The butanol extracts of Agrimonia pilosa (BAP) induced dose-dependent vascular relaxation of phenylephrine-precontracted aorta, which was abolished by removal of functional endothelium. Pretreatment of the endothelium-intact aortic tissues with $N^G$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 1H-[1,2,4]-oxadiazole-[$4,3-{\alpha}$]-quinoxalin-1-one(ODQ) inhibited the relaxation induced by BAP. BAP-induced vascular relaxation was also markedly attenuated by addition of verapamiI, while the relaxant effect of BAP was not blocked by indomethacine, glibenclamide, tetraethylammonium (TEA), atropine, or propranolo. In addition, incubation of endothelium-intact aortic rings with BAP increased the vascular production of cGMP. These results suggest that BAP relaxes vascular smooth muscle via endothelium-dependent nitric oxide/cGMP signaling pathway, which may be causally related with L-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels.

We investigated the anti-inflammatory activities of unripe fruit of Citrus grandis Osbeck growing at Jeju Island, through the evaluation of their inhibitory effect on the production of inflammatory markers (IL-6, iNOS, COX, TARC and MDC) in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells and HaCaT human keratinocyte cells. Among the sequential solvent fractions obtained from crude extract, hexane and chloroform $(CHCI_3)$ fractions showed potential inhibitory activity on the mRNA expressions of IL-6, iNOS and COX-2 at the concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$ in RAW264.7 cells. Also, EtOAc fraction showed inhibitory activity on the thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC)/CCL17 and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC)/CCL22 at the concentration of $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that the unripe fruit of C. grandis may have anti-inflammatory activity through the suppression of inflammatory markers (IL-6, iNOS, COX, TARC and MDC).

A mixture of cerebrosid was purified from the roots of Panax notogiseng (Araliaceae) and characterized as 1-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S,3S,4R,8E)-2-[(2'R)-2‘-hydroxypalmitoylamino]-8-octadecene-1,3,4-triol (Aralia cerebroside) and its 8Z-isomer (1-O-{\beta}-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S,3S,4R,8E)-2-[(2'R)-2’-hydroxypalmitoylamino]-8-octadecene-1,3,4-triol, a major component of poke-weed cerebroside) by means of spectroscopic methods.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of evening primrose oil (EPO) on the male sexual functions. EPO (daily 0.5 ml/mouse) was orally intubated for 28 consecutive days to experimental ICR mice, and same vol. of vehicle to control mice. On the 14th and 28th experimental day, the testis weight, number of complete intromissions and mating, serum testosterone and cGMP levels, prostaglandin leveIs of penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells, and NO-productive activity of endothelial cells were determined. The weight of body and testis, the number of complete intromissions during the 3hour period were somewhat increased in EPO treated mice than those of control. The number of sperm-positive females and testosterone level in serum were increased in experimental groups. The serum cGMP level was significantly increased but the NO production of ionomycin-stimulated HUVEC cells was not affected when EPO was added into cultures. These results suggest that oral administration of EPO enhanced the sexual functions of male mice, and EPO could be developed as a tonic improving sexual functions.

Six phlorotannins were isolated from Ecklonia cava, a brown alga belonging to Alariaceae, collected offshore Jeju Island. Among the phlorotannins, dieckol showed strong elastase inhibition and hyaluronidase ingibition.

Garlic(Allium sativum Linn) is widely used as a common condiment for a variety of foods and beverages. It has been well known that fresh garlic and garlic supplement of commercial preparations have various therapeutic properties including antimicrobial activity, antiplatelet aggregation, antihypertension, and cholesterol-lowering effects, which contribute to its increasing uses for an alternative medicine. Allicin(diallyl thiosulfinate), the major bioactive components of garlic, is formed by alliinase cleavage of the naturally occurring alliin upon crushing or mincing of garlic, and is the progenitor of a number of other products, such as diallyl disulfide. CYP3A4, heme-containing monooxygenase, is a key enzyme responsible for drug metabolism. Therefor, in the present study, we isolated and examined the compounds with CYP3A4-inhibiting activities from garlic. Among EtOAc extracts of garlic, we found that N-p-coumaroyltyramine and N-feruloyltyramine showed remarkable CYP3A4-inhibiting activities, compared to diallyl disulfide. Structures of the isolated active compounds were established by chemical and spectroscopic means.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) formation plays an important role in the progression of diabetic complications. To develop effective herbal formulations with suppression of diabetic nephropathy, a common complication in diabetic patients, we evaluated inhibitory activities of KIOM-79, a new herbal prescription, on the formation of AGEs using in vitro and in vivo model systems. Effects of KIOM-79 on the expression of AGEs, RAGEs (receptor for Advanced glycation end products), type IV collagen and renal $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNA was also examined in streptozotocon (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated orally with KIOM-79 (250 and $500\;kg^{-1}$ once a day for 13 weeks). In vitro system KIOM-79 suppressed the formation of AGEs $(18.12\;{\mu}g/ml)$. In STZ-induced diabetic rats showing accumulation of AGE and RAGE, pathological examination revealed that KIOM-79 prevented AGE and RAGE deposition in the kidney. In STZ induced diabetic rats, the expansion of mesangial matrix and the glomerular tufts seemed to be larger than those in normal rats. Howεver, after administration with KIOM-79, mesangial metrix and glomerular volume were decreased, and overexpression of type IV collagen was also decreased. Overexpression of renal $TGF-{\beta}1$ mRNA was inhibited significantly. These results suggest that the KIOM-79 might be an effective herbal prescription to prevent or alleviate the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Melittia inouei (Yuri Nabang) larvae are used as a crude drug in East Asia for treating stomach cancer and inflammation, and currently reared as a pharmaceutical insect in Jejudo, Korea. This study evaluated the immuno-modulating activity of these extracts, by determining the level of, cytokine production from mouse splenocytes stimulated with the extracts. The Melittia inouei larvae extracts did not induce the splenocyte proliferation. On the other hand, they stimulated the splenocytes to produce cytokines such as $TNF-{\alpha}$, whereas they did not stimulate IL10, IL12 or $IFN-{\gamma}$. The aqueous portion of its plant (Tri-chosanthis kirilowii) extract (sap) was found to be a potent inducer of NO production from the CPAE cells. However, it showed weak inhibitory effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production from splenocytes. These data suggests that a Melittia inouei larvae extract immune modulatory activity in cytokine prodcutions such as $TNF-{\alpha}$ and VEGF which might be related its anticancer effect.

Geum Ryeo Hwan(錦儷丸) is Chinese patent medicine which has been used for women's diseases and climacteric syndrome in Korea. It consists of 12 kinds of powdered crude drugs. In powdered crude drugs, it is hard to identify each component by chemical analysis or morphological examination. However, the method of identification of powdered crude drugs has not been clearly established. Therefore, it is of interest to establish the microscopic method for identification of powdered crude drugs of Chinese patent medicines. The effectiveness of microscopic method is exemplified by the identification of tissue and contents of crude drugs by comparison with standard drugs. Moreover, this method has advantage as a microscale analysis, since it requires only a small amount of specimens. In this study, it is demonstrated that the microscopic method is very effective for the identification of 12 crude drug ingredients in Geum Ryeo Hwan.

Korean folk medicine 'Jeob Gol Mog' has been used to cure nephritis, hypoacidity rheumatis, gastrectasis, and fracture of bone. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Jeob Gol Mog', it has been considered to be Sambucus species of Caprifoliaceae, but there has no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. Morphological and anatomical examination of Sambucus stem show that 'Jeob Gol Mog' was the stem of Sambucus sieboldiana var. miquelii and S. williamsii var. coreana.