• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.802-812
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate effects of natural incense on the preservation of paper- and textile-based remains and the kinds and applications of natural anti-insect incense by reviewing relevant literatures of the ancient times. There are few ancient literatures of incense published in Korea. The researcher deducted how incense was used in this nation through reviewing verses contained in ancient literatures and medical books. In contrast, the kinds and applications of anti-insect incense used in China, where incense culture prospered, were investigated here through reviewing technical books about incense published during the Song(宋) and Ming(明) periods, $\ll$Incense record(香譜)$\gg$, $\ll$Chen's Incense record(陳氏香譜)$\gg$ and $\ll$Incense record(香乘)$\gg$. There were several methods of keeping clothes better from insects. In relation, how to use anti-insect incense varied in accordance with main materials of clothes, paper, textile, leather and others. Cymbopogon dstans(芸香), Brassica rapu var and Incarvillea sinensis(角蒿) are anti-insect incense which were used for paper. Anti-insect incense for textiles is classified into single and mixed incenses depending on whether only one kind of incense was used or more than seven kinds of the substance. Acori rhizoma(菖蒲), Capsella bursa-pastoris(薺菜花), Lactuca sativa L., Erigeron canadensis(莽草), Stemona japonica(百部) and Moschus sifanicus(麝香) are single anti-insect incense which were used for textile. While, the latter was called. ‘Yi Xiang(衣香)’ is mixed anti-insect incense which was used for textile. Artemisia asiatica(艾葉) and Zanthoxylum schinifolium(花椒) are anti-insect incense which were used for leather. Angelica dahurica(芳香) and Bamboo are anti-insect incense which were used for others. There were three main methods of using incense to prevent insects, that is, diffusing incense's strong scent and ingredients, exposing to smokes from burnt incense and washing with incense-boiled water. Diffusing incenses had a strong scent and antibiotic ingredients, which were put between books or clothes or into a storage box without being processed. If necessary, however, they were processed into rough powders that were in turn used singly, or otherwise mixed for a stronger scent and better insect elimination. Exposing to smokes from burnt incense was done as follows. A clothes was put on 'Long(籠)' underneath which there was a boiling water. The clothes was humidified by the water and then exposed to smokes from burnt incense. 'Long(籠)' had been long used since it was manufactured in the QinHan(秦漢) period for the first time. A local literature, $\ll$Koryo TuGing(高麗圖經)$\gg$ shows that in the Koryo(高麗) period, BoShaLu(博山爐) were used as a means of exposing clothes to smokes to prevent moths, similarly to China. Washing clothes with incense-boiled water was more effective in removing lots of worms and germs from clothes, but leaving the scent and ingredients of the used incense and maintaining the effect of anti-insect.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
• /
• v.52 no.3
• /
• pp.222-239
• /
• 2019

This paper studied Joseon royal incense, Buyonghyang, focusing on the case of Sunjo Sunwonwanghoo Garyedogam Uigwe. Incense was introduced to Korea in the period of the Three States with Buddhist cultures. Buyonghyang is an incense that represented the royal family and was used in various rituals. Civilians also burned this incense in front of a bride's palanquin at a wedding ceremony. Buyonghyang had various uses-ceremonial uses, as a fragrance, to mothproof, and medical uses. Buyonghyang is a combined incense with ten different ingredients. This study tracked the supply and demand of the incense ingredients through Takjijunjeol, Sejong Shilok Jiriji, and The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. This paper identified properties of the ingredients and studied recipes using ancient medical books-Jejungshinpyeon, Donguibogam, etc. Then the cooperation and treatment of incense by craftsman were examined using the records of The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, and Seungjeongwon Ilgi. The significance of Buyonghyang during the Joseon dynasty was studied by examining its use at a royal wedding ceremony. This study considered Sunjo's wedding ceremony based on Sunjo Sunwonwanghoo Garyedogam Uigwe which is highly regarded as a well-organized system compared to other Uigwe. Buronghyang was burned during all of the ceremonies which took place in the palace. Conversely, it is considered that Buyonghyang was burned only during the Bisuchekui ceremony (investiture), which took place in the bride's place, according to the record of the mobilization of court ladies for various incense burners for the Bisuchekui ceremony. Since the incense was able to be used only after Bisuchekui, it is considered that only the royal family could use the incense, and it was a symbolic incense of the Joseon Royal Family.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.19-29
• /
• 2010

Phytoncide, essential oil of trees, has microbicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, and deodorizing effect. The present study was performed to examine the effect of phytoncide on Candida albicans, which is a commensal colonizer of the mucous membranes but has become an opportunistic pathogen. C. albicans was incubated with or without phytoncide extracted from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.; Japanese cypress) and then changes were observed in its optical density, cell viability and morphology. As concentrations of phytoncide added to the culture medium increased, optical density and cell viability of C. albicans decreased. Minimum inhibitory concentration of phytoncide for C. albicans was observed to be 0.25%, and minimum fungicidal concentration was 0.5%. Numbers of morphologically atypical cells with electron-dense cytoplasm and granules and increased with increasing concentration of the phytoncide. At higher concentrations of phytoncide, compartments and organelles in the cytoplasm became indistinguishable. The overall results indicate that the phytoncide used for this study has a strong antimicrobial activity against C. albicans. Therefore, the phytoncide may be used as a candidate for prevention and therapeutic agent against oral candidiasis.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.137-150
• /
• 2007

Trees emit phytoncide into atmosphere to protect them from predation. Phytoncide from different trees has its own unique fragrance that is referred to as forest bath. Phytoncide, which is essential oil of trees, has microbicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, and deodorizing effect. The present study was performed to examine the effect of phytoncide on Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is one of the most important causative agents of periodontitis and halitosis. P. gingivalis 2561 was incubated with or without phytoncide extracted from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.; Japanese cypress) and then changes were observed in its cell viability, antibiotic sensitivity, morphology, and biochemical/molecular biological pattern. The results were as follows: 1. The phytoncide appeared to have a strong antibacterial effect on P. gingivalis. MIC of phytoncide for the bacterium was determined to be 0.008%. The antibacterial effect was attributed to bactericidal activity against P. gingivalis. It almost completely suppressed the bacterial cell viability (>99.9%) at the concentration of 0.01%, which is the MBC for the bacterium. 2. The phytoncide failed to enhance the bacterial susceptibility to ampicillin, cefotaxime, penicillin, and tetracycline but did increase the susceptibility to amoxicillin. 3. Numbers of electron dense granules, ghost cell, and vesicles increased with increasing concentration of the phytoncide, 4. RT-PCR analysis revealed that expression of superoxide dismutase was increased in the bacterium incubated with the phytoncide. 5. No distinct difference in protein profile between the bacterium incubated with or without the phytoncide was observed as determined by SDS-PAGE and immunoblot. Overall results suggest that the phytoncide is a strong antibacterial agent that has a bactericidal action against P. gingivalis. The phytoncide does not seem to affect much the profile of the major outer membrane proteins but interferes with antioxidant activity of the bacterium. Along with this, yet unknown mechanism may cause changes in cell morphology and eventually cell death.