• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2010

This experiment was undertaken to investigate whether methanol extract of fruit peel of Dimocarpus longan Lour. (MEFL) protects against kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure. Oral administration of MEFL (1, 2 and 4 mg/kg) increased KA (50 mg/kg)-induced survival rate and latency of convulsion onset, and deceased seizure scores and weight loss induced by intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of KA in mice. In addition, MEFL protected against cell death in the hippocampus of rat brain after KA-administration as analyzed by using TUNEL assay in rats. MEFL also significantly blocked seizure-form of electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra induced by KA in rats. MEFL also inhibited elevation of [$Ca^{2+}$]i and increased [$Cl^-$]i induced by KA in cultured neuronal cells. Therefore, it is suggested that MEFL protects against seizure induced by KA, decreasing [$Ca^{2+}$]i.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.1063-1066
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• 2016

Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) has been used as a traditional oriental medicine and possesses a number of physiological activities. In this study, we used cell-based herbal extract screening to identify longan fruit extract (LFE) as an activator of osteoblast differentiation. LFE up-regulated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, induced mineralization, and activated Runx2 gene expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, treatment of MC3T3-E1 cells with LFE promoted the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (Erk1/2); however, abrogation of Erk1/2 activation with PD98059 resulted in down-regulation of the phospho-SMAD1/5/8 and Runx2 levels, which in turn reduced the ALP activity. Our findings suggest that LFE exerts its osteogenic activity through activation of the ERK signaling pathway and may have potential as an herbal therapeutic or a preventive agent for the treatment of osteoporosis.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.63-77
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• 2015

Objectives The combination extract of four kinds of herbs, Gastrodia elata, Liriope platyphylla, Dimocarpus longan, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, has shown to have memory improving effects in mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of the herbal mixture for improving working memory as well as microstructural changes in white matter integrity in individuals with subjective memory complaints. Methods Seventy-five individuals with subjective memory complaints were assigned to receive either placebo (n = 15) or herbal mixture (low-dose group, n = 30 and high-dose group, n = 30) supplementation in an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Changes in working memory performance and fractional anisotropy (FA) values reflecting white matter integrity from baseline to 8-week endpoint were assessed. Results The herbal mixture group showed an increase in working memory performance compared to the placebo group (p for interaction = 0.001). In addition, the herbal mixture group showed an increase in FA values in the temporo-parietal regions (corrected p < 0.05), which are crucially involved in working memory function and are among the most affected regions in patients with cognitive impairments. Conclusions Findings from this study indicate that the herbal mixture may be a promising therapeutic option for individuals with subjective memory complaints.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2009

Longanae Arillus (the rind of fruits of Dimocarpus longan) has been consumed for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety in Asia. To provide further scientific basis to traditional uses of this fruit on insomnia, we evaluated the effects of methanol extract of Longanae Arillus (MELA) on the alteration of sleep architecture and electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra in acutely and chronically restraint-stressed rats. Following postsurgical recovery, Polygraphic signs of sleep-wake activities were recorded for 24 h after MELA administration in rats. Rats in the acute stress and chronic stress were administered with MELA for 10 days. On the $8^{th},\;9^{th}\;and\;10^{th}$ day of MELA administration, the rats were stressed for 3 h once per day. On the $10^{th}$ day and 1 h after MELA administration, the rats were stressed once for 22 h in the chronic stress group. Acute and chronic stress induced alternations in cortex EEG recordings during non-rapid eye movement (NREM), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and wakefulness. MELA shortened the total and REM sleep and increased the wakefulness in night time recording without changing daytime recordings. Chronic stress increased wakefulness and REM sleep, decreased total and NREM sleep in the daytime recording, and increased REM and decreased NREM sleep without changing total sleep and wakefulness in night time recording. These findings suggest that MELA ameliorated the alterations in REM and NREM sleep of acutely and chronically stressed rats via modulation of cortical ${\alpha}-$, ${\theta}-$ and ${\delta}-$ wave activity.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.208-217
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• 2013

Objectives Modified Yeolda-Hanso tang (MYH) is a traditional herbal formula in Korea for various diseases. MYH is containing the 10 herbs : Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, Angelica tenuissima Nakai, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq), Angelicae Dahurica, Cimicifuga heracleifolia Kom, Raphanus sativa L., Polygala tenuifolia (Willd), Acorus gramineus Soland and Dimocarpus longan Lour. The 10 herbs is constituted as a ratio of the 6:4:2:1:2:2:2:4:6:6. We investigated neuroprotective effects of MYH on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and evaluated the ability of MYH to prevent and treat for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease via basal autophagy enhancement. Methods Pharmacological induction of Autophagy by MYH in SH-SY5Y cells: Induction of autophagy by MYH in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was carreid out by immunoblot analysis with several autophagy markers. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with MYH at the concentration of 400 and $800{\mu}g/ml$ for 24 hr. Specifically, the autophagosome proteins LC3 II and Atg5 levels were increased and autophagy pathway related proteins such as beclin-1, PI3 Kinase class III protein, ULK1, mTOR and AMPK were activated. Conclusions MYH can enhance the induction of autophagy through key regulator AMPK, mTOR, and Beclin-1 and it should be considered as a possible candidate of neuroprotective agents for such as Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.154-158
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• 2010

The purposes of this work were to study germination conditions on $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents and to develop a simple and effective technique for the production of germinated brown rice with an enhanced GABA levels. The samples were subjected to heat treatments at 40 and $45^{\circ}C$ before the soaking step. Moreover, four medicinal plant extracts including Schizandra chinensis, Dimocarpus longan Lour, Angelica dahurica, and Gastrodia elata Blume were used as soaking and germinating media. GABA levels were enhanced in the germinated brown rice compared to the non-germinated brown rice and the highest GABA contents were observed in heat treatment at $35^{\circ}C$. The brown rice soaked in Gastrodia elata Blume extract showed the highest GABA contents compared to the control sample. These results demonstrate that the GABA levels during germination could be significantly enhanced by the heat treatment and the treatment of medicinal plant extracts in the soaking step.