• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.214-222
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• 1989

Of the 103 species (41 families) sampled from two limestone bites in Korea, 98 species (95.1%) contained VA mycorrhizae. No mycorrhizal structures were observed in the other 5 species. The nonmycorrhizal species were members of the following 4 families: Equisetaceae, Davalliaceae, Amaranthaceae and Ericacene. Of the 124 species (51 families) sampled from two different nonlimestone sites, 99 species (79.8%) were found to contain VA mycorrhizae and no mycorrhizal structures were observed in the other 25 species. The nonmycorrhizal species were members of the following 16 families: Equisetaceae, Pteridacaea, Davalliaceae, Cyperaceae, Commelinaceae, Polygonaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Phytolaceaceae, Amaranthaceae, Aizoaceae, Portulacaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Fumariaceae, Cruciferae, Ericaceae and Rubiaceae.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2005

Tetragonia tetragonoides (Aizoaceae) has been known as an anti-cancer agent. The activation of proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) by trypsin appears to play a role in inflammation. In the present study, we examined the inhibitory effects of Tetragonia tetragonoides water extract (TTWE) on the production of tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$ and tryptase in trypsin-stimulated human leukemic mast cells (HMC-1) expressing PAR-2. HMC-1 cells were stimulated with trypsin in the presence or absence of TTWE (10, 100, and $1000\;{\mu}g/ml$). The level of $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion from HMC-1 cells was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). $TNF-{\alpha}$ and tryptase mRNA expression were examined by reverse transcription-PCR. Also, extracellular signal-regulated kinese (ERK) activation was assessed by Western blot analysis. Trypsin activity was measured using the substrate Bz-DL-Arg-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA). It was observed that $TNF-{\alpha}$ secretion, tryptase mRNA and $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNA expression in trypsin-stimulated HMC-1 cells were inhibited by pretreatment of TTWE ($1000\;{\mu}g/ml$). Furthermore, the pretreatment of TTWE ($1000\;{\mu}g/ml$) resulted in the reduction of ERK phosphorylation and trypsin activity. These results suggest hat TTWE might have the inhibitory effects on the PAR-2-dependent inflammation processes and it is likely to function as PAR-2 antagonist.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.47-63
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• 1998

In order to compare species-specific calcium metabolism, we collected 127 species belonging to 40 different families grown on various habitats including saline, limestone, wetland during the 1996 vegetation period, and analyzed their inorganic ion contents. Plants investigated were divided into 5 groups according to their physiological properties: 1) Chenopodiaceae, Aizoaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Portulacaceae and Phytolaccaceae of Centrospermales and Polygonaceae (Polygonales had a little water-soluble $Ca^{2+}$ but contained high contents of insoluble $Ca^{2+}$ particularly as Ca-oxalate (Chenopodiaceae type), 2) Some plant species such as Rosaceae produced oxalate in amounts insufficient to precipitate all incoming $Ca^{2+}$ and thus contained a surplus of dissolved $Ca^{2+}$ (Rosaceae type), 3) The contents of water-soluble $Ca^{2+}$ in plant species of Crassulaceae. Plantaginaceae, Asclepiadaceae, and Zygophyllaceae were equal to or greater than those of K ($K/Ca{\leq}1$; Crassulaceae type), and 4) K/Ca ratios of Compositae were significantly fluctuated depending on species and soil $Ca^{2+}$ level of their habitats (Compositae type). 5) Certain monocots (Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Juncaceae), in contrast to the dicotyledonous plant families mentioned above, showed a very distinct type of calcium metabolism, that is, the K/Ca ratios of 8~10 were maintained indifferently in the species and their habitat types (Graminae type). These results plants within the same taxon have similar physiological aspects as weel as morphological attributes. To understand calcium metabolism of certain plant species, therefore, it is desirable to approach on the basis of physiological concept (calciotroph or calciophobe) rather than the ecological one (calcicole or calcifuge).

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 1973

Lampranthus spectabilis is an ornamental plant which belongs to one of the Aizoaceae family as an one-year herb. There are no illustrations on the references that Lampranthus spectabilis has been made use for the purpose of the medicinal plant among the traditional herb doctors and the laymen. However, it has the specific characteristics to be analogous to the Cactaceae family in the botanical classification. Besides, mescaline, the main ingredient of Peyote cactus, demonstrates the sympathomimetic effect as well as the psychotomimetic effect. The authors called our attention to the resemblance to the botanical family between Aisoaceae and Cactaceae, and made a survey whether the alcohol extract of Lampranthus spectabilis might possess any pharmacological effect on the isolated heart of clam or not. The results of the experiment were as follows. 1. Administration of LX to the isolated heart of clam produced an inhibitory effect on the cardiac motility in proportion to its concentration $10^{-4}$, $5{\times}10^{-4}$ and $10^{-3}\;g/ml$ respectively. 2. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4$ and $10^{-3}\;g/ml$ produced the blockade effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with serotonin $10^{-7}$ and $10^{-4}\;g/ml$, as well as with methysergide $10^{-6}$ and $10^{-5}\;g/ml$. 3. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4}\;g/ml$ produced no effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with acetylcholine $10^{-7}\;g/ml$. 4. Administration of LX $5{\times}10^{-4}\;g/ml$ produced the blockade effect on the cardiac motility pretreated with barium chloride $10^{-4}\;g/ml$, as well as with prostaglandin $20\;{\mu}g$. Consequently, it is concluded that the alcohol extract of Lampranthus spectabilis has an effect of depression on the motility of the isolated heart of clam. Its mechanism of action might be due to a direct action on the heart.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.109-117
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• 1999

Thirty two species of coastal plants (mainly halophytes) were investigated for their free amino acids and the total and water-soluble nitrogen contents in leaves. All plants except some species (e.g. Scutellaria and Linaria) contained proline, but only Ageratum. Tetragonia and Raphanus in rather high amounts, that it can be thought to serve as a cytoplasmic osmolyte. In some plant species (Euphorbia. Glehnia. Peucedanum. Raphanus and monocotyledonous Carex and Zoysia), however, hydroxyproline. (OH-Pro) rather than proline were accumulated to a considerable extent. The concentrations of total free amino acids were low in Aster tripolium, Linaria. Lysimachia. Plantago. Rumex, Vitex and especially in the members of the Chenopodiaceae and Crassulaceae. Marked differences also occurred in the nitrogen levels. Aizoaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cruciferae, Euphorbiaceae and Leguminosae usually showed high values of total and soluble amino nitrogen, while the opposite was true for most of the Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Lamiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Scophuriaceae, and Verbenaceae. The free amino acids in the investigated plant species contributed very little to the nitrogen content, but in plants of Euphorbia, Messerschmidia and Orostachys. their amino acid-N made up for 25∼30% of the total nitrogen. In conclusion, only a few cases did proline known as compatible solute constitute a significant proportion of the free amino acid pool in coastal plants.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.1012-1017
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• 2017

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (Family: Aizoaceae) is an annual plant consisting of ice crystal-shaped bladder cells, which is responsible for its common name ice plant. This study investigated biological activities according to general components and extraction solvent in order to examine the functionality of ice plant. The total content of free amino acids was 32.57 mg/g, including 4.64 mg/g of L-alanine as the most abundant and 2.60 mg/g of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid. Regarding angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory activities of solvent fractions of ice plant, ethyl acetate fraction and chloroform fraction showed activities of $33.17{\pm}3.20{\sim}88.19{\pm}3.20%$ and $23.72{\pm}2.89{\sim}86.78{\pm}2.24%$, respectively, similar to $Captopril^{(R)}$ ($19.51{\pm}3.44{\sim}84.72{\pm}1.06%$) and $Enalapril^{(R)}$ ($24.93{\pm}1.12{\sim}91.32{\pm}3.62%$) as positive control groups. Regarding inhibition of lipid droplet production in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by ice plant, anti-adipogenic activities were $53.00{\pm}0.45{\sim}65.75{\pm}0.31%$ and $44.16{\pm}0.29{\sim}63.32{\pm}0.36%$ in the ethyl acetate fraction and butanol fraction, respectively, showing the lowest lipid droplet production. The chloroform fraction and hexane fraction showed activities of $38.33{\pm}0.09{\sim}56.55{\pm}0.50%$ and $31.17{\pm}0.50{\sim}55.10{\pm}1.93%$, respectively, whereas the water fraction showed activity of $26.32{\pm}2.27{\sim}49.48{\pm}0.05%$. Therefore, all solvent fractions inhibited fat accumulation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes according to treatment concentration. According to the results above, it would be possible to utilize ice plant as a new health functional material.