• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.330-339
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• 2014

Growth and anthocyanins of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., 'Mid-season') grown under LED lamps with blue light in the range of 430-470 nm or with red light in the range of 630-670 nm were analyzed in this study. Cool-white fluorescent light was used a s the control. P hotosynthetic photon flux, p hotoperiod, air temperature, relative humidity, and $CO_2$ concentration in a closed plant production system were $201{\pm}2\;{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$, 16/8 hours (day/night), $22/18^{\circ}C$, 70%, and $400{\mu}mol{\cdot}mol^{-1}$, respectively. At 21 days after light quality treatment, growth characteristics and anthocyanins content of lettuce as affected by the peak wavelength of blue or red LED were significantly different. Among peak wavelengths treated in this stusy, R1 treatment (peak wavelength 634 nm) and R6 treatment (peak wavelength 659 nm) were effective for increasing leaf width, leaf area, shoot fresh weight, and photosynthetic rate of lettuce. B5 treatment (peak wavelength 450 nm) and B4 treatment (peak wavelength 446 nm) increased the anthocyanins concentration and chlorophyll content in lettuce leaves, respectively. Anthocyanins in lettuce leaves increased linearly with decreasing hue value of leaf color and with increasing SPAD value of lettuce leaves. From these results, it was concluded that the red LED with peak wavelengths of 634 nm and 659 nm and the blue LED with peak wavelengths of 450 nm can be used as potential light spectra for increasing the yield and anthocyanins accumulation of leafy vegetable.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.628-632
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• 2013

Arthrospira platensis (A. platensis) is an economically important microalgae because it has carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and a number of phytochemicals. It is also a valuable source used in the production of biodiesel and functional foods. In this study, A. platensis was exposed to electron beam irradation (240 kGy) and induced random mutagenesis for strain improvement. Several mutants were obtained, and the resulting mutant was designated as EB29. The growth rate and chlorophyll content of EB29 was similar to those of wild type. However, the lipid content of EB29 was increased seven-fold compared to that of wild type when comparing the nile red fluorescent intensity. Semi-quantitative analysis of EB29 using the calibration plot of standard lipid, triolein, represented $78.6{\mu}g/mL$, which increased 2 times compared to wild type ($41.4{\mu}g/mL$). When analyzing the fatty acid profile of EB29, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in EB29 increased about six-fold. Moreover, fatty acids affecting the quality of biodiesel increased compared to that of wild type. Thus, electron beam could be used for the strain improvement of microalgae in order to accumulate PUFAs and alteration of fatty acid profile for biodiesel.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.358-367
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• 2011

Soybean is known to contain various phytochemicals that are related to anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity effects in mice and humans. The anti-obesity effect of by-product extracts from soybean on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes to adipocytes was investigated by suppressing adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation with Oil Red-O assay and quantitative PCR. In inducing differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in the presence of an adipogenic cocktail, isobutylmethylanthine (IBMX), dexamathasone, and insulin, treatment with filtrated soybean soaked water, soybean milk, and soycurd residue from soybean curd processing significantly decreased mRNA expression of obesity-related gene such as PPAR${\gamma}$, Fabp4, and Scd1, adipsin, apolipoprotein (APOE) and adiponectin (ADIPOQ) without any significant cytotoxicity. We also determined the well-known isoflavones in soybean, such as daidzein and genistein, in the by-product extracts. Taken together, we suggest that soybean by-product extract showed anti-obesity effect by suppressing adipocyte related gene expression, and that by-products collected during soybean curd processing may be a good candidate as an ingredient in health care products.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.567-573
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• 2020

The persimmon is commonly cultivated in temperate regions of the world, including China, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Turkey, and Italy. In some Asian cultures, consumers are aware of the health claims related to the persimmon and its functional ingredients. The rich phytochemistry of the persimmon has opened new avenues of research on diet-based regimens designed to cure various ailments. This study was conducted to identify the genotoxicity of immature green persimmon (Diospyros kaki THUNB.) extract (DKA). The bacterial reverse mutation assay, the chromosomal aberration assay, and the mammalian micronucleus test were performed to determine the DKA genotoxicity. The result of the bacterial reverse mutation assay revealed that the DKA did not induce mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and Escherichia coli WP2uvrA with or without metabolic activation of S9 mixture. The oral administration of DKA also caused no significant increase in the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes or in the mean ratio of polychromatic to total erythrocytes. In addition, DKA did not cause a significant chromosome aberration on CHL cells in the presence or absence of S9 activation. In conclusion, DKA could be considered as a reliable and safe functional food since no toxicity was found under the condition of this study.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.218-229
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• 2021

Recently, as consumers' interest and importance in health care have significantly increased, they prefer natural and organic foods that do not use chemical pesticides. Since sprout vegetables effectively promote health and prevent diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, the consumption of sprout vegetables, a highly functional and safe food, has been increased significantly. This study aimed to investigate the effect of light on the growth and bioactive compounds of seven different sprout vegetables. After sowing the seeds of various sprout vegetables (kale, Chinese kale, broccoli, red cabbage, alfalfa, red radish, and radish), the sprouts were cultivated under light conditions (20℃, RGB 6:1:3, 130 μmol·m^-2·s^-1, 12 hours photoperiod) and dark condition for 7 days. Sprouts samples were taken at 1-day intervals from 4 to 7 days after treatment. The fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, total phenol content, and antioxidant capacity were measured. Brassica species (kale, Chinese kale, broccoli, red cabbage) and Medicago species (alfalfa) had significantly higher fresh weight values under dark conditions, while the content of bioactive compounds was increased considerably under light conditions. In contrast, the fresh weight of Raphanus genus (red radish, radish) significantly increased under the light condition, but the antioxidant phenolic compounds were significantly higher under the dark state. A negative correlation was observed between the growth and secondary metabolites in various sprout vegetables. This study confirmed the effect of light and dark conditions on different sprout vegetables' growth and nutritional value and emphasizes the importance of harvest time in producing high-quality sprout vegetables.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.734-741
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• 2022

Currently, around 40 million people worldwide are living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection making HIV a critical global health risk. Present therapies for HIV infection consist of drug cocktails that target different steps of the HIV life cycle to prevent infection, replication, and release of the virus. Due to its mutating nature, drug resistance coupled with side-effects of long-term drug use, novel strategies, and pharmaceuticals to treat and manage HIV infection are constant needs and continuously being studied. Plants allocate a major repertoire of chemical diversity and are therefore regarded as an important source of new bioactive agents that can be utilized against HIV. Since the early 1990s, upon recommendations of the World Health Organization, numerous studies reported phytochemicals from different structural classes such as flavonoids, coumarins, tannins and terpenes with strong inhibitory effects against HIV infection. The present review gathered and presented recent research (2021-present) on plant extracts and phytochemicals that exhibit anti-HIV properties with the aim of providing insights into future studies where ethnomedical and underutilized plant sources may yield important natural products against HIV. Considering the relation and importance of HIV treatment with current viral infection risks such as SARS-CoV-2, screening plants for anti-HIV agents is an important step towards the discovery of novel antivirals.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.596-606
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• 2016

The growth and contents of anthocyanins and ascorbic acid in lettuce(Lactuca sativa L., 'Jeokchima') as affected by supplemental UV-A LED irradiation under different light quality and photoperiod conditions were analyzed in this study. Five light qualities, namely B (blue LED), R (red LED), BUV (blue LED+UV-A LED), RUV (red LED+UV-A LED) and Control (white fluorescent lamps) with photoperiods of 12/12 hours (day/night), 16/8 hours, or 20/4 hours were provided to investigate the effects of light quality and photoperiod on the growth and accumulation of anthocyanins and ascorbic acid in lettuce leaves. As measured 28 days after transplanting, the number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, shoot fresh weight and dry weight of lettuce were significantly affected by light quality and photoperiod. The number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, shoot fresh weight and dry weight of lettuce grown under R treatment increased with increasing light period. By contrast, leaf development was inhibited, but chlorophyll content increased, under B treatment. Supplemental UV-A irradiation significantly decreased leaf length, leaf width, leaf area and shoot fresh weight. Anthocyanins in lettuce increased significantly with decreasing dark period under B treatment. A synergistic effect of supplemental UV-A LED irradiation on anthocyanins accumulation was found for lettuce leaves grown under R treatment but not B treatment. Ascorbic acid in lettuce was greatly affected by photoperiod. Ascorbic acid content at BUV and RUV treatments increased by 20-30% compared to without UV-A LED irradiation. From these results, it was concluded that growth and contents of anthocyanins and ascorbic acid in lettuce are significantly affected by supplemental UV-A LED irradiation. The results obtained in this study will be informative for efforts to improve the nutritional value of leafy vegetables grown in plant factories.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.507-518
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• 2015

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the association of food security with the total and individual flavonoid intakes among Korean adults. Methods: Study subjects were 13,454 men and 19,563 women aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2007~2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects were classified into food-secure and food-insecure groups using the answers to a self-reported question on food sufficiency of subjects' household. The total and individual flavonoid intakes were calculated by linking 24-h dietary recall data of subjects with a flavonoid database. Mean differences in dietary outcomes by food security status, and major food sources of total flavonoids were examined. Results: In this cross-sectional study, 5.8% of male adults and 6.6% of female adults were in food insecure households. Mean daily intakes of total flavonoids, flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, isoflavones, and proanthocyanidins were significantly lower in food-insecure groups than food-secure groups among both male and female adults. The differences were maintained in total flavonoids, flavones, flavanones, and flavan-3-ols after adjusting for total energy intake. Mean intakes of fruits and vegetables were significantly lower in food-insecure groups and the total flavonoid intake from fruits and vegetables was also significantly lower in food-insecure groups. The major food sources of total flavonoids were apples (20.7%), mandarines (12.0%), and tofu (11.5%) in the food-secure group, and apples (14.9%), tofu (13.3%), and mandarines (12.6%) in the food-insecure group. Conclusion: This study showed that food insecurity was associated with lower intakes of flavonoids and reduced intakes of fruits and vegetables in a representative Korean population.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.671-678
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• 2019

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of plant sources have attracted a wide range of interest across the world over the last decade. This is due to the growing concern for safe and alternative sources of antibacterial and antioxidant agents. In this study, we focused on the antibacterial and antioxidant activities and the chemical composition of a methanol extract from Viburnum sargentii seeds. The chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), and the antibacterial activity was screened by a disc diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using the microbroth dilution and spread plate method, respectively. The V. sargentii extract showed growth inhibition activity on all tested Gram-positive (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida, and Proteus vulgaris) pathogenic bacteria. The MIC and MBC ranged from 0.156~1.25 mg/ml for Gram-positive and 0.625~5.0 mg/ml for Gram-negative tested bacteria. The GC-MS results revealed the presence of several phytochemicals such as ${\beta}-sitosterol$ and vitamin E, which are known for their pharmacological applications. The antioxidant activities of V. sargentii extract were investigated by three different methods: the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay, the reducing power assay, and the total antioxidant capacity assay. The results showed a concentration-dependent antioxidant potential for all three used methods. In sum, our findings suggest that the methanol extract of V. sargentii seeds has the potential to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and provide antioxidant compounds, making it therefore worthy of further investigation.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.170-179
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• 2022

Glutamic acid is a precursor of essential amino acids that play an important role in plant growth and development. It is one of the biostimulants that reduce cold stress damage by stimulating biosynthetic pathways leading to cryoprotectants. This study evaluated the effects of glutamic acid foliar application on Kimchi cabbage under low-temperature stress. There were six treatments, combining three photo-/dark periods temperature levels (11/-1℃ extremely low, E; 16/4℃ moderately low, M; and 21/9℃ optimal, O) with and without glutamic acid foliar application (0 and 10 mg·L^-1; Glu 0 and Glu 10). Glutamic acid foliar application was sprayed once 10 days after transplanting, and then temperature treatment immediately after glutamic acid foliar application was conducted for up to four days. After four days of treatment, abscisic acid (ABA), phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA), and abscisic acid-glucose ester (ABA-GE) contents were higher with Glu 10 treatment than Glu 0 treatment in M treatment. Glucose content was highest in E with Glu 10 treatment (52.1 mg·100 g^-1 dry weight), while fructose content was highest in O with Glu 0 treatment (134.6 mg·100 g^-1 dry weight). The contents of glucolepiddin (GLP), glucobrassicin (GBS), 4-methoxyglucobrassicin (4MGBS), neoglucobrassicin (GNBS), and gluconasturtiin (GNS) were highest among all treatments in E with Glu 10 treatments (0.72, 2.05, 1.67, 9.40 and 0.85 µmol·g^-1 dry weight). After two days of treatment, rapid changes in PA and DPA contents of E with Glu 10 treatments were confirmed, and several individual glucosinolate contents (GLP, GBS, 4MGBS, GNBS, and GNS) were significantly different depending on low temperature and glutamic acid treatment. In addition, the content of fructose was significantly lower than that of O treatment in E and M treatments after four days of treatment. Therefore, although the changes in PA, DPA, glucose, fructose, and individual glucosinolates according to low temperature and glutamic acid foliar treatment were shown. A clear correlation between low temperature and glutamic acid effects could not be evaluated. Results indicated that Brassica crops are cryophilic vegetables, do not react sensitively to low temperatures, and mostly have cold resistance.