[P.F. von Siebold and his destiny with Chinese materia medica (Ben Cao)].

P. F. von Siebold (1796-1866) was a physician at the Dutch Business Centre (Shang Wu Hui Guan) located at Nagasaki, Japan, in the Edo period. He collected a great amount of botanical and mineral specimens, books, and living wares when he stayed in Japan. He brought these materials to Europe and kept some of them at the Japan Museum Siebold Huis in Leiden in Netherlands. This collection showed the role of Siebold in connecting scientific and cultural exchanges between East and West and provided references in the research of the transmission of traditional Chinese medicine worldwide in the 19th century.

[Looking for the roots of Wa Na Qi].

Wa Na Qi(), is a traditional-curing male impotence medicinal. We have made several conclusions through a field investigation to Antarctica, material medica literature research, and current market investigation. Throughout history, Wa Na Qi (also known ashaigou shen) was a word of vague connotation which was not the meaning of a specific product. However, the most common meaning of Wa Na Qi was the penises of several different species of seals. The name Wa Na Qi was adapted from a foreign word, and it is believed to sound like walrus, which has also been credited as a source for Wa Na Qi. In Chinese, Wa Na was a reference to the roundness of the walrus but eventually became a general description of heaviness. Later, it became a name for fur seals. The Song Dynasty Materia Medica Bencao Tujing(, Illustration of Materia Medica) and the Ming Dynasty Materia Medica Bencao Pinhui Jingyao(, Collected Essentials of Species of Materia Medica) both had animal illustrations resembling fur seals. The illustrations in the Compendium of Materia Medica, or Bencao Gangmu, Jinling edition also had characteristics of a fur seal. However, in the Buyi Leigong Paozhi Bianlan(, Lei Gong's Guide to Drug Preparation with Addenda) and later materia medica works, the animal illustrations became distorted and almost myth-like. After a field investigation in Antarctica, we learned that historically, name Wa Na Qi probably originated from seals, such as fur seals. This information matches the current medicines available on the market.

[Investigation of Compendium of Materia Medica in Japan].

Published in the Ming Dynasty around 1593 to 1596, the Jinling Edition of the Compendium of Materia Medica is considered the earliest engraved version. This edition has considerable literary and academic value. Only a handful of copies remain as they had to survive more than 400 years of human conflict and environmental damage such as mold and mildew. Throughout history, many ancient books, including herbal materia medica, have been exported to overseas, following the expansion of trade and cultural exchange. In Japan, many of these books are still well preserved. The author conducted a field investigation to Tohoku University in Sendai, Tokyo's Oriental Library, the Cabinet Library of the National Archives, and the National Diet Library to study four very well-preserved Jinling Editions of the Compendium of Materia Medica to fully understand the development of traditional medicine in Japan.

[A forgotten and unnoticed Museum of Chinese medicine].

Kam Wah Chung Company, located in the Oregan State in the northwestern United States, was co-created by Dr. Ing Hay and Mr. Lung On. In 1952, when Dr. Ing Hay passed away, his entire clinic building and collections were donated to the government and had been set up as a Museum for later generations to understand the history. The pictures, objects and videos used in the Museum to vividly and objectively compress and reproduce the process and history of early generation of Chinese immigrants crossing the ocean, travelling to northwestern United States and started their new life more than 100 years ago. The precious Chinese medicine materials in the Museum are of great significance to the research and the dissemination of Chinese Medicine culture overseas.

Inhibitions of mast cell-derived histamine release by different Flos Magnoliae species in rat peritoneal mast cells.

Flos Magnoliae (FM) is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb for symptomatic relief of allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and headache. A number of FM species have been used as substitutes or adulterants for clinical application, although the differences in their pharmacological actions have not been reported. The present study investigated the effects of six identified FM species M. biondii, M. denudata, M. kobus, M. liliflora, M. sargentiana and M. sprengeri, as well as the marker compounds magnolin and fargesin on compound 48/80-induced histamine release in rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMC) in vitro. Ethanolic extracts of all FM species produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of compound 48/80-induced histamine release in RPMC. The rank order of the IC(50)s was M. biondii

[Experimental study on tea in inhibiting mutational specificity of 6 antineoplastic drugs].

According to the principles of SOS response, the authors tested the mutational specificity of tea and its inhibitory effects to the mutational specificity of 6 antineoplastic drugs by using the method of mutational and anti-mutational synchronous test. The results revealed that the tea had no mutational toxicity but anti-mutation effect. It also had the inhibitory effect on mutational toxicity of 6 antineoplastic drugs, including Mitomycin C, Bleomycin, Fluorouracil, Cisdiaminodichoroplatinum, Arabinosylcytosin and Mustargen. These results have provided referential basis for further study on anti-cancer effect and clinical use of tea.

[A SOS induction test screening study for vegetables inhibiting mutagenicity caused by antineoplastic drugs].

Using mutational and anti-mutational synchronous in SOS inductest (+/- S9), We found that 7 out of 11 kinds of commonly eaten vegetables had the ability to inhibit mutagenicity caused by chemical drugs such as Mitomycin C, Bleomycinia, Fluorouracil, Cis-Diaminodichloroplatinum, Arabinosylcytosin and mustargen, They were garlic, green Chinese onion, onion, garlic bulb, tomato, cucumber and water radish. The other 4 lacking this ability were rape, chinese toon, ginger and asparagus lettuce stalk. We believe that our results can be helpful in the preparation. of cancer patients' diet, who are receiving chemotherapy and in the prevention of cancer.

[Studies on the essential oils of flos Magnoliae].

Essential oils were extracted from nine species of Flos Magnoliae. Their contents were determined. Analysis of chemical constituents in these oils was performed by means of GC-MS. 69 compounds were identified. The percentage of these components in oils were determined by GC.