• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1109-1114
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• 2008

To understand the role of intestinal microflora in the biological effect of functional herbs, which have been used in Korea, Japan, and China as traditional medicines, and suggest new bioactive compounds transformed from herbal constituents, the metabolic activities of the functional herb components (ginsenoside Rb1, crocin, amygdalin, geniposide, puerarin, ginsenoside Re, poncirin, hesperidin, glycyrrhizin, and baicalin) toward their bioactive compounds (compound K, crocetin, benzaldehyde, genipin, daidzein, ginsenoside Rh1, ponciretin, hesperetin, 18b-glycyrrhetic acid, and baicalein) were measured in fecal specimens. The metabolic activities of these components were $882.7{\pm}814.5$, $3,938.1{\pm}2,700.8$, $2,375.5{\pm}913.7$, $1,179.4{\pm}795.7$, $24.6{\pm}10.5$, $11.4{\pm}10.8$, $578.8{\pm}206.1$, $1,150.0{\pm}266.1$, $47.3{\pm}58.6$, and $12,253.0{\pm}6,527.6\;{\mu}mol/h/g$, respectively. No differences were found in the metabolic activities of the tested components between males and females, although these metabolic activities between individuals are extensively different. The metabolites of functional herb components showed more potent cytotoxicity against tumor cells than nonmetabolites. These findings suggest that intestinal microflora may activate the pharmacological effect of herbal food and medicines and must be the biocatalytic converter for the transformation of herbal components to bioactive compounds.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.205-222
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• 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review systemically journals on the studies for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the treatment of breast cancer. Methods: Through medical websites, foreign clinical literatures about complementary and alternative medicines of breast cancer were searched. The cite used was http://www.Pubmed.gov. And then they were divided into three groups. Medication, Non-medication therapies and questionnaire reports. Results: 1. We researched 23 papers about herb medicines. Most of papers were about single herb and there were rarely about mixed composition. And there were papers about Ocimum gratissimum, elliptilimba, seeds of Livistona chinensis, golden feverfew which were not commonly used in Korea. 2. We researched 16 papers about acupuncture. Acupuncture had a possitive effect on such symptoms like flushing, nausea and vomitting and pain on upper limb caused by anticancer therapy or tamoxifen or surgery. 3. We researched 36 papers about questionnaire study. Most were about research for women who diagnosed as breast cancer or women after breast cancer surgery. Subjects were about proportion of using CAM, purpose of using it, most popular CAM therapy, satisfaction degree, and relation with age, aducation and social position. And most conclusion were that patient-doctor communication was needed. Conclusion: Afterwards we have to focus on realisitic clinical studies about breast cancer patients, especially postsurgery and people who takes anticancer therapy. And we have to be interest in acupuncture therapy on breast cancer patients.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.175-186
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• 2001

In the literatual study on on the herb med and the medication of Resuscitation(蘇生術) of Jayaeksa(自縊死) and Yiksusa(溺水死), the results were as follows; 1. As the single herb medication, gesim(桂心), sesin(細辛), johyub, chongyub(蔥萊)), banha(半夏), yukge(肉桂) etc. were used. 2. The $s{\breve{o}}ng$(性) of used medicines is mainly $ons{\breve{o}ng$(溫性) and $yuls{\breve{o}}ng$(熱性), the mi(味) is sinmi(辛味). 3. The $gwigy{\breve{o}}$ng(歸經) is all most $simgy{\breve{o}}gn$(心經) and $pyegy{\breve{o}}ng$(肺經). 4. The efficacy is geopung(祛風), geosub(祛濕) and geodam(祛痰) 5. On the method of herb medication, In Jayaeksa(自縊死), Chuibub(吹法), Guanbub(觀法) were most used, and In Yiksusa(溺水死), Guanbub(觀法) was most used.

• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2005

1. The external treatment of sprain and strain using the herb used adhesive(貼敷), using soaking in medicinal smoke to focuses and rinsing methods(熏洗), rubbing(擦擦) and hot compression(熱熨). 2. In the external treatment of sprain and strain using the herb, Adhesive(貼敷) is used most. Because Adhesive(貼敷) brings fast reactions, has less side effects, and can control the processing time. 3. The effects of herbs used in this external treatment are almost the same as oral herb-medicines such as, promoting blood flow to remove blood stasis(活血化瘀), relieving rheumatic conditions(祛風濕), and removing obstruction in meridians and collaterals(通經絡).

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

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.40-61
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• 1995

This study was performed to investigate concept, systoms, causes of disease, pathogenic mechanisms, therapies and precriptions about senile constipation through the successive medical literature, recent chinese medical literature and chinese medical joumals. Senile constipation seems to be applicable to dryness syndrom and constipation of insufficiency type, have something to do with kidney(the most), lung, spleen and large intestine. The most principal cause of disease is yin-fluid, the rest deficiency of qi, insufficiency of yang, stagnation of qi and retention of fever etc. There are enriching the blood and moistening dryness in principal therapy, the rest are invigorating qi and loosing the bowel, warming and invigorating the spleen and kidney, regulating the flow of qi and promoting the stagnancy of qi and expelling the pathogenic heat etc. In prescriptions there are Yunjangtang, Jengaektang, Hwanggitang, Jechunjeon, Yukmatang and Majainhwan as the causes of disease, meanwhile are Yungjang-tang, Jechunjeon and Majainhwan in the vulgaris prescriptions. And in medical herbs there are nourishing yin medicines as Rhizoma rehmanniac, Radix ophiopogonis and Radix scrophulariae etc., invigorating qi medicines as Radix astragali, Radix codonopsitis and Radix polygoni multiflori etc, invigorating yang medicines as Caulis cistanchis and Semen psoraleae etc., promoting qi circulating medicines as Radix saussurea, Lignum aquilariae and Radix linderae etc., and reducing fever and therapeutic method to keep the adverse qi flowing downward medicines as Semen cannabis, Rhizoma rhei, Fructus immaturus ponciri, and Cortex magnoliae etc.. Meantime Rhizoma rehmanniae, Radix ophiopogonis, Caulis cistanchis, Radix angelicae gigantis, Semen cannabis, Semen biotae, Semen pruni japonicae and Semen persicae in principal herb-medicines. In clinical reports the process of disease was between 10 to 20 years, the evacuation cycle between 4 to 7 days, generally possessed chronic diseases as hypertension, diabetes, arteriosclerosis and cerebro- vascular disorders etc. and the efficiency rate was more than 90%. The senile constipation is occured in succession or promoted by chronic diseases as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, arteriosclerosis. hrperlipemia, cerebro- vascular disorders etc., so diet-regulating, adequate exercise, proper evacuation-habit and psychologic rest etc. are important more than medicine-treatments.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.95-109
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• 2021

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Mental sequelae occurring in patients with COVID-19 and the general population are important concerns. In Korea, herbal medicine is used nationwide to respond to this pandemic. It can be prescribed by COVID-19 telemedicine center of Korean medicine (KM). Among some herbal medicines, Gamiguibi-tang is the only herbal medicine prescribed for individuals with mental health, especially for those with insomnia. In this mini-review, the objective of this study was to summarize the evidence of some promising herbal medicines available for treating primary insomnia based on existing clinical and preclinical studies. Methods: A research team was formed for KM clinical practice guidelines for insomnia (version 1.0). Team members were provided with a list of references of relevant herbal medicines for insomnia. To gather evidence from clinical studies with appropriate sample sizes, among the list of references, randomized controlled trials for primary insomnia that included 50 subjects or more per arm and used herbal medicine were included in the final analysis. Moreover, pre-clinical studies examining the mechanism of action of each herbal medicine and studies on herb-drug interactions, were searched and summarized. Results: Four herbal medicines (Ondam-tang, Sanjoin-tang, Guibi-tang, and Hyeolbuchugeo-tang) were reviewed based on existing clinical and preclinical studies. Based on findings of existing studies, some suggestions of herbal medicines for insomnia in the COVID-19 era in Korea were suggested. Conclusions: Data of this study could be used to prepare a future revision of the manual of COVID-19 telemedicine center of KM.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.483-489
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• 2002

APA-01, which is an aqueous extract of five Chinese herbs, is a modified formula of Huoxiang-Zhengqi-San. The effect of new herb extract on immune response was investigated. The parameter examined to assess apparent immune response of APA-01 in mice included changes of body weight, relative weight of immune organs, cell proliferation and cytokine gene expression. The body weight and relative weight of immune organs were not significantly changed among the tested groups. In the spleen cell prolijeration assay, APA-01 increased the cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Methotrexate (MTX), an agent of immune suppression, inhibited the spleen cell proliferation (IC/sub 50/: 800㎍/㎖). However, APA-01 significantly inhibited the suppression of mouse spleen cell proliferation. Therefore, it seems that APA-01 has a reducing effect of immune suppression. Immunomodulatory effect of APA-01 was further investigated using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in mouse spleen cells. In RT-PCR test, APA-01 enhanced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. In spite of immune suppression by MTX, COX-2 mRNA was induced by co-treatment with APA-01. These results suggest that APA-01 stimulates the proliferation of spleen cells, regulates the expression of COX-2 mRNA, and accelerates the recovery of inhibition of spleen cell proliferation induced by MTX, thus providing the immunological basis for clinical benefit of APA-01.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 1997

Effects of Bupleuri Radix, Paeonie Radix or Uncariae Ramulus et rncus on experimental yperlipidemia were studied. Hyperlipidemia was induced on male Wistar rats by feeding them on high holesterol diet for one week, as previously described by the authors. Blood lipid profile was verified on these ats by measuring total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL) and low ensity lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL). Then, the rats were followed by feeding normal diet. At the same time, ethanol extracts of the three individual herb medicines were orally administered to the rats for 4 weeks and the parameters above mentioned were monitored. Methanol extract of 5Bupleuri radix reduced the TC value significantly at 2 week point and Paeoneae Radix reduced the TC value at 4 week point in compare to control group, suggesting the antihyperlipidemic effect of the two herbal medicines in vivo. The extract of Uncariae Ramulus et Uncus however did not show antihyperlipidemic effect in our experiment.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2008

Herbal medicine is the use of medicinal plants for prevention and treatment of diseases: it ranges from traditional and popular medicines of every country to the use of standardized and tritated herbal extracts. Generally cultural rootedness enduring and widespread use in a traditional medical system may indicate safety, but also efficacy of treatments, especially in herbal medicine where tradition is almost completely based on remedies containing active principles at very low and ultra low concentrations or relying on magical-energetic principles. The efficacy and safety assessments of medicines, whether modern or herbal, invariably encounter challenges or problems during the course of pre-clinical and clinical research. Some of the challenges in evidence-based herbal medicinal research are unique, and the researcher must be cognizant of them in order to safeguard the quality of the data obtained. Key challenges are: the quality of raw materials; appropriateness of biological/pharmacological activity assessment methodology, and data interpretation; standardization methodology; pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of active constituents and metabolites; clinical dosage formulation/production; and clinical study designs and outcome measures.