• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2022

Maca roots (Lepidium meyenii) are an important medicinal herb that have long been used by the Andes-indigenous peoples and South Americans. In Korea, recently, it has attracted attention as a health food material because of nutritional values and physiological activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the industrial applicability of maca (red and golden varieties; R&G) as immunostimulating materials. In the macrophage stimulating assay using RAW 264.7 cells at 125~500 ㎍/mL of non-cytotoxicity doses, G-HW showed the most potent production of TNF-α, IL-6 and nitric oxide compared to red maca or the other extracts. The general component analysis results showed that all extracts comprised more than 90% neutral sugars with small amounts of uronic acid and protein. Meanwhile, component sugar analysis showed the difference in the content of uronic acids of cold- and hot-water extract. Additionally, the further fractionation of G-HW into crude polysaccharide (G-CP) greatly enhanced the macrophage stimulating activity, and G-CP contained macromolecules over 144 kDa, comprised mainly of glucose and galacturonic acid (51.0 and 34.9%). In conclusion, crude polysaccharide from maca showed industrial applicability as immunostimulating material, and especially golden maca showed higher macrophage stimulating activity than red maca.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.38 no.12
• /
• pp.1724-1731
• /
• 2009

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of phyto-extract fermented mixture (MP119) on the male sexual functions. The MP119 was evaluated for anti-impotency and anti-hypertensive effects via ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) or PDE (phosphodiesterase) inhibition assay. $IC_{50}$ values of MP119 against ACE and PDE were 241.3${\pm}$35.5 ppm and 372.2${\pm}$33.8 ppm, respectively. To investigate the effect of testosterone expression by MP119, we performed cell media test using mouse Leydig-derived TM3 cells. Production of testosterone in TM3 cell was increased by MP119. Also, NO (nitric oxide) production of HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cell) was increased when MP119 was added to the cultures. Forty male ICR mice were divided into 4 groups. MP119 was orally intubated for 7 days to group 1 and 3, and same volume of vehicle to group 2 and 4 as controls. After that, group 3 and 4 were intraperitoneally injected cadmium chloride at a single dose of 2 mg/kg. On the 8th experimental day, weights of testis, epididymis and seminal vesicle, number of sperm, concentrations of serum testosterone and cGMP were determined. The number of sperm, the concentrations of testosterone and cGMP were significantly increased in two experimental groups (group 1, 3). These results suggest that MP119 enhanced the sexual function of male mice, and could protect the sexual organs from the cadmium chloride as one of the endocrine disrupters.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.45-52
• /
• 2019

In the process of adapting climate change, the government needs to provide policy and technical support necessary for growing promising crops imported from abroad. Therefore, this study was conducted to survey and analyze the conditions of growth of imported foreign crops and to derive response tasks. As a result, tropical and subtropical vegetables were cultivated 18 crops in 920 farms in 321 ha area (in 2015 year). The cultivation scale decreased in the order of Curcuma aromatica, Momordica charantia, Asparagus aethiopicus, Allium hookeri and Herbs. Tropical and subtropical fruits were cultivated 9 crops in 264 farms in 106.5 ha area (in 2015 year). Special and medicinal crops introduced abroad cultivated 10 crops in 753 farms in 276.3 ha area (in 2015 year). The cultivation scale decreased in the order of Curcuma longa, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lepidium meyenii and Moringa oleifera. For the stable settlement of domestic growth of tropical and subtropical crops introduced abroad, there should be safety and economic feasibility in terms of the cultivation environment according to the domestic culture adaptation test. Consideration needs to be given to the use of locally grown products in Korea, the securing of distribution and sales markets, and the competitiveness of imported products.

• Sim-seong Yeon-gu
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.61-91
• /
• 2024

Alchemy is the process of producing worthless substances into the best substances through chemical opus(work). On the surface, many of the alchemist's experiments can be depicted as work on transforming substances, but in reality, the alchemist's result is a product of the Unconscious. This study aims to explain the three phases of alchemy, Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo, through Michael Mayer's alchemical text, Atalanta Fugiens, and understand the transformation process by utilizing images that appeared from clients' sand play therapy. This study first described why alchemy, as the foundation for the psychology of the Unconscious, is important in sand play that deals with images. Next, Nigredo (blackening), the first phase of the alchemical process, is briefly described, and how the contents of Nigredo, such as chaos, dissolution, separation, division, corruption, death, and calcination, appear in sand play therapy. Next, the second phase, albedo (whitening), is described, and how the images of water and fire, which are representative images of albedo in the form of purification, sublimation, distillation, separation, descension, and coagulation, are revealed in sand play. Lastly, the phase of rubedo (reddening) in alchemy is described, and how the form of union (mandala or central image) in rubedo, which appears in the form of conjunction and rebirth, is revealed in sand play. The symbols revealed in alchemy are very valuable in amplifying the images that appeared in sand play therapy or dream analysis. In particular, the procedures found in alchemical opus are helpful in understanding the transformation process of personality.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.314-319
• /
• 2018

We analyzed QTLs for alkali-related digestion by using 120 population crossed Cheongcheong and Nagdong derived from anther culture (CNDH). The DNA markers located in the QTLs gene were selected and applied to existing cultivars. As a result of the investigation of the alkali decay degree, brown rice of Cheongcheong and Nagdong was 1.9 and 1.6, respectively, and the CNDH was $3.79{\pm}2.01$, and the distribution of variance was distributed to 7.0-1.0. The milled rice of Cheongcheong and Nagdong was 5.6 and 4.1, respectively. The mean of the CNDH was $4.86{\pm}1.55$, and the distribution of variance was distributed to 7.0-2.0. Variation distribution curves showed continuous variation that was close to non-normal distribution. In the QTLs analysis, qBRA2, qBRA6, and qBRA11 were mapped in 1-2 replications of brown rice. QHRA2-1, qHRA2-2, qHRA2-3, qHRA3, and qHRA8 were mapped in the first replication. QHRA2-1, qHRA2-2, qHRA2-3 and qHRA3 were mapped in the second replicates. And mapped to qHRA5 in 4 replicates. These were found on chromosome 2, 3, 6, 8 and 11, respectively. The phenotypic variations of qBRA2, qBRA6, and qBRA11 on the chromosomes of brown and milled rice were 1-9%. The polymorphism was analyzed for 12 types of the japonica type and six types of the indica type, based on the nine markers found in the QTLs analysis of alkali digestion. Chromosome 11, RM27258, was selected to determine the segregation ratio, which shows the difference in size by the band pattern. The results of this study will be used as basic data for the development of high-quality rice cultivars.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.113-126
• /
• 2022

The tectonic history of the Chukchi Abyssal Plain in the Amerasia Basin, Arctic Ocean, has not been fully explored due to the harsh conditions of sea ice preventing detailed observation. Existing models of the tectonic history of the region provide contrasting interpretation of the timing of formation of the crust (Mesozoic to Cenozoic), crust type (from hyper-extended continental crust to oceanic crust), and formation process (from parallel/fan-shaped rifting to transformation faulting). To help determine the age of the oceanic crust, the geothermal gradient was measured at three stations in the south of abyssal plain at depth of 2,160-2,250 m below sea level. Heat flow measurement stations were located perpendicular to the spreading axis over a 40 km-long transect. In-situ thermal conductivity measurement, corrected by the laboratory test, gave observed marine heat flows of 55 to 61 mW/m². All measurements were taken during Arctic expeditions in 2018 (ARA09C expedition) and 2021 (ARA12C expedition) by the Korean ice-breaking research vessel (IBRV) Araon. Given the assumption of oceanic crust, the results correspond to formation in the Late Cretaceous (Mesozoic). The inferred age supports the hypothesis of formation activated by the opening of the Makarov Basin during the Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic. This would make it contemporaneous with rifting of the Chukchi Border Land immediately east of the abyssal plain. The heat flow data indicate the base of the gas hydrate stability zone is located 332-367 m below the seafloor, this will help to identify the gas hydrate-related bottom simulating reflector in the future seismic survey, as already identified on the Chukchi Plateau. Further geophysical surveys, including heat flow measurements, are required to increase our understanding of the formation process and thermal mantle structure of the abyssal plain.