• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.29-41
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• 2005

Objectives : The use of natural products with therapeutic properties is as ancient as human civilisation and, for a long time, mineral, plant and animal products were the main sources of drugs. Catalposide, the major iridoid glycoside isolated from the stem bark of Catalpa ovata G. Don (Bignoniceae) has been shown to possess anti-microbial and anti-tumoral properties. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress response protein and is known to play a protective role against the oxidative injury. In this study, we examined whether catalposide could protect Neuro 2A cells, a kind of neuronal cell lines, from oxidative damage through the induction of HO-1 protein expression and HO activity. We also examined the effects of catalposide on the productions of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ and nitric oxide (NO) on RAW 264.7 macrophages activated with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. Methods : HO-1 expression in Neuro 2A cells was measured by Western blotting analysis. NO and $TNF--{\alpha}$ produced by RAW 264.7 macrophage were measured by Griess reagent and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Results : The treatment of the cells with catalposide resulted in dose- and time-dependent up-regulations of both HO-1 protein expression and HO activity. Catalposide protected the cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death. The protective effect of catalposide on hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death was abrogated by zinc protoporphyrin IX, a HO inhibitor. Additional experiments revealed the involvement of CO in the cytoprotective effect of catalposide-induced HO-1. In addition, catalposide inhibited the productions of $TNF--{\alpha}$ and NO with significant decreases in mRNA levels of $TNF--{\alpha}$ and inducible NO synthase. Conclusions : Our results indicate that catalposide is a potent inducer of HO-1 and HO-1 induction is responsible for the catalposide-mediated cytoprotection against oxidative damage and that catalposide may have therapeutic potential in the control of inflammatory disorders.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.128-139
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• 1996

The twelve relatively intact ev ergreen broad-leaved forests in the islands off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula were surveyed. The species which commonly appeared over seventy percents in frequency among studied island biotic ecosystems including rare and endangered species and an introduxed or invaded species in the observed localities were also discussed. The common species in each areas were summarized as 28 families, 34 genus and 37 taxa. The pokildo island marked the highest species diversity as 5.511 per 100m$^{2}$ sized plots. And then the species diversity of the Mijo-ri(4.677) and the Maengson-ni(2.481) were following. The total number of rare and endangered species which appeared in the investigated areas were 24 families and 32 taxa, and 13 taxa, and the Pokildo island had the largest number as of 13 families, 12 species, 1 variety and 13 taxa. The 7 species of Compositae, 5 species of Leguminosae and 2 species of Phytolaccaceae were recorded as naturalized, invaded of introduced species. Also each one species which belonged to the Amaranthaceae, Betulaceae, Bignoniaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Commelinaceae, Cupressaceae, Labiatae, Malvaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Pinaceae, Polygonaceae and Txaceae were recorded. The Pokildo island had the largest number of plant invaders with at least 9 families and 13 genus and 13 species including Cryptomeria japonica of Taxodiaceae. It was urgently needed to work for the preperation of an island management plan to the levels of species or habitat conservation.