• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2014

Objective : This study was designed to investigate the anti-oxidative potentials to wide the usage of Morus alba L. derived from medicinal herbs on cosmoceutical fields. Methods : Anti-oxidative potentials were investigated by using several kinds of assays including electron donating ability, and the total contents of phenolic compounds were also measured. In some cases TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) method were used to identify the patterns of phenolics in herbal extracts. Results : Aurones which are sub-types of flavonoids were observed in methanol extract of Mori Cortex Radidus, and total phenolic contents in Mori Cortex Radidus were more than in methanol extracts of Mori Folium and Mori Ramulus. Various kinds of phenolic compounds were observed in chloroform fraction of Mori Cortex Radidus. Conclusion : According to these results, the chloroform fraction of Mori Cortex Radidus could be the most possible resource that has potentials on anti-oxidant agents on cosmoceutical fields.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Objectives : The root bark of Morus alba L. (Mori Cortex Radidus; MCR) has been traditionally used to reduce heat from the lungs, soothe asthma, and edema and to promote urination. In this study, we investigated the effect of MCR ethanol extract on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma in mice. Methods : Mice were sensitized at day 0, 7 and 14 with 0.2% OVA and then airway challenged at day 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29 to induce allergic asthma. MCR extracts at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight (bw) were orally administered during OVA challenge once per a day. The levels of allergic mediators such as histamine, OVA-specific IgE, IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-4 were measured in the sera of mice by ELISA. The histopathological change of lung tissues was observed with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results : MCR extract significantly decreased not only the serum levels of histamine, OVA-specific IgE, and IL-4 compared with those of OVA control group, but significantly increased the serum level of IFN-${\gamma}$. In H&E staining, MCR extract inhibited the infiltration of inflammatory cells and bronchiolar damage with epithelial thickening in lung tissues of OVA-induced asthma mice. Conclusions : These results indicate that MCR extract inhibits lung damage by asthma through regulating the allergic immune response, suggesting that MCR may be used as a useful agent for the treatment of allergic asthma.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Objectives : To prove the channel-tropism theory of herbal medicines on diabetes mellitus as emaciation-thirst disease in Korean Medicine Theory, we investigated the selective therapeutic effects of Mori Cortex Radidus (MCR), Schisandrae Fructus (SF), Anemarrhenae Rhizoma (AR) for the upper emaciation on different organs in high fat and high sucrose (HF/HS) feeding-induced prediabetic mice. Methods : Diabetes in C57BL/6 mice was induced by the administration of high fat (45 kal%) and high sucrose (32 kal%) for 8 weeks, and them treated with each extract at 250 or 500 mg/kg body weight for 4 weeks (once a day). Oral glucose tolerance test and body weight was measured once a week. Insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ${\gamma}GTP$, GOT and GPT were measured in the sera of all mice. Histopathological changes of different organs, lung, heart, pancreas, stomach, liver, and kidney were observed by H&E staining. Results : The results revealed that MCR extract inhibited the impaired glucose tolerance and lung damage, and increased serum insulin levels in HF/HS-induced prediabetic mice. SF extract inhibited the impaired glucose tolerance and lung damage, increased serum insulin levels, and decreased serum triglycerige levels. Meanwhile, AR extract inhibited the impaired glucose tolerance and lung damage, and decreased serum levels of insulin, total cholesterol and triglycerige levels. Conclusions : These results demonstrated that MCR, SF, and AR extract as the upper emaciation herbal medicines were followed their channel-tropism theory like a lung, and may have a selective therapeutic potential for control of diabetic stage.