• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.371-379
• /
• 2011

To determine the peak dispersal times of allergenic pollen grains in Ulsan, Korea, we performed continuous airborne pollen counts at three stations (Sts. A, B, and C) in Ulsan from August 2009 to November 2010. Pollen grains were sampled using a Durham sampler. Two peak pollen dispersal seasons were observed per year. The peak seasons generally coincided with the flowering period of anemophilous trees: Taxodiaceae (February), Alnus (March), Cupressaceae (April), Quercus, and Pinus (May), and with the flowering phase of herbs from August to November, e.g., Humulus, Artemisia, Gramineae, and Ambrosia from August through September. The highest concentration of airborne pollen was from Pinus (68%), followed by Quercus (15%), Alnus (6%), and Humulus (2%); whereas very low pollen concentrations were from Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae, Artemisia, Gramineae, and Ambrosia (${\leq}$ 1% of the annual total airborne pollen concentration). Our findings indicate that Alnus and Humulus pollen are major allergens whereas those of Pinus and Quercus are minor allergens. The concentration of Alnus pollen grains at St. C was over five times that at Sts. A and B. This finding implies that individuals living at or near St. C are exposed to high concentrations of Alnus pollen before and after March, which is the flowering period of the alder tree. From August to September, individuals living at or near St. B are exposed to high concentrations of Humulus pollen. Our study suggests that Alnus pollen may be the major aeroallergen causing pollinosis in the spring at St. C and Humulus pollen may be the major aeroallergen in autumn at St. B.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.88 no.2
• /
• pp.221-228
• /
• 1999

This study measured the seasonal changes in physiological characteristics and antioxidants of Alnus firma to compare several enzyme activities(Rubisco, Superoxide dismutase(SOD) and Glutathione Reductase(GR)) between resistant and sensitive Alnus firma trees. Resistant and sensitive Alnus firma individuals near Yochon industrial complex were selected to conduct this study in 1997. Photosynthetic capacity, stomatal conductance, transpiration, Rubisco, SOD and GR activities of resistant trees which had no visible damages to air pollution were higher than those of sensitive trees in same area. All physiological results supported that biochemical process to be one of the important key features to understand resistance to air pollution. Increases of photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity in resistant trees in response to air pollution were the results of biological compensation to stress.

• Proceedings of the Botanical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2001.04a
• /
• pp.16-16
• /
• 2001

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.77 no.2
• /
• pp.229-234
• /
• 1988

To evaluate potential of VA mycorrhizal fungi for promoting growth of nitrogen-fixing trees and efficiency of fungal inoculation in relation to soil fertility and dual inoculation with bacteria, Alnus firma was grown for six months in pots with steam-sterilized soil after inoculation with Glomus mosseae, and Robinia pseudoacacia was grown in the fumigated field after inoculation with native Glomus sp. and Gigaspora sp. In unfertilized Alnus plants, 27% increase in dry weight(or 18% in height) was observed by Glomus inoculation, while plants inoculated with both VA mycorrhiza and actinomycete(crushed nodule inoculum) showed synergistic effect of 83% dry weight increase over uninoculated plants. In fertilized Alnus plants, mycorrhizal inoculation alone or dual inoculation with actinomycete resulted in depression of height and dry weight of plants. In case of Robinia, dual inoculation stimulated height growth by 23% (or dry weight by 25%) over the control in unfertilized field, while 13% more height growth(or 21% more dry weight) was observed in fertilized field. It is concluded that VA mycorrhizae, especially Glomus mosseae, have a potential for growth enhancement in Alnus, that synergistic effect of dual inoculation(mycorrhiza + actinomycete) exists in both Alnus and Robinia, and that responses of these plants to VA mycorrhiza are more pronounced in unfertilized soil.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.231-238
• /
• 2019

This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of the extract and fractions of Alnus firma. Alnus firma had the highest total phenolic content ($452.80{\pm}7.01{\mu}g$ gallic acid equivalents/mg) in a methanol (MeOH) fraction and the highest total flavonoid content ($112.29{\pm}11.14{\mu}g$ rutin equivalents/mg) and antioxidant capacity ($936.23{\pm}0.07{\mu}g$ ${\alpha}$-tocopherol equivalents/mg) in an ethylacetate (EA) fraction. The antioxidant activities of various solvent extract fractions of Alnus firma were evaluated using various antioxidant assays, including ${\beta}$-carotene-linoleate assay, reducing power assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, metal chelating activity assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay using the ferric thiocyanate method. These activities were compared with those of ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), gallic acid (GA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. First, at a $250{\mu}g/ml$ concentration, the EA and MeOH fractions of A. firma showed 92.43% and 89.20% DPPH radical scavenging activity, respectively. Second, $50{\mu}g/ml$ of the EA fraction exhibited 72.49% superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, a little greater than the same dose of GA (60.88%). Finally, 0.5 and 1 mg/ml of the EA fraction showed 73.45% and 73.29% inhibition of peroxidation in the ${\beta}$-carotene-linoleic acid system, respectively. The decreasing order of reducing power was EA fraction > n-butanol (BuOH) fraction > dichloromethane (DCM) fraction > n-hexane (HX) fraction. The results obtained in the present study indicated that Alnus firma can be used as an easily accessible potential source of natural antioxidants.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2000

Chemical investigation of the stem bark of Alnus hirsuta Turcz var. sibirica (Betulaceae), one of the indigenous Alnus species growing in Korea has led to the isolation of five diarylheptanoids. Structures of these compounds were identified as hirsutenone (1), hirsutanonol (2), oregonin (3), (5S)-1,$7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptan-3-one-5-0-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (4) and (5R)-1,$7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-heptane-5-0-{\beta}-D-glucopyranoside$ (5) by the analysis of spectroscopic evidences and comparison with the data of authentic samples.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.302-309
• /
• 2001

The effects of water stress on the development of Alpova dipiophloeus ectomycorrhizas and on the growth of nodulated Alnus rubra Bong seedlings were investigated. Five-day cyclic water stress significantly decreased the ectomycorrhizal development and the seedling growth. However, A. diplophloeus inoculated seedlings did not significantly differ from the non-inoculated seedlings in the growth and physiological activities under both well watered and water stressed conditions. $N_2$-fixation was less sensitive than $CO_2$ fixation to water stress. We conclude that under water stress conditions A. diplophloeus mycorrhizas do not contribute to the fitness of red alder seedlings.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.171-175
• /
• 2006

Alnus japonica Steud (Betulaceae) has long been used as a Korean traditional medicine for gastric disorders, hepatitis, and fatty liver. As a part of our study on the identification of secondary metabolites of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, we isolated 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,5-heptanediol(1), 5-hydroxy-1,7bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-heptanone(2), 5,3'-dihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone(3) and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxyflavone(4) from the dichloromethane and ethylacetate-soluble fractions of Alnus japonica Steud. These compounds showed significant antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The $IC_{50}$ values of compounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 were 30.1, 37.4, 20.2 and 13.7 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively, through the scavenging capacity of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical assay.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.50 no.3
• /
• pp.165-174
• /
• 2019

Oregonin is known as a representative active substance of plants of the Alnus species. In this study, we will show the results of establishing a method for extracting trace amounts of useful substances in plants. Additionally, a variety of physiological activity studies were conducted with extracts containing high content of useful substances. In this study, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities of supercritical fluid residue 60% EtOH extracts of Alnus sibirica (ASCFR) were investigated in vitro. To explore anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics of supercritical extract, DPPH radical scavenging, and ABTS radical scavenging activity, inhibition of nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release in IgE-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells were examined, respectively. Results showed a concentration-dependent increase in DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity. Cells stimulated with LPS produced more nitric oxide than normal control cells. However, cells treated with supercritical fluid residue 60% EtOH extract decreased production in a concentration-dependent manner. In anti-allergic activity studies, ASCFR showed concentration-dependentanti-allergic activity. Based on results and strong antioxidant activity, ASCFR has potential as basic research materials for development of therapeutic supplements-based medicines or functional cosmetics related to chronic inflammatory skin immunity diseases.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.198-206
• /
• 2023

The effectiveness of the extracts of Alnus japonica and Portulaca oleracea, which are effective in improving alcohol-induced liver damage, was confirmed using acute and chronic alcoholic liver injury animal models. In the acute alcoholic liver injury model, dieting Alnus japonica and Portulaca oleracea complex (ALPOC) at a dose of 50 mg/kg showed no significant change in liver or body weight, while measured plasma ALT activity to be deficient (28.12 U/ml) compared to the alcohol intake group (42.5 U/ml), and confirmed that restored it to an average level. It showed an improvement of 34.9% compared to the alcohol intake group. AST activity confirmed that it showed a very effective liver protection activity by showing a gain of 12.6%. The chronic alcoholic liver damage animal model demonstrated that ALT showed an improvement effect of 25%, and AST showed an effect similar to that of the positive control group, Hovenia extract. In addition, through H&E staining analysis, observed that the ALPOC improved the necrosis and bleeding of the liver. And the ALPOC group showed intense antioxidant activity of 127% or more compared to the alcohol intake group, and this was confirmed to have a very high activity, which is more than 20% higher than that of the hovenia fruit extract.