• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.204-209
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• 2010

Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease associated with an imbalance of bone remodeling. Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone mass and increased bone fractures. In this study, we investigated the effects of horse bone extracts (HBEs) in vivo. Horse bone was extracted with 80% alcohol (HBE-A) at $100^{\circ}C$ or water (HBE-W) at $120^{\circ}C$. Animal model of postmenopausal osteoporosis was used, in which osteoporosis was induced by ovariectomy of female S.D. rats (female rats were divided into 5 groups), and HBEs were administered to ovariectomized rats every day for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and the following osteoporotic factors were measured: body weight, bone mineral density (BMD), uterine/body weight ratio, serum estradiol (E2), and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The results showed that the administration of HBE-W decreased the changes of body weight in ovariectomized rats. HBE-W increased the uterine/body weight ratio and BMD. In addition, HBEs decreased the ALP. Therefore, HBEs may be used for the prevention or treatment of bone disease.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2014

To identify potential gastrointestinal prokinetic agents, water and 70% ethanol extracts and isolated compounds from 41 different traditional medicinal herbs were evaluated for the stimulation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility in vivo. Of the 41 water and 70% ethanol extracts, 12 extracts were found to enhance GI motility activity in mice by more than 10%. The 12 extracts are as follows: Atractylodes japonica (root), Crataegus pinnatifida (flower), Aucklandia lappa (root), Inula helenium (root), Cynanchum wilfordii (root), Chinese Liriope platyphylla (root), Codonopsis pilosula (root), Glehnia littoralis (root), Pinellia ternate (tuber), Agastache rugosa (aerial part), Angelica decursiva (whole plant), and Peucedanum praeruptorum (whole plant). In particular, the extracts from Atractylodes japonica (root), Cynanchum wilfordii (root) and Angelica decursiva (whole plant) have demonstrated the highest GI motility activity. In addition, 26 isolated compounds from the medicinal herbs were tested, and 8 isolated compounds were found to be active. They are ${\alpha}$-ionone, ${\beta}$-ionone, trans-caryophyllene, cedrol, methyl-3,5-di-O-E-caffeoyl-quinate, lobetyolin, oleoyllinoleoylolein and cis-jasmone. ${\beta}$-ionone from Aucklandia lappa (root) showed the most potent GI motility activity. The active traditional medicinal herbs and isolated compounds might be therapeutically advantageous in the treatment of GI motility disorders.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.269-274
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the anticancer effect of rice bran extract in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. The extract of rice bran inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells. When treated with the rice bran extract, we could observe the apoptotic characteristics such as apoptotic bodies and the increase of sub-G1 hypodiploid cell population, increase of Bax level, decrease of Bcl-2 expression, cleavage of procaspase-3, cleavage of procaspase-9 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase(PARP) in HL-60 cells. Furthermore, the apoptosis induction of HL-60 cells treated with the rice bran extract was also accompanied by the inactivation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) such as ERK1/2 MAPK and p38 MAPK. In addition, the rice bran extract induced the down-regulation of c-myc. These data suggested that the rice bran extract could induce the apoptosis via the inactivation of ERK1/2 MAPK and p38 MAPK, and the down-regulation of c-myc in HL-60 acute pomyelocytic leukemia cells. The results support that the rice bran extract might have potential for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 2013

Sophorae Flos (SF), a composite of flowers and flower-buds of Sophora japonica, has long been used in traditional Korean and Chinese medicines for the treatment of hemostasis and inflammation. In this study, we investigated anti-inflammatory effect of four EtOH extracts at the difference in blooming stages of flowers on LPS-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. We classified the flowers of Sophora japonica with SF-1 (length of flower is shorter than calyx), SF-2 (length of calyx is shorter than flower), SF-3 (full bloom), and SF-4 (not blooming at all). We examined HPLC analysis, whether quercetin and rutin are major component of these Sophorae Flos extracts or not. As a result, SF-1 contained quercetin, but the others did not. In addition, quercetin, SF-1, and SF-4 act on the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 ($PGE_2$) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation in RAW264.7 cells. Of these, SF-1 showed the best anti-inflammatory effect. These results suggest that Sophorae Flos with the highest content of quercetin would be used for the treatment of various inflammation diseases.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.3 s.134
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• pp.250-255
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• 2003

To develop Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum (Liliaceae) for an available functional food, pharmacological experiments on the extracts of this plant were undertaken in the rat treated with streptozotocin, poloxamer-407 and $CCl_4$. The two MeOH extracts were obtained from the leaves and the bulbs, respectively. The three agents, streptozotocin, poloxamer-407 and $CCl_4$, were treated to induce diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and hepatic injury, respectively. Treatment with the leaf extract lowered blood glucose by 24.9% at 200 mg/kg (p.o.) in the STZ-treated rat and prohibited the increase of body weight, water consumption and food intake. This exσact also significantly decreased not only thε plasma cholesterol and triglyceride in the poloxamer-407-treated rat by 35.3% but also serum ALT by 49.0%. The potency was found by overall estimation on the experimental results as followings: 200 mg/kg leaf extract> 200 mg/kg bulb extract> 100 mg/kg leaf exσact> 100 mg/kg bulb extract. These results suggested that this plant might have the availability for a functional food. It was also suggested that the leaves are more effective than the bulbs for the functional vegetable, especially in hyperlipidemia and hepatic injury.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.3 s.134
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• pp.256-262
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• 2003

Lonicerae Flos (LF) has been used as an anticancer, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory agent in traditional herbal medicine. In this study, induction of rat growth hormone (rGH) by addition of methanol (MeOH) extract of LF of Lonicerae (L.) Folium or several constituents of L. Folium were carried out in the pituitary cell culture system. Induced rGH level by addition of 70% MeOH extract of LF was increased to $732.65{\pm}105.64%$ of control (n=18, p<0.01), however, the other sequential fractions were not significantly different from the control. Ochnaflavone, a constituent of L. Folium, induced rGH level in the cell culture to $329.73{\pm}160.00%$ of control (n=6, p<0.01). An I..v. injection of the MeOH extract of LF did not increase plasma rGH level in anesthetized rats. Unfortunately, the MeOH extract of LF induced prolactin and LH release about 7 and 5 fold of the control, respectively (p<0.05, each). In conclusions, 70% MeOH extract of LF exerted induction of rGH release in rat pituitary cell culture. Further studies to investigate mechanisms of the inducded rGH by LF are in progress.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.3 s.142
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• pp.201-204
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• 2005

The rhizome extract of Atractylodes japonica Koidzumi(Compositae) exhibited a particular inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cell lines, in vitro. Thus, the intensive phytichemical investigation of the MeOH extract of Atractylodes japonica have been conducted by the way of activity-guided purification. The repeated column chromatographic separation of the n-hexane soluble part of extract resulted in the isolation of four sesquiterpenes (1-4) and a polyacetylene component (5). Chemical structures of them were identified as atractylon (1), atractylenolide Ⅰ(2), atractylenolide Ⅲ(3), eudesma-4(15),7(11)-dien-8-one (4) and 1,3-diacetyl-atractylodiol (5) by spectroscopic means. Among the isolates, compound 2-4 were shown to give moderate inhibitory effect in a dose dependent manner on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cell lines such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), XF498 (central nerve system) and HCT 15(colon), respectively.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.36 no.3 s.142
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• pp.240-244
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• 2005

The methanol extract of the seed of Myristica fragrans (myristicaceae) demonstrated a potent inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2(melanoma), XF498 (central nerve system) and HCT-15(colon). The MeOH extract was fractionated into three portions by serial solvent partition i,e., EtOAc soluble part, BuOH soluble part and remaining water layer. Among them, the EtOAc soluble part of the extract demonstrated a potent inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells, Bioassay-guided fractionation of the EtOAc soluble part led to the isolation of six lignan constituents, i.e., safrole(1), machilin A (2), licarin B (3), macelignan (4), mesodihydroguaiaretic acid (5) and myristargenol A (6) as well as a large amount of myristic acid as active ingredients. Structures of the isolated active components (1-6) were established by chemical and spectroscopic means.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2019

Dengropanax morfiferus (D), Broussonitia kazinoki (B), and Cudriania tricuspidata (E), a widely cultivated species in South Korea, has been used as traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases. In this study, we evaluated the antidiabetic effects in a various signaling mechanisms using mixed extract and major component contents were analyzed by HPLC in the combined extracts from Dengropanax morfiferus, Broussonitia kazinoki, and Cudriania tricuspidata (DBCE). DBCE inhibited ${\alpha}$-glucosidase and ${\alpha}$-amylase activation and showed potent antioxidant effects, which are evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, and SOD assay. Cytokines, which are released by inflammatory cells in pancreatic islets, are involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus. DBCE showed the protective effects in RINm5F cells against cytokines-induced damage by suppressing inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase and COX-2 expression and NO production. Insulin resistance is the primary characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the regulatory effect of DBCE on glucose uptake and production are investigated in insulin-responsive human HepG2 cells. DBCE stimulated glucose uptake, prevented Glut2 and phosphor-IRS1 downregulation induced by high glucose (HG, 30 mM). Moreover, DBCE pretreatment diminished glucose levels, PEPCK and G6Pase overexpression provoked by HG. These findings suggest that DBCE might be used for diabetes treatment through alpha-glucosidase or alpha-amylase activity regulation, pancreatic beta cell protection, hepatic glucose sensitivity improvement. Cytokines, which are released by inflammatory cells' infiltrations around the pancreatic islets, are involved in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.305-311
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• 2018

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disease, characterized by articular cartilage, osteonecrosis, and osteochondral bone erosion. It is an early, progressive disease that combines joint stiffness and joint pain and reduces cartilage function and condition. Interleukin-1 beta ($IL-1{\beta}$) is thought to be important to the pathogenesis of OA and significantly increases the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which play an important role in cartilage degradation in OA. Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) is an edible / medicinal mushroom that has been reported to variety of biological activities. In this study, investigated the Anti-inflammatory effect of Sparassis crispa (Wulf.) ethanol extract (SCE) on $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW1353 chondrocytes. SCE decreased the expression and activity of MMPs by $IL-1{\beta}$ and decreased the levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) associated with the inhibition of prostaglandin E2($PGE_2$) in $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW-1353 chondrocytes. In addition, SCE inhibits the expression of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and $NF-{\kappa}B$ (nuclear factor-kappa B) signaling in $IL-1{\beta}$ stimulated SW-1353 cells, and SCE inhibits the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. Thus, it is suggested that SCE has a potential as an anti-inflammatory agent in osteoarthritis treatments.