The bark of Ulmus parvifolia Jacq. (Ulmaceae) has been used for the treatment of gonorhea, edema, scabies and eczema marginatum. Previous investigations conducted with the heartwood and leaves have demonstrated it to contain sesquiterpenes as well as fat acids from the heartwood and flavonol glycosides from leaves. However, no phytochemical work has been done on the bark parts of this plant. Investigation of the phytochemical constituents in the barks of U. parvifolia has resulted in the isolation of sterols, sterol glucoside and a catechin glycoside, $(+)-catechin\;7-O-{\alpha}-{_L}-rhamnopyranoside$, all of which were isolated for the first time from this plant. Sterols were consisted of the three components, ${\beta}-sitosterol$, stigmasterol and campesterol in a ratio of 92.1:4.1:3.8, and sterol glucoside was identified as ${\beta}-sitosterol\;3-O-{\beta}-{_D}-glucoside$. The structure of the catechin $7-O-{\alpha}-{_L}-rhamnoside$ was established primarily by analysis of $^1H-and$ COSY-45 NMR, HMQC and HMBC and EI mass spectra of the heptaacetate. Especially, HMBC spectrum provides effective way for the determination of the point of attachment of the rhamnosyl group to catechin moiety.

Impatiens textori Miquel (Balsaminaceae) is an annual plant growing in most parts of Korea. The herb of this plant has been used as a medicine for external application for the snake poison and the bruise. From the herbs of this plant, two flavone glycosides were isolated and the structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. The compounds were identified as apigenin 7-O-glucoside (cosmosiin) (I) and luteolin 7-O-glucoside (II). These compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

From the EtOAc soluble parts of Lespedeza x nakaii T. Lee, three flavonoids and phytosterols have been isolated and identified as genistein, 4',7-dihydroxyflavone, daidzein and a mixture of campesterol, stigmasterol and ${\beta}-sitosterol$.

From the EtOAc soluble parts of Lespedeza x maritima Nakai, four flavonoids and phytosterols have been isolated and identified as genistein, kaempferol, dalbergioidin, genistin, and a mixture of campesterol, stigmasterol and ${\beta}-sitosterol$.

6-Hydroxykynurenic acid and ginkgolide B together with flavonol glycosides and biflavonoids were isolated from the yellow leaves of Ginkgo biloba and identified by means of spectroscopic methods. The correctness of $H{\"{o}}lzl's$ ${13}^C-NMR$ assignments for 6-hydroxykynurenic acid was confirmed by HMQC and HMBC techniques. Based on our present findings, it may be considered that the yellow Ginkgo leaves may contribute to be a source of high medicinal values.

Tannins were isolated from the stems of Rubus coreanum and identified as (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, procyanidin B-4 and sanguiin H-4 by spectral analysis.

In order to investigate the chemical and pharmacological characterization of crude drug processing, the triterpenoidal constituents of Glycyrrhizae Radix(GR) were examined. Processed GR has been often used to reinforce and change the efficacy of GR. Glycyrrhizin(GL) is one of the main constituents of GR. Following procedure described in the oriental medicinal reference, GR and GL were heated at $140^{\circ}C{\sim}240^{\circ}C$ in GC oven. And then, the content of GL in the processed GR and GL was analyzed by HPLC. GL was transformed to $18-{\beta}-glycyrrhetic\;acid\;mono-{\beta}-D-glucuronide(GM)$ and glycyrrhetic acid(GA) by processing at $170^{\circ}C$. Determination of the content of GL increasing the heating temperature showed that GL was decomposed by heat above $150^{\circ}C$. It was also found that the content of GL in GR processed by heat above $170^{\circ}C$ remakeably decreased.

A methanol extract of the herbs of Lactuca indica L. effectively decreased the serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol when orally administered with diet. On fractionation of the extract, a chloroform-soluble fraction showed the similar effects with the methanol extract. Chromatographic separation afforded a mixture of triterpene alcohols and their acyl derivatives. A mixture of triterpene alcohols were identified as ${\beta}-amyrin$, ${\alpha}-amyrin$, lupeol, pseudotaraxasterol, taraxasterol and germanicol on the basis of spectroscopic methods. The acyl moieties in the corresponding acyl mixture were characterized as acetates and palmitates, respectively. And three kinds of sterol such as ${\beta}-sitossterol$, compesterol and stigmasterol were isolated as a mixture state.

EtOAc soluble part of MeOH extract of Anemarrhena asphodeloides rhizome was evaluated for the cytotoxicity against the five kinds of human tumor cell lines (A-549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, XF498 and HCT15) in vitro. Bioassay-guided fractionation of EtOAc soluble part led to the isolation of active compound which was identified as timosaponin A-III showed potent cytotoxic activity, but its genin, sarsasapogenin, did not show cell growth inhibition.

To devise an in vitro screening method for antihepatotoxic activity, $CCl_4-induced$ cytotoxicities in primary cultures rat hepatocytes were examined. When rat hepatocytes were intoxicated with 0.5, 1.0 or 1.5 mM $CCl_4$ for 1.5, 3 or 19hr, in order of LDH>GOT>GPT release form hepatocytes was increased in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 1.5 mM $CCl_4$ for 1.5 hr showed maximum increase in activity of LDH, GOT or GPT released in the medium compared with the control. At this experimental condition, well known antihepatotoxic substances, glycyrrhizin and silybin markedly inhibited $CCl_4-induced$ cytotoxicities. These results demonstrated that the screening method using $CCl_4-induced$ injury in primary cultured rat hepatocytes might be suitable in vitro assay for antihepatotoxic activity.

MeOH extracts of eight herbal medicines were investigated for the effects on catecholamine biosynthesis and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in PC12 cells. Among them, the MeOH extracts of Polygalae Radix and Rehmaniae Radix showed 32 and 22% inhibition on the dopamine biosynthesis, respectively at a concentration of $40{\mu}g/ml$ medium. But, the TH activity was reduced by the treatment of Polygalae Radix. These results suggest that Polygalae Radix has an inhibitory effect on the catecholamine biosynthesis by the reduction of TH activity in PC12 cells.

Dopamine ${\beta}-hydroxylase$ (DBH) catalyses the enzymatic reaction of dopamine to norepinephrine. For the purpose of isolating DBH inhibitors from natural resources, thirty one kinds of medicinal plants were screened by tracing the inhibitory activities against bovine adrenal DBH, utilizing tyramine as a substrate. Among the crude drugs tested, leaves of Lactuca sativa L., Gardeniae Fructus, Magnoliae Flos and Scutellariae Radix showed potent enzyme inhibitory activities against DBH.

'Gyejakjimo-Tang(桂芍知母湯)', which is composed of Cinnamon bark(桂枝), Peony root(芍藥), Anemarrhena root(知母) and other seven herbs, is described as antipyretic, diuretic and analgesic prescription in traditional medical literatures including Geumgwe-Yoryak(金櫃要略). So it is being used in the treatment of gout clinically in oriental region. As the results of the pharmacological and biochemical trials of the prescription, it was found to have antiinflammatory and significant analgesic effects indicated by carrageenin edema, dye permeabilities and writhing behavior. And it potentiated the output of uric acid in blood and the increase of uric acid in urine of alcohol-toxicated rats, which mean the decrease of uric acid level only by excretion procedure. But the prescription didn't show any effects on the activities of adenine/guanine deaminase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, xanthine oxidase or uricase, which are related with formation and metabolism of uric acid.

Several coumarins isolated from Angelica sp. were described to show inhibitory effects against human platelet aggregation. The anti-thrombotic and anti-platelet potential was evaluated, in this paper, with the BuOH soluble fraction of Angelica dahurica root. The BuOH fraction was divided into five subfractions fr. A - E and tested in the mouse model of thrombosis. Survival was enhanced to 35% with fr. A or fr. E treated (500 mg/Kg, p.o.) group of mice compared with 5% survival of the control group. However, none of the 8 coumarin glycosides obtained from fr. A, at the conc. of 0.5 mg/ml, showed inhibitory effects against rat platelet aggregation induced by ADP or collagen.