• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 1973

Lampranthus spectabilis is an ornamental plant which belongs to one of the Aizoaceae family as an one-year herb. There are no illustrations on the references that Lampranthus spectabilis has been made use for the purpose of the medicinal plant among the traditional herb doctors and the laymen. However, it has the specific characteristics to be analogous to the Cactaceae family in the botanical classification. Besides, mescaline, the main ingredient of Peyote cactus, demonstrates the sympathomimetic effect as well as the psychotomimetic effect. The authors called our attention to the resemblance to the botanical family between Aisoaceae and Cactaceae, and made a survey whether the alcohol extract of Lampranthus spectabilis might possess any pharmacological effect on the isolated heart of clam or not. The results of the experiment were as follows. 1. Administration of LX to the isolated heart of clam produced an inhibitory effect on the cardiac motility in proportion to its concentration $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$ and $10^{-3}\;g/ml$ respectively. 2. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4$ and $10^{-3}\;g/ml$ produced the blockade effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with serotonin $10^{-7}$ and $10^{-4}\;g/ml$, as well as with methysergide $10^{-6}$ and $10^{-5}\;g/ml$. 3. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4}\;g/ml$ produced no effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with acetylcholine $10^{-7}\;g/ml$. 4. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4}\;g/ml$ produced the blockade effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with barium chloride $10^{-4}\;g/ml$, as well as with prostaglandin $20\;{\mu}g$. Consequently, it is concluded that the alcohol extract of Lampranthus spectabilis has an effect of depression on the motility of the isolated heart of clam. Its mechanism of action might be due to a direct action on the heart.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.437-440
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• 2012

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that regulates various cellular processes such as cell survival, angiogenesis and proliferation. In the present study, we examined that Cryptotanshione(CT), a tanshinone from oriental traditional medicinal herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), had the inhibitory effects on hypoxia-mediated activation of STAT3 in androgen independent human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. CT inhibited the protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) under hypoxic condition. Consistently, CT blocked hypoxia-induced phosphorylation and nuclear accumulation of STAT3. In addition, CT reduced cellular of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical angiogenic factor and a target gene of STAT3 induced under hypoxia. Of note, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChiP) assay revealed that CT inhibited binding of STAT3 to VEGF promoter. Taken together, our results suggest that CT has anti-angiogenic activity by disturbing the binding STAT3 to the VEGF promoter in PC-3 cells.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.326-331
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• 2013

A Korean folk medicine, "SinKyungCho" has been used to cure common cold and rheumatis. While this crude drug has similar morphological feature to that of Rubia species, the botanical origin has never been studied pharmacognostically. Therefore, in order to clarify the botanical origin of "SinKyungCho", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Rubia species growing in Korea, i.e. R. akane, R. chinensis var. glabrescens, R. cordifolia var. pratensis, R. cordifolia var. sylvatica were studied. Especially, differing from the other three species, R. cordifolia var. pratensis has 2-4 cork cell layers under the endodermal cell layer. R. cordifolia var. sylvatica showed the largest number of parenchyma cell layers in cortex by 8-17. While the average ratio of stele to root transverse section is over 45% for R. akane and R. cordifolia var. pratensis, the ratio is under 45% for R. chinensis var. glabrescens and R. cordifolia var. sylvatica. According to these morphological criteria, the folk medicine "SinKyungCho" from Korean traditional market was proved to be the underground part of R. akane.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 2008

We evaluated the potential protective activity of the traditional Korean medicinal herb, Corni fructus (CF), in an experimental model of hepatotoxicity induced by carbontetrachloride $(CCl_4)$. The CF exhibited a hepatoprotective activity against Chang cell. And The expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), measured by RT-PCR and western blot, was significantly decreased in the CF treated Chang cell. But $CCl_4$ and CF has no significant effect on 1A1 and 3A1 isoform of cytochrome P450. Based on these findings, it is suggested that hepatoprotective effects of CF possibly related to antioxidative effects and downregulation of CYP2E1 expression.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.201-210
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• 2019

Biotransformation of ginsenosides by microorganisms alters the absorption and bioavailability of ginseng as a medicinal herb. In this study, we isolated two kinds of fermenting microorganisms from Eoyukjang, which is a traditional Korean fermented food made from soybean. Next, we identified and detected their ability to convert major ginsenosides to compound K. The two microorganisms, referred to as R2-6 and R2-15, had 100% similarity with Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ATCC $14917^T$ and Lactobacillus rhamnosus JCM $1136^T$, respectively. The optimal pH and growth temperature of the isolates were determined to be pH 6-7 and $30^{\circ}C$. After fermentation for 30 days, the major ginsenosides in the mountain-cultivated ginseng were transformed to the highly bioactive ginsenoside, compound K, in the final product.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.105-110
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• 1996

Antineoplastic activity against human gastric and colon carcinoma cell lines was tested in eighty-three species of Korean plants including Korean medicinal plants which have been frequently used in oriental herb prescriptions. The plant materials were extracted with methanol and the cytotoxic activity was tested using a calorimetric tetrazolium assay (MTT assay). Twenty-six plant extracts against gastric carcinoma cell line, eighteen extracts against colon carcinoma cell line and fourteen plant extracts against both carcinoma cell lines showed antineoplastic activity at the concentration of less than $100{\mu}g/ml$. The effective components from four species have been isolated and reported.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.276-286
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• 2017

Licorice, a traditional Korean medicinal plant, is recognized for its main active ingredient, glycyrrhizin. The level of glycyrrhizin in Chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) is lower than the reference level (2.5%) set by the Korean Pharmacopoeia, reducing its value as a medicinal herb. In this study, we aimed to overcome this problem by generating an interspecific licorice hybrid by crossing European licorice (G. glabra) with Chinese licorice, resulting in the production of 32 $F_1$ lines. A comparison of genetic traits revealed variations in glycyrrhizin content among lines, ranging from 1.5 to 5.6%, with a mean value of 3.2%; these values are higher than that of the parental plants. Additionally, 25 lines (78.1%) had a glycyrrhizin content greater than 2.5%, which is higher than the reference level set by the Korean Pharmacopoeia. Four of these lines had glycyrrhizin levels higher than the WHO recommended level of 4.0%. A comparison of phenotypic characteristics showed that the leaves of the hybrids possessed all of the characteristics of European and Chinese licorice; however, the stems of most hybrids had characteristics of European licorice. Finally, we determined the genetic distances of 34 samples of Glycyrrhiza plants (parents, 32 $F_1$ lines) by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD); the $F_1$ lines showed a close genetic distance. We plan to develop to a cultivar using five of these lines (glycyrrhizin content < 4.0%).

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.202-205
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• 2011

The Angelica root has been used as a medicinal herb in many Asian countries including Korea, China, and Japan. Angelica gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba have been considered as Angelicae radix in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Pharmacopoeia, respectively. Since the origins of Angelicae radix differ from country to country, there is a need to develop an efficient analytical method to identify the origin of the Angelica root. In order to obtain chemical fingerprints, three different Angelicae Radices were analyzed by direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). Significantly different DART-MS spectra were observed from three different species of Angelicae Radix. Strong peaks of decursin or decusinol angelate, and its dimer were exclusively found from A. gigas. Ligustilide and linoleic acid were detected as the major component from A. acutiloba. The strongest ligustilide peak was observed from A. sinensis. DART-MS fingerprinting is a promising method for the rapid identification and/or quality control of Angelicae Radix.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.293-300
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• 2007

The antimicrobial activity of 10 different traditional medicinal herbs extracts against E. coli was determined using paper disc method. Caesalpinia sappan and Rhus javanica, extracts in 5 mg/ml, and Paeonia suffruticosa and Seutellaria baicalensis extracts in 10 mg/ml showed significant antimicrobial activity against E. coli. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of medicinal herbs extracts were in the range of $1.4{\sim}8mg/ml\;and\;1.2{\sim}12mg/ml$, for MeOH extracts and EtOH extracts, respectively. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of each solvent fraction was most significant with the EtOAc layer. Optical density at 620nm after 24 hours incubation of E. coli in the presence of 100, 300 or 500 ppm of Caesalpinia sappan extract ranged from 0.02 to 0.1 compared to 0.6 in the absence of Caesalpinia sappan extract, indicating that growth of E. coli was significantly inhibited within 24 hours by the addition of at least 300 ppm of Caesalpinia sappan extract. Optical density at 620 nm after 24 hours incubation of E. coli in the presence of 300 ppm of Rhus javanica extract ranged from 0.02 to 0.2 compared to 0.5 in the absence of Rhus javanica extract, indicating that growth of E. coli was also significantly inhibited within 24 hours by the addition of at least 500 ppm of Rhus javanica extract. In conclusion, these findings suggest that extracts from medicinal herbs may play important roles in antimicrobial activities against E. coli.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.16-21
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• 2017

Background: Rehmannia glutinosa is a perennial herb belonging to the family Scrophulariaceae. Its root has been utilized as a traditional medicine but the aerial parts (flower, flower stalk, leaf) are not used. We aimed to determine the content of three compounds [aucubin, catalpol, and ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] in the different organs of R. glutinosa cultivars (Dakang, Tokang, and Suwon 9) Methods and Results: The flower, flower stalk, leaf, and root of R. glutinosa were harvested at the end of August. The aucubin and catalpol contents were analyzed by LC/MS, whereas the GABA content was analyzed by GC/MS. The aucubin content was the highest in the leaf, while catalpol and GABA were the highest in the flower. The aucubin contents of leaf in Dakang, Tokang, and Suwon 9 were 1.43, 0.81, and 1.07 mg/g, respectively. The catalpol contents of flower in Dakang, Tokang, and Suwon 9 were 41.06, 28.78, and 37.48 mg/g, respectively, the GABA contents were 0.79, 0.76, and 0.65 mg/g, respectively. Conclusions: The aucubin, catalpol, and GABA contents were higher in the leaf and flower than that in the root. This study show that R. glutinosa leaf and flower can be used as a potential supplement.