• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.226-231
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• 2003

Reactive oxygen species damage biomolecules such as lipids, proteins, sugars and DNA, which can not only lead to various disease but also oxidative damage resulting aging. In order to search for antioxidants from plants, the antioxidant effects of the MeOH extracts from 182 plants were evaluated. The results showed that thirteen plant extracts exhibited antioxidant activity (>80%) in DPPH radical assay, seven plant extracts demonstrated antioxidant activity (>40%) in the hydroxyl radical assay and eighteen plant extracts were active (>80%) in the lipid peroxidation assay. In particular, the extracts of Distylium racemosum (Hamamelidaceae), Astilbe koreana (Saxifragaceae), Astilbe chinensis and Euphorbia supina (Euphorbiaceae) were identified as potent principles of antioxidant activity in all the assay systems.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.73-90
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• 1983

The analysis in external morphology of Astilbe including three endemic species in Korea was undertaken. From this study, five species and three varieties of Astilbe in Korea were redescribed. Their scientific names and Korean names were also consulted. Korean Astilbe could be grouped in two Series-Series 1. Simplicifoliae; Astilbe simplicifoliae and Series 2. compositae; A. taquetii, A. microphylla, A. chiensis var. chinensis, A. chinensis var. paniculata, A. chinensis var. davidii, A. divaricata, A. koreana. Interspecific relationships of eight taxa were represented as a toxonomic model by the considering their external morphology-pubescence on floral axis and surface of leafblade, inflorescence type, ratio of petal and stamen length-and distributional range in Korea and neighboring countries.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2009

Astilbe (Saxifragaceae) is a genus well known for its disjunctive distribution in Asia and eastern North America. In this study, we reconstructed a molecular phylogeny of the genus using the sequences of ITS regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA. A total of 17 species representing major lineage of Astilbe and closely related taxa were included in the phylogenetic analyses. We obtained a Bayesian phylogenetic tree in which Saxifragopsis was positioned as a sister group to Astilbe. The Japanese endemic species, A.platyphylla was the most basal lineage within the genus. This species is well known for its distinct morphological features such as unisexual flowers, apetaly, and calyx with 7-11 lobes. Two species, A. biternata, a New World representative of the genus, and A. rivularis widely distributed in S. Asia, branched off early in the evolution of Astilbe. The remaining species formed a strongly supported core clade, which diverged into two robust geographical lineages: the first ("Japonica" clade) of species distributed in Japan, Taiwan, and Philippines and the other ("Rubra" clade), of taxa in China and Korea. The ITS phylogeny indicates that the Bering land bridges were the major route for the origin and dispersal of A. biternata. The two Taiwanese taxa and A. philippinensis were found to derive from the Japanese member, as the genus advanced southwards. The ITS phylogeny suggests that apetaly originated independently at least two times within the genus. Our results do not support Engler's classification system of the genus based on the leaf type (simple vs. compound), but reaffirm Hara's taxonomic idea which primarily considered the features of calyx.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2016

Factors affecting germination of seeds in the forms of various environment and chemical compounds. The present study was aim to produced effective seed propagation method of Astilbe koreana (Kom.) Nakai which had expected high value for the cut flower, ornamental and pharmaceutical material. Seed width and length ranged 0.62, 2.22 ㎜, respectively, and weight of thousand seeds was 40.5 ㎎. As result of imbibition test, showed moisture content of fresh seed (2.57%) increased rapidly by water-soaking treatment under 24 hours, recording to maximum value of 29.8%, and expansion of the seed coat was observed. Seed germination was the best at 15℃ and light conditions (40.8%) among temperature and light conditions treated. Percent germination of seeds was improved under the low (15, 20℃) than high temperature (25, 30℃). In addition, the seed was not germinated at dark condition regardless of temperature. Seeds of A. koreana thus seemed that it had low temperature germinability conditions. To improve germination rate, seeds were submerged in various concentrations of growth regulators such as GA₃ and kinetin, and minerals as KNO₃ and KCl. As a results, KNO₃ treatment, regardless of concentrations, promoted germination compared to control. Especially, percent of germination (77.8%), germination energy (96.1%), mean germination time (11.3 days) and T₅₀ (6.5 days) were effectively improved by treatment of KNO₃ 20 mM.