• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.53-63
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the physiological activityof the water extract from EA. The present study was done to investigate the effects of EA on cultured hepatocyte cell system and lipid peroxidation in $A{\beta}$ treatment conditions. Pretreatment of EA attenuated in cell cytotoxicity enhanced by increasing concentrations of $A{\beta}$. MDA level induced by $A{\beta}$ treatment was significantly increased and the level was slightly reduced by pretreatment of EA. The ability of EA to reduce cell death and MDA level induced by $A{\beta}$ suggest that EA may be a protective agent against free radical generating compounds such as $A{\beta}$. EA exhibited anti oxidative activity at all concentration tested.The extract was as good as antioxidative activity of the synthetic antioxidants, butylated hydroxy toluene and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, this was superior to that of natural antioxidant, a-tocopherol. In the presence of heavy metal ions ($Fe^{2+},{\;}Zn^{2+}$), EA showed strong antioxidative activity. The extracts showed about 3075% in the nitrite scavenging effect under pH 1.2 and $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. There was significant difference among concentration of extracts.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2014

Background: The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3)is constitutively activated in many human cancers. It promotes tumor cell proliferation,inhibits apoptosis, induces angiogenesis and metastasis, and suppresses antitumor hostimmune responses. Therefore, Stat3 has emerged as a promising molecular target for cancertherapies. In this study, we evaluated the Stat3-suppressive activity of 38 herbal medicinestraditionally used in Korea.Methods: Medicinal herb extracts in 70% ethanol were screened for their ability to suppressStat3 in the A549 human lung cancer cell line. A Stat3-responsive reporter assay system wasused to detect intracellular Stat3 activity in extract-treated cells, and Western blot analyseswere performed to measure the expression profiles of Stat3-regulated proteins.Results: Fifty percent of the 38 extracts possessed at least mild Stat3-suppressive activities(i.e., activity less than 75% of the vehicle control). Ethanol extracts of Bupleurum falcatumL., Taraxacum officinale Weber, Solanum nigrum L., Ulmus macrocarpa Hance, Euonymus alatusSieb., Artemisia capillaris Thunb., and Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill inhibited up to 75% of thevehicle control Stat3 activity level. A549 cells treated with these extracts also had reducedBcl-xL, Survivin, c-Myc, and Mcl-1 expression.Conclusion: Many medicinal herbs traditionally used in Korea contain Stat3 activity-suppressing substances. Because of the therapeutic impact of Stat3 inhibition, these resultscould be useful when developing novel cancer therapeutics from medicinal herbs.