• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2021

Belamcandae Rhizoma (BR), the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., possesses various biological properties such as anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity and antimutagenic activity. However, there have been no studies on the anti-amnesic effect of BR. In this study, we assessed the improvement effect of BR extract on scopolamine-induced amnesia in mice. ICR mice were administrated with BR (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and were subsequently injected of scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 min before behavioral tasks (Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tasks). To further assess the possible mechanisms of BR, the ex vivo acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was also evaluated. BR could ameliorate scopolamine-induced memory impairment and could regulate the cholinergic function by inhibiting the AChE activity. These data demonstrated that BR exert candidate extract against amnesia by restoring the cholinergic activity.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 1997

The effects of plant growth regulators on callus formation and organogenesis in shoot tip explant of Belancanda chinensis were examined. Shoot tip explants cultured in full salt strength of MT(Murashige and Tucker) medium containing 2,4-D 1.0 or 2.0mg/l were vigorously formed callus. Full salt strength of MT medium and 1/2 MT medium supplemented with zeatin 1.0mg/l were more effective than that with combination treatments of 2,4-D on the formation of shoots from calli. When shoots regenerated from shoot tips were transplanted into 1/2 MT medium added with 1.0mg/l, 41% of shoots formed roots.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.772-781
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytoprotective effects of 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of the 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction were 621.5 and $253.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Total antioxidant capacities ($OSC_{50}$) of the extract and fraction were 13.6 and $3.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ethyl acetate fraction for Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were 156, $1,250{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, indicating similar or higher levels of those of using methyl paraben. Cytoprotective effects of the 50% ethanol extract against $^1O_2$-induced cellular damage (${\tau}_{50}$) showed in a dose dependent manner at 4 to $64{\mu}g/mL$. ${\tau}_{50}$ of the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction and (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol at $16{\mu}g/mL$ were 36.4, 45.0 and 45.8 min respectively, and the ethyl acetate fraction showed cytoprotective effects similar to (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. In ultraviolet B radiation-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) up to 45.9% at $8{\mu}g/mL$. Also in $H_2O_2$-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction significantly increased the cell viability at $0.5{\sim}8.0{\mu}g/mL$. As a result of chemical analyses of the ethyl acetate fraction, the presence of flavonoids and polyphenol such as irisflorentin, irigenin, tectorigenin, resveratrol, iridin and tectoridin were identified. In conclusion, the extract/fraction from rhizomes of B. chinensis can be applied as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial material to cosmetics.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.383-396
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• 2002

RAPD analyses were compared for 17 taxa of Korean Iris including the subgenus Sisyrinchium and Belamcanda. Eighty scorable RAPD markers were formed from the PCR reactions using 10 random oligoprimers. In this systematic analyses which used neighbor-joining methods including bootstrapping analyses with genetic coefficients, the Korean Iris were divided into three subgenera (Limniris, Crossiris, Pardanthopsis), or two genera (Limniris, Pardanthopsis). The molecular data agree with the previous classification system that recognized two sections and six series for the subgenus Limniris because the subgenus is comprised of four clades in the RAPD analyses. According to the molecula data, the series Chinensis should be divided into two groups. The minutoaurea group is composed of I. koreana, I. odaesanensis, and I. minitoaurea, while the rossi group is comprised of two varieties of I. rossi. The series Tripetalae is closely allied with the series Sibiricae, whereas the series Ensatae is recognized as a sister group to the series Ruthencae. The molecular phylogeny, which was based on RAPD analysis, for the most part agreed with the data proposed by previous authors. This is because the basis of morphological and ITS sequence data suggests that the RAPD markers should be very useful in addressing phylogenetic questions about the genus Iris.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.105-131
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• 2015

This study was carried out to investigate the flora of Gyodongdo island (Ganghwa-gun). The vascular plants from 11 field surveys were revealed to belong to a total of 629 taxa; 118 families, 364 genera, 561 species, 5 subspecies, 53 varieties, 7 forms and 3 hybrids. 184 taxa were the first records from this region. The plants in Gyodongdo island are composed of the deciduous broad-leaved and conifer-mixed forests which are the common ones in the middle part of the Korean Peninsula. Five taxa of Korean endemic plants such as Clematis brachyura Maxim., Viola seoulensis Nakai, Populus ${\times}$ tomentiglandulosa T. B. Lee, Forsythia koreana (Rehder) Nakai and Hemerocallis hakuunensis Nakai were collected. Endangered wild plants designated by the law called 'Protection Law for Endangered wild fauna and flora' were one taxon. The red list plants according to IUCN valuation basis were examined for 13 taxa; endangered (EN) species of Prunus yedoensis Matsum., Vulnerable (VU) species of both Utricularia pilosa (Makino) Makino and Iris ruthenica var. nana Maxim., Near Threatened (NT) species of Senecio argunensis Turcz., Least Concern (LC) species of Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, Potentilla discolor Bunge, Limnophila sessiliflora (Vahl) Blume, Acorus calamus L., Phacelurus latifolius (Steud.) Ohwi, Pseudoraphis ukishiba Ohwi, Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., and Not Evaluate (NE) species of both Astragalus sikokianus Nakai and Potamogeton oxyphyllus Miq. The floristic regional indicator plants found in this area were a total of 47 taxa comprising three taxa of grade V, four taxa of grade IV, nine taxa of grade III, 10 taxa of grade II, and 21 taxa of grade I. The naturalized plants were identified as 62 taxa and the percentage of naturalized index (NI) was 9.9 % and the percentage of urbanization index (UI) was 19.3 %, respectively. Furthermore, hemicryptophytes (28 %), therophytes (26 %), hydrophytes (13 %) and geophyte (12 %) showed high proportional ratio in life form spectrum.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2017

Southwest Primorye is located in the southern most part of the Russian Far East. The flora of this area is one of the most thoroughly studied and contains 1,530 species of vascular plants, belonging to 622 genera and 154 families, representing 55.6% of the flora of the Primorsky Territory. The flora native to Southwest Primorye encompasses 1,356 species from 547 genera and 148 families. Adventitious plants are represented by 174 species from 127 genera and 37 families. Among other areas of the Russian Far East, only Southwest Primorye has flora in common with the Korean Peninsula, which contains plant species in the subtropical and tropical latitudes: Mitrasacme indica Wight, Halosciastrum melanotilingia [Boissieu] M. Pimen. et V. Tichomirov, Streptolirion volubile Edgew., Lipocarpha microcephala [R. Br.] Kunth, Pueraria lobata [Willd.] Ohwi, Belamcanda chinensis [L.] DC., Zoysia japonica Steud., Deinostema violacea [Maxim.] Yamazaki and Parthenocissus tricuspidata [Siebold et Zucc.] Planch. Most of the flora is represented by the species restricted to Southwest Primorye (seven endemic species) or the Korean Peninsula (seven hemiendemic species). A total of 50.2% of the 10 largest families are nemoral (preboreal) floras, located in the transitional zone of the boreal and nemoral floras. In terms of the structure of the ranked taxonomic spectrum of the largest families, the flora of Southwest Primorye is more similar to that of Northeast China with influence of the Korean flora.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1384-1392
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• 2015

Sagantang (SGT), a Korean multiherb formula comprising six medicinal herbs, Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Poria cocos Wolf, Cimicifuga heracleifolia Komarov, and Artractylodes japonica Koidzumi, was recorded in “Dongeuibogam.” The present study investigated the anticancer potential of SGT in AGS human gastric carcinoma cells. The results indicated that SGT treatment significantly inhibited the growth and viability of AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, in addition to chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation, and the accumulation of annexin-V positive cells. The induction of apoptotic cell death by the SGT treatment was associated with up-regulation of Fas protein expression, truncation of Bid, and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. The SGT treatment also effectively induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, which was associated with the activation of caspases (caspase-3, -8, and -9) and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. However, a pan-caspase inhibitor significantly blocked the SGT-induced apoptosis and growth suppression in AGS cells. This study suggests that SGT induces caspase-dependent apoptosis through an extrinsic pathway by upregulating Fas, as well as through an intrinsic pathway by modulating Bcl-2 family members in AGS cells. The results suggest that SGT may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human gastric cancer cells. However, further studies will be needed to confirm the potential of SGT in cancer prevention and therapy in an in vivo model and to identify biological active compounds of SGT.