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Harpagophytum procumbens(Pedaliaceae) has been used for the treatment of pain and arthritis. The effect of Harpagophytum procumbensagainst lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, prostaglandin E2(PGE2) immunoassay, and nitric oxide detection on mouse fibroblast cell line L929. The aqueous extract of Harpagophytum procumbenswas shown to suppress PGE2synthesis and nitric oxide production by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-stimulated enhancement of the cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNAs expressions in L929 cells. These results suggest that Harpagophytum procumbensexerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects probably by suppressing cyclooxygenase-2 and iNOS expressions.

Uncaria rhynchophyllais a medicinal herb used for convulsive disorders in Oriental medicine. In this study, the effect of the methanol extract of Uncaria rhynchophyllaagainst N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity was investigated. Pretreatment with the extract of Uncaria rhynchopylla reduced the degree of neuronal damage induced by NMDA exposure in cultured hippocampal slices. In the patch clamp study, Uncaria rhynchophyllasignificantly inhibited NMDA receptor-activated ion current in acutely dissociated hippocampal CA1 neurons. These results indicate that Uncaria rhynchophyllaoffers protection against NMDA-induced neuronal injury and inhibitory action on NMDA receptor-mediated ion current may be a mechanism behind the neuroprotective effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla.

Aqueous extracts of Ginseng radixhave traditionally been used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In the present study, the effect of Ginseng radixon c-Fos expression in the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was investigated via immunohistochemistry. Decreased c-Fos expression in the CA regions of the hippocampus was observed in STZ-induced diabetes, and administration of Ginseng radixenhanced the STZ-induced inhibition of c-Fos expression both dose- and duration-dependently. These results suggest that hyperglycemia-induced suppression of Fos expression may trigger the diabetes-induced disruption of hippocampal information processing and that Ginseng radixmay alleviate this diabetes-induced disturbance in hippocampal functions.