There is no doubt that the effect of ginseng on blood pressure could be different depending upon the type of ginseng employed for the experiment and methodology, thereby can exert bilateral modulatory activity on blood pressure. It has been reported that ginseng induced no significant change in blood pressure in those subjects with normal blood pressure, but had a normalizing effect on the subjects with abnormal blood pressure. Especially, experimental evidence indicates that ginsenoside Rg3, a major component of red ginseng, has been found to lower blood pressure, which is mediated by release of endothelium-derived NO, enhancing the accumulation of cGMP in the rat aorta. This clinical results further support the beneficial effect of Korean ginseng on blood pressure elucidated by animal experiment. As expected, a multicentric non-controlled clinical study shows that the effect of ginseng consumption has been found to normalize blood pressure in hypertensive or hypotensive individuals as compared to virtually no effect in normotensives. In addition, ginseng has been known to exhibit blood pressure decreased with no significant side effect and deteriorated QOL during the combination therapy of ginseng and anti-hypertensive drugs. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the effects of Korean ginseng on blood pressure.

To isolate and identify the constituents of the fruit galls of Actinidium polygama as well as evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of the isolated compounds, a total of five triterpenes were isolated including $2{\alpha},3{\alpha},24$-trihydroxy-12-ursene-23-al-28-oic acid (1), corosolic acid (2), $2{\alpha},3{\alpha},24$-trihydroxyurs-12,20(30)-dien-28-oic acid (3), $2{\alpha},3{\alpha},24$-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (4), and $2{\alpha},3{\alpha},24$-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid (pygenic acid B) (5). Compounds 1, 3, and 4 were isolated from the fruit galls of A. polygama for the first time. Compound 3 decreased NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages and mouse microglia BV2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Bioassay guided fractionation and isolation of the $CH_2Cl_2$ extract from the apical bud of Gardenia sootepensis (Rubiaceae) led to the isolation of five known flavonoids (1-5). The structures of the compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR, and MS experiments, as well as by comparison of their data with published values. Compounds 1-5 were isolated for the first time from this plant source. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their cancer chemopreventive potential based on their ability to inhibit nitric oxide (NO) production. Among the isolates, compound 4 exhibited considerable NO inhibitory activity with an $IC_{50}$ value of $13.8{\mu}M$.

Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahl. (Compositae) has been used as an anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer agent in the clinic. Although its antidepressant effect has been reported, however, its cognitive function is not investigated until yet. In the present study, we investigated whether the water extract of T. platycarpum (WETP) could improve cognitive function in cholinergic blockade-induced amnesia mouse model using the passive avoidance or Y-maze task. WETP (12.5, 25 or 50 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment both in the passive avoidance test and the Y-maze test. In addition, WETP significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity measured by an ex vivo study using the mouse whole brain. These results suggest that WETP alleviates the cognitive dysfunction caused by the cholinergic blockade, in part, via AChE inhibition, and that it may be a useful for treating cognitive dysfunction.

In this study, we investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, component analysis, antioxidative activity and cellular protective effects against oxidative stress on human skin cells in 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction obtained from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (G. pentaphyllum) Makino. The DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activites ($FSC_{50}$) of the 50% ethanol extracts, ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction were 246.8, 147.2, $128.9{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities ($OSC_{50}$) of the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction on ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay were 37.15, 10.74, $7.19{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. We investigated the cellular protective activity and the results showed that treatment of aglycone fraction ($0.05-0.39{\mu}g/mL$) protect human skin cells in a concentration-dependent manner when the skin cell damages were induced by treating them with $H_2O_2$. These results suggest that extract/fractions of G. pentaphyllum Makino may be applicable as natural antioxidants in cosmetics.

In a series of investigations to develop a potential anti-obese agent, we prepared a immature Citrus fruits (IMF) and compared its lipid excretion effects to those of Citrus fruits (MF, CP, JP) in an ICR mouse model of obesity induced by a high fat diet. The body weights of IMF fed mice were found to be significantly lower from 2 weeks oral administration, despite the fact that their food intakes were similar to that of the HFD control mice. The fecal cholesterol content showed a significant increase in IMF (52.0 mg/g) at 7 weeks oral administration, and mature Citrus fruits (MF, 41.3 mg/g), immature Citrus peel (CP, 32.2 mg/g), mature Citrus peel (JP, 30.0 mg/g) respectively. And also, the triglyceride content in the feces showed a significant increase in MF (14.6 mg/g), and IMF (14.2 mg/g), CP (10.5 mg/g) and JP (10.0 mg/g), respectively. On the other hand, in the inhibition activity of pancreatic lipase, MF (0.78 nmol/min/ml) showed the greatest decrease in glycerol, CP (0.79 nmol/min/ml), JP, (0.93 nmol/min/ml) and IMF (1.42 nmol/min/ml).

As an ongoing study about Allium hookeri (Liliaceae), this study was performed to evaluate the anti-oxidative effect of the leaves of this plant. Ethanol extract of A. hookeri leaves was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. The ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities among those fractions. To prove antioxidant activity of ethyl acetate fraction of A. hookeri leaves, we checked the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and intracellular ROS level and oxidative stress tolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition, to verify if increased stress tolerance of C. elegans by treating of ethyl acetate fraction was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we checked SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain. As a consequence, the ethyl acetate fraction increased SOD and catalase activity of C. elegans, and reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, the ethyl acetate fraction-treated CF1553 worms showed higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum and its active component, norgalanthamine have been reported to have hair growth-promoting effect via the proliferation of dermal papilla cells. In this study, we investigated the other mechanisms of C. asiaticum extract var. japonicum and norgalanthamine on the hair growth. The C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract inhibited $5{\alpha}$-reductase activity by 16%, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a main cause of androgenetic alopecia, whereas the C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract didn't function as an opener of the $K_{ATP}$ channel. On the other hand, we examined whether norgalanthamine can inhibit transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) signal pathway, which is essential in the regression induction of hair growth. Norgalanthamine inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced canonical pathway in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. These results suggested that the C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract and norgalanthamine had the potential to influence hair growth through the inhibition of $5{\alpha}$-reductase activity and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced canonical pathway.

Cudrania tricuspidata Bureau (Moraceae) is a traditional oriental medicine that has been widely used as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory in Korea. This study was performed that the 70% ethanol extract of the roots of C. tricuspidata (CTE) suppressed receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis, actin ring formation in RAW 264.7 cell lines. CTE significantly inhibited the JNK/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway without affecting ERK and p38 signaling in RANKL-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Also, CTE inhibited RANKL-induced expression of c-Fos, an upstream activator of NFATc1. Consequently, CTE suppresses osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting RANKL induced MAPK signaling pathways and disrupts the actin rings in mature osteoclasts. Thus, CTE can be used for the development of osteoporosis treatment drug with a natural material.

Capsicum annuum L. (CA) is reported to be the most widely cultivated species of the Capsicum throughout the world. Its fruit and the seeds have been used as spice after drying and grinding. It is reported that the fruit and seeds contain capsaicinoid such as capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, carotenoid such as capsanthin and ${\beta}$-carotene with its anti-tumor effect, anti-obesity effect, anti-diabetic action. Present study, we isolated two lignans, icariside $E_5$ and vanilloyl icariside $E_5$ from the seed of CA and validation and content determination were confirmed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). As a result, the contents of the lignans, icariside $E_5$ and vanilloyl icariside $E_5$ were 0.28%, 0.085%, respectively in the extract.

We have studied the antifungal effect of 19 medicinal plants with paper disc diffusion method against candida albicans. As a result, Sanguisorba officinalis L., Cinnamomum cassia, Rheum coreanum, Perilla frutescens and Eugenia caryophyllata have been found to be effective against C. albicans. Among these, Sanguisorba officinalis L. was most effective at 24 hours and 48 hours. Its clear zone diameter was 17 mm for 24 hours and 16 mm for 48 hours. The antifungal activity of the solvent fraction of Sanguisorba officinalis L. by n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol was the best for the chloroform fraction of 28 mm for 24 hours and 18 mm for 48 hours. The MIC concentration of the chloroform fraction was $80{\mu}g/50{\mu}l$ at 24 hours and $240{\mu}g/50{\mu}l$ at 48 hours.