• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.75-84
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• 2013

Objectives : The origin of Breeae Herba (So-gye) and Cirsii Herba (Dae-gye) is differently prescribed in Korean and Chinese modern pharmacopoeia. Since the similar morphological characteristics and chaotic plant names, moreover, the aerial part of Carduus crispus have been used as the Cirsii Herba. To develop a reliable method for correct identification of these herbal medicines and to evaluate the genetic relationship of these closely related plant species, we analyzed sequences of DNA barcode regions. Methods : Thirty-one samples of 6 medicinal plants (B. segeta, B. setosa, C. japonicum var. maackii, C. setidens, C. chanroenicum, and C. crispus) were collected from different habitate and nucleotide sequences of DNA barcode regions (rDNA-ITS, matK, and rbcL) were analyzed after amplification using appropriate primers reported in previous studies. The nucleotides of species-specific authentic marker and phylogenetic relations were estimated based on the entire sequences of DNA barcodes by the analysis of ClastalW and UPGMA, respectively. Results : In comparative analysis of DNA barcode sequences, we obtained specific nucleotides to discriminate the medicinal plant of Breeae/Cirsii Herba in species level and evaluated the phylogenetic relationship of these species. Futhermore, we identified distinct marker nucleotides enough to authenticate respective species. These sequence differences at corresponding positions were avaliable genetic markers to determine the botanical origins of Breeae Herbal as well as Cirsii Herba. Conclusions : These marker nucleotides would be useful to identify the official herbal medicines by providing of definitive information that can identify each plant species and distinguish from unauthentic adulterants and substitutes.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.493-505
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• 2023

In recent years, an increasing number of reports have explored the wound healing mechanism of these two traditional Chinese herbal medicines- Panax ginseng and Panax notoginseng, but there is no systematic research on the related core functions and different mechanisms in the treatment of wound healing up to now. Based on network pharmacology and meta-analysis, the present work aimed to comprehensively review the commonality and diversity of P. ginseng and P. notoginseng in wound healing. In this study, a wound healing-related "ingredients-targets" network of two herbs was constructed. Thereafter, meta-analysis of the multiple target lists by Metascape showed that these two medicines significantly regulated blood vessel development, responses to cytokines and growth factors and oxygen levels, cell death, cell proliferation and differentiation, and cell adhesion. To better understand the discrepancy between these two herbs, it was found that common signaling pathways including Rap1, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, HIF-1 and Focal adhesion regulated the functions listed above. In parallel, the different pathways including renin-angiotensin system, RNA transport and circadian rhythm, autophagy, and the different metabolic pathways may also explained the discrepancies in the regulation of the above-mentioned functions, consistent with the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory about the effects of P. ginseng and P. notoginseng.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2022

Objectives: Dementia is a disease in which a person maintains a normal intellectual level during the growth period, but has acquired cognitive impairment and personality change. In this study, we tried to check whether the network pharmacology analysis method is useful in the search for herbal medicine resources for the treatment of dementia. Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database is a database frequently used in Chinese medicine research. We used the TCMSP to identify herbal medicines and their molecular targets that can be used for dementia by using network pharmacology research methods. Results: It was possible to select 28 types of components that are expected to be active by applying them to the living body, and 75 types of targets that these components act on were secured. In addition, 16 kinds of drugs were identified by checking the drugs containing 28 kinds of ingredients, and it was found that Radix Salviae contained 2 kinds of the selected 28 kinds of ingredients. Conclusions: Through this study, we were able to identify ingredients, drugs, and targets that can be used for basic and clinical research on dementia.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.113-121
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• 2023

Network pharmacology in traditional Korean and Chinese medicine studies the molecular and biological aspects of herbal medicine using computational methods. Despite variations in databases, techniques, and criteria, most studies follow similar steps: constructing herb-compound networks, compound-target networks, and target interpretation. To ensure efficient and consistent analysis in herbal medicine network pharmacology, we designed and implemented a common analysis pipeline. We showed its reliability with existing databases. The proposed system has a potential to facilitate network pharmacology analysis in traditional medicine, ensuring consistent analysis of various herbal medicines.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.294-303
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• 2010

We determined arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium concentrations in Chinese herbal medicines sold in the United States by medical use parts. 54 kinds of herbal products including 9 medical use parts (radix, rhizoma, cortex, pericarpium, fructus, lignum, semen, folium, and herba) were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for arsenic, lead and cadmium, and using mercury analyzer for mercury. Arsenic (median concentration, 0.25 mg/g), mercury (0.20 mg/g), lead (3.78 mg/g) and cadmium (0.39 mg/g) were detected in 71%, 54%, 35%, and 18% of 143 herbal medicine samples, respectively. A total of 27% and 12% of 143 products analyzed contained mercury and cadmium above the regulatory standards. Herba and folium (leaves of herbal plants) were the most contaminated parts from metals, whereas pericarpium, lignum and semen (outer layers and seeds) were less contaminated. This study suggests that metal contamination is different by medical use parts. Our findings provide further evidence that efforts to protect people using traditional remedies from metal intoxication should be made to enforce the regulatory standards.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.15-29
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• 2019

Objectives The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical studies on the effect of herbal medicine in type 1 diabetes in children and to seek better approach of herbal medicine to treat type 1 diabetes in children. Methods This study researched randomized controlled trials through various databases in the world about herbal medicine treatments in type 1 diabetes in children. Results 10 out of 337 studies were selected and analyzed. All studies were conducted in China. All studies were using herbal medicines, as an adjunctive treatment to the main regimen. As a result, the integrated Chinese medicine and western medicine lowered FPG by -1.56 mmol/L and 2hPG by -1.94 mmol/L on average, respectively. The HbA1c also decreased by -1.11% in the treatment group compared to the control group. Total efficacy of the treatment was 1.21 times more effective in the treatment group than in the control group. Conclusions Based on the results of the studies, it seems that the herbal medicine for the treatment of type 1 diabetes in children will be effective as a combination with conventional medicines. Further research is needed to prove the findings of this observatoional studies.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2010

Definitive identification of original plant species is important for standardizing herbal medicine. The herbal medicines Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix (Baekshuoh in Korean and Beishuwu in Chinese) and Polygoni Multiflori Radix (Hashuoh in Korean and Heshuwu in Chinese) are often misidentified in the Korean herbal market due to morphological similarities and similar names. Therefore, we developed a reliable molecular marker for the identification of Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix and Polygoni Multiflori Radix. We used random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of three plant species, Polygoni multiflorum, Cynanchum wilfordii, and Cynanchum auriculatum, to obtain several species-specific RAPD amplicons. From nucleotide sequences of these RAPD amplicons, we developed six sequence characterized amplification region (SCAR) markers for distinguishing Polygoni Multiflori Radix and Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix. Furthermore, we established SCAR markers for the simultaneous discrimination of the three species within a single reaction by using multiplex-PCR. These SCAR markers can be used for efficient and rapid authentication of these closely related species, and will be useful for preventing the distribution of adulterants.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2024

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of enzymolysis fermentation of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) on egg production performance, egg quality, lipid metabolism, serum reproductive hormone levels, and the mRNA expression of the ovarian hormone receptor of laying hens in the late-laying stage. Methods: A total of 360 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (age, 390 days) were randomly categorized into four groups. Hens in the control (C) group were fed a basic diet devoid of CHMs, the crushed CHM (CT), fermented CHM (FC), and enzymatically fermented CHM (EFT) groups received diets containing 2% crushed CHM, 2% fermented CHM, and 2% enzymatically fermented CHM, respectively. Results: Compared with crushed CHM, the acid detergent fiber, total flavonoids, and total saponins contents of fermented CHM showed improvement (p<0.05); furthermore, the neutral and acid detergent fiber, total flavonoids, and total saponins contents of enzymatically fermented CHM improved (p<0.05). At 5 to 8 weeks, hens in the FC and EFT groups showed increased laying rates, haugh unit, albumin height, yolk color, shell thickness, and shell strength compared with those in the C group (p<0.05). Compared with the FC group, the laying rate, albumin height, and Shell thickness in the EFT group was increased (p<0.05). Compared with the C, CT, and FC groups, the EFT group showed reduced serum total cholesterol and increased serum luteinizing hormone levels and mRNA expressions of follicle stimulating hormone receptor and luteinizing hormone receptor (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results indicated that the ETF group improved the laying rate and egg quality and regulated the lipid metabolism in aged hens. The mechanism underlying this effect was likely related to cell wall degradation of CHM and increased serum levels of luteinizing hormone and mRNA expression of the ovarian hormone receptor.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 1990

In terms of regulatory toxicology, especially for the traditional Chinese medicines, problems can be arise from a fact that there is no distinctive barrier between herbal drugs and food/beverage. An example is that many kinds of Chinese herbal materials have been also used as tea materials in Korea, China, Japan and Vietnam. Sixteen tea materials (also used as herbal materials) were extracted with 70% ethanol and the extract further partitioned with chloroform and water. Those ethanol extract and fractions were subjected to the SOS-Chromotest to examine potential mutagenicity. It was found that ethanol extract of Chaenomelis Fructus (Chaenomeles japonica Lindley, 木瓜, Rosaceae) and both ethanol extract and water fraction of Cassiae Semen (Cassia tora Linne, 決明子, Leguminosae) showed relatively high mutagenic activities in SOS-Chromotest.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2020

When extracting semi-volatile components of herbal medicines using hot water vapor, some substances may react with water vapor or oxygen, and some volatile substances may be lost, when using an organic solvent extraction method has the disadvantage that it may contain a non-volatile material and residual organic solvent. In addition, it is inefficient to separate semi-volatile substances from herbal medicines into each single component and conduct biological activity research for each component to determine the effective ingredient, and some components may be lost in the separation process. In this study, semi-volatile substances evaporated under two pressure-reduced conditions in Chinese herbal medicines such as Cnidii Rhizoma, Aucklandiae Radix and Amomum Fructus were separated by cooling with liquid nitrogen. Those were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the components, and this method may be used to study biological activities at the cellular level. The substances separated under reduced pressure, essential oil obtained by simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE) method and substances by using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) from Cnidii Rhizoma, Aucklandiae Radix and Amomum Fructus were analyzed by GC-MS. In the case of Cnidii Rhizoma and Aucklandiae Radix, there were some differences among the essential oil components obtained by SDE and those identified by low temperature capture (CT) and SPME method, these were believed to be produced by some volatiles reacting with water or oxygen at the boiling point temperature of water.