This study was carried out to examine the in vitro effects of alginate (LVA) which is low viscosity alginic acid, on collagen type II synthesis of chondrocytes and the in vivo effect, orally administered, on cartilage degradation. Rabbit articular chondrocytes were cultured in 35 mm dishes and then LVA was treated. The effects of LVA of various viscosity (86.5 cP(LVA1),45.4 cP(LVA2), 21.2 cP(LVA3) and 9.6 cP(LVA4)) and various concentration (50, 100, 200 ${\mu}$g/ml of LVA4) on chondrocytes were determined by western blotting assay for the detection of collagen type II production. In western blotting assay, collagen type II production in chondrocytes were 1.00 in control,0.95 in LVA1, 1.41 in LVA2, 1.57 in LVA3 and 1.58 in LVA4. Collagen type II production of various concentration of LVA4 were 1.00 in control, 1.24 in 50 ${\mu}$g/ml of LVA4, 1.52 in 100 ${\mu}$g/ml of LVA4 and 1.86 in 200 ${\mu}$g/ml of LVA4. Osteoarthritis (OA) was induced in 24 rabbits by unilateral anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) and randomly divided into 6 groups. The experimental group was given oral administration of 0.5 ml/kg of saline(control), 12.5 mg/kg of LVA (A12.5), 25 mg/kg of LVA (A25), 50 mg/kg of LVA (A5O), 75 mg/kg of LVA (A75) and 20 mg/kg of aceclofenac (AC) for 6 weeks after ACLT. All knees were harvested at 6 weeks after surgery and cartilage degradation was evaluated. Cartilage degradation in the control group was significantly more severe than that in the A25, A5O and A75 groups but AC group had no significant changes on the macroscopic grading scale.

We examined the inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidase (MAO) of Gardenia jasminoides in vitro and in vivo methods. Methanolic extract and ethylacetate fraction of Gardenia jasminoides fruit showed a significant inhibitory activity on MAO-A and MAO-B in vitro. The IC$_{50}$ values of each fraction on MAO-A and MAO-B are as fo11owed; total methanol extracts 1.23 and 1.34 mg/ml, EtOAc fraction 0.72 and 0.77 mg/ml. Water-soluble fraction also showed IC$_{50}$ values of 0.81 mg/ml on MAO-B. MAO-A activity was increased by the oral administration of ethanolic extract of G. jasminoides, while MAO-B activity was decreased. The concentration of serotonin of brain tissue administrated of ethanolic extract of G. jasminoides is slightly increased in rat. This tendency is not different from the activity of deprenyl which is a well known MAO inhibitor was used as a positive control. Consequently, we suggest that G. jasminoides may have the effects on the inhibitory activity against MAO This activity of G. jasminoides is considerable for development of functional materials for treatment and control of depression, dementia, Parkinson' disease, stress and promoting exercise, etc.

This study was carried out to obtain the basic information that can be used to index arrowroots (Pueraria species) in fourteen regions of China and Korea. The puerarin content in various arrowroots produced in the different areas were quantitatively analysed by HPLC. The average of puerarin content of the 'Galgeun' (Pueraria lobata) was higher than that of the 'Bungalgeun'(Pueraria thomsonii) produced in China and Korea. As a result, the order of the puerarin content was 1) Korean puerariae radix (P. lobata, 0.609%), 2) Chinese puerariae radix (P. lobata, 0.546%), 3) Chinese puerariae radix (P. thomsonii, 0.066%). This result showed that the content of puerarin in the 'Galgeun'(P. lobata) are about 10 times higher than those of the 'Bungalgeun'(P. thomsonii).

The specific activation of the immune system to control cancer growth in vivo has been a long-standing goal in cancer immunology. Whole tumor Iysates have been used either alone or combined with adjuvants to induce specific immune response in vivo. Here, we examined whether freezing/thawing (F/T) colon26-M3.1 tumor cell admixed with EN-3, glycoprotein purified from Acanthopanx Senticosus, could stimulate in vivo immunity by using a murine experimental tumor metastasis model produced by colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells. Vaccination of mice with F/T treated colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells in combination with EN-3 as an adjuvant resulted in a significant inhibition in tumor metastasis of mice against live colon26-M3.1 carcinoma challenge. In addition, the splenocytes from vaccinated mice exhibited a higher proliferating activity and secreted interferon-${\gamma}$. These results suggest that EN-3 can be applied to immunoadjuvant to enhance the antitumor immunity in vivo.

Aristolochic acid (AA) included in the plants Aristolochiaceae have been well known to be nephrotoxic and carcinogenic inducer and to cause renal disease such as Chinese Herb Nephropathy (CHN). In this study, we used a high performance liquid chromatopaphy-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) under the positive ion detection mode for the quantitative change of aristolochic acid-I and-II (AA-I and AA-II) in Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc., Aristolochia fangchi Wu), some related plants (Cocculus trilobus De candolle, Inula helenium Linne, Saussurea lappa Clarke), and its prescriptions (防己茯笭湯, 定喘散) with or without processing. Here, the processing methods and prescriptions in oriental medicine were generally used to alleviate toxicity or alter property of herbal medicines. However, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II were highly determined in processed material extracts rather than unprocessed those, not measured in some related plants. Also, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II even at the prescriptions mixed the plants of Aristolochiaceae were detected to range from 0.73 to 2.53 ppm. Thus, the present results suggest that the content of AA-I and AA-II contained to plants of Aristolochiaceae was not reduced by the processing methods or prescriptions which can induce the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation in traditional herbal medicines.

We investigated the contents of crude saponin in the decoctions of Platycodi Radix prepared by the different extraction processes. Each lyophilized decoctions prepared by the different protocol were suspended in water and partitioned with ethylacetate (EtOAc) and n-butanol (BuOH), which gave the EtOAc fraction, BuOH fraction and the remaining water fraction, respectively. The content of crude saponin, which was estimated as the amount of BuOH fraction, and the HPLC profiles of the BuOH fraction were analyzed, and compared each others. The crude saponin content in the decoctions were increased proportionally to the increment of the extraction time, amount of water, extraction temperature and the number of repetition for extraction. Consequently, the optimized conditions were deduced to be suitable and recommendable for the preparation of Platycodi Radix ; the water amount needed for the extraction be 15-20 volumes to crude material, temperature for extraction be optimal at $85{\sim}100^{\circ}C$, extraction time be more than 5 hours and the repetition of extraction was 2 times.

Regarding chemical changes in oriental drugs after food processing such as roasting, fermentation, and extrusion, fifty commonly-used medicinal plants were investigated. As a result, Aurantii nobilis Pericarpium (a tangerine peel from Citrus unshu Markovich) showed remarkably different HPLC profiles after being roasted. An increased peak was isolated by repeated chromatography and identified as 5-hydroxymethyl furfral (5-HMF) by means of instrumental analyses. The 5-HMF content of Aurantii nobilis Pericarpoum reached its maximum level after being roasted for 30 min at 225$^{\circ}C$ (49.2 mg/g extract, ca 42 times of increase over untreated control). Although there were no significant changes in in vitro biological activity such as antioxidative, anti-dementia, anti-hypertension, anti-coagulation, or cytotoxicity, before and after roasting process, our results suggested that simple heat treatment might improve the value of the above oriental drug since 5-HMF has been known to possess inhibitory activities toward nitric oxide formation, tyrosinase, and sickling of red blood cells.

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective activity of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, isolated from Curcuma longa Linne, on hepatocyte injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl$_4$,10 mM), t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH, 0.5 mM) and D-galactosamine (GaIN,30 mM). Primary cultures of rat hepatocyte (18 h culture) were treated with CCl$_4$, TBH or GaIN and various concentrations (0.1, 1, 10 and 100 ${\mu}$M) of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin CCl$_4$ significantly increased the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The increases in LDH, ALT and AST levels were inhibited by curcumin. Demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin decreased the levels of AST. Curcumin inhibited the increases in ALT and AST levels induced by TBH. The increased levels of LDH, ALT and AST induced by TBH were inhibited by bisdemethoxycurcumin. GaIN markedly increased the levels of LDH, ALT and AST. These increases were significantly inhibited by bisdemethoxycurcumin. The increase in AST level was inhibited by curcumin. These results suggest that curcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin have potent hepatoprotective activities.

Ig Mo Cho (益母草) has been used as remedy for invigorating blood circulation to remove blood stasis and relieving edema by inducing diuresis. With regard to the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho, it has been considered to be Leonurus spiecies of Labiatae, but there has never been pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho from Korea, the anatomical characteristics of Leonurus japonicus and L. sibiricus were studied. As a result, the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho from Korea was proved the herba of Leonurus japonicus.

Protein-bound polysaccharide is derived from Acanthopananx senticosus by the cold water extraction. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of PS against weight loss and hematological change as a indication of toxicity produced by the treatment of cisplatin. PS protected the weight loss caused by cisplatin (6 mg/kg) and significantly recovered hematological change. Treatment of PS showed the recovery on the weight loss and hematological change as indicators of toxicity of cisplatin treatment. By increasing lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production, PS may be highly effective in protecting against cisplatin-induced toxicity. The results suggest PS might have a role in reducing toxicity or permitting larger dose of cisplatin to be given.

Trillium tschonoskii Maxim. is a kind of 64 endangered plant species designated by the Ministry of Environment in Korea. It is very a rare native plant throughout the country. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the native T. tschonoskii in Ulleung Island for their distribution and ecological characteristics. They were mostly distributed valley, mid-slope of the mountain from 186 to 458 m altitude. They had a little low light conditions as they faced west, north west, south west, south-south west, north-north east and east-east north. They were provided with slightly humid condition. Aerial humidities of these quadrates were variable as 21.5-71%. They were located on the variable slopes of 5 to 43 degrees. Soil humidity was slightly dry. Native sites were semi-shaded because tree layer such as Tilia insularis, Zelkova serrata, okamotoanum etc.and sub-tall tree layer such as Ligustrum foliosum, Comellia japonica, Tilia insularis, Callicarpa japonica and so on were grown near by. Woody plants such as A. Okamotoanum, Sorbus commixta, Fagus japonica var. multinervis etc. were frequently observed. These environmental conditions were suitable that T. tschonoskii grows up naturally because of high Percentage as 52.78% of blooming individuals in this study. These native sites were classified with three communities, T. tschonoskii-Majanthemum dilatatum community, T. tschonoskii-Anthriscus sylvestris community and T. tschonoskii-Hepatica maxima community in accordance with altitude and aerial humidity. The best way ffr the preservation of T. tschonoskii habitats and maintainance of its recent population is maintained in recent environmental condition and ecological condition without any management by human-being.

ln our continued search for biologically active compounds from traditional medicine, we found that ethyl acetate fraction from Inonotus obliquus showed potent antioxidant activities on three different cell-free bioassay systems. Bioassay-directed chromatographic fractionation of the ethyl acetate fraction from Inonotus obliquus afforded four phenolic compounds, 4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-(E)-3-buten-2-one (1) , 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (2), protocatechuic acid (3) and caffeic acid (4) along with three sterols such as lanosterol (5), ergosterol peroxide (6) and 9,11-dehydroergosterol peroxide (7). Among isolates, phenolic compounds (1-4) were assessed for antioxidant activities. Almost phenolic compounds showed potent DPPH and superoxide anion radicals scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibitory activities indicating that these phenolic compounds contribute to the antioxidative activities of I. obliquus. Compounds 2-3 and 7 were isolated for the first time from this plant.

Activated microglia by neuronal injury or inflammatory stimulation overproduce nitric oxide (NO) by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion, resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. The toxic peroxynitrite (ONOO$^-$), the reaction product of NO and superoxide anion further contributes to oxidative neurotoxicity. We tried to evaluate the effects of two kinds of varieties of Perilla frutescens var japnica Hara on the NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia. The perilla cultivars of Namcheondeulkkae (NC) and Boradeulkkae (BR) were developed by pure line from the local variety and by a cross between 'deulkkae' and 'chajogi', respectively. Spirit, hexane, chloroform and butanol fractions of the leaves of NC and BR inhibited the production of NO in LPS-activated microglia. The fractions of BR showed stronger activity than NC and the spirit extracts was the most potent in both cultivars. The solvent fractions of BR suppressed the expression of protein and mRNA of iNOS in LPS-activated microglial cells. Moreover, the extracts of NC and BR showed the activity of peroxynitrite scavenging in cell free bioassay system. These results imply that Namcheondeulkkae and Boradeulkkae might have neuroprotective activity through the inhibition of NO production by activated microglial cells and peroxynitrite scavenging activity.

Five liglans, sauchinone (1), di-0-methyltetrahydrofuriguaiacin B (2), manassantin A (3), manassantin B (4) and saucerneol B (5), have been isolated from the MeOH extract of Saururus chinesis roots. The evaluation for protective effect of compounds 1-5 against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in human liver-derived Hep G2 cells was conducted. Compounds 1,2, and 5 showed significant protective effects with the EC$_{50}$ values of74.2${\pm}$0.9, 111.3${\pm}$0.8,64.3${\pm}$0.8 ${\mu}$M, respectively. Silybin, one of the well-known hepatoprotective agents, used as a positive control, and also showed protective effect with an EC$_{50}$ value of 86.2${\pm}$0.5 ${\mu}$M.

Seven phenolic compounds, scopoletin (1), caffeic acid methyl ester (2), apigenin 7-O-${\alpha}$-L-rhamnosyl-(1${\rightarrow}$6)-O-${\alpha}$-D-glucoside (3), isorhamnetin 7-O-${\alpha}$-D-glucoside (4), isorhamnetin 3-O-${\alpha}$-D-glucoside (5), luteolin (6), and quercetin 3-methyl ether (7) were isolated from the methanol extract of the flowers of S. excelsus. Their structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. The isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines in vitro using a SRB method. The compounds 4 and 7 showed moderate cytotoxicity with ED$_{50}$ values ranging from 1.59 to 13.14${\mu}$g/ml.

The extraction yield of the methanolic extracts and 19${\alpha}$-hydroxyursane-type triterpenoid (19${\alpha}$-HUT) fraction were investigated in the unripe and ripe fruits and the leaves of the four Rubus plants (Rubus coreanus, R. crataegifolius, R. phoenicolasius, R. pungens var. oldhami) to develop the biomaterial 19${\alpha}$-HUT mixture as functional foods. Thin layer chromatogaphy-Densitometer (TLC-DM) was used to analyze the individual quantity of 19${\alpha}$-HUTs using standard compounds (euscaphic acid, tormentic acid, 23-hydroxytormentic acid, kaji-ichigoside F$_1$, rosamultin, niga-ichigoside F$_1$). The content of methanolic extract of the fruits were higher in the ripe stage than in the unripe stage whereas the content of 19${\alpha}$-HUT mixture varied with each Rubus species. The Rubus plants containing the highest amount of 19${\alpha}$-HUTs in the leaves were R. coreanus, R. phoenicolasius and R. pungens var. oldhami while only R. cratagefolius showed the highest content in the ripe fruits. The mean of total genin content of 19${\alpha}$-HUTs was 0.94 mg/g; that of the glycosides was 0.60 mg/g. The genin quantity was found in the order of 23-hydroxytormentic acid> euscaphic acid> tormentic acid; the glycoside was observed in the order of niga-ichig-oside F$_1$> kaji-ichigoside F$_1$> rosmaultin, by which the biosynthetic pathway of 23-hydroxytormentic acid and its glucoside niga-ichigoside F$_1$ via the intermediates tormentic acid and/or rosamultin was presumed. It is also suggested that the ripe fruits of R. crataegifolius will be desirable to use as functional foods rather than unripe fruits.

A rapid and practical HPLC assay was developed for quantitative analysis of saponins in Platycodi Radix. Seven saponin components in Platycodi Radix, i.e., deapioplatycoside E, platycoside E, deapioplatycodin D$_3$, platycodin D$_3$, polygalacin D$_2$, platycodin D$_2$ and platycodin D were successfully resolved on C18 column and detected by ELSD. Standard curves were linear over the concentration range 1 ${\sim}$2,000 ${\mu}$g/ml (r$^2$>0.992). Intra- and inter-day coefficients for variation of seven saponin components were < 10% and limit of quantification of them were around 0.7${\sim}$1.5 ${\mu}$g/ml, respectively. Using this method, contents of seven saponins in various plant materials under different cultivating conditions were estimated.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the common disease in elderly men. Recently old-age population is increased and we are growing more and more interested in clinical importance of BPH. In this study, the effect of PLX, which was the mixture of tomato extract (including 2% of lycopene) and chitooligosaccharide, on prostatic cancer cell and testosterone-induced BPH in adult rats of the Sprague Dawley strain was determined. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT method using L929 and LNCaP cell line, pretreated with various concentrations of PLX. The expression of prostatic specific antigen (PSA) and 5${\alpha$}$-reductase genes were evaluated by realtime PCR using LNCaP cell line and compared various concentrations of PLX with 50 ${\mu}$M of finasteride. An experimental prostatic hyperplasia was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by giving testosterone for 8 weeks. After 2 weeks from start of giving testosterone, PLX and finasteride were administered orally once a day. The results were analyzed with prostate weight per body weight at 8 weeks. Cell viability of L929 cell line decreased specifically at the concentration of 2000 ${\mu}$g/mf of PLX. The cytotoxicity of PLX to the LNCaP cell line was shown at above 500 ${\mu}$g/ml of PLX. The inhibitory effect of PLX to the expression of PSA and 5${\alpha$}$-reductase genes in LNCaP cell line increased with the concentration of PLX. In vivo study, the results of PLX and finasteride administered group were 3.75${\pm}$0.60 and 3.49${\pm}$0.49 prostate weight ${\times}10^3$/body weight, which were lower than the result of BPH induced group (4.74${\pm}$0.58). These results suggested that PLX may be an effective material in BPH by having the role of the 5a-reductase inhibitor.