• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.477-481
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• 2012

The rhizomes of Acorus gramineus have frequently been used in traditional medicine mainly for sedation as well as enhancing brain function. In this study, the anti-allergic activity of A. gramineus was investigated. The 70% ethanol extract of the rhizomes of A. gramineus was found to inhibit the allergic response against 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)-catalyzed leukotriene (LT) production from rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-1 cells and ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release from RBL-2H3 cells with $IC_{50}$'s of 48.9 and > $200{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Among the 9 major constituents isolated, ${\beta}$-asarone, (2R,3R,4S,5S)-2,4-dimethyl-1,3-bis (2',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)tetrahydrofuran (AF) and 2,3-dihydro-4,5,7-trimethoxy-1-ethyl-2-methyl-3-(2,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)indene (AI) strongly inhibited 5-LOX-catalyzed LT production in A23187-treated RBL-1 cells, AI being the most potent ($IC_{50}=6.7{\mu}M$). Against ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release by antigen-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells, only AI exhibited strong inhibition ($IC_{50}=7.3{\mu}M$) while ${\beta}$-asarone and AF showed 26.0% and 39.9% inhibition at $50{\mu}M$, respectively. In addition, the ethanol extract of A. gramineus showed significant inhibitory action against the hapten-induced delayed hypersensitivity reaction in mice by oral administration at 200 mg/kg. Therefore, it is suggested that A. gramineus possesses anti-allergic activity and the constituents including ${\beta}$-asarone and AI certainly contribute to the anti-allergic activity of the rhizomes of A. gramineus.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 1973

Korean ergot sclerotia which were collected from Agropyron semicostatum $N_{EES}$, Miscanthus sinensis $A_NDERS$ var. purpurascens $R_{END}$, M. sacchariflorus $B_{ENTH}$. et HOOK,. M. sinensis $A_{NDERS}$., Eulalia speciosa $O.{\;}K_{UNTZ}$, Themeda triandra $F_{ORSK}$. var. japonica $M_{AKINO}$, and Phalaris arundinacea L. were investigated for their alkaloid constituents. Quantitative determinations of alkaloids were carried out using a modified procedure of van $U_{RK}$ and $M_{ICHELON}-K_{ELLEHER}$ methods. The results showed that the two ergots from Agropyron semicostatum and Phalaris arundinacea contained total alkaloids up to 0.137 per cent. The alkaloids of these two ergots are mostly water-insoluble alkaloids. The ergots parasitizing Reed Canary grass was found to contain both water-soluble and water-insoluble alkaloids. The TLC and PPC tests for the ergot alkaloids from Agropyron semicostatum and Phalaris arundinacea revealed that they contain at least two alkaloids, respectively, and that the ergot from Themeda triandra $F_{ORSK}$. var. japonica has one. The lipid contents of the seven ergots ranged from 13 to 29 per cent.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.266-271
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• 2004

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is widely used as a common condiment for a variety of foods and beverages. In addition to its extensive utilization as a spice, the fresh or the processed rhizome is a useful crude drug in traditional Chinese medicine. It is considered to possess stomachic, carminative, stimulant, diuretic and antiemetic properties. Chemical studies on the pungent principles of ginger have been carried out by a number of investigators, and 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol as a major pungent substance have been isolated. In this study, the constituents inhibiting a drug metabolizing enzyme CYP3A4 from ginger were investigated. CYP3A4 is responsible for drug metabolism as heme-containing monooxygenases. As a result of experiment, 10-gingerol (lC$_{50}$ 5.75$\mu$M) isolated from EtOAc extract of ginger showed remarkable inhibitory activity compared to 6-gingerol ($IC_{50}$/ 14.56 $\mu$M) and zingerone ($IC_{50}$/ 379.63 $\mu$M). This paper describes the isolation, structure elucidation, and CYP3A4 inhibitory activity of these compounds. The structure of the compounds were identified by instrumental analysis such as LC-mass spectrometer and NMR.R.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.149-163
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• 1986

To determine contents of general constituents of Ganoderma lucidum in Korea, the dried carpophores were analyzed. The contents of water, ash, crude lipid, crude protein and crude cellulose were 14.6, 2.0, 3.3, 23.6, and 59.0%, respectively. Among reducing sugars, maltose was the most abundant. Seventeen free amino acids were detected, showing alanine the highest value. The pH of hot water extract was 4.1-4.2. The spores of Ganoderma lucidum was flat and ovoidal long. Their size was $6.3-7.1{\times}3.5-4.3{\times}2.0-2.5\;{\mu}m$ long. To examine effects of life span against sarcoma-180 cells, Fractions A, B and C, were obtained from the extract of Ganoderma lucidum. The survival rates of Fractions A, B and C were 131.7, 162.5, and 141.7 %, respectively. In addition, to examine effects of Fraction B on cell-mediated immunity, delayed type hypersensitivity (=DTH) test was conducted. It restored the suppressed DTH in the sarcoma-180 bearing group up to 66.7%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 1991

A two-dimensional numerical model. using finite element method. was applied to calculation of the tides and tidal currents of four major tidal constituents($M_2, ;S_2, ;K_1, ;O_1$) in the southern part of the East Sea. The model results were compared with the observed data and with the existing tidal charts. and the computed results showed good agreement with the observation. As a result, the detailed tidal charts for four major tidal constituents and the tidal current ellipses of the M$_2$and $K_1$tides were produced respectively. The results indicate that the amphidromic point of diurnal tide locates near Korean coastal lines closer than that of the chart drawn by Nishida(1980).

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.309-319
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• 2011

This is a preliminary study of the feasibility of obtaining reliable tidal current harmonic constants, using one month of current observations, to verify the accuracy of a tidal model. An inference method is commonly used to separate out the tidal harmonic constituents when the available data spans less than a synodic period. In contrast to tidal constituents, studies of the separation of tidal-current harmonics are rare, basically due to a dearth of the long-term observation data needed for such experiments. We conducted concurrent and monthly harmonic analyses for tidal current velocities and heights, using 2 years (2006 and 2007) of current and sea-level records obtained from the Tidal Current Signal Station located in the narrow waterway in front of Incheon Lock, Korea. Firstly, the l-year harmonic analyses showed that, with the exception of $M_2$ and $S_2$ semidiurnal constituents, the major constituents were different for the tidal currents and heights. $K_1$, for instance, was found to be the 4th major tidal constituent but not an important tidal current constituent. Secondly, we examined monthly variation in the amplitudes and phase-lags of the $S_2$ and $K_1$ current-velocity and tide constituents over a 23-month period. The resultant patterns of variation in the amplitudes and phase-lags of the $S_2$ tidal currents and tides were similar, exhibiting a sine curve form with a 6-month period. Similarly, variation in the $K_1$ tidal constant and tidal current-velocity phase lags showed a sine curve pattern with a 6-month period. However, that of the $K_1$ tidal current-velocity amplitude showed a somewhat irregular sine curve pattern. Lastly, we investigated and tested the inference methods available for separating the $K_2$ and $S_2$ current-velocity constituents via monthly harmonic analysis. We compared the effects of reduction in monthly variability in tidal harmonic constants of the $S_2$ current-velocity constituent using three different inference methods and that of Schureman (1976). Specifically, to separate out the two constituents ($S_2$ and $K_2$), we used three different inference parameter (i.e. amplitude ratio and phase-lag diggerence) values derived from the 1-year harmonic analyses of current-velocities and tidal heights at (near) the short-term observation station and from tidal potential (TP), together with Schureman's (1976) inference (SI). Results from these four different methods reveal that TP and SI are satisfactorily applicable where results of long-term harmonic analysis are not available. We also discussed how to further reduce the monthly variability in $S_2$ tidal current-velocity constants.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.84-91
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• 2017

This study proposes a sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry method of efficiently assessing the quality of a traditional herbal medicine called Yeonggyechulgam-tang (YGCGT). The following compounds 1 - 11, namely, liquiritin apioside (1), liquiritin (2), liquiritigene (3), coumarin (4), cinnamic acid (5), cinnamaldehyde (6), glycyrrhizin (7), atractylenolide III (8), atractylenolide II (9), atractylenolide I (10), and pachymic acid (11) were separated on a UPLC BEH $C_{18}$ column ($2.1{\times}100mm$, $1.7{\mu}m$) at a column temperature of $45^{\circ}C$ eluted with a gradient condition of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in distilled water and acetonitrile. The correlation coefficient of the calibration curve of the eleven constituents was ${\geq}0.9936$. The limits of detection and quantification of the compounds 1 - 11 were 0.06 - 4.73 ng/mL and 0.17-14.20 ng/mL, respectively. Using this analytical method, the compound 11 in lyophilized YGCGT decoction extract was not detected, while the compounds 1 - 10 were detected 0.13-166.43 mg/g.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.189-190
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• 1973

Silica gel column chromatography on the ether extract from the fruits of Angelica gigas $M_{AKAI}$ gave two kinds of crystalline constituents. The following derivatives of coumarins were identified by IR, NMR spectra, elemental analysis and physico-chemical tests: iso-imperatorin $(mp\;108{\sim}109^{\circ},\;C_{16}H_{14}O_4)$ and decursidin $(mp\;60{\sim}61^{\circ},\;C_{24}H_{26}O_7)$.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.149-152
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• 2012

The larvicidal activities of Piper nigrum fruit methanol extracts and its constituents against larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, were investigated using the leaf dipping method. Administering the P. nigrum methanol extract resulted in 100 and 97% mortality against diamondback moth larvae at 5.0 and 2.5 mg/mL concentrations, respectively. Larvicidal activities of the P. nigrum fruit-derived piperidine alkaloids, piperine, and N-isobutylamide, as well as pellitorine, guineensine, pipercide, and retrofractamide A against P. xylostella varied according to test compound. Based on the 48 h $LC_{50}$ values, the most toxic compound to diamondback moth larvae was guineensine (0.013 mg/mL) followed by retrofractamide A (0.020mg/mL), pipercide (0.033mg/mL), and pellitorine (0.046 mg/mL). The $LC_{50}$ value of piperine was >0.5 mg/mL.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2018

An isoform of NADPH oxidase (NOX), NOX2 is a superoxide-generating enzyme involved in diverse pathophysiological events. Although its potential as a therapeutic target has been validated, there is no clinically available inhibitor. Herein, NOX2-inhibitory activity was screened with the constituents isolated from Schisandra chinensis, which has been reported to have antioxidant and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging effects. Among the partitions prepared from crude methanolic extract, a chloroform-soluble partition showed the highest NOX2-inhibitory activity in PLB-985 cell-based NOX2 assay. A total of twenty nine compounds (1 - 29) were identified from the chloroform fraction, including two first isolated compounds; dimethyl-malate (25) and 2-(2-hydroxyacetyl) furan (27) from this plants. Of these constituents, two compounds (gomisin T, and pregomisin) exhibited an NOX2-inhibitory effect with the $IC_{50}$ of $9.4{\pm}3.6$, and $62.9{\pm}11.3{\mu}M$, respectively. They are confirmed not to be nonspecific superoxide scavengers in a counter assay using a xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. These findings suggest the potential application of gomisin T (6) and other constituents of S. chinensis to inhibit NOX2.