• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2023

The effects of forest fires on the activity of microbial communities in topsoil and subsoil were investigated. Samples were collected from Korean forest soils comprising mainly igneous and sedimentary rocks. Analysis of beta-glucosidase, found higher microbial activity in sedimentary rocks than in igneous rocks. Enzyme activity was not observed immediately after fire, but was restored over time. The enzyme activity of subsoil was inhibited by 33~46% compared with that in the topsoil, regardless of soil damage. The effect of fire on the availability of microbial substrate was investigated using EcoPlate. The percentages of average well color development values of damaged and normal topsoil were 52.7~56.8% and 62.3~83.6%, respectively. Forest fires appear to affect the diversity and substrate availability of the subsoil microbial community by accelerating the decomposition of soil organic matter. The Shanon index, representing microbial biodiversity, was high in the topsoil of all samples; it was higher for soil microorganisms in sedimentary rocks than in igneous rocks, and higher in topsoil than in subsoil.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2023

Objectives: Moroccan Arbutus unedo is an essential medicinal plant; however, little is known about the biological properties of its leaves mentioned in Moroccan traditional medicine. Methods: Various standard experiments were performed to evaluate the phytochemical, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and acute and sub-chronic toxicity characteristics of A. unedo leaves. Results: Phytochemical screening led to the identification of several phytochemical classes, including tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthraquinones, with high concentrations of polyphenols (31.83 ± 0.29 mg GAEs/g extract) and flavonoids (16.66 ± 1.47 mg REs/g extract). Further, the mineral analysis revealed high levels of calcium and potassium. A. unedo extract demonstrated significant antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities by inhibiting α-amylase (1.350 ± 0.32 g/mL) and α-glucosidase (0.099 ± 1.21 g/mL) compared to the reference drug Acarbose. Also, the methanolic extract of the plant exhibited significantly higher antibacterial activity than the aqueous extract. Precisely, three of the four examined bacterial strains exhibited substantial susceptibility to the methanolic extract . Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values indicated that A. unedo harbor abundant bactericidal compounds. For toxicological studies, mice were administered with A. unedo aqueous extract at single doses of 2,000 and 5,000 mg/kg. They did not exhibit significant abnormal behavior, toxic symptoms, or death during the 14-day acute toxicity test and the 90-day sub-chronic toxicity test periods. The general behavior, body weight, and hematological and biochemical status of the rats were assessed, revealing no toxicological symptoms or clinically significant changes in biological markers observed in the mice models, except hypoglycemia, after 90 days of daily dose administration. Conclusion: The study highlighted several biological advantages of A. unedo leaves without toxic effects in short-term application. Our findings suggest that conducting more comprehensive and extensive in vivo investigations is of utmost importance to identify molecules that can be formulated into pharmaceuticals in the future.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2023

Sphaeranthus africanus is commonly used as a traditional remedy for sore throats and pain treatment in Vietnam. The aerial parts have been studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. However, the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of the plant has not been explored. In this work, hydrophilic extracts of the plant's aerial parts were prepared in order to investigate its antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Also, the cytotoxicity of the root was evaluated and compared to that of the aerial parts. All of the extracts inhibited lipid peroxidation with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.05 to 3.56 ㎍/mL, indicating substantial antioxidant activity. At an IC₅₀ value of 4.80 ㎍/mL, the 50% ethanol extract exhibited the most potent inhibition of α-glucosidase. The cytotoxic activity of root extracts is 2 to 5-fold less than that of the aerial parts. Nevertheless, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of the root demonstrated a selective effect on leukemia cells, with no harm towards the normal HEK-293 cell line. This work provides a scientific support for the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of the plant. Hence, it may find a promising material for the development of novel antioxidant and antidiabetic agents. More research can be conducted on the phytochemistry and anticancer activities of the plant's root.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.312-312
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• 2022

Peanut hull as by-product has been discarded during peanut processing. However, peanut hull contains plenty of polyphenols that shows various physiological activities. The objectives of this study were to investigate anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitory activities of polyphenols from 'Sinpalkwang' peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) hull. Compounds were isolated from methanol extracts of peanut hull by preparative-high performance liquid chromatography after identifying and quantifying polyphenols using Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and UPLC-Quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry profiling. The structures of compounds were elucidated by one-dimensional [¹H, ¹³C] nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and two-dimensional NMR (correlated spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum coherence and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation). Three compounds were identified as 5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one (peak 2), luteolin (peak 4) and eriodictyol (peak 5). Significant differences in inflammatory mediator such as nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-lβ) in lipopolysaccharide stimulated Raw 264.7 macrophages and in enzyme (xanthine oxidase [XO] and α-glucosidase [AG]) inhibitory activities were observed between three compounds (p < 0.05). Peak 5 treated Raw 264.7 macrophages showed lower content of NO (16.4 uM), IL-6 (7.0 ng/mL), and IL-1β (60.6 pg/mL) than peak 2 (NO: 28.3 uM, IL-6: 11.3 ng/mL, IL-1β: 66.9 pg/mL) and peak 4 (NO: 24.7 uM, IL-6: 9.3 ng/mL, IL-1β: 62.6 pg/mL). Peak 5 showed higher XO inhibitory activity (84.7%) and higher AG inhibitory activity (52.4%) than peak 2 (XO inhibitory activity: 45.4%, AG inhibitory activity: 21.6%) and peak 4 (XO inhibitory activity: 37.9%, AG inhibitory activity: 37.5%) at concentration of 0.5mg/mL. This study suggests that peanut hull could be a potential source of anti-inflammatory and physiological materials while creating new use of discarded peanut hull as by-products concomitantly.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.606-614
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• 2023

This study was conducted to optimize the size of olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus (OF) as a material of sikhae and to investigate the quality characteristics. The results on the protease activity of OF meat, protein and ash contents of the bone, and yields and hardness of fish bone during fermentation time suggest that the suitable fish weight for sikhae was less than 250 g. The proximate compositions of the OF sikhae fermented under optimum condition (fermentation for 9 days at 15℃), were 73.0% moisture, 12.0% crude protein, 1.3% crude fat and 2.4% ash. The salinity, titration acidity and amino acid nitrogen contents per 100 g sikhae were 1.7 g, 2.46 g, and 311.3 mg, respectively. The lactic acid bacteria concentration in the sikhae were 8.84 log CFU/g, which were higher than those (5.78-6.62 log CFU/g) of 5 kind of commercial flounder sikhae. The functional properties, such as ACE inhibitory activity (69.0%), antioxidative activity (69.3%), α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (22.7%), xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity (88.2%), and nitrite scavenging activity (96.4%) of the sikhae were superior to those of 5 kind of commercial flounder sikhae.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.385-392
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• 2024

Hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is a valuable plant that is widely used worldwide for food and medicinal purposes. This study compared ethanol extracts of five native Korean varieties (Yuwol-cho, Subi-cho, Sumihyang, Gounbit, and Chilseong-cho) and five improved varieties (Dabok, Cheongyang, Chungseong, Olbokhap, and Shin-honggildong) of peppers cultured in Korea. The extracts were analyzed for color difference, polyphenol content, and their antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antithrombotic activities. The extracts of the improved varieties exhibited higher levels of redness and lower levels of yellowness compared to the native varieties. Polyphenol and flavonoid content analysis revealed significantly higher levels in the Yuwol-cho and Sumihyang varieties, which also exhibited scavenging activities in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl anion-, 2,2-azobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) cation-radical scavenging, and reducing power assay. The Chilseong-cho, Yuwol-cho, and Dabok varieties showed significantly higher nitrite scavenging activity. Antidiabetic activity based on α-glucosidase inhibition was observed in the Subi-cho, Sumihyang, and Gounbit extracts. Evaluation of antithrombotic activity showed that the Yuwol-cho extract prolonged thrombin time by 1.61 times compared to the solvent control at a concentration of 5 mg/ml, while the Dabok extract prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time by 1.33 times and 2.21 times, respectively. All pepper extracts showed no erythrocyte hemolysis activity up to a concentration of 5 mg/ml. Our results suggest that native Korean peppers have the potential to serve as valuable sources of antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antithrombotic agents. This research also indicates the possibility of replacing improved pepper varieties, which incur significant seed usage fees, with native Korean pepper varieties.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.71-97
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• 1974

Many studies on the changes of the materials in the water-logged paddy soil have been reported, but there will be several problems to apply them on the field soil. The main differences between the method of soil packed in beaker or column tube to that of natural field furrow slice are with or without of the rice root and the effect of water percolation. On the other hand, the mechanism of the water percolation on the changes of material in the natural field furrow slice are gradually understood. The purpose of this experiment is to know the effect of the rice cultivation on the chemical and physical changes of material in the water-logged paddy soil. Obtained results are as follows. 1. The physical and chemical changes on the water-logged paddy soil in the non-planted control-plot were nearly the same as the beaker or column tube experiment, while in the planted plot, slightly altered patterns were observed. 2. The relation between the number of tillers and total cation, $Ca^{{+}{+}}$, $Mg^{{+}{+}}$, Fe and Mn in the leachate showed very high significance. T hisresult showed that the leaching of those cation was promoted by growing of the rice r- of the rice root. 3. On the other hand, the concentration of the potassium, silica and phosphorus in leachates was gradually decreased and that of $NH_4$-N could not detect after the stage of active tillering. These facts revealed that such components were absorbed by rice plant. 4. The highly significant correlation between the number of tillers and the concentration of the total cation, $Ca^{{+}{+}}$, $Mg^{{+}{+}}$, $Fe^{{+}{+}}$, Fe and Mn in the percolated water was observed except that of $Mg^{{+}{+}}$. It was also showed that the rice root promoted the leaching of those cation. 5. The very high significance in the correlation between $HCO_3{^-}$ and the number of tillers indicated that the higher activity of the rice root was, the more $HCO_3{^-}$ concentration in the leachate was increased. 6. The relationship between the $HCO_3{^-}$ and the total cation, $Ca^{{+}{+}}$, $Mg^{{+}{+}}$, $Fe^{{+}{+}}$, Fe and Mn was appeared very highly significant. $HCO_3{^-}$, the metabolite of the rice root, promoted the leaching of $Ca^{{+}{+}}$, $Mg^{{+}{+}}$, $Fe^{{+}{+}}$ and Mn. This fact might be a result that these cations were leached as the form of bicarbonate. 7. The iron in the leachate was the form of $Fe^{{+}{+}}$ and the correlation between $Fe^{{+}{+}}$ and $HCO_3{^-}$ was very highly significant. This result indicated that it seemed to be ferrous bicarbonate when it is leached out. 8. In the rhizosphere, ferrous iron was decreased gradually and the concentration of glucose was as high as 2 to 3 times in comparison with the other parts of the soil. These facts were the same as the previous reports in which rhizosphere was oxidized by the oxigen excreted from the root, and was enriched by the organic matter which was also excreted from the root and accumulated residues of the root. 9. ${\beta}$-Glucosidase and phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere was higher than that of the other parts of the soil. This facts might be attributed to the vigorous activity of microorganism in the rhizosphere where glucose concentration was high. 10. The pH in the leachate of the planted plot was lower than that of control, and the Eh on the planted soil was elevated in the last stage.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.866-877
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to develop a new functional traditional fermented soybean food using Cudrania tricuspidata fruits and fermentation microbes isolated from traditional fermented food. Aspergillus oryzae koji, Lactobacillus sp., and Bacillus sp. were used for the selection of a suitable microbe for the fermentation of Cudrania tricuspidata fruits, and as a result, Bacillus licheniformis SCDB 1234 was selected. SCDB 1234 enhanced the concentration of kaempferol in the Cudrania tricuspidata fruits from 9.54 to $217.04{\mu}g/g$ (about 22 times). The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the fermented materials was similar to that of BHA and BHT (92~99 ppm). The tyrosinase inhibitory activity was high with arbutin (95 ppm) and kojic acid (90 ppm). Doenjang-added fermentation materials of the Cudrania tricuspidata fruits were developed, and the organic acid, reducing sugar, and free amino acid of the developed Doenjang were analyzed. The pancreatic lipase inhibitory (PLI) activity and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory (AGI) activity of the fermentation materials of the Cudrania tricuspidata fruits and the developed Doenjang were investigated, and it was found that after fermentation, the PLI and AGI activities of the fermentation materials of the Cudrania tricuspidata fruits were higher than those before fermentation, and that the AGI activity of the developed Doenjang after aging ($91.25{\pm}0.04%$) was higher than that before aging ($84.89{\pm}0.08%$).

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2000

Screening of Biologically Active Essential Oils from Ligusticum tenuissimum. Kim, Min-Hae, Young-Gil Kim, Jin-Ha Lee, Keo-Pyo Hong, Jung-Ki Hong, Young-Joon Kong, and Hyeon-Yong Lee*. Division of Food and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chunchon 200-701, Korea, 1 Regional Crop Development Station, Kangwon Agricultural Research & Extension Services, Chunchon 200-150, Korea-The biological activities of the crude essential oils from Ligusticum tenuissimum and the control(phthalic anhydride) were compared. About 60% of the growth of MCF7, A549, and Rep3B cells were inhibited by adding 1.0 mg/ml of the crude essential oils and below 40% was observed by the control. Cytotoxicity on human normal lung cell(IMR90) was scored as 34.4% for the crude oil and 26.4% for control, respectively. It was found that the crude essential oils were more effective than the control in anti mutagenecity tested by both Rec-assay and CRG V79 cells. The growth of human T-cell(Jurkat) was enhanced up to 1.21 times by adding the crude essential oil compared with the control. 50% of a-glucosidase activity was inhibited by both the crude essential oil and the control. ACE activities were inhibited 80.1 % and 65.3% by adding 1.0 mg/ml of the crude oil and the control, respectively. The higher enhancement of glutathione-S-transferase activity was observed in the crude oil than those in the control: 301 % v.s 234% at 1.0 mg/ml of the treatment. Thrombolytic activity was measured as 42.9% and 28.6% for the crude oil and the standard, respectively. The effect of the oil on the nerve cells PCI2, was observed as follows: the neurite of PCl2 cells was lengthened up to 255 /-lm longer than 205 /-lm of control. The number of neurite-bearing cells were about two times higher than control. The survival ratio of the crude essential oil was also increased up to 56.4% which was about two fold higher than in control.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.517-527
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• 2018

The current study investigated in vitro anti-diabetic and neuroprotective effects of the ethyl acetate fraction in Actinidia arguta sprouts (EFAS), on $H_2O_2$ and high glucose-induced cytotoxicity in human neuroblastoma MC-IXC cells. EFAS had high total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. An assessment of 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity of EFAS, as well as its potential for inhibiting malondialdehyde production, indicated that EFAS may possess significant antioxidant properties. EFAS exerted inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ via glycemic regulation which forms advanced glycation end products. In addition, EFAS exhibited significant acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects. Moreover, EFAS displayed protective effects against $H_2O_2$ and high glucose-induced cell death, and inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species in MC-IXC cells. Finally, the main physiological compound of EFAS was identified via high performance liquid chromatography as a rutin.