• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.7 no.1_2
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• pp.35-43
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• 1992

Mugwort has been used as a Korean folk medicine in treating liver diseases acting as an analgesics, sedative, diuresis, choleretics. This study was perfomed to evaluate the effect of mugwort extracts on the changes of enzyme activities, lipid accumulation of the serum and liver, when hepatotoxicity was induced by benzo(a)pyrene. The results are as follows: 1. Mugwort water extract administration prevented the increase of serum and liver AST, ALT, LDH, ${\gamma}$-GTP, liver ALP activities and bilirubin content caused by B(a)P injection. 2. The increase of serum and liver ALT, LDH, ${\gamma}$-GTP, serum AST activities and liver bilirubin contents in B(a)P treated group were decreased by mugwort methanol extract treatment. 3. Serum and liver total cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride level and serum HDL-cholesterol level were increased by B(a)P treatment. After combined treatment of mugwort water and methanul extracts, these lipid content were significantly decreased. 4. The hepatotropic effect of mugwort water extract and after-treatment against B(a)P induced hepatotoxicity was superior to that of methanol extract and pretreatment.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.211-215
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• 1999

This study was aimed to evaluate an agonistic activity to benzodiazepine receptor of several medicinal plants, which have been used as sedatives in oriental medicine. Methanol extracts of medicinal plants which were used in this study inhibited the binding of $[^3H]Ro15-1788$, a selective benzodiazepine receptor antagonist to benzodiazepine receptor of rat cortices. Inhibitory activity of Cyperus rotundus was observed to be the highest among the tested medicinal plants. Methanol extracts of Cyperus rotundus and Zizypus jujuba inhibited a $[^3H]flunitrazepam$, a selective benzodiazepine receptor agonist, binding to benzodiazepine receptor. GABA significantly enhanced the inhibition of $[3H]flunitrazepam$ binding by Cyperus rotundus and Zizypus jujuba, and these positive GABA shifts supported the strong possibility of agonistic activity to benzodiazepine receptor. From these results, it may be concluded that the substance or substances with neurochemical properties characteristic of a benzodiazepine receptor agonist may be important components and contribute to the sedative property of these medicinal plants.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.508-516
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• 2007

Thymus magnus is an endemic (Ulleung Island) species in Korea. This plant is used as diaphoretics and carminatives in traditional medicine. In the literature, few scientific assays were realized on this species, such as antibiotic (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis, and S. typhimurium) and antifungal activities. In order to clarify whether essential oil of T. magnus have pharmacological effects, anti-inflammatory, sedative, anti-depressant, analgesic, and sleep-prolonged effects were investigated using animal models. From this study, the following conclusions were attained; 1) Essential oil of T. magnus did not show any acute toxicity on mice when orally administered at the dose of 2-3 g/kg body weight. 2) Essential oil of T. magnus possessed strong anti-inflammatory activity, similar to that of a positive control prednisolone. 3) Essential oil of T. magnus had excellent analgesic activity, comparable to that of aspirin. 4) The essential oil of T. magnus possessed strong sleep-prolonged effect on pentobarbital induced-sleep test in mice model. 5) In the hot plate test, the essential oil of T. magnus had moderate effect. 6) And the essential oil of T. magnus had no significant effects in forced-swimming test and open-field test.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.196-203
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• 1989

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effect of Sagan-Tang on analgesic, sedative, antipyretic, isolated ileum and blood vessel and so on. The results of this investigation were summarized as follows; Analgesic action by the acetic acid stimulating method in mice were recognized. Prolonging action against the hypnotic duration induced by thiopental-Na was noted in mice. Antipyretic effect in typhoid vaccine febrile rats was recognized. Spontaneous motility of the isolated ileum of mice was suppressed and contractions of the isolated ileum of mice and guinea-pig induced by accetylcholine chloride, barium chloride and histamine were remarkably inhibited. Vaso-diating and hypotensive actions were recognized in rabbits. GOT and GPT activities in the serum of rats damaged by $CCl_4$ and galactosamine were decreased remarkably.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1973

The pharmacological activities of paeoniflorin abtained from paeony roots, F$_M$100 from glycyrrhiza roots, crude saikosides from bupleurum roots, crude platycodin from platycodon roots, and bothj of ginsenoside Rb and ginsenoside Rg series from ginseng roots were investigated. Paeoniflorin, F$_M$ 100, crude saikosides, and crude platycodin exhibited sedative antipyretic, anlagesic and anti-ulcerative actions. In addition, crude saidosides and crude platycodin showed antitusaive and the potent anti-inflammatory action. An expectorant action was also observed with crude platycodin. These results coincided with the clinical applications of the aforementioned oriental medicinals. It also should be noted that crude saikosides nad crude platycodin are preferable to the other steroidal nad nonsteroidal drugs as an anti-inflammatory agent, because the drugs aggravate the digestive ulcer. In ginseng, G No3. and GNS frctions out of ginsenoside Rb series hsowed stimulant and antifatigue actions. The synergistic effects identified between paeoniflorin and F$_M$ 100 on the various pharmacological activities, have verified the reasonability of combined uses of two oriental drugs as Jakyak Gaqmcho-Tang.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.221-225
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• 1994

Pharmacological activities of two sesquiterpenes, curzerenone(I), and curcumenol(II) isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma zedoaria being used as an aromatic stomachic in Chinese medicines were evaluated in rats and mice. Curzerenone (I), at 100mg/kg, p.o. showed a potent protective effect against HCl-ethanol induced gastric lesion in rats, and curcumenol(II), at the same dose level showed a CNS depressant action characterized by a potentiation of hexobarbital(HB)-induced narcosis. Both compounds showed a moderate analgesic action but did not exhibit a hypothermic action even at 200mg/kg dose level.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.179-185
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• 1990

The acute and subacute toxicities and pharmacological actions of two preparations of Ssanghwa Tang prescriptions have been evaluated in mice, rats and rabbits. The two prescriptions were found to be safe drugs because those preparations exhibited almost no acute and subacute toxicities even at a high dosage level. The two prescriptions elicited CNS depressant activities characterized by potentiation of hexobarbital-induced narcosis, antipyretic activity in typhoid-vaccinated rabbits and a significant antifatigue effect against cold immobilized stress, the activities of prescription B being more potent.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.344-348
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• 2006

The crude methanolic extract of the bark of Cerbera odollam Gaertn. was evaluated for its possible antinociceptive and neuropharmacological activities in animal models. At the dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, the extract showed a significant antinociceptive effect in acetic acid induced writhing in mice comparable to that produced by aspirin, used as standard drug (P<0.001). The extract significantly reduced the time of onset of sleep (P<0.01) and potentiated the pentobarbital induced sleeping time in mice at the dose of 400 mg/kg of body weight significantly (P<0.001). It also decreased the open field score in open field test significantly at the dose of 400 mg/kg of body weight (P < 0.05). The obtained results tend to suggest the probable antinociceptive and neuropharmacological activities of the crude extract.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.253-263
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• 2006

The plant is used in India as well as several countries since several centuries for treating different types of ailments. The plant is an important constituent of the Ayurvedic Materia Medica and finds mention in several ancient texts including Caraka Sanhita ($6^{th}$ century A.D.) and the Bhavprakasa ($16^{th}$ century A.D.). The scientific studies on this plant have reported several activities of this plant. Though the plant has cardiotonic, vasoconstrictor, sedative, neuro-muscular blocking, and anticancer activities, it is more popular as memory enhancer. Traditionally, a poultice made of the boiled plant is placed on the chest in acute bronchitis and coughs of children. The plant contains saponins: bacosides A and B, hersaponin, sapogenins: bacogenin $A_{1}$, $A_{2}$, and $A_{3}$ stigmasterol, and flavonoids: luteolin and luteolin-7 glucoside, nicotine, brahmine, and herpestine. This review focuses on the scientific data published since 1931.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.171-179
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• 1990

The recombinant gamma-interferon (LBD-001) which was produced by yeast as host system was investigated on the pharmacological activities. This gamma-interferon exhibited potent inhibitory effect on adjuvant induced arthritis, but no effect on carrageenin induced paw edema in rats. It did not show any sedative, anticonvulsive, analgesic and hypothermic activities in animals. It also had no influences on isolated tracheal muscle and ileum of guinea pig, isolated uterus and fundus strip of rats, and on blood pressure and respiration in situ experiments of rabbits.