• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.409-418
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• 2017

In Korea, Rhus verniciflua Stokes is used to purge hardness, alleviate blood stasis, and treat cancer. However, the mechanisms of related anti-cancer activity are not fully understood in human cancer cells. This study investigated the anti-cancer effects and mechanisms of Rhus verniciflua Stokes on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells and found that treatment with a Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract resulted in time- and concentration-responses that indicated growth inhibition of breast cancer cells by induced apoptosis. This was followed by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential; the activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9; and the up-regulation of tBid. Caspase-dependent apoptosis was induced through the inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and the Akt signaling pathway. This study provides evidence that Rhus verniciflua Stokes might be useful for the treatment of breast cancer.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2008

Based on 11 Classics of Materia Medica designated by Ministry of health and welfare bulletin 1995-15 as legal basis in scope and preparation of herbal prescription, we reviewed indication, property and processing of Rhus Verniciflua Stokes which appear extensively in literature since earlier Joseon Dynasty. Following is the conclusion of this review after comparing with 'Korean Pharmacopoeia: commentary on herbal product standard'. 1. The properties of Rhus Verniciflua Stokes in 'Korean Pharmacopoeia :commentary on herbal product standard' should be changed as 'Tonifying the middle, restoring the muscle, fulfilling marrow, breaking old static blood, tonifying and activating after removing mass, unblocking the meridian, killing worms' and indication should be changed as 'Old static blood, deep rooted mass, wind-cold-dampness arthralgia, cough, 9 types of chest pain, abdominal or flank accumulation of stagnated qi[氣], amenorrhea, hernia mass, small bowel or bladder colic pain, abdominal pain due to worm accumulation'. 2. The processing of Rhus Verniciflua Stokes in 'Korean Pharmacopoeia: commentary on herbal product standard' should include 'natural drying or steaming drying followed by grinding and stir-baking until ripened or smoking appears'.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.258.2-258.2
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• 2003

Rhus verniciflua STOKES (RVS) belongs to Anacardiaceae and grows Korea, China and Japan. distributed in the northeastern Asia. Rhus verniciflua STOKES has been used for anthelmintic medicine, stomachache, emmenagogue and constipation in oriental medicine. From the EtOAc fraction of 70％ MeOH extracts, flavonoids were isolated by column chromatography using ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and silica gel. The structure of these compounds were identified on the $^1$H-NMR, $\^$13/C-NMR and FAB/MS spectroscopic methods.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.677-682
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• 2011

This study explores the antioxidant activities of solvent extracts from Rhus verniciflua, and the results were as follows. Total phenolic compound and flavonoid contents of Rhus verniciflua were $4.32{\pm}0.17$ mg/100 g and $0.16{\pm}0.02$ mg/100 g, respectively. Electron-donating abilities of solvent extracts from Rhus verniciflua proportionally increased with concentration, and ethyl acetate extract ($95.4{\pm}0.4%$) showed higher activity than that of BHT ($93.3{\pm}1.7%$) at a concentration of 1,000 ${\mu}L$/mL. Reducing power of the solvent extracts from Rhus verniciflua was the highest in ethyl acetate extract ($2.45{\pm}0.03$) at a concentration of 1,000 ${\mu}L$/mL. Nitrite scavenging ability of the solvent extracts from Rhus verniciflua (pH 1.2, 1,000 ${\mu}L$/mL) was the highest in ethyl acetate extract ($95.5{\pm}0.7%$). Therefore, ethyl acetate extract from Rhus verniciflua has similar antioxidant activity as that of BHT.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.113-118
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• 2006

The effects of dietary Rhus verniciflua Stokes supplementation (0%, 2%, 4% and 6%/feed) on meat color, water-holding capacity (WHC), lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition in m. longissimus from Hanwoo (Korean cattle) beef during refrigerated storage were investigated. The $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ and $C^*$ values of 4% group were significantly (p<0.05) higher than those of the other groups for 7 days of storage. The $a^*$, $b^*$ and $C^*$ values declined gradually during storage in all of the groups and the decline was more rapid in control group. The metmyoglobin (%) was significantly (p<0.05) increased during storage time in all of the groups, but the 4% group had a lower rate of metmyoglobin accumulation during storage. WHC was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the 2% and 4% groups than in the other groups. The TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) value of day 0 was not significantly (p>0.05) different among 4 diet conditions, but the TBARS value after 5 days of storage was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the control group than in other groups. The proportions of C18:1, MUFA, UFA and MUFA/SFA ratio were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the meat from Rhus verniciflua Stokes-supplemented Hanwoo than in the control group. Consequently, the meat from Rhus verniciflua Stokes-supplemented Hanwoo showed higher color stability, WHC, unsaturated fatty acids and retarded lipid oxidation compared to the control meat. In particular, dietary Rhus verniciflua Stokes supplementation with 4% extended storage life compared to the other groups.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2014

Objective : This study was performed to investigate the antineoplastic effect of Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica gigas, Rhus verniciflua Stokes and Trichosanthes kirilowii on SNU-80 anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cell line. Method : We examined whether our herbal medicines decreases cell growth rate of SNU-80 using MTT assay. We performed western blot analysis to verify that our herbal medicines induces apoptosis via caspase-dependent mechanism. We also performed wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay to investigate whether our herbal medicines affects the migration and invasion of anaplastic cancer cells, SNU-80. We also carried out ELISA assay to know our herbal medicines suppresses the expression of proinvasive molecules, such as VEGF and MMP-2 secreted from SNU-80. Results : MTT assay demonstrates that Angelica gigas, Rhus verniciflua Stokes, and Trichosanthes kirilowii suppressed strongly the growth of SNU-80. Western blot analysis demonstrates that Trichosanthes kirilowii induces apoptosis activating the cleavages of caspases (caspase-8, caspase-3) and PARP. Wound healing assay demonstrates that Rhus verniciflua Stokes, and Trichosanthes kirilowii inhibited the migration of SNU-80. Transwell invasion assay demonstrates that Rhus verniciflua Stokes, and Trichosanthes kirilowii inhibited the invasion of SNU-80. Elisa assay demonstrates that Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica gigas, Rhus verniciflua Stokes, and Trichosanthes kirilowii suppressed the expression of VEGF and MMP-2. Conclusion : We could conclude that several herbal medicines suppresses the growth and inhibits the migration and invasion of SNU-80 which is anaplastic thyroid cancer cells. Especially, Rhus verniciflua Stokes, Trichosanthes kirilowii had stronger anti-cancer effect suggesting that we can apply them to treat anaplastic thyroid cancer.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2006

This study was undertaken to evaluate safety and antitumor activity of Nexia, a processed extract of Rhus verniciflua STOKES by heating according to Korean patent 0504160 through toxicology, cancer research and clinical application. Nexia did not exhibit any toxicological symptoms through 13 week continuous treatment, dosage accumulation study and anaphylaxis response. The lifespan of four patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia under complete remission were 110, 83, 97, and 86 months after treatment of Nexia, respectively. These data suggest that Nexia, a processed extract by removing allergen from Rhus verniciflua STOKES, may have safety and antitumor activity and also still need continuous study on its mechanism and clinical trial.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2006

Rhus Verniciflua Stokes has been used for long history to treat blood stasis and cancer in Oriental Medicine. But urushiol, a constituent of Rhus Verniciflua Stokes has T-cell mediated allergic reaction, so it has made clinical limitation. Nexia is allergen removed extract of Rhus Verniciflua Stokes and its extraction process as well as quality control is needed to be standardized. The optimized extraction condition is as follow; temperature is $90{\sim}95^{\circ}C$, volume of slovent 10 times, extraction time >6 hours, pressure $, slovnet water or EtOH(60%), yield 8.1${\sim}$9.8(w/w). HPLC pattern and isolation study showed Nexia contain fisetin(>13.0%), fustin(>7.0%) and no urushiol.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.467-474
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• 2000

Male mice (ddY strain) were fed a laboratory chow diet containing the water extract from stem bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) for 14 days. There were no significant difference in body weight gain, feed intake, the hepatic lipid profile and serum total cholesterol and phodpholipid concentrations. The concentration of triglyceride in serum was significantly lower in the RVS group than that in the control group. The concentration of high-density-lipoprotein cholestrol in serum was significantly higher in the RVS group than that in the control group. The methanol extract from RVS stem bark effectively inhibited the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances as a marker of lipid peroxidation of liver microsomes in a concentration-dependent manner. This study showed that the water extract from stem bark of RVS decreased the serum triglyceride concentration and methanol extract has an antioxidative activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.74-79
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• 2004

Dietary flavonoids are currently receiving considerable attention in developing novel cancer-preventive approaches because of their potential capacities to actively induce apoptosis of cancer cells. In our previous report, a flavonoid fraction, which consisted mainly of protocatechuic acid, fustin, fisetin, sulfuretin, and butein and named RCMF (RVS chloroform-methanol fraction), was prepared from a crude acetone extract of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) that is traditionally used as food additive and herbal medicine. In this study, we evaluated the effects of the RCMF on cell proliferation and apoptosis using SV40-transformed tumorigenic hepatocytes, BNL SV A.8. Tritium uptake assay showing the proliferative capacity of the cells was strongly suppressed in the presence of RCMF. This anti-proliferative effect was further confirmed through trypan blue exclusion. RCMF-mediated suppression of cell growth was verified to be apoptotic, based on the increase in DNA fragmentation, low fluorescence intensity in nuclei after propidium iodide staining, and the appearance of DNA laddering. Collectively, this study demonstrated that RCMF can be approached as a potential agent that is capable of significantly inhibiting cell growth of hepatic cancer cells.