• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.568-590
• /
• 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of herbal medicine on patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: Articles published from 2011 to February 17, 2024 were searched via PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CiNii, KISS, RISS, and OASIS. The quality of included articles was evaluated using a risk-of-bias tool. Meta-analyses considered the effects of herbal medicines on the total effective rate, renal function estimates (GFR, SCr, BUN, 24h-Upro), and other indicators (e.g., uric acid, hemoglobin, and bone density-related indicators). Results: A total of 13 RCTs were included in this study. The treatment group showed a significantly higher total effective rate (RR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.33-1.62, P<0.00001) and GFR (MD: 9.28, 95% CI: 6.52-12.04, P<0.00001), together with improvements in other renal function indicators, except for 24h-Upro (p=0.05). There were no significant differences in uric acid, hemoglobin, and bone density-related indicators. Adverse events were minimal in both groups. Conclusion: For non-dialysis CKD, this study supports the effectiveness of nine herbal medicines, either alone or in combination with Western medicines. However, even the meta-analyses provide insufficient evidence to conclusively guarantee the safety and efficacy of all types of herbal medicines in treating CKD. Therefore, additional well-designed studies are necessary to enhance the clinical application of herbal medicines in CKD.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.43-63
• /
• 2018

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medication for the treatment of nocturnal enuresis in children by analyzing randomized controlled trials conducted in China. Methods We searched literatures from China National Knowledge Infrastructure published up to 19 January, 2018. Selected literatures were collected and analyzed in order of publication year, and then demographic information, treatment method, duration of illness, duration of treatment, follow-up period, outcome measurement and adverse events. Results A total of 34 studies were selected for the analysis. In most studies, the total efficacy of the treatment group was reported to be higher than that of the control group, and the recurrence rate and complete cure rate were also found to be more effective in the herbal medicine treatment group. The most frequently used medical herb was Alpiniae Fructus (益智仁), and the use of medical herbs belong to tonifying yang (補陽藥), tonifying qi (補氣藥), and astringing essence strengthening collapse medicine (澁精縮尿止帶藥) were relatively high. The adverse events rate for the herbal medicine treatment group were significantly lower than those in the Western medicine treatment group. Conclusions This study showed that a herbal medicine treatment can be effective and safe option for treating pediatric nocturnal enuresis. However, additional well-designed clinical studies need to be performed to establish a basis.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2024

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine treatment for acute pharyngitis. Methods : 2 databases(Wangfang Med Online, CNKI) were used to search Randomized Controlled Trials(RCTs) that used herbal medicine treatment for acute pharyngitis, which were published from January 2007 until April 2024. Results : 9 RCTs were selected in this study, and all studies compared herbal medicine alone treatment with western medicine alone treatment. The most frequently used medicine was Toxin-removing medicinal(淸熱解毒藥). Platycodonis Radix(桔梗) was the most frequently used herb. Meta-analysis of nine studies showed that the Total Effective Rate(TER) of treatment group was statistically higher than that of control group(RR:1.12, 95% CI:1.06 to 1.19, p<0.00001, I²=22%). Meta-analysis of 3 studies showed that the total symptom score of treatment group statistically improved than that of control group(MD: -1.00, 95% CI: -1.30 to -0.71, p<0.00001, I²=0%). Mild adverse events such as anorexia were identified in 4 RCTs, but no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusion : Using herbal medicine alone can be more effective and safe in improving acute pharyngitis than using western medicine. But further well-designed studies are needed because heterogeneity between studies existed and the quality of the reports needs to be improved.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.110-127
• /
• 2018

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional herbal medicine (THM) in the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) versus conventional western medicine. Methods: Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing THM vs. conventional western medicine for DUB, were obtained from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, RISS, NDSL, KISS and OASIS. The risk of bias was assessed by using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. Results: 16 RCTs with 1,659 patients were identified and reviewed. 10 RCTs reported THM was statistically effective than control group in effective rate. Also recurrent rate was estimated in 6 RCTs and was lower than control group. 7 studies observed adverse events (AEs) and severe AEs were not reported. Conclusions: Despite several limitations, this review suggested that THM was safe and effective in the treatment of DUB. THM may also decrease the recurrence rate. However, this could not be proven conclusively. To ensure evidence-based clinical practice, more sternly designed trials are warranted.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.38-56
• /
• 2022

Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze the trend of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used herbal medicine for the treatment of tic disorders in China and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment. Methods RCTs published from January 2017 to December 2021 were searched for using the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). These were then analyzed using herbal medicine treatment methods and their results. Results A total of 35 randomized controlled trials were selected and analyzed. In most studies, evaluation indicators such as the Yale tic symptom scale and total effective rate were significantly improved in the herbal medicine treatment group compared to the control group. The most commonly used herb for tic disorder was Uncaria Rhynchophylla (釣鉤藤), followed by Glycyrrhizae Radix (甘草), Gastrodiae Rhizoma (天麻), Paeoniae Radix Alba (白芍藥), Batryticatus (白殭蠶), Poria (茯笭), and Bupleuri Radix (柴胡). In all studies that reported adverse events, herbal medicine was identified as a relatively safe treatment with fewer adverse reactions or no significant difference compared with the control group. Conclusions Based on the results of RCTs, herbal medicine has been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of intellectual disability. However, additional well-designed large-scale clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.40-55
• /
• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to confirm the effects of external applications(CLANCHE SM A Clinic) containing herbal extracts on patient with atopic dermatitis. Methods : A total of 24 patients who visited Semyung Oriental Medical Center from January 15th, 2014 to February 20th, 2014 were included in the study. In this study, the patients were treated with external applications(CLANCHE SM A Clinic) containing herbal extracts. For 4 weeks of gross examination and instrumental assesment were made before and after the study. Results : 1. In the primary endpoint, SCORAD index showed a statistically significant decline. 2. In the secondary endpoint, index of skin hydration and index of TEWL showed statistical significance. 3. In the secondary endpoint, index of skin pH showed no statistically significant result. 4. To evaluate the safety of the products for the human body, vital sign check were conducted and showed no statistically significant result. And There were no severe adverse events during this study. Therefore, it is suggested that the safety of the products, if used for certain period, should be safe for the human body. 5. In global assesment of efficacy, both experimenter and subjects evaluated external applications were effective. Conclusions : According to the above experiments, it is suggested that external applications(CLANCHE SM A Clinic) containing herbal extracts should be effective for the atopic dermatitis.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.45 no.4
• /
• pp.700-709
• /
• 2024

This retrospective, multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate the effects of herbal medicine treatment on liver function in obese patients exhibiting elevated liver enzymes. Conducted from May 2023 to April 2024 at various Korean medicine clinics, the study included 84 patients who underwent herbal treatments for obesity. All participants had at least one liver function test (LFT) showing elevated levels of aspartic amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), or gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and a subsequent LFT performed after a minimum of 90 days. The study excluded patients with potential confounding factors such as hepatitis, antibiotic usage, or recent surgeries. The study showed significant reductions in AST, ALT, and GGT levels, with AST and ALT improving to within the normal range and GGT approaching normal levels. Patients also experienced statistically significant reductions in weight and BMI, meeting the minimum clinically important difference threshold. These findings suggest that herbal treatments for obesity are not only safe for patients with obesity-related liver enzyme abnormalities but also effective in improving liver function. This study shows that herbal treatment is effective in the management of obesity-related liver disease and confirms the safety and efficacy of an obesity treatment herbal formula containing ephedra. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.69-83
• /
• 2001

This experiment was carried out to study on the safety assessment of Bas tures . Ursus thibetanus extract solution(BU) for Herbal acupuncture. SD rats and ICR mice were used for acute toxicity test the results were summerized as follows; 1. In rats and mice, LD50 value could not be measured. 2. There were no abnormal finding in acute toxicity test treated BU for Herbal-acupuncture.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.124-129
• /
• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate the residual contents of sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$) in commercial medicinal herbs in Korea in 2012. Among a total of 136 samples of 16 different kinds of herbs, 86 samples (15 Kinds) were domestic, and 50 samples (14 Kinds) were imported. Sulfur dioxide in the samples was measured by a modified Monier-Williams method. Of the 136 samples, 17 samples (12.5%, 6 Kinds) failed to meet the regulations for sulfur dioxide residues of KFDA in medicinal herbs. Among 17 unsuitable samples, 7 samples (8.1%, 3 Kinds) were domestic, and 10 samples (20.0%, 6 Kinds) were imported. The highest amount of sulfur dioxide residues was 3,167.94 mg/kg (Lycii Fructus) in the domestic samples. The detection frequency of sulfur dioxide by medicinal herb parts used, Rhizoma 25.7%, Flos 20.0%. Cortex 12.5%, Radix 15.3%, Fructus 7.6%, p-value 0.011. This results will be used as a basic data for the future legislation on the quality estimation and safety of medicinal herbs.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.277-296
• /
• 2024

Objective : Dyspepsia is one of the most common ailments among Koreans, leading to a continuously expanding market for liquid digestive solutions. These products are popular due to their convenience and low risk of side effects. However, there is a lack of research on the basic prescription composition of these ingredients and their precise indications according to Korean Medicine. Methods : Drugs were selected from the Korea Pharmaceutical Information Service website (http://www.health.kr), focusing on oral and liquid products classified under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's category of stomach and digestive aids (category 233). Frequency analysis was conducted to determine the occurrence and combinations of herbal ingredients within each product. Additionally, the four properties and five flavors of each product were calculated using their herbal ingredient composition ratios, and Pearson correlation coefficients were employed to verify the linear relationships between the composition ratios of the ingredients. Results : A comparative analysis of 33 liquid digestive medicines revealed that Zingiberis Rhizoma was the most frequently used herb. The most common dual-herb combination was Zingiberis Rhizoma and Citri Unshius Pericarpium, and the most prevalent tri-herb combination was Zingiberis Rhizoma, Citri Unshius Pericarpium, and Cinnamomi Cortex. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed a strong positive correlation between the composition ratios of Zingiberis Rhizoma and Cinnamomi Cortex. The analysis of four properties and five flavors indicated that products with warm and bitter flavors were the most common. Conclusions : The most frequently used herbal combination in liquid digestive solutions was Zingiberis Rhizoma, Citri Unshius Pericarpium, and Cinnamomi Cortex. This composition is suitable for treating dyspepsia caused by cold-dampness in the digestive system.