Morus alba L., known as white mulberry, is a medicinal plant belongs to family Moraceae. It has long been used commonly in Ayurvedic for the treatment of lung-heat, cough, asthma, hematemesis, dropsy and hypertension. In the present study, seven prenylated flavonoids, along with four benzofuran compounds were isolated by means of repeated column chromatography. The structures of the known compounds were identified as kuwanon G (1), kuwanon E (2), kuwanon T (3), morusin (4), sanggenon A (5), sanggenon M (6), sanggenol A (7), moracin R (8), mulberofuran G (9), mulberofuran A (10) and mulberofuran B (11), by comparing their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. For these isolates, containing trace compounds, the inhibitory activity against IL-6 production in TNF-α stimulated MG-63 cells was examined. All isolated compounds (1
Asthma ; Chromatography ; Cough ; Edema ; Flavonoids ; Hematemesis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Interleukin-6 ; Moraceae ; Morus ; Plants, Medicinal

BACKGROUND: It is valuable to find the potential activity of regulating the excessive mucin secretion by the compounds derived from various medicinal plants. We investigated whether aqueous extract of the root bark of Morus alba L. (AMA), kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, and morusin significantly affect the secretion and production of airway mucin using in vivo and in vitro experimental models. METHODS: Effect of AMA was examined on hypersecretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced acute bronchitis in rats. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G, or morusin for 30 minutes and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 24 hours. The MUC5AC mucin secretion and production were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: AMA stimulated the secretion of airway mucin in sulfur dioxide-induced bronchitis rat model; aqueous extract, ethanolic extract, kuwanon E, kuwanon G, mulberrofuran G and morusin inhibited the production of MUC5AC mucin induced by PMA from NCI-H292 cells, respectively. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that extract of the root bark and the natural products derived from Morus alba L. can regulate the secretion and production of airway mucin and, at least in part, explains the folk use of extract of Morus alba L. as mucoregulators in diverse inflammatory pulmonary diseases.
Animals ; Biological Products* ; Bronchitis ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ethanol ; Lung Diseases ; Models, Animal ; Models, Theoretical ; Morus* ; Mucins* ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rats ; Sulfur

OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of INM 176 (K-1107) compared with placebo on the cognitive functions of 92 old aged subjects with cognitive impairment. METHODS: This was a prospective, 12 week, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The elderly who achieved a score of less than 25 points on the K-MMSE or showed a high risk of Alzheimer's disease from the 7-Minute Neurocognitive Screening Battery were considered to have objective impairment and were selected as subjects for this study. The subjects were randomized to placebo or INM 176 group. The outcome measures were from the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and the Korean Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS) and two kinds of computerized priming tests. After setting the total error score in the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive section (ADAS-cog) as the repeated measurement factor, an analysis of variance of the combined factor design was done between the placebo and INM 176 group. RESULTS: The interaction effect of time (pre- and post- trial) and group (placebo and INM 176 group) was significant in the analysis of the ADAS-cog's total error score. The INM 176 group's total error score in the ADAS-cog decreased significantly (p<0.01), whereas the placebo group showed a slight increase. The mean changes in IADL and GDS from baseline scores favored in the INM 176 group than in the placebo group. Outcome changes of ADAS-cog, IADL, KGDS scores during the 12 week clinical trail of INM 176 and placebo demonstrated favorable responses in the INM176 administered group. CONCLUSIONS: This is a preliminary clinical trial result of INM176 as a memory pill. Based on these results, INM176 may be a candidate molecule for the improvement of cognitive functions, including memory. Further clinical trial should demonstrate its efficacy.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Depression ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Memory* ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Chronic placental inflammation (CPI) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases in premature infants, whereas retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major complication primarily affecting preterm and very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants. This study aims to investigate the association between CPI and ROP in VLBW infants. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of clinical records of VLBW infants born between 2013 and 2016. Placental pathology findings including CPI cases were analyzed using logistic regression to study infants’ morbidities and other clinical characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 402 infants with a mean (standard deviation) gestational age of 28.5 (2.8) weeks and birth weight of 1,027.2 (304.4) g were included. The incidence of ROP was 24.1%. CPI was found in 90 infants (22.4%), among which 28.9% (26 of 90) developed ROP, and 21.1% (19 of 90) underwent laser photocoagulation. Lower gestational age, lower birth weight, longer duration of oxygen supply, and presence of CPI were associated with the development of ROP. After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, sex, duration of oxygen supply, and other overlapping placental pathology, CPI was associated with the odds for type 1 ROP that required laser photocoagulation (adjusted odds ratio, 2.739; 95% confidence interval, 1.112 to 6.749; p = .029). CONCLUSIONS: CPI was associated with severe ROP requiring treatment with laser photocoagulation in VLBW infants.
Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Inflammation ; Light Coagulation ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Oxygen ; Pathology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors