• 대한영양사협회학술지
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.44-50
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• 2005

Natural products are increasingly appreciated as a lead for drug discovery and development. A number of investigators have studied various activities of natural products and have found that they have not only nutritional effects but also beneficial properties to cure various diseases and to maintain good health. Job's Tear(Yul-Moo) is a grass crop that have long been used in traditional medicine and a nourishing food. Job's Tear has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, stomachic, antiallergic activity, and antispastic effects and has been used in China for the treatment of warts, rheumatism, and neuralgia although its mechanism remains unclear. Previous results in our laboratory demonstrated that the ethanol extract and water extract of Job's Tear exerted an immune regulatory function on mice cells in vitro. The present study was performed to investigate the ex vivo effect of Job's Tear on immune function. Seven to eight weeks old mices(Balb/c) were fed ad libitum on chow diet and water extract of Job's Tear were orally administrated every other day for two or four weeks at two different concentrations (50 and 500mg/kg B.W.). Proliferation of mice spenocytes and antibody production to sheep red blood cells(SRBC) using hemolytic plague forming cell assay were used to indicate the immune activity. Splenocytes proliferation of Job's Tear with mitogen stimulation such as Con A and LPS was enhanced at 50 mg/kg B.W. concentrations compared to those of control group. In case of antibody production to sheep red blood cells, the number of antibody- secreting cells was increased by administration of 50mg/kg B.W. concentration in mice immunized as a T-dependent antigen. From the present study, Job's Tear water extracts may be suggested to stimulate the mice immune response by enhancing the splenocytes proliferation and the number of plague forming cells.

• 한국자원식물학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.96-102
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• 2008

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.(family Nymphaeaceae) has been used for summer heat syndrome as home remedy in Japan, China and Korea. Although whole plant parts are edible, root is commonly consumed. It has been reported that rhizome extract showed anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, in spite of usefulness for treatment of various diseases, the effect of Nelumbo nucifera rhizome(NNR) on proliferation, migration and matrix degrading enzymes-matrix metalloproteinsases(MMPs), the expression of which degrades extracellular matrix(ECM) leading to metastasis, has not been fully elucidated. We examined the effect of hot water extract of NNR on the proliferation, migration and secretion of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in rat smooth muscle cells(rSMC), epidermoid cancer cells(A431) and breast cancer cells(MDA-MB-231). The proliferation assay was carried out using MTT assay, the principle of which depends upon the conversion of MTT by mitochondrial dehydrogensases of viable cells to formazan crystals. The effect of NNR on migration of cells was examined using wound healing assay. Our results showed that there was inhibition in the proliferation, migration and expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in dose dependent fashion in all the cells used. Thus, we concluded that NNR could be used as traditional medicine in the treatment of various diseases where proliferation, migration and MMPs' expression plays a pathological role like in restenosis and metastasis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제28권12호
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• pp.2209-2213
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• 2007

Ginseng has long been used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries including Korea and China. In recent years, it has been reported that the biological activities of ginseng are due to its active components, ginsenosides. Ginsenosides are represented by triterpenes of the dammarane type. Ginsenoside Re consists of two glucose rings, one rhamnose ring, and the triterpene ring. In the present study ginsenoside Re has been isolated from the Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) and the tertiary structure has been determined using NMR spectroscopy. Flexibilities around each linkages described by seven torsion angles were considered. The structures of ginsenoside Re obtained by NMR spectroscopy show the rigidity around the glucopyranosyl ring II and alkene side chain. The dihedral angles of φ5, φ6, φ7 are about 150o, 50o and 45o, respectively. In addition, flexibility exists around rhamnopyranosyl and glucopyronosyl moiety. The linkage around the rhamnopyranosyl and glucopyranosyl ring I, are divided into three groups. This flexibility seems to play important role in regulation of the hydrophobic surface exposed to the solvent. Because of the growing need for the structural determination of ginsenoside, this result can help to understand their well-accepted pharmacological effects of ginsenoside Re.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.23-29
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• 2012

Objective : Sanguisorbae Radix(SO). that belong to Rosaceae is widely distributed in Asia including Korea, Japan and China. It has been used as traditional medicine from old times as a treatment for anti-inflammatory drugs. This study was designed to investigate the effects of n-BuOH fractions of SO on anti-oxidant effect and anti-microbial effect on $Streptococcus$ $mutans$ ($S.$ $mutans$). Methods : The anti-microbial effect of $n$-BuOH fractions of SO. was assessed by the paper disk diffusion method and anti-oxidant effect was assessed by the DPPH radical scavenging effect, Superoxide anion radical scavenging effect and SOD like ability. Results : DPPH radical scavenging of the $n$-BuOH fraction from SO in 50 ug/mL was shown to be Fr-2 (89.9%), Fr-3 (88.7%), Fr-4 (76.3%), Fr-1 (59.4%), Fr-5 (56.2%). Superoxside anion radical scavenging activity of the n-BuOH fraction from SO. in 50 ug/mL for Fr-3 was shown to be 78%. SOD-like activity of n-BuOH fraction from the SO in 1000 ug/mL for Fr-3 were shown to be 76.1% respectively. The $n$-BuOH fraction from the SO had high anti-microbial effect on $S.$ $mutans$. Conclusion : As a result, the $n$-BuOH fraction from SO. has good anti-microbial and anti-oxidant effects in a concentration-dependent manner.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권15호
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• pp.6417-6421
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• 2015

Viscum album var (VAV) also known as mistletoe, has long been categorized as a traditional herbal medicine in Asia. In addition to its immunomodulating activities, mistletoe has also been used in the treatment of chronic hepatic disorders in China and Korea. There are numerous reports showing that VAV possesses anti-cancer effects, however influence on human hepatocarcinoma has never been elucidated. In the present study, hot water extracts of VAV was evaluated for its potential anti-cancer effect in vitro. SK-Hep1 cells were treated with VAV (50-400ug/ml) for both 24 and 48 hours then cell viability was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Flow cytometry analysis was used to measure the proportion of SK-Hep1 in the different stages of cell cycle. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to measure expression of cell cycle arrest related genes and proteins respectively. VAV dose dependently inhibited the proliferation of SK-Hep1 cells without any cytotoxicity with normal Chang liver cell (CCL-13). Flow cytometry analysis showed that VAV extract inhibited the cell cycle of SK-Hep1 cells via G1 phase arrest. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis both revealed that cyclin dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) and cyclin D1 gene expression were significantly down regulated while p21 was upregulated dose dependently by VAV treatment. Combined down regulation of Cdk2, Cyclin D1 and up regulation of p21 can result in cell death. These results indicate that VAV showed evidence of anti-cancer activity through G1 phase cell cycle arrest in SK-Hep1 cells.

• 생약학회지
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.179-185
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• 2016

Ginger (Zingiber officnale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae), which is a well-known food seasoning, has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorder, vomiting and cough in Korea, China and Japan. Ethanol extract from the dried ginger (DG) was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions. Among those fractions the ethyl acetate soluble fraction (EDG) showed the most potent DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide quenching activities. To know the effect of antioxidant activities of EDG, we tested the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase together with oxidative stress tolerance and intracellular ROS level in Caenorhabditis elegans. To investigate whether EDG-mediated increased stress tolerance was due to regulation of stress-response gene, we quantified SOD-3 expression using transgenic strain including CF1553. Consequently, EDG elevated SOD and catalase activities of C. elegans, reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, EDG-treated CF1553 worms exhibited significantly higher SOD-3::GFP intensity.

• 한국식품영양학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.201-206
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• 2006

Numerous investigators have studied various activities of natural products and have found that they have not only nutritional effects, but also beneficial properties to cure various diseases and to maintain good health. Job's Tear(Yul-Moo) is a grass crop that has long been used in traditional medicine and as a nourishing food. Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, Job's Tear has been reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, stomachic, anti-allergic, and anti-spastic effects and has been used in China for the treatment of warts, rheumatism, and neuralgia. Previous results in our laboratory demonstrated that the ethanol extract and the water extract of Job's Tear exerted an immune regulatory function on mice cells in vitro. The present study was performed to investigate the ex vivo effect of Job's Tear on immune function. Seven to eight weeks old mice(Balb/c) were fed chow diet ad libitum and water extract of Job's Tear was administered orally every other day for four weeks at two different concentrations(50 and 500mg/kg B.W.). Splenocytes proliferation with mitogen stimulation with Con A and LPS was enhanced at 50 mg/kg B.W. of Job's Tear compared to those of the control group. The results of this ex vivo study showed that proliferation of splenocytes and macrophage activation were seen in the mice orally administrated 50 mg/kg B.W. of Job's Tear water extracts. In conclusion, this study suggests that Job's Tear extracts may enhance immune function by regulating splenocyte proliferation and the cytokine prodution capacity of activated macrophages in mice.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• 제10권6호
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Backgroud: The stem bark of Kalopanax pictus (KP) has been used in traditional medicine to treat rheumatoidal arthritis, neurotic pain and diabetes mellitus in China and Korea. In this study, the mechanism responsible for anti-inflammatory effects of KP was investigated. Methods: We examined the effects of KP on NO production, nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and HO-1 expression, NF-${\kappa}B$, Nrf2 and MAPK activation in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results: The aqueous extract of KP inhibited LPS-induced NO secretion as well as inducible iNOS expression, without affecting cell viability. KP suppressed LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Furthermore, KP induced HO-1 expression and Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Conclusion: These results suggest that KP has the inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO production in macrophages through NF-${\kappa}B$ suppression and HO-1 induction.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.586-592
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• 2017

Sinomenium acutum has been long used in the preparations of traditional medicine in Japan, China and Korea for the treatment of various disorders including rheumatism, fever, pulmonary diseases and mood disorders. Recently, it was reported that Sinomenium acutum, has sedative and anxiolytic effects mediated by GABA-ergic systems. These experiments were performed to investigate whether sinomenine (SIN), an alkaloid derived from Sinomenium acutum enhances pentobarbital-induced sleep via ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic systems, and modulates sleep architecture in mice. Oral administration of SIN (40 mg/kg) markedly reduced spontaneous locomotor activity, similar to diazepam (a benzodiazepine agonist) in mice. SIN shortened sleep latency, and increased total sleep time in a dose-dependent manner when co-administrated with pentobarbital (42 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN also increased the number of sleeping mice and total sleep time by concomitant administration with the sub-hypnotic dosage of pentobarbital (28 mg/kg, i.p.). SIN reduced the number of sleep-wake cycles, and increased total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In addition, SIN also increased chloride influx in the primary cultured hypothalamic neuronal cells. Furthermore, protein overexpression of glutamic acid decarboxylase ($GAD_{65/67}$) and $GABA_A$ receptor subunits by western blot were found, being activated by SIN. In conclusion, SIN augments pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through $GABA_A$-ergic systems, and increased NREM sleep. It could be a candidate for the treatment of insomnia.

• 생약학회지
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.310-319
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• 2000

WooHwangChungSimWon is a traditional prescription formula for treating with hypertension, arteriosclerosis, coma, and stroke in China, Korea, and Japan. In the new prescription of WooHwangChungSimWon, the civet is substituted for the musk, the major component of WooHwangChungSimwon, because of the prohibition law (CITES) on the commercial use of musk. We have made a comparative study of the effects on the hypertension and contractile force of heart between the musk-containing and civet-containing WooHwangChungSimWon. The SHR rats were used for investigating the effects on the hypertension and the rabbits were used for investigating effects on the contractile force of isolated heart. The blood pressure which was recorded during the adminstration period showed that all the samples except the low dose of musk-containing WooHwangChungSimWon decreased the blood pressure, and the effects on the heart works of all the samples were higher than control group, which resulted from the examination of isolated heart. These results suggest that all the musk-containing and civet-containing WooHwangChungSimWon formula have similar protective effects on hypertension and palpitation.