• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.169-180
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• 2002

This study was performed to investigate the effects of Radix Puerariae (RP), Flos Puerariae (FP) and Caules in Liquamen Phyllostachyos+Radix Puerariae water extracts on the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). transaminase (GOT, GPT) activities, and two hepatic antioxidant enzyme (SOD, catalase) activities in acute ethanol administered mice, and we have investigated the morphological changes that occur in hepatocytes of the experimental mice. The activities of ADH decreased compared with control group in the A1(66%), C1(57%), C2(54%) groups. The transaminase activites increased in the control groups compared with experimental groups. Ethanol treatment group without the RP or FP administration significantly lowered the activities of hepatic SOD and catalase, whereas MnSOD increased in the A1(27%) and B2(43%)groups, CuZnSOD increased in the B2(25%) and C2 groups. The catalase activites were increased in the A1(270%), A2(478%), B2(487%) and B1(770%) compared with control group, A lot of PAS-positive granules were observed in the A1, A2, C1 and C2 groups compared with the other groups. These results suggested that RP, FP and RP+Bamboo extracts administration may be prevent from liver damage in the alcohol treatment mice.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.165-172
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• 2007

Objectives : To find antipruritic herbal medicines, we screened the water extracts of four herbal medicines which have been frequently prescribed to treat dermatologic diseases in oriental medicine. Methods : Water extracts of Bupleuri Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Cimicifugae Rhizoma and Puerariae Radix were administered at a dose of 300 mg/kg to male ICR mice. 1 hour later, serotonin hydrochloride dissolved in physiologic saline at a concentration of 100 nmol / 50${\mu}{\ell}$ was administered intradermally to the nape of the neck at a dose of 50${\mu}{\ell}$. Then the scratching behavior was observed. Dry skin pruritus was induced with cutaneous application of acetone / ether (1:1) mixture and water (AEW) to the rostral back of male ICR mice, twice a day for 5 days. 14 hours after the last application, the most effective material in the first experiment was administered perorally at doses of 75, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg. 1 hour later, the scratching behavior was observed. Results : Water extracts of Puerariae Radix significantly inhibited the serotonin-induced scratching behavior and the mean of scratching bouts was reduced by half compared with the control group. Bupleuri Radix group also showed a 29% decrease in the mean of scratching bouts, but there was no statistical significance. Water extracts of Puerariae Radix also inhibited the AEW-induced scratching behavior, in a dose-dependent manner. The dose of 150 mg/kg showed the highest and statistically significant antipruritic effect. Conclusions : These results suggest that Puerariae Radix and its constituents have antipruritic effect, and are new candidates as antipruritic agents.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.538-543
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• 2004

Objective : This study investigated a neuroprotective effect of Puerariae Radix on cerebral ischemia. Method : The global cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion under hypotension (40mmHg) in Sprague-Dawley rats. After the treatment of Puerariae Radix extract, changes of c-Fos and c-Jun expressions, immediate early genes expressed by cerebral ischemia, in the hippocampus were observed immunohistochemically. Result: The results obtained are as follows; The significant increases of c-Fos and c-Jun expressions were observed in the hippocampus of the ischemic damaged rat brains. Then Puerariae Radix treatment demonstrated significant decreases of c-Fos and c-Jun expressions in CA1 region and dentate gyrus as compared with control group. On the upregulated c-Fos expression induced by cerebral ischemia, Puerariae Radix treatment demonstrated significant decreases of c-Fos expressions in CA1 region (P<0.01) and dentate gyrus (P<0.05) as compared to the control group, but there were not a significant changes in CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. On the upregulated c-Jun expression induced by cerebral ischemia, Puerariae Radix treatment demonstrated significant decrease of c-Jun expression in CA1 region (P<0.05) as compared to the control group, but there were not a significant changes in CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Conclusion : These results suggested that Puerariae Radix reveals the neuroprotective effect through the reduction of immediate early genes, c-Fos and c-Jun, induced by cerebral ischemia.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2016

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate anti-obesity effect of Galgeuntang (gegentang) and elucidate the effect of it on gene expression related to obesity. Methods The experiments were performed with the use of Diet-Induced Obese mice. They were grouped NC (normal control), HFD (high fat diet control), GGT (Galgeun-tang (gegentang), 700 mg/kg), ORL (Orlistat, 10 mg/kg). GGT was orally administered for 12 weeks. Body weight was measured every week. Real-time PCR was performed to investigate the effect of GGT on gene expression in liver tissue. Results GGT group and ORL group were reduced in body weight compared with HFD. HFD increased $PPAR{\gamma}$, SREBP-1, Leptin, aP2, FATP1, FAS gene expression compared with NC. GGT increased FATP1 gene expression. But GGT reduced $PPAR{\gamma}$ & FAS gene expression in liver tissue of diet-induced obese mice compared with HFD. Conclusions These results suggest that GGT is supposed to have a certain impact on the treatment of obesity. But more study is needed in the future.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2009

This report carried out to study 59 prescriptions related to the use of Pueraria thunbergiana bentham in Dongueibogam This study is based on Dongueibogam which has been widely used for herbal clinic in Korea. And this study is investigated to make sure of the range of treatment, nature of disease, the pathology and the dosage of Pueraria thunbergiana bentham in Dongueibogam. The following conclusions were reached through investigations on the prescriptions that used in Dongueibogam as a various role. 1. The prescriptions that Pueraria thunbergiana bentham was taken as a 15 for monarchy, 15 for attendant, 11 for assistance and valet herb are utilized for therapeutic treatments such as cough, fever etc, mainly Sanghan syndromes in the chapter of Wind. 2. The Pueraria thunbergiana bentham was also utilized as a key ingradients in the chapter of Eye and Onyeok epidemic. 3. The most frequent mass of the Pueraria thunbergiana bentham when used as a monarchy herb is 2jeon, and the standard limited range of adding Pueraria thunbergiana bentham to medical prescription is 7pun$\sim$5jeon per dose. But, when used as a attendant herb, an typical and regular adding dose is the range of 3pun5ri$\sim$1yang2.5jeon,and 3pun$\sim$1.5jun in the case of assistant. 4. The phathogenic factors and phathology of Pueraria thunbergiana bentham in the prescription are based on the chapter of Cold when used as a monarchy herb and on the chapter of Wind in the case of attendant herb. 5. The Seungmagalgeontang is the most useful base prescription which use the Pueraria thunbergiana bentham as the main ingredient.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.405-411
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• 2009

This study evaluated the effects of Puerariae Radix on the skeletal muscle atrophy, Muscle atrophy was induced by the sciatic nerve transection in Sprague-Dawley rats, then aqueous-extract of Puerariae Radix was administered for 12 days, Muscle wet weight was measured in soleus, plantaris, and medial gastrocnemius. Muscle fiber type was classified by MHCf immunohistochemistry. Muscle fiber type proportion and cross section area of muscle fiber also was observed in medial gastrocnemius. Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in medial gastrocnemius of the damaged hind limb were evaluated with immunohistochemistry. The results are as follows; Puerariae Radix attenuated muscle atrophy in soleus of the sciatic nerve transectioned rats, but there was statistic significance. Puerariae Radix attenuated significantly atrophy in plantaris at 12 days and in medial gastrocnemius at 8 days and 12 days. Puerariae Radix improved histology of the atrophic changes and increased significantly cross section areas of type-I and type-II muscle fibers in medial gastrocnemius of the sciatic nerve transectioned rats. Puerariae Radix did not affect to muscle fiber type proportion in medial gastrocnemius of the sciatic nerve transectioned rats. Puerariae Radix attenuated significantly Bax positive nuclei but did not affect to Bcl-2 positive muscle fibers in medial gastrocnemius of the sciatic nerve transectioned rats.According to above results, Puerariae Radix may have an anti-atrophy effect on the denervated skeletal muscle through anti-apoptotic effects on muscle fibers.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 1991

Polyphenol oxidase(PPO) was purified from an extract of Puerariae Radix by ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by Sephadex G-150 column chromatography, which resulted in a 56-fold increase in specific activity. The enzyme was optimum of pH 6.5. The optimum temperature of enzymic reaction was about $40^{\circ}$. The enzyme was thermostable with a half-life equal to 32 min at $70^{\circ}$. Km values of the PPO for catechol and pyrogallol from Lineweaver Burk plots were $1.3{\times}10^{-2}M$, $1.16{\times}10^{-2}M$, respectively. The substrate specificity of the Puerariae Radix PPO showed high affinity toward pyrogallol. Reducing reagents such as cysteine, potassium metabisulfite, ascorbic acid, 2-mercaptoethanol completely inhibited the PPO activity at $10^{-2}M$ level. Linewear-Burk analysis of inhibition data revealed that the inhibition by cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol, 4-nitrocatechol, potassium cyanide was competitive with Ki values of $4.3{\times10^{-2}M,\;0.73{\times}10^{-6}M,\;6.9{\times}10^{-6}M,\;6.4{\times}10^{-7}M$, respectively. The browning reaction by PPO was observed to decrease temporarily with the addition of sodium diethyl dithiocarbamate, a well known copper chelating agent. Among the divalent cations, $Cu^{2+}$ ion was strong activator on PPO and $Mn^{2+},\;Co^{2+}$ ions was effect on PPO activity. $Zn^{2+},\;Mg^{2+}$ ions was inhibitor on PPO.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-36
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• 2003

Through investigation on prescriptions from Dongeuibogam with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient, the following conclusions were reached. The 59 prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient are mentioned from chapter of Pediatrics to chapter of Intestinal Convulsions. And 85% of those appears from chapter of Pediatrics to chapter of coughs. Prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as the main ingredient are used for skin diseases, cold, epidemics, abscess, diabetes, stroke, feverish diseases, intestinal diseases, weakness and cough. The dosage of Radix Puerariae varies from 0.875g to 11.25g. 3.75g was the most frequently used dosage which accounts 44%. And those with small dosage of 0.875 to 1.125g were for use on infants or pregnant women. The grounding pathology used for prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient appeared to be mostly the pathology related to the Six External Qi. Among this, wind with cold(風寒), wind, cold with heat and humidity(風寒署濕), catching cold(傷寒), successively catching cold(兩感傷寒), cold of the Yangmyung and heat clogging(陽明傷寒火鬱), abnormal weather(時令不正) are the majority. Through the prescriptions with Radix Puerariae as an ingredient, it could be concluded Radix Puerariae that has various functions such as sweating and removing rash(發表透疹), exhalation and curing muscular ache(發散解肌), producing body fluid and ceasing thirst(生津止渴), opening abscess and healing the scar(托瘡生肌), removal of fever(解熱), resolving hangover(醒酒). Seungmagalguntang(升麻葛根湯) is used as the base prescription the most, and various prescriptions and herbs are combined according to the case.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.91-115
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• 2020

Objective : This study's purpose was to review the clinical studies of Galgeun-tang. Method : We searched papers about Galgeun-tang using KISS, RISS, OASIS, PUBMED and J-stage. The key words we used were "Galgeuntang", "Kakkonto", "Ge gen tang", and "Pueraria Decoction". Papers not matched with inclusion criteria were excluded. Results : Until today, there have been 223 studies on Galgeun-tang. Of these, 25 studies were classified as clinical research papers. There were 4 cases of fever, 5 cases of inflammation on respiratory system, 3 cases of head, neck and shoulder disorder, 2 cases of diarrhea, 6 cases of pharmacokinetics and interaction, 5 cases of side effect. Conclusion : It can be seen that Galgeun-tang has established the basis for application to the purpose of treating fever (common cold, influenza), inflammation on respiratory system (nasal obstruction, maxillary sinus retention cyst, mucoid pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic lower respiratory tract infection), head, neck and shoulder disorder (temporomandibular disorders, shoulder stiffness, tetanus), and diarrhea. On the other hand, considering 4 cases of side effect on drug eruption, caution should be exercised when observing the progress of the patient taking Galgeun-tang.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.297-307
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• 2003

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of the Puerarie Radix water extract (PRE) against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity and the mechanism underlying these protective effects in the rats. The pretreatment of PRE has shown to possess a significant protective effect by lowering the serum alanine and aspartate aminoteansferase (AST and ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This hepatoprotective action was confirmed by histological observation. In addition, the pretreatment of PRE prevented the elevation of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and the depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) content and catalase activity in the liver of CC1₄-injected rats. The PRE also displayed hydroxide radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 83.6 μg/ml), as assayed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping technique. Moreover, the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) mRNA, as measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), was significantly decreased in the liver of PRE-pretreated rats when compared with that in the liver of control group. Based on these results, it was suggested that the hepatoprotective effects of the PRE may be related to antioxidant effects and regulation of CYP2E1 gene expression.