The Chinese crude drug, 'Yong Dam (龍膽)' which is derived from the root of Gentiana plants of the family Gentianaceae, has been used as remedy for stomachic, intestinal catarrh, convulsion, etc. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam', it has been considered to be Gentiana species of Gentianaceae, especially Gentiana scabra, but there has no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam' from Korea, we studied on the anatomical characteristics of Gentiana species growing wild in Korea i.e. Gentiana scabra var. buergeri, G. uchiyamai, G. triflora, G. axillariflora var. coreana and of 'Yong Dam' from Korea on Korean market. Through our studies, the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam' from Korea was proved to be Gentiana scabra var. buergeri and Gentiana axillariflora var. coreana.

'Hae Cheong Whan' is a Chinese patent preparation, which has been used for cough in Korea. This preparation consists of 18 powder crude drugs. The microscopic method is very useful to identify individual gradients in powdery mixture because it requires only a small amount of specimens. In this study, it is demonstrated that the microscopic method is very effective for the identification of 18 crude drug ingredients including in 'Hae Chung Hwan'.

Three alkaloids, (-)-stylopine (I), (+)-chelidonine (II), oxysanguinarine (III) and two triterpenoids, $6{\alpha}-hydroxy-A-neo-germacer-22(29)-en-30-oic\;acid$ (IV) and hop-22(29)-en-30-oic acid (V), were isolated from the methanol extract of of Chelidonium majus var. asiaticum, and their cytotoxicity were tested against five cultured human tumor cell lines.

This study was conducted to investigate the antitoxic components in the water extract of the roots of Trichosanthes kirilowii (Cucurbitaceae). The results were as follows: Generally, detoxication effects by the water extract of T. kirilowii increased in proportion to the concentrations. Experimental animals were treated with cadmium and T. kirilowii water extract by oral administration. When 40 mg/kg dosage of T. kirilowii extract was administrated it showed the highest antitoxic effects in metallothionein induction. After the water extract treatment, body weights did not increase in proportion to the extract concentrations. These results suggest that T. kirilowii extract increased metallothionein concentration and decreased the toxicity of cadmium in rats. In vitro the antitoxic activity of water extract of T. kirilowii on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts was evaluated by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) and SRB (sulforhodamine B protein) assays. The light microscopic study was carried out to observe morphological changes of the treated cells. These results were obtained as follows; The concentration of $10^{-2}\;mg/ml$ of T. kirilowii extract was shown significant antitoxic activity. The number of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were increased and tend to regenerate. These results suggest that T. kirilowii extract retains a potential antitoxic activity.

80% extract of Gamigwaruhaebaekbaekju-Tang (GGHBT), Gagamgwaruhaebaekbaekju-Tang (GGGHBT) and Gamigwaruhaebaekwhanggum-Tang (GGHWT) remarkably showed inhibitory effects on HMG-CoA reductase, lipid peroxidation of rat liver and LDL oxidation, and DPPH free radical scavenging effect in a dose-dependent manner. Especially, GGHWT which is formulated with Trichosanthis Fructus, Pinelliae Tuber, Aurantii Immatures Fructus, Magnoliae Cortex, Allii Macrostemi Bulbus, Cinnamomi Ramulus and Scutellariae Radix on the basis of Gwaruhaebaekbaekiu-Tang listed on the traditional medicinal references showed more effective hypocholesterolemic activities in vitro bioassay than the other prescriptions.

A lectin was purified from Allomyrina dichotoma (ADL) by physiological saline extraction, ammonium sulfate fractionation, anion exchange column chromatography on DEAE Sephadex A-50 and gel filtration column chromatography on Sephadex G-200. Several biochemical properties of ADL were characterized as follows: ADL from gel filtration column chromatography showed single band on SDS-PAGE. ADL agglutinated the erythrocytes of rabbit and human A, B, O, AB. Agglutinability was relatively stable at basic pH, and was stable at temperature below $40^{\circ}C$. Agglutinability was not affected by metal ions and EDTA. This lectin was proved to be a glycoprotein which contains 0.47% of sugars. The molecular weight of ADL was estimated to be 97,000 dalton by SDS-PAGE. By amino acid analysis, ADL exhibited high amounts of aspartic acid. The lectin's immunomodulating effect was measured as cytokine production. The productions of 5 cytokines $(IL-1{\alpha},\;IL-2,\;IL-6,\;IFN{\gamma}\;and\;TNF{\alpha})$ from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by ELISA. The lectin induced the highest secretion of IL-2 at 8 hr, $TNF{\alpha}$ at 4 hr, and $IFN{\gamma}$ at 24hr, respectively. These results suggest that ADL can elicit the production of detectable cytokines from PBMC.

The seeds of Areca catechu L. has been used for the treatment of the diseases caused by parasites in East Asia. As a part of a research for standardization of crude drugs, we have determined the content of arecoline in the seeds of Arecae Semen purchased from various regions of Korea. The HPLC method for quantitative analysis of arecoline in Arecae Semen was established and reproducible results and chromatographic isolation of arecoline was accomplished successively. It suggested that the content of arecoline in Arecae Semen was $0.2726\;{\pm}\;0.05532%$.

Epimedii Herba has been used for tonic, cardiotonic, impotency, amnestic and diuretic. Icariin, a main component was isolated from the Epimedii Herba and identified by the spectroscopic methods. In order to evaluate the quality of Epimedii Herba purchased from various regions of Korea, quantitative determination of icariin in Epimedii Herba using HPLC method has been conducted. Quantitative analysis showed the average amount of icariin in commercial 42 samples was 0.34% on the dry weight basis.

The effects of protoberberine compounds on serotonin biosynthesis in P815 cells were investigated. Protoberberine compounds such as berberine, palmatine and coralyne decreased serotonin content dose-dependently, but coptisine did not. The $IC_{50}$ values of berberine, palmatine and coralyne were $3.0\;{\mu}M,\;16.5\;{\mu}M\;and\;14.5\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Protoberberine compounds at concentrations up to $20\;{\mu}M$ were not cytotoxic towards P815 cells. The activity of tryptophan hydroxylase, a ratelimiting enzyme in serotonin biosynthesis, was inhibited by the exposure of berberine, palmatine and coralyne in P815 cells (14.9-19.3% inhibition at $2-15\;{\mu}M$), but that of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase was not. These results suggest that the inhibition of tryptophan hydroxylase activity by berberine, palmatine and coralyne might partially contribute to the decrease in serotonin content in P815 cells.

The comparison of $IC_{50}$ values of Salvia plebeia R. Br. extracts on L1210, $P388D_1$ cancer and Vero normal cell lines showed that the n-hexane soluble extract of S. plebeia R. Br. retains the most growth-inhibitory activity against tumor cell lines. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract against microorganisms were also examined. Antimicrobial activity of amocla and ketoconazole as references was compared to those of other solvent extracts such as $H_2O$, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol. The antimicrobial activity of extract had growth inhibition activity against gramnegative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria and fungi $(MIC\;>\;200\;{\mu}g/ml)$ except for n-hexane extract. Seven bacterial strains were tested for in vitro susceptibility to the extract of S. plebeia R. Br. However the n-hexane extract of S. plebeia R. Br. inhibited the growth of several bacterial strains (MIC values between 100 and $200\;{\mu}g/ml$ for gram positive bacteria, $25\;{\mu}g/ml$ for P. putida).

This study was conducted to investigate the antitoxic agent in methanol extract of Houttuynia cordata $T_{HUNB}$. Detoxication effects By H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract increased in proportion to the extract concentrations. When 40 mg/kg dosage of H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract was administered, it showed the highest antitoxic effects in metallothionein induction. After the extract treatment, body weights generally increased in proportion to the extract concentrations. From the above results, H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract increased metallothionein concentrations and decreased the toxicity of cadmium in rats. In vitro the antitoxic activity of methanol extract of H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ on NIH 3T3 fibroblasts was evaluated by the MTT {3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide} and SRB (sulforhodamine B protein) assays. The light microscopic study was carried out to observe morphological changes of the treated cells, $10^{-2}\;mg/ml$ Concentrations of H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract was shown significant antitoxic activity. The number of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were increased and tend to regenerate. These results suggest that H. cordata $T_{HUNB}$ extract retains a potential antitoxic activity.

For the use of tannins in the whitening-effect cosmetics, inhibitory effect against tyrosinase activity was determined. Three condensed tannins including gallocatechin, gallocatechin 3',4'-di-O-gallate and epicatechin 3-O-gallate and three hydrolyzable tannins, 1,2,6-tri-O-galloyl-${\beta}$-D-glucose, 2,3-(S)-HHDP-D-glucose and pedunculagin showed 15-29% mild inhibitory effects against tyrosinase activity.

This study was performed to elucidate the influence on the plasma decursinol concentration after administration of combined decursin and Cnidii Rhizoma or decurisin and Bupleuri Radix extracts in comparison with single decursin administration. The identification of decursinol isolated from Angelica gigas was carried out by GC/MS and the concentration of decursinol in the plasma after oral administration was determined by HPLC. The value of area under the plasma concentration (AUC) and the maximal concentration (Cmax) of decursinol after administration of methanol and ether Angelicae Gigantis Radix extract was higher than those of single decursin-treated group. It was also found that the AUC and the Cmax of decursinol after combined administration with decursin and Cnidii Rhizoma were higher than those of decursin administration, whereas those of combined with decursin and Bupleuri Radix was lower. Moreover, the studies were performed with decursinol only or with combined decursinol and Cnidii Rhizoma/Bupleuri Radix, both of combined treatment increased the plasma decursinol concentrations compared with decursinol-treated group in rats. On the basis of these results, it is concluded that co-existing substances or co-administration with other drugs may influence the plasma levels of decurisinol after oral administration.