Traditional Herbal Decoction Research Articles

Anti-apoptotic effect of San Huang Shel Shin Tang cyclodextrin complex (SHSSTc) on CCl4 -induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

The metabolic loading is heavier in liver especially when injured or inflammation. San Huang Shel Shin Tang (SHSST) was an old traditional herbal decoction, which composed with Rheum officinale Baill, Scutellaria baicalnsis Geprgi and Coptis chinensis Franch (1:1:2 in weight), can provide a liver protection effects. We used a beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) drug modification method in reduce of the necessary dose of the SHSST. As the results, the FAS-FADD expressions leaded apoptosis in CCl4 intraperitoneal (IP) injection induced acute liver injury in rats. Silymarin, baicalein, SHSST, and SHSST β-CD complex (SHSSTc) pretreatments protected liver through the decreasing of the expressions of FAS-FADD and downstream caspase-3 and caspase-8. Particularly, SHSSTc (30 mg/kg day) treatment enhanced cell survival pathway activation through the PI3K, Akt and Bad phosphorylation. Compared with SHSST as well as silymarin and baicalein, SHSSTc provided a magnificent liver protection effect, especially in survival pathway activation/TUNEL-apoptotic cell reduction/serum cholesterol level suppression. All these data suggested that β-CD complex modified the SHSST and promoted the bioavailability and liver protection effects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 663-670, 2016.

전통사회에서 외래종 작물인 고추의 효능 인식 - 한국 전통의서를 중심으로 -

The aim of this study is to look at how pepper was used in traditional medicine. In other words, this study aims to take a look at the process by which the medicinal nature & efficacy of pepper in traditional society was perceived and arranged through the aspects of the use of pepper as an exotic crop for treating diseases. This study investigated cases of using pepper for medical treatments by referring to books on traditional medicine in Korea. The old records about pepper are mainly in empirical medical books from the late Chosun dynasty. Nevertheless, the records about pepper tend to decrease in medical text as time goes by. Such a phenomenon can be attributable to the fact that people began to use pepper for daily food life rather than for medicinal purposes. Pepper was used mostly for digestive trouble such as vomiting, diarrhea, and stomachaches, and it was also applied to mental and aching diseases caused by the sound of body fluids remaining in the stomach. In addition, there were many cases where pepper was used externally for surgical disorders. Such symptoms for treatment are linked to, or in a complementary relationship with, research results in modern times. Boiled pepper was generally taken in the traditional herbal decoction method, and in the case of surgical diseases, it was applied externally. The cases of using old pepper, using pepper with seeds or without seeds, and using pepper mixed with sesame oil belong to a sort of herbal medicine processing, which usually aimed at changing the medicinal nature of pepper. In addition, in relation to the eating habits at that time, pepper was used as seasoning and to make red pepper paste with or without vinegar. There are two words used for pepper in the medical textbooks, 苦椒 (gocho) and 烈棗 (yeoljo). These words are translated into Korean as gochu, so we can identify this word as a nickname for pepper.

Rationality of Mixed Preparation of Traditional Herbal Decoction: from the Perspective of Danggui Buxue Tang

Abstract Authors discuss the rationality of preparing medicinal herbs together in a traditional manner, using Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) as an example, in an attempt to demonstrate the specific requirements for preparing the two herbs together to achieve the full chemical and biological activity. The mixed preparation enhances the solubility of chemicals, immune activity, blood effects, estrogenic activity, and osteoprotective effects. These effects are missing in the extracts derived from a single herb. Furthermore, the interactions between decoction components create a special activity especially appreciated in Chinese medicine.

Effect of Weikangning on gastric cancer cell growth and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors KDR and Flt-1

To observe the effect of Chinese traditional herbal decoction Weikang-ning (WKN) on cell growth and expression of VEGF and its receptors KDR and Flt-1 in gastric cancer cell line MGC-803. A total of 120 male Wistar rats were divided into control group, high dose, medium dose and low dose groups fed with natural saline, 20, 10, and 5 g/kg of WKN, respectively. The experimental animals were finally killed for the preparation of drug-containing serum. The gastric cancer cell MGC-803 was cultured with the drug-containing serum drawn from the rats in different groups. We observed the growth condition of the cancer cells with light microscope and flow cytometer. The expression of mRNA of VEGF and its receptors KDR and Flt-1 was detected with RT-PCR. The proportion of cells in G(0)-G(1) phase was (65.40+/-0.41)%, (56.92+/-0.62)%, (55.89+/-0.69)% in high, medium and low dose groups respectively vs (41.35+/-0.55)% in control group (P<0.01), while the cells in G(2)-S and S phases were (11.62+/-0.62)% and (22.99+/-0.69)%, (17.08+/-0.80)% and (26.00+/-0.71)%, (19.37+/-0.57)% and (24.74+/-0.64)% in high, medium and low dose groups, respectively, vs (23.65+/-0.56)% and (35.00+/-0.60)% in control group (P<0.01). The expression of mRNA of VEGF and its receptors was significantly decreased, the area of electrophoresis bands (AREA), the absorptivity of mean optical density (A) and the product of AREA and A were significantly lower in WKN-administered groups than that in control group (P<0.01). The decoction of WKN suppresses the growth of gastric cancer cell MGC-803 and decreases the expression of mRNA of both VEGF and its receptors KDR and Flt-1.