Aralia elata, Chaenomeles sinensis fruit, and Glycyrrhizae radix have been widely used as oriental medicinal plants in Korea, China and Japan and found to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The current study was conducted to investigate the neuroprotective effect of an ethanol extract of a mixture of A. elata, C. sinensis fruit, and Glycyrrhizae radix (ACG) against ischemia-induced brain injury in rats and excitotoxic and oxidative neuronal death in primarily cultured rat cortical neurons. Transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h reperfusion (MCAO/R) in rats. Oral administration of ACG (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg) 30 min before MCAO, after 1 h of MCAO, and after 1 h of reperfusion reduced MCAO/R-induced brain infarct and edema formation. ACG also inhibited development of behavioral disabilities in MCAO/R-treated rats. Exposure of cultured cortical neurons to 500 μM glutamate for 12 h resulted in neuronal cell death. ACG (1, 10, and 50 μg/mL) inhibited glutamate-induced neuronal death. Furthermore, ACG inhibited 100 μM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)- and hypoxia-induced neuronal death. These results suggest that the neuroprotective effect of ACG against ischemia-induced brain damage might be associated with its anti-excitotoxic and anti-oxidative activity and that ACG may have a therapeutic role for prevention of neurodegeneration in stroke.

The young shoots of Aralia elata, Chaenomeles sinensis fruit and Glycyrrhizae radix are edible and traditionally used as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of an ethanol extract mixture of these three medicinal plants (ACG) against amyloid β protein (Aβ) (25– 35)-induced memory impairment in an ICR mouse model. Memory impairment was induced by intracerebroventricular microinjection of 15 nmol Aβ (25–35) and assessed using the passive avoidance test and the Morris water maze test. The step-through latency in the passive avoidance test was decreased and the latency to reach the hidden platform in the Morris water maze test was increased in mice treated with Aβ (25–35), indicating memory impairment. This memory impairment induced by Aβ (25–35) was significantly prevented by chronic treatment with ACG (10, 25, and 50 mg/kg, p.o., 8 days). In memory impaired mice brain, cholinesterase activity and concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, a lipid peroxidation marker, were increased and glutathione level was decreased. These biochemical changes in Aβ (25–35)-treated mice were reversed by chronic administration of ACG. The present results suggest that antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activities of ACG might be responsible for the inhibition of Aβ (25– 35)-induced memory impairment and that ACG preparation may have a therapeutic role in preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

선충포식성 곰팡이는 선충을 포획하기 위하여 다양하고 특수한 기관을 사용한다. 국내 성주지역의 참외 경작지 뿌리 주변의 토양에서 3차원 접착 고리를 형성하여 선충을 포획하는 곰팡이를 분리하였다. 곰팡이의 미세형태 구조를 관찰한 결과 분생포자병은 직립형으로 길이는 290~528 (342.8) μm으로 길었으며, 계란형의 30.5 × 20.3 μm 크기를 가진 1~3개의 분생포자를 형성하였다. 균주의 rDNA의 5.8 S 영역의 염기서열을 분석한 결과, Arthrobotrys속의 계통군에 속하였으며, 특히 Arthrobotrys sinensis와 99%의 유사성을 보였다. 형태적 특징과 분자생물학적 계통 분석을 바탕으로 본 균주는 A. sinensis로 확인되었으며, 이는 국내 미기록종으로 식물기생성선충의 생물학적 조절을 위한 하나의 자원이 될 수 있다.