• Journal of Apiculture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2019

Honey bees are important pollinators in agriculture, but are threatened by the pathogen Ascosphaera apis, which causes chalkbrood. Despite attempts to control this fungus using synthetic fungicides, none of them have been proven to be completely effective. Among 640 natural compounds that we tested, 4-hydroxyderricin (MIC=3.125, 6.25 mg/L after 24 h and 48 h growth, respectively) exhibited the strongest anti- Ascosphaera apis activity, followed by acetylshikonin (MIC=12.5 mg/L for 24 h and 48 h growth). 4-Hydroxyderricin showed selective growth inhibition of Ascosphaera apis and Rhizopus oryzae among tested fungus strains. Treatment 4-hydroxyderricin with miconazole revealed a synergistic effect (FICI=0.65±0.13 at 48 h incubation). These findings suggest that 4-hydroxyderricin, which has antifungal activity against Ascosphaera apis but few other fungal species, can effectively control infectious fungal diseases. Combined treatment of bees with 4-hydroxyderricin and miconazole could reduce cytotoxicity and improve the cost effectiveness of treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.379-382
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• 2000

Conditions of isolation for the red color pigments from the Korean Lithospermum erythrorhizon were investigated and identification of the red pigment was analysed. Non-polar solvents were more effective than water. Especially, 95% ethanol was observed as optimum solvent for the pigments extraction. About 20 minutes at 40$^{\circ}C$ with 95% ethanol was enough for the extraction of the red pigments. The major pigment was analysed as acetylshikonin by TLC, IR, NMR and GC/MS.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.565-569
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• 1998

An HPLC method was developed to resolve the enantiomers of shikonin derivatives of the Lithospermi Radix. The optimum mobile phase on a Chiracel AD column was 5% isopropanol in n-hexane with folw rate of 1 ml/min. Establishment of this method made possible to determine the ratios of shikonin/acetylshikonin or alkanin/acetylalkanin in the same root. The correlation of the ratios of these substance pairs appeared characteristic for the country where they were originated from. All of the Korean species showed significantly higher ratios of shikonin/acetylshikonin and alkanin/acetylalkanin than the Chinese ones. this method would be useful to determine the orgin of Lithospermi Radix.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.400-404
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• 2005

Activity-guided fractionation of a hexane-soluble extract of the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, using a mouse brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition assay, led to the isolation of two known naphthoquinones, acetylshikonin and shikonin, and a furylhydroquinone, shikonofuran E. These compounds were shown to inhibit MAO with $IC_{50}$ values of 10.0, 13.3, and $59.1 {\mu}M$, respectively. Although no specificity for MAO-A and MAO-B was shown by acetylshikonin and shikonin, a Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis indicated that the inhibition was competitive for both MAO-A and MAO-B activity.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.167-172
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• 2000

Lithospermum erythrorhyzon has been used as a red fooddye and traditional Chinese medicine to treat wounds, skin diseases and burns. Platelet activation plays an important role in thrombosis and haemostasis. Here, we studied the inhibition of platelet activation and its active compound from the root of Lithospermum erythrorhyzon. Its ethyl acetate extract inhibited the aggregation of washed rabbit platelets induced by collagen or thrombin. Five naphthoquinone pigments , shikonin , acetylshikonin , is obutylshikonin, $\alpha$-methyl-n-butylshikonin and $\beta$,$\beta$-dimethylacrylshikonin were isolated by means of high pressure liquid chromatography. The structures were determined by comparison of their proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The potency of their inhibition was in the following order : $\beta$,$\beta$-dimethylacrylshikonin$\geq$$\alpha$-methyl-n-butylshikonin>isobutylshikonin>acetylshikonin>shikonin. It is suggested that the size of the aliphatic hydroxy group of shikonin is important for the enhancement of potency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.522-523
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• 2006

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.255-263
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• 2005

Research was undertaken to compare the pharmacological activity of Lithospermi radix (LR) reported as an oriental medicine for classical uses. LR contains naphthoquinone pigments : shikonin, acetylshikonin, isobutylshikonin, etc. LR is used for the treatment of excision wound, burn, eczema, blister, scarlatina and septicemia as antifebrile, antidotic and antiphlogistic. Gardeniae fructus (GF) has been used for the treatment to jaundice, hepatic disease, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and it contains crocin, geniposide and its derivatives. The therapeutic effects of burn and excision wound healing from LR & GF hydrogel with $Nano-ATP^{\circledR}$ (GLN) were investigated. To evaluate the therapeutic value of various hydrogels, thermal burn model and excision wound mouse model were used. The burn and wound reduction rate and therapeutic period were measured to calculate the healing extent after 5 experiments. The 2nd degree burn was prepared on hairless mouse back skin and dressing with collagen. The burn and wound reduction rate of GLN hydrogel treated group decreased more rapidly than that of other gel group in animal model. Furthermore therapeutic periods of GLN hydrogel treated group was shorter than that of other gel group. In anti-inflammatory test, GLN hydrogel treated group decreased edema rapidly than that of other gel group. These results suggest that the GLN hydrogel treatment has an therapeutic effect on burn and excision wound healing.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.25-25
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• 1996

;Jindo Hongju is an unique red-colored traditional distilled wine of Korea. The unique attractive color of Jindo Hongju is due to the pigments of gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon) root, derivatives of naphtoquinone such as shikonin and acetylshikonin. Which are extracted during the distillation process. The attractive color of the gromwell pigments is easily changed to dark red or to brown causing deterioration of the Quality of Jindo Hongju. Due to the discoloration of the pigments and to the limited supply of gromwell roots, some brewers manufacture spurious Jindo Hongju using artificial colorants. This study was performed to devise a simple method of detecting spurious Jindo Hongju products. The color of the gromwell pigments was greatly affected by pH change and the change could be demonstrated by the change of the absorption spectrum. At pH 4.0 the normal pH of Jindo Hongju, the absorption spectra of gromwell pigments and genuine Hongju products showed an absorption maximum of 520 nm. The absorption maximum was shifted to 570 nm and to 616 nm as the pH was raised to 7.0 and 11.0 respectively. This transition due to the pH change was also demonstrated on em chromaticity diagram. The characteristic transition due to pH change of gromwell pigment solution was not observed with an artificial colorant (red No.2) which was suspected to be used in the manufacture of imitation products. The absorption spectra of most of the Jindo Hongju collected from the market were similar to that of the gromwell pigments and showed the characteristic transition due to pH change with the addition of NaOH. However, with a few of the products, the absorption spectra was similar to that of the artificial colorant and the characteristic transition due to pH change was not observed, indicating these products might have been forged. The result of study suggests that the transition of the absorption spectrum and the change of the color due to pH change be used for the detection of imitation products. Farther more, since, at pH above 9.0, the color of the gromwell pigments and genuine Jindo Hongju could be visually differentiated from that of the artificial colorant and forged products, it might be possible that the forged products be easily detected by raising the pH to above 9.0 and visually comparing the color with that of the gromwell pigment at the same pH.me pH.