• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.625-630
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• 2013

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent disorder that affects millions of men worldwide. ED is now considered an early manifestation of atherosclerosis, and consequently, a precursor of systemic vascular disease. Lycii fructus extracts (LFE) were administered for 4 weeks to assess the improving effects on ED. Animals were divided into one normal group and four LFE-treated groups (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 g/kg). We induced ED in the study animals by oral administration of 20% ethanol instead of water everyday for 4 weeks. This study was designed to investigate the effects of LFE on the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression; NO levels of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP); blood profile; and erectile response of the corpus cavernosum of the rat penis. The libido of the LFE-administered male rats was higher than that of the ethanol control group. The erectile response of the corpus cavernosum was restored after LFE administration, to a level similar to the normal group. In addition, the iNOS in the corpus cavernosum of the male rats administered LFE decreased. In contrast, compared to the control group, LFE-administered male rats showed increased eNOS, NO and cGMP levels in the corpus cavernosum. These results indicate that LFE effectively restored ethanol-induced ED in male rats.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.111-116
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• 1994

The acute toxicity of orally administered Yan-Sheng health liquid (YSHL), water extracts from twelve Chinese drugs (Cervi Cornu, Lonicerae Flos, Foeniculi Fructus, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Liriopis Tuber, Raphani Semen, Bombyx, Ginseng Radix alba, Cinnamomi loureirii Cortex, Epimedii Herba, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus) was evaluated in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats and ICR mice. Rats and mice aging 5 weeks were gavaged with 0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.4, 6.7, 10.0, 66.7, or 100.0 ml/kg of YSHL. No animal died by oral treatment and no toxic symptom was observed in the treated animals during 5 days. The body weight of the treated animals was not significantly different from the controls. The results of macroscopic examination on the organs of the treated animals revealed no abnormal findings. Therefore, it was concluded that YSHL was practically non-toxic when it was orally administered to rats and mice, and its LD50 was suspected to be greater than 100 ml/kg in rats and mice.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.53-60
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• 2013

Objectives : To prove the channel-tropism theory in herbology, we investigated the anti-diabetic effect of six herbal plants used for lower wasting-thirst in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods : Diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by consecutive injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg i.p.) for 5 days. The rats were divided into normal control, diabetic control, and diabetic treatment with Lycii Radicis Cortex (LRC, 300 mg/kg); Corni Fructus (CF, 300 mg/kg); Bombyx Batryticatus (BB, 50 mg/kg); Lycii Fructus (LF, 300 mg/kg); Phellodendri Cortex (PC, 300 mg/kg); Epimedii Herba (EH, 300 mg/kg); and glibenclimide (10 mg/kg) as a reference drug. Herbal extracts or reference drug were administered orally for 28 days. The changes of body weight, food intake and water intake, and serological markers such as blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) were measured. Results : The decrease of body weight and the increase of food and water intake in STZ-induced diabetic rats was improved by the administration of CF and LF. Also, the enhancement of blood glucose and serum total cholesterol, TG, BUN and Cr in STZ-induced diabetic rats was significantly inhibited by the administration of CF, BB, LF and glibenclimide. On the other hand, EH strongly inhibited the increase of BUN and Cr in the sera of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Conclusions : These results suggest that among six herbal medicines used lower emaciation of emaciation-thirst disease, CF, BB, LF and EH show a characteristics including the channel-tropism theory.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.130-135
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• 2003

Mulberry, Mori folium leaves (ML) and fruits (MF), Lycii fructus (LF), and Panax ginseng have been known to maintain normal blood sugar levels (BSL) in folk medicine. Here we investigated the effects of coated rice with these herb extract to diabetic patients. Alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DB) mice (80 mg/kg BW., i.v.) separated into 3 groups. One group received the extract in high dose (6.5 mg/kg B.W.), and another one group received in low dose (1.3 mg/kg B.W.) perorally for 30 days. (+) control received no extracts. (-) control received neither of them. BSL, volume of water consumed (VWC), body weights (BW) of each group were measured and compared. BSL in both of the extracts-received groups got close to normal levels on 4th week after starting the experiments. VWC also showed the same pattern. BSL in (+) control remained high through the experiment periods. BW in (+) control remained high, but those in the extracts-received groups recovered to normal levels. The clinical trials for both of healthy volunteers and DB patients, conducted in a University Hospital, also showed that the rice coated with the extracts could control the BSL. From these results, we suggest that the functional rice with herb extracts could be used as a new alimentotherapy for DB patients.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.267-274
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• 2016

This study was conducted to examine the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of medicinal fruit extracts (Corni fructus, Schizandra chinensis, Rubus coreanus Miquel and Lycii folium) with different extraction mixing ratios (MS, an equal ratio of the medicinal fruit = 1.25:1.25:1.25:1.25; M1, 2:1:1:1; M2, 1:2:1:1; M3, 1:1:2:1 and M4, 1:1:1:2) from medicinal fruit. pH, sugar content and acidity of the extracts were 3.22~3.52, $3.20{\sim}4.20^{\circ}Brix$ and 3.60~5.85%, respectively. The extraction yield of M2 (42.33%) was higher than those of MS (36.03%), M1 (40.40%), M3 (32.53%) and M4 (35.90%). The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of M3 were 14.54 g/100 g and 5.65 g/100 g, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of M3 at $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ were 86.09% and 90.49%, respectively. The ferric-reducing antioxidant power and the reducing power of M3 at $250{\sim}1,000{\mu}g/mL$ were $0.36{\sim}0.86{\mu}M$ and 0.21~0.96, respectively. The antioxidant activities of M3 were significantly higher than those of the other extracts. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that medicinal fruit extracts had potential as a functional material.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09b
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• pp.1-11
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• 2003

Chinese herbs have been used for a long period of time and less side effects than synthesized chemical drugs. Therefore, using Chinese herbs as natural additives in cosmetics becomes popular in recent years. The methanol extracts of Scutellariae Radix, Lithospermi Radix, Lonicerae Flos, Andrographitis. Herba, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix, Hedyotis Diffusae Herba, Isatidis Folium, Magnoliae Liliflorae Flos, Forsythiae Fructus, Anmarrhenae Rhizoma, Spirodelae Herba, Gardeniae Fructus, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Prunellae Spica, Equiseti Hiemalis Herba, Gentianae Radix, Moutan Radicis Cortex, Fraxini Cortex, Lycii Radicis Cortex, Violae Herba, Lophatheri Herba, Matricariae chamomillae Flos, Taraxaci Herba and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba are used to test the efficiency of inhibiting acne pathogens. Twenty-six Chinese herbs are extracted by methanol, and then condensed to dried powder. These extracts are divided into water-soluble part and DMSO soluble part. These two type solutions are tested for the effect on acne pathogens by paper disc diffusion method. The results show that the substances of water soluble part which are Coptidis Rhizoma, Moutan Radicis Cortex, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba have medium to high activity of inhibiting acne pathogents, and the substances of DMSO soluble part which are Coptidis Rhizoma, Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix, Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, Moutan Radicis Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, Scutellariae Barbatae Herba also have medium to high activity of inhibiting acne pathogens. Using Chinese herbs as natural additives in cosmetics is convenience and valuable application in cosmetceutical research and development. Therefore, it is worth that re-investigation and find out the potential of Chinese herbs being use in cosmetics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.869-878
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• 2013

Eleven functional plant materials were identified via a literature search, and their antioxidant capacity and inhibitory effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells were tested. Yields from hot water extracts of the materials were the highest (52.10%) in Lycii fructus, and the yields from Phellinus linteus were the lowest (5.7%). The yields of another were 14.50-42.47%. Total phenol and flavonoids contents were the highest in P. linteus. The $EC_{50}$ values for DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were lower than $100{\mu}g/ml$ for Salvia miltiorrhiza, whereas the values for P. linteus, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Paeonia lactiflora were $100-200{\mu}g/ml$. The $EC_{50}$ value for the superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of all the extracts was higher than $300{\mu}g/ml$. P. linteus for the reducing power was shown the highest activity. $Fe^{2+}$ chelating activity was the highest in the Morus alba extract. In an MTT assay, the cell viability of the RAW264.7 LPS-exposed cells was above 80% in extracts of $50{\mu}g/ml$ and above 77% in extracts of $100{\mu}g/ml$ in all the plant materials except Acanthopanax sessiliflorum. NO production in the RAW264.7 LPS-exposed cells showed a 12-fold increase compared to the control. The NO production level of all the extracts was $6.86-26.18{\mu}M$. Notably, $100{\mu}g/ml$ of S. baicalensis extract showed a remarkable decrease in NO production (72%) compared with the control. The potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of S.baicalensis, P. linteus, S. miltiorrhiza, M. alba, and P. lactiflora suggest that they are potential candidates as functional materials.