• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.59-70
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• 1999

We investigated whether an aqueous extract of Rehmannia glutinosa steamed root (RGAE) inhibits secretion of inflammatory cytolanes from primary cultures of mouse astrocytes. RGAE dose-dependently inhibited the $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion by astrocytes stimulated with substance P (SP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been shown to elevate $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion from LPS-stimulated astrocytes while having no effect on astrocytes in the absence of LPS. We therefore also investigated whether IL-1 mediated inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion from primary astrocytes by RGAE. Treatment of RGAE to astrocytes stimulated with both LPS and SP decreased IL-1 secretion to the level observed with LPS alone. Moreover, incubation of astrocytes with IL-1 antibody abolished the synergistic cooperative effect of LPS and SP. These results suggest that RGAE has an antiinflammatory activity on the central nervous system curing some pathological disease states.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.1349-1355
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• 2005

The steamed root of Rehmannia glutinosa has been used for treatment of inner ear diseases, such as tinnitus and hearing loss in traditional Oriental Medicine. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ethanol extract of steamed root R. glutinosa (SRG) on cisplatin cytotoxicity of HEI-OC1 auditory cells. In addition, to investigate the mechanism of SRG on cisplatin cytotoxicity, the effects of SRG on lipid peroxidation as well as scavenging activities against various free radicals were measured in cisplatin-treated cells. Treatment of SRG protected cells from cisplatin and reduced lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, SRG demonstrated significant scavenging activity against various free radicals, including superoxide radical, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and DPPH radical. These results indicate that SRG protects cisplatin-induced damages of HEI-OC1 cells through inhibition of lipid peroxidation and augmenting scavenging activities against free radials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.874-883
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• 2011

Many studies have shown that the steamed root of Rehmannia glutinosa (SRG), which is widely used in the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases in the context of Korean traditional medicine, is effective for improving cognitive and memory impairments. The purpose of this study was to examine whether SRG extracts improved memory defects caused by administering scopolamine (SCO) into the brains of rats. The effects of SRG on the acetylcholinergic system and proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus were also investigated. Male rats were administered daily doses of SRG (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, i.p.) for 14 days, 1 h before scopolamine injection (2 mg/kg, i.p.). After inducing cognitive impairment via scopolamine administration, we conducted a passive avoidance test (PAT) and the Morris water maze (MWM) test as behavioral assessments. Changes in cholinergic system reactivity were also examined by measuring the immunoreactive neurons of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the reactivity of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in the hippocampus. Daily administration of SRG improved memory impairment according to the PAT, and reduced the escape latency for finding the platform in the MWM. The administration of SRG consistently significantly alleviated memory-associated decreases in cholinergic immunoreactivity and decreased interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$) and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) mRNA expression in the hippocampus. The results demonstrated that SRG had a significant neuroprotective effect against the neuronal impairment and memory dysfunction caused by scopolamine in rats. These results suggest that SRG may be useful for improving cognitive functioning by stimulating cholinergic enzyme activities and alleviating inflammatory responses.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.386-394
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• 2019

Rehmannia glutinosa, one of the major medicinal crops in Korea, can be classified into three types: fresh, dried and prepared Rehmannia root. In this study, the quality characteristics of prepared rehmannia root were evaluated using four different cultivars that are commonly used in the market. In making prepared rehmannia root, roots of Jihwang 1, Kokang, Togang, and Dagang were dried, soaked in rice wine, and steamed nine times. At each stage, physiochemical properties were analyzed, including yield, which is one of the most important industrial factors to consider. The yield was the highest in Togang at 23.61% and the lowest in Dagang at 21.16%. These yield values showed a highly negative correlation with the moisture content of roots. The fructose and glucose contents were increased during the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th steaming but then decreased. The sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose content gradually decreased during the first three steaming and were not detected during the 4^th steaming. Additionally, the catalpol content was not detected after the 4^th steaming. On the contrary, the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content was not detected in the raw root but increased during the steaming. Jihwang1 and Togang exceeded the 0.1% Korean Pharmacopoeia standard after the 5^th steaming, reaching it faster than did the other cultivars. Overall, Togang was the optimal cultivar considering the overall characteristics of its high yield and short steaming time. These results could provide useful information for the industrial use of prepared Rehmannia root based on the requirements and characteristics of each cultivar.