• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.320-327
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• 2016

Allium hookeri is used for food and medical materials in Asia. This study was carried out to elucidate the effects of shading rates on growth and quality of A. hookeri cultivation in greenhouse. Treatments were given with 35%, 55%, 75% and 95% shading rates and non-shading (Control). Photosynthesis photon flux density (PPFD) of control, 35%, 55%, 75%, and 95% shading were 792, 515, 351, 182, and $78.2{\mu}mol{\cdot}m{\cdot}s^{-1}$ respectively. The emergence ratio was 98% under non-shading, 35% and 75% shading condition, and it was 100% under 55% and 95% shading condition on April 20, 2016. These results showed no correlation between emergence rate and shading treatment. When shading net was set up inside at greenhouse, fresh weights in control, 35%, 55%, 75%, and 95% shading treatments were 1,142, 3,511, 5,936, 6,408 and 3,779kg/10a, respectively. When shading net was set up outside at greenhouse, fresh weights in control, 55%, 75%, and 95% shading treatments were 1,372, 5,442, 6,238 and 3,595kg/10a, respectively. Dry weight, percentage of dry matter, number of leavesand branches, plant height and root length in 75% shading treatment were higher than other shading treatments. From these results, we suggested that the proper shading rate in a greenhouse is 75% for A. hookeri cultivation in middle area of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.234-242
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• 2015

Allium hookeri (Liliaceae), native to India is widely cultivated in Korea lately as a medicinal plant. This study was performed to evaluate the antioxidant and lifespan extending effects of the root of A. hookeri. Methanol extract from the root of A. hookeri was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and H₂O soluble fractions. Antioxidant effects of the fractions were measured by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and superoxide quenching activities. Lifespan extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. In addition, stress resistant, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities, and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were also studied. Furthermore, we had investigated aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans to find any sample-induced significant change. Our results revealed that ethyl acetate soluble fraction from the root of A. hookeri showed the most potent antioxidant and lifespan extending effects, and this fraction elevated the most potent SOD and catalase activities of worms, and reduce intracellular ROS accumulation.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.98-102
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• 2015

Allium hookeri, a member of the onion family, has long been mainly cultivated for food and medicinal use in Southeast Asian countries, owing to its various biological properties. However, no studies of the anti-oxidative effects of fermented A. hookeri root extracts have been conducted to date. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of different starter cultures on the antioxidant activities of hot water extract of A. hookeri root by using the following five strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterum longum, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity, total phenolic acid contents, and total antioxidant capacity were higher in the hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures than those of A. hookeri root. Among hot water extract of A. hookeri root fermented with starter cultures, fementing with S. cerevisiae showed the highest antioxidant activities. The results of this study provide new evidence of the anti-oxidative properties of A. hookeri root with starter cultures, indicating that it may be highly valuable as a natural product owing to its high-quality functional components.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.481-490
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• 2016

This study was designed to examine the effects of Allium hookeri (AH) on plasma blood glucose and fat profile levels in diabetic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats through injection of streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in citrate buffer into tail veins at a dose of 45 mg/kg of body weight. Sprague-Dawley rats were then fed for 4weeks, with the experimental groups receiving a modified diet containing 5% or 10% powder derived from AH roots. The experimental groups were divided into four groups, consisting of a control group, STZ-control group, and diabetic fed with AH 5% & 10% treated groups. Rats' body weights, blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and free fatty acid (FFA) values in plasma were measured along with hematocrit (Hct) values and aminotransferase activities. Body weight losses were observed in the STZ-control group, whereas the STZ-AH group of diabetic rats gained weight. There was a significantly decrease in brain weight of the STZ-AH group but no significant differences in kidney and liver weights of the STZ-AH 5% & STZ-AH 10% groups compared to the STZ-control group. Blood glucose was significantly reduced in the STZ-AH 5% & STZ-AH 10% diabetic groups. There were no significant differences in total cholesterol and TG levels among the diabetic groups. HDL-cholesterol significantly increased while FFA significantly decreased in the STZ-AH 5% & STZ-AH 10% diabetic groups. The Hct level of the STZ-AH group was lower than that of the STZ-control group. Aspartate aminotransferase activity was significantly reduced in the STZ-AH 5% & STZ-AH 10% diabetic groups. These results indicate that supplementation with Allium hookeri root may have beneficial effects on diabetic complications as a potential therapeutic candidate.