Sunday, September 23, 2012

Scientists develop herb-based anti-obesity medicine

A group of South Korean scientists has developed a new herb-based medicine that can help prevent and even cure obesity that has also been proven safe, the science ministry said Thursday.

The medicine uses a mixture of substances extracted from perennial plants that are already familiar to oriental medicine, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

The new substance, called POCUb, boosts activities by the AMP-activated protein kinase that dissolves body fat while suppressing the activity of an enzyme, known as phosphodiesterase, that causes the accumulation of body fat.

A series of animal tests showed the effectiveness of the new herbal medicine in both preventing and curing obesity, a leading cause of death throughout the world, the developers from the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine said.

A group of mice treated with the medicine gained up to 61 percent less body weight compared to controlled groups, reflecting the substance's effectiveness in preventing obesity....

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