• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.202-207
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• 2006

The crude methanol extract of the roots of Achyranthes aspera Linn. was investigated for its possible antinociceptive, diuretic and neuropharmacological activities in animal models. At the dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, the extract showed a significant antinociceptive effect in acetic acid induced-writhing in mice comparable to that produced by diclofenac sodium, used as standard drug. The crude extract produced significant diuretic effect at the dose of 500 mg/kg of body weight comparable to that produced by furosemide, used as standard drug. The extract also potentiated significantly the pentobarbital induced sleeping time in mice; decreased the open field score in open field test, decreased the number of hole crossed from one chamber in the hole cross test and decreased the head dip responses. The obtained results provide a support for the use of this plant in traditional medicine and its further investigation.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.7-7
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• 2010

Korea is one of the Northeast Asian countries in the Northern climatic zone. It is wide spread from north to south so that can be affected by various kinds of plants flora of the continent of Asia. Korea has complicated topography, mountains and hills included by an alpine belt. According to the distribution of plants, it can be classified to 5 areas; Northern part, Central part, Southern part, JeJuDo(濟州道) and UlLungDo(鬱陵島). Nakai of Japan, reported Plants in Korean peninsula as 3176 species, 841 varietal species and 174 varieties in "A Synoptical sketch of Korean flora". Lee of Korea, reported 3409 species, 6 sub-species, 756 varietal species and 287 varieties in "Korean Plants Resources". Isidoja(石戶谷) of Japan, simply described crude drug names, scientific names, effects, etc. of 45 species of Korean Medicinal Plants in the book "Journal of Jo-Seon Pharmacy(朝鮮藥學會會報)" third edition (published in 1925) and also explained 250 species of crude drug collected in Manchuria, Mongolia and Korean peninsula in the book "Medicinal plants in Northern Asia(北支那의 藥草)"(1931). Im and Jung organized 227 species of Medicinal Plants in "Wild Medicinal Plants from Jo-Seon(北支那의 藥草)" and it is said that 1000 species of plants can be used for medicinal purposes in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.300-306
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• 1990

Chichul-Tang, a combined preparation of crude drug, which was composed of Atractylodis Rhizoma alba and Ponciri Fructus, has been used widely for digestive disorder. Each herb extract of Atractylodis Rhizoma and Ponciri Fructus, the mixture of both herb extracts were examined for the effects on isolated smooth muscle, intestinal propulsion, anti-cathartic action and gastric secretion. The results were summarized as follows: Chichul-Tang showed the inhibitory effects of the convulsion of smooth muscle. Anti-cathartic effect was shown and gastric secretion was inhibited.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.258-264
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• 1998

Nephroprotective effects of a crude drug-preparation (Ekongsan) were determined from cisplatin induced renal injury in vivo and in vitro. Ekongsan decreased cisplatin induced the cytotoxicity on rabbit kidney proximal tubule and human renal cortical cells by MTT assays and sustained glucose consumption on cisplatin-induced human renal cortical tissue. Levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum after administration of cisplatin (0.75 mg/kg, i.p.) to Ekongsan (0.75 g/kg/d, p.o.) pretreated rats were markedly lower compared to those of cisplatin-treated rats. Moreover, the administration of Ekongsan significantly inhibited the loss of body weight of cisplatin-injected rats. These findings suggest that Ekongsan is an active prescription in protection against nephrotoxicity of cisplatin.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.113-116
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• 2011

Arginase competitively inhibits nitric oxide synthase (NOS) via use of the common substrate L-arginine. Arginase II has recently reported as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. In our experiment, the EtOH extracts of four-hundreds extracts drugs were investigated for the arginase inhibitory activity. Among them, four extracts exhibited over 50% inhibition of arginase II activity compared to control at a concentration of 150${\mu}g/ml$. In particular, the seed of Arctium lappa, gum-resin of Boswellia carterii, aerial part of Artemisia apiacea and rhizome of Cyperus rotundus inhibited arginase II activity, with $IC_{50}$ values of 118.4, 135.4, 123.9 and 86.7${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. In addition, four plant extracts showed less than 20% inhibition of arginase I activity at 150${\mu}g/ml$. These plants might be the potential candidate materials in the development of the novel atherosclerosis drug.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2006

The crude ethanol extract of the stem bark of Trewia polycarpa (Family: Euphorbiaceae) was subjected to acetic acid induced writhing inhibition, Brine Shrimp lethality bioassay and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl free radical scavenging assay for screening of analgesic, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity respectively. The extract produced significant (P < 0.001) writhing inhibition in acetic acid induced writhing in mice at the dose of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight respectively, which were comparable to the standard drug diclofenac sodium. The extract showed significant lethality to Brine Shrimp and the $LC_{50}$ value was $8\;{\mu}g/ml$. The extract showed prominent free radical scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$ about ${\sim}10\;{\mu}g/ml$) compare to standard drug ascorbic acid ($IC_{50}about\;{\sim}15\;{\mu}g/ml$). The results tend to suggest that the crude ethanol extract of the bark might possess analgesic, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities or active constituent(s) responsible for the activities.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.630-635
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• 2000

The concentration of neurotransmitters in rat brain was determined by HPLC-ECD (electrochemical detection) method and the effects of methanol extracts of some crude drugs, such as Polygala Radix, Myristicae Semen, Zizyphi Semen, Acori graminei Rhizoma, Visci Herba, Liriopsis Tuber, Myrrha on the concentration of neurotransmitters in the ethanol-treated rat brain were investigated. By the administration of ethanol, dopamine (DA), 3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) and serotonin (5-HT) levels in frontal cortex and 5-HT level in hippocampus were significantly increased compared with the neurotransmitter levels in the brain of saline-treated rats. The ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) level in frontal cortex was decreased by the same treatment. There was a tendency that the DA level in frontal cortex and striatum of ethanol-treated rats were increased by the administration of crude drug extracts. Especially, Myrrha and Visci Herba significantly increased the DA level of frontal cortex in ethanol-treated rats, while they significantly decreased the 5-HT level in the same region of the brain. GABA level in striatum of ethanol-treated rats was significantly decreased by Myristicae Semen, Visci Herba and Myrrha. These results suggest that the tested crude drug extracts have selective interaction with neurotransmitters in specified region of central nervous system.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.163-167
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• 1999

A method for isolation and qantitative determination of anemarsaponin B from the rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides has been developed. Isolation of anemarsaponin B was achieved by silica gel and RP-18 column chromatography. The HPLC method for quantitative determination of anemarsaponin B provided a method for standardization of the crude drug. It suggested that the content of anemarsaponin B in Anemarrhena asphodeloides is about 0.12-1.48%.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 1999

Isolation and quantitative determination of costunolide from Saussurea lappa Clarke (Compositae) has been conducted by using HPLC method. Costunolide in an acetone extract from the crude drug was separated on a RP-18 column using a $MeOH-H_20$ mixture (65:35) as an eluent and the average content is about $1.32{\sim1.42%.$ The content of costunolide in dried extract was decreased by about 24% in seven days. However it showed a slight decrease in solution. It is highly recommended that quantitative determination of costunolide from Saussureae Radix should be conducted as early as possible after solvent extraction.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.45-49
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• 2007

Chinese crude drug "Lu-ti-cao"(鹿蹄草) has been used as a remedy for beriberi, cut bleeding, snake bite, etc. In Korea, the drug is called "Nok Je Cho" and has been used as a folk medicine of the same effect as that of Chinese equivalent. The original plant of this drug has not yet been as certained. To clarify the botanical origin of "Nok Je Cho", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves of Pyrola species growing in Korea, i.e. P. incarnata, P. japonica, P. minor, P. renifolia, P. secunda were studied. As a result, it was clarified that "Nok Je Cho" was the leaf of Pyrola japonica and Pyrola minor.