Veronica persica (V. persica) is a perennial plant that is broadly distributed in Europe, Asia and so on. V. persica is used for pain about the lower abdomen and low back. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-oxidant and antiinflammatory effects of V. persica ethanol extract in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. To evaluate the anti-oxidant activity, the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, and reducing power activity were carried out. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity were evaluated as 72.0% and 73.0% at the concentrations of 200 and 500 μg/mL, respectively. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of V. persica extracts were measured as 65.22 mg/g and 43.82 mg/g at the concentration of 1 mg/mL. The reducing power activity measurement showed 53.0% activity at 1 mg/mL. The anti-inflammatory effects of the V. persica extract were evaluated in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells. In the evaluation of cell viability by proliferation ＆ cytotoxicity assay kit, the cytotoxicity of the extract was not confirmed at 0~800 μg/mL concentration. And the V. persica significantly inhibited NO production in a concentration dependent manner. The inhibition effects of NO in cell medium of V. persica was over 80% at 800 μg/mL. The V. persica also suppressed the expression of iNOS, COX-2, and phosphorylation of NF-κB and IkB-α proteins. These results indicate that the V. persica has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by modulating NF-κB signaling pathways and can be used as natural functional materials.

This study was conducted to investigate the growth and physiologycal activitis of Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus (Maxim.) H. Hara under the NaCl treatment conditions (0, 100, 200, 300 mM). After 30 days treatment, the growth and physiologycal activitis were investigated. In the growth of plants, the plant height, leaf width, leaf length and ion level were reduced at NaCl treatments of more than 100 mM. The total polyphenol content was decreased by NaCl in a concentrationdependent manner compared to the control group. The contents of total flavonoids did not show any difference at the concentration of 200 mM and 300 mM. However, the content of total flavonoid decreased compared with that of control. In antioxidant activity, the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity and reducing power activity were decreased by NaCl concentration compared to the control. When changes in the content of NO production was monitored by ELISA, production inhibitory effect was 94.5%, 70%, 63%, 56.9% in NaCl concentration of 0, 100, 200, 300 mM, respectively. The growth, ion level, antioxidant and anti-inflammation activity of Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus was reduced at NaCl treatments of more than 100 mM.

Puff processing is one of the preparation and processing methods of herbal medicines. This study analyzed the quality characteristics in schisandra chinensis extracts by puff processing (1 kgf/cm2, 3 kgf/cm2, 5 kgf/cm2) through changes of the lignan contents and antioxidant activity. The lignan contents and antioxidant activity of puff processing schisandra chinensis extracts (PPSCE) increased higher than compared to a control. Also, as lignan contents and antioxidant activity of PPSCE was increased with the increasing pressure but it was reduced from 5 kgf/ cm2. The results suggest that puff processing was attributed to the quality increase schisandra chinensis.

Background : Geranium Koreanum(GK), a species of the family Geranium is a perennial herb plants. We performed to determine the anti-inflammatory effects in Lipopoly -saccaride induced RAW 264.7 cell of ethanol extracts from Geranium koreanum. Methods and Results : The dried whole plants 50g of G. koreanum was refluxed three times in 0.5 L 70% ethanol for 2hr. The RAW 264.7 cells for anti-inflammatory assay were obtained from the American Tissue Culture Collection(Manassas, VA), and it cultured in DMEM containing 10% Fetal Bovine Serum(FBS) in 5%, CO2 incubator. An anti-inflammatory of G. koreanum measured by Ntrite oxide(NO) production and the protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory proteins such as COX-2 and iNOS, reductions in activation of NF-kB transcription factor. The results showed that G. koreanum was inhibited NO production and exhibited nontoxic in concentration 50~200㎍/㎖. Also, G. koreanum extracts indicate a significant reduction activation of NF-kB transcription factor and inhibition of pro-inflammatory proteins such as COX-2 and iNOS. Conclusion : The above results suggested that G. koreanum extracts expected the antiinflammatory effects and development possibility as nutraceuticals.

Schisandra chinensis (Sc), a species of the family Schisandraceae used fruits as medicinal herbs. In the study, we performed to determine a comparison of antioxidant activity from Sc water extracts depending on stir-frying and stir-frying with liquids by 30% ethanol pretreatments. The contents of polyphenol and flavonoid, DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging and reducing power activity were measured to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of Sc extracts were increased in stir-frying and 30% ethanol stir-frying pretreatments compared to a control. In particular, contents of stir-frying pretreatments Sc were highest increased at 220℃ treatments. The DPPH radical scavenging activity were highest increased in stir-frying pretreatments at 220℃. And result that measurement of the ABTS radical scavenging, it showed higher activity in 30% ethanol stir-frying pretreatments at 180℃ and 220℃. But Sc in the 140℃ showed higher activity in stir-frying pretreatments. In the reducing power activity, stir-frying pretreatments increased higher than 30% ethanol stir-frying pretreatments at 220℃. As in results, antioxidant activity of Sc water extracts in stir-frying and stir-frying with liquids process increased higher than a control, and it was most effectively in stir-frying pretreatments at 220℃.

The effect on the antioxidant activity and Nitric Oxide activity production inhibitory activity of Taraxacum has not been known. Therefore, phenolics and flavonoid contents were investigated from the ethanol extracts of five different Taraxacum species. The results showed that, among the five Taraxacum, T. hallaisanensis contains the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents. When the antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH, ABTS+ and reducing power activity, the free radical scavenging activity of T. hallaisanensis was also the highest among five Taraxacum species. However, measurement by CCK-8 assay in Raw264.7 cells indicated that the extracts of Taraxacum species have no effect on cell viability. Moreover, we also investigated the effect of Taraxacum species on NO scavenging activity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. The results clearly showed that Taraxacum species inhibited NO production, and the inhibitory effect of T. hallaisanensis was the strongest. The above results suggested that Taraxacum species affected the antioxidant and NO scavenging activity, and among the five species, antioxidant and NO scavenging activity assay of T. hallaisanensis was significantly higher than those of other four Taraxacum species. Therefore, T. hallaisanensis could be used as a potential drug with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect.