The extract contents of various Phellinus species (Hymenochaetaceae) including P. linteus, P. baumii, P. pini and P. igniarius of domestic and foreign products, were examined to standardize the quality of these products. The differences of various extract contents were identified and compared between different species of Phellinus products. The thin layer chromatographic patterns were also analyzed and six unidentified samples were thought to originate from P. baumii and P. igniarius. The chemical standardization for the quality control of various origins could be suggested by this study.

High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used for the determination of eleutherosides B and E in various parts of Acanthopanax species. Eleutheroside B was detected in the stem (1.45 mg/g) and the root (0.59 mg/g) of A. senticosus and the stem (0.31 mg/g) of A. senticosus grafted on A. sessiliflorus. But there is no detection of eleutheroside B in A. sessiliflorus and the root of A. senticosus grafted on A. sessiliflorus. Eleutheroside E was detected in the stem (0.92, 0.97 and 0.30 mg/g, respectively) and the root (0.65, 0.94, 0.34 mg/g, respectively) of A. senticosus, A. sessiliflorus and A. senticosus grafted on A. sessiliflorus.

This study is concerning to identify the hygienic problems occurring in processing, storage, and distribution of Rehmanniae radix crude, and to investigate the possibility of application of safe and hygienic ${\gamma}-irradiation$ techniques. The results are as follows. To compare the contents of catapol, index compound of Rehmanniae Radix crude, between before and after ${\gamma}-irradiated$,0,2.5,5,7.5,10,12.5,15,20, and 30 kGy of ${\gamma}-irradiation$ was applied to standard catapol and Rehmanniae radix crude. The contents of catapol in standard material and Rehmanniae radix crude were decreased with the increase of ${\gamma}-irradiation$ level. However, active components of Rehmanniae Radix crude were not changed with ${\gamma}-irradiation$. These results indicate that active components of Rehmanniae Radix crude were preserved after ${\gamma}-irradiation$ and those of Rehmanniae Radix crude did not showed significant change after irradiation of ${\gamma}-ray$ up to 20 kGy.

The effects of the DWP-04 [DDB:selenium yeast:glutathione (31.1 : 6.8 : 62.1 (w/w%)] on acetaminophen detoxification enzyme system were studied in rats. Treatment with DWP-04 was prevented againt acetaminophen-induiced hepatotoxicity in rat as evidenced by the decreased formation of lipid peroxide. Effect of DWP-04 on the activities of free radical-generating enzymes, free radical scavenging enzymes and glutathione-related enzymes as well as detoxification mechanism of DWP-04 against acetaminophen-treated was investigated in rat. Activities of cytochrome p450, cytochrome b5, aminopyrine demethylase and aniline hydroxylase as free radical-generating enzymes activities were decreased by the treatment with DWP-04 against acetaminophen treated. Although acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity results in the significantly decrease in the level of hepatic glutathione and activities of glutathine S-transferase, quinone reductase, glutathione reductase and ${\gamma}-glutamyl-$cysteine synthetase, these decreasing effects were markedly lowered in the DWP-04-treated rat. Therefore, it was concluded that the mechanism for the observed preventive effect of DWP-04 against the acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity was associated with the decreased activities in the free radical-generating enzyme system.

Apoptosis plays an important role in autoimmune chronic (Hashimoto's) thyroiditis, a disorder that often results in hypothyroidism. The goal of this study was to induce apoptosis by the combination of inflammatory cytokines, interferon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, and to investigate a potential role of medicinal plants in the thyroid follicular cells (FRTL) in vitro. The apoptosis was evaluated by cellular viability, DNA fragmentation, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Extract of Gamgung-tang (GGT, Glycyrrhizae Radix, black beans, Angelicae Radix, and Cnidii Rhizoma) $(0.3{\sim}9.0mg/ml)$ was shown to maintain the viability of cells treated with $IFN-{\gamma}(100U/ml)$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ (0.5 ng/ml). FRTL cells were found to undergo DNA fragmentation with the inflammatory cytokines. The extract of GGT inhibited DNA fragmentation in dose-dependent manner. The cells with TUNEL-positive nuclei were detected with $IFN-{\gamma}$ and $TNF-{\alpha}$ treatment. The number of TUNEL-positive cells decreased with the treatment of extract of GGT. These results indicate that medicinal plants inhibit the occurrence of apoptosis in thyroid follicular cells, therefore, may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of autoimmune chronic thyroiditis.

Mutagenicity of Gamgung-tang (GGT) was tested using in vitro S-9 mixture in vitro host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium. In the previous reports, GGT was tested for the safety using Ames(-S-9), Bacillus subtilis Rec, and umu gene expression mutagenicity tests. Mutagenic activity in any assays we tested was not found. In this report, we further investigated safety of GGT after metabolic activation in vivo. Ames test with S-9 mixture and host-mediated assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA98 were used to identify metagenic property of GGT. GGT was administered 3 times with i.m. to Balb/c mice did not induced mutagenic effect in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 recovered from the liver after 3.5h with i.p. treatment. Over the entire dose range $(3{\sim}150mg/mouse)$ tested no toxicity was detected to the bacterial cells. These results suggest that there was no DNA damage and mutagenicity by GGT.

Saussureae Radix, the dried root of Saussurea lappa Clarke, has traditionally used for alleviating pain in abdominal distention and tenesmus, indigestion with anorexia, dysentery, nausea, and vomiting. Here we observed that methanol extracts of Saussurea Radix inhibited CDK2 activities in vitro. This inhibitory compound was isolated and identified as dehydrocostuslactone, one of the major constituents of Saussurea Radix. It is well known that dehydrocostuslactone induces apoptotic cell death. In this study, we also showed that dehydrocosruslactone inhibited cellular Rb phosphorylation and blocked cell growth at the concentration below $12\;{\mu}g/ml$ at which apoptotic cell death was not observed. Taken together, these results indicated that dehydrocostuslactone showed its anti-proliferative effects through the inhibition of CDK2 activity as well as the induction of apoptotic cell death.

We have studied the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation of traditional herbal medicines with processing. Evodia fruit (EF) has processed for the purpose of detoxification and reduction of its bitter taste. There are various methods of processing EF in Oriental medicinal reference. Among them, we processed EF according to the method of Sang-han theory, the most famous medicinal reference. We processed EF with washing in hot water, and then dried. Processed EFs(PEFs) were prepared according to the above procedure through repetition of 1,3,5 and 7 times respectively. The contents of weight loss, water extract, diluted ethanol extract, ether extract, total ash, acid insoluble ash, alkaloids and limonin in non-processed EF (NPEF) and PEFs were examined. The weight loss, and contents of water extract and dilute ethanol extract in PEF showed decrease in proportion to increase of washing time, while the contents of ether extract, total ash and acid insoluble ash showed little change as compared with those of NPEF. And the content of evodiamine and rutaecarpine was not changed distinctly. However, the content of limonin decreased in the final processed material in proportion to increase of washing times with hot water. And the intense of bitter taste in PEF was also reduced. These results were ascribed to the flowing-out of the water-soluble portion. The biological activities of NPEF and PEF were also investigated. In the test of DPPH scavenging effect, xanthine oxidase inhibition effect and TBA-Rs effect, PEF was more effective than NPEF in vitro. Also, both NPEF and PEF showed potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects against in mice. Especially, PEF by 3 times washing with hot water was more effective than other PEFs. From these results, it is considered that PEF should be prepared by 3 times washing with hot water.

The herb of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (Liliaceae) has been used as an edible wild herb and to treat heart failure and gastritis. We have already reported antihyperlipidemic anti-tumor effects of this plant. To enlarge the commercial availability of this food, it was investigated whether the extracts of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum reduce hyperlipidemia and obesity or not. The plants tested in this experiment were collected from two eco-types of Is. Ullung and Mt. Odae cultivated at Pyongchang. Extracts were prepared by extracting the fresh leaves and those dried at $36^{\circ}C$ and $90^{\circ}C$, respectively. Pretreatment with the ethanolic extracts for two weeks(p.o.) reduced serum triglyceride-, total cholesterol- and LDL-cholesterol contents in rats induced by Triton WR-1339, respectively. Furthermore, oral administration of the extracts also inhibited the hyperlipidemia induced with oral diet of 30% corn oil. In the other attempt to find to alleviate the obesity, the model rats with obesity were induced by the high fat-diet for six weeks. Post-treatment with the extracts for two weeks significantly reduced the hyperlipidemia. Retroperitoneal-, epidymal- and total abdominal fat pad weights were considerably reduced at 100 mg/kg oral administration of the extracts. Increased feces lipid contents were also found in the rat treated with the extracts. The extract may lead to the higher activity in treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity than of the dried one.

Paeonol (2-hydroxy-5-methoxyacetophenone) obtained by silica gel column chromatography of the essential oil extracted from Paeonia moutan (Paeoniaceae) was methylated by dimethylsulfate to yield methylpaeonol (2,5-di-O-methylacetophenone). Both compounds inhibited nitric oxide (NO) foundation in lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in nitrite assay. In the western blotting assay, it was shown that both compounds also decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) formation. Methylpaeonol produced more potently inhibited NO-, iNOS and COX-2 formation in the assays than paeonol. These results suggest that paeonol is in part responsible for anti-inflammatory activity of Paeonia moutan, and that synthesis of paeonol derivatives may produce a promising candidate for andtiifnalmmatory agent.

In order to find the antioxidative compounds, fractionation of the MeOH extract of the leaves of Crataegus pinnatifida guided by DPPH scavenging test furnished seven phenolic compounds, $quercetin-3-O-{\alpha}-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (1), myricetin-3-O-rhamnose (2), $quercetin-3-O-{\alpha}-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-galctopyranoside$ (3), $quercetin-3-O-{\beta}-D-galactopyranoside$ (4), quercetin (5), $apigenin-8-C-{\beta}-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (2'-O-rhamnosylvitexin) (6) and (-)-epicatechin (7). All of isolated compounds showed the significant antioxidative effect on DPPH free radical scavenging test and TBARS assay.

Lectins from Allomyrina dichotoma (ADL) and Bombyx mori (BML) were partially purified 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. An assay for cytokine expression was carried out by using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). mRNA isolated from PBMC(human peripheral blood mononuclear cells) were stimulated with ADL(O.D.=0.2) and BML(O.D.=0.1) for various times(1,4,8,24,48 and 72 h) and various cytokine mRNA assessed by RT-PCR were shown as follows: The patterns of bands for IL-1 mRNA of BML were very similar with those from ADL and these bands were decreased along the increasing reaction times after showing a strong band at 1 h. However mRNA expressions for IL-2, IL-6, $IFN{\gamma}$ and $TNF{\alpha}$ showed different patterns between ADL and BML. With the effect of ADL, the expression of IL-2 and IL-6 mRNA were continuously detected until 72 h with the strongest band of IL-2 mRNA at 24 h. The strong bands of $IFN{\gamma}$ mRNA were observed from 4 to 8 h but the strongest one of $TNF{\alpha}$ was just observed at 1 h. Meanwhile with BML, the bands for IL-2 and $IFN{\gamma}$ were increased along the increasing reaction times until 72 h. The strongest bands were showed from 4 to 8 h with IL-6 and at 8 h with $TNF[\alpha}$. To verify quantitatively ELISA was used for assay of protein secretions of the cytokine gene with IL-2 and $IFN{\gamma}$ expressed markedly different in RT-PCR. The highest cytokine secretion for IL-2 was demonstrated at 48 h. The production of $IFN{\gamma}$ was markedly increased at 24 h and secreted highest at 72 h. These result suggest that ADL and BML, as inducers of cytokines, can elicit detectable cytokine mRNA from PBMC within the first few hours of stimulation and maintain the production of cytokines for a few days by the methods of RT-PCR and ELISA.

Geo Pung Ji Bo Dan (祛風至寶丹) is a Chinese patent medicine, which has been used for various purposes in Korea. Geo Pung Ji Bo Dan is composed 26 kinds of powdered crude drugs and has been used for palsy and mental disorder. For the identification of individual crude drugs in such powdery mixtures, microscope method may advantageously be used as it require only a small amount of specimens. In this study, it is demonstrated that the microscopic method is very effective for the identification of 26 crude drug ingredients in Geo Pung Ji Bo Dan.

Chinese crude drug 'Dang Gui' has been used mainly as a tonifying the blood, promoting blood circulation, relieving pain and moistening the bowels. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Dang Gui' from Korea, the anatomical characteristics of Angelica gigas, Angelica sinensis and Angelica acutiloba were studied. As a result, it was clarified that 'Dang Gui' from Korea was the root of Angelica gigas.

Nine compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Cirsium nipponicum. Their structures were identified to be phytene-1,2-diol (1), ${\beta}-sitosterol$ (2), pectolinarigenin (3), epilupeol acetate (4), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (5), pinoresinol (6), apigenin (7), linaroside (8) and siparunoside (9) by spectroscopic means.

This research was performed to investigate the protective effect of Chungpesagan-tang (CST) from hypoxia/reperfusion induced-PC12 cell damage. To elucidate the mechanism of the protective effect of CST, cell viability, changes in activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, caspase 3 and the production of malondialdehyde were observed after treating PC12 cells with CST which was metabolized by rat liver homogenate. Pretreatment of CST with liver homogenate appeared to increase its protective effect against hypoxia/reperfusion insult. The result showed that CST exhibited the highest protective effect against hypoxia/reperfusion at the dose of $1\;{\mu}g/ml$ in PC12 cells, probably by recovering the redox enzyme activities and MDA to control level.