• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.111-122
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• 2008

Objective : Herb medicines are potential sources of useful edible and medicinal plants. They are used as a drug because of their various biological activities such as immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor functions. Nelumbo nucifera have been applied in Chinese herbal prescriptions to improve tissue inflammation. However, it has not been elucidated on the effect of the flower of Nelumbo nucifera in cells. Method : In the present study, to examine the effect of that on glioma cells, U87, the essential oil was extracted from the flower of Nelumbo nucifera (NN essential oil). U87 cells were exposed to different concentrations of 2-40 ug/ml of NN essential oil in ethanol. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay at 24 h. To find out the intracellular target signal molecule(s) for this antiproliferative activity of NN essential oil, phosphorylation of Akt, ERM, MAPK or p38 proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. To study long term effect of NN essential oil in U87 cells, the image of cells treated with NN essential oil for 4 days were obtained. Results and Conclusion : NN essential oil was shown to exhibit antitumor activity in glioma cells, at a broad range of concentrations of 10-40 ug/ml. The phosphorylation of Akt and Endoplasmic Reticulum Matrix (ERM) proteins which known to be involved in the cell death, were gradually decreased to 2 hours after addition 20 ug/ml of NN essential oil. However, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) and p38 was found to increase in NN essential oil treated cells. NN essential oil treated cells showed decreased glioma cell number. These results provide a possible NN essential oil-induced inhibitory signal for tumor cell proliferation that is initiated by the decrease in Akt activity. Moreover, it is likely that the activation of p38 is required for the NN essential oil-induced inhibition of tumor proliferation.

• 생약학회지
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• 제38권2호통권149호
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• pp.123-127
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• 2007

Aristolochic acid (AA) included in the plants Aristolochiaceae have been well known to be nephrotoxic and carcinogenic inducer and to cause renal disease such as Chinese Herb Nephropathy (CHN). In this study, we used a high performance liquid chromatopaphy-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) under the positive ion detection mode for the quantitative change of aristolochic acid-I and-II (AA-I and AA-II) in Aristolochiaceae (Aristolochia contorta Bunge, Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc., Aristolochia fangchi Wu), some related plants (Cocculus trilobus De candolle, Inula helenium Linne, Saussurea lappa Clarke), and its prescriptions (防己茯笭湯, 定喘散) with or without processing. Here, the processing methods and prescriptions in oriental medicine were generally used to alleviate toxicity or alter property of herbal medicines. However, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II were highly determined in processed material extracts rather than unprocessed those, not measured in some related plants. Also, the concentrations of AA-I and AA-II even at the prescriptions mixed the plants of Aristolochiaceae were detected to range from 0.73 to 2.53 ppm. Thus, the present results suggest that the content of AA-I and AA-II contained to plants of Aristolochiaceae was not reduced by the processing methods or prescriptions which can induce the physico-chemical change and pharmacological transformation in traditional herbal medicines.

• 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.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.285-292
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• 2014

Essential oil yields and chemical compositions from 5 populations of Chamaecyparis obtusa with several environmental factors were investigated through essential oil extracted distillation apparatus and metabolite profiling by GC-MS analysis. Among the populations, content of essential oil at Gokseong was significantly higher than other populations. To compare the several environmental factors affecting on chemical composition and essential oil yields from C. obtuse at Gokseong, the environmental factors (soil condition, temperature, humidity, and moisture content) were measured during 1 year. The essential oils at Goksung based on humidity on March, July, and November was significantly different from other months. The essential oils at Goksung based on temperature on July and August was significantly different from other months. The essential oils at Goksung based on the moisture content on September were significantly different from other months. The percentage of T-N, OM, and yield of oil at Gokseong were significantly different on from other populations. The main constituents of C. obtusa at all populations were ${\alpha}$-pinene, ${\beta}$-pinene, ${\alpha}$-terpinene, ${\gamma}$-terpinene, terpinene-4-ol, isobonyl acetate, terpinyl acetate, and cedar acetate. Specially, Essential oil compositions (%) of ${\alpha}$-terpinene and cedar acetate were higher at Gokseong than at other populations. The chemical compositions of essential oils were variable depend on populations and environmental conditions. Therefore, this study might be used as fundamental research on study for selection of high productive terpenoids and for understanding about biosynthesis of essential oils in C. obtusa.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제31권5호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Objectives : Nardostachys jatamansi (NJ) is a medicinal herb that has been reported in various traditional systems of medicine for its use in antispasmodic, a digestive stimulant, skin diseases. Previous studies have already reported that NJ effectively protects against inflammation. However, the active compound in NJ is unknown. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed effects of a compound, 8α-hydroxy pinoresinol (HP), isolated from NJ against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells.Methods : To examine the anti-inflammatory effect of HP against LPS, intraperitoneally pre-treat the HP (100, 200, 500 and 1,000 nM) 1 h prior to LPS challenges. LPS was stimulated with 500 ng/ml in RAW 264.7 cells. To identify the anti-inflammatory effect of HP, we measured inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and its derivative nitric oxide (NO), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Also we evaluated molecular mechanisms including mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation by western blot.Results : The HP inhibited production of inflammatory mediators, such as iNOS and its derivative NO, COX-2 and PGE2 in LPS- induced inflammationin RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, HP also inhibited activation of p38 pathway signaling but not extracellularsignal-regulatedkinase (ERK), c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and NF-κB.Conclusion : Our results suggest that HP has anti-inflammatory functions through the dephosphorylation of p38 and HP can provide beneficial strategy for prevention and therapy of inflammation.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.36-55
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• 2020

Objectives: The present study is carried out to review the efficacy of Korean, Oriental medicine on premenstrual syndrome. Methods: We searched for 7 internet worldwide databases in order to find the studies with the keywords of 'premenstrual syndrome', 'premenstrual syndrome & Oriental medicine', 'premenstrual syndrome & traditional Chinese medicine' and 'premenstrual syndrome & herbal medicine' from 2009 to 2019. after selecting studies based on own criteria, total 8 studies are finally included. the studies were assessed with the Cochrane risk of bias criteria and reviewed systematically. Results: After intervention, cured patient rate in test groups in all of studies were significantly higher than rate in control group. there were significant decrease in headache, anorexia, dry mouth, breast mass, mastodynia, agitation, irascibility, edema, dizziness, fever, anhedonia, depression, inability to sleep, profuse dreaming with herbal medicinal intervention. 3 of those studies checked hormonal level. Estradiol (E2) and Progesteron (P) changed significantly in 2 of studies. Prolactin (PRL) in 1 study decreased significantly. FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) had no significant decrease in 1 study. Conclusions: This review suggests that herbal medicine on premenstrual syndrome is effective without serious adverse effects. however, since unclear risk of bias, the result of this study should be considered carefully. further clinical trials should be carried out in order to academical clinical progress regarding treatment of premenstrual syndrome.

• 대한한의학회지
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.33-44
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• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand the characteristics of herbal-drug-associated adverse events (AEs) reported in the internet newspaper articles and to take a countermeasure against the safety issue of herbal drugs. Methods: We searched the internet newspaper articles published from 2010 to 2014 in the 3 major portal sites in Korea, NAVER, DAUM, and GOOGLE. Search terms were the Korean words equivalent of 'herbal drug' and 'side effects'. Informations on the type and characteristics of suspected herbal drugs, AEs, and the patient records were extracted from the articles reporting the herbal-drug-associated AE occurred in Korea. Results: From 8,806 articles, a total of 36 AEs were found. The most frequently reported age group was 20s, and women outnumbered men. Obesity was the most common cause of administration. Doctors of Korean medicine clinic were the most commonly referred prescribers and purchasing route (11 cases). The most frequently mentioned medicinal herb was Ephedra sinica (7 cases) and the most commonly reported AEs were abdominal pain (8 cases), dizziness (6 cases), diarrhea (5 cases), and vomiting (5 cases) were followed in order. Ten cases were judged as serious AEs, and the others were not. Conclusions: Current customers demand health care providers to offer them sufficient information on the safety of herbal drugs. To satisfy their requirements, physicians of Korean medicine should be able to explain, predict, prepare, recognize, and deal with the herbal-drug-associated AEs. We propose an establishment of pharmacovigilance system for herbal medicine, in which doctors of Korean medicine are participated as important personnel, to collect and analyze the related AEs and offer credible information on the safety of herbal drug.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.152-158
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• 2005

몇 천년동안 고려인삼은 동양국가에서 최고의 약재로 사용되어 왔다. 한국은 인삼종주국이며 이러한 이유로 한국의 특용작물인 인삼은 삼국시대부터 세계로 수출되어 왔다. 그러나 최근에 중국과 캐나다의 거대한 인삼 생산량 때문에 고려인삼 제품의 국제 시장 점유율이 급격히 떨어지고 있다. 게다가 미국은 공격적인 시장전략을 가지고 국제 인삼시장을 이끌고있다. 그러므로 인삼 종주국으로서의 한국은 국제 인삼시장의 상황과 분위기를 이해해야만 한다. 이 연구의 목적은 세계 시장에서 주요 경쟁자들의 인삼 소비실태와 소비인지를 구명하는 것이다. 연구의 발견은 소비자 행동과 주요 국가의 인식차이를 보여준다. 결과적으로 이 연구는 다방면의 인삼분야에 사용하는데 응용될 것이라고 기대한다.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.145-159
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• 2012

Objectives : The object of this study was to obtain acute toxicity information (single oral dose toxicity) of Armeniacae Semen (AS), a medicinal herb used for treating constipation and various respiratory diseases, in rats. Methods : In order to observe the $LD_{50}$ (50% lethal dose), approximate lethal dosage (ALD) and target organs, AS aqueous extracts were orally administered once to female and male Sprague Dawley rats at dose levels of 2,000, 1,000, 500 and 0 (control) mg/kg (body weight). The mortality, changes in the body weight, clinical signs and gross observation were monitored for 14 days after single oral treatment of AS extracts, and the organ weights and histopathological findings of principle organs were observed after sacrifice. Results : After single oral treatment of AS 2,000 and 1,000 mg/kg, all (5/5; 100%) female and male rats died within 30 minutes after treatment, while no mortalities were observed in the female and male rats treated with 500 mg/kg of AS extract. Therefore, $LD_{50}$ in female and male rats was calculated as 741.95 mg/kg. Seizure, loss of locomotion, salivation, increases of respiration and heart-beat were observed after AS extract treatment, which were observed in all rats including the lowest dosage group, 500 mg/kg in the present study. In addition, lung congestion was visible in all mortal rats with AS 2,000 and 1,000 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusions : The results obtained in this study suggest that AS extract ranges in Class III, because the $LD_{50}$ and ALD in both female and male rats were calculated as 741.95 mg/kg and 500~1,000 mg/kg, respectively. However, AS extract should be carefully treated at clinical applications, because salivation, increase of respiration and heart-beat were also observed in the lowest dosage group, 500 mg/kg in the present study.

• 한국자원식물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국자원식물학회 2018년도 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.3-3
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• 2018

For centuries, Panax ginseng Meyer (Korean ginseng) has been widely used as a medicinal herb in Korea, China, and Japan. Ginsenosides are a class of triterpene saponins and recognized as the bioactive components in Korean ginseng. Ginsenosides, which can be classified broadly as protopanaxadiols (PPD), protopanaxatriols (PPT), and oleanolic acids, have been shown to flaunt a vast array of pharmacological activities such as immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant effects. In recent years, a number of ginseng and ginsenoside researches have increasingly gained wide attention owing to its unique pharmacological properties. Although good efficacies of ginsenosides have been reported, lack of target specific delivery into tumor sites, low solubility, and low bioavailability due to modifications in gastro-intestinal environments limit their biomedical application in clinical trials. As a result to this major challenge, nanotechnology and drug delivery techniques play a significant role to solve this problematic issue. Thus, we reported the preparation of poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) and glycol chitosan (GC) functionalized to ginsenoside (Compound K and PPD) conjugates via hydrolysable ester bonds with improved aqueous solubility and pH-dependent drug release. In vitro cytotoxicity assays revealed that PEG-CK, and PPD-CK conjugates exhibited lower cytotoxicity compared to bare CK and PPD in HT29 cells. However, GC-CK conjugates exhibited higher and similar cytotoxicity in HT29 and HepG2 cells. Furthermore, GC-CK-treated RAW264.7 cells did not exhibit significant cell death at higher concentration of treatment which supports the biocompatibility of the polymer conjugates. They also inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW64.7 cells. In addition to polymer-ginsenoside conjugates, silver (AgNps) and gold nanoparticles (AuNps) have been successfully synthesized by green chemistry using different m. The biosynthesized nanoparticles demonstrated antimicrobial efficacy, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, biofilm inhibition, and anticoagulant effect. Special interest on the effective delivery methods of ginsenoside to treatment sites is the focus of metal nanoparticle research.In short, nano-sizing of ginsenoside results in an increased water solubility and bioavailability. The use of nano-sized ginsenoside and P. ginseng mediated metallic nanoparticles is expected to be effective on medical platform against various diseases in the future.