• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 1995

Crude methanolic(80%) extracts from 109 kinds of traditional herbal drugs were randomly screened for inhibitory effects on 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) uptake in primary cultured rat brainstem neurons. Rat brainstem neurons were cultured from embryonic day 14, and maintained for 7-9 days in vitro. Clomipramine (500 nM), a reference drug, decreased 5-HT uptake to 16% of control values. Of the 109 herbal drugs screened, Citri immaturi Pericarpium(靑皮), Coptidis Rhizoma(黃蓮), Cnidii Rhizoma(土川芎) showed the most potent 5-HT uptake inhibiting activities. These herbal drugs, at the concentration of $10{\;}{\mu}g/ml$, inhibited 5-HT uptake 69, 69, and 57% respectively, when inhibition(%) was expressed as a relative value compared to the 500 nM clomipramine-induced inhibition.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.219-224
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• 1995

The antimutagenic effects of 46 kinds of medicinal plants that have been used as traditional folk antitumor agents in Korea were studied by using Ames mutagenicity test. Most of the methanolic extracts from the plants which were used in this experiment showed strong antimutagenic activity toward aflatoxin B1(AFB1) in Salmonella typhimrium TA100 and TA98. However, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) induced mutagenicity was not blocked by adding the methanolic extracts of the plants except persimmon leaves (Diospyros kaki Thunberg)and Elaeagnus umbellata.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.9
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• pp.417-428
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• 2022

Herbal medicine, a multi-component treatment, has been extensively practiced for treating various symptoms and diseases. However, its molecular mechanism of action on the human body is unknown, which impedes the development and application of herbal medicine. To address this, recent studies are increasingly adopting systems pharmacology, which interprets pharmacological effects of drugs from consequences of the interaction networks that drugs might have. Most conventional network-based approaches collect associations of herb-compound, compound-target, and target-disease from individual databases, respectively, and construct an integrated network of herb-compound-target-disease to study the complex mechanisms underlying herbal treatment. More recently, rapid advances in high-throughput omics technology have led numerous studies to exploring gene expression profiles induced by herbal treatments to elicit information on direct associations between herbs and genes at the genome-wide scale. In this review, we summarize key databases and computational methods utilized in systems pharmacology for studying herbal medicine. We also highlight recent studies that identify modes of action or novel indications of herbal medicine by harnessing drug-induced transcriptome data.

• Journal of TMJ Balancing Medicine
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2022

Objectives: Dementia is a disease in which a person maintains a normal intellectual level during the growth period, but has acquired cognitive impairment and personality change. In this study, we tried to check whether the network pharmacology analysis method is useful in the search for herbal medicine resources for the treatment of dementia. Methods: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database is a database frequently used in Chinese medicine research. We used the TCMSP to identify herbal medicines and their molecular targets that can be used for dementia by using network pharmacology research methods. Results: It was possible to select 28 types of components that are expected to be active by applying them to the living body, and 75 types of targets that these components act on were secured. In addition, 16 kinds of drugs were identified by checking the drugs containing 28 kinds of ingredients, and it was found that Radix Salviae contained 2 kinds of the selected 28 kinds of ingredients. Conclusions: Through this study, we were able to identify ingredients, drugs, and targets that can be used for basic and clinical research on dementia.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.181-214
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• 2022

Pediatric epilepsy, a chronic, recurrent brain disorder, is the most common neurological disorder in children. Its prevalence is increasing. Early management is very important since 30~40% of cases persist into adulthood. To provide basic data for future clinical research on pediatric epilepsy using Korean medicine treatment and cooperation between Western medicine doctors and Korean medicine doctors, we reviewed recent clinical research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) using herbal medicine for pediatric epilepsy. A total of 23 articles (1 clinical practice guideline, 3 systematic reviews, 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and 4 non-RCTs) were reviewed in this study. The authors summarized characteristics of included studies regarding study subjects, diagnostic tools, pattern identification tools, treatment period, evaluation tools, detail of herbal medicines, treatment effects, and adverse events. Combination therapy using both herbal medicine (HM) and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) was performed more frequently than herbal medicine alone. Liver-pacifying medicinal, water-draining medicine, and orifice-opening medicine were frequently used. The main single HMs were Cheonma, Boglyeong, Jogudeung, and Seogchangpo. Combined therapy using HM and AEDs had significant benefits in improving total effective rate. It also appeared to be safer than AEDs. However, since the quality of clinical trials was poor and only studies in the last 10 years were included, the clinical evidence was uncertain. Finally, the authors provided limitations of this study and several suggestions for future research based on our analysis results.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.225-241
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• 2012

Panax ginseng Meyer has been widely used as a tonic in traditional Korean, Chinese, and Japanese herbal medicines and in Western herbal preparations for thousands of years. In the past, ginseng was very rare and was considered to have mysterious powers. Today, the efficacy of drugs must be tested through well-designed clinical trials or meta-analyses, and ginseng is no exception. In the present review, we discuss the functions of ginseng described in historical documents and describe how these functions are taken into account in herbal prescriptions. We also discuss the findings of experimental pharmacological research on the functions of ginseng in ginseng-containing prescriptions and how these prescriptions have been applied in modern therapeutic interventions. The present review on the functions of ginseng in traditional prescriptions helps to demystify ginseng and, as a result, may contribute to expanding the use of ginseng or ginseng-containing prescriptions.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.69-76
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• 2024

Objectives : Hypertension (high blood pressure), one of the world's major chronic diseases, has a high mortality rate due to its high prevalence and complications, but its control rate is low. The proper management and control through appropriate exercise, diet management, and optimal drug choice can reduce the risk of death from hypertension. Although various antihypertensive drugs are used to treat hypertension, they also have numerous adverse effects. Alongside increased interest in the use of Traditional Herbal Formulas (THF) for hypertension treatment, the purpose of this study was to examine the vasodilative effects of 10 THF in the rat thoracic artery pre-contracted by potassiumchloride (KCl). Methods : THF were extracted with distilled water for 2 hours. The rat thoracic artery was suspended and contracted by KCl in the organ bath which contained 10 ml Krebs Henseleit (KH) buffer. THF extracts were added in a dose-dependent increase (10-1,000 ㎍/mL) to examine vasodilative effects. The vasodilative effects produced by THF were expressed as the percentage in response to KCl-induced contraction. Results : Among the 10 THF, Banhasasim-tang, Buhnsimgieum, Sagunja-tang, and Samul-tang showed vasodilative effects. And, Sipjeondaebo-tang, Ssanghwa-tang, Ojeok-san, Onkyung-tang, Yongdamsagan-tang, and Hyangsayukgunja-tang showed no significant vasodilative effects. Also, in co-administration with amlodipine, Banhasasim-tang showed higher vasodilative effects than amlodipine alone, and Buhnsimgieum showed greater vasodilative effects at low concentrations, but inhibited amlodipine's vasodilative effects at high concentrations. Conclusion : As a result of these studies, they will be expected to provide useful data to establish guidelines of combined administration of THF and western antihypertensive drugs for the treatment of hypertension.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2024

Objectives : This study evaluates how various traditional Korean herbal medicines assess MUC5AC expression for esophageal mucosal defense and analyzes the associated mechanisms involved in inflammation. Methods : Forty types of traditional Korean herbal medicines were assessed for in vitro antioxidant activities, and the real-time PCR method was employed to analyze MUC5AC expression under pH 4.5 conditions in human esophageal epithelial cells (HET-1A). Eight types of Korean herbal medicines were evaluated for in vitro antioxidant activities, and Reactive oxygen specise (ROS) expression was analyzed under bile salt (480 𝜇M) and pH 5.5 conditions in human esophageal epithelial cells (HET-1A). Simulation experiments involving bile salts and acidity were conducted for one hour to assess the efficacy of four drugs, and the activities of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MEK), Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-𝜅B), and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were detected through Western blot analysis. Results : Compared to the Normal group, the Control group exhibited higher ROS generation. Such increased ROS levels were significantly reduced by four extracts: Citrus Unshius Pericarpium (CUP), Cnidium officinale Rhizoma (CR), Ginseng Radix (GR), and Linderae Radix (LR). The protein expression of COX-2 decreased with the treatment of LR, CUP, and CR. Particularly, CUP and CR exhibited superior effects compared to other groups in inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF-𝜅B. Conclusion : Based on the results obtained, we have identified drugs that inhibit oxidative stress and inflammation caused by bile acid in esophageal epithelial cells. Our future plans involve comparing and analyzing the efficacy of these herbal medicines through animal experiments.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 1996

Solvent fractions were prepared from traditional herbal drugs which of methanol extracts inhibited $CCl_4$-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultured rat hepatocytes and c ontinuously assayed their effects. Ethylacetate and n-buthanol fractions from Cibotii Rhizoma and chloroform fraction from Gelatina Nigra inhibited the release of LDH and GPT from $CCl_4$-treated hepatocytes, respectively. Water fraction (WAR) among solvent fractions from Astragali Radix showed the most potent inhibitory effect on the release of GOT or GPT by treatment with $CCl_4$. All of solvent fractions prepared from Eucommiae Cortex had no effect on $CCl_4$-induced cytotoxicity. Chloroform and ethylacetate fractions from Rehmanniae Radix Preparata increased the release of GPT from $CCl_4$-treated hepatocytes. n-Hexan, chloroform or ethylacetate fraction from 5 herbal drugs increased the release of LDH, GOT or GPT from normal hepatocytes at the dose of 1.Omg/ml. Administration of WAR suppressed the elevation of GOT, ALP activities and MDA contents in the serum as well as in the liver tissue of $CCl_4$-intoxicated rats. Based on these results, isolation of antihepatotoxic substances from WAR is under the process.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.81-92
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• 2017

Objectives: Herbal dispensaries can be installed separately from medical institutions. This study was done to suggest directions of regulation on management of externally installed herbal dispensaries. Methods: In this study, we visited and investrigated 7 representative herbal dispensaries to understand current status of herbal dispensaries. After comprehending current domestic regulations on herbal dispensaries, we referred "Management Practice on Dispensary Facility of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Medical Institution", "Enforcement Rule of Decree on Institution Standard of Manufacturing and Importation for Drugs, etc." and "Enforcement Rule of Food Sanitation Act" to suggest improved regulations for herbal dispensaries. Results: We suggested reasonable regulations for facility standards including location of building, dispensary room, water supply facility, lavatory and storage facility, etc.. Conclusions: We hope that results of this study could be baseline data for developing regulations on facility standards of herbal dispensaries.