Anti-obesity effect of Pinellia ternata extract in Zucker rats. (1/39)

Pinellia ternata is known as the herb effective in removing dampness-phlegm, one of the causes of obesity in traditional Korean medicine. Pinellia ternata water extract (PE) was fed to rats after mixing with diet once a day (400 mg x kg(-1)) for 6 weeks. We investigated its effect on the thermogenesis and fatty acids oxidation with obese Zucker rats. We also determined the gene expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), and PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (PGC1alpha). The PE treatment lowered the levels of triglyceride and free fatty acids (p<0.05) in blood of the obese rats and the body weight was also reduced slightly. It was also observed that PE significantly increased the expression of both UCP1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue (BAT) (p<0.001) and PPARalpha and PGC1alpha mRNA in white visceral adipose tissue (WAT) (p<0.05 and p<0.001, respectively), which may cause a reduction of obesity. These results suggested that PE would be able to affect anti-obesity through thermogenesis and fatty acid oxidation.  (+info)

In vitro activity of methyl gallate isolated from galla rhois alone and in combination with ciprofloxacin against clinical isolates of salmonella. (2/39)

Salmonella remains a primary cause of food poisoning worldwide, and massive outbreaks have been witnessed in recent years. Therefore, this study investigated the antimicrobial activity of methyl gallate (MG), which exhibited good antibacterial activity (MIC=3.9-125 mg/ml) against all the bacterial strains tested. In a checkerboard dilution test, MG markedly lowered the MICs of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) against Salmonella. The combined activity of CPFX and MG against Salmonella resulted in fractional inhibitory concentrations (FICs) ranging from 0.0037 to 0.015 and from 0.24 to 7.8 mg/ml, respectively. Meanwhile, the FIC index ranged from 0.31-0.37, indicating a marked synergistic relationship between CPFX and MG against Salmonella. Time-kill assays also showed a decrease in the CFU/ml between the combination and the more active compound. Therefore, this study demonstrated that MG and CPFX can act synergistically in inhibiting Salmonella in vitro.  (+info)

Panax notoginseng Attenuates the Infarct Volume in Rat Ischemic Brain and the Inflammatory Response of Microglia. (3/39)

The roots of Panax notoginseng (PN) are commonly used as a therapeutic agent to stop hemorrhage and as a tonic to promote health in traditional Korean medicine. Stroke triggers an inflammatory response that not only plays a central role in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia, but also induces secondary damage. This study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the methanol extract of PN on the infarct volume induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) (90-min occlusion and 24-h reperfusion) in rat brains. The PN extract (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 2 h after the onset of MCAO. The PN-treated groups had a reduction in infarct volume by 23.82 +/- 8.9%. In the PN extract-treated groups, the microglial density was significantly decreased in the peri-infarct region; the underlying mechanism was inhibition of inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, via blocking of the NF-kappaB pathway. Furthermore, in vitro studies showed that the PN extract significantly reduced the production of iNOS-derived NO and COX-2-derived prostaglandin E(2) through the regulation of gene transcription levels in primary microglia and BV-2 cells. These results suggest that anti-inflammatory and microglial activation inhibitory effects of the PN extract may contribute to its neuroprotective effects in brain ischemia.  (+info)

Antibacterial activity of methyl gallate isolated from Galla Rhois or carvacrol combined with nalidixic acid against nalidixic acid resistant bacteria. (4/39)

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Unexplained infertility treated with acupuncture and herbal medicine in Korea. (5/39)

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Bojungikgitang and banhabaekchulchonmatang in adult patients with tinnitus, a randomized, double-blind, three-arm, placebo-controlled trial--study protocol. (6/39)

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Ontology for medicinal materials based on traditional Korean medicine. (7/39)

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Banha-sasim-tang as an herbal formula for the treatment of functional dyspepsia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-center trial. (8/39)

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