A PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF RELIEF EFFECT BY ORIENTAL MEDICINES ON DRY COUGH OF A PATIENT

Man Kyu Huh* and In Sook Kye

ABSTRACT

A dry or involuntary cough is an involuntary and explosive exhalation movement in the respiratory without any phlegm. This study investigated the degree of cough relief with various plants that help relieve cough in Korea. The medicines used are Herbal medicines in clouding Liriope platyphylla, Luffa aegyptiaca, Platycodon grandiflorum, Zingiber officinale, Dioscorea polystachya, Pseudocydonia sinensis, Pyrus ussuriensis, Schizandra chinensis, Ziziphus jujube, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis. The average number of coughs per hour (CPD) before taking herbal medicine was 46.8 times per hour. The CPD on the 12th day after taking herbal medicine decreased to 12.2 times which was decreased 73.9% compared to the first day. The average number of times woke up from sleep (WUS) was 5.2 times before taking herbal medicine. Compared to the first day, WUS decreased by 57.7% on the 13th day. The number of coughing times was significantly decreased compared to the 1st and 4th days (p<0.01). Nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging activities on 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L were evaluated 7.8% and 15.9%, respectively. The inhibitory effect was 43.8% on 1200 mg/L. There was significant difference among four concentrations (50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1200 mg/L) (p < 0.05). The effect of suppression by herb medicines was clearly seen using the TNF-α level of RAW264.7 cells. TNF-α in 200 and 400 mg/L samples decreased by 3.1% and 4.3%, respectively. Herbal medicines in clouding L. platyphylla may be contained useful compounds for studies connected with dry cough.

Keywords: Herbal medicines, Involuntary cough, Number of coughs per hour (CPD), TNF-?.