Novel Cultivation of six-year-old Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng) in pot: From Non-Agrochemical Management to Increased Ginsenoside.

Background: Ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a perennial plant belonging to the Araliaceae family that is known to have various beneficial effects including improving memory loss and spatial cognitive ability, and anti-cancer and anti-diabetes activity. Its functional benefits also include improving liver function, regulating blood pressure, stress, and providing antioxidant activity. Usually, various agrochemicals are used in cultivating ginseng preventing from many diseases. Methods: FCGP (field cultivated ginseng in pot) was implemented by imitating MCWG (mountain cultivated wild ginseng). Pesticide analysis of pot cultivation was carried out and the contents of bioactive components such as ginsenoside were also analyzed. Results: FCGP ginsenoside content was higher than that of FCG (field cultivated ginseng) and MCWG. FCGP has been shown to have a relatively high antioxidant effect compared with cultivated ginseng. Conclusion: It was confirmed that ginseng can be grown for 6 years without resorting to use of pesticides. In addition, it was confirmed that effective accumulation of physiologically active ingredients such as ginsenoside is possible. Our result represents FCGP is a novel method of pesticide-free ginseng cultivation.

Cortisol Secretion and Subsequent Impaired Lymphopoiesis after Starvation Can Be Reduced by Moxibustion Treatment.

As a known steroid hormone, cortisol is involved in gluconeogenesis. Uninterrupted cortisol secretion has fatal effects, both physically and psychologically, because cortisol counteracts the immune response. Moxibustion (Mox) treatment is a traditional technique used in East Asia, which therapeutically transfers heat to certain points on the body surface. In the present study, the effect of Mox treatment on stress hormone secretion was investigated using a mouse model of starvation, in which Mox was applied on the Zhongwan acupoint (CV12). First, high cortisol levels induced by starvation were dose-dependently reduced by Mox treatment. In addition, the stress-induced decline in lymphoid progenitor cell production accompanied by altered cellularity in the thymus, bone marrow, and spleen was also significantly recovered by Mox treatment. Taken together, these findings indicated that Mox treatment reduces stress hormone secretion, which may rescue stress-induced lymphopoiesis impairment. These observations also suggested that enhanced resistance to stress may be one of the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effects of Mox treatment.

Application of triamcinolone acetonide paste to the endotracheal tube reduces postoperative sore throat: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study was performed to examine whether applying triamcinolone acetonide paste as a lubricant to endotracheal tubes (ETTs) reduces the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat (POST) more effectively than applying chlorhexidine gluconate jelly. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients enrolled in the study were ages 20 to 70 yr, American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status I and II, and scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patients were divided randomly into two groups, the chlorhexidine group and the triamcinolone group. Prior to endotracheal intubation, ETTs in the chlorhexidine group were lubricated with 0.1% chlorhexidine gluconate jelly, whereas the ETTs in the triamcinolone group were lubricated with 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide paste 0.5 mg. During the 24 hr after the operation, we recorded the incidence and severity of POST and the incidence of cough, hoarseness, dysphagia, nausea, and dry throat. RESULTS: Of the 150 patients initially enrolled, 143 patients were included in the study. The incidence of POST was significantly lower in the triamcinolone group compared with the chlorhexidine group (difference = 52.4%; 95% confidence interval, 36.8% to 64.2%; P < 0.001). The severity score for the triamcinolone group was significantly lower than that for the chlorhexidine group. The frequencies of coughing, hoarseness, dysphagia, nausea, and dry throat were similar in the two groups for the first 24 hr after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Triamcinolone acetonide paste applied along the length of the ETT resulted in clinically important and statistically significant decreases in the incidence and severity of POST compared with the application of chlorhexidine jelly. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00908817).

Nitroglycerin- and nicardipine-induced hypotension does not affect cerebral oxygen saturation and postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of nitroglycerin- and nicardipine-induced hypotension on regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO(2)) and postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty adult patients scheduled for orthognathic surgery were randomly assigned to either the nitroglycerin group (group 1) or nicardipine group (group 2). After induction of anesthesia, hypotension was induced with continuous infusion of nitroglycerin or nicardipine. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and rSO(2) were measured at the following time points: before induction of anesthesia, immediately before commencing induced hypotension, at 30 and 60 minutes after induced hypotension, and immediately before the end of surgery. Cerebral desaturation was defined as a reduction of rSO(2) less than 75% of baseline for > or = 15 seconds. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was conducted before surgery and then repeated after 1 week. RESULTS: Baseline rSO(2) values were similar in the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in rSO(2) values between the 2 groups. Cerebral desaturation was not observed in any of the patients. Both nitroglycerin and nicardipine reduced MAP and increased HR during induced hypotension as compared with the baseline values (P < .05). No differences in MAP and HR during baseline and induced hypotension were observed between the 2 groups. Decreased MMSE scores were not observed in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: Cerebral oxygen saturation and postoperative cognitive function were not impaired during nitroglycerin- and nicardipine-induced hypotension in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery.