• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.33-35
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• 1991

Heavy metals may cause trouble(s) in human body. For consideration of the safety of crude drugs cultivated in Korea, we selected some medicinal plants and soils from cultivated site and estimated their heavy metal contents by inductively coupled argon plasma spectrometry (ICAP). Among heavy metals tested, the highest level of Cu and Zn were shown in plants cultivated in Kyung Ki; the highest level of Fe in those in Youngnam and the highest level of Mg and Mn in those in Youngdong. The heavy metal content s were as low as to be permeasible at least for the medicinal plants we selected. There were no significant correlations between heavy metal contents of soils and cultivated medicinal plants.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.506-509
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• 2014

This study was conducted to identify transition characteristics of mercury in several selected medicinal plants and to find the appropriate management for production of safety food. Cultivated soils and medicinal plants were collected at 29 sites for Angelica gigas (Korean angelica root), 68 sites for Platycodon grandiflorum (Balloon flower), 35 sites for codonopsis lanceolata (Deoduck), 36 sites for Dioscorea batatas (Chinese yam), 32 sites for Rehmannia glutinosa (Foxglove), 16 sites for Cnidium officinale makino (cnidium), and 26 sites for Astragalus membranaceus (milk vetch root) during the harvest season of 2013. Mercury in the soils and medicinal roots were analyzed with a Direct Mercury Analyzer. Average content of mercury in soils cultivated medicinal plants was $0.023mg\;kg^{-1}$ (range: from 0.003 to $0.074mg\;kg^{-1}$) and average content of mercury in medicinal plants was $0.003mg\;kg^{-1}$ (range: from 0.001 to $0.011mg\;kg^{-1}$), indicating that mercury in the surveyed soils and medicinal plants were not exceeded the Korean regulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.336-341
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• 2007

Antioxidant activity of Astragalus membranaceus, Polygonatum stenophyllum, Angelica gigas, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and Angelica pubescens extracts cultivated in Jecheon prepared with different solvents were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl(DPPH) radical scarvenging ability and thiocyanate method . The highest hydroxy radical scarvenging activity was shown in Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, while the lowest was in Polygonatum stenophyllum. Angelica gigas showed strong antioxidant activity by thiocyanate method. Methanol extracts and water extracts showed higher antioxidant activities than ethanol extracts. Angelica pubescens showed the highest polyphenol contents and Acanthopanax sessiliflorus showed the highest flavonoid contents. Direct correlation between the hydroxy radical scavenging activity and polyphenol contents or flavonoid contents was established by simple regression(r>0.8) in each solvent extracts. Among medicinal plants cultivated in Jecheon, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and Angelica pubescens showed strong antioxidant activities. These results suggest that methanol or water extracts of several medicinal plant cultivated in Jecheon could be used as natural antioxidants.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.125-156
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• 1971

The nation-wide medicinal plants list is prepared on the basis of the collected plant samples from 22 places of 9 regions where the authors possiblely surveyed and the references on field survey reported by others. No one has reported this kind of list before and the Engler's classification system is applied in this list instead of the previously applied Nakai's classification system. And also Korean name, occurrence, distribution, medicinal part, and name of crude drugs are described in the list. According to the results of this study, the number of the natural and cultivated medicinal plants in Korea are 950 kinds presently; i.e., 719 species, 1 subspecies, 209 varieties, 1 subvariety and 20 formas which belong to 142 families and 437 genera. Out of the 950 medicinal plants, cryptogamae are 22, herbs 550 and woodies are 278. The usual common drugs are 284 kinds and the allied plants are estimated 160 kinds. And there are some folk medicines and un-utillized medicinal plants.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2008

Objectives : Through surveying the vegetation of woody plants naturally growing in the Chonnam Area. we expect to make good use of the surveyed data for the conservation and utilization of woody plants in the Chonnam Area. And also we hope that we could make a good opportunity to love and conserve the Chonnam Area through this report. Methods : we inspected native and cultivated medicinal woody plants in the Chonnam Area by report and survey, and researched medicinal part through the herbalogy literature. Results : 1. According to the investigation of medicinal woody plant in the Chonnam area, it bears 189 species, 139 genera and 62 families. 2. Rosaceae and Quercus are the biggest share of medicinal woody plants in the Chonnam area. 3. In aspect of medicinal part, roots of 100 species, leaves of 102 species, fruits of 80 species, and barks of 67 species have been using. The leaves part of the most plants are abundantly used. 4. About 30 species of medicinal woody plants are distributed distinctively in Korea. Conclusions : According to the investigation of medicinal woody plant in the Chonnam area, it bears 189 species, 139 genera and 62 families.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2014

Soil properties and heavy metal (HM) concentrations in the field soils where balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorum, BF) were cultivated, were investigated together with HM (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) accumulation by the BF roots. Basically, in most soils examined (51-97% among 65 samples), the chemical properties including soil pH, organic matter, available-P, and exchangeable cation contents appeared to be lower than the optimal ranges for balloon flower cultivation. There were no samples exceeding the standard limits for HM in soils. Instead, the total HM concentration levels in soils appeared to be maintained at around background levels for general soil in Korea. This implied that elevated HM accumulation in the soils caused by any possible input sources was unlikely. Even though the BF cultivated soils were not contaminated by HM, it was appeared that substantial amount of Cd was accumulated in BF roots with 1.5% and 35% roots samples exceeding the standard limits legislated for BF root ($0.81mg\;kg^{-1}DW$) and herbal plants ($0.3mg\;kg^{-1}DW$), respectively. This implied that the soil HM standard limits based on the total concentration does not reflect well the metal accumulation by plants and also it is likely that the Cd standard limits for BF and herbal plants is too restrict.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.11-17
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• 2024

Objective : The purpose of this dissertation is to make a list of the Rhodophyta growing naturally in the Korean coastal waters, and to carry out a survey on the current distribution status to investigate the Bangiaceae which can be used as medicinal herbs. Methods : References and research papers about herbology published at home and abroad were examined. Results : A list was made about Bangiaceae plant which were cultivated or grew naturally in Korea, after investigated the data on domestic and foreign Bangiaceae plants. Out of those lists, serviceable plants were selected , their distributions were analysed. 1. A total of 2 genera and 18 species of Bangiaceae were found in the Korean coastal waters among which 1 genera and 4 species(approximately 22%) were medicinal plants. 2. Out of the 18 species of Bangiaceae 16 species belonged to Porphyra, and out of the 4 species of medicinal plants 4 species belonged to Porphyra. 3. Among the medicinal parts 4 species belonged to algae species had cold property, and had salty and sweet flavors. 4. 4 species had the efficacy of Lung, Spleen and bladder meridian had the potency of soften hardness, which helps to remove hard clots generated, cure phlegm in human body. 5. No toxic drugs were detected. Conclusion : There were totaled to 18 genera and 2 species in Bangiaceae in Korea and among them medicinal plants are 1 genera, 4 species, some 22% in total.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.27-33
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• 2016

Objective : For the purpose of developing Korean herbology of the plants to Fumariaceae in Korea, the literatures of the successive generations have been thoroughly investigated to prepare this article.Methods : Books and research papers about Herbology which published at home and abroad were examined.Results : A list was made about Fumariaceae plant which were cultivated or grew naturally in Korea, after investigated the data on domestic and foreign Fumariaceae plants. Out of those lists, serviceable plants were selected and with those available plants, their distributions were analysed and parts which can be used as medicines were divided into 3 categories such as oriental medicine name, scientific name and non-official name. Fumariaceae's properties flavor, channels they use, effects, and toxicity were also noted. Fumariaceae (grew in Korea) were divided into 3 classes with 23 species. Out of those, 2 classes with 9 species were found serviceable which indicates 39% of all. Out of all 23 species of Fumariaceae family, Corydalis genus were found 21 species, which were shown the most. Among Fumariaceae species, Corydalis genus were found 8 medicinal plants, which were shown the most. Out of all serviceable parts in Fumariaceae, Herba and Tuber parts took first place as 5 species. There are 2 toxic species and 3 toxic medicinal parts, the survey said.Conclusion : There were totaled to 3 genera and 23 species in Fumariaceae in Korea and among them medicinal plants are 2 genera, 9 species, some 39 in total.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.217-225
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• 1972

Mt. Deok-Yu is situated on the border of Chun-Buk and Kyung-Nam Do, Korea. The peak of Dae Deok-yu (1608m) and Nam Deok-Yu (1508m) is the highest of Mt. Deok-yu range and it has many other high peaks. The plant of Mt. Deok-yu were collected from May 1964 to August 1972. The natural and cultivated medicinal plants include 98 families, 213 genera, 305 species, 53 varietes, 3 formas and 360 kinds.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2002

The tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine (its racemic form being atropine) and scopolamine are used medicinally as anticholinergic agents that act on the parasympathetic nerve system. Because they differ in their actions on the central nervous system, currently there is a 10-fold higher commercial demand for scopolamine, in the N-butylbromide form, than there is for hyoscyamine and atropine combined. Several solanaceous species have been used as the commercial sources of these alkaloids, but the scopolamine contents in these plants often are much lower than those of hyoscyamine. For this reason there has been long-standing interest in increasing the scopolamine contents of cultivated medicinal plants. Naturally occurring and artificial interspecific hybrids of Duboisia have high scopolamine contents and are cultivated as a commercial source of scopolamine in Australia and other countries. Anther culture combined with conventional interspecific hybridization also has been used to breed high scopolamine-containing plants in the genera Datura and Hyoscyamus, but without much success. The use of recombinant DNA technology for the manipulation of metabolic processes in cells promises to provide important contributions to basic science, agriculture, and medicine. In this review, I introduce on the enzymes and genes involved in tropane alkaloid biosynthesis and current progress in metabolic engineering approaches for tropane alkaloid, especially scopolamine, production.