• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.79-87
• /
• 1986

Water extracts of 21 traditional Korean herbal drugs were prepared, and a dose range of 100 mg/kg to 400 mg/kg was administered orally into mice once a day for five days. Changes of serum enzyme activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alkaline phosphatase, body weight changes and histo pathological examination of various organs were investigated. Water extract of Ephedra Herba caused severe body weight loss at a dose of 100 mg/kg and death from a dose level of 200 mg/kg by oral administration. Angelica koreanae Radix and Anthrisci Radix showed a slight body weight loss and damages to liver and kidney.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.194.1-194.1
• /
• 2000

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.84-95
• /
• 2014

Objective : Ephedra sinica (ES) has has been used as remedy of allergic diseases for a long time in Korea. In the present study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of ES on experimental allergic asthma mouse model using ovalbumin (OVA). Methods : BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with 100 ug of OVA and 1 mg of aluminum potassium sulfate of 0.2 ml phosphate-buffered saline(PBS) intraperitoneally on day 1 and 15. mice were challenged on 3 consecutive days with 5% OVA and AHR was assessed 24 h after the last challenge. we examined the lung histology, airway hyper sensitivity, total inflammatory cell count in bronchoaveloar lavage fluid(BALF), Th2-associated cytokines production and IgE production. Results : ES potently inhibited the lung damage and the development of Penh. ES also reduced the number of BAL cells during OVA-induced allergic asthma. Furthermore, ES inhibited cytokines production such as IL-4, IL-13 productions, and IgE level of serum. Conclusion : These results suggest that ES may inhibit the production of IL-4, IL-13, IgE and infiltration of inflammatory cell and be beneficial oriental medicine for allergic asthma.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.77-83
• /
• 2009

Objectives : We investigated the effects of Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture Treatment in Obese Patients by analysing Body mass index(BMI), waist measurement and weight. Methods : We investigated on 52 volunteers consisted of 24 subjects in experiment(Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture) group and 28 subjects in control(Normal Saline) group. The Study form was a single-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial. 24 subjects in experiment group were injected Mahuang-Chuanwu Pharmacopuncture with additional common treatment and 28 subjects in control group were injected Normal Saline with additional common treatment with Dietic Theraphy and Exercise. We measured BMI, waist measurement and weight on 3 times : before 1st session, after first 5 sessions, and after 10 sessions. The SPSS 13.0 for Windows was used to analyze the data and the wilcoxon signed ranks test (in group), mann Whitney u t-test(between two groups) and ${\chi}^2$-test(description of number) were used to verify the result. Results : In experiment group. BMI, waist measurement and weight were significantly low at the period of after first 5 sessions and after 10 sessions. In control group, BMI, waist measurement and weight were significantly low at the period of after 10 sessions but weren't significantly low at the period of after first 5 sessions. The changes of BMI, waist measurement and weight in experiment group were significantly more than that in control group. Conclusions : The Results suggest that Mahuang(Ephedra sinica Stapf)-Chuanwu(Aconitum carmichaeli Debx) Pharmacopuncture is effective on the treatment of obesity, compared to Normal Saline.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.39-54
• /
• 2007

Objectives : This study has been done to know which herbs and herbal formulae are frequently used for the treatment of obesity in Korea and overseas since 2000. Methods : We conducted a computerized literature search in KISS (Korean studies Information Service System), Pubmed, Journal of Oriental Association for Study of Obesity ,and Journal of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine(2000 -Apr. 2006) using search key words obesity, obese, weight loss, weight control combined with herb, herbal formula. Result and conclusion : Seventy-two studies have been identified(50 Korean papers and 22 pubmed papers) and 81 herbs have been found. In USA it was mainly used as single herb for food, but in Korea it was mainly used as herbal formula. For single herb, ephedra(麻黃) was the most studied single herb both in Korea and the USA. For herbal formulae, Sasang Constitutional Medicine(SCM, 19times) was the most frequently used herbal formula, in which the herbs for Tae-eum type person like Taeyeumjowui-tang(太陰調胃湯, 7times) and Choweseungcheng-tang(調胃升淸湯, 5times) were mainly prescribed. The next was Chegameuiin-tang(體減薏苡仁湯, 11times) and Bangpungtongsungsan( 防風通聖散, 3times). Calculating each herb consisted in each herbal formula, Coicis Semen(薏苡仁), Angelicae gigantis Radix(當歸), and Glycyrrhizae Radix(甘草), Raspberry Ketone, Cnidii Rhizoma(川芎), and Ephedra Herba(麻黃) turned out to be the most frequently used herb.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.336-339
• /
• 1995

Ephedra distachya cultures have been known to accumulate two major $\rho-coumaroylamino$ acids (p-coumaroylgicine and $\rho-coumaroylamino$ -D-alanine) by D-Ala treament. When D-Ala was added together with serial concentrations of yeast-derived elicitor, the accumulation of $\rho-coumaroylamino$ -D-Ala $(\rho-CDA)$ was geatly increased in an additive manner. In feeding experiments, $[1-^14C]$-D-Ala was incorporated into $\rho-CDA$at a rate of 2.2% or 2.3% of added radioactivity, indicating that exogenous D-Ala served as a precursor of the conjugate. $[1-^14C]$-L-Ala wasalso incorporated into p-CDA (0.23%) in the elicitor treated cultures. This fact suggested that at least a part of $(\rho-CDA)$ was produced from active conversion of L-Ala by the elecitation. In order to investigate a possible role of D-Ala as an elicitor of $\rpo-coumaroylamino$ acids $(\rpo-CAA)$, cold D-Ala was added together with labeled L-Ala. Although L-Ala seemed to be incorporated into $\rho-CDA$ by this treatment, the incorporation ratio was too small (0.054%) to draw a clear conclusion. However, the amount of $\rpo-coumaroylglycine$, which did not use D-Ala as a substrate, was also sightly increased by D-Ala treatment irrespective of the presence of elicitor, suggesting that exogenous D-Ala might act as an elicitor of$\rpo-CAA$ as well as a precusor substrate of $\rho-CDA$.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 2020

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Ephedra sinica (E. sinica), Panax ginseng (P. ginseng), and Alisma orientale (A. orientale) Extract (MIT) on insulin resistance induced by Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods C57BL /6 male mice (8-week-old, 20 g) were divided into four groups: control group (Ctrl), high-fat diet group (HFDF), high fat diet with metformin administration group (METT), and high fat diet with MIT administration group (MITT). Each 10 mice were allocated to each group (a total of 40 mice). All mice were allowed to eat fat-rich diet freely throughout the experiment. To examine the effect of MIT, we observed Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2), G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55), and Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). Results In the MITT group, positive reactions of the CB1, CB2, and GPR55 were significantly was significantly suppressed compared to the HFDF group. The positive reactions of the CD36 and TGF-β in the liver tissue were significantly suppressed in MITT. Conclusions MIT has the effect of improving NAFLD induced insulin resistance through the regulation of the lipid metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.24-28
• /
• 2019

In this study, the in vitro hepatotoxic mechanism of Ephedra sinica (ma-huang) was investigated by measuring the degree of cell death, secretion of cytokine, and fat accumulation by treating HepG2 cells with 70% ethanolic extracts of ma-huang. Cell death was observed at concentrations of around $5-100{\mu}g/mL$ by treatment with ma-huang extracts (p<0.05). The secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which are inflammatory cytokines, were significantly promoted at concentrations of around 0.05-100 and $0.5-100{\mu}g/mL$, respectively (p<0.05). In this experiment, it was shown that the extracts of ma-huang stimulate the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-8 and M-CSF, and lead to fat accumulation in the hepatocytes, thereby causing inflammation of the hepatocytes. Hepatotoxicity was observed at around 10-500 times lower concentration than the concentration required to cause serious toxicity, such as cell death, suggesting that hepatic toxicity (hepatitis) may be induced at a low dose.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.55-74
• /
• 2024

Objectives: This study reviewed the status of adverse event (AE) reporting in VigiAccess using anti-obesity agents as examples and explored the possibility of its use and future challenges. Methods: AE reports related to some representative drugs among herbal medicines (HMs), complex HM prescriptions, ingredients of supplements, and over-the-counter and prescription medicines were investigated using VigiAccess on February 1, 2024. Results: AE reports on prescription drugs were overwhelmingly higher than those on HMs or supplements. Although most reports were submitted from North America, reports on Ephedra sinica and green tea extract (GTE) were more from Asia and Europe, respectively. The female population reported more, and the difference in the sex ratio was the smallest for Ephedra spp. The age group was concentrated on young adults, but many older patients reported GLP-1 receptor agonist-related AEs. Symptoms related to the gastrointestinal and nervous systems were most commonly reported, but mental and cardiac disorders were common in Ephedra-type HMs. Hepatobiliary disorders are also commonly found in GTE-related reports. Conclusions: VigiAccess was useful for easily checking the global status of AE reporting for prescription drugs. However, several limitations were observed in using VigiAccess for HMs because of the few reports. Thus, it is necessary to increase the number of reports by education and to promote AE reporting among HM prescribers and users. The full range of HMs should be included in the pharmacovigilance system, and the coding and classification of HMs should be revised.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.376-392
• /
• 2020

In Korea, damages to wooden cultural properties by termites have been reported all over the country, including Ulleungdo Island and Jeju Island. In order to reduce the damage caused by termites, most cultural properties damaged by them are treated with fumigation or drug treatment on the soil to kill or repel them. The number of treatments is decreasing due to cost and safety problems, and new methods needed to cope with this situation. After extracting an enzyme by selecting only worker termites from the termites collected in Shinan, Jeonnam, as a result of measuring the enzyme activity using xylan of cellulose and hemicellulose that are the components of wood, the activity of termite intestinal enzymes in xylan was higher than that of cellulose having a high molecular weight. Therefore, in this study, as a result of exploring over 600 species of medicinal plant extracts that inhibit the activity of termite intestinal enzymes using xylan as a substrate, the inhibitory effect was significant in Borneolum Syntheticum, Ephedra sinica, and Menthol. Selected Borneolum Syntheticum, Ephedra sinica, and Menthol's extracts not only inhibited the activity of termite intestinal enzymes, but also confirmed that they have insecticidal activation and inhibitory effects on feeding in the result of the direct treatment.