• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2012

Somok, the heart wood of Caesalpinia sappan is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Adherence of S. mutans to the tooth surface can result in the formation of a dental plaque. This study was performed to investigate the antibacterial activity and bacterial adhesion of ethyl acetate extract from C. sappan against S. mutans ATCC 25175. The bacteria were cultured in brain heart infusion(BHI) broth, and then incubated under 5% $CO_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$ for 18~24 hours. The antimicrobial activity of the ethyl acetate extract of C. sappan was then examined using the paper disc methods and MIC. In addition, bacterial adherence to hydroxyapatite was also examined. The ethyl acetate extract was shown to produce inhibitory effects and had MIC values of 125 mg/ml against S. mutans ATCC 25175. The ethyl acetate extract inhibited adhesion of S. mutans to saliva coated-hydroxyapatite beads(S-HA). At 24 hr, the ethyl acetate extract significantly reduced the adherence of S. mutans to S-HA beads relative to the control. The isolated active substance was identified as brazilin($C_{16}H_{14}O_5$) by $^1H-NMR$ and $^{13}C-NMR$. Thus, the application of C. sappan can be considered a useful and practical method for the prevention of dental caries.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.211-221
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• 2005

Objective : The aim of this study is to review clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture in stroke rehabilitation. Methods : Computerized literature searches was carried out on three electronic databases, and hand-searching on some chinese medical journals in library of Kyung Hee Medical Center. Results : 1) Sixteen articles of clinical trials were collected and reviewed. Among these articles, randomized controlled trials were achieved in nine articles. 2) In three articles, statically significant results in improvement of mobile abilities, activities of daily life and Quality of life were reported after acupuncture treatment applied as a part of stroke rehabilitation. In three articles no statically significant changes were reported. 3) Among two articles about spasticity, One about the upper limbs and the results showed statically significant improvement of the spasticity after acupuncture treatment as stroke rehabilitation, and the other was about the lower limbs and the results showed no statically significant changes. 4) One article about acupuncture and postural control showed statically significant results suggesting that acupuncture promotes normalization of postural control after stroke.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.12-18
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• 2017

The dried root of Angelica species is used in traditional Chinese medicine in East Asia, particularly in Korea, China and Japan. Since the plant origin differs in these countries, they are often misused or adulterated in the commercial markets, resulting in distrust among the consumers. Enormous efforts have therefore been focused to distinguish the origin for the Angelica genus, by using morphological or cytogenetical analyses, and chemical markers based on biochemical analyses of secondary metabolites. DNA is considerably stable against different cultivation conditions, and to treatment and processing after harvesting of plants. Hence, several researches have been filed for the development of molecular markers, based on the single nucleotide polymorphisms in specific regions of DNA. However, there are several obstacles for application in the commercial markets, concerning the reproducibility, accuracy, sensitivity, and rapidity of these tests. In this review, we summarize the research achievements that help classify the origin of Angelica species, in particular, Angelica gigas Nakai. A. sinensis(oliv.) Diels, A. acutiloba Kitag., and A. acutiloba var. sugiyamae Hikino. Further researches are required for practical applications.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-128
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• 1993

Ten axonic isolates of Trichomonns uaginolis were subcutaneously injected to the BALB/c mice in order to assess their pathogenicity by means of so-called "mouse assay" method. All the isolates revealed neutral and acid proteinase activities both in their Iysates and in culture media, but the specific activities of both proteinases in the severely pathogenic group were significantly higher than the mildly pathogenic group (p < 0.05). In the SDS-PAGE system in which the electrophoretic gels contained 0.4% gelatin as the substrate, five different handing patterns of trichomonal proteinases were detected, and the patterns were closely related with the pathogenicity of the isolates of T. vosinalis. All five bands might be regarded as cysteine proteinases group in the inhibitor assays. The cytotoxicity of the Iysates of T. vaginalis to the target Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cell line was also significantly different according to the pathogenicity of the isolates, and generally lower in the Iysates treated with cysteine proteinase inhibitors than in the control Iysates. In summarizing the results, it might be considered that the proteinases of T.vaginalis showing five electrophoretic banding patterns are closely related with the pathogenicity and cytotoxicity of the isolates of T. voginolis.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.133-138
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• 2010

Mountain ginseng is a perennial crop rarely found in the deep mountains of Korea. The medicinal effect of the mountain ginseng is well known as a panacea in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. But scientific studies to elucidate the medicinal effect of the mountain ginseng have never been made on account of lack of sample. Recently an improved method of adventitious root culture system through the use of bioreactor has been developed in Panax ginseng that seems to be a reliable way of commercialization of root derived secondary metabolites. This experiment was conducted to evaluated chemotherapeutic effect against human cervical cancer cells by cisplatin (CDDP) and extract of tissue cultured mountain ginseng (ETCMG). CDDP and ETCMG-induced apoptotic cell death in human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa was confirmed by the analysis of cell growth, morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, flow cytometry showed that ETCMG is an inducer of apoptosis and synergizes with CDDP. These results suggest that ETCMG present evidence of anticancer effect and could have a possibly natural therapeutic potential in cervical cancer patients.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1156-1163
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• 2015

The present study investigated the immunomodulatory properties of four different medicinal plants in a cyclophosphamide-treated Balb/c mouse model. One of the four plants, Ulmus macrocarpa, showed partial resistance against immune suppression induced by cyclophosphamide. The bark of U. macrocarpa, commonly known as the Chinese elm, has been used as a pharmaceutical material in Korean traditional medicine to treat bacterial inflammation and induce wound healing. In this study, water extract of U. macrocarpa, named DEU-7, was used for its immunomodulating functional activity. DEU-7 increased the weight of the spleen and the number of splenocytes but did not significantly affect the liver, kidney, and thymus in vivo. A splenocyte viability assay confirmed that DEU-7 influenced ex vivo splenocyte survival. DEU-7 also increased the levels of cytokines, such as IL-2 and IL-4, and immunoglobulins, such as IgM, IgG, and IgA. These results indicated that DEU-7 is involved in the activation of T and B lymphocytes. In addition, DEU-7 was able to maintain the production of cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-12, and IFN-γ, in the condition of cyclophosphamide-induced immune suppression, suggesting that DEU-7 activated innate immune cells, even under immune suppression. We concluded that DEU-7 aids immunological homeostasis, thereby preventing immune suppression, and aids both innate and adaptive immune response by maintaining the levels of various cytokines and immunoglobulins. Consequently, it is worth investigating the potential of DEU-7 as a supplemental source for immune-enhancing agents.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.295-306
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• 2018

In the present study, we compared the effects of 50% ethanolic extracts of Chinese and Korean Wolfiporia cocos (CPE and KPE) on in vitro lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells and their anticancer activities in Sarcoma 180 cells. We further compared the anticancer activities and the 50% inhibitory concentrations ($IC_{50}$) of CPE with KPE with cultivated for one and two years in a landfill and a facility (LPE and FPE), respectively. In addition, the single oral dose toxicities of CPE and KPE were evaluated in mice. Lipid accumulation was inhibited after 48 hours, in CPE and KPE treated 3T3-L1 cells; however, no significant difference was observed between CPE and KPE in their lipid accumulation inhibitory activities. The anticancer activity of KPE was higher than that of CPE at $300{\mu}g/mL$ (p<0.05), revealing the possibility of an auxiliary biological means for origin identification. The anticancer activities of LPE and FPE were significantly stronger than that of CPE (p<0.05) but there was no difference between extracts from one- and two-year-old W. cocos, irrespective of the cultivation method. In single oral dose toxicity tests, CPE and KPE did not induce mortality during the 14-day observation. Thus, the 50% of lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) of CPE and KPE were estimated to be higher than 2,000 mg/kg. Taken together, our results indicate that the anticancer assay could be an auxiliary means of identifying the origin of W. cocos. In addition, artificial cultivation could be an alternative way to reduce the import of W. cocos. Lastly, 50% ethanolic W. cocos extracts could be potential candidates for obesity and cancer managements.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2007

Lichen thalli of Dirinaria applanata heavily colonized on the twigs of dead or dying Rhododendron trees in Solok island, Jeonnam province in Korea. Pathogenesis of the lichen on the trees was investigated to find out the possibility of lichen as a causal agent. Histological examination of the lichen colonized twigs was attempted with differential staining technique. Lichen-forming fungus colonized only on the surface of bark and there was no direct penetration of fungal hyphae into the plant tissues. Symbiotic algae of the lichen was also examined. The isolated algal cells were inoculated on artificially induced wounds of the healthy trees. Histological examination of the inoculated tissues showed that some algal cells were successfully colonized inside the tissues without any pathogenic symptoms, even 2 months later, The extract of the lichen thalli was also examined using 10% of DMSO solution. Treated tissues showed no pathogenic symptoms, even 4 weeks later. The results suggested that the lichen was not directly involved in the death of the trees.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1151-1156
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• 2014

Traditional medicinal plants are widely used to treat many diseases, such as inflammation, infections, and even cancer. Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, a Chinese elm species, is distributed in Korea, China, and Japan. The stem bark is widely employed in Korean traditional medicine to treat dermatitis, mastitis, and edema. The aim of this study was to investigate whether water extract of U. macrocarpa Hance bark (Ulmus cortex) has a immune-modulating function in a mouse model. Three different concentrations (30 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg) of Ulmus cortex water extract (UCWE) were orally administered to mice for 14 days, and their immune responses were analyzed. Cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12, and IFN-${\gamma}$, increased in the blood of UCWE-fed groups when compared with a control group. In contrast, the IL-4 level did not change in any of the UCWE-fed groups Cell-mediated cytotoxicity was also assayed using lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK). LAK showed greater cytotoxicity in the UCWE-fed groups than LAK in the control group. Internal organ indices, such as liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus, were similar in all the groups, including the control group, indicating that UCWE may have been nontoxic in the experimental animals. These data suggest that UCWE has an immune-modulating function in a mouse model.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2014

Many community gardens in large cities worldwide grow vegetables; however, no information regarding the levels of sanitary indicator bacteria and prevalence of foodborne pathogens in vegetables grown in urban community gardens is available. To evaluate the microbiological quality of vegetables from urban community gardens in Korea, 530 samples (nine types of vegetable, including Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radish leaves, spinach, mustard leaves, crown daisy, leek, Korean cabbage, and chicory) were collected at 11 urban community gardens in Seoul, Korea from September through October 2012. The levels of total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, total coliforms, Salmonella spp. Listeria monocytogenes, and E. coli O157:H7 were evaluated quantitatively and/or qualitatively. The mean numbers of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms were 6.3 log CFU/g (range 3.8-8.1 log CFU/g) and 4.3 log CFU/g (range 2.1-6.4 log CFU/g), respectively. Total coliforms were detected on 67% of whole vegetables. Chicory showed the highest number of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms, whereas the lowest number of coliforms was detected on leeks. E. coli was detected on 2.3% of whole vegetables, including lettuce, radish leaves, mustard leaves, and chicory; however, foodborne pathogenic bacteria were not detected on any of the vegetable samples using this highly sensitive and validated procedure. Based on these findings, the presence of coliforms and E. coli demonstrates that opportunity for improvement of microbiological safety exists throughout the produce production chain, although no major foodborne pathogens were present in vegetables grown in urban community gardens.