This text was analyzed and investigated the distribution of medicinal plants in Cheongoksan Bonghwagun Korea, in order to search the medicinal resources that are used in modern medicine. Medicinal plants of the Korean Pharmacopoeia (10th edition) distributed in Cheongoksan Bonghwagun were consisted of 93 taxa ; 82 species, 10 varieties, 1 forma of 79 genus, 50 families. In medicinal plants of the Korean Pharmacopoeia, rate of native species and exotic species was 89.2% (83 taxa) and 10.8% (10 taxa) respectively. Family classification was the most of compositae of 8 taxa, and life form classification was most of herb of hemicryptophyte species. The classification by using parts were 34 taxa of root use and the classification of efficacy utilization was 24 taxa of Cheongyeolyak (heat-clearing drug) use.

We studied the total polyphenol content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and α-glucosidase inhibition of water extracts from 17 medicinal plants. Total polyphenol contents ranged from 10.0 (Coix lachryma-jobi L, CL) ~ 279.7 (Perilla sikokiana, PS)mg/g. The water extract from medicinal plants were evaluated for its free radical scavenging activities and compared with a commercial antioxidant, ascorbic acid. DPPH radical scavenging activity of Pyrus pyrifolia (PP), Chamaecyparis obtusa L. (COL), Chamaecyparis obtusa F. (COF), and PS were higher than positive control. Higher hydroxyl radical scavenging activity were shown in Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) and Cordyceps militaris (CM) than the other plants. The highest anti-α-glucosidase activity was observed in Cornus officinalis (CO) and Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (PSA) water extracts. PSA showed not only the higher DPPH radical scavenging activity but also the anti-α-glucosidase activity. The results of our study that PP, COL, COF, PS, AS, CM, CO and PSA could be potential candidates for natural antioxidants.

This study was carried out to survey the vascular plants in 6 regions including around Hopo-Bridge of Yangsan region at waterfronts of Nakdong river, Korea. Distributed plants were surveyed from April to November, 2011. The vascular plants in 6 regions (around Mulgeum-chuisujang, Mulgeum-station, Jeungsan-ri, Hopo-bridge, Kumoh-bridge and lower part of Yangsan-stream) were total 135 taxa of 3 divisions, 4 classes, 37 orders, 66 families, 116 genera, 114 species, 2 subspecies and 19 varieties. The most number of species is Campanulales of 14.1% in Dicotyledoneae of 81.5% among total species. Regional distribution of species is mainly around Mulgeum-chuisujang and Jeungsan-ri as 61% among total species, and other regions is in 24 ~ 44%. Ecologically, there were herbaceous plants 75% and woody plants 25%, and 9 species of aquatic plants in herbaceous plants. Medicinal (herbal) plants included in KP (The Korean Pharmacopoeia) and KHP (The Korean Herbal Pharmacopoeia) were 56 species including Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. De Candolle, Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg and etc., and folk herb plants were 14 species including Metaplexis japonica Makino, Commelina communis Linné and etc. among total 135 species.

In this study, the optimal conditions for phenolic-compound extraction from medicinal plants were found to be 24 h and about 50% ethanol. The electron-donating scavenging activities (DPPH), ABTS radical-cation decolorization (ABTS), antioxidant protection factor (PF), and thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBAR) were measured to determine the antioxidant activities of the extracts of Sanguisorba officinalis Linn., Citrus unshiu Markovich, Melia azedarach L., Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., Citrus unshiu S., Polygonum aviculare L., and Leonurus sibiricus L. The total phenolic contents of the extracts of medical plants were determined to be 0.45-3.00 mg/g in the water extracts and 0.33-3.15 mg/g in the 50% ethanol extracts. The electron-donating abilities (EDA) of the water and ethanol extracts were both above 85% at the 50 μg/ml concentration. The ABTS radical-cation decolorization was above 80% at the 100 μg/ml concentration in all the extracts of various medicinal plants. The antioxidant protection factor (PF) of the Melia azedarach L. extracts was found to be 1.65±0.40 PF in the water extracts at the 100 μg/ml concentration, and was higher than those of the other medicinal-plant extracts. The TBAR inhibition rates of all the medicinal-plant extracts, except Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., were above 85% at the 100 μg/ml concentration. These results confirmed that the various oriental medicinal plants (Sanguisorba officinalis Linn., Citrus unshiu Markovich, Melia azedarach L., Asparagus cochinchinensis Merr., Citrus unshiu S., Polygonum aviculare L., and Leonurus sibiricus L.) that were included in this study are useful functional-food sources.

This study was performed to develop new anti-obesity agents for functional foods from medicinal plants and herbs. Methanol extracts from 560 kinds of medicinal plants and herbs, and their lipase inhibitory activities were investigated. Methanol extract from Desmodium oxyphyllum Dc showed the highest lipase inhibitory activity at 74.2%. This lipase inhibitory activity was maximally extracted when powder of Desmodium oxyphyllum Dc was treated with 80% methanol (1 : 20) for 48 h.

This study was analyzed and investigated to evaluate ecological distribution of medicinal plants in Miho Stream of Korea. Totality 463 taxa of vascular plants were appeared in lower part of Miho Stream. Medicinal plants were distributed 253 taxa, which were 54.6% of the total vascular plants appeared. Medicinal plants of official drug compendium(Korean pharmacopoeia) were 85 taxa. Medicinal plants were distributed most of the forest area, and followed field surrounding, stream surrounding and paddy surrounding respectively. The distribution of life form hemicryptophyte was the most frequent. Plant community of appearing area of medicinal plants was classified into Salix koreensis, Phragmites japonica, Echinochloa crusgalli, Artemisia selengensis, Miscanthus sacchariflorus, Setaria faberii, Panicum dichotomiflorum, Bidens frondosa, Humulus japonicus, Monochoria vaginalis var. plantaginea, Eleocharis kuroguwai, Erigeron acris, Pinus densiflora, Pinus rigida, Quercus acutissima, Quercus serrata, Robinia pseudoacacia and Castanea crenata community. Medicinal plants in plant communities that occur frequently were Humulus japonicus, Corylus heterophylla and Liriope spicata.

The study was conducted to investigate candidate materials as anti-inflammation agent from plant resources. Activities of 33 plant parts extracts with the final concentration of 5μg/ml were evaluated on the several inflammation-related markers such as the release of proinflammatoty cytokine [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) & interleukin-6 (IL-6)], nitric oxide (NO), the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B alpha (Ik-Bα) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. The extracts in the final concentration of 10 μg/ml were also screened on peroxynitrite (ONOO-) scavenging activity. Eleven extracts selected from the screening assay were verified on the inhibition activity on peroxynitrite and total reactive species oxygen (ROS) in the several concentrations. As results, Alpinia officinarum Hance (rhizome), Inula britannica var. chinensis Regel (flower), Ulmus arvifolia Jacq (trunk peel) and Aster scaber Thunb. (aerial part) showed comparatively potent anti-inflammatory activities in vitro cells or chemical level systems, and then these four plant parts should be studied on the antiinflammatory mechanism by further studies.

여드름 완화 효과를 갖는 천연 약용식물 추출물을 개발하기 위하여 여드름 원인균에 대한 항균 활성 및 항염증 효과를 다양한 추출물을 대상으로 분석하였다. 검색 결과 얻어진 후보 소재들 중, 비교적 높은 항균 활성을 갖는 보골지,당후박과 항염증 효과를 갖는 목향, 구절초 추출물을 대상으로 선정하였고 이후의 실험을 진행하였다. 보골지(Psoralea corylifolia L., AC-1), 당후박(Magnoliae officinalis, AC-2), 목향(Inula helenium L., ACF-1), 구절초(Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum, ACF-2) 추출물 및 복합소재(AC)는 50 μg/mL 이하에서 세포 독성이 없는 것으로 확인되었다. 보골지, 당후박 추출물 및 복합소재의 경우 여드름 유발 원인균인 Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes)에 대해 양성 대조군으로 사용한 10 % salicylic acid 대비 각각 약 2.8배, 2.5배, 3.2배의 높은 항균 효과를 보였다. 또한 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus)에 대해서도 당후박 추출물과 복합소재의 경우 양성 대조군으로 사용한 10 % Methylparaben 대비 각각 약 1.4배, 1.5배 높은 항균 효과를 보였다. 목향, 구절초 추출물 및 복합소재의 경우 열에 의해 사멸시킨 P. acnes에 의해 활성화된 THP-1 세포의 IL-8 발현을 50 μg/mL 농도에서 각각 27 %, 38 %, 44 % 저해하였고 TNF-α 발현을 50 μg/mL 농도에서 각각 90 %, 88 %, 90 %로 크게 저해하였다. 이러한 항균, 항염증 활성을 보이는 보골지, 당후박, 목향, 구절초 추출물의 복합 소재를 이용하여 여드름 완화 효과를 갖는 화장품으로의 개발이 가능할 것으로 보인다.

A variety of herbs and plants have been traditionally used in oriental folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In our attempt to search for anti-inflammatory agents from natural products, we investigated 64 methanol extracts from 42 medicinal plants belonging to 10 families which were evaluated for inhibitory activities of NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Among them, 16 extracts exhibited inhibitory activities of NO production (IC50 values ranging from 59.6 to 94.7 μg/ml). Only the extract from aerial parts of Hosta lancifolia (H. lancifolia) did not exert cytotoxic effects at the concentrations tested. The extract from H. lancifolia decreased the mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and pro-inflammatory cytokines in activated macrophage RAW 264.7 cells in dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that the extract may contain bioactive compounds that suppress expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may prove beneficial with regard to the development of natural agents for prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.