Oriental Herb Research Articles

Efficacy and Safety of Mixed Oriental Herbal Medicines for Treating Human Obesity: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials

The objective of this systematic review was to assess the evidence from rigorous clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of mixed herbal medicine formulations used in traditional Oriental medicines for the treatment of obesity and to describe the safety and types of adverse events reported in such trials. To accomplish this, 14 databases were searched from inception to July 31, 2009. The search terms used were "obesity" or "obese" and "herb," "herbal," or "herbal medicine" without language restriction. All randomized clinical trials using mixed herbal medicines on obese or overweight subjects were considered for inclusion. Of the publications in the identified databases, 1144 results were searched and reviewed, and in total 12 studies were included. Their methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score. The results of our review provide evidence suggesting that mixed Oriental herbal medicines may be safe and effective for the treatment of obesity when compared with conventional medicine, placebos, or lifestyle control. Many trials also reported improved concomitant conditions including impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, and inflammation. Small numbers of adverse events were reported, but most were mild or not related to the intervention in itself. No significant mortality was observed in any of the trials. However, the evidence provided by the trials reviewed is not fully convincing because of their poor methodological quality. Therefore, more research and well-designed clinical trials are necessary to address these issues, as well as to assess the safety of mixed Oriental herbal medicines used to treat obesity.

First-pass Metabolism of Decursin, a Bioactive Compound of Angelica gigas, in Rats

Decursin is considered the major bioactive compound of Angelica gigas roots, a popular Oriental herb and dietary supplement. In this study, the pharmacokinetics of decursin and its active metabolite, decursinol, were evaluated after the administration of decursin in rats. The plasma concentration of decursin decreased rapidly, with an initial half-life of 0.05 h. It was not detectable at 1 h after intravenous administration at an area under the plasma concentration-time curve of 1.20 µg · mL-1·h, whereas the concentration of decursinol increased rapidly reaching a maximum concentration of 2.48 µg · mL-1 at the time to maximum plasma concentration of 0.25 h and an area under the plasma concentration-time curve of 5.23 µg · mL-1·h. Interestingly, after oral administration of decursin, only decursinol was present in plasma, suggesting an extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism of decursin. The extremely low bioavailability of decursin after its administration via the hepatic portal vein (the fraction of dose escaping first-pass elimination in the liver, FH = 0.11) is indicative of extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism of decursin, which was confirmed by a tissue distribution study. These findings suggest that decursin is not directly associated with the bioactivity of A.gigas and that it may work as a type of natural prodrug of decursinol.

단양 지역 모범음식점 조리사들의 약선에 대한 인식

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data regarding the perceptions of medicated diets among chefs. The subjects were 22 exemplary restaurant chefs in the Danyang area. The results showed that 40.9% of the chefs regarded the taste of medicated diets as good. Conversely, 22.7% of the subjects answered that they didn't know about medicated diets. Mass media and education from relevant institutions were the means of acquiring information about medicated diets. The chefs recognized that varieties of sauce could make medicated diets popular because of special flavor. Female chefs were generally more familiar with herbs than male chefs. Overall, the chefs were not familiar with Menthae Herba, Atractylodis Japonica, Adenophorae radix, Caryophylli Flos, or Carthami Flos. However, they were familiar with Glycyrrhizae Radix, Cassiae Semen, Cinnamomi Cortex, Polygonati Rhizoma, Mume Fructus, and Ginseng Radix, even though they didn't like the tastes pertaining to medicated diets. Ginseng Radix was the most well-known oriental herb, and Mume Fructus and Rubi Fructus were also popular. The most popular cooking methods for medicated diets were, in order, boiling rice, roasting items, and preparing the herbs as beverages.

Abstract 1974: Growth inhibition and antitumor activity of chikusetsusaponin IVa methyl ester, an oleanane-type triterpenoid from the root of Acyranthes japonica, in HCT 116 human colon cancer cells

Abstract Chikusetsusaponin IVa methyl ester (CSME) is an oleanane-type triterpenoid isolated from the root of Acyranthes japonica (Amaranthaceae). In the present study, the growth inhibition and antitumor activity of CSME were investigated in cultured human colon cancer cell HCT 116. CSME inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells with an IC50 value of 22.4 μM. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that CSME markedly induced the accumulation of cells in the G0/G1 phase and the increase of cell population in sub-G1 phase. G0/G1 cell cycle arrest by CSME was associated with the down-regulation of the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin A, CDK4, CDK2, c-myc and Rb phosphorylation. The increase of sub-G1 peak by CSME was closely correlated with the induction of apoptosis, which was evidenced by the induction of cleaved poly-(ADP ribose) polymerase, activation of caspases, and suppression of Bid and Bcl-2 expression. Treatment of CSME (0.25, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg, i.p) also effectively suppressed tumor growth in the HCT 116 implanted xenograft nude mouse model without any overt toxicity. Taken together, these findings suggest that CSME might be a potential candidate for the development of cancer chemotherapeutic agents derived from natural products. (Acknowledgement; this study was supported by a grant Studies on the Identification of the Efficacy of Biologically Active Components from Oriental Herbal Medicines from the Korea Food and Drug Administration (2010)). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1974. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1974

Abstract 170: Exploring Stroke Knowledge in Korean Seniors: Strengthening Our Korean Elders through Community-Partnered Education (STROKE-COPE) Project

Background: Stroke and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death in Asian-Americans. Elderly Korean-Americans have a higher prevalence of stroke risk factors than elderly Caucasians, including uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes. Yet, little is known about the level of stroke knowledge Korean-American seniors possess, the impact of cultural remedies and health beliefs, and where Korean-American seniors obtain health information. Methods: A Community Advisory Panel of 7 Korean-American community and health care leaders was created to guide the research process, including approving translations and interpreting results. We recruited 64 Korean-American seniors from an adult day health care center and 98 from a large church, both in the Los Angeles area. Subjects met on-site at the facility and completed a written survey in Korean containing 6 open-ended questions about stroke including risk factors (RFs), symptoms (Sx), what to do when having a stroke, knowledge of any acute stroke therapies or time limit for therapies, and sources of stroke information. Other variables assessed were demographic information and comfort with English. Subjects were told to skip questions if they did not know the answer. Verbatim Korean responses were translated to English by bilingual study team members; 3 coders sorted responses into categories. Results: Mean age was 74.9 years old; 68.5% were female. Two of 162 subjects indicated they felt very comfortable speaking English; 53.1% were not comfortable speaking English. Regarding stroke RFs, 53.7% wrote correct responses, i.e. hypertension; 6.8% listed incorrect RFs, including culturally significant causes such as blackening of blood; 5.6% stated “I don’t know” and 33.9% chose not to answer. Regarding stroke Sx, 12.3% of subjects correctly identified Sx, 35.2% subjects listed stroke RFs, 6.1% wrote “I don’t know” or an illogical answer, and 45.7% left their answer blank. Sources of stroke information included physicians or community health centers (21.6%); television or newspapers (18.5%); and interpersonal relationships (9.3%). While 43.2% of subjects wrote to contact emergency medical services when someone was having an acute stroke, the next most common responses (6.2%)were culturally traditional emergency treatments, such as blood-letting and ingesting Oriental herbs; 50% either wrote they did not know or left it blank. 6.8% of subjects had correct knowledge of acute stroke treatments; 3.1% of subjects listed acute cultural remedies as acute stroke therapy; rest of subjects wrote “I don’t know,” or did not answer. Only 31.5% identified a time window of less than 3 hours to treat stroke. Conclusions: Korean-American seniors lack knowledge about stroke risk factors, symptoms, and response. Most elderly Korean-Americans are uncomfortable speaking English, and cultural traditional remedies are sometimes performed in lieu of seeking emergency Western medical treatment. Interventions to prevent and improve acute stroke response in Korean-American elderly communities must not only fill a knowledge gap, but also address significant cultural misperceptions about stroke and involve local community leaders and peers.

Hirsutine, an indole alkaloid of Uncaria rhynchophylla, inhibits inflammation‐mediated neurotoxicity and microglial activation

Uncaria rhynchophylla is a traditional oriental herb that has especially been used for treatment of disorders of the cardiovascular and central nervous systems. Hirsutine, one of the major indole alkaloids of Uncaria rhynchophylla has been shown to have neuroprotective potential. The specific aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of hirsutine in the repression of inflammation‐induced neurotoxicity and microglial cell activation. In organotypic hippocampal slice cultures, hirsutine blocked lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐mediated hippocampal cell death and productions of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin (PG) E2 and interleukin (IL)‐1β. Hirsutine was shown to effectively inhibit LPS‐induced NO release from primary cultured rat brain microglia. This compound reduced the LPS‐stimulated productions of PGE2 and intracellular reactive oxygen species. Hirsutine significantly decreased LPS‐induced phosphorylation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinases and Akt signaling proteins. In conclusion, hirsutine reduces the productions of various neurotoxic factors in activated microglial cells, and possesses neuroprotective activity in a model of inflammation‐induced neurotoxicity.

황기(黃?)추출물의 항산화 효능과 에멀션 점탄성도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

Objectives : The Astragalus membranaceus has been used to diuretic, tonic, anti-viral, anti-oxidant activities in oriental herb medicine, and in each experiment, proved in this effects. Root of A. membranaceus includes according to flavonoid, saponin, polysaccharide, thus it has been studied for anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer activities. However, previous researches have been performed with being limited mainly to food industry. The present study was conducted anti-oxidative activity of A. membranaceus extracts. In addition, The objective of the present study was to determine the possibility for the application of emulsions in the development of A. membranaceus for cosmetics. Methods : In this study, aimed SOD like activity of A. membranaceus extract, effects of A. membranaceus extract on viscoelastic properties of emulsion was measured using rheometer. Results : In the results, 1, 3-butylene glycol extract of A. membranaceus efficiently reduce the active oxygen, SOD like activity of more than 40% decrement depend on concentration. And A. membranaceus extract increase the modulus of elasticity of emulsion, therefore A. membranaceus extract have not influence on stability loss. As such, the A. membranaceus extracts will remain stable when applied to emulsions or skin products. Conclusions : In consequence of this study, A. membranaceus extract can be effectively used in cosmetic emulsions when the relation between natural product extracts and formulation of cosmetics is elucidated. It is highly recommended that rheology be applied to determine the optimal extract concentration for cosmetic formulations.

Phenolic composition and antioxidant effect of aqueous extract of Arisaema cum Bile, the Oriental Herb Medicine, in human fibroblast cells

Phenolic composition and antioxidant activities of the aqueous extract of Arisaema cum Bile, which is widely used as a folk medicine in Korea, were determined. Phenolic composition profile revealed that the aqueous extract is rich in sinapic acid (13.14 mg/100 g extract), catechin (9.88 mg/100 g extract), neohesperidin (7.38 mg/100 g extract), and chlorogenic acid (3.64 mg/100 g extract). The aqueous extract effectively scavenged toward 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (90.63%), hydrogen peroxide (98.13%), and hydroxyl radical (59.62%) at 2.0 mg/mL, and also showed high reducing power. In cytotoxic evaluation, the aqueous extract exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in human fibroblast, and it also exhibited appreciable suppression of intracellular reactive oxygen species and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. In addition, the aqueous extract upregulated the level of glutathione in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, the aqueous extract of Arisaema cum Bile could be considered as a potential natural source that may be useful for curing diseases arising from oxidative deterioration.

Traditional Oriental Herbal Medicine for Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Systematic Review

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of traditional Oriental herbal medicines (TOHM) for children and adolescents with ADHD. Methods. Randomized clinical trials published from January 1, 1990, to December 31, 2010, in English, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean language which evaluated the use of TOHM on ADHD subjects of 18 years old or below, diagnosed based on DSM-IV, were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsyINFO, Cochrane Library, and 10 other databases. Results. Twelve studies involving 1189 subjects met the inclusion criteria. In general, the included studies claimed that TOHM has similar efficacy to methylphenidate and at the same time has fewer side effects compared to methylphenidate. Some studies also suggested that the effect of TOHM sustained better than methylphenidate. However, solid conclusions could not be drawn because the included studies were not of high quality. Risk of bias issues such as randomization, allocation, concealment and blinding were not addressed in most of the studies, and the risk of publication bias could not be ruled out. Conclusion. Currently, there is not strong evidence to say that TOHM is effective in treating the core symptoms of ADHD.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: SHINBARO, a new herbal medicine with multifunctional mechanism for joint disease: First therapeutic application for the treatment of osteoarthritis

SHINBARO is a purified extract from a mixture of 6 oriental herbs (Ledebouriellae Radix, Achyranthis Radix, Acanthopanacis Cortex, Cibotii Rhizoma, Glycine Semen, and Eucommiae Cortex) that have been used as a traditional medicine for treatment of several inflammatory diseases and bone disorders. We determined antiinflammatory and antinociceptive activities of SHINBARO in adjuvant-induced (osteo)arthritis in rats. This potential anti-(osteo)arthritic property of SHINBARO can be due to the downregulation of inflammatory mediators such as iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-α, the increase of pain threshold in the peripheral system, the activation of alkaline phosphatase in osteoblasts, the suppression of proteoglycan degradation, and the inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities as demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo experimental studies. We confirmed that SHINBARO is as effective as celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, but it has the better safety profile in clinical trials. Finally, SHINBARO was approved as a New Herbal Medicine for treatment of osteoarthritis by Korean FDA on January 25(th), 2011.

Optimization of processing conditions and evaluation of shelf-life for jeonbokjang products

The objectives of this study were to identify appropriate manufacturing conditions and determine the shelf-life of cold-stored jeonbokjang, and to study the functional properties of oriental herbal jeonbokjang. Blanching abalone at 100 o C for 1 min produced the highest sensory scores, and the optimum formulation of jeonbokjang sauce was 49.56% water and 18.62% starch syrup along with other fixed ingredients. During the storage time of 4 weeks at 5 o C, the texture of jeonbokjang became firmer, and salinity, total acidity, and L value decreased, whereas pH, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), and the number of microorganisms increased. The storage experiment indicated that the shelf-life of cold-stored jeonbokjang was 3 weeks at 5 o C. Another optimum formulation for oriental herbal jeonbokjang was identified using optimizing technique; 50% water, 12.5% starch syrup, and 8.33% oriental herbs. Oriental herbal jeonbokjang (100 g) had 122.44 mg vitamin C equivalent (VCE) of antioxidant capacity and 140.89 mg garlic acid equivalent (GAE) of total phenolics.

Anti-inflammatory Activity of the Oriental Herb Medicine, Arisaema cum Bile, in LPS-Induced PMA-Differentiated THP-1 Cells

Arisaema cum Bile is widely used as a folk medicine in Korea. However, the systematic biological properties of Arisaema cum Bile have seldom been addressed. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of Arisaema cum Bile extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 macrophages. The Arisaema cum Bile extract markedly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and also suppressed the mRNA and protein expressions of these cytokines. Furthermore, the Arisaema cum Bile extract also inhibited LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and gene expressions in PMA-differentiaed THP-1 macrophages. These results suggest that Arisaema cum Bile extract may have potential for development into an effective anti-inflammatory agent, and/or as an ingredient of functional foods.

Abstract 5581: Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) and Oriental herbal cocktail ka-mi-kae-kyuk-tang (KMKKT) inhibit prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP model

Abstract The ka-mi-kae-kyuk-tang (KMKKT) is a formula of ten Oriental herbs containing Korean Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) root. Previous studies by our collaborative team found that the KMKKT ethanol extract exerted anti-angiogenesis, apoptosis and anti-metastasis in vitro and in vivo (carcinogenesis 2006). We also showed that AGN extract suppressed DU-145 & PC-3 xenograft growth (Am J Chin Med 1009). In the present study, we used the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) spontaneous primary carcinogenesis model to establish the chemoprevention efficacy of KMKKT and AGN and to explore cellular and molecular correlates of the in vivo anti-cancer effects. Male C57BL6 TRAMP mice were given a daily gavage (5 times per wk, 5 mg/mouse) as KMKKT and AGN beginning at 8 weeks of age (1% Tween-80 as vehicle n=13; KMKKT n=14; AGN n=17). We treated wild-type littermates also with KMKKT and AGN. All mice were terminated at 24 weeks of age, unless earlier euthanasia was necessitated by large tumor size. The results show that the genitourinary (GU) tract weight was decreased in both KMKKT (66.4%) and AGN (57.6%) treated groups compared to vehicle group (100%). The dorsal-lateral prostate (DLP) weight was significantly lower in KMKKT and AGN groups compared to control group (P=0.02), with no difference found in the wild-type mice cohorts. In TRAMP and wild-type mice that received KMKKT and AGN vs. vehicle, there is no significant difference of the body weight and main organs (liver and kidney) (P>0.05). Additionally, macroscopical prostate tumors were found 46.2% (6/13) in control group, but just 14.3% (2/14) and 17.6% (3/17) in KMKKT and AGN group (Chi-square analysis P=0.07 and P=0.09). The average tumor burden was 0.81g/mouse in control group, 0.27 and 0.12 g/mouse in KMKKT and AGN group, respectively. All these macroscopical tumors are T-antigen (+), synaptophysin(+), androgen-receptor(−) and E-cadherin(−) poorly differentiated neuro-endocrine carcinoma (NECa). Furthermore, KMKKT and AGN-treated NECa contained lower basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) detectable by WB, antibody array and IHC. Decursinol, the hydrolysis product of decursin and DA was detectable in the plasma of AGN-treated mice. In summary, results from this pilot study indicate that oral administration of KMKKT and AGN may inhibit prostate primary carcinogenesis in the TRAMP model. Additional chemoprevention studies are merited. [Grant support: NCCAM 1R21AT005383, NCI R01CA136953, R01CA126880 and Korean KOSEF-MEST No. 2009-0063466]. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5581. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5581

Highly Efficient Synthesis of Licochalcone E through Water-Accelerated [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement of Allyl Aryl Ether

E-mail: jgjun@hallym.ac.krReceived November 23, 2010, Accepted January 4, 2011Key Words : Licochalcone E, Claisen-Schmidt condensation, Water-accelerated [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrange-ment, Claisen rearrangement, Co-solvent system Retrochalcones (licochalcones A-E, echinatin) were iso-lated and characterized from the roots of oriental herb, G.inflata.

Gastrodia Elata Bl Attenuates Cocaine-Induced Conditioned Place Preference and Convulsion, but not Behavioral Sensitization in Mice: Importance of GABAA Receptors

It has been suggested that GABAergic neurotransmission can modulate cocaine dependence and seizure activity. Since Gastrodia elata Bl (GE), an oriental herb agent, has been shown to enhance GABAergic transmission, we examined whether GE affects cocaine-induced seizures, conditioned place preference (CPP), and behavioral sensitization in mice. Treatment with GE (500 or 1000 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly delayed seizure onset time and significantly shortened seizure duration induced by cocaine (90 mg/kg, i.p.). In addition, cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced CPP was significantly attenuated by GE in a dose-dependent manner. However, GE did not significantly alter behavioral sensitization induced by cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.). In order to understand whether GABAergic receptors are implicated in GE-mediated pharmacological action in response to cocaine, GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline and GABAB receptor antagonist SCH 50911 were employed in the present study. GE-mediated attenuations on the cocaine-induced seizures and CPP were significantly reversed by bicuculline (0.25 or 0.5 mg/kg, i.p.), but not by SCH 50911 (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg, i.p.). Therefore, our results suggest that GE attenuates cocaine-induced seizures and CPP via, at least in part, GABAA receptor activation.

Gastrodia Elata Bl Attenuates Methamphetamine-Induced Dopaminergic Toxicity Via Inhibiting Oxidative Burdens

It has been recognized that Gastrodia elata Bl (GE), an oriental herb medicine, ameliorates various neurological disorders, that GE modulates the monoaminergic and GABAergic systems, and that GE possess antioxidant activities. We examined whether GE affects methamphetamine (MA)-induced striatal dopaminergic toxicity in mice. Treatment with MA (7.5 mg/kg, i.p. × 4) resulted in significant decreases in behavioural activity (as shown by locomotor activity and rota rod performance), dopamine level, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, and TH protein expression (as evaluated by immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis). In addition, MA treatment showed significant increases in lipid peroxidation [as evaluated by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) expression and malondialdehyde formation], protein oxidation (as shown by protein carbonyl expression and its formation), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Treatment with GE significantly attenuates MA-induced behavioural and dopaminergic impairments, and oxidative stresses in a dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that GE treatment shows anti-dopaminergic effects in response to MA insult via, at least in part, inhibiting oxidative stresses in the striatum of the mice.

Review of the domestic research trends in the study of Korean herbal medicine with anti-inflammation effects

Objective : This paper analyzed the research trend of the experiment papers where inflammation was treated based on the oriental herbs among the issued papers of many areas such as oriental medicine and pharmacy, etc. Method : All experiment papers on the oriental herbs have been searched with the keyword of 'inflammation' in the internet sites like KISTI, OASIS, etc., and then they are analyzed on the basis of the effective classification of Korean herbal medicine, the frequency of research on Korean herbal medicine, and so forth. Result & Conclusion : It is presumed that anti-inflammation, the concept of Western Medicine, is related to clearing away heat, the concept of Korean herbal medicine, because it is ascertained that the highest cases is kinds of Korean herbal medicine effectively classified as clearing away heat medicine in the research of anti-inflammation. Also, it is checked that a ginseng is the most researched among the 138 Korean herbal medicine.

A Case of Adaptation Disorder Treated by Cognitive Therapy and Oriental Herbal Medicine

A Case of Adaptation Disorder Treated by Cognitive Therapy and Oriental Herbal Medicine

In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of oriental herbal mixtures

To identify antitumor materials, oriental herb extracts were investigated in the present study. The effects of individual oriental herb extracts (OHE) and a mixture of these extracts (MOHE) for antioxidant, free radical scavenging, and tumoricidal activities were determined. The OHEs and MOHE exhibited relatively high free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities, in a concentration dependent manner. The total phenolic contents of the extracts suggest that these compounds may have played a role, at least in part, in the free radical scavenging and antioxidant effects. Since the MOHE showed the highest toxicity against tumor cell lines, the MOHE was administrated in cancer mice models. Consistent with the in vitro studies, the MOHE resulted in prolonged life spans in cancer mice possibly by combination of its anticancer and antioxidant activities. Our data indicate the possibilities of using the MOHE to counteract carcinogenesis as well as other forms of electrophilic toxicity.

Modulation of acute and chronic inflammatory processes by a traditional medicine preparation GCSB-5 both in vitro and in vivo animal models

Aim of this study GCSB-5 is a traditional medicine preparation composed with six oriental herbs which have been widely used for the inflammatory diseases in Asia. In the present study, we have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of GCSB-5 in vivo and in vitro along with its underlying mechanism of action. Methods The acute and chronic inflammation models in animals were applied to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of GCSB-5. To further investigate the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells were also employed. Results In in vivo animal model, oral administration of GCSB-5 significantly inhibited TPA- and carrageenan-induced acute edema and adjuvant-induced arthritis. The vascular permeability, leukocyte migration, and granuloma formation were also inhibited by GCSB-5. In accordance, GCSB-5 suppressed the LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production by the downregulation of mRNA and protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). GCSB-5 also suppressed the expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β and interferon-β. The activation of NF-κB by LPS was also alleviated by GCSB-5, which correlated with its inhibitory effect on IkB degradation. The signaling pathway with the activation of Akt was also attenuated by the treatment by GCSB-5. Conclusions Taken together, our results demonstrate that GCSB-5 reduces the development of acute and chronic inflammation and its anti-inflammatory property might in part be a function of the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 expression via down-regulation of the Akt signal pathway and inhibition of NF-κB activation. These findings suggest that GCSB-5 might be an applicable therapeutic traditional medicine in the regulation of the inflammatory response.