Asarum sieboldii Miq. (Aristolochiaceae) is a perennial herbaceous plant and has been used as traditional medicine for treating diseases, cold, fever, phlegm, allergies, chronic gastritis, and acute toothaches. Also, it has various biological activities, such as antiallergic, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and antifungal. However, the anticancer effect of A. sieboldii have been rarely reported, except anticancer effect on lung cancer cell (A549) of water extracts of A. sieboldii . This study investigated the anticancer activity of methanol extracts of A. sieboldii (MeAS) and the underlying mechanism in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. MeAS inhibited FaDu cells grown dose-dependently without affecting normal cells (L929), as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and live and dead assay. In addition, concentration of MeAS without cytotoxicity (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) inhibited migration and colony formation. Moreover, MeAS treatment significantly induced apoptosis through the proteolytic cleavage of caspase-3, -7, -9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax in FaDu cells, as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, 4`6-diamidino- 2-phenylindole stain, and western blotting. Altogether, these results suggest that MeAS exhibits strong anticancer effects by suppressing the growth of oral cancer cells and the migration and colony formation via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, MeAS can serve as a natural chemotherapeutic for human oral cancer.

In view of the recently increased interest in developing plant-origin insecticides are an alternative to chemical insecticides. This study was undertaken to assess the larvicidal potential of the two (H52C1 and H5C) compounds from Asarum sieboldii Miq. against dengue vector Aedes aegypti. Among the two compounds, compound I (H52C1) was most active than the compound II (H5C) against third instar larvae of Ae. aegypti. The LC50 value of the compound I was 2.03 (95% CL, 1.51-2.76) and the compound II was 10.66 (95% CL, 9.23-12.42). These findings would be useful in promoting research aiming at the development of new agents for mosquito larval control based on bioactive chemical compounds from plant origin.

Background: To investigate the possibility of using Asarum sieboldii as an environment-friendly fumigant for protecting organic cultural heritages, the inhibitory effect of A. sieboldii extract against wood rot fungi on Hanji was examined. Methods and Results: The physical, optical, and morphological properties of Hanji inoculated with Trametes versicolor and Tyromyces palustris, and exposed to the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract, were measured. The physical properties were expressed as weight loss, zero-span tensile strength and viscosity and the optical properties were depicted by luminance and chromaticity (L*, a*, and b*). The results showed that, the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract inhibited the growth of fungi on Hanji, and preserved its condition. At a concentration of 25 ㎎, the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract maintained zero-span tensile strength, increased viscosity, and restricted discoloration of Hanji. It also was confirmed that the weight of fungi infested Hanji exposed to the extract did not decrease. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed that the spores and hyphae of T. versicolor and T. palustris were not present on Hanji during treatment with > 25 ㎎ of the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract. Conclusions: These results indicate that the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract by virtue of its antifungal effectiveness may help in preserving Korean paper cultural heritages, including Hanji.

Cathamus tinctorius, Coptis japonica and Asarum sieboldii were tested as substrate for the production of Flammulina velutipes. Among the C. tinctoris , C. japonica and A. sieboldii , C. tinctoris was the best substrate for the production of fruitbody. The effects of addition of C. tinctoris to sawdust substrate resulted in the increased mycelial growth on inoculum culture, 3.1% in ratio of fully culture and shorted one day in culture period. C. tinctoris was decreased 6.1% in ratio of fully culture, 11.0% in ratio of fruitbody productive culm. The addition of C.tinctoris, C.japonica to sawdust substrate increased 134.6%, 114.1% on the yield of the mushroom fruitbody respectively . But A. sieboldii decreased the mycelial growth and pineheading ratio delayed the production of fruitbody.

Chinese crude drug 'Se Sin'(細辛)has been used to cure headache, cough and expectorant. To the botanical origin of 'Se Sin', Zhong-yao-zhi(中葯志) reported Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum. A. sieboldii and A. sieboldii var. seoulensis, and Zhong-yao-da-ci-dian(中葯大辭典) reported Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum and A. sieboldii of Aristolochiaceae. In Korea, this crude drug has been used as a Korean folk remedy for tothache and aromatic. The botanical origin of 'Se Sin' is considered to be Asarum species of Aristolochoaceae. But there has no pharmacognostical confirmation on it. To clarify the botanical origin of 'Se Sin', we studied on the anatomical characteristics of Asarum species growing wildly in Korea i.e. A. maculatum, A. sieboldii, A. sieboldii var. seoulensis, and of 'Se Sin' from Korea on Korean market. Through our studies, the botanical origin of 'Se Sin' from Korea was proved to be whole plant of Asarum sieboldii and A. sieboldii var. seoulensis.

세신(細辛)(족도리풀:Asiasarum sieboldii)의 근경삽에 미치는 생장조정물질의 효과와 차광정도가 생육 및 수량에 미치는 영향을 검토한 결과는 다음과 같다. 1. 세신의 근경에 auxin을 침지하여 삽목한 결과 IAA, IBA, NAA 모두 대조구에 비하여 지하부 생육이 현저하게 양호하여 뿌리발생수는 IAA 침지에서 13.6개, 근장과 측근 수는 IBA처리에서 8.9cm와 39.8개로 가장 양호하였다. 2. 근경의 auxin 처리가 지상부 생육에는 큰 영향을 주지 않았으나 IAA 침지에서 분아수 2.8개, 엽수 1.3매로 처리중 양호하였으며, 특히 식물 체중은 대조구에 비해 현저한 증가를 보였다. 3. 차광정도가 높을수록 세신의 생육은 양호하여 초장과 엽장은 평야부인 이리에서 75+50% 차광에서 15.3cm와 9.6매였고, 산간부인 진안에서는 75% 차광에서 15.3cm와 10.5매로 조사되었다. 근장과 근수는 이리에서 75% 차광시 12.5cm와 18.9개였고 진안에서는 50% 차광처리에서 14.0cm와 20.1개로 나타났다. 4. 엽 고사기는 지역에 따라 차이를 보여 평야지보다 산간부에서 늦게 나타났고, 노지 재배의 경우 이리는 7월 20일, 진안은 8월 10일이었다. 그리고 차광재매로 이리는 75+50% 차광에서 9.12일경 까지, 진안은 50% 차광에서 9.16일경까지 세신의 생육을 연장할 수 있었다. 5. 세신의 수량성은 재배지역에 따라 차이를 보여 노지재배의 경우 10a당 수량은 평야지에서 70.1 kg, 산간지에서 85.0kg이었다. 차광재배에 의한 수량은 현저히 높아져 이리에서 75+50%차광에서 99.5kg, 진안에서는 50% 차광처리에서 118.2kg의 수량을 얻어 세신의 재배에는 75%~50%차광이 유리 할 것으로 생각되었다.