From the whole plants of Bothriospermum tenellum (Boraginaceae) four phenolic compounds, kaempferol, caffeic acid, $kaempferol-3-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ and $kaempferol-3-O-{\alpha}-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ have been isolated and characterized by physicochemical and spectral means.

Atrartylodis Rhizoma(蒼朮)'s origin plants are Atratylodes lancea and A. Chinensis in Chinese, Japanese and Korean pharmacopoeia. A. Japonica is only indigenous in Korea, it is actually used as Atractylodis Rhizoma in Korean market. A. lancea is used in Hunan province, China and A. Chinensis is used in Hubei province, China. It is impossible to distinguish with species differency as macro- and micro-morphology. We tried to distinguish with species differency by HPLC and GC-Mass spectra. Atractylone(mw. 216) which is a marker compound in Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba(白朮) was detected in A. japonica. Atractylodin (mw.182) was detected in A. lancea and two eudesmadien derivatives (mw. 204) were detected in A. chinensis. HPLC chromatogram showed the same patterns. As a result, we propose that A. japonica will be added as Atractylodis Rhizoma (蒼朮)'s origin plant in Korean Pharmacopoeia. Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba(白朮)'s origin plants are A. macrocephala in China, and A. Japonica and A. ovata in Korea and Japan. In GC-Mass analysis, all samples showed same patterns and the main compound was atractylone.

Four compounds were isolated from the roots of Dipsacus asper roots, and were identified as methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl quinate, 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl quinic acid, sitosterol $3-O-{\beta}-D-Glucopyranoside$ and hederagenin $3-O-{\alpha}-L-arabinopyranoside$. Among the isolated compounds, methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl quinate and 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl quinate acid have never been reported previously from this plant.

The effect of aqueous extract of Isodon japonicus Hara (Labiatae) (IJAE) on mast cell-mediated immediate-type allergic reactions was investigated. IJAE inhibited compound 48/80-induced systemic anaphylaxis and immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated local anaphylaxis. When IJAE was pretreated at the same concentration with systemic anaphylaxis, serum histamine levels were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. IJAE dose-dependently inhibited histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) activated by compound 48/80. The level of cAMP in human mast cell line (HMC-1) cells, when IJAE was added, significantly was increased, compared with that of normal control. These results indicate that IJAE will beneficial in the treatment of immediate-type allergic reaction.

In order to screen new tyrosinase inhibiting principle which is expected to be a new biofunctional skin whitening cosmetics, we have isolated 600 strains of the marine- derived fungi and investigated tyrosinase inhibiting activity for their acetone extracts. The significant activities (>70% Inhibition) were observed in the extract of 10 strains of fungi (MFA7, MFA27, MFA58, MFA317, MFA318, MFA345, MFA412, MFA552, MFA562, MFA581). These active strains were cultured in SWS medium with 1 L scale and the resulting broth and mycelium were extracted to afford mycelium extract (000M) and broth extract (000B), respectively. Tyrosinase inhibiting activity for all extracts has been tested. As the results, the broth extracts of 4 strains (27B, 58B, 552B and 581B) exhibited relatively high levels of activity of $IC_{50}$ values of $3.0-19.0\;{\mu}g/mL$. The active component of 581B was purified by assay-guided isolation to yield the known kojic acid (1), and its structure was determined by physicochemical evidence. Kojic acid showed the significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ values of $12.0\;{\mu}M$.

Acetone extracts of 301 strains of marine-derived fungus were tested for antimicrobial activity against three strains of bacteria. The bacteria consisted of three pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. Aureus, and multidrug-resistant S. aureus. The acetone extracts of 10 strains (MFA117, MFA130, MFA134, MFA206, MFA217, MFA268, MFA277, MFA291, MFA292, MFA301) showed strong activity, inhibiting 100% of the bacterial growth. These antimicrobial active strains were cultlued in SWS medium on a 1 L scale and the resulting broth and mycelium were extracted to afford mycelium extract (000M) and broth extract (000B), respectively. Antimicrobial activity for all extracts has been tested as the results, the mycelium extract of one strain (217M) and the broth extracts of 9 strains (117B,130B, 134B, 206B, 268B, 277B, 291B, 292B, 301B) exhibited relatively high levels of activity at minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of $500-125\;{\mu}g/mL$ range. Among them, the extracts, 277B, 291B, 292B and 301B showed the most significant antimicrobial activity with $IC_{50}$ values of $125\;{\mu}g/mL$.

Many chemotherapeutic drugs were developed and contributed to the increase of cure rate of cancer, however severe side effect of these drugs is a major cause of poor quality of life of cancer patients. Effect of deer blood on cancer therapy was investigated in mouse tumor model. Deer blood itself was shown to have mild antitumor activity. However it has significant effect on the reduction of the side effects of chemotherapy. Deer blood recovered the reduction of WBC and platelet (myelotoxicity) during fluorouracil chemotherapy. Deer blood also recovered the increase of serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN; indicator of renal toxicity) and increase of serum amylase activity (AMY; indicator of pancreatic toxicity) almost to the control level during cisplatin chemotherapy. Fluorouracil and cisplatin are major chemotherapeutic drugs which are currently used in clinical cancer therapy, and the results strongly suggest that deer blood can be used for reducing the side effects and improving the quality of life during chemotherapy of cancer patients.

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) protein induce transcription of cytokine genes required for T-cell activation, including the IL-2 gene. Activation of NFAT normally plays a significant role in inducing immune response. However, excessive activation provokes immunopathological reactions including autoimmunity, transplant rejection and inflammation. Thus, several natural products were screened on the inhibitory activity against the NFAT transcription factor. Among them, Euonymus sieboldiana showed strong inhibitory activity against the NFAT transcription factor without affecting cell viability.

$NF-{\kappa}B$ (nuclear factor-kappa B) plays a particularly central role in epidermal biology. It has been established that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of the mechanisms to induce the activation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ in human skin. We previously demonstrated that melanogenic inhibitors may act through the inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation in keratinocytes. In order to find another type of melanogenic inhibitors of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation, various kinds of the extracts from crude drugs $(30\;{\mu}g/ml)$ were preincubated with transfectant HaCaT cells for 3 hrs and then UVR $(60\;mj/cm^2)$ was irradiated. UVR-exposed cells were incubated for another 6 hrs to measure the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activity. $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation was measured with the secreatory alkaline phosphates (SEAP) reporter gene assay using a fluorescence detection method. Among natural products, Lycium chinense, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica koreana, Kalopanax pictus and Asparagus cochinchinensis were the most potent inhibitors of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation by UVR. These observations suggest that some crude drugs might act partially through the modulation of the synthesis of melanotrophic factors to decrease melanogenesis in keratinocytes.

Ethanol extract from Thesium chinense Tunczaninov (TCTE) was tested for breast cancer chemopreventive activity by measuring 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) - induced cytochrome P450 1A1 activity, induction of quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione level. TCTE significantly inhibited cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity at the concentration of 90 and 150 mg/ml. TCTE induced quinone reductase activity in a dose-dependent manner in a concentration range of 3-150 mg/ml. In addition glutathione S-transferase activity and glutathione level were increased with TCTE in cultured murine hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. These results suggest that TCTE has breast cancer chemopreventive potential by inhibiting cytochrome P45O 1A1 activity, inducing quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities, and increasing GSH level.

The hepatoprotective effects of Liriopis tuber on carbon tetrachloride $(CCl_4)$ intoxicated rats were studied. The water extract prepared from Liriopis tuber were administrated to the pretreatment group orally once a day for successive 7 days, followed by treatment with $CCl_4$ on the seventh day. The post treatment group was treated with $CCl_4$ and then the water extract was administrated. The activities of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and contents of total cholesterol and triglyceride in pretreatment rats serum were significantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. The level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was considerably increased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. In the pretreatment group with the water extract of Liriopis tuber tissue destruction was not observed in light microscopic investigation, compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. These results suggest that Liriopis tuber have potent hepatoprotective effect against carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats.

This study was done to investigate the protective effect of Alnus japonica Steude on hepatotoxicity in carbon let-rachloride $(CCl_4)$ intoxicated rats. Alnus japonica Steud was extracted with methanol and fractionated with hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol and water. Rats were treated with those orally once a day for 6 days. The activities of aminotransferase and ${\gamma}-glutamyltranspeptidase$ and contents of cholesterol, TG and hepatic lipid peroxide in butanol fraction pretreated rats were significantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats but the content of glutathione was significantly increased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. Also activities of hepatic superoside dismutase, catalase, glutathione perpxidase in butanol fraction pretreated rats were signigicantly decreased compared to the only $CCl_4$ treated rats. These result indicated that butanol fraction of Alnus japonica Steude showed hepatoprotective effect in carbon tetrachloride intoxicated rats.

We have investigated the effect of MeOH extract of the adventious root culture of Panax ginseng on hyperlipidemic rats induced by fat-rich diet. We also analyzed and compared the content ginsenoisdes of the cultured ginsengs by HPLC. After oral administration of the MeOH extract to hyperlipidemic rats for four weeks, the variables including body weight, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels in serum were measured. One of the cultured ginseng roots (CBN3) decreased cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol levels in serum. HPLC analysis demonstrated that CBN3 contains more $Rb_1$ and Rd ginsenosides than any other cultured ginsengs and cultivated ginseng. These results suggest that CBN3 with high contents of $Rb_1$ and Rd may be useful in lowering blood cholesterol.

We examined the inhibitory activities against monoamine oxidase (MAO) of Morus alba in vitro and in vivo methods. Methanolic extract of M. alba showed significantly inhibitory activities on MAO-A and MAO-B that were prepared from rat brain and liver in vitro. The inhibitory activities were measured by serotonin and benzylamine as substrates, respectively. MAO-A and MAO-B activities were potently inhibited by ethylacetate extracts of M. alba in vitro tests. Those activities in vivo tests have different tendency each other. MAO-A activity was increased by the oral administration of methanolic extract of M. Alba, while, MAO-B activity was decreased. Consequently, we can suggest that M. alba may have the effects on the inhibitory activities against MAO both in vitro and in vivo.

Anitioxidative activities againt 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical were evaluated for ten diarylheptanoids, $1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptane-3-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl(1{\rightarrow}3)-{\beta}-D-xylopyranoside(1)$, $1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptane-3-O-{\beta}-D-apiofuranosyl(1{\rightarrow}6)-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside(2)$, $1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptane-5-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside(3)$, 1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxyheptane(4), $1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptane-3-one-5-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside(5)$, oregonin(6), hirsutanonol(7), hirsutenone(8), $1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxyheptane-3-O-{\beta}-D-xylopyranoside(9)$ and platyphylloside(10), which were isolated from Alnus japonica. Aglycones (4,7 and 8) and mono glycosides (3,6 and 9) showed more strong antioxidative activities than diglycosides (1 and 2) against the DPPH radical. Especially, hirsutenone(8) showed superior activity among ten diarylheptanoid.