• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2008

Objective : Herb medicines are potential sources of useful edible and medicinal plants. They are used as a drug because of their various biological activities such as immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor functions. Nelumbo nucifera have been applied in Chinese herbal prescriptions to improve tissue inflammation. However, it has not been elucidated on the effect of the flower of Nelumbo nucifera in cells. Method : In the present study, to examine the effect of that on glioma cells, U87, the essential oil was extracted from the flower of Nelumbo nucifera (NN essential oil). U87 cells were exposed to different concentrations of 2-40 ug/ml of NN essential oil in ethanol. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay at 24 h. To find out the intracellular target signal molecule(s) for this antiproliferative activity of NN essential oil, phosphorylation of Akt, ERM, MAPK or p38 proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. To study long term effect of NN essential oil in U87 cells, the image of cells treated with NN essential oil for 4 days were obtained. Results and Conclusion : NN essential oil was shown to exhibit antitumor activity in glioma cells, at a broad range of concentrations of 10-40 ug/ml. The phosphorylation of Akt and Endoplasmic Reticulum Matrix (ERM) proteins which known to be involved in the cell death, were gradually decreased to 2 hours after addition 20 ug/ml of NN essential oil. However, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) and p38 was found to increase in NN essential oil treated cells. NN essential oil treated cells showed decreased glioma cell number. These results provide a possible NN essential oil-induced inhibitory signal for tumor cell proliferation that is initiated by the decrease in Akt activity. Moreover, it is likely that the activation of p38 is required for the NN essential oil-induced inhibition of tumor proliferation.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.175-179
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• 2005

To develop a high efficiency plant regeneration system from in vitro cultures of strawberry, cv. Yeobong, petiole and leaf explants were cultured on MS basal medium containing a combination of 0.5 mg/L IBA and 3.2 mg/L kinetin or zeatin or benzyl amino purine (BAP) for 6 weeks, and leaf explants with dark pretreatment for a week ($T_1$), 2 weeks ($T_2$), and 4 weeks ($T_3$) were cultured on medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L IBA and 3.2 mg/L zeatin under 16 hr photoperiod for 6 weeks. Shoot organogenesis was observed from the greenish calli containing minimal anthocyanin formed at proximal cutting edges of the leaf explant (57%) when cultured adaxial side on the medium, whereas was directly formed from a cutting edges of petiole explant (6.3%). Frequency of callus formation and shoot organogenesis at large size of leaf explant ($1.0{\sim}1.5\;cm^2$) was higher than small size ($0.5{\sim}1.0\;cm^2$), and dark pretreatment significantly improved the frequency of leaf explants that produced calli and shoots. The maximum frequency (87%) for shoot organogenesis was obtained from the leaf explants that transferred to a 16 hr photoperiod condition after the initial 4 weeks dark period. The improved frequency (87%) in comparision with control without dark pretreatment (27%). When the shoots were transferred to 1/2 MS basal medium, formed roots with 20 d of culture. The rooted plants were subsequently transferred to the pots and to the field.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2011

Rust causes significant losses in the yield and quality of various crops. The development of new effective and environmentally benign agents against the pathogen is of great interest. In the course of searching a natural antifungal compound from medicinal plants, we found that the methanol extract of Angelica gigas roots had a potent control efficacy against wheat leaf rust (WLR) caused by Puccinia recondita. The antifungal substance was isolated from the methanol extract by silica gel column chromatography, alumina column chromatography and $C_{18}$ preparative HPLC. It was identified as decursinol angelate by EI-MS and $^1H$-NMR data. In in vivo test, decursinol angelate effectively suppressed the development of WLR and red pepper anthracnose (RPA) among the 6 plant diseases tested. In addition, the wettable powder-type formulation of ethyl acetate extract of A. gigas roots significantly suppressed the development of WLR. The crude extract containing decursinol angelate and the chemical appear to be a potential candidate for control of WLR. In addition, this is the first report on the in vivo antifungal activity of decursinol angelate against WLR as well as RPA.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2009

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) and banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) are well known as medicinal plants for their antidiabetic effects. These contain a great deal of polyphenol compound and work on the treatment of diabetes mellitus effectively. In this study, the extracts of guava and banaba are consumed by streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats to compare the antidiabetic effects. According to the comparison result, the glucose level of those STZ-induced diabetic rats has decreased by 19.32%, total cholesterol by 24-46%, triglyceride by 22-67% and free fatty acid by 49-71 % approximately compared to the diabetic rats, while the generation of insulin and the recovery of beta cells have increased. However, the result showed that the antidiabetic effect of guava extracts was higher than that of banaba extracts. This is because the hydrophilic polyphenol compounds contained in banaba leaves were not extracted during the ethanol extraction process, and the antidiabetic activity of the extracted corosolic add was low to surprise.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2012

An optimization in vitro seed germination was established by using triphenol tetrazolium chloride (TTC) test, which has been known as two rare orchids (Gastrodia verrucosa Blume and Hetaeria sikokiana Tuyama) in Jeju island. We have established proper NaOCl treatment for in vitro germination of G. verrucosa and H. sikokiana through TTC test. In the case of H. sikokiana, seed viability through TTC test was high with 95% in control. However, NaOCl 1% treatment for 30 minutes showed the highest embryo swelling rate to seed viability. Likewise, swelling formation of embryos, diameter of embryos, protocorm formation and diameter of protocorms of G. verrucosa was 87%, $59{\mu}m$, 91% and $138{\mu}m$ through NaOCl 1% treatment for 30 minutes. This result will be applied on the basic information for improving in vitro seed germination rate of G. verrucosa and H. sikokiana.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.49-56
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• 2010

Euryale ferox is only annual hydrophyte among endangered plants in Korea and its seed is high valuable medicinal material. This studies were carried to find out key factors that made E. ferox endanger in Korea and to apply the results for effective management of the natural wetlands inhabited by E. ferox. We investigated the distributed sites reported by previous studies and classified the distribution-affected factors into three categories, eutrophication(hypothesis 1), soil accumulation(hypothesis 2) and increasing of water level(hypothesis 3) in the habitat. These three hypotheses were tested in the field and explained the results with the morphological characteristics of seed germination stages of E. ferox. The geographical distribution ranges of E. ferox diminished at a rate of $1^{\circ}$ latitude with about 10 natural wetlands for last 30 years. Water eutrophication in the wetland had a positive effect on the establishment of E. ferox. But higher in soil accumulation and water depth, then lower in the establishment rate of E. ferox. These results indicate that water depth in the wetland must be below 50cm during the germination season, especially in May and emergent hydrophytes filter zone is need to protect soil accumulation from soil erosion within its watershed for the effective management of wetland with E. ferox.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.139-150
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• 2018

Averagely 80% to 90% of breastfeeding women experience the nipple pain and fissures. The important factor for successful breastfeeding is to treat this problem. This study has done as a review with the aim of analysis of the clinical trials in the field of the prevention and treatment of the nipple fissures and pain due to the importance of breastfeeding. For this purpose, the key words of sore, nipples, fissure, trauma, wound, prevention, treatment, therapeutics, therapy, clinical trial, breastfeeding and their Persian synonyms and all of their possible combinations were searched in the national databases: SID and Iran Medex and Magiran, and in the international databases: PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Science direct by May 2017. The Jadad criterion was used to assess the quality of the articles and the articles with a score of 3 or more were included in this study. Finally, 48 clinical trials were reviewed that 17 of them (sample size 1801) scored 3 or more based on the Jadad criterion. Seven articles were also in the non- drug treatment group (sample size 491) and 2 articles in the drug treatment group (sample size 337) and 8 articles in the herbal treatment group (sample size 973).The results show that menthol and warm water compress as well as teaching the correct breastfeeding methods are effective treatments to prevent and treat the nipple pain and fissures. Moreover, applying the herbal medicine for prevention and treatment of the issues raised from breastfeeding may have beneficial such as Aloe vera, Portulaca olearacea. However, more studies with a great methodology are necessary to obtain more accurate evidence.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 1996

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of plant growth regulators on in vitro flowering and micropropagation of Gentiana scabra Bunge which had been used the cut flower, pot flower ornamental and medicinal plants. Flower bud formation was affected by GA$_{3}$ and kinetin. The optimum concentrations for flower bud formation was observed at 0.5 mg/l kinetin and GA$_{3}$ , while kinetin was favorable. More flowerings result from the interaction of GA$_{3}$ and kinetin at in a combination of 0.1 mg/l kinetin + o.1 mg/l GA$_{3}$, but the optimum concentration of GA$_{3}$ and kinetin was decreased. All concentrations of kinetin with 0.1 mg/l GA$_{3}$ or O mg/l GA$_{3}$ + 0.5 mg/l kientin reduced t (weeks needed for 50% plantlets). The plantlet growth was affected by GA$_{3}$ and kinetin during plantlet culture. More lateral shots and better shoot length per plantlet were obtained as GA$_{3}$ and kinetin concentration were increased up to 1.0 mg/l. The number of per plantlet was greater increased in MS medium containing GA$_{3}$ than kinetin. Interaction was exhibited at lower concentration with 0.5mg/l GA$_{3}$ and kinetin, but not in higher concentration with 1.0 mg/l GA$_{3}$ and kinetin. Higher pod diameter increased seed germination, while lower pod diameter was obtained from abnormal plantlet. MA medium containing 0.5 mg/l GA$_{3}$ significantly increased germination without regard to pod diameter.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.77 no.2
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• pp.65-72
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• 2014

Background: It is valuable to find the potential activity of regulating the excessive mucin secretion by the compounds derived from various medicinal plants. We investigated whether aqueous extract of the root bark of Morus alba L. (AMA), kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, and morusin significantly affect the secretion and production of airway mucin using in vivo and in vitro experimental models. Methods: Effect of AMA was examined on hypersecretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced acute bronchitis in rats. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, or morusin for 30 minutes and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 hours. The MUC5AC mucin secretion and production were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: AMA stimulated the secretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced bronchitis rat model; aqueous extract, ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G and morusin inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin induced by PMA from NCI-H292 cells, respectively. Conclusion: These results suggest that extract of the root bark and the natural products derived from Morus alba L. can regulate the secretion and production of airway mucin and, at least in part, explains the folk use of extract of Morus alba L. as mucoregulators in diverse inflammatory pulmonary diseases.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2020

Background: Panax species are important herbal medicinal plants in the Araliaceae family. Recently, we reported the complete chloroplast genomes and 45S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences from seven Panax species, two (P. quinquefolius and P. trifolius) from North America and five (P. ginseng, P. notoginseng, P. japonicus, P. vietnamensis, and P. stipuleanatus) from Asia. Methods: We conducted phylogenetic analysis of these chloroplast sequences with 12 other Araliaceae species and comprehensive comparative analysis among the seven Panax whole chloroplast genomes. Results: We identified 1,128 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in coding gene sequences, distributed among 72 of the 79 protein-coding genes in the chloroplast genomes of the seven Panax species. The other seven genes (including psaJ, psbN, rpl23, psbF, psbL, rps18, and rps7) were identical among the Panax species. We also discovered that 12 large chloroplast genome fragments were transferred into the mitochondrial genome based on sharing of more than 90% sequence similarity. The total size of transferred fragments was 60,331 bp, corresponding to approximately 38.6% of chloroplast genome. We developed 18 SNP markers from the chloroplast genic coding sequence regions that were not similar to regions in the mitochondrial genome. These markers included two or three species-specific markers for each species and can be used to authenticate all the seven Panax species from the others. Conclusion: The comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes from seven Panax species elucidated their genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships, and 18 species-specific markers were able to discriminate among these species, thereby furthering efforts to protect the ginseng industry from economically motivated adulteration.