• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.209-215
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• 2000

'Ha Go Cho (夏枯草)' is one of the Chinese crude drugs used mainly as a diuretic. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Ha Go Cho', it was reported by Su et al. that those from China were originated from the fruited spica of Prunella vulgaris L. of Labiatae. It was, however, for the herba or spica of Prunella vulgaris L. var. lilacina Nakai from Korea. According to survey of markets in Korea, most of the materials collected in the markets seemed to be originated from Prunella plant, while some seemed to be Thesium plant of Santalaceae. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Ha Go Cho', the anatomical characteristics of Prunella vulgaris L. var. lilacina Nakai and Thesium chinense Turcz. were studied. As a result, it was clarified that some 'Ha Go Cho' from Korea were the herba or spica of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina, whereas some others were the herba of Thesium chinense.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.173-182
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• 1992

The parasitic flowering plants obtain nutrients and water from their host plants through a parasitic organ, haustorium, which connects both structurally and physiologically host and parasite. The parasitism in angiosperms thus can be understood from the knowledge of the haustorial structure. The haustoria have evolve convergently and independently in several unrelated taxa; therefore, they have similar morphology. Many anatomical studies on the haustoria in several parasites in the pst have been carried out by light microscopy. Ultrastructural studies on the haustoria, which are started from the end of 1060s', have provided new information relating to the phenomenon of parasitism in angiosperms. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and compare the structure of haustoria between parasitic plants. The results may help an understanding of phylogenetic relationships of parasitic angiosperms. The haustoria of some families, such as Santalaceae, Orobancaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Loranthaceae (or Viscaceae), and Convolvulaceae (Cuscuta) will be discussed.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.232-241
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• 1986

The whole plants of Prunella vulgaris (Labiatae) and Thesium chinense (Santalaceae) are used as Hakocho(夏枯草) in the market in Korea. In oriental medicine, these herb drugs are prescribed as a diuretic or antiinflammatory drugs. In order to investigate the efficacy of the plants, the extracts were bioassayed for antiinflammatory action. The water extracts of Prunella Herba and Thesii Herba showed remarkable anti-carrageenin effect and significant inhibition of the swellings in adjuvant arthritis in rats. However, the extracts did not show any inhibition of leucocyte emigration in CMC pouch in rats.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.416-420
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• 2000

Ursolic acid was isolated from Prunellae Herba (Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina) and identified by direct comparison with an authentic sample. A method of analysis for the evaluation of ursolic acid was developed based on extraction of ground plant material, followed by quantitative determination using capillary gas chromatography of the TMS derivative. Quantitative analysis by GC after derivatisation under mild silylating conditions showed 0.31% ursolic acid in 20 samples collected throughout regions of Korea while no ursolic acid was detected in the samples of the whole plant of Thesium chinense, a substitute for Prunellae Herba in southern regions of Korean peninsula.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 2013

In general, studies of aerial parasitic plants known collectively as mistletoe have been carried out to investigate their ecological and agricultural characteristics. However, with the recently increased level of interest in medicinal resources, research on different types of Korean mistletoe has also increased. This study was carried out to review the work on the taxonomy and ecology of Korean mistletoe in preparation for the industrial use of these plants in the future. Mistletoe types are flowering plants belonging to Santalales, which exist in the form of parasites on the branches of trees or shrubs. In Korea, five taxa of four genera in two families of mistletoe exist: Viscum coloratum (Komarov) Nakai f. coloratum, Viscum coloratum (Komarov) Nakai f. rubroaurantiacum (Makino) Kitagawa and Korthalsella japonica (Thunb.) Engl. in Santalaceae, along with Loranthus tanakae Franch. et Sav. and Taxillus yadoriki (Sieb. ex Maxim.) Danser in Loranthaceae. As taxonomic studies of these species remain insufficient and given that the distribution ranges of these species are very wide, further observations pertaining to the morphological variations in each species are necessary. The distribution of mistletoes is known to be determined by the host specificity, the interval between the hosts, the environmental condition, the habits of the host plant, the eating characteristics of mediators in the area, and their habitat selection features.

• CELLMED
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.14.1-14.6
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• 2018

Santalum album Linn. [Family: Santalaceae] is commonly known as white sandalwood, sandal safaid and safed chandan. It is one of the most valuable trees and second costliest wood in the world. Sandalwood and its oil is extensively used in the Unani and other traditional systems of medicine as it has blood purifier, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, exhilarant, cardiotonic, antiseptic, nervine tonic and expectorant properties. It is used in skin, cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, respiratory, integument and urogenital disorders. These uses are supported and proven by many in vitro or in vivo studies. The proven pharmacological activities of S. album are antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic and anti-fatigue. The research has proven that sandal oil or its constituents have anti-microbial activity. Sandalwood oil showed skin cancer preventive effect in mice and its constituent alpha santalol showed the anticancer property. The methanolic extract of wood was confirmed for antioxidant, free radical scavenging, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. ${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ santalols present in sandal oil showed sedative effects. Sandalwood tea had a significant effect on heart muscles of frog and showed increased myocardial contractility. Its oil showed significant changes in hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. Sandalwood oil and its major constituents showed less acute oral and dermal toxicity in laboratory animals. Hence, the aforementioned studies justify the uses of sandalwood and its oil mentioned in the classical Unani literature. However, further clinical trials are suggested to confirm its efficacy and safety in humans.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 1986

This study is an attempt to investigate the effects of the water extracts of the whole plants of Prunella vulgaris (Labiatae) and Thesii chinense (Santalaceae) on the acute toxicity, the activities on central nervous system and the diuretic action. The acute toxicities shown by $LD_{50}$ were estimated to be more than 3000 mg/kg p.o. and 1,000 mg/kg s.c. in the extracts of Prunellae Herba and Thesii Herba, respectively, in mice. The extracts at a dose of 2,000 mg/kg p.o. did not show any activities on central nervous system, i.e, sedative, analgesic, hypothermic and anticonvulsant actions. The urination in rats was increased by 45.5% and 57.6% when 100mg/kg of each of the extracts were given orally. The results obtained revealed that the water extracts possessed weak diuretic actions without any of central nervous system activities. Furthermore, it is considered that the potassium in the extract may play a role in the diuretic action.