□ The research team led by Dr. Go Younghoon (first author: Dr. Pak Malk Eun) at the KM Application Center of the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM / President: Lee Jin-Yong) has verified the neuro protection effect of Yuk-Gunja-Tang and proposed the possibility of its usage as an anti-dementia drug.

◦ The outcome of the research was published in international academic journal Frontiers in Pharmacology (IF 5.98; upper 20 percent of JCR) on October 26, 2022.

※ Paper title:　Yuk-Gunja-Tang Attenuates Neuronal Death and Memory　Impairment via ERK/CREB/BDNF Signaling in the Hippocampi of　Experimental Alzheimer’s Disease Model

□ Yuk-Gunja-Tang is a herbal formula prepared using ginseng, Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino, etc., and is known to treat such conditions as functional dyspepsia.

□ The research used Yuk-Gunja-Tang approved by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation to implement cellular and animal experiments and discovered its new efficacies including improvement in cognitive behaviors, protection from neuronal cell damage, and activation of growth factors for neuronal cells.

◦Yuk-Gunja-Tang’s effects of cell protection, prevention of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress reduction were confirmed in hippocampal cells of neurotoxicity-induced rats, whereas such effects as improvement in cognitive behaviors, neuronal cell protection in hippocampal tissues, and improvement of acetylcholinergic signaling were seen in cognitively impaired animal model.

◦ In conclusion, it was found that Yuk-Gunja-Tang protects neuronal cells by increasing the secretory signaling of brain derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) that helps the growth and survival of neuronal cells.

□ Yuk-Gunja-Tang is a herbal formula whose safety has already been confirmed. Its usage is expected to reduce the cost of clinical tests and enhance the probability of successful development of herb-based dementia treatment drug.

□ Dr. Go Younghoon, who led the research team, commented, “We verified the cognitive improvement effect of Yuk-Gunja-Tang, a conventional herbal formula, to present the possibility of herbal drug repurposing. We will continue our research on the prevention and treatment of dementia based on the identification of new efficacies of herbal drugs in cognitive improvement.”

□ The research was conducted as part of the key programs of KIOM, an affiliate of the Ministry of Science and ICT.