• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.228-233
• /
• 2008

Antimicrobial activities of ethanol extracts of about 60 endemic Korean herbs and medicinal plants were investigated. When compared to the group treated with phenoxyethanol as a positive control, the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was inhibited by Styrax japonica, Stevia rebaudiana, Morus Leaf, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (97%). The growth of Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited by Acorus calamus, Pinus densiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, Chrysanthemum zawadskii, Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge and Coptis chinensis, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (99%). The growth of yeast type fungi Candida albicans was inhibited to about 35% by Scutellaria baicalensis Geogr and about 33% by Coptis chinensis as determined by paper disk method. The growth of bacterium Malassezia furfur was inhibited by Paeonia lactiflora, Rosa multiflora, Coptis chinensis, Citrus aurantium L. subsp, Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews, and Galla rhois, the latter showing the strongest inhibition (57%). The growth of Propionibacterium acnes was inhibited by Galla rhois, Paeonia lactiflora, Morus bombycis, Cucumis sativus, Stevia rebaudiana, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge. Interestingly, Coptis chinensis and Slavia miltorrhiza Bunge showed the strongest inhibition (99%) similar to that in postive control. The possible components and their action modes were suggested and discussed.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.8
• /
• pp.1268-1275
• /
• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the anti-proliferative activity of solid-state fermented medicinal herbs which include Phellinus baumii. Methanol extracts were prepared from 36 different medicinal herbs and their fermented counterparts. These extracts were used to treat human colorectal HCT116 cell, human embryonic kidney cell HEK-293, pre-adipocyte cell 3T3-L1, and pre-osteoblast cell MC3T3-E1 for 24 hr. At a concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/ml$, the extracts of Amomum villosum, Cnidium officinale Makino, Dendrobium moniliforme, Dictamnus dasycarpus, Diospyros kaki Thunb, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv, Ginkgo biloba L, Magnolia denudata Desrousseaux, Orostachys japonicus, Panax notoginseng, Pharbitis nil Choisy, Polygala tenuifolia and Trichosanthes kirilowii (seed) led to a < 50% decrease in cell proliferation, and mycelium of P. baumii showed a 46.3% decrease in cell proliferation. Meanwhile, the extracts of the 25 fermented herbs showed similar anti-proliferative activities compared to those of individual non-fermented herbs. However, the extracts of the fermented Drynaria fortunei Kunze (1), Lycium chinense Mill (2), Fritillaria thunbergii Miquel (3) and Prunus persica showed increased anti-proliferative activity. The $IC_{50}s$ of (1), (2) and (3) were especially decreased to 28, 85 and 80 ${\mu}g/ml$ from 394, 917 and 149 ${\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the extracts of fermented (1), (2) and (3) against HEK-293, 3T3-L1, and MC3T3-E1was negligible up to 200 ${\mu}g/ml$. These results suggest that solid-state fermentation using the mycellium of P. baumiiproduce potential anti-cancer agents or strengthen the bioactivity of medicinal herbs.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.197-203
• /
• 1993

Screenings were performed on edible plants to examine their complement-system activating ability (anti-complementary activity) by hemolytic complement assay $(TCH_{50})$. Among 38 kinds of plant extracts, 5 kinds showed relatively strong anti-complementary activity which decreased $TCH_{50}$ more than 60% comparison with control and the order of activity was Zingiber officinale>Colocasia antiquorum>Capsella bursapastoris>Ginkgo biloba>Alium monanthum in $1000{\mu}g/ml$. The anti-complementary activity of ZR-1 prepared from the root of Zingiber officinale which was showed the most potent activity, did not change by pronase treatment, but decreased greatly by periodate oxidation. These results indicate that not protein moiety but carbohydrate moiety in ZR-1 fraction may also contribute to the anti-complementary activity. Also, the anti-complementary activity of ZR-1 was reduced partially in the absence of the $Ca^{2+}$ ion. When crossed immunoelectrophoresis using anti-human C3 serum was carried out after incubation of normal human serum with the ZR-1 in $Ca^{2+}$ free condition, a cleavage of C3 precipitin line was observed. Furthermore this polysaccharide fraction considerably inhibited $ACH_{50}$. These results also indicate that the mode of complement activation by polysaccharide from Zingiber officinale is via not only the classical pathway but also the alternative pathway.