• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.1 s.124
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• pp.1-5
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• 2001

The Chinese crude drug, 'Yong Dam (龍膽)' which is derived from the root of Gentiana plants of the family Gentianaceae, has been used as remedy for stomachic, intestinal catarrh, convulsion, etc. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam', it has been considered to be Gentiana species of Gentianaceae, especially Gentiana scabra, but there has no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam' from Korea, we studied on the anatomical characteristics of Gentiana species growing wild in Korea i.e. Gentiana scabra var. buergeri, G. uchiyamai, G. triflora, G. axillariflora var. coreana and of 'Yong Dam' from Korea on Korean market. Through our studies, the botanical origin of 'Yong Dam' from Korea was proved to be Gentiana scabra var. buergeri and Gentiana axillariflora var. coreana.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.523-529
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• 2008

We confirmed an unrecorded taxon under the genus Gentianopsis (Gentianaceae) into Gentianopsis contorta (Royle) Ma, which was collected from Geumdaebong, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do in the central part of Korean peninsula. This taxon was known to be distributed mainly Himalayan mountainous area such as India, Nepal and Pakistan, and also growing in China and Japan. In this study, we carried out species description based on the morphological characters, and gave the new Korean name, 'Kko-in-yong-dam' by the characteristics of floral morphology. In addition, some fine figures on several important characters and key to the this and relative species were provided.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.4 s.127
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• pp.287-291
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• 2001

The Radix of Gentiana macrophylla (Gentianaceae) has been used for dispelling wind-damp, relaxing the sinews, and clearing heat from deficiency. In order to evaluate its quality, the method for the quantitative determination of gentiopicroside as standard compound has been developed. Gentiopicroside was a major compound of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix. It was analyzed by HPLC using 30% MeOH as a solvent system. The amount of gentiopicroside from Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix was in the range of $2.22{\pm}1.22%\;(n=18)$.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.61-73
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• 2003

External and anatomical characters such as stem, leaf, ovary, calyx lobe, ultrastructure of stigma epidermis of leaf blade and midvein, corolla lobe, seed coat and pollen were examined on Pterygocalyx volubilis and Tripterospermum japonicum of Korean Gentianaceae. Fruit characters(capsule and berry), absent or not of corona and pollen characters(reticulate and striate) has been used by identification characters of two taxa. But study results, external characters(root, leaf, calyx lobe, stigma, anther), internal characters(calyx love, ovary) and ultrastructure characters(epidermis o leaf blade and midvein, corolla lobe, seed coat) were useful for species identification. Taxonomic relationships among problematic taxa were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2006

Anatomical and ultra-structural investigations on the vegetative and reproductive characters include stem, leaf, ovary, sepal, corolla, stigma, and seed surface on 10 taxa of the Korean Gentiana (Gentianaceae) were carried out to clarify the section and species limitation, As the results, taxonomic boundaries of the section, subsection, and series were recognized by using characters such as stem, leaf, sepal, ovary, and corolla. Also the seed morphology and testa surfaces were well defined at the species level.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.66-79
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• 2000

Anatomical characters such as stem, leaf, ovary, calyx lobe, ultrastructure of stigma, epidermis of leaf blade and midvein, corolla lobe, nectary, seed coat and pollen were examined on 6 taxa of Korean Ophelia, including 5 taxa distributed in south Korea and one taxon considered to be the variation type of Ophelia wilfordi, in order to clarify the limits of intersection and interspecies and to establish the taxonomic position. One taxon distributed in north Korea was also included in the description of species by observation of herbarium specimen of the University of Tokyo in Japan. The two sections were successfully distinguished by internal structure of ovary, morphology of nectary, surface sculpturing of corolla lobe and pollen, ultrastructure of seed and seed coat, which were useful characters to distinguish taxa higher than species. The variation type of Ophelia wilfordi was not distinguished with other species except for absent or present of purple spot in corolla lobe.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.324-339
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• 1999

Morphological reinvestigation, external characters and discriminant functional analysis(44 qualitative characters) were examined on 6 taxa of Korean Ophelia, including 5 taxa distributed in south Korea, and one taxon considered to be the variation type of Ophelia wilfordi in order to clarify the limit of intersection and interspecies. And to establish the taxonomic position. One taxon distributed in north Korea was included in the description of species by observation of herbarium specimen of the University of Tokyo in Japan. The two sections were successfully distinguished by internal structure of ovary, morphology of nectary, number of corolla lobe and calyx lobe, and species were also distinguished by morphology of cauline leaf, and color and spot of corolla, respectively. The variation type of Ophelia wilfordi was not distinguished with other species except for absent or present of purple spot in corolla lobe. The results of the discriminal functional analysis indicated that characters of corolla were the most important qualitative characters to distinguish the Ophelia taxa, and morphology of seed and seed coat was useful characters to distinguish taxa higher than species. Therefore the difficult problems of identification of species were successfully solved, and the taxonomic position in intrageneric level was clarified on Korean Ophelia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.313-319
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• 2013

A Korean folk medicine, "DangYak (當藥)" has been used as a bitter stomachic in Korea. With regard to the botanical origin of this crude drug, it has been considered to be from Swertia species (Gentianaceae), but there was no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. In this study, the morphological and anatomical characteristics of three Swertia species growing in Korea, Swertia japonica Makino, S. pseudochinensis Hara and S. tetrapetala Pall. were compared to clarify the botanical origin of "DangYak". As a result, it was determined that the commercial "DangYak" from Korean traditional market was proved to be the whole plant body mixture of Swertia japonica and Swertia pseudochinensis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.173-176
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• 1999

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a $H_2O$ extract of the roots of Gentiana scabra has furnished 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (1) as an inhibitory compound for nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with $interferon-{\gamma}$ plus lipopolysaccharide. Compound 1 showed the moderate inhibition of NO production with $IC_{50}$ value of $803\;{\mu}M$.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-25
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• 1981

Methanol extracts of the roots of Atractylodes japonica (alba) (Compositae) and Gentiana scabra (Gentianaceae) were further fractionated with n-butanol, chloroform, n-hexane and water. Then each fraction was p.o. administered to an animal model of hepatitis caused by $CCl_4$ intoxication. Measurements of sleeping time of mice induced by hexobarbital administration indicated that n-butanol and chloroform fractions of Atractylodes japonica (alba), and chloroform and n-hexane fractions of Gentiana scabra showed significant liver protective activities. Measurements of the activities of serum transaminase, S-GOT and S-GPT appeared to support these results.