• 제목/요약/키워드: chicago school

검색결과 149건 처리시간 0.026초

The anti-hyperglycemic property of different ginseng partitions

  • Xie, Jing-Tian;Wang, Chong-Zhi;Kim, Stephen;Yuan, Chun-Su
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • 제5권1호
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    • pp.1-15
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    • 2005
  • Ginseng is a popular medicinal plant highly valued throughout the world. Asian ginseng is one of the most common species of ginseng. It has long occupied a significant position in oriental medicine and has been justified its name as the 'king herb'. As a nutritional supplement, ginseng is an extremely common and popular herbal medicine in the United States and Canada in recent decades. The multiple constituents of ginseng possess equally multifaceted pharmacological actions as demonstrated by numerous studies. Ginseng root and its constituents influenced the central nervous system, endocrine, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal system, sexual, renal organ and immune system, etc. One important action is its anti-hyperglycemic effect. Previous studies on ginseng demonstrate that only the root of ginseng has been used in the treatment of diabetes, while the other parts of ginseng plant were always neglected. Recently, we analyzed the constituents of ginseng berry, leaf and discovered that ginseng berry, leaf extracts and its total ginsenosides have the ability to reduce hyperglycemia and body weight and increase the peripheral glucose utilization in obese or diabetic ob/ob or db/db mice. Our data suggest that all parts of ginseng plant, including root, berry, leaf and stem exhibit potent anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obese effects and may provide an opportunity to develop a novel class of anti-diabetic agents.

Determination of polyphenolic compounds in grape seed extracts using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography

  • Wang, Chong-Zhi;Osinski, Joachim;Shao, Zuo-Hui;Basila, Daniel;Kim, Stephen;Yuan, Chun-Su
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • 제4권4호
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    • pp.267-273
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    • 2004
  • Oxidative stress is associated with many kinds of chronic diseases. Antioxidants such as polyphenols are compounds that protect cells against the damaging effects of reactive oxygen species. Grape seeds are considered good resources of polyphenols, and grape seed extracts have a very strong antioxidant effect. In the present study, we established a simple gradient reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography method to determine polyphenol content from three different grape seed resources. An ODS (2), $150\;{\times}\;3.2\;mm$ column has been employed, and six polyphenols have been determined: gallic acid, protochatechuic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, and epicatechin gallate. Catechin and epicatechin were the main polyphenol compounds in all three extracts. The amount of procyanidin B2 was higher in Extract 1 (from a company of China), while Extract 2 (extracted in our lab) and Extract 3 (from a company of USA) contained higher proportions of epicatechin gallate. For the total polyphenol content, Extract 1 was much higher than that of Extract 2 and 3. The results suggest that the dietary dose of grape seed extracts from different resources should be adjusted according to polyphenol content.

Chemical and Pharmacological Studies of Saponins with a Focus on American Ginseng

  • Yuan, Chun-Su;Wang, Chong-Zhi;Wicks, Sheila M.;Qi, Lian-Wen
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
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    • 제34권3호
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    • pp.160-167
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    • 2010
  • Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) are the two most recognized ginseng botanicals. It is believed that the ginseng saponins called ginsenosides are the major active constituents in both ginsengs. Although American ginseng is not as extensively studied as Asian ginseng, it is one of the best selling herbs in the US, and has garnered increasing attention from scientists in recent years. In this article, after a brief introduction of the distribution and cultivation of American ginseng, we discuss chemical analysis of saponins from these two ginsengs, i.e., their similarities and differences. Subsequently, we review pharmacological effects of the saponins, including the effects on the cardiovascular system, immune system, and central nervous system as well as the anti-diabetes and anti-cancer effects. These investigations were mainly derived from American ginseng studies. We also discuss evidence suggesting that chemical modifications of ginseng saponins would be a valuable approach to develop novel compounds in drug discovery.

Toll-like Receptor 2 in Autoimmune Inflammation

  • Kathryne E. Marks;Kaylin Cho;Courtney Stickling;Joseph M. Reynolds
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
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    • 제21권3호
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    • pp.18.1-18.13
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    • 2021
  • TLR signaling is critical for broad scale immune recognition of pathogens and/or danger molecules. TLRs are particularly important for the activation and the maturation of cells comprising the innate immune response. In recent years it has become apparent that several different TLRs regulate the function of lymphocytes as well, albeit to a lesser degree compared to innate immunity. TLR2 heterodimerizes with either TLR1 or TLR6 to broadly recognize bacterial lipopeptides as well as several danger-associated molecular patterns. In general, TLR2 signaling promotes immune cell activation leading to tissue inflammation, which is advantageous for combating an infection. Conversely, inappropriate or dysfunctional TLR2 signaling leading to an overactive inflammatory response could be detrimental during sterile inflammation and autoimmune disease. This review will highlight and discuss recent research advances linking TLR2 engagement to autoimmune inflammation.

Is ginseng free from adverse effects?

  • Xie, Jing-Tian;Mehendale, Sangeeta R.;Maleckar, Spring A.;Yuan, Chun-Su
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • 제2권2호
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    • pp.80-86
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    • 2002
  • Ginseng is a perennial herb widely used in China, Japan, and Korea. It is also one of the most commonly used herbal medicines in the U.S. Although it is generally considered safe to use, adverse effects associated with ginseng use have been reported. Inappropriate ginseng use, such as high dose administration, may cause insomnia, headaches, diarrhea, as well as cardiovascular and endocrine disorders. Other factors that may contribute to adverse effects of ginseng include the variety of ginseng species, variability in commercial ginseng preparations, and potential ginseng-drug interactions. To minimize adverse effects of ginseng, consumers should be advised to use it appropriately, and the herbal industry should try to provide standardized ginseng preparations.