池上 文雄

Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines, produced by combining multiple crude drugs, almost all of plant origin but with some of animal or mineral origin, contain great many substances. Since Kampo medicine results from the combination of many substances, their effect is a combination of the various interactions of the constituent substances. It has been demonstrated that several potential side effects such as allergic reactions, diarrhea and vomiting may be experienced when administering Kampo medicine. In addition, it has been reported that Kampo medicine may have antagonistic or synergistic interactions with western drugs or with some foods such as grapefruit juice. Among the 210 medicinal prescriptions used in present-day Japan, the clinical uses and the acute, chronic and mutagenic toxicity of some Kampo medicines are described. Studies of some potential interaction between Kampo medicines and western drugs are also considered. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines, produced by combining multiple crude drugs, almost all of plant origin but with some of animal or mineral origin, contain great many substances. Since Kampo medicine results from the combination of many substances, their effect is a combination of the various interactions of the constituent substances. It has been demonstrated that several potential side effects such as allergic reactions, diarrhea and vomiting may be experienced when administering Kampo medicine. In addition, it has been reported that Kampo medicine may have antagonistic or synergistic interactions with western drugs or with some foods such as grapefruit juice. Among the 210 medicinal prescriptions used in present-day Japan, the clinical uses and the acute, chronic and mutagenic toxicity of some Kampo medicines are described. Studies of some potential interaction between Kampo medicines and western drugs are also considered. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Among 2 10 medicinal prescriptions used in present-day Japan, the clinical uses and the acute, chronic and mutagenic toxicity study of 16 Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines are summarized. These Kampo medicines are classified into two categories, eight prescriptions containing Bupleurum root (Bupleurum falcatum L.) such as Sho-saiko-to and Saiko-keishi-to, and eight prescriptions not containing Bupleurum root such as Juzen-taiho-to and Ninjin-yoei-to. Studies of some potential interaction between herbal medicine and western drugs are also described. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Among 2 10 medicinal prescriptions used in present-day Japan, the clinical uses and the acute, chronic and mutagenic toxicity study of 16 Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines are summarized. These Kampo medicines are classified into two categories, eight prescriptions containing Bupleurum root (Bupleurum falcatum L.) such as Sho-saiko-to and Saiko-keishi-to, and eight prescriptions not containing Bupleurum root such as Juzen-taiho-to and Ninjin-yoei-to. Studies of some potential interaction between herbal medicine and western drugs are also described. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The seeds and one to three years old plants of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) were analyzed for their free amino acid contents. The neuro-excitatory beta-ODAP (beta-N-oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid), suggested to be the cause of the crippling neurolathyrism, was the major component in the seed extract (70% of the total free amino acids detected) and showed the highest concentration (0.43% by wt) compared to that in the different parts of young plants. beta-ODAP concentration was higher in the shoots as compared to roots and declined in older plants. The amount of beta-ODAP in the roots may be considered as an indirect measure of age and quality. Another neuro-active non-protein amino acid, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), increased dramatically after germination and reached highest concentration in different parts of 3 year-old plants. Glutamine and arginine were the two major free proteinogenic amino acids in the ginseng plants and together they constituted over 50% of all the free amino acids detected in the root. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.