• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.674-678
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• 2010

A new sweetpotato variety, 'Daeyumi', was developed by Bioenergy Crop Research Center, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA in 2008. This variety was obtained from the cross between 'Jinhongmi' and 'Xusju 18' in 2000. The seedling and line selections were performed from 2001 to 2003, preliminary and advanced yield trials were carried out from 2004 to 2005, and the regional yield trials were conducted at six locations from 2006 to 2008. 'Daeyumi' has cordate leaf, green vine and petiole, elliptic storage root, red skin and yellow flesh color of storage root. This variety is also resistant to Fusarium wilt and nematode. The starch value was 25.9%, ethanol yield was 418 L/Ton, which was 7% higher than that of 'Yulmi' variety, and the total sugar content was 2.47 g/100g, dry weight. 'Daeyumi's initial temperature of starch gelatinization was lower, 76.2$^{\circ}C$, and the retrogradation process was earlier than 'Yulmi'. The average yield of storage root was 27.8 ton/ha in the regional yield trials, which was 36% higher than that of 'Yulmi' variety. Number of storage roots over 50 gram per plant was 3.0, and the average weight of one storage root was 152 gram. This variety can be used for the production of bioethanol and starch processing.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.679-683
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• 2010

'Yeonjami' is a new sweetpotato variety developed for table use by Bioenergy Crop Research Center, National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA in 2008. This variety was selected from the cross between 'Ayamurasakki' and 'Poly Cross' in 2000, and seedling and line selections were practiced from 2001 to 2003. Preliminary and advanced yield trials were carried out from 2004 to 2005. The regional yield trials were conducted at six locations from 2006 to 2008. 'Yeonjami' has cordate leaf, green vine and petiole, long elliptic storage root, purple skin and light purple flesh color of storage root. The average yield of storage root was 25.9 ton/ha in the regional yield trials, which was 15% higher than that of 'Sinjami' variety. Number of storage roots over 50 gram per plant was 2.9, and the average weight of one storage root was 153 gram. This variety was partly-resistant to Fusarium wilt and nematode. In addition, steamed 'Yeonjami' has higher polyphenol contents as 139.6 mg/100 g and higher biological activities as, which may improve the bioactivity in human.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.512-516
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• 2008

A new naked oat cultivar 'Choyang' (Avena sativa L.) was developed by the breeding team at the Department of Rice and Winter Cereal Crop, NICS, RDA in 2007. It was derived from a cross between 'Sikyonggwiri' and 'Gwiri23'. The cultivar, Sikyonggwiri is early heading while the breeding line Gwiri23 has a high yielding potential with large-size grain. Bulk method combined with pedigree selection program was employed in subsequent generations, and the promising line SO96025-B-303-44-2-5 was selected for agronomic performance in 2002. The line showed both high yield and good husking rate of seed in the Yield Trial tested at Suwon in 2003 to 2004, and was subsequently designated as 'Gwiri57'. Gwiri57 was evaluated for winter hardiness, earliness, and yield in four locations, Gimje, Iksan, Jeongeup and Jinju from 2005 to 2007 and was released as Choyang. Choyang headed 11 days earlier and matured 5 days earlier than the check cultivar 'Sunyang' in the paddy field condition. The new cultivar Choyang had 97 cm of culm length and 23.4 cm of spike length, 658 spikes per $m^2$, 75 grains per spike, 28.8 g of 1,000-grain weight, and 636 g of test weight. Choyang showed better winter hardiness than that of the check cultivar Sunyang, and similar seed quality to the check cultivar in respect to crude protein (12.9%) and ${\beta}$-glucan content (4.7%). However, it showed higher husking rate than the check cultivar. The grain yield of Choyang in the regional yield trial for 3 consecutive years was averaged $4.67MT\;ha^{-1}$, which was 38% higher than that of the check cultivar Sunyang. Choyang is recommended for the fall sowing cropping only in the southern area where daily minimum mean temperatures are averaged higher than $-4^{\circ}C$ in January, and is not recommended the in mountain area where frost damage is presumable.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.402-409
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• 2019

Korean red ginseng made from steaming and drying fresh ginseng has long been used as a traditional herbal medicine due to its effects on the immune, endocrine, and central nerve systems and its anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of a formulated Korean red ginseng extract (RGE) in response to lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a cell wall component of gram-positive bacteria. RGE inhibited LTA-induced nitric oxide (NO) secretion and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in BV-2 microglial cells, without affecting cell viability. RGE also inhibited nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65 and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In addition, RGE increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of RGE on iNOS expression was abrogated by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HO-1. Moreover, RGE induced nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor that regulates HO-1 expression. Furthermore, the phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors suppressed RGE-mediated expression of HO-1, and RGE enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38, and c-JUN N-terminal kinases (JNKs). These results suggested that RGE suppressed the production of NO, a proinflammatory mediator, by inducing HO-1 expression via PI-3K/Akt- and MAPK-dependent signaling in LTA-stimulated microglia. The findings indicate that RGE could be used for the treatment of neuroinflammation induced by grampositive bacteria and that it may have therapeutic potential for various neuroinflammation-associated disorders.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.295-302
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• 2019

Liquiritigenin (LG) is a chiral flavonoid isolated from the roots of licorice. It exhibits multiple biological activities including anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. In particular though, the anti-cancer activity of LG in oral squamous cell carcinoma has yet to be elucidated, and LG-induced apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma remains poorly understood. In the present study, we tested the role of LG in inducing apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. LG treatment of HN22 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell viability as detected by a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The induction of apoptosis in terms of Annexin V/7-Aminoactinomycin D staining, sub-G1 population, and multi-caspase activity were assessed with a $Muse^{TM}$ Cell Analyzer. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that LG treatment resulted in G2/M arrest in cell cycle progression and downregulation of cyclin B1 and CDC2 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. It also resulted in significant upregulation of p27. In addition, LG was seen to trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species and induce CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein and 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein in concentration-dependent upregulation. The LG treatment of HN22 cells led to a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (${\Delta}{\Psi}m$); it also reduced the levels of anti-apoptotic protein and increased the expression of apoptotic protease activating factor-1, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose)polymerase and Bax. Overall, our results indicate that the pro-apoptotic effects of LG in HN22 cells depend on the activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic signaling pathways. Thus, our results suggest that LG constitutes a natural compound with a potential role as an anti-tumor agent in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.325-331
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• 2019

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most popular green leafy vegetables, and it contains various beneficial components including polyphenolic compounds and has been known to possess various biological functions such as anti-microbial, anti-oxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we prepared ethanol extract of dried lettuce (DLE) and investigated its anti-inflammatory activity. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of DLE, nitric oxide (NO) production was measured in LPS-activated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. DLE significantly suppressed NO production in these cells without affecting cell viabilities while resveratrol was used as a positive control. DLE dramatically decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as iNOS and COX-2 at the mRNA and protein levels and reduced the expression of several cytokines including $IL-1{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-1F6, $TNF-{\alpha}$, CSF2 and CXCL10. In addition, DLE suppressed phosphorylation of MAPKs and the nuclear translocation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65 indicating DLE shows its anti-inflammatory activity via regulating MAPKs pathway and $NF-{\kappa}B$ pathways. And also, DLE reduced the production of reactive oxygen species in a dose-dependent manner. DLE increased HO-1 protein expression, and also increased the nuclear translocation of Nrf2. Overall, our results suggest that lettuce down-regulate various pro-inflammatory genes and have its anti-inflammatory activity via regulating MAPKs, $NF-{\kappa}B$, and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.337-344
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• 2019

The free radical scavenging, cytotoxic effects, and flavonoid content of fractions from Lycopus lucidus Turcz leaves were here investigated. The flavonoid contents of 85% methanol (MeOH) and n-butanol (BuOH) fractions of the leaves were 41.5 mg/g and 77.2 mg/g, respectively. In DPPH and ABTs+ assays, 85% MeOH and n-BuOH fractions from the L. lucidus Turcz leaves had a greater scavenging effect (p<0.05). The n-BuOH fraction (0.5 mg/ml concentration) had scavenging effects of 88% and 92% in the DPPH and ABTs+ assays, respectively (p<0.05). Cell viability tests showed that treatment with L. lucidus Turcz leaf fractions caused cytotoxicity in the growth of AGS, HT-29, and HT-1080 cancer cells. Of the different fractions, the 85% MeOH sample displayed the highest cytotoxic activity; the $IC_{50}$ values of this fraction against AGS, HT-1080, and HT-29 cancer cells were 0.03 mg/ml, 0.14 mg/ml, and 0.16 mg/ml, respectively. These biological results indicate that the n-BuOH fraction was more effective in anti-oxidant activity while the 85% MeOH fraction was stronger in cytotoxic effects, and they suggest that these two fractions from L. lucidus Turcz leaves may contain valuable bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.688-696
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• 2019

This study investigated changes in triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis and tyrosinase activity induced by ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.) extract, which cannot be stored for long periods of time due to its high moisture content when it was fermented to improve its storage stability. The accumulation of triglyceride and cholesterol in HepG2 cells inhibited the accumulation with a relatively large magnitude in n-butanol and aqueous fractions that generally have high polarity, however, changes in inhibition potency due to the fermentation were not significant. As for the effect to inhibit tyrosinase activity, when L-tyrosine was used as a substrate, the inhibitory activity was the highest for the aqueous fraction at $60.58{\pm}4.03%$ and $63.35{\pm}4.35%$, before and after fermentation, respectively, which amounted to 72% of that of the positive control group (arbutin, $100{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, when L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was used as a substrate, the inhibitory activity was also found the highest for the aqueous fraction at $56.85{\pm}1.57%$ and $59.38{\pm}1.74%$, before and after fermentation, respectively, which amounted to at least 88% of that in the positive control (kojic acid, $100{\mu}g/ml$). Overall, the activity of the fermented ice plant extract was similar or a little higher compared to that of the one without fermentation, indicating that fermentation can be a good approach to improve the storage stability of the ice plant.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.375-388
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• 2019

Accurate evaluation of sea-to-air $CO_2$ flux and its variability is crucial information to the understanding of global carbon cycle and the prediction of atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration. $fCO_2$ observations are sparse in space and time in the East Sea. In this study, we derived high resolution time series of surface $fCO_2$ values in the southwest East Sea, by feeding sea surface temperature (SST), salinity (SSS), chlorophyll-a (CHL), and mixed layer depth (MLD) values, from either satellite-observations or numerical model outputs, to three machine learning models. The root mean square error of the best performing model, a Random Forest (RF) model, was $7.1{\mu}atm$. Important parameters in predicting $fCO_2$ in the RF model were SST and SSS along with time information; CHL and MLD were much less important than the other parameters. The net $CO_2$ flux in the southwest East Sea, calculated from the $fCO_2$ predicted by the RF model, was $-0.76{\pm}1.15mol\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$, close to the lower bound of the previous estimates in the range of $-0.66{\sim}-2.47mol\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$. The time series of $fCO_2$ predicted by the RF model showed a significant variation even in a short time interval of a week. For accurate evaluation of the $CO_2$ flux in the Ulleung Basin, it is necessary to conduct high resolution in situ observations in spring when $fCO_2$ changes rapidly.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 2019

Purpose: Aster glehnii (AG) and Aster yomena (AY) are medicinal plants that belong to the family Compositea and grow widely in Korea. Plants in the genus Aster have been used to treat snakebite wounds or bruises in oriental medicine. This study compared the effects of anti-oxidants and anti-adipocyte differentiation according to the species (the aerial parts of AG and AY). Methods: AG and AY were extracted using 70% ethanol (-E) and water (-W) at room temperature. The anti-oxidant activities were measured by total phenol contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC), DPPH and $ABTS^+$ assay. In addition, correlation analysis was performed for the anti-oxidant compounds and effect. The level of anti-adipocyte differentiation was assessed using an oil red O assay on pre-adipocytes. Results: AG-W showed higher TPC ($6.92{\mu}g/mL$) and AG-E presented higher TFC ($8.22{\mu}g/mL$) than the other extracts. Furthermore, AG-E exhibited higher radical scavenging activity in the DPPH and $ABTS^+$ assay ($IC_{50}$: 104.88 and $30.06{\mu}g/mL$). In the cytotoxicity assay, AG and AY extracts at concentrations less than $100{\mu}g/mL$ were non toxic. AG-W reduced the lipid accumulation of 3T3-L1 cells significantly after differentiation (70.49%) compared to the other extracts. Conclusion: These results show that the water extract of AG has anti-oxidant effects and reduces the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells. Therefore, AG has utility as a functional food material for its anti-oxidant activities and ability to prevent lipid accumulation.