• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Objective : Prolonged use of systemic corticosteroids negatively impacts skin barrier function. Corticosteroids have a major role in the practical management of many diseases, so it is necessary to find the drug or supplement which could keep the skin healthy during the systemic corticosteroids therapy. Seed of Trichossnthcs kiiilowii was commonly used for pulmonary disease in traditional Chinese medicine. Many studies have investigated and found that seed of Trichosanthes kirilowii has anti-bacterial, anti-HIV, anti-tumor and immunoregulatory functions. This study was performed to investigate the effect of seed of Trichosmthes kirilowii on the Skin Barrier Method : Triamcinolone 0.4mg was injected male hairless mice for 5 weeks ( 2 times a week, totally 10 times), Just before the first injection, hairless mice were divided into 3 groups; Control ( normal saline medicated group ), GroupA( seed of Trichosuuhes kirilowii qd/day medicated group ) and GroupB( seed of Trichosuuhes kiiilowii bid/day medicated group ), Body weight of all the groups were checked during the experiment, After $10^{th}$ injection, TEWL (Transeidermal water loss) of 3 groups were artificially increased by 9 times tape stripping and the changes of TEWL were checked at before stripping, right after, 2h, 4h, 6h, 24h, 48 and 72h later after stripping, AST, ALT and CBC were also checked. Indeed, stratum corneum of 3 groups were also examined and compared with that of normal hairless mouse. Results : 1. GroupB showed significantly lower body weight among three groups 2, There was no statistical difference at AST, ALT and CBC among three groups 3. GroupB was showed significantly lower TEWL than TEWL of Control at 48h later. 4 GroupB recovered it's TEWL of before tape stripping at 24h later, GroupA recovered that at 48h and Control recovered that at 72h later at the same condition 5. Stratum corneum of GroupA and GroupB were looked almost normal and healthy. On the contrary, stratum corneum of Control was looked thin and unhealthy. Conclusions : Seed of Ttichossnthes kirilowii has some effects on skin barrier function, especially TEWL of high dose corticosteroids injected hairless mouse and the efficacy seemed to be related with the dosage.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.598-606
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• 2009

Oxidative stress by free radicals is a major cause of neuronal cell death. Excitotoxicity in hypoxia/ischemia causes an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), resulting in dysfunction of the mitochondria and cell death. Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR) is a traditional medicine for incipient stroke. We investigated the effects of PR Water-Extract on the modulation of ROS and MMP in a hypoxic model using cultured rat cortical cells. PR Water-Extract was added to the culture medium at various concentrations (0.25${\sim}$5, 5.0 ${\mu}g/ml$) on day in vitro 12(DIV12), given a hypoxic shock (2% $O_2$/5% $CO_2$, $37^{\circ}C$, 3 hr), and cell viability was assessed on DIV15 by Lactate Dehydrogenase Assay (LDH assays). PR Water-Extract showed a statistically significant effect on neuroprotection (10${\sim}$15% increase in viability; p<0.01) at 1.0 and 2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$ in normoxia and hypoxia. Measurement of ROS production by $H_2DCF-DA$ stainings showed that PR Water-Extract efficiently reduced the number and intensity of ROS-producing neurons, especially at 1 hr post shock and DIV15. When MMP was measured by JC-1 stainings, PR Water-Extract efficiently maintained high-energy charged mitochondria. These results indicate that PR Water-Extract protects neurons in hypoxia by preventing ROS production and preserving the cellular energy level.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.682-692
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• 2012

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of cough, indigestion, circulatory problems and pain. The associated anti-inflammatory effect of this agent is achieved via the inhibition of Nf-${\kappa}B$ signaling, a property that has been demonstrated to effectively control the symptoms of various skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Sea Buckthorn in reducing the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activated nitric oxide (NO) by inhibiting the Nf-${\kappa}B$ pathway, as measured by the symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) occurring secondarily to inflammation and immune dysregulation. Our data demonstrate that Sea Buckthorn significantly decreased the LPS-induced production of NO (p<0.001). Atopic dermatitis was induced by repeated application of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene to the dorsal skin of mice. Topical application of 5% Sea Buckthorn extract improved the symptoms of AD, specifically reducing disease severity scores, scratching behaviors and epidermal thickness. When compared to the control group, animals treated with Sea Buckthorn exhibited increased serum IL-12 levels and decreased serum TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-4 and IL-5 levels. Such a modulation of biphasic T-helper (Th)1/Th2 cytokines may result in a reduction in serum IgE levels. Our findings suggest that mechanism of action of Sea Buckthorn in the treatment of AD is associated with a marked anti-inflammatory effect as well as an inhibition of Th2-mediated IgE overproduction via the modulation of biphasic Th1/Th2 cytokines. Such results suggest that topical Sea Buckthorn extract may prove to be a novel therapy for AD symptoms with few side effects.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.4682-4691
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• 2014

Banhabaekchulchhonma-tang is a traditional Korean herbal prescription with a range of pharmacological activities. In this study, the simultaneous analysis of 12 kinds of marker components, Homogentisic acid, Hesperidin, Naringin, Alisol A, Atractylenolide II, Atractylenolide III, Ginsenoside Rg1, Formononetin, Gastrodin, Berberine, Palmatine and 6-gingerol, in Banhabaekchulchhonma-tang was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The standard sample of commercial $C_{18}$ reversed phase-column using water (0.1% TFA) and acetonitrile as the mobile phase with a step gradient elution mode. The flow rate (1.0mL/min), injection volume ($10{\mu}L$) and column oven temperature ($40^{\circ}C$) at a 200, 220, 280 and 340nm wavelength was conducted. All calibration curves of the standard components showed good linearity ($r^2$ >0.999). In addition, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.012 to $0.878{\mu}g/mL$ and 0.009 to $0.290{\mu}g/mL$. The precision intra-day and inter-day were ranged from 0.07 to 1.21% and 0.20 to 0.90%, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 97.17 to 108.40%. Each sample amount showed a very small change. These results highlight the efficient quality evaluation of Banhabaekchulchhonma-tang.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.1422-1427
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• 2011

This study was performed to develop effective antithrombotic agents from traditional herb extracts. Prunella vulgaris L. has been used traditionally as a medical resource in cancer therapy, as well as treatment of hypertension and inflammation, and as a diuretic. However, the effects of Prunella vulgaris on thrombosis and platelet activation have not been clearly understood. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities of oriental medicinal herbs were investigated by evaluating the effect of the aqueous extract from Prunella vulgaris on the blood coagulation, platelet aggregation and fibrinolysis. Prunella vulgaris extracts showed effective anticoagulant activity in coagulation times such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT). Prunella vulgaris also inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation. In addition, evaluation of fibrinolytic activity showed that the Prunella vulgaris extracts have high solubility. From these results, it is suggested that Prunella vulgaris can be a potential candidate for anticoagulants and antiplatelets, as well as fibrinolytic agents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4597-4606
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• 2012

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon adenocarcinoma which arises from the epithelial cells of the bile ducts. The aim of the study was to investigate the cytotoxicity, toxicity, and anticancer activity of a crude ethanolic extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) against CCA. Cytotoxic activity against a CCA cell line (CL-6) was assessed by calcein-AM and Hoechst 33342 assays and anti-oxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH assay. Investigation of apoptotic activity was performed by DNA fragmentation assay and induction of genes that may be involved in the resistance of CCA to anticancer drugs (MDR1, MRP1, MRP2, and MRP3) was examined by real-time PCR. To investigate anti-CCA activity in vivo, a total of 80 OV and nitrosamine (OV/DMN)-induced CCA hamsters were fed with the ginger extract at doses of 1000, 3000, and 5000 mg/kg body weight daily or every alternate day for 30 days. Control groups consisting of 10 hamsters for each group were fed with 5-fluorouracil (positive control) or distilled water (untreated control). Median $IC_{50}$ (concentration that inhibits cell growth by 50%) values for cytotoxicity and anti-oxidant activities of the crude ethanolic extract of ginger were 10.95, 53.15, and $27.86{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. More than ten DNA fragments were visualized and up to 7-9 fold up-regulation of MDR1 and MRP3 genes was observed following exposure to the ethanolic extract of ginger. Acute and subacute toxicity tests indicated absence of any significant toxicity at the maximum dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight given by intragastric gavage. The survival time and survival rate of the CCA-bearing hamsters were significantly prolonged compared to the control group (median of 54 vs 17 weeks). Results from these in vitro and in vivo studies thus indicate promising anticancer activity of the crude ethanolic extract of ginger against CCA with the absence of any significant toxicity. Moreover, MDR1 and MRP3 may be involved in conferring resistance of CCA to the ginger extract.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.475-483
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• 2016

The current study was conducted to evaluate beneficial effects of a new formula (CWC-9) using four traditional Oriental medicinal herbs, Cynanchum wilfordii, Rehmannia glutinosa, Polygala tenuifolia, and Acorus gramineus, on hippocampal cells and memory function. To examine the neuroprotective effects of a new four-herb extract, cell viability, cytotoxicity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays were performed in HT22 cells and behavioral tests (Morris water maze and passive avoidance retention), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were performed in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. In HT22 hippocampal cells, pretreatment with CWC-9 resulted in significantly reduced glutamate-induced cell death with suppression of ROS accumulation caused by glutamate. In a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia, we observed significant improvement of spatial and short-term memory function by treatment with CWC-9. Phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in hippocampus of ischemic mice were decreased by treatment with CWC-9, but phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) were significantly enhanced. By immunohistochemical analysis, we confirmed higher expression of phosphorylation of CREB in the hippocampal neurons of CWC-9 treated mice. These results suggest that new multi-herb formula CWC-9 mainly exerted beneficial effects on cognitive function through regulation of neuro-protective signaling pathways associated with CREB.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2007

Kimchi is one of the representative traditional foods in Korea, which is recognized as a kind of wellbeing foodstuffs. However, as increasing foreign-made Kimchi, its safety as food is at the forefront of public health concerns. We analyzed the washing methods of Chinese cabbages, which are the main materials in Kimchi, to prevent parasite contamination during preparing it. To decontaminate parasite eggs from Chinese cabbages, discard the discolored outer leaves from cabbages, spread the space of leaves with fingers and rinse more than 3 separate water tanks with streaming water (velocity more than 0.8m/sec). At each tank, Chinese cabbages were rinsed with more than 3 strokes upward and downward within the streaming water followed by moving back and forth more than 3 times, with 20cm in height and 30cm in width, respectively. Decontamination efficiency increased higher in parallel with streaming velocity of water, and with adding the vegetable detergent to the tank water.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.319-328
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• 2016

Objectives: Advancements in nanotechnology have led to nanoparticle (NP) use in various fields of medicine. Although the potential of NPs is promising, the lack of documented evidence on the toxicological effects of NPs is concerning. A few studies have documented that homeopathy uses NPs. Unfortunately, very few sound scientific studies have explored the toxic effects of homeopathic drugs. Citing this lack of high-quality scientific evidence, regulatory agencies have been reluctant to endorse homeopathic treatment as an alternative or adjunct treatment. This study aimed to enhance our insight into the impact of commercially-available homeopathic drugs, to study the presence of NPs in those drugs and any deleterious effects they might have, and to determine the distribution pattern of NPs in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio). Methods: Homeopathic dilutions were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction (SAED). For the toxicity assessment on Zebrafish, embryos were exposed to a test solution from 4 - 6 hours post-fertilization, and embryos/larvae were assessed up to 5 days post-fertilization (dpf ) for viability and morphology. Toxicity was recorded in terms of mortality, hatching delay, phenotypic defects and metal accumulation. Around 5 dpf was found to be the optimum developmental stage for evaluation. Results: The present study aimed to conclusively prove the presence of NPs in all high dilutions of homeopathic drugs. Embryonic zebrafish were exposed to three homeopathic drugs with two potencies (30CH, 200CH) during early embryogenesis. The resulting morphological and cellular responses were observed. Exposure to these potencies produced no visibly significant malformations, pericardial edema, and mortality and no necrotic and apoptotic cellular death. Conclusion: Our findings clearly demonstrate that no toxic effects were observed for these three homeopathic drugs at the potencies and exposure times used in this study. The embryonic zebrafish model is recommended as a well-established method for rapidly assessing the toxicity of homeopathic drugs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.557-563
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• 2011

Platycodon grandiflorum (Korean name, Doraji) has been widely used in traditional herbal medicine as an expectorant for pulmonary disease and a remedy for respiratory disorders in Asia. Here, we investigated the effects of BtOH extract saponin fraction of P. gradiflourm (PGS) on phagocytosis and anti-tumor activity with related cytokine productions in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The results showed that PGS increased phagocytosis, anti-tumor activity, TNF-${\alpha}$ and nitric oxide (NO) production without direct tumor cell cytotoxicity. To further investigate whether NO is involved in anti-tumor and phagocytic activities of PGS, cells were co-treated with specific iNOS inhibitors, L-NIL (N6-(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysine, dihydrochloride), to block NO production. PGS decreased anti-tumor activity in L-NIL-treated cells, whereas phagocytic activity was not inhibited under the same conditions, indicating that the anti-tumor activity by PGS appears to be conducted by NO. These findings suggest that P. grandiflorum could be used a potential nutrition therapeutic agent for cancer patients.