• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Objectives: The enzymatic hydrolysis is one of the processing methods that improve its effectiveness on medicinal herbs. In this research, changes in ingredients and activity by enzymatic hydrolysis were studied. Methods: For this study, a carbohydrate hydrolase such as viscozyme, which converts glycosides to aglycone, was applied to induce constituent changes in Sophora japonica Linne, Houttuynia cordata Thunberg and Leonurus japonicus Houttuyn. Changes in antioxidant activity were measured using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazl (DPPH) method, and changes in ingredients were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: As a result of enzymatic hydrolysis, the content of quercetin was increased from 1.26 mg/g to 29.66 mg/g in Sophora japonica Linne, from 0 mg/g to 0.66 mg/g in Houttuynia cordata Thunberg and from 0.43 mg/g to 0.71 mg/g in Leonurus japonicus Houttuyn. As a result of the antioxidant experimentation, the IC₅₀ of Sophora japonica Linne decreased from 5 ug/ml (MeOH extract) and 9.1 ug/ml (EtOAc fraction) to 3.0 ug/ml, Houttuynia cordata Thunberg decreased from 15.6 ug/ml (MeOH extract) and 13.6 ug/ml (EtOAc fraction) to 11.2 ug/ml, and Leonurus japonicus Houttuyn decreased from 14.4 ug/ml (MeOH extract) and 12.6 ug/ml (EtOAc fraction) to 10.2 ug/ml. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was confirmed that glycoside rutin contained in the three medicinal herbs was changed to quercetin which is the aglycone, by the enzymatic hydrolysis using viscozyme. In terms of antioxidant activity, Sophora japonica Linne showed a significant antioxidant activity value that closes to the control group butylated hydroxyanisole. Houttuynia cordata Thunberg and Leonurus japonicus Houttuyn showed a minor increase in antioxidant activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.148-151
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• 2007

Ig Mo Cho (益母草) has been used as remedy for invigorating blood circulation to remove blood stasis and relieving edema by inducing diuresis. With regard to the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho, it has been considered to be Leonurus spiecies of Labiatae, but there has never been pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho from Korea, the anatomical characteristics of Leonurus japonicus and L. sibiricus were studied. As a result, the botanical origin of Ig Mo Cho from Korea was proved the herba of Leonurus japonicus.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.197-200
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• 2006

Two phenolic acids, gallic acid (1) and syringic acid (2), and five flavonoids, apigenin (3), luteolin (4), kaempferol (5), quercetin (6), and myricetin (7), were isolated from the aerial parts of Leonurus japonicus. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral analysis. The antioxidant activities of the crude extracts, partitioned fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated by DDPH free radical-scavenging assay. Results suggested that the EtOAc partitioned fraction and compounds 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 showed significantly high antioxidant potential compared with $\alpha-tocopherol$ and BHT, which were used as controls.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Cognitive impairment is symptoms of dementia, a degenerative brain disease that is drawing attention in a rapidly aging society. This study was conducted to investigate the improvement of cognitive function of Leonurus japonicus on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice and the effect and mechanism of memory recovery. In vivo studies were conducted on mice orally pretreated with L. japonicus in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg (p.o.) and scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) were injected 30 min before the behavioral task. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity evaluated by Ellman's method. In behavior studies showed that L. japonicus has an improved the memory of scopolamine-treated mice in Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze test. In addition, L. japonicus was also exerted free radical scavenging activity and inhibited acetyl cholinesterase activity. These results suggest that L. japonicus improves short-term and long-term memory in scopolamine-induced memory decline model and prevents scopolamine-induced memory impairments through in reduced oxidative stress and acetyl cholinesterase inhibition effect. Thus, L. japonicus is related to functional medicinal materials for prevention and treatment of human dementia patients.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.659-677
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• 2020

Leonurus japonicus (L. japonicus) Houtt., a biennial plant in the Lamiaceae family is broadly distributed in Asia such as Korea, China, Japan. The aerial part of L. japonicus is used as a traditional medicine to treat uterine disease including dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, sterility. In this study, we examined the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of L. japonicus ethanol extracts. The antioxidant activity of L. japonicus was measured by total polyphenol and flavonoid content, and DPPH, ABTS scavenging, reducing power activity, and intracellular ROS expression assay. The anti-inflammatory effects were measured by nitric oxide (NO), cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) production and inflammatory protein expression in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Total polyphenol and flavonoid content of L. japonicus were 51.40 ± 0.47 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g and 73.28 ± 0.10 mg of rutin equivalents/g respectively. DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity tended to increase concentration-dependent and treatment L. japonicus with 400 ㎍/mL reduced ROS production by 69.5%. Furthermore, L. japonicus inhibited NO, TNF-α and IL-1β production in a concentration-dependant manner and reduced the expression levels of inflammatory proteins via regulating NF-κB, MAPK pathway. Therefore, we suggest that L. japonicus could be a natural antioxidants and medicinal source to treat oxidative stress and inflammation-related disease.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.451-457
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• 2016

Background: Leonurine is a the aerial part of Leonurus japonicus Houttuyn, which has been used as a traditional medicines and is registered in the Korean Pharmacopoeia. Methods and Results: In the present study we performed a heavy metals and thin layer chromatography and measured loss on drying, as well as the contents of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, ethanol soluble compounds, and leonurine, using 15 domestically collected L. japonicus samples. The methods were performed according to the 'crude drugs test of the general test, processes and apparatus', published by MFDS, Korea (2014). The purity test (heavy metals) indicated that levels of Pb and Hg were 0.35 - 3.64, and 0.001 ppm, respectively, whereas the levels of As and Cd were undetectable, and stachydrine was identified by thin layer chromatography ($R_f$ : 0.15). We found that 5.93 - 10.62% (average: $8.58{\pm}1.8%$) of the sample mass was lost during drying, and the contents of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, ethanol soluble compounds, and leonurine were 7.87 - 10.84% (average: $9.62{\pm}0.82%$), 0.99 - 1.76% (average: $1.38{\pm}0.24%$), 16.70 - 23.11% (average: $19.49{\pm}2.14%$) and 0.04 - 0.17% (average: $0.11{\pm}0.04%$) respectively. In addition, HPLC profiling detected leonurine (5.94 min), rutin (16.43 min) and myricetin (26.78 min). Conclusions: We hope that this the rusult of the present study will contribute to the standardization and quality control of Korean herbal medicines.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1896-1904
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• 2020

Muscle atrophy, characterized by a reduced number and size of myofibers, occurs due to immobilization, aging, and several chronic diseases. Leonurus japonicus, belonging to the Labiatae family, is widely used as a traditional medicine in Korea, China, and Japan. Previous studies have reported that L. japonicus has various physiological activities, such as anti-bacteria, anti-cancer, and liver protection. Leonurine, which is a major bioactive in L. japonicas, is known to possess biological effects including anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-diabetes. However, the preventive effects of L. japonicas and leonurine on muscle have not been reported. The current study aimed to determine the inhibitory effects of standardized L. japonicus extract (LJE) and leonurine on muscle atrophy by clarifying their underlying molecular mechanisms in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-stimulated L6 myotubes. LJE and leonurine stimulated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway that was reduced by TNF-α treatment. LJE and leonurine not only increased the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway for protein anabolism but also decreased the mRNA expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases by blocking the translocation of Forkhead box O, which is closely linked with proteolysis. Additionally, LJE and leonurine alleviated inflammatory responses by downregulating TNF-α and interleukin-6 mRNA expression and reducing the protein expression of nuclear factor-kappa B, a major transcriptional factor of proinflammatory cytokines. Collectively, LJE and leonurine have potential as therapeutic candidates for inhibiting the development of skeletal muscle atrophy by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway and reducing inflammatory responses.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.179-182
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• 2015

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.35-47
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• 2023

This study aimed to confirm the potential as a material for food, medicine, and cosmetics by measuring the physiological activity of the complex extract(Leonurus japonicus Houtt., Houttuynia cordata Thunberg and Citrus unshiu Markovich). The complex extract was with hot water, The evaluation of cytotoxicity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and MAPKs of the extract was performed by using ELISA and western blot. Total polyphenols and flavonoid contents of complex extracts were 126.16 mg/g and 105.84 mg/g, respectively. The scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS radical significantly increased in a dose-dependent in complex extracts. Compared to the control group, the complex extracts treatments significantly reduced concentrations of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokine (i.e., IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6). Furthermore, the complex extracts treatments significantly reduced protein expression levels of MAPKs (i.e., ERK, JNK, and p38). The results indicate that the complex extract can be used for oxidative damage and inflammation. Thus, the results of this study can be used as basic data for composite materials for food, medicine, and cosmetics.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.10-28
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• 2023

Objectives: This study was designed to experiment with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Taraxacum platycarpum H. Dahlstedt, Lonicera japonica Thunberg, and Leonurus japonicus Houtt. complex (TLL) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cell. Methods: The antioxidant activity of TLL was measured by FRAP assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical scavenging activity. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of TLL were measured by using standard methods. The anti-inflammatory effects of TLL were measured by NO production, biomarker production (PGE₂, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), mRNA expression level (iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and protein expression level (ERK, JNK, p38). Results: Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in TLL were 58.03±1.02 mg of Gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g and 16.58±0.60 mg of Quercetin equivalents (QE)/g respectively. In FRAP assay, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, a concentration-dependent increase in TLL was observed. To explore antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of TLL, RAW 264.7 cells were treated with TLL and LPS for 24 hours. Cell viability of RAW 264.7 cells were measured by adding EZ-Cytox, It was remarkably increased at 50, 100, 200 ㎍/㎖ concentrations of TLL. NO, ROS, iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, ERK, JNK and p38 were remarkably decreased at 50, 100, 200 ㎍/㎖ concentrations of TLL compared to the control group. PGE₂ and COX-2 were remarkably decreased at 100, 200 ㎍/㎖ concentrations Conclusion: These results suggest that TLL complex has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.