• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.354-360
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• 2019

Ginsenosides, the major active ingredients of ginseng and other plants of the genus Panax, have been used as natural medicines in the East for a long time; in addition, their popularity in the West has increased owing to their various beneficial pharmacological effects. There is therefore a wealth of literature regarding the pharmacological effects of ginsenosides. In contrast, there are few comprehensive studies that investigate their pharmacokinetic behaviors. This is because ginseng contains the complicated mixture of herbal materials as well as thousands of constituents with complex chemical properties, and ginsenosides undergo multiple biotransformation processes after administration. This is a significant issue as pharmacokinetic studies provide crucial data regarding the efficacy and safety of compounds. Moreover, there have been many difficulties in the development of the optimal dosage regimens of ginsenosides and the evaluation of their interactions with other drugs. Therefore, this review details the pharmacokinetic properties and profiles of ginsenosides determined in various animal models administered through different routes of administration. Such information is valuable for designing specialized delivery systems and determining optimal dosing strategies for ginsenosides.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.103-110
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• 2019

We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Pyunkang-tang extract (PGT), a complex herbal extract based on traditional Chinese medicine that is used in Korea for controlling diverse pulmonary diseases, on cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary pathology in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The constituents of PGT were Lonicerae japonica, Liriope platyphylla, Adenophora triphilla, Xantium strumarinum, Selaginella tamariscina and Rehmannia glutinosa. Rats were exposed by inhalation to a mixture of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and sulfur dioxide for three weeks to induce COPD-like pulmonary inflammation. PGT was administered orally to rats and pathological changes to the pulmonary system were examined in each group of animals through measurement of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) at 21 days post-CSE treatment. The effect of PGT on the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin in rats was assessed by quantification of the amount of mucus secreted and by examining histopathologic changes in tracheal epithelium. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with PGT for 30 min and then stimulated with CSE plus PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate), for 24 h. The MUC5AC mucin gene expression was measured by RT-PCR. Production of MUC5AC mucin protein was measured by ELISA. The results were as follows: (1) PGT inhibited CSE-induced pulmonary inflammation as shown by decreased TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 levels in BALF; (2) PGT inhibited the hypersecretion of pulmonary mucin and normalized the increased amount of mucosubstances in goblet cells of the CSE-induced COPD rat model; (3) PGT inhibited CSE-induced MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression in vitro in NCI-H292 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line. These results suggest that PGT might regulate the inflammatory aspects of COPD in a rat model.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• 제62권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2019

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Scutellariae Radix)는 이뇨제, 고지혈증, 항박테리아, 항알레르기, 항염증제 및 항암제와 같은 건강보조식 및 전통 생약으로도 널리 사용되어 왔다. 본 연구에서 복잡한 S. baicalensis 추출물에서 지표 물질 또는 유효화합물들을 분리하는 것은 신원 확인 및 생리활성 평가를 위한 필수적인 단계다. 8개의 성분들로 구성된 타겟 분획물을 두개의 gradient elution를 사용하여 고성능 액체 크로마토 그래피에서 분석하였다. 중압 액체크로마토그래피 및 개방형칼럼으로 분취를 시뮬레이션함으로 예비실험에서 충분히 분리가 되도록 용리 조건을 결정할 수 있었다. 최적 분취방법으로 확보된 표준유효분획물로부터 8개의 지표성분들이 포함된 것을 확인하였다. 또한, 분획물은 UPLC-QTof-MS 비교 분석으로 MS, UV, HRESIMS 결과를 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서, 스케일 업 실험법은 S. baicalensis 추출물에 성공적으로 적용될 수 있었다.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제34권4호
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• pp.177-183
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• 2020

The Hippo-YAP signaling pathway is critical for cell proliferation, survival, and self-renewal in both Drosophila and mammals. Disorder of Hippo-YAP pathway leads to tumor development, progression and poor prognosis in various cancers. YAP/TAZ are the key downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway and they can be inhibited through LATS1/2, core kinases in the Hippo pathway, mediated phosphorylation. In this study, we investigated the effect of Angelica gigas Nakai extract (AGNE) on Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway. First, ANGE induced YAP/TAZ phosphorylation and dissociation of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD transcription complex. By qRT-PCR, we found that ANGE inhibits the expression of YAP/TAZ-TEAD target gene, CTGF and CYR61. In addition, the transcriptional activity of YAP/TAZ was not suppressed significantly in LATS1/2 double-knockout (DKO) cells by ANGE compared to LATS1/2 wild-type (WT) cells, which means AGNE inhibits YAP/TAZ signaling through direct action on LATS1/2. Further, it was confirmed that AGNE-induced activation of LATS1/2 inhibited the migration potential of the vector-expressing cells by suppressing YAP/TAZ activity. The reduced migration potential was restored in active YAP-TEAD expressing cells. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that ANGE downregulates YAP/TAZ signaling in cells through the activation of LATS1/2.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.256-262
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• 2022

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is well known as traditional herbal medicine, and ginseng berries are known to exhibit potential immune-enhancing functions. However, little is known about the in vivo immunomodulatory activity of Korean ginseng berries. In this study, crude Korean ginseng berries polysaccharides (GBP) were isolated and their immunomodulatory activities were investigated using cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced immunosuppressive BALB/c mice. In CY-treated mice, oral administration of GBP (50-500 mg/kg BW) remarkably increased their spleen sizes and spleen indices and activated NK cell activities. GBP also resulted in the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes (coordinating with ConA: plant mitogen which is known to stimulate T-cell or LPS: endotoxin which binds receptor complex in B cells to promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines) in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, GBP significantly stimulated mRNA expression levels of immune-associated genes including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in CY-treated mice. These results indicate that GBP is involved in immune effects against CY-induced immunosuppression. Thus, GBP could be developed as an immunomodulation agent for medicinal or functional food application.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제39권3호
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• pp.151-158
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• 2022

Changes in symptoms and dysfunction related to meniscus tears following the use of Korean medicine for ≥ 4 days were studied. The medical charts of 53 cases of diagnosed meniscus tears (magnetic resonance imaging) with an admission Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score ≥ 4, between 2017 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Treatments included acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal treatment, Chuna therapy, and physiotherapy. The NRS, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions were performed at admission and discharge. There were 42 females and 11 males in this study. Patients were more likely to be in their 60s (38.18%), have an unknown etiology (81.13%), and have complex tears (50.94%). After receiving a combination of alternative Korean medicine during hospitalization, the mean NRS score improved from 6.82 ± 1.19 to 3.66 ± 1.83 (p < 0.001), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score improved from 46.47 ± 20.99 to 37.98 ± 19.23 (p < 0.001), and the mean European Quality of Life Five Dimensions score improved from 0.61 ± 0.18 to 0.68 ± 0.14 (p < 0.001) after treatment. These results suggest that Korean medicine treatment of meniscus tears alleviated pain and improved physical function.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.33-43
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• 2023

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has made significant impacts on global public health, including the development of several skin diseases that have arisen primarily as a result of the pandemic. Owing to the widespread expansion of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), the development of effective treatments for these skin diseases is drawing attention as an important social issue. For many centuries, ginseng and its major active ingredients, ginsenosides and saponins, have been widely regarded as herbal medicines. Further, the anti-viral action of ginseng suggests its potential effectiveness as a therapeutic agent against COVID-19. Thus, the aim of this review was to examine the association of skin lesions with COVID-19 and the effect of ginseng as a therapeutic agent to treat skin diseases induced by COVID-19 infection. We classified COVID-19-related skin disorders into three categories: caused by inflammatory, immune, and complex (both inflammatory and immune) responses and evaluated the evidence for ginseng as a treatment for each category. This review offers comprehensive evidence on the improvement of skin disorders induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection using ginseng and its active constituents.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.54-64
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• 2023

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer (P. ginseng) is a traditional natural/herbal medicine. The amelioration on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity rely mainly on its main active ingredients that are referred to as ginsenosides. However, the current literature on gut microbiota, gut microbiota-host co-metabolites, and systems pharmacology has no studies investigating the effects of ginsenoside on IBD. Methods: The present study was aimed to investigate the role of ginsenosides and the possible underlying mechanisms in the treatment of IBD in an acetic acid-induced rat model by integrating metagenomics, metabolomics, and complex biological networks analysis. In the study ten ginsenosides in the ginsenoside fraction (GS) were identified using Q-Orbitrap LC-MS. Results: The results demonstrated the improvement effect of GS on IBD and the regulation effect of ginsenosides on gut microbiota and its co-metabolites. It was revealed that 7 endogenous metabolites, including acetic acid, butyric acid, citric acid, tryptophan, histidine, alanine, and glutathione, could be utilized as significant biomarkers of GS in the treatment of IBD. Furthermore, the biological network studies revealed EGFR, STAT3, and AKT1, which belong mainly to the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways, as the potential targets for GS for intervening in IBD. Conclusion: These findings indicated that the combination of genomics, metabolomics, and biological network analysis could assist in elucidating the possible mechanism underlying the role of ginsenosides in alleviating inflammatory bowel disease and thereby reveal the pathological process of ginsenosides in IBD treatment through the regulation of the disordered host-flora co-metabolism pathway.

• 한방비만학회지
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.147-157
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to research domestic and foreign trend of pharmacopuncture treatment on obesity during recent 10 years. Methods: 5 Databases (Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Scopus, PubMed) were searched with keywords of ('pharmacopuncture', 'herbal acupuncture', 'aquapuncture', 'obesity') from 2012 to 2022. Results: 25 Articles were selected and analyzed. 15 articles (60%) were animal experimentations, 8 articles (32%) were case reports, 1 article (4%) was cell experimentation, and 1 article (4%) was clinical trial. In this study, 25 articles were analyzed by subject, acupoints, injections, metrics and results. Pharmacopuncture treatment for obesity is continuously being studied, and the anti-inflammatory effect as well as the effect of reducing obesity factors has been revealed. Conclusions: This study suggests the efficacy and future development of pharmacopuncture for obesity. The studies of the past decade have been concentrated on animal experiments, so many clinical trials and various studies on new complex pharmacopuncture for obesity are expected.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.1274-1288
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• 2022

Objectives: The study investigated the effect of Korean medicine treatment on a hemiplegic patient with conscious and cognitive disorders due to hemorrhagic transformation after interventional reperfusion therapy of anterior circulation infarction. Case presentation: The patient was treated with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal medicine in combination with Western medicine and physical therapy. The effects on clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Manual Muscle Test (MMT), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), Korean Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Korean Nu-DESC), and Modified Bathel Index (MBI). After the treatment, the MMT grade increased from Gr.0-1 to Gr.0-3, the GCS score increased from 10 to 15, the K-MMSE score increased from 8 to 15, the Korean Nu-DESC score decreased from 3 to 1, night delirium disappeared, and the MBI score increased from 13 to 26. Conclusions: Complex Korean medicine treatments were effective for improving the clinical symptoms of hemorrhagic transformation after interventional reperfusion therapy for anterior circulation infarction in a patient with hemiplegia and conscious and cognitive disorders. However, further studies are needed.