The phylogenetic relationship of Polygonatum species were examined by RAPD analysis. Polygonatum Rhizoma is called 'Whang-jung', and used Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute in defined as a source plant in Korean Pharmacopoeia. Polygonati Odorati Rhizoma is called 'Wui-yu', and P. odoratum Druce var. pluriflorum Ohiwi and related species are defined is source plants in Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia. In UPGMA analysis, Polygonum was divided into two major groups. Polygonatum sibiricum and P. stenophyllum was placed in a cluster. On the other hand, P. falcatum A. Gray was included in the other cluster comprising. P. odoratum and related species, which are used as source plants for Polygonati Odorati Rhizome.

Distylium racemosum Sieb. Et Zucc contains some compounds inhibit -amylase activity in experimental conditions. The inhibitory test showed that 50% acetone extracts from the bark and leaves of the plant strongly inhibited salivary -amylase activity. Proanthocyanidin(PA) which has strong inhibitory activity was extracted from the leaves by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20. The inhibitory activities and the inhibition kinetics of the PA were studied against three kinds of enzymes: human salivary ${\alpha}-Amylase$ (SAA), pork pancreatin ${\alpha}-Amylase$ (PAA) and yeast ${\alpha}-Glucosidase$ (AG). Then the activities of PA against SAA, PAA and AG were compared with those of acarbose, a commercial agent. The inhibitory activities of PA were stronger than those of acarbose. Inhibition kinetics of the PA showed competitive inhibition for SAA and PAA, and non competitive inhibition for GA.

This study has been conducted to investigate the amount of residual sulfur dioxide for herbal medicines of 30 species which are purchased in 13 different regions (Bonghwa, Busan, Chunju, Jecheun, Kwangiu, Keumsan, Seoul, Taeku, Cheungdu, Xian, Beijing, Tokyo and Osaka). The sulfur dioxide residues were determined in the collected 386 samples by the modified Monier-Williams method. The residues of sulfur dioxide in 386 samples ranged from ND (under detection limit) to 2808 ppm. The sulfur dioxide in Cassiae Semon, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Cervi Cornu, Hoelen, Crataegi Fructus, Artemisiae Argyi Herba, Scolopendrae Corpus, Schizandrae Fructus and Cyperi Rhizoma were detected under the detection limit regardless of the collected regions. The sulfur dioxide residues in herbal medicines collected in domestic regions were relatively lower than those in foreign regions. There are no standards for sulfur dioxide residual limits of herbal medicines in Korea. This results will provide the scientific basis for the standardization of sulfur dioxide residues in Korea Pharmacopoeia.

The effect of water extract from Cnidii Rhizoma (CRW) on proliferation of human breast cancer cells, nitric oxide production, nitric oxide synthase expression, and ornithine decarboxylase activity was tested. CRW inhibited the growth of both estrogen-dependent MCF-7 and estrogen-independent MDA-MB-23I human breast cancer cells. Lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) production was significantly reduced by CRW at the concentration of 0.5, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/ml. Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was also suppressed with the treatment of CRW in Raw 264.7 cells. CRW inhibited induction of ornithine decarboxylase by 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, a key enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis, which is enhanced in tumour promotion. Therefore, CRW is worth further investigation with respect to breast cancer chemoprevention or therapy.

To evaluate the quality of the crude drugs using three kinds of Cinnamomum Cortex (CC), Vietnamese CC (VCC, the stem bark of Cinnamomum obtusifolium), periderm-peeled Chinese CC (PPCC, periderm-peeled stem bark of C. cassia), Chinese CC (CCC, stem bark of C. cassia) and a Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR, the twig of C. cassia), the four essential oils were prepared by steam distillation method. Cinnamaldehdye (CAN) and an unknown substance tentatively named hydroxy-cinnamaldehdye(HCNA) were detected in the four essential oils by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the contents of which are significantly different one another. Vietnamese CC had the highest content of HCNA whereas CR had the highest CAN content and the lowest HCNA. Vietnamese CC exhibited the greatest cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines, A549, HepG-2, HL-60, P-388, U-937, and KB and CR the lowest cytotoxicity. Contents of CAN and HCNA in CCC and PPCC are positioned between VCC and CR. These results suggest that measurement of HCNA and cytotoxicity may determine the quality of CC and CR.

The current investigation was carried out to find out the anticancer activity of the methanol extract from Buplerum falcatum against cancered ICR mouse and cancer cell lines such as J774A.1 and L1210 cells. Extract of Buplerum falcatum displayed the considerable augmentation(134%) of the survival of ICR mouse bearing Sarcoma 180 cancer. In addition, the cytotoxic effects of methanol extract of Buplerum falcatum against J774A.1 cells and L1210 cells were found to show $IC_{50}$ values of $57.3\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $54.6\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In contrast to such cytotoxicity against cancer cells, the extract exerted only meagre toxicity against normal lymphocytes. The increased generation of $O_2^-$ and the considerably increased activities of super-oxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GPx) of both J774A.1 cells and L1210 cells in the presence of Buplerum falcatum extract implied that the observed cytotoxicities may have resulted from the detrimental effect of reactive oxygen species(ROS) evoked by Buplerum falcatum extract on the cancer cells.

This study was done to investigate the antidiabetic effect of Glechoma hederacea LINNAEUS in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of STZ at a dose of 45 mg/kg dissolved in citrate buffer. The methanol extract of Glechoma hederacea was orally administrated once a day for 6 days. The contents of serum glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol and Atherogenic Index (Al) were significantly decreased, but high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio (HTR) were significantly increased in Glechoma hederacea treated STZ-sample group compared to the those of STZ-control group. The content of hepatic lipid peroxide and activity of catalase were decreased, but content of glutathione as well as activities of glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase were increased in Glechoma hederacea treated STZ-sample group compared to the those of STZ-control group. The content of hepatic glycogen and activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucokinase were significantly increased, but activity of glucose-6-phosphatase was decreased in Glechoma hederacea treated STZ-sample group compared to the those of STZ-control group. These results indicated that methanol extract of Glechoma hederacea would have antidiabetic effect in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

By treating crude enzyme extract from Aspergillus kawachii, the liquiritigenin content in the licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix) was significantly increased. The liquiritigenin content reached its maximum level (45.7 mg/g licorice extract) after 60 min of incubation with the crude enzyme extract at $37^{\circ}C$, while the inactivated crude enzyme treated control contained trace amount (about 0.11 mg/g) of liquiritigenin. The enzyme-treated licorice extract inhibited more than 50% DPPH radical at 100 ppm and this was about two times higher activity compared to the enzyme-untreated control.

Three coumarin derivatives, which stimulate collagen biosynthesis in human fibroblasts were isolated from Angelica dahurica root which has been used in traditional medicine for cold, headache, discharging blood and women's diseases. Three coumarin derivatives were identified as 5-benzofuranacrylic acid, $6,7-dihydroxy-4-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-{\delta}-lactone\;(prangenidin)$, 5-benzofuranacrylic acid, $6,7-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-{\delta}-lactone\;(8-hydroxybergapten)$ and 5-benzofuranacrylic acid, 8-hydroxypsoralen(xanthotoxol) from their spectral data.

Five compounds were isolated from the whole plant of Arabis glabra (Cruciferae) through repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their chemical structure were elucidated as salicylic acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, astragalin, rutin, and $quercetin-3,7-O-{\beta}-D-diglucopyranoside$ by spectroscopic analysis.

SKT is consisted of skullcap radix, knope-sedge radix and trametes mushroom. SKT mixture extract has been used for curing breast cancer and cervical cancer as a folk medicine without any kind of experimental evidence to support the rationales for its clinical use. This study was undertaken to investigate the antitumor effects and toxicity of SKT. Tumor was induced by implantation of B16F10 melanoma cells $(1{\times}10^6\;cells/mouse)$ into abdominal skin in ICR mice and SKT application (5 mg/mouse, p.o.) was initiated 4 days prior to tumor induction and lasted for 42 days. SKT significantly inhibited not only tumor growth but also metastasis of i.v. implanted melanoma cells into lung and showed prolonged life span of tumor bearing mice. The combined theraphy of SKT with doxorubicin was more effective against tumor metastasis into lung. SKT almostly recovered serum SGPT to normal level of galactosamine/LPS-induced hepatitis mice. High dose of SKT did not show any acute side effects. But, in vitro SKT did not inhibit the growth of melanoma cells, which suggests that the antitumor effects of SKT might be menifested by indirect mechanisms.

Based on the traditional application of Carthamus tinctorious L. (CF) as a component of Korean medicinal decoctions, in the present study, we investigated in vitro an immunomodulatory activity of water extract of CF(WECF). Water extract of CF significantly increased the in vitro proliferative responses of spleen cells (SPC). However, addition of WECF during anti-CD3 activation resulted in a significant decrease in SPC proliferation. Flow cytometric analysis showed that WECF addition chanced T and B cell frequencies in anti-CD3-activated spleen cell populations. Using purified cells, it was revealed that WECF is mitogenic to B cells but rather inhibitory to T cell Proliferation. Upon anti-CD3 stimulation, high concentration (1 mg/ml) of WECF significantly inhibited T cell proliferation until day 2 of stimulation. At day 3, anti-CD3-activated cells exposed to WECF recovered their proliferation to the level comparable to control. Although B cell proliferation was also inhibited in proliferation at day 1, it recovered sooner and then was rather augmented by WECF at day 3. These data indicate that WECF down-regulates lymphocyte proliferation at early phase of activation but T cells are more vulnerable than B cells to WECF, However, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells did not differ in WECF-mediated immunotoxicity. Data of propidium iodide (PI) staining showed that WECF accelerates activated T cell, but not B cell, apoptosis and WECF concurrently inhibited cytokine production of activated T cells. Taken together, WECF exhibits B cell mitogenic activity and differential toxicity more pronounced to T cells, suggesting a possible in vivo application of WECF for specific control of T cells without alteration of B cell activity.

Scavenging effects of DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical, inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation, inhibition of NO synthesis and iNOS expression were tested with extracts and chromatographic subfractions of Canavalia lineata obtained at Jeju island. Chloroform extract and its subfractions gave moderate effects on scavenging DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical, They also inhibited linoleic acid oxidation, and NO synthesis. Inhibition of NO synthesis resulted from the repression of iNOS gene expression. Ethyl acetate extract and its subfractions showed excellent effects on scavenging DPPH radical and hydroxyl radical, while they were cytotoxic.

Black colored rice has long been consumed in Oriental countries and is considered to be a healthy food. Extracts from rice with three different colors (white, black, and green) were prepared by using 80% MeOH and subjected to biological screening activities. The levels of antioxidative activity of black colored rice cultivars such as C3GHi and Heugjinjubyeo in radical scavenging activity were higher than those of the related white and green rice ones. When the effect of the extracts on thrombin time inhibition was analyzed, the extract from Heugjinjubyeo showed a dose-dependent suppressive activity. In addition, all the extracts tested did not inhibit the cyclooxygenase activity. Therefore the health benefits of the colored rice are attributed in part to their unique phytochemical composition such as high level of anthocyanin pigments with other minor strong antioxidant components for potential use in neutraceutical or functional food formulations.

In a preliminary screening of plant extracts for the antigastritic and anti- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) actions in rats, the ethanol extract of Amomi Semen (AS) showed positive activity in HCl Ethanol-induced gastric lesions and H. pylori. Among the systematic fractions of hexane, chloroform, butanol and water, the most potent butanol fraction significantly reduced HCl, Ethanol-induced gastric lesions at the oral dose of 350 mg/kg. Also butanol fraction has an inhibitory effect on the growth of H. pylori $(MIC=1.43\;{\mu}g/mL)$. In pylorus ligated rats, butanol fraction showed decrease in the volume of gastric secretion and acid output, of which effects were stronger in other fractions. We isolated 6 subfractions by column chromatography. The protective effects of 6 subfractions of Amomi Semen were also significant in the HCl, Ethanol induced gastric lesion model. These results might suggest that they had inhibitory action in gastric lesion through inhibition of gastric acid secretion. Butanol fraction of AS can be applied as treatment of H. pylori. Butano fractions and ethanol extract of AS was carried out or the development of a new gastroprotective supplementary product.

Flavonoids are class of polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in the plant kingdom, which display a variety of biological activities, including antiviral, antithrombotic, antiiflammatory, antihistaminic, antioxidant and free-radical scavenging abilities. To determined flavonoid, myricetin in the presence of other antioxidants - vitamin C and vitamin E - can exert antioxidative properties not only directly by modulating the AOE system but also scavenging free radical, we investigated cell viability, antioxidant enzyme activities and ROS level in B16F10 murine melanoma cell. B16F10 cells were exposed to medium containing myricetin in the presence or absence of vitamin C or vitamin E for a period of 24 hr. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. In co-treating myricetin with other antioxidants, CAT activities were increased, compared with control, but SOD and GPx activities were decreased, compared with each antioxidant treated groups . In the group of myricetin or myricetin present with other antioxidants, ROS levels were decreased dose-dependently. Especially, myricetin present of other antioxidants were decreased compared with myricetin.

Cordyceps militaris (CM) has been used as antidiabetics, anticancer, endocrine and sexual functions enhancement in the traditional medicine. Water soluble fractions of CM showed cytotoxic activities on the three kinds of human cancer cell lines, stomachic adenocarcinoma(SNU-1), colorectal adenocarcinoma (SNU-C4), and hepatocellular carcinoma(SNH-354). Cytotoxic activity guided isolation and identification of active fractions afforded cordycepin as an active component.

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of female death. Viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 are selectively retained and expressed in carcinoma cells infected with HPV (Human papillomavirus) type 16. The HPV is cooperated in immotalization and transformation of primary keratinocyte. E6 and E7 oncoproteins interfere the functions of tumor suppressor proteins p53 and retinoblasoma protein (pRb), respectively. Among a lots of natural products, Artemisia scoparia Waldstein et Kitamura has inhibitory effects on the binding between E6 oncoprotein and tumor suppressor p53, or the binding between E6 and E6 associated protein (E6AP), an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. HPV oncoprotein inhibitors from Artemisia scoparia W. were isolated by solvent partition and column chromatography (Silica gel, RP-18) and the inhibitory compounds were finally purified by HPLC using an ELISA screening system based on the binding between E6 and E6AP. The aim of this study is to identify the structure of inhibitory compounds and to investigate whether these compounds have inhibitory effects on the functions of E6 oncoprotein. We investigated whether 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (DCQA) extracted from Artemisia scoparia W. Could inhibit the function of E6 oncoprutein. DCQA inhibited the in vitro binding of E6 and E6AP which are essential for the binding and degradation of the tumor suppressor p53 and also inhibited the proliferation of human cervical cancer cell lines (SiHa and CaSKi) in a dose response manner. These results suggest that DCQA inhibited the function of E6 oncoprotein, suggesting that it can be used as a potential drug for the treatment of cervical cancers infected with HPV.

According to the traditional chinese herbal Cuscuta japonica Choisy and C. australis R.Be (original plant of Semen Cuscutae in Korea) have been used to cure pimple. In order to prove their bacteriostatic effects against Propionibacterium acnes, we performed the micro broth dilution method. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of C. japonica juice was 27.3 mg/ml, but C. australis juice showed no effect. The MIC of water extracted C. japonica seed and Wontosa and Bupjetosa were $960\;{\mu}g/ml$. The MIC of both water and ethanol extracts of C. australis seed was $9240\;{\mu}g/ml$. But ethanol extracts of C. japonicaseeds, Wontosa and Bupjetosa had no bacteriostatic activity. We also performed the disk diffusion test, C. japonica juice had prominent effect. Water extracts of C. japonica seed, Wontosa and Bupjetosa showed bacterio-static effect in 10 mg/ml, and C. australis seed in 10 mg/ml. The ethanol extract of C. japonica seed, Wontosa and Bupjetosa, and C. australis seed showed bacteriostatic effect in 20 mg/ml.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate mushroom Tyrosinase inhibitory activity of Cuscuta japonica Choisy and C. australis R.Be. The experimental materials were expressed juice from their stems and flowers, both water and ethanol extracts, their seeds, and two kinds of commercially available cosmetic packing Wontosa and Bupjetosa (made from seeds of C. japonica). The 50% inhibitory concentration $(IC_{50})$ of C. Japonica juice was 5.4 mg/ml. However, C. australis juice showed negligible mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The $IC_{50}$ of water extracted C. japonica seed was $54.0\;{\mu}g/ml$, water extracted product of Wontosa $50.0\;{\mu}g/ml$ and Bupjetosa $40\;{\mu}g/ml$. The $IC_{50}$ of ethanol extracted C. japonica seed was $10\;{\mu}g/ml$, Wontosa $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ and Bupjetosa $20\;{\mu}g/ml$.

Genus Alnus are deciduous board-leaved trees or shrubs found in the damp place and mountain and more than 17 species are growing in Korea. The bark of Alnus japonica has been used for the treatment of fever, hemorrhage and diarrehea in oriental traditional medicine. Quantitative analysis of diarylheptanoids which were characteristic components of Alnus species (A. japonica, A. hirsuta, and A. hirsuta var. sibirica), has been conducted by HPLC. The results showed that these plants were rich source of diarylheptanoids and the amount of oregonin and hirsutanonol which were major diarylheptanoids showed seasonal variation.

The paeonol content in roasted Moutan Cortex was increased about three times compared to that of untreated one. The paeonol content reached at its maximum level $(454.3\;{\mu}g/mg\;ethanol\;extract)$ after roasting at $190^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. Roasting processing did not affect on the DPPH radical scavenging activity of Moutan extracts.