Lung cancer, the most common malignant disease worldwide, is the predominant cause of cancer deaths, particularly amongst men. Therefore, various researchers have focused on the growth inhibitory effects of medicinal plants used in traditional Korean medicine. This study aimed to investigate the growth inhibitory effects of ethanol extracts of Rubiae radix, Inulae flos, Nelumbinis receptaculum, Astilbe radix, and Lagerstroemia flos on NCI-H1229 cells. Method and Results: The viability of NCI-H1229 cells was evaluated in vitro using an MTS assay. Treatment with the ethanol extracts of the selected medicinal plants at 500 ㎍/㎖ reduced NCI-H1229 cell viability and increased apoptotic cell death and caspase-3 activation. In addition, treatment with ethanol extracts of Inulae flos and Astilbe radix increases DNA fragmentation, as measured by the TUNEL assay. Conclusions: These results indicated that ethanol extracts of Rubiae radix, Inulae flos, Nelumbinis receptaculum, Astilbe radix, and Lagerstroemia flos exhibited growth inhibitory effects, inducing apoptotic cell death, DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation in NCI-H1229 cells. Therefore, these medicinal plant extracts may be used in the development of natural medicines to inhibit the growth of lung cancers. However, further study is needed to determine the active ingredients of the ethanol extracts from medicinal plants that are reposible for the inhibitory effect on lung cancer cell grwoth.

Background: Cassia tora L., an annual or perennial plant of the Fabaceae family, is traditional medicine with various biological activities, including anti-constipation and, anti-inflammation. Chemical compounds such as anthraquinone glycoside and naphthalene derivatives have been isolated from this plant. Cassia tora L. is a common contaminant of agricultural commodities, but is toxic to cattle and poultry. Methods and Results: To investigate the potential toxicity, Cassia tora L. aqueous extract (CO) was administered orally to rats for 26 weeks at 0 (control), 300, 1,500 and 3,000㎎/㎏/day (n = 10 for male rats for each dose). The positive control comprised animals orally administered anthraquinone 100㎎/㎏/day. There was no treatment-related mortality. An increase in the kidney weight was observed at 3,000㎎/㎏/day of CO and anthraquinone 100㎎/㎏/day. Macrophage infiltration in the colon was observed at CO 1,500 and 3,000㎎/㎏/day and anthraquinone 100㎎/㎏/day, but there were no significant toxicological changes in the incidence and severity of the finding. Conclusions: The oral no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of CO was 3,000㎎/㎏/day in male rats and no target organs were identified. In addition, 300㎎/㎏ was found to be the no-observed-effect level (NOEL) for systemic toxicity under the conditions of the study.

Background: Astilbe chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. Et Savat. is a plant belonging to Saxifragaceae family and contains various active ingredients including astilbin and bergenin. It has been used as a traditional Korean medicine to improve fever, pain, and cough. Recently, a number of Korean medical resources have been studied for cancer and inflammation treatment, but A. chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. Et Savat. has not yet been investigated. Consequently, this study investigated the inhibitory effect of ethanol extracts from A. chinensis (Maxim.) Franch. Et Savat. (ARE) on oxidative stress and colorectal cancer using RAW264.7 and the human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-116. Methods and Results: In total, 500 ㎍/㎖ ARE reduced cell viability by 38.96 ± 1.32%, and increased caspase-3 activity by 133.08 ± 3.41% in HCT-116 cells. Moreover, TUNEL signaling and the early apoptosis ratio (34.56 ± 1.67%) increased by 500 ㎍/㎖ ARE treatment. H2O2-induced oxidative stress and cell death were diminished by 500 ㎍/㎖ ARE treatment through decreasing ROS (reactive oxygen species). Conclusions: The inhibitory effects of ARE against human colorectal cancer cells is mediated by apoptosis and caspase-3 activation, and H2O2-induced ROS generation and cell death are decreased by ARE treatment in RAW264.7 cells. However, further study is required to explore how ARE treatment is involved in the signaling pathway to decrease ROS.

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to attain and sustain an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. Frequent ED may be a symptom of health problems including heart disease, obesity, alcoholism, stress, smoking, and depression, that need treatment. This study aimed to effect of complex extract (CPL) including Cornus officinalis on sexual function factor in the erectile dysfunction rat model. The erectile dysfuction rat model was induced by cimetidine (500 ㎎/㎏ in 5% ethanol, oral injection 2 weeks). Rats were oral administered with different concentration of CPL in rat erectile dysfunction model. As a results, sexual function factors (NO, cGMP) significantly improved in CPL treated groups (CPL-300, 600, 900 ㎎/㎏) compared to CON group. Serum testosterone was increased in a dose-dependent manner after CPL treatment. Furthermore, administrations of CPL restored lumen areas of the prostate in the erectile dysfunction rat model. These results indicated that CPL alleviated erectile dysfunction by increasing sexual function factor and testosterone in rat model. CPL could be used to natural treatement for erectile dysfunction. However, further study is required to identify active ingredient and its mechanism of erectile dysfunction.

Rubiae radix is root of Runia akane Nakai, it has been used to hemostasis and blood stasis in Korean and China. This study investigated that anti-oxidant and anti-colorectal cancer effect of ERA (ethanol extract of Rubiae radix) and WRA (water extract of Rubiae radix) using RAW 264.7 (murine macrophage from blood) and HCT-116 cells (human colorectal cancer cell line). ERA contained polyphenol (45.77 ± 2.03 ㎎/g) and flavonoid (22.82 ± 1.33 ㎎/g). 500 μM H2O2-induced ROS generation was diminished by 500 ㎍/㎖ ERA treatment in RAW 264.7 cells, but not WRA (125, 250, and 500 ㎍/㎖). Moreover, caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation increased by 500 ㎍/㎖ ERA treatment during apoptotic cell death in HCT-116. Results demonstrated that anti-cancer effect of ERA against human colorectal cancer cells is mediated apoptotic cell death and DNA fragmentation through caspase-3 activation. However, further study is required to what active ingredient of ERA are important for anti-oxidant and anti-colorectal cancer effect in vivo.

Doxorubicin is a anti-cancer drugs that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in human body. Doxorubicin is used to treat different types of cancers that affect the ovary, thyoid and lungs, but induced side effect such as nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Thus, we investigated that the effect of iridin on doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells, a human proximal tubule cell. To confirm effect of iridin on doxorubicin-induced necrosis, HK-2 cells are treated with 10 μM doxorubicin and 80 μM iridin. 80 μM iridin reduced 10 μM doxorubicin-induced necrosis, the mitochondrial over activation and caspase-3 activation. However, iridin reduces anti-cancer effect of doxorubicin such as PARP1 and caspase-3 activation, checkpoint proteins (CDK4 and CDK6) in NCI-H1129 cells (Human non-small cell lung cancer cell). In HCT-116 cells (Human colorectan cancer cell), iridin do not increased protein expression of CDK4 and CDK6 decreased by doxorubicin. Results indicate that treatment of iridin was diminished doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells. However, iridin was decreased anti-cancer effect of doxorubicin on NCI-H1229, but not HCT-116. Thus, further experiment are required to iridin treatment on various cancer cells and animal models because effect of iridin different cell type.

Background: Inula japonica Thunb. is a plant belonging to the family compositae. Inulae flos (flower of I. britannica var. chinensis Regal.) is the dried flower of I. japonica Thunb. and contains various flavonoids (patulitrin, nepitrin and kaempferol), which have been utilized in traditional oriental medicine to treat nausea, phlegm, and coughs. However, ethanol extract of I. britannica (IJE) has not been previously studied for its use in cancer treatment, and its effects on oxidative stress, or inflammation. Thus, the present study investigated the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-colorectal cancer effects of IJE using RAW264.7 and HCT- 116 cells, which are human colorectal cancer cell line. Methods and Results: IJE contained flavonoids (80.95 ± 5.3 ㎎/g) and polyphenols (310.53 ± 10.6 ㎎/g). Moreover, it reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production and H2O2-induced oxidative stress by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Additionally, the 500 ㎍/㎖ IJE treatment increased caspase-3 activity and apoptotic cell death in HCT-116 cells. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the anti-cancer effect of IJE against human colorectal cancer cells involves caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death. IJE also inhibited LPS-induced NO production, and H2O2-induced oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells. However, further studies are required to explore how IJE treatment regulates signal transduction in NO and ROS production.

Background: Cynaroside is a flavone, a flavonoid-like compound, known by different names (luteoloside and cinaroside). It is commonly found in Lonicera japonica Thunb., Chrysanthemum moriflium, and Angelica keiskei. The process of cell death has been classified as necrosis and apoptosis. Necrosis refers to unregulated cell death induced by a chemotherapeutic agent. Doxorubicin is an anthracycline anti-cancer drug used to treat acute leukemia, cancer, and lymphoma. However, it induces nephrotoxicity including tubular damage. Therefore, we investigated the protective effect of cynaroside against doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells. Methods and Results: To confirm the beneficial effect of cynaroside on doxorubicin-induced necrosis, HK-2 cells, a human proximal tubule epithelial cell line were treated with 10 μM doxorubicin and 80 μM cynaroside. Doxorubicin treatment resulted in increased DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activity and mitochondria hyperactivation during cell necrosis. However, pretreatment with 80 μM cynaroside attenuated DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activity and mitochondria hyperactivation induced by 10 μM doxorubicin in HK-2 cells. Conclusions: These results indicated that pretreatment with cynaroside ameliorated doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells. Therefore, cynaroside be used as a therapeutic agent for improving doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxicity. However, further studies are required to evaluated the toxicity of cynaroside treatment in animals and to determine its protective effect against doxorubicininduced nephrotoxicity in an animal model.

Background: Constipation is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder. The present study examined the ability of water extract of fermented (FRC) and non-fermented (NFRC) roasted Cassia tora to improve intestinal function and reduce constipation in a rat constipation model.Methods and Results:Different concentration of FRC and NFRC were orally administered loperamide (5 ㎎/㎏; LOP) reduced the number, weight, and water content of feces, as well as intestinal transit motility. However, 24 h-(24 hour fermented roasted-Cassia tora) 300 ㎎/㎏ FRC administration increased the number, weight, and water concent of feces, compared to that seen in the LOP group, and also improve intestinal transit mitility and, the thickness of distal colon and mucous fluid.Conclusions:The results of the present study indicated that LOP-induced constipation was improved by treatment with FRC. Therefore FRC could be used to develop functional foods or natural medicine for constipation. However, further study is needed to clarify how fermentation improves the medicinal properties of roasted C. tora.