Comparison of anti-oxidant activities of seventy herbs that have been used in Korean traditional medicine

Many herbs have been used as therapeutics in Korean traditional medicine. In view of their clinical indications, anti-oxidant activity may contribute to their pharmacological effects. However, anti-oxidant information on these plants has not been available. In this study, seventy herbs which have been used in Korean traditional medicine were selected and screened for anti-oxidant activity using their water extracts. The anti-oxidant activity was assessed by their ability to inhibit three oxidation reactions; luminol/Fenton reagent, 2, 7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCHF)/Fenton reagent and DCHF/peroxynitrite. In each assay, 70 herbs were divided into two groups; anti-oxidant group which inhibited the respective oxidation reaction and was majority (about 60 herbs), and pro-oxidant group which enhanced the oxidation reaction but was minority (more or less 10 herbs). When the herbs were listed in the order of their anti-oxidant strength, the orders obtained from each assay were found to be quite similar. The upper top rankers (more or less 10 herbs) in each assay showed strong activity compared to the others. The uppermost rankers in each assay were Rubus coreanus Miquel/ Rubus schizostylus, Schisandra chinensis Baillon/ Schizandra chinensis and Terminalia chebula Retzius/ Terminalia chebula. Of the pro-oxidant herbs, about 4-5 herbs were strongly pro-oxidant, which enhanced the control oxidation reactions to 150-300%. But the meaning of this observation is not known since few of them in one assay were also anti-oxidant in other assays. The results obtained in the present study may serve as information for understanding pharmacological effects of these herbs and developing new drugs from them.

Two Cases of Epiglottitis Caused by Haemophilus Influenzae Type b Infection / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

Epiglottitis is an uncommon but potentially life threatening infectious disease in young children. And it is rapidly progressing cellulitis of the epiglottis and adjacent structures that has the potential for causing abrupt, complete airway obstruction. The most common cause of acute epiglottitis is Haemophilius influenzae type b(Hib), therefore in USA, the acute epiglottitis is seen less commonly since the wide spread use of immunization against Hib. In Korea, there has been no report of acute epiglottitis caused by known bacterial organism, and a little investigation of the effects of the immunization against Hib, or Hib related respiratory diseases. In this report, we describe two cases of acute epiglottitis caused by Hib, occurred in non-immunized young-male children admitted to Ajou University Hospital. They had visited to the emergency center of Ajou University hospital with the complaints of acute fever, drooling, dysphagia and severe respiratory difficulties. In both cases, we observed the cherry-red colored, severely swollen epiglottis by the direct laryngoscopic examination. Hib was cultured in blood samples from both two cases, and the patients treated successfully by the 3 days of endotracheal intubation and proper antibiotics therapy without any complications such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, or pericarditis.