The antioxidant activities of Agrimony (Agrimonia pilosa L.) and Chinese lizardtail (Saururus chinensis Baill) according to extraction methods were measured. SOD-like activity showed greater antioxidant effects with ethanol solvent than those with water. Ethanol extracts of Agrimony leaves showed the highest SOD-like activity of 94.4%. SOD-like activity differed according to the extraction solvents. The contents of polyphenolic compounds were higher in water extracts than those in ethanol extracts. The contents were 161.4 mg for Agrimony roots, 100.2 mg for Agrimony leaves, and 79.1 mg for Agrimony stalks in order. EDA in Agrimony leaves that were highest among medicinal plants were 83.4% in the water extract and 81.7% in the ethanol extract. The anticancer effects of the extracts by water and ethanol from Agrimony and Chinese lizardtail were experimented. The growth of stomach cancer cells, SNU-719 was inhibited 94.5% by the hexane fractions of Agrimony and also the growth of liver cancer cells, Hep3B was inhibited 83.2% by the hexane fractions of Agrimony, while the growth of normal cell, DC2.4 was not affected.
Shoot weight of Orostachys japonicus should determine its profitability. The study was done to determine the effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilization (0, 5, 10, 20 kg P2O5 or K2O /1000 m2) on its growth, morphological characters, and flowering. Night-break treatment of 2 hours at midnight were done since Aug. 25 when afterward samples were taken every 4 weeks to Nov. 16. Growth, morphological and flowering related characters were measured from each sample. Plant height, inflorescence length, number of leaves including bracts and stem diameter were increased with increased P and K levels. Leaf and bract, floret, shoot and total dry weights showed similar response to the above morphological characters although P fertilization more increased them than K fertilization. Florets were more formed with increased P and K levels but were not flowered due to the night-break treatment, meaning that P and K fertilization had little effect on anthesis of the florets formed.
This study was investigated that quality inspection of distributed Scutellariae Radix in Korea. To evaluate the quality of these herbal medicines, we carried out TLC pattern, foreign matter in purity, loss on drying, ash, acid-insoluble ash, oil content, dilute ethanol-soluble, water-soluble, ether-soluble extracts contents, quantitative analyses, residual SO2, individual heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides. To measure contents of baicalin, baicalein and wogonin, we were quantitative analyzed using HPLC. The average contents of baicalin, baicalein and wogonin were detected by 13.28 (±0.43)%, 1.17 (±0.04)% and 0.40 (±0.02)%, respectively. Each average contents As, Cd, Hg and Pb was 0.059 (±0.054) mg · kg-1, 0.019 (±0.010) mg · kg-1, 0.017 (±0.057) ppm and 0.242 (±0.084) mg · kg-1, respectively.
Ginsenosides have been regarded as the principal components, responsible for the pharmacological and biological activities of ginseng. Absorption of major ginsenosides at the gastrointestinal tract was extremely low, when ginseng taken orally. In order to improve the absorption and bioavailability, transformation of major ginsenosides into more active and valuable minor ginsenoside is much required. In this present study, We isolated a lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc fallax LH3 from the Korean fermented food Kimchi, which have higher β-glucosidase activity. Using the ethanol precipitated curd enzyme of Leuconostoc fallax LH3, we investigated the biotransformation of ginsenoside Rd at different experimental condition to increase transformation. The maximum convertion was supported at 30 ℃ and decreased when temperatures increased. In order to optimize the effect of pH, the curd enzyme was mixed 20 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 3.5 to pH 8.0). Ginsenoside Rd was almost hydrolyzed between pH 7.0 and pH 9.0, but not hydrolyzed above pH 10.0. Ginsenoside Rd was hydrolyzed after 24 hrs incubation, but whereas the ginsenoside F2 was appeared from 36 hrs, and all ginsenoside Rd was transformed to F2 after the 60 hrs incubation. Based on this study, the curd enzyme of Leuconostoc fallax LH3 transformed the ginsenoside Rd at the 30℃ and the pH optimum of 7.0 to 9.0 after the 60 hrs incubation time.
New somatic chromosome numbers and karyotype analyses of 33 medicinal herbs (30 genera, 23 families) in Korea were investigated. The chromosome numbers of 4 taxa, Euryale ferox, Rodgersia podophylla, Cirsium japonicum var. ussurience, Eehinops setifer, showed results that are different from previous reports. Among 33 taxa, 23 taxa were reported for the first time, and karyotype analyses were newly conducted for 2 taxa (Tiarella polyphylla, Crepidiastrum denticulatum) in Korea. In addition, we observed for the first time the new chromosome numbers for 4 taxa distributed evenly over the world (Lindera erythrocarpa, Corylopsis glabrescens var. gotoana, Ardisia crenata, Callicarpa japonica var. luxurians).
The root of Angelica tenuissima Nakai (Umbelliferae) has been used in traditional medicines of Korea as a headache, common cold and a fever remedy. A. tenuissima contains ferulic acid and various compounds of essential oil group such as limonene, 3-butylidenephthalide, γ-terpinene, neocnidilide, ligustilide, senkyunolide and neocnidilide. This study carried out to compare the contents of ferulic acid, z-ligustilide and n-butylidenephthalide between native and cultivated species of A. tenuissima by HPLC. The average contents of ferulic acid, z-ligustilide and n-butylidenephthalide indicated that native species (9 samples) were 0.060%, 0.616%, 0.025% and cultivated species (15 samples) were 0.037%, 0.141%, 0.029%, respectively. All samples were collected from different places in Korea.
Prunus sargentii of Rosaceae familiy, has been reported to have radical scavenging activity and anti-inflammatory effect. On these facts, this research was conducted to evaluate pharmaceutical activities of the bark extracts P. sargentii. Free radical scavenging activities of fraction (Fr) -5~10 isolated from P. sargentii was higher than 80% respectively at 10ppm. The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity of Fr-5, 9 were about 97, 84%, respectively at 1,000 ppm. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect of Fr-9, 10 were about 75, 78%, respectively at 1,000 ppm. The tyrosinase inhibitory effect related to skin-whitening was 72, 68% in Fr-2, 9 isolated from Prunus sargentii R. at 1,000 ppm. Hyaluronidase inhibition activity related to the anti-inflammation effect was 98% for Fr-8 at 500 ppm. Isolation of the methanol soluble fraction from P. sargentii yielded two major phenol compounds, (-)-epicatechin and taxifolin. The structure of the compound was certainly determined by chemical analyses, as well as NMR and Mass spectroscopy. The present study was carried out in a search for new cosmetic material from the bark from P. sargentii. and, (-)-epicatechin and taxifolin were isolated as active principles. So P. sargentii R. methanolic extracts may be used for the cosmetic material.
Nerve injury can lead to neuropathic pain, which is often resistant to current analgesics and interventional therapeutic methods. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) plays important role in the induction of neuropathic pain. We explored the antinociceptive effect of curcumin and its effect on ERK in the spinal cord in the neuropathic pain model of rats induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. In injured rats, mechanical allodynia, which is one of characteristics of neuropathic pain developed and the activation of ERK in spinal cord significantly increased compared with control group. However, administration of curcumin (50 mg/kg/day p.o) for 7 days started from one day before the injury prevented the development of mechanical allodynia and increase of ERK phosphorylation. These results indicate that curcumin can be a new therapeutic agent in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Poncirus trifoliata Rafinesque has been used as the immature fruit of the trifoliate orange tree. This study was carried out to investigate the quality change of Poncirus trifoliata Rafinesque depending on packing materials (vacuum packing, PP (polypropylene) packing, gunny sack packing), storage places and storage periods up to 12 months. The change of loss on drying content, content of poncirin were measured during the 12 months. As a result, the loss on drying content was decreased rapidly in gunny sack packing after storage of 12 months at room temperature. The content of poncirin was decreased generally according to storage conditions and its average loss percent was 38.8%.
In our previous study, ethylacetate fraction of white ginseng (root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) extract inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity and melanin production in melanocytes. This study examined its effects on the expression of melanin biosynthesis-related enzymes to explore the depigmenting pathway. Moreover, depigmenting effect on animal skin was examined using UV-B induced hyperpigmented skin of brown guinea pigs. The ethylacetate fraction of the white ginseng extract exhibited depigmenting activity in the skin of brown guinea pig without visible edema. In addition, this fraction reduced tyrosinase expression in melanocytes. The results suggested that ethylacetate fraction of white ginseng extract might be used as skin depigmenting material by inhibition of tyrosinase activity and expression.
Karyotypic analysis and FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) with 45S and 5S rRNA genes were carried out in Persicaria tinctoria H Gross. The somatic metaphase chromosomes were ranged from 2.25 μm to 1.50 μm in length. Chromosome number was 2n = 4x = 40 with the basic number of x = 10. The chromosome complement of the species consisted of 16 pairs of metacentrics (chromososomes 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19 and 20) and 4 pairs of submetacentrics (chromosome 5, 14, 16 and 17). The karyotype formula was K(2n) = 4x = 32 m + 8 sm. In FISH analysis, three pairs of 45S rRNA gene loci on the terminal region of submetacentrics (chromosomes 5, 16 and 17) and two pairs of 5S rRNA gene loci on the centromeric region of metacentrics (chromosomes 9 and 11) were detected, respectively.