• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2014

Objectives : Aucklandiae Radix (Muxiang) one of important herbal medicines in oriental medicine, is defined as the dried root of Aucklandia lappa (Asteraceae). Owing to the similarities in the morphology and name, Inulae Radix (Tu-Muxiang) and Vladimiriae Radix (Chuan-Muxiang) as well as Aristolochiae Radix (Qing-Muxiang) originated from other medicinal plants are often used as substitutes and/or adulterants of Aucklandiae Radix. Therefore, a reliable authentication of these herbal medicines is necessarily for the public health and prevention of misuse. Methods : 32 samples of medicinal plants supplying Aucklandiae Radix, Inulae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, and Aristolochiae Radix were collected in Korea and China. The ITS (Internal transcribed spacer) nucleotide sequences of samples were determined. The PCR primers to amply DNA marker of each herbal medicine were designed basing on the specific ITS regions showing differences in the sequences among medicinal plants. Results : Primer set Al R/IS F designed in this work amplified 220 bp PCR product only in samples of Aucklandiae Radix. In contrast, primer set Ih F/IS R, Vs R/IS F, and AcR F1/Ac R amplified 250 bp product, 356 bp prouct, and 516 bp product respectively to identify Inulae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, and Aristolochiae Radix. Conclusions : The primers designed basing on the nucleotide sequences of ITS regions appearing differenced in the sequences among medicinal plants amplified the DNA markers for the identification of Aucklandiae Radix, Inulae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, and Aristolochiae Radix. These herbal medicines were more efficiently identified by multiplex PCR method using all primers in a single PCR process.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.83-97
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• 2014

Objectives: This study aimed for establishing the discriminative criteria for Aucklandiae Radix, Inulae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix and Aristolochiae Radix, which can be confused as 'Mokhyang', because of similar appearances and synonyms. Methods: Morphological characteristics of dried herbal medicines were compared by macroscopic observation. To examine microscopic features of 'Mokhyang', paraffin embedding and the staining by using Ju's method were conducted. Physicochemical experiments were performed using HPLC analysis and antioxidant assay. Results: The types of stem, phyllotaxy and leaf shape were chosen as macroscopic criteria and the size, oil spots, color and root top as well as phloem and central cylinder were compared using microscopic features. The HPLC results showed different amounts of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone among Aucklandiae Radix, Inulae Radix and Vladimiriae Radix. However, Aristolochiae Radix only contained aristolochic acid. The antioxidant assays also showed that Vladimiriae Radix exhibited strongest antioxidant activity followed by Aucklandiae Radix, Inulae Radix and Aristolochiae Radix. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that macroscopic, microscopic and physicochemical methods would be useful tools for the discrimination of 4 kinds of 'Mokhyang'.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2005

13-week orally repeated dose toxicity was investigated to ascertain the toxic effects of Aristolochiae radix in F344 rats at dose levels of 0, 1 (0.003 AA, aristolochic acid, mg/kg), 5 (0.014 AA mg/kg), 25 (0.068 AA mg/kg), 125 (0.34 AA mg/kg), and 500mg/kg (AA 1.36 mg/kg). No mortalities were found in any of the dose groups including vehicle control groups of both sexes during the study period. Hematologic and serum biochemical examinations revealed no changes related to the test item in any of the dose groups of both sexes. However, gross findings at necropsy implicated thickening of the stomach wall. In histopathological examinations, prominent findings related to the test item treatment were observed in the stomach and urinary bladder. There were squamous cell papilloma, squamous cell hyperplasia, ulceration and erosion observed in the non-glandular stomach. Squamouse cell hyperplasia was observed at dose levels of more than 125 mg/kg in both sexes and squamous cell papilloma was observed at dose level of 500 mg/kg in both sexes. The incidence and severity of these proliferating lesions including squamous cell hyperplasia and squamous cell papilloma increased with dose dependency. Transitional cell hyperplasia was also observed in the urinary bladder at dose levels of more than 25 mg/kg in both sexes and the incidence and severity of the lesion increased with dose dependency. In conclusion, the toxic changes related to the test item treatment were observed in the stomach and urinary bladder, and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was estimated to be 5 mg/kg/day for both males and females in F344 rats.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.49-54
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• 2017

Objectives : Bangki is commonly Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma (SC) in Korea. But it often confused with others such as Cocculi Radix (CR), Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix (SR) and Aristolochiae Fangchi (AR) due to the similarity in herbal names and morphological characteristics. However, because all of these types of Bangi have different healing properties, they need to be differentiated. Methods : A discrimination on external features of original plants and external characteristics of herbal medicines was carried out using visual examination, stereoscope. For the examination of Internal characteristics of herbal medicines, tissues were dyed using fast green FCF, hematoxylin and safranin O, and the features were observed by the microscope. Results : In external morphology of original plants, the original plants of SC and AR were lignum plants and others were herbaceous plants. The leaf blade and the petiole were another discriminative criteria. In external morphology of herbal medicines, SR and AR have powders and others didn't. Also, SC and CR were determined by the dense of the radiation pattern in the cross section. In internal morphology of herbal medicines, SR and AR were distinguished by the dense of Stone cells. Moreover, SC and CR were different in the pattern of medullary ray and vascular bundle. Conclusions : The results above could be used as identification keys of Bangki. Moreover, these identifications might attribute as a fundamental material to further studies like physicochemical pattern analysis and biological reaction.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.273-279
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• 2000

Leukotriene $B_4\;(LTB_4)$ is a pro-inflammatory mediator synthesized in myeloid cells from arachidonic acid. Elevated levels of $LTB_4$ have been found in a number of inflammatory diseases and levels are related to disease activity in some of these. Because $LTB_4$ interacts with cells through specific cell surface receptors, $LTB_4$ receptor blockade is the most specific approach to reduce the pathogenic role of $LTB_4$. In order to find $LTB_4$ receptor antagonist from plants, we screened the $LTB_4$ receptor antagonistic activity of the methanol extract and solvent fractions of herbal drugs. The ability of samples to inhibit specific binding of $[^3H]-LTB_4$ to human peripheral neutrophils was used as assay to evaluate the antagonistic activity of plant materials. Among the tested methanol extracts of herbal drugs, Mori Radicis Cortex, Perillae Semen, Armeniacae Semen and Sophorae subprostratae Radix showed potent inhibitory activity above 70% at the concentration of $100\;{mu}g/ml$. The inhibitory activities of $LTB_4$ binding to human neutrophils were evaluated for several solvent fractions at three different concentrations. Especially, hexane soluble fractions of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Embeliae Radix, and ethyl acetate soluble fractions of Aristolochiae Fructus, Magnoliae Cortex and Zingiberis Rhizoma crudus showed moderate activity at $25\;{mu}g/ml$. These fractions were promising candidates for the study of the activity-guided chromatographic purification of active compounds. Silica gel column chromatography of hexane soluble fractions of Anemarrhenae Rhizoma and Embeliae Radix gave very active sub-fractions, AA-4 and ES-4, and their inhibition activities of $LTB_4$ binding to human neutrophil at $30\;{mu}g/ml$ were 78% and 62%, respectively. From these results we could anticipate new $LTB_4$ receptor antagonist from herbal drugs, and the block of $LTB_4$ effects may provide beneficial in neutrophil mediated diseases such as inflammation and bronchial asthma.