• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.370-381
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• 2018

Background: To enhance the taste and physiological characteristics of Lycii fructus (Gugija) extracts, we investigated the changes in the physiological characteristics of Gugija extracts caused by adding white ginseng (WG) and red ginseng (RG) Methods and Results: Gugija extracts, including 10G10, 10GW-G8 : 2, -G6 : 4, -G4 : 6, -G2 : 8, and -G0 (mixtures made by replacing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of Gugija with WG), as well as 10G10, 10GR-G8 : 2, -G6 : 4, -G4 : 6, -G2 : 8, and -G0 (mixture made by replacing 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of Gugija with RG) were extracted with water at 10 times the respective mixture's volume. The antioxidant activities of Gugija extracts were investigated by assessing their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis(3ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) activity, nitrite scavenging activity, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. As the amount of WG added increased, the DPPH, and, ABTS radical scavenging activity, and FRAP activity of the Gugija extract decreased. The half maximal inhibitory concentration ($IC_{50}$) value of 10G10, 10GW-G6 : 4, 10GR-G6 : 4, and 10GR-G0 for DPPH radical scavenging activity were $25.50{\pm}1.04$, $52.06{\pm}1.46$, $16.87{\pm}1.24$, and $9.50{\pm}0.16{\mu}{\ell}/m{\ell}$, respectively. On the other hand, the physiological activity of Gugija extract increased with the addition of increasing amounts of RG. However, ACE inhibitory activity was the highest ($50.25{\pm}2.58%$) in the Gugija 10-fold extract without any added RG. Conclusions: From the above results, we suggest that adding RG to Gugija extracts increase their antioxidant, FRAP, and nitrite scavenging activities.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.54-58
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• 2000

Methanol extracts of 27 Brazilian plant samples and 10 oriental medicinal plant samples (27 families), using spectrophotometric and paper disc agar diffusion methods under anaerobic conditions, were tested in vitro for their growth-inhibiting activities against Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Clostridium perfringens, and Bacteroides fragilis. The responses varied with bacterial strains, plant species, and tissues sampled. In a test with B. longum and B. bifidum(20 mg/disc), extracts of Acanthopanax sessilifolinus stem bark and Ampelozizyphus amazonicus leaves strongly inhibited the growth of B. longum, whereas other plant samples did not inhibit any intestinal bacteria tested. At 5 mg/disc, adding extracts of Aralia eleta, Euterpe oleracea, and Syzygium guineense to the media strongly inhibited the growth of C. perfringens and B. fragilis without growth inhibition of B. adolescentis, B. longum, and B. bifidum. Extracts of Jacaranda mimosifolia and Ulmus paraifolia significantly inhibited the growth of C. perfringens and B. fragilis as well as B. adolescentis. These results may be indications of at least one of the pharmacological actions of the five Brazilian plants but not oriental medicinal plants tested.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to evaluate cytoprotective effect of Korean medicinal plants on alcohol-induced cytotoxicity in liver cells. Out of the 120 plant extracts tested in this study, 53 plant extracts enhanced alcohol-induced cytotoxicity in liver cells by 50~80%, while other 11 plant extracts including Crataegus pinnatifida reduced cytotoxicity by 1~68%. The results of DPPH free radical test and LDL lipid peroxidation test on the plant extracts that sharply reduced cytotoxicity in liver cells shows that Crataegus pinnatifida and Cinnamomum cassia had antioxidative effect. This study reports that the plant extracts that enhance or reduce ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in liver cells can be research objects as cytotoxic plants or cytotoxicity-protective plants.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.600-604
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• 1998

Methanol extracts from 53 species of oriental medicinal plants in 34 families were tested for their fungicidal activities against Pyricularia grisea, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora infestans, Collectotrichum dematium, Botryospaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum, Botrytis cinerea, Puccinia recondita, and Erysiphe graminis. In in vitro study using impregnated paper disc method, the efficacy varied with both plant pathogen and plant species tested. Methanol extracts of Asarum sieboldii roots, Sinomenium acutum roots, Pinus densiflora leaves, Rheum undulatum root barks, Coptis japonica roots, and Phellodendron amurense barks showed potent fungicidal activities against the various pathogens when treated with 10 mg/disc. In a whole plant test, methanol extracts of P. densiflora leaves and roots and C. japonica roots were highly effective against a variety of plant pathogens. As a naturally occurring fungicide, P. densiflora- and C. japonica-derived materials could be useful as new fungicidal products against various plant diseases induced by plant pathogenic fungi.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.413-419
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• 2008

Phenolics level, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant were determined from the methanol extracts of the eight medicinal plants using roots. Total phenolics were found as the highest levels in the methanol extracts of Arctium lappa, and followed by Youngia sonchifolia and Cirsium japonicum. Total amount of the each phenol compounds were detected in C. japonicum extracts ($319.2\;mg\;kg^{-1}$) as the greatest component, and followed by A. lappa ($96.3\;mg\;kg^{-1}$) and Y. sonchifolia ($22.9\;mg\;kg^{-1}$). Total flavonoid content showed the highest amount in methanol extracts from A. lappa (68.1 mg $100\;g^{-1}$) and followed by Y. sonchifolia (11.2 mg $100\;g^{-1}$) Lycoris radiate extracts (87.2%) had the highest nitrite scavenging activity and followed by A. lappa (81.5%) and Y. sonchifolia (77.5%). Methanol extracts of A. lappa at 25 mg $100\;g^{-1}$ exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity by 90.8%, even though less activity than synthetic antioxidants Vitamin C or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Level of polyphenols was highly correlated with anti oxidative activity ($r^2$ = 0.85). The results suggest that several medicinal plants selected had the potent biological activities, and that their activities were differential depending on plant species.

• Korean Journal of Korean Medical Institute of Dermatology and Aesthetics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 2005

(1) Objectives: To discover natural skin-lightening agents, we have evaluated the inhibitory activity of EtOH extracts from 20 medicinal plants against mushroom tyrosinase. (2) Methods: Tyrosinase activity was determined by the dopachrome method using L-tyrosine as the substrates. (3) Results: Of the plant extracts tested, the extracts of 4 plants, Albizzia julibrissin, Curcuma longa, Anethum graveolens and Sophora flavescens, exhibited potent inhibitory activity (> 50%) in mushroom tyrosinase assay. Four plant extract, extracts of Agrimonia pilosa, Paeonia moutan, Magnolia obovata and Eugenia caryophyllata also showed relatively strong inhibitory (> 40%) against mushroom tyrosinase. (4) Conclusion: These active medicinal plants may be useful for the development of skin-whitening agents. Since the active medicinal plants may contain effective tyrosinase inhibitors even more than kojic acid, further study to identify the active constituents from the plants is expected.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.187-193
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• 2014

To identify potential gastrointestinal prokinetic agents, water and 70% ethanol extracts and isolated compounds from 41 different traditional medicinal herbs were evaluated for the stimulation of gastrointestinal (GI) motility in vivo. Of the 41 water and 70% ethanol extracts, 12 extracts were found to enhance GI motility activity in mice by more than 10%. The 12 extracts are as follows: Atractylodes japonica (root), Crataegus pinnatifida (flower), Aucklandia lappa (root), Inula helenium (root), Cynanchum wilfordii (root), Chinese Liriope platyphylla (root), Codonopsis pilosula (root), Glehnia littoralis (root), Pinellia ternate (tuber), Agastache rugosa (aerial part), Angelica decursiva (whole plant), and Peucedanum praeruptorum (whole plant). In particular, the extracts from Atractylodes japonica (root), Cynanchum wilfordii (root) and Angelica decursiva (whole plant) have demonstrated the highest GI motility activity. In addition, 26 isolated compounds from the medicinal herbs were tested, and 8 isolated compounds were found to be active. They are ${\alpha}$-ionone, ${\beta}$-ionone, trans-caryophyllene, cedrol, methyl-3,5-di-O-E-caffeoyl-quinate, lobetyolin, oleoyllinoleoylolein and cis-jasmone. ${\beta}$-ionone from Aucklandia lappa (root) showed the most potent GI motility activity. The active traditional medicinal herbs and isolated compounds might be therapeutically advantageous in the treatment of GI motility disorders.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.53-60
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• 2010

Objectives : This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidative and fibrinolytic activity of the water and ethanol extracts from medicinal plants. Methods : Five kinds of medicinal plants(Carthami Flos, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Schisandrae Fructus, Atractylodes Rhizoma, Shiitake mushiroom) were extracted with distilled water and 70% ethanol, and the extracts were tested for their antioxidative and fibrilytic activities. Results : The highest polyphenol contents of the water and ethanol extracts from medicinal plants were 812.52 mg and 685.44 mg per 100 g of Carthamus tinctorius and Schizandra chinensis, respectively. The electron donating abilities (EDA) of the water extracts from all medicinal plants except Lentinus edodes were about 90% at 1,000 ppm and ethanol extracts were higher than those of water extracts. The highest SOD-like activity and nitrite scavenging abilities (NSA) were both of water and ethanol extracts from Schizandra chinensis. Five kinds of medicinal plants had fibrinolytoc activity and the highest activities were water and ethanol extracts from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. Conclusion : These results suggest that the medicinal plants can be used as natural antioxidant to prevent oxidative damage in normal cells probably because of their antioxidative and fibrinolytic activities.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.110-114
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• 2002

The repellent activity of methanol extracts from 8 aromatic medicinal plant species and a steam distillate against blood-starved Aedes aegypti (L.) females was laboratory examined by skin test and compared with that of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (deet). Reponeses varied according to Plant species. At a dose of $0.1mg/\textrm{cm}^2$, potent repellency against adult mosquitoes was obtained with extracts of Cinnamomum camphora (94.1 %) Cinnamomum cassia bark (91.2%), Eugenia caryophyllata flower bud (72.2%), and Tilia amurensis (69.4%). Repellent activity of these plant extracts was comparable to that of deet (83.4%). The plants described merit further study as potential mosquito-repellent agents.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2004

Prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) is proline-specific serine protease, cleaving peptide bonds on the biologically active neuropeptides such as substance P, vassopressin, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone and is, therefore, suggested to play important roles in learning and memory process. In this work, the inhibitory effect of plant extracts on PEP was investigated. Out of 200 plant extracts, Prunus mume, Pyrola. japonica, Hypericum ascyron, Astilbe chinensis var. typica, and Elaeagnus umbellata inhibited more than 90% of PEP activity at the concentration of 5 ppm.