• Toxicological Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 1990

Aconiti Tuber is the root of Aconitum sp (Ranunclaceae) which has been considered as one of the most important medicinal plant having cordiotonic, diuretic and analgesic effect. On the other hand, it has been known that Aconiti Tuber contained toxic agent, aconitine alkaloids so that only processed Aconiti Tubers have been used as herbal drug traditionally. For the safety evaluation of processed Aconiti Tuber, quantitative determination of aconitine and acute, subacute toxicity test were performed on 5 commercial processed Aconiti Tubers. Arapid and precise method using HPLC has been developed for the separation and determination of aconitine. Samples were extracted with hydrochloric acid (pH3) and hot water decoction. In case of d-HCL extracts, the contents of aconitine were from 0.08 mg/g to trace. But in case of hot water decoction extracts, the contents of aconitine were not detected. For the investigation of Aconiti Tuber toxicity in rats, hot water decoction samples and methanol extracts were tested. 1) Acute toxicity test Hot water decoction sample and methanol extracts from Aconiti Tuber did not show any toxic effects in rats by an oral administration. $LD_50values of 2 extracts were above 10.0 g/kg. 2) Subacute toxicity study In the repeated administration study, hot water decoction samples were given orally to Sprague-Dawlay rats for 2 week at daily doses of 5.0 g/kg. The results are as follows; No toxic manifestation, body weight changes and lethality were observed during wxperimental period. There were no significant changes in serum enzyme activities such as GOT, GPT, LDH, ALP between treated and control groups. However CPK values were decreased in the Subuja-treated group. (P<0.01). In addition, no gross and microscopic changes were noted in Aconiti Tuber-treated groups.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.717-724
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• 2020

Background: Malignant arrhythmias require drug therapy. However, most of the currently available antiarrhythmic drugs have significant side effects. Ginsenoside Rg2 exhibits excellent cardioprotective effects and appears to be a promising candidate for cardiovascular drug development. So far, the oral toxicity and antiarrhythmic effects of Rg2 have not been evaluated. Methods: Acute oral toxicity of Rg2 was assessed by the Limit Test method in mice. Subchronic oral toxicity was determined by repeated dose 28-day toxicity study in rats. Antiarrhythmic activities of Rg2 were evaluated in calcium chloride-induced arrhythmic rats. Antiarrhythmic mechanism of Rg2 was investigated in arrhythmic rats and H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Results: The results of toxicity studies indicated that Rg2 exhibited no single-dose (10 g/kg) acute oral toxicity. And 28-day repeated dose treatment with Rg2 (1.75, 3.5 and 5 g/kg/d) demonstrated minimal, if any, subchronic toxicity. Serum biochemical examination showed that total cholesterol in the high-dose cohort was dramatically decreased, whereas prothrombin time was increased at Day 28, suggesting that Rg2 might regulate lipid metabolism and have a potential anticoagulant effect. Moreover, pretreatment with Rg2 showed antiarrhythmic effects on the rat model of calcium chloride induced arrhythmia, in terms of the reduced duration time, mortality, and incidence of malignant arrhythmias. The antiarrhythmic mechanism of Rg2 might be the inhibition of calcium influx through L-type calcium channels by suppressing the phosphorylation of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. Conclusion: Our findings support the development of Rg2 as a promising antiarrhythmic drug with fewer side effects for clinical use.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.299-306
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• 1996

6-[(N-3,4-Dibromophenyl)amino]-7-chloro-5,8-quinolinedione(FCK13) was tested for antifungal activities. The MIC values were determined by the two-fold dilution method. The therapeutic potential of RCK13 had been assessed in comparison with ketoconazole and fluconazole against systemic infections with candida albicans in normal mice. RCK13 had ED50,0.80$\pm$0.21 mg/kg but ketoconazole had ED50, 8.00$\pm$0.73 mg/kg respectively. And administered RCK13 at the ED50 for 14 days improved survival rates as well as ketoconazole. Acute oral toxicity studies of RCK13 were carried out in ICR mice of both sexes. These acute oral toxicities of RCK13 were low and LD50 values were over 2,850 mg/kg in ICR mice. The genotoxicities of RCK13 had been evaluated. RCK13 was negative in Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium and chromosomal aberration test in CHL cells. The clastogenicity was tested on the RCK13 with in vivo mouse micronucleus assay. RCK13 did not show any clastogenic effect in mouse peripheral blood and was negative in mouse micronucleus assay. These results indicate that RCK13 has no genotoxic potential under these experimental conditions.

• CELLMED
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.8
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• 2021

The clinical condition Amnesia causes difficulty in learning new information and the inability to recall past events. It is primarily concerned with recent memory loss. Majoon-e-Nisyan (MJN) is a polyherbal Unani formulation, present in a semi-solid form. It is widely used potent drug of the Unani System of Medicine (USM) for treating Nisyan (amnesia). In the present study polyherbal Unani formulation, MJN has been studied for its quality control and acute toxicity. Standardization (quality control) of drugs deals with drug identity, drug quality and purity determination. Standardization of MJN had been done as per the Unani pharmacopoeial parameters approved by World Health Organization (WHO) - Pharmacognostical parameters, Physico-chemical parameters, high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), microbial load, aflatoxin, and heavy metals. Solvents and chemicals used in the study were of analytical grade and used instrument were calibrated. By conducting an acute oral toxicity study in rats, the safety of MJN was assessed. The limit test method of OECD guideline 425 was followed in the study. Results of standardization and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for preparation of MJN may serve as the standard reference in the future. The data generated in the study for the quality control of MJN proved the quality of formulation and shows that MJN is not toxic in rats following acute dosing up to 2000 mg/kg bw. The data obtained in the paper for MJN may be used as a standard guideline for preparation of the formulation which can save time, cost, and resources for future research endeavours.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.135-144
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• 1999

Environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants were evaluated by two selected bioassays, Lettuce seed germination/elongation test and Microtox acute toxicity test. Toxic chemicals (heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phenolic compounds) inhibited the germination rate and root elongation of Lettuce seed, as well as the bioluminescence of Microtox bacteria. When test biota were exposed to target chemicals, the sensitivity of Lettuce bioassay was relatively lower than that of Microtox bioassay. However, Lettuce bioassay may be a good candidate for prescreening the environmental toxicities of priority water pollutants, since the testing method with Lettuce seed was relatively easier and more economic than with Microtox bacteria. Toxicity tests were conducted to compare the validity and sensitivity of both bioassays for sediment from a small stream passed through urban area as well as leachate from a municipal solid waste landfill. From experimental results, we found that Lettuce test and Microtox test are compensated each other as a battery of bioassay for evaluating the environmental toxicities of field samples obtained from a small stream contaminated by pollutants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 2011

The purpose of the study is to analyze the environmental characteristics of fish acute toxicity that is dependent on the harmfulness of ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quat)-Treated Wood and Oryzias latipes mortality in a comprehensive way, provide objective verification method on the eco-toxicity and environment-friendliness of landscaping materials and methods, and utilize it as a basic datum for evaluation criteria. The main results are summarized as follows : 1. As a result of analysis on the harmfulness characteristics, each experimental plot showed different values respectively. In particular, it has been found that in proportion to the volume of testing materials, COD and Cu increases at a constant rate, compared to the input water. In the plot C with three testing materials, COD increased 67 times more than that of the input water, and Cu increased up to 12.36mg/L. 2. In case of fish toxicity, plot C, B, A all showed a mortality rate of 100%, indicating that fish toxicity is strong. In particular, the mortality rate of each plot within the initial time of one and a half hour showed clearly, which suggests that the fish toxicity is influenced by the increased concentration of hazardous substances depending on the volume ratio of testing materials. 3. As a result of comparison and analysis on the harmfulness and fish toxicity, the harmfulness showed different values on each experimental plot but, we found that the changing rate of values of toxicity of COD and Cu is mutually similar to that of mortality in the initial hour according to the experiment of fish toxicity, which shows that COD and Cu are major factors to increase fish toxicity.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.57-61
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• 2001

Tank mixing application of pesticides has been used to reduce labor and to control wide spectrum of pests, but it may cause significant pesticide poisoning on human and animals due to carelessness. The toxic response of pesticides for the tank mixtures and mixtures was investigated to determine acute toxicity and enzymatic change using experimental animals. Acute oral toxicity and acute dermal toxicity were tested by RDA test guideline. The $LD_{50}$ was calculated by probit analysis method and cholinesterase was measured with automatic analyzer. The toxicities were generally higher than estimated toxicities in tank mixing and mixture. Serum cholinesterase activity was inhibited more than expected at the dose levels of 1/5, 1/10 and 1/20 of $LD_{50}$. Therefore, the results of this study showed that acute toxicity caused by the pesticide mixtures should be considered before the tank mixing method is applied.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2020

BACKGROUND: Bumblebees have been shown to be very effective pollinators for most greenhouse tomatoes. Neonicotinoid insecticides are one of the most widely used pesticides in tomato crops in Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study was carried out to investigate the toxicity of four neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) to bumblebees based on the OECD guidelines (No.246, 247). The 48 hr LD₅₀ (㎍ a.i. /bumblebee) values in the acute contact toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.467; dinotefuran, 3.741; imidacloprid, 3.967; and thiamethoxam, 0.747. The 48 hr LD₅₀ values in the acute oral toxicity tests were determined as follows: clothianidin, 0.005; dinotefuran, 0.056; imidacloprid, 0.325; and thiamethoxam, 0.018. The acute contact and oral toxicity of the test insecticides to bumblebees from most to least toxic was clothianidin > thiamethoxam > dinotefuran > imidacloprid. CONCLUSION: This study provided the basic toxicological data of neonicotinoid insecticides for bumblebees. In the near future, acute toxicity and mixture toxicity of other pesticides to bumblebees could be determined using this method.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.56-60
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• 2000

A study was performed to determine the maintenance conditions of the earthworm, Lumbricus rubellus, for the acute toxicity test. To fine out climatic and soil conditions, the earthworms were maintained in artificial soil consisting of sand, clay mineral and peat at different levels of conditions for 14 days. Lumbricus rubellus led to an increase of biomass at temperature $22{\pm}2^{\circ}C$, soil pH $7.0{\pm}1$ and moisture 40%. And four fungicides were tested for acute toxicities to Lumbricus rubellus, according to the optimum condition. The test earthworms were exposed to each pesticide with various concentration gradients. After 14 days, the number of surviving earthworms and their weight alteration during the test period was determined. The 14-day $LC_{50}$ values for the Lumbricus rubellus, of carbendazim, benomyl, thiophanate-methyl and thiabendazole were determined to be 59, 53, 64 and 36 mg/ kg soil dry weight, respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.46-52
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• 2007

A toxicity method using bioluminescence producing bacteria, Escherichia coli DH5 RB1436, was developed and applied on solid environmental samples. In the assay, 1 g soil sample was mixed with 4 ml RB1436 strain. Sets amended with p-buffer were employed for control in soil test, showing approximately 108% of sets amended with combusted soils. Measurable differences were observed between relatively more polluted groups (HP) and less polluted groups (LP) of soil samples, showing average toxicity 43 and 26%, respectively, in direct soil toxicity test. $EC_{50}$'s for all soil groups appeared in the range of $1.8{\sim}4.6\;g$, but those of sediments from dam reservoir and refuses were below 0.22 g. This developed bioassay should prove useful as a screening test for toxicity in various types of environmental solid samples.