• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.535-540
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• 1992

The antioxidant activities of Epimedium koreanum N. methanol extract on the oxidation of fats and oils were studied by measuring peroxide values during storage at $75^{\circ}C$. The methanol extract showed high antioxidant activity on the oxidation of lard and corn oil, and the antioxidant effectiveness increased as the concentrations of the extract in lard increased. After heating the extract at $180^{\circ}C$ for 120 min, the heat-treated extract exhibited above 66% of the original antioxidant effectiveness on the oxidation of lard during storage at $75^{\circ}C$. Epimedium koreanum N. extract, however, accelerated the oxidation of soybean oil during storage under irradiation of ultraviolet light. The main antioxidant components in Epimedium koreanum N. extract seemed to be tocopherols and flavonoids. The contents of ${\alpha}$, ${\beta}$, ${\gamma}$ and ${\delta}-tocopherol$ in the extract were 21.61, 1.48, 5.50 and 3.75 mg%, respectively.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.938-945
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• 2011

Epimedium koreanum Nakai is a wild herb commonly consumed in South Korea due to its beneficial health effects. In the present study, the antimutagenic and immunoactivities of extracts from E. koreanum Nakai containing different icariin quantities were investigated for food use. In the Ames test, both the water and ethanol extracts were found not to have a mutagenic effect on Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100, respectively. The E. koreanum Nakai extracts showed over 80 and 90% antimutagenic effects on benzo(${\alpha}$)pyrene (B(a)P) in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100, respectively. Moreover, all the extracts showed over 70% antimutagenicity on S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 against 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO). The E. koreanum Nakai extract with ethanol showed strong antimutagenic activity, higher than that of the water extract and the sequenced KE9412, KE9408, and KE9405. In the immunomodulating activity test, the effect of E. koreanum Nakai on the B (Rhamos) and T (Jukat) cells were investigated. The immunoactivity results showed that the growth and viability of the B and T cells increased and were activated more in KE9405 (1.8 times), KE9408 (1.6 times), and KE9412 (1.32 times) in the water extracts, and least in KE9412 (1.74 times), KE9408 (1.52 times), and KE9405 (1.4 times) in the ethanol extracts. In the case of both the water and ethanol extracts ($500{\mu}g/mL$) from E. koreanum Nakai, the highest cell number of the human B (Rhamos) and T (Jukat) cells was observed on day 4 in KE9405 and KE9412, and on day 5 in KE9408. Based on the obtained results, the development of E. koreanum Nakai as a food material is recommended.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.289-292
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• 1995

Icariside II, a flavonol glycoside, was isolated from the aerial part of Epimedium Koreanum Nakai by the anti-hepatotoxic acitivity guided fractionation technique employing $CCl_4-in-toxicated$ primary cultured rat hepatocytes as an assay system. Its anti-hepatotoxic activity was evaluated by measuring activity of glutamic pyruvic transaminase released from the $CCl_4-in-toxicated$ primary cultured rat hapatocytes. Icariside II significantly reduced the activity of glutamic pyruvic transaminase released from the $CCl_4-in-toxicated$ primary cultured rat hepatocytes and resulted in 78% recovery of the toxicity at the concentration of $200{\;}\mu\textrm{m}$. The anti-hepatotoxic activity of icariside II on the $CCl_4-in-toxicated$ primary cultured rat hepatocytes was as potent as that of silybin.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.110-115
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• 2012

$Epimedium$ $koreanum$ Nakai is a wild medicinal plant commonly consumed in South Korea due to its beneficial health effects. In this study, the antimutagenic and immunological activities of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai extracts were investigated for their use in food. In the immunomodulating activity, the effects of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai on the B cell (Rhamos) and T cell (Molt-4) were investigated. The results showed that the growth and viability of the B and T cells were increased and activated more in the ethylacetate (1.35 and 1.48 times) and water fraction (1.30 and 1.40 times), respectively. In the Ames test, none of the fractions produced a mutagenic effect on $Salmonella$. $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA 100. The ethylacetate fraction showed a strong antimutagenic effect (98%) on and a high butanol fraction (84%) of B(${\alpha}$)P in $S.$ $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA100, respectively. In 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), all the solvent fractions showed an over 70% antimutagenic effect, except for the chloroform extract. Especially, ethylacetate and butanol showed strong inhibition of the mutagenic effects (80 and 90%) on 4NQO in $S.$ $typhimurium$ TA98 and TA100, respectively. These results provide preliminary data for the development of $E.$ $koreanum$ Nakai as an edible food material.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2018

Objectives : In Traditional Korean Medicine, Epimedium koreanum Nakai has diverse pharmacological activities to treat impotence, forgetfulness, cataract and exophthalmos. Present study investigated anti-fibrogenic effects of E. koreanum water extract (EKE) in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Methods : To study anti-fibrogenic effects of EKE, LX-2 cells, a human immortalized HSCs, were pre-treated with $3-300{\mu}g/mL$ of EKE, and then subsequently exposed to 5 ng/mL of transforming growth $factor-{\beta}1$ ($TGF-{\beta}1$). Expression level of ${\alpha}-smooth$ muscle actin was determined by immunoblot analysis. Phosphorylation of Smad, transactivation of Smad, and expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were monitored to investigate the effect of EKE on $TGF-{\beta}1-mediated$ signaling pathway. Results : Up to $100{\mu}g/mL$, EKE did not show any cytotoxicity on LX-2 cells. Pre-treatment of EKE ($100{\mu}g/mL$) significantly inhibited ${\alpha}-smooth$ muscle actin expression induced by $TGF-{\beta}1$. In addition, EKE significantly decreased Smad2 and Smad3 phosphorylations, Smad binding element-driven luciferase activity and PAI-1 expression by $TGF-{\beta}1$. Of three flavonoid compounds found in EKE, only quercertin ($30{\mu}M$) attenuated $TGF-{\beta}1-mediated$ PAI-1 expression. Conclusion : These results suggest that EKE has an ability to suppress fibrogenic process in HSCs via inhibition of $TGF-{\beta}1/Smad$ signaling pathway.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the relaxation effects and its underlying mechanisms of Epimedium koreanum Nakai(EK) in phenylephrine(PE) treated isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum smooth muscle. The dose-dependent relaxation responses of phenylephrine(PE, $1{\times}10^{-6}M$)-precontracted strips to EK at $0.01-3.0mg/m{\ell}$ were measured and also observed after endothelial denudation using organ bath. To analyze the underlying mechanisms of EK-induced relaxation, $N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine(L-NNA), methylene blue(MB), tetraethylammonium chloride(TEA), indomethacin(IM) were pretreated before EK extract infused into precontracted strips induced by PE. To investigate cytotoxic activity and nitric oxide(NO) concentration of EK extract on EA.hy926 cells, mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity(MTT) assay and nitric oxide detection kit were used. The cavernous strips were significantly relaxed by EK extract at $0.3mg/m{\ell}$, $1.0mg/m{\ell}$, $3.0mg/m{\ell}$ and the relaxation responses of PE-precontracted strips denuded endothelium also inhibited in comparison with intact endothelium. The pretreatment of L-NNA, MB, TEA reduced EK extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, but the pretreatment of IM didn't affect EK extract-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation. When EK extract was applicated on EA.hy926 cells, the NO concentration was increased. Our findings have shown that EK extract exerts a relaxing effect on corpus cavernosum in part by suppressing influx of extracellular $Ca^{2+}$ through activating the NO-cGMP system.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2009

To develop a natural stimulating agent for hair melanogenesis, we investigated the stimulatory effects of Epimedium koreanum Nakai extract (EKNE) on melanogenesis. EKNE both increased melanin content in B16 melanoma cells up to about 104 % and intracellular tyrosinase activity up to about 95 % at a concentration of $50\;{\mu}g/mL$ without cell cytotoxicity (below $100\;{\mu}g/mL$). From the result of western blot, we could find that EKNE dose-dependently induce the expression of TRP-2. Also, EKNE increased melanogenesis up to about 25 % at a concentration of 5 % (w/v) in back hair of C3H/Hej mouse. These results suggest that EKNE has an effect to stimulate melanin formation through the induction of tyrosinase activity and TRP-2 expression which are involved in melanin synthesis in melanocyte. Therefore, we suggest that EKNE could be used as a useful melanogenesis stimulator for development of natural hair cosmetics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.732-736
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extraction method of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of the aerial part of Epimedium koreanum NAKAI (EKN). The antioxidant activities of EKN were tested with by hydrogen donating ability, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and inhibition of LDL oxidation. The most suitable conditions for the extraction of phenolic compounds from EKN were to use 60% ethanol by 3 times, and the yield of extract (dry basis) was 22%. In the extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds, 60% ethanol as extracting solvent was superior to water. Sixty% ethanol extract of EKN was found to have an ability of hydrogen donating to DPPH. MDA determination showed the 95% inhibitory effect against linoleic acid oxidation by the addition of 700 ppm EKN extract. Also, about 70% of LDL oxidation was inhibited by the addition of 500 ppm.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.359-364
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• 2007

This study was conducted to determine the optimum condition of extraction and antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of Epimedium koreanum Nakai based on the icariin quantity. Also, further organic solvent fractions of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and butanol were obtained from the ethanol extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai at different temperatures. Total ethanol extraction yield of wild grape seed ranged from 11.8% to 39.3% depending on the concentration of icariin as well as different ethanol concentration, extraction temperature and time condition. Among different extraction temperatures and time, the highest extraction yield of 39.3% was obtained at 70% ethanol for 3 hour at $50^{\circ}C$ in the sample containing the 0.596% icariin (KE9412). In the meantime, the strongest free radical scavenging effect $(RC_{50})$ with $18.9{\mu}g/mL$ in the KE9412 sample was observed in 70% ethanol extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai extracted for 7 hour at $70^{\circ}C$, while $RC_{50}$ with $35.2{\mu}g/mL$ was observed in the KE9405 (0.20% icariin content) sample at same condition. Also, antioxidant activity of ethanol extracts of Epimedium koreanum Nakai increased as icariin concentration increased. Among each fraction obtained from organic solvents, butanol fraction was found to have the strongest $RC_{50}\;(39.2{\mu}g/mL)$ and followed by ethylacetate $(49.0{\mu}g/mL)$, water $(118.8{\mu}g/mL)$, ethylacetate $(119.8{\mu}g/mL)$, and chloroform fraction $(138.5{\mu}g/mL)$ respectively.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.259-262
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• 2002

The efficiency of regeneration of callus and explants from leaf and stem disks of Epimedium koreanum was examined on the MS media containing 2,4-D, NAA, Kinetin, BA and TDZ. Calli were formed on the 2mg/l 2,4-D media at the rate of 32% from leaf discs and 52% from stems. No callus was produced on the media which are containing BA or TDZ alone. The combination of 2,4-D and BA showed the effect on the formation of callus. The combination of 2mg/l 2,4-D and 0.lmg/l BA in the MS media had produced the highest percentage of callus formation, 50% from leaf discs and 40% from stems, respectively. The combination of 2mg/l 2,4-D and 1mg/1 BA in the MS media had affected the formation of callus in the rate of 40% from leaf discs and 25% from stems. The combined plant growth regulators of 2,4-D and BA increased the formation of calli from leaf discs, but single treatment of 2,4-D showed the highest callus formation from stems. Multiple shoots from leaf discs were formed on the media containing NAA, BA, kinetin, and TDZ. The highest number of multiple shoots were obtained 0.1mg/l NAA combined with 1mg/l kinetin. As a result, leaf discs or stems can be used for the mass propagation of Epimedium koreanum, but stem elongation of shoots from calli was not easy.