peritoreal cells of mice. In conclusion, the results suggest that the UBF have anti-cancer activity without the side effect, such as leukopenia and immunosuppresion, and increase the inhibitory activity of the anti-cancer drugs on Hep G2 cells.

The studies were conducted to investigate the inflammation, gastric ulcer, analgesic and homothrmic of experimental animals by KYUNG OK-KO water extract and drink, which is a traditional preparation in Korea. 1. It was exhibited significantly anti-inflammatory effects to acute inflammation on carragennan edema, and preventive and therapeutic effects to chronic inflammation on Freund's complete adjuvant in rats(100, 200, 400 mg/kg). Especially, preventive effect of KYUNG OK-KO water extracts at doses of 100, 200, 400 mg/kg in rats were showed dose-dependantly. 2. Aspirin-induced gastric ulcer were remarkably repaired by all experimental groups of KYUNG OK-KO water extracts. 3. The number of writing syndromes by acetic acid induced also were decreased which MPI's test was increased by tail flick apparatus in mice remarkably, all doses of water extracts(100, 200, 400 mg/kg) and dose-dependantly. 4. Aminopyrine-induced homothermic effects of KYUNG OK-KO water extract(100, 200, 400mg/kg) and drink (0.7, 1.4, 2.1 ml/kg) were significantly evaluated dose-dependantly in 400 mg/kg, 2.1 ml/kg groups.

The possible mechanisms of ginseng saponins on the inhibition of the development of morphine tolerance and physical dependence were investigated in the aspects of morphine metabolism by morphine 6-dehydrogenase. The administration of morphine causes a reduction of non-protein sulfhydryl contents in the liver, because morphinone metabolized from morphine by morphine 6-dehydrogenase conjugates with sulfhydryl compounds. However, ginseng saponins inhibited the activity of morphine 6-dehydrogenase which catalyzed the production of morphinone from morphine. In addition, ginseng saponins inhibited the reduction of non-protein sulfhydryl levels by increasing the level of hepatic glutathione. These results suggest that the dual action of the above plays an important role in the inhibition of the development of morphine tolerance and physical dependence. On the other hand, it was observed that less polar components of ginseng saponins with parent structures were more active components in vitro.

The platelet activating factor (PAF) is a newly discovered chemical mediator, the chemical structure of which is 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Since PAF has potent and broad activities, its pathophysiological roles have received much attention. To develope a new PAF antagonist from medicinal plants, extracts of twenty medicinal herb were screened using PAF receptor binding, $[^{14}C]$ serotonin release and platelet aggregation.

Antineoplastic activity against human gastric and colon carcinoma cell lines was measured in 100 extracts from 90 plants using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethyl thiazo-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) method. Four extracts from four plants have been reported to have antineoplastic effect. Extracts from remaining 86 plants failed to show significant cytotoxic effect at the concentration of less than $230\;{\mu}/ml$.

Korean folk medicine 'Jin Hae Cho' has been used as a remedy for neuralgia and an invigorating drug after a childbirth in Korea. The botanical origin of the crude drug has been no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Jin Hae Cho', studied on the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the roots of Potentilla species growing wild in Korea i.e. Potentilla chinensis Ser., P. cryptotaeniae Maxim., P. dickinsii Fr. et Sav., P. discolor Bunge, P. fragarioides L. var. major Maxim., P. freyniana Bornm., P. kleiniana Wight et Arnott, P. paradoxa Nutt., P. yokusaiana Makino and 'Jin Hae Cho' from Korea on Korean market. As a result, it was made clear that 'Jin Hae Cho' from Korea was derived from the roots of Potentilla chinensis Ser. and Potentilla discolor Bunge.

'Hoo Bak' is one of the Chinese crude drugs used mainly to cure a headache, apoplexy and dyspepsia. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Hoo Bak', it has been considered to be Machilus thunbergii of Lauraceae in Korea. But there has no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Hoo Bak', the anatomical characteristics of the bark of Machilus thunbergii, Magnolia officinalis and Magnolia obovata were studied. As a result, it was clarified that 'Hoo Bak' from Korea was the bark of Machilus thunbergii of Lauraceae.

MeOH extracts of sixteen herbal drugs were tested for the effects on bovine adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine ${\beta}-hydroxylase$. The MeOH extracts of Paeoniae Radix and Pinelliae Tuber showed 65% inhibition on the tyrosine hydroxylase activity at the concentration of 100 $\mu$g in the enzyme reaction mixture. Those of Paeoniae Radix, Pinelliae Tuber and Evodiae Fructus showed 87, 84 and 62%, respectively, on the dopamine ${\beta}-hydroxylase$ activity.