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Arabis glabra is a localized common rhizomatous flowering plant, This plant is often used in Korean traditional systems of medicine as a remedy for blood cleaning, detoxification, abscess, gastrospasm, arthritis, contraction and diarrhea. Generally drugs that are used for arthritis have antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, validity of the anti-inflammatory activity has not been scientifically investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of A. glabra using the ethanolic extract and its sub-fractions. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects, we examined the inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on RAW 264.7macrophages. Our results indicated that hexane and chloroform fraction significantly inhibited the LPS- induced NO and PGE2 production in the cells. The hexane fraction inhibitory activity for NO tests with IC50 values showed in 21.0 ㎍/㎖. The chloroform fraction inhibitory activity for PGE2 tests with IC50 values showed in 18.0 ㎍/㎖. These efficacy are expected to be able to present the potential for the development of health functional food for the prevention inflammatory diseases because it has sufficient preventive medical possibilities. Further, it is determined that it is necessary to further study the mechanism of cytokine and protein expression associated with inflammation.

Phenolic compounds such as isoflavones contribute to the antioxidant properties of soybean. This study investigated differences in the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of ten soybean cultivars grown in two different locations in Korea. We observed a wide range of variation in total isoflavone and phenolic content by location and cultivar. The total isoflavone content of cultivars grown at Pyeongchang (sub-highland) was significantly higher than that in cultivars grown at Gangneung (lowland). In contrast, the total phenolic content of cultivars grown at Gangneung was greater than that of cultivars grown at Pyeongchang. The radical scavenging activity of DPPH was similar to that of the total phenolic content rather than that of the total isoflavone content. These results suggest that antioxidant activity of soybean was associated with phenolic compounds rather than isoflavones. To identify the individual antioxidant components, we used an on-line HPLC-ABTS + -based assay system, ESI/MS, and NMR. The results showed that the strongest antioxidant activity was linked to epicatechin.

Smilacina japonica is a localized common rhizomatous flowering plant, This plant is often used in Korean traditional systems of medicine as a remedy for migrain, diplegia, physical impurity, blood circulation, abscess and contusion. Generally drugs that are used for arthritis have antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. However, validity of the anti-inflammatory activity has not been scientifically investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of S. japonica using the ethanolic extract and its sub- fractions. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects, we examined the inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on RAW 264.7 macrophages. Our results indicated that hexane fraction significantly inhibited the LPS induced NO and PGE2 production in the cells. The hexane fractions inhibitory activity for NO tests with IC50 values showed in 53.3 μg/ml and PGE2 tests with IC50 values showed at 32.5 μg/ml. Theseis result suggest a potential role of hexane fraction from S. japonica as source of anti-inflammatory agent.