• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.187-197
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• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to find a reasonable solution to a current status of drug classification between the drugs of western conventional (allopathic) medicine and Korean medicine. A clear and distinct concept on the drugs of allopathic medicine and Korean medicine based on reasonable concepts and broad consensus is a pressing issue in Korea, and will facilitate the development of herbal medicinal products and pharmaceutical industry. Methods : Considering the issue of drug classification from domestic and international regulations, we reviewed the current Drug Law of Korea and China, Guidance for Industry, Botanical Drug Products of USA, Directive 2004/24/EC of the European parliament and of the council. Results : In Korea, the drug classification of allopathic medicine and Korean medicine is quite vague even though differential licensure system is enforced for the clinicians of allopathic medicine and Korean medicine field. According to the definition in the Drug Law, the scope of Korean medicine drug is so broad that even a drug made of single-compound material, as well as herbal extract of crude mixture, is regarded as a drug of Korean medicine, as long as the material may be separated from medicinal herbs, animal tissues, or mineral resources. Only new compound not found in natural resources are outside of the scope of Korean medicine drug. In USA and EU, medicinal products manufactured from herbs are approved by separate regulations for the herbs with special waivers. In China, the category of new medicine and the definition of allopathic medicine and traditional chinese medicine are clearly specified and classified. Conclusions : As medicines are validated therapeutic materials for efficacy and toxicity, we suggest that generally the concept of conventional medicines is based on a single compound that has been synthesized and individually validated and that of Korean medicines is based on a compound extracted from natural materials or a complex of compounds that has been validated as a whole in its totality.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.750-755
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• 2010

Crude Orostachys japonicus polysaccharide extract (OJP) was prepared by hot steam extraction. Polysaccharides (OJPI) were separated from OJP by gel filtration chromatography and phenol-sulfuric acid assay. The average molecular weight of the OJPI was 30-50 kDa. The anti-proliferative effect of OJPI on HT-29 human colon cancer cells was investigated via morphology study, cell viability assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle analysis, and cDNA microarray. OJPI inhibited proliferation and growth of HT29 cells and also stimulated apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In cell cycle analysis, treatment with OJPI resulted in a marked increase of cells in the G0 (sub G1) and G2/M phases. To screen for genes involved in the induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, the gene expression profiles of HT-29 cells treated with OJPI were examined by cDNA microarray, revealing that a number of genes were up- or down-regulated by OJPI. Whereas several genes involved in anti-apoptosis, cell proliferation and growth, and cell cycle regulation were down-regulated, expression levels of several genes involved in apoptosis, tumor suppression, and other signal transduction events were up-regulated. These results suggest that OJPI inhibits the growth of HT-29 human colon cancer cells by various apoptosis-aiding activities as well as apoptosis itself. Therefore, OJPI deserve further development as an effective agent exhibiting anticancer activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1482-1489
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the anti-proliferative effect of polysaccharides from Salicornia herbacea on HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Crude polysaccharides from S. herbacea (CS) were prepared by extraction with hot steam water, and fine polysaccharides from S. herbacea (PS) were obtained through further size exclusion chromatography. The anti-proliferative effect of CS and PS were measured using the MTS assay, apoptosis analysis, cell cycle analysis, and RT-PCR. HT-29 cells were treated with CS or PS at different dosages (0.5, 1, 2, 4 mg $ml^{-1}$) for 24 or 48 h. CS and PS inhibited proliferation and stimulated apoptosis of cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis after Annexin V-FITC and PI staining revealed that treatment with CS or PS increased total apoptotic death of cells to 24.99% or 91.59%, respectively, in comparison with the control (13.51 %). PS increased early apoptotic death substantially - up to 12 times more than the control. Treatment with CS or PS resulted in a concentration-dependent increase of the G2/M cell population of the cell cycle as determined by flow cytometry. G2/M arrest was induced significantly with the highest concentration (4 mg $ml^{-1}$) of PS. RT-PCR was performed to study the correlation between G2/M arrest and transcription of cell cycle control genes. The anti-proliferative activity of CS and PS was accompanied by inhibition of cyclin B1, and Cdc 2 mRNA. Moreover, both CS and PS induced expression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene and the Cdk inhibitor p21. These results suggest that polysaccharides from S. herbacea have anti-cancer activity in human colon cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.165-174
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• 2017

Background: Traditional plant drugs, are less toxic and free from side effects compared to general synthetic drugs. They have been used for the treatment of diabetes and associated renal damage. In this study, we evaluated effect of Hachimi-jio-gan against diabetic renal damage in a rat model of type 1 diabetic nephropathy induced by subtotal nephrectomy plus streptozotocin (STZ) injection, and in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats and db/db mice as a model of human type 2 diabetes, and its associated complications. To explore the active components of Hachimi-jio-gan, the antidiabetic effect of corni fructus, a consituent of Hachimi-jio-gan, and 7-O-galloyl-${{\small}D}$-sedoheptulose, a phenolic compound isolated from corni fructus, were investigated. Methods and Results: We conducted an extensive literature search, and all required data were collected and systematically organized. The findings were reviewed and categorized based on relevance to the topic. A summary of all the therapeutic effects were reported as figures and tables. Conclusions: Hachimi-jio-gan serves as a potential therapeutic agent to against the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetic nephropathy. From the results of characterization active components of corni fructus, 7-O-galloyl-${\small}D$-sedoheptulose is considered to play an important role in preventing and/or delaying the onset of diabetic renal damage. 7-O-Galloyl-${\small}D$-sedoheptulose is expected to serve as a novel therapeutic agent against the development of diabetic nephropathy.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.212-219
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• 2020

Objectives: Nowadays cancer treatment is an important challenge in the medical world that needs better therapies. Many active secretions produced by insects such as honey bees used to discover new anticancer drugs. Bee venom (BV) has a potent anti inflammatory, anti cancer and tumor effects. The aim of present study is evaluation of anticancer effects induced by Apis mellifera venom (AmV) on cell Lines. Methods: AmV was selected for study on cancer cell lines. Total protein, molecular weight and LD50 of crude venom were determined. Then, cells were grown in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics. The A549, HeLa and MDA-MB-231 cell Lines were exposed by different concentration of AmV. The morphology of cells was determined and cell viability was studed by MTT assay. Evaluation of cell death was determined by and DNA fragmentation. Results: The results from MTT assay showed that 3.125 ㎍/mL of A549, 12.5 for HeLa and 6.25 ㎍/mL of MDA-MB-231 killed 50% of cells (p < 0.05). Morphological analysis and the results from hoescht staining and DNA fragmentation indicated that cell death induced by AmV was significantly apoptosis. Conclusion: The data showed that using lower dosage of AmV during treatment period cause inhibition of proliferation in time and dose dependant manner. Findings indicated that some ingredients of AmV have anticancer effects and with further investigation it can be used in production of anticancer drugs.

• THE JOURNAL OF KOREAN ORIENTAL ONCOLOGY
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.91-100
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• 1996

Radiotherapy is an irreplaceable method of cancer treatment but, it has various side effects, especially damage to the hemopoietic system. A lot of radioprotectors have been found but they also have toxic effects. Many kinds of crude drugs(Oriental Chinese medicine)with low toxicity have been reported to promote the recovery from radiation damage. Recently, the trial to combine radiotherapy with herbal treatment of cancer patients shows a desirable result, an enhancement in recovery of the blood system.. This study was performed to determine whether prescriptions to support the healthy energy and strengthen the body resistence, Buzhongyiqi-tang and Siliu-tang, promote the recovery of splenocytes of N:GP(s) mice from radiation damage. We investigated the proliferative effect of Buzhongyiqi-tang, Siliu-tang and EIB(ethanol insoluble fraction of Buzhongyiqi-tang) on N:GP(S)mice splenocytes before or after ${\gamma}$-irradiation. We also investigated the morphology of splenocytes cultured with these herbs. Buzhongyiqi-tang and Siliu-tang promoted the proliferation of splenocytes in a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml compared with normal control(p<0.001). After 1-5Gy of ${\gamma}$-irradiation they also showed the effect of recovery of hemopoietic cells, especially in Buzhongyiqi-tang(4Gy:p<0.005; 5Gy:p<0.05). In addition, EIB(ethanol insoluble fraction of Buzhongyiqi-tang) showed the highest proliferative effect of all agents suggesting that more effective fractions could be found from crude herbs or prescriptions. These results suggest that it is possible to make use of Buzhongyiqi-tang, Siliu-tang or EIB as radio-protective agents.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.203-206
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• 2018

Objectives: There is an increasing number of complex diseases that are progressively more difficult to be controlled using the conventional "single compound, single target" approach as demonstrated in our current modern drug development. TCM might be the new cornerstone of treatment alternative when the current treatment option is no longer as effective or that we have exhausted it as an option. Orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group study is one of the most frequently employed formulas to produce optimal herbal combination for treatment of multi-syndromic diseases. This approach could solve the relatively low efficacy single drug therapy usage and chronic adverse effects caused by long terms administration of drugs that has been reported in the field of pharmacology and medicine Methods: The present review was based on the Science Direct database search for those related to the TCM and the development of antihypertensive TCM herbal combination using orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group studies approach. Results: Recent studies have demonstrated that the orthogonal stimulus-response compatibility group study approach was most frequently used to formulate TCM herbal combination based on the TCM principles upon the selection of herbs, and the resulting formulated TCM formula exhibited desired outcomes in treating one of global concerned complex multi-syndromic diseases, the hypertension. These promising therapeutic effects were claimed to have been attributed by the holistic signaling mechanism pathways employed by the crude combination of herbs. Conclusion: The present review could serve as a guide and prove the feasibility of TCM principles to be used for future pharmacological drug research development.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.217-224
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• 2013

A bacterium CGH18 exhibiting antioxidizing and chitin-degrading activities in the colloidal chitin culture medium was isolated from salt-fermented crab. This strain was identified as Bacillus idriensis based on 16S rDNA sequence homology search. Its crude extract was partitioned between n-BuOH and $H_2O$. The organic layer was further partitioned between $CH_2$ $Cl_2$ and $H_2O$. Antioxidant activities of crude extract and its solvent fractions were evaluated using five different bioassay methods, including the degree of occurrence of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), peroxynitrite scavenging (ONOO), and oxidative damage of genomic DNA. All fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activity in bioassay systems used.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2019

Objectives: Venomous fishes have different pharmacological effects and are useful. Among the venomous fish, stonefishes; especially Pseudosynanceia melanostigma has various pharmacological effects on the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular system of humans. In this study, toxicological characteristics, some blood effects, pharmacological and enzymatic properties of Pseudosynanceia melanostigma venom was investigated. Methods: Crude venom purified by using gel filtration chromatography and the molecular weights of the venom and its fractions were estimated. The approximate LD values of this venom were determinedand the effects of LD50 dose on the blood of rabbits were studied. Hemolytic and Hemorrhagic activity of the venom sample was determined. In this case coagulation tests were performed. Results: The LD50 of the Pseudosynanceia melanostigma crude venom was also determined to be $194.54{\mu}g/mouse$. The effect of two doses of LD50 showed a non-significant differences decrease in RBCs and MCV. In other cases, the results showed significant differences in WBC, Plt, Hb, MCH, MCHC and HCT; also it's showed a significant decrease. WBC count showed a significant increase with two doses of LD50 groups. The prothrombin time and partial prothrombin time were increased after venom treatment. As well as bleeding and clotting time were increased. According to the results, a minimum dose for Haemorrhagic effect $40{\mu}g$ was obtained. Conclusion: Venom of Pseudosynanceia melanostigma has inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation that can be used to design and develop of anticoagulant drugs.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.103-111
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• 2013

Objectives : Herbal medicines were used a lot in the Northeast Asia, traditionally. However, the pharmacopoeia standards in South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, and North Korea including many other Asia are different and cause confusion. If the origins are not belonging to same genus, it should be careful to distinguish. In this study, herbal medicines in the pharmacopoeia were analyzed for different genus of origins in order to identify the disruptive items for each country. Methods : The scientific names of herbal medicines (plant based) was analyzed origins from Pharmacopoeias of Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, Japan, Taiwan, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The origins specified differently were examined. Especially, the items which have different genus were analyzed in detail and confirmed for correct scientific name. Results : The analyzed herbal medicines in Pharmacopoeia were all 753 items. 320 items were in only one country's Pharmacopoeia. 237 items were in more than two countries' Pharmacopoeia, but their origins were same on each other. The items which have different genus were 35 items. Conclusions : In general, species belonging to the same genus have similar ecological, morphological, and pharmacological activity. However, species with different genus may have different medicinal ingredients and pharmacological activity. Thus, the items which have same name but different genus are required to analyze for comparison of pharmacological activity. Also, other species belonging to the different genus should be used for different items.