• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2007

Chinese herb medicines have traditionally been used to treat or alleviate the symptom of various diseases. The rationale for use of certain herbs to certain disorder is now getting unveiled by modern technology. In the present study, we investigated whether herb mix extract(HMX), which is alleged to be useful for gastric ulcer, protects stomach from oxidative stress. Rats were allowed to normal diet with and without HMX (1, 5, 10 mg/kg) for 30 days. To induce gastric ulcer, ethanol (75%, 1.5 ml) or acidified aspirin (100 mg/kg in 0.2 N HCl) was administered by oral route in 24 h-fasted rats and examined the gastric ulceration(bleeding) by measuring the size 1 h after the treatment. Results indicated the area of gastric bleeding was significantly less in HMX fed rats than in normal diet fed ones, and it was dependent on the duration and amount of HMX. To investigate the underlying mechanism by which HMX protects stomach from oxidative stress, expression of enzymes like heme oxygenase (HO), cyclooxygenase (COX), and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) were investigated in MKN-74 cells, where aspirin or H. pylori was introduced. The results were compared with RAW 264.7 cells to check if there's cell specificities exist. The expression of HO-1 but not COX-2, iNOS was significantly increased by HMX. Furthermore, HO-1 inhibitor, SnPP IX reduced the HO-1 activity and reversed the survival rate in HMX-treated MKN-74 cells. There's no difference between RAW 264.7 cells and MKN-74 cells. We, thus, concluded that HMX is beneficial for protection from oxidative injury, and induction of HO-1 by HMX in gastric cells is, at least, responsible for protection from oxidative stress such as ethanol, aspirin and possibly H. pylori infection.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9319-9325
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• 2014

Alkaloids are the most extensively featured compounds of natural anti-tumor herbs, which have attracted much attention in pharmaceutical research. In our previous studies, a mixture of major three alkaloid components (5, 6-dihydrobicolorine, 7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine, littoraline) from Hymenocallis littoralis were extracted, analyzed and designated as AHL. In this paper, AHL extracts were added to human liver hepatocellular cells HepG-2, human gastric cancer cell SGC-7901, human breast adenocarcinoma cell MCF-7 and human umbilical vein endothelial cell EVC-304, to screen one or more AHL-sensitive tumor cell. Among these cells, HepG-2 was the most sensitive to AHL treatment, a very low dose ($0.8{\mu}g/ml$) significantly inhibiting proliferation. The non-tumor cell EVC-304, however, was not apparently affected. Effect of AHL on HepG-2 cells was then explored. We found that the AHL could cause HepG-2 cycle arrest at G2/M checkpoint, induce apoptosis, and interrupt polymerization of microtubules. In addition, expression of two cell cycle-regulated proteins, CyclinB1 and CDK1, was up-regulated upon AHL treatment. Up-regulation of the Fas, Fas ligand, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 was observed as well, which might imply roles for the Fas/FsaL signaling pathway in the AHL-induced apoptosis of HepG-2 cells.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.381-401
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• 1996

The diagnostic requirements were suggested and explained regarding the systems of differentiation of syptoms and signs in the second year study of standardization and unification of the terms and conditions used for diagnosis in oriental medicine. The systems were as follows : -differential diagnosis according to condition of body fluid, differentiation of syndromes according to the state of qi and blood, differential diagnosis according to reletive excessiveness or deficiency of yin and yang(氣血陰陽津液辨證) -differentiation of diseases according to pathological changes of the viscera and their interrelation(臟腑辨證) -analysing and differentiating of febrile diseases in accordance with the theory of the six channels(傷寒辨證) The individual diagnosis pattern was arranged by the diagnostic requirements in the following odor : another name(異名), notion of diagnosis parrern(證候槪念), index of differentiation of syptoms and sings(辨證指標), the main point of diagnosis(診斷要點), analysis of diagnosis pattern(證候分析), discrimination of diagnosis pattern(證候鑑別), a wayof curing a diseases(治法), prescription(處方) , herbs in common use(常用藥物), dieases appearing the diagnosis pattern(常見疾病), documents(文獻調査). This study was carried out on the basis of the Chinese documents and references.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.483-489
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• 2002

APA-01, which is an aqueous extract of five Chinese herbs, is a modified formula of Huoxiang-Zhengqi-San. The effect of new herb extract on immune response was investigated. The parameter examined to assess apparent immune response of APA-01 in mice included changes of body weight, relative weight of immune organs, cell proliferation and cytokine gene expression. The body weight and relative weight of immune organs were not significantly changed among the tested groups. In the spleen cell prolijeration assay, APA-01 increased the cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Methotrexate (MTX), an agent of immune suppression, inhibited the spleen cell proliferation (IC/sub 50/: 800㎍/㎖). However, APA-01 significantly inhibited the suppression of mouse spleen cell proliferation. Therefore, it seems that APA-01 has a reducing effect of immune suppression. Immunomodulatory effect of APA-01 was further investigated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in mouse spleen cells. In RT-PCR test, APA-01 enhanced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. In spite of immune suppression by MTX, COX-2 mRNA was induced by co-treatment with APA-01. These results suggest that APA-01 stimulates the proliferation of spleen cells, regulates the expression of COX-2 mRNA, and accelerates the recovery of inhibition of spleen cell proliferation induced by MTX, thus providing the immunological basis for clinical benefit of APA-01.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.383-406
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• 2015

Objectives: People with tension-type headache generally take pain relievers, but long term dependency causes problems as well as side effects. The present study aimed to provide clinical evidence of herbal medicine for tension-type headache by systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the effect of herbal medicine for tension-type headache. Methods: Randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials that verified effects of herbal medicine intervention on patients with tension-type headache were included in the study. A literature search of English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean databases was performed. The selected literature were assessed by Jadad scale and Risk of Bias. Results: Herein, 40 reports were selected from a total of 157. Meta-analyses of 2 trials indicated that the effective rate was significantly higher in the herbal medicine treatment group, as compared to the placebo control (risk ratio: 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23 to 1.80, p<0.0001, I²=0%). Four trials that compared herbal medicine with routine care with routine care only group showed a significantly higher effective rate of benefits for herbal medicine with routine care, as compared to routine care only (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.10, p=0.002, I²=0%). Conclusions: The effective rate was significantly higher than control and adverse events were less in the treatment group. Pattern analysis (辨證) indicated that the studies on wind-fire pattern (風火證) were highest. Yougeun-bang (柔筋方) in prescription and Paeoniae Radix Alba (白芍藥) in medicinal herbs were most used. This finding could be widely utilized in future clinical practice and form the basis for the development of clinical practice guidelines in advance.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.31 no.4 s.54
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• pp.305-310
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• 2005

To obtain effective and safe depigmenting agents, we investigated the effects of Scirpi rhizoma, a medicine among Chinese herbs, on melanogenesis. Dried S. rhizoma was refluxed with 70% aqueous ethanol and the extract was evaporated to dryness. To determine the effects as a whitening agent, various in vitro tests were performed such as free radical scavenging activity, melanin formation assay, tyrosinase activity and expression of tyrosinase, TRP-1 and TRP-2(western blot and RT-PCR) in B16 melanoma cells. S. rhizoma showed scavenging activities of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) with the $IC_{50}\;of\;638{\mu}g/mL$ against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and $21.7{\mu}g/mL$ against superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, respectively. S. rhizoma significantly inhibited melanin production in B16 melanoma cells. S. rhizoma treatment(48 h) suppressed the biosynthesis of melanin up to 27% at 100{\mu}g/mL$ and reduced tyrosinase activity up to 31% at $100{\mu}g/mL$ in B16 melanoma cells. S. rhizoma was also able to significantly inhibit tyrosinase and TRP-1 expression in protein and mRNA level. These results suggest that S. rhizoma inhibited melanin biosynthesis by regulating tyrosinase activity and expression in B16 melanoma cells. Therefore, S. rhizoma may be useful as a new antioxidant and whitening agent to inhibit melanogenesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.601-612
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• 2003

In Korean history, vegetables were the major side dishes of meals and originally korean diets were based on vegetables. But recently people prefer meat dishes rather than vegetables and traditional vegetable cooking seems to be disappeared. So it is needed to be positioning the importance of vegetables in food culture of Korean. In present study, history of vegetable eating was reviewed and recent consumption pattern were analyzed. 1. Since the era of the three Kingdom's and Koryo dynasty, the kinds of vegetables varied and at Chosun Dynasty people used similar kinds of vegetables as nowadays except a few things. A Garlic and mug wort had been used from the age of tribes to present and an egg, apple, cucumber, lettuce from the three Kingdom and a bamboo sprout, a taro, a burdock, a radish, a turnip, a stone-leek, a scallion, a Chinese cabbage, a marsh mallow, a spinach and a crown daisy from Koryo Dynasty and a pepper, a pumpkin, a tomato, a cabbage, a salary, a kale, a turnip and a beet from Chosun Dynasty to present. A guard, a water shield plant, a yam and wild plants would have been used before but they would not use any more. 2. Current vegetable consumptions of Korean is 232.2kg/person/yr and comparing with world mean consumption(101.9kg), Koreans still eat the largest amount of vegetables than any other countries and among Asian countries, Koreans consume more vegetables than China(203.5kg) and Japanese people(111.6kg) do. 3.The most frequently consumed vegetables were vegetables for seasonings such as a garlic or stone-leek and for kimchi such as a Chinese cabbage, radish, and carrot. But from data of Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey(2001), kinds of vegetables which people had were only 72 items showing that the kinds of vegetables were limited. 4. A lot of wild plants that would have been used for famine relief are now disappeared and on the other hand, it is increasing of some new and foreign vegetables and herbs. Cooking methods and intake pattern of vegetables are changed and varied so a traditional cooking method such as namuel is less preferred than before. But vegetable wrapping and green vegetable juice, eating uncooked vegetables(sang-sik) are very popular.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 1994

The purpose of this study was to understand dietaty culture of the Buddhist priesthood in Seoul and Kyungnam. This survey was carried out through questionnaries and the subjects were 26 temples and hermitages. The results of this study can be summarized as follow: 1. Most of the Buddhist priesthood takes meal three times for a day regularly. The substitution food was used mainly rice gruel, fruits, powder of roasted grain, kinds of cookie and confectionary, kinds of steamed dish and milk. 2. The seasoning substances were used necessarily soy sauce, soybean paste, salt and sesame, sesame oil, vegetable oil, and used rarely Jepi powder, red powder, chinese pepper and M.S.G. 3. Eating table was used chiefly for Buddhist priethood and a vistor, and tea and cookie, D'ock, noodle were used often. Event and party foods of temple were used Bibimbab, Ogokbab, Yagbab, D'ockguk, soybean of noodle. 4. Offering food to Buddha was used to Five-offered to Buddha(香, 燈, 茶, 果, 米) primarily and religious food was used scarcely. 5. Special food was used D'ock, hand made cookie and confectionaries, kinds of chinish medicine tea and pine needle tea. Injulmi and Julpyun were prepared most frequently, and used to mixed rice flour with mugwort now and then. Coating and filling powders for D'ock were used to red bean, mung bean and soy bean. Kinds of hand made cookie were Yagkwa, Kangjeong, Dasik, Jungkwa and Yangeng. Beverages were thick hot beverage, kinds of leaf tea, chilled beverage, Yaksu mixed with soy sauce and bamboo salt, kinds of chinese medicine tea, milk and milk products and pine needles tea. 6. Preserved foods were used edible mountain herbs and seaweeds in drying and frying.

• Journal of Korean Society of Archives and Records Management
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.57-79
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• 2001

[Go-Choseon], the first volume of Samgukyusa, is composed of two parts, the part of myth and that of history. There are very similar divinities between Hwanwoong in the myth of Dangun and YanDi-ShenNong of China: the solar divinity essential for survival of mankind and agriculture, the agriculture divinity said to have taught fanning, the medicine divinity said to have taught the characteristics of herbs and how to prevent diseases, the cultural hero who delivered civilization, and son on. During the transition from the age of myth to the age of history, the roles of gods had changed from the creation of the world to civilization and rule. The roles of Hwanwoong and YanDi-ShenNong were civilization and it was related with their divinities. Hence, regardless of a little difference, the myth of Hwanwoong and that of YanDi-ShenNong were created at the same stage of spiritual and material civilizations of Korea and China. This paper looks at the essence of [Wiseo] and the age of Hwanwoong through historical records. In my opinion, [Wiseo] is not a chinese history' book. The record, "According to [Wiseo] there had been Dangun-Wanggum 2,000 years ago" indicates the time [Wiseo] was written. 'Wi' means Wlman-choseon. Going back about 2,000 years from Wiman-choseon, the historical dates of the establishment of [Go-Choseon] almost dovetails to the age of King 'lao. So, there is a possibility that [Wiseo] is a history book of Wiman-Choseon dynasty which was written to prove the legitimacy of the dynasty by showing it succeeded to the Dangilll-Choseon dynasty. The sentences, "governed the country for 1,500 years" and "conferred Gija the position of king of Choseon" are very important records showing the age of the establishment of Dangun-Choseon. Gija came to Choseon in B.C 1122 when Yin replaced Zhou in the Choinese Continent. From the fact that Dangun had governed Choseon, we could reason out that Go-Choseon was established in B.C. 2622 that is much eariler than the era of king Yao, and that corresponds 'With the era of HuangDi(B.C 2698-2358). Hence, the era of Hwanwoong, the father-god of Dangun, might be later than B.G 3000 which conforms to the era of YanDi-ShenNong(B.C 3218-2600). Therefore, this paper contends lhat Hwanwoong and YanDi-ShenNong played the role of civilization in the same era [Go-Choseon], the first volume of Samgukusa is philologically very valuable material for research on the origin of Korean nation and its ancient history.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.452-463
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• 2020

Purpose: Aster tataricus (AT) is one of the Asteraceae perennial herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The herb contains various bioactive substances, such as flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic compounds in the roots, and exhibits a range of effects including anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. This study compared the immunomodulatory effects of ethanol and water extracts of whole AT, except the roots, and analyzed the molecular mechanisms for the regulatory effects on cytokine secretion from THP-1 cells. Methods: The effects of AT extract on the cell viability and proliferation of THP-1 cells were analyzed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method. The concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cell culture supernatant of the AT-treated THP-1 cells were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in the cell lysates were determined by western blotting. Results: The water extract and the ethanol extract of AT did not affect the cell viability, and increased the proliferation of THP-1 cells significantly compared to the vehicle. The water extract increased the secretion of IL-1β from THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but the ethanol extract had no effect. The expression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and the phosphorylation of MAPK and Akt were induced in AT-treated cells. In addition, IκBα was degraded by AT in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-1β secretion by AT was reduced by extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitors, while TNF-α secretion was decreased by inhibitors of ERK, p38 MAPK, and JNK. Interestingly, the p38 MAPK inhibitor increased the production of IL-1β by AT further. Conclusion: The water extract of the above-ground parts of AT contains immunomodulatory bioactive substances that stimulate immune cells through the MAPK signaling pathway.