Chinese Prescription Kangen-karyu against Metabolic Syndrome:Successful Treatment of Three Patients

Metabolic syndrome is the cluster of diseases,which is manifested by central obesity,impaired glucose tolerance,lipodystrophy,and high blood pressure.These metabolic syndrome-related traits significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,adverse cardiac events,stroke,and hepatic steatosis.In the past decade,several organizations have proposed different diagnostic criteria.The use of traditional Chinese medicine to treat metabolic syndrome has received increasing attention due to its wide availability.In this paper,we report a case of three patients with metabolic syndrome with improved administration of 7.5 g of Kangen-karyu extract per day for 6 months.We present and discuss evidence supporting the possibility of using Kangenkaryu for metabolic syndrome.

Chinese Prescription Kangen-karyu as Potential Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutic:Analyses of BACE1 and GSK-3βInhibitory Activities

Inhibition ofβ-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1(BACE1)or glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β)is estimated to be the central therapeutic approach for Alzheimer’s disease(AD).In this study,water extract of Kangenkaryu,its crude drug and chemical composition used in oriental medicine were evaluated regarding their BACE1 and GSK-3βinhibitory activities.Fluorescence resonance energy transfer was used to characterize the BACE1 inhibitory effect of Kangen-karyu,its crude drug and chemical composition.GSK-3βactivity was determined using the Kinase-Glo Luminescent Kinase Assay Platform.The water extract of Kangen-karyu inhibited BACE1 and GSK-3βin concentration-dependent manners when compared with reference drugs,quercetin and luteolin.Among six components of Kangen-karyu,the water extracts of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix or Cyperi Rhizoma exhibited significant inhibitory effects on BACE1 and GSK-3β.Among the constituents of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix extract,salvianolic acid C,salvianolic acid A,rosmarinic acid,and magnesium lithospermate B significantly inhibited BACE1.In addition,they inhibited GSK-3βwith an IC50 value range of 6.97 to 135.35μM.From these results,one of the effectiveness and its mechanisms of action of Kangen-karyu against AD may be the inhibition of BACE1 and GSK-3β,and one of the active ingredients of Kangen-karyu is Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix and its constituents.

Identification of Active Component of Hachimi-jio-gan Ameliorating Diabetic Nephropathy

Conventional medicine-based Chinese herbal prescriptions,have fascinated much attention due to their extensive and unique diversity of biological effects without toxicity and/or adverse effects.Treatment with Hachimi-jio-gan(Ba-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan in Chinese)improved the dysregulated levels of hyperglycemic condition-related oxidative stress generation,advanced glycation endproduct generation,and renal function parameters.These results indicate that Hachimi-jio-gan is a prospective therapeutic agent against the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.Cornel iridoid glycosides and polyphenol are the active compounds of Corni Fructus,the active component of Hachimi-jio-gan,against kidney damage caused by diabetes.Additionally,major components of the Corni Fructus,morroniside and 7-O-Galloyl-D-sedoheptulose(GS)are considered to be important contributors to prevent and/or delay the onset of kidney damage caused by diabetes.Chief of all,GS is expected to be developed as a novel therapeutic drug for the diabetes-accelerated kidney damage.