• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.43-51
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• 2006

Generally abandoned mine soils have serious problems for introducing vegetation such as nutrient deficiency, poor physical properties, and phytotoxicity due to high levels of heavy metals. It is required to improve soil amenity for revegetation. One of its strategies is using organic materials such as compost manure and sludge. The pot experiments was conducted to evaluate the effects of pig manure and municipal sewage sludge on revegetation of mining area soil surface with Artemisia princeps and Zoysia japonica. Application rate of pig manure and municipal sewage sludge was $75{\sim}225$ Mg/ha and $150{\sim}450$ Mg/ha, respectively. The results showed that the application of manure and sludge increased organic matter about two-fold and total nitrogen contents about five-fold of mine soil and improved the growth of plants in all treatments compared to the control. The result of plant tissue analysis showed that both plants accumulate Cd, Cu and Zn in root tissue rather than shoot tissues. Increased sludge application reduced Zn accumulation in both plant tissue. Sequential extraction results indicated that addition of soil amendment induced increment of organically bound fractions of Cu and Zn. Organically bound fraction of Zn was significantly increased from 7.84% to 13.58% in Artemisia princeps planted soil and from 7.84% to 14.16% in Zoysia japonica planted soil, thereby bioavailability of heavy metals was reduced. The results suggested that application of organic materials to mine soil can reduce phytotoxicity of heavy metals and be helpful in introducing successful revegetation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.853-859
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• 2006

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of egg shell calcium salt types and egg shell membrane on calcium metabolism in rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats, 4 weeks of age, were fed on free-calcium diets for 2 weeks after adjustment period. Rats weighing approximately $247{\pm}2.3g$ were divided into 6 groups and were fed on the experimental diets containing 0.2% calcium for 4 weeks. Experimental groups were as follows; {ES(M+)} (egg shell powder diet with egg shell membrane), {ES(M-)} (egg shell powder diet without egg shell membrane), {AC(M+)} (egg shell calcium acetate diet with egg shell membrance), {AC(M-)} (egg shell calcium acetate diet without eg shell membrane), {GC(M+)} (egg shell calcium glucuronate diet with egg shell membrane) and {GC(M-)} (egg shell calcium glucuronate diet without egg shell membrane). Bone length of femur was significantly different by the types (p<0.05) of egg shell calcium salts. Bone mineral density of femur showed the highest level in AC(M-) group. Calcium content of femur and calcium absorption rate were higher in egg shell calcium salt groups than in eg shell powder groups. Calcium absorption rate and retention were significantly different (p<0.05) among the types of eg shell calcium salts and were higher in the AC(M-) group than in the other groups. Alkaline phosphatase activity, parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin levels of serum showed no significant difference among the experimental groups. From the above results, it is concluded that bioavailability of calcium is higher in groups of egg shell calcium salts compared to those in egg shell powder, even though egg shell membrane has no effect on calcium metabolism. Thus, these findings suggest the possibility of using egg shell calcium salts as a functional food material related to calcium metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2001

Enormous volumes of mining wastes from the abandoned and closed mines are disposed without a proper treatment in the upper Okdong River basin at Southeastern part of Kangwon Province. Erosion of these wastes contaminates soil, surface water, and sediments with heavy metals. Objectives of this research were to fractionate heavy metals in the mine tailing stored in the Sangdong Tungsten tailing dams and to assess the potential pollution index of each metal fraction. Tailing samples were collected from tailing dams at different depth and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. pH of tailings ranged from 7.3 to 7.9. Contents of total N and organic matter were in the ranges of 3.2~5.5%, and 1.3~9.1%, respectively. Heavy metals in the tailings were higher in the newly constructed tailing dam than those in the old dam. Total concentrations of metals in the tailings were in the orders of Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd, exceeded the corrective action level of the Soil Environment Conservation Law and higher than the natural abundance levels reported from uncontaminated soils. Relative distribution of heavy metal fractions was residual > organic > reducible > carbonate > adsorbed, reversing the degree of metal bioavailability. Mobile fractions of metals were relatively small compared to the total concentrations. Distribution of metals in the tailing dam profiles was metal specific. Concentrations of Cu at the surface of tailing dams were higher than those at the bottom. Pollution index (PI) values of each fraction of metals were ranged from 4.27 to 8.51 based on total concentrations. PI values of mobile fractions were lower than those of immobile fractions. Results on metal fractions and PI values of the tailing samples indicate that tailing samples were contaminated with heavy metals and had potential to cause a detrimental effects on soil and water environment in the lower part of the stream. A prompt countermeasure to prevent surface of tailings in the dams from water and wind erosions is urgently needed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.545-554
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• 2019

The phytochemical compounds of Pueraria, a medicinally important leguminous plant, include various isoflavones that have weak estrogenic activity and a potential role in preventing chronic disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and postmenopausal syndrome. However, the major isoflavones are derivatives of puerarin and occur mainly as unabsorbable and biologically inactive glycosides. The bioavailability of the glucosides can be increased by hydrolysis of the sugar moiety using ${\beta}$-glucosidase. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of a Pueraria extract after fermentation by Lactobacillus rhamnosus BHN-LAB 76. The L. rhamnosus BHN-LAB 76 strain was inoculated into Pueraria powder and fermented at $37^{\circ}C$ for 72 hr. The total polyphenol content of the Pueraria extract increased by about 134% and the total flavonoid content increased around 110% after fermentation with L. rhamnosus BHN-LAB 76 when compared to a non-fermented Pueraria extract. Superoxide dismutase-like activities, DPPH radical scavenging, and ABTS radical scavenging increased by approximately 213%, 190%, and 107%, respectively, in the fermented Pueraria extract compared to the non-fermented Pueraria extract. Fermentation of Pueraria extracts with L. rhamnosus BHN-LAB 76 is therefore possible and can effectively increase the antioxidant effects. These results can be applied to the development of improved foods and cosmetic materials.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.160-168
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• 2019

This study aimed to determine whether double-processed ginseng berry extract (PGBC) could improve learning and memory in an $A\hat{a}42$-induced Alzheimer's mouse model. Passive avoidance test (PAT) and Morris water-maze test (MWMT) were performed after mice were treated with PGBC, followed by acetylcholine (ACh) measurement and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) detection for brain damage. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression were analyzed using Ellman's and qPCR assays, respectively. Results demonstrated that PGBC contained a high amount of ginsenosides (Re, Rd, and Rg3), which are responsible for the clearance of $A{\hat{a}} 42$. They also helped to significantly improve PAT and MWMT performance in the $A{\hat{a}} 42-induced$ Alzheimer's mouse model when compared to the normal group. Interestingly, ACh and ChAT were remarkably upregulated and AChE activities were significantly inhibited, suggesting PGBC to be a palliative adjuvant for treating Alzheimer's disease. Altogether, PGBC was found to play a positive role in improving cognitive abilities. Thus, it could be a new alternative solution for alleviating Alzheimer's disease symptoms.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.408-419
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• 2023

Background: Ginsenoside compound K (CK), the main active metabolite in Panax ginseng, has shown good safety and bioavailability in clinical trials and exerts neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemic stroke. However, its potential role in the prevention of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of ginsenoside CK against cerebral I/R injury. Methods: We used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models, including oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion induced PC12 cell model and middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion induced rat model, to mimic I/R injury. Intracellular oxygen consumption and extracellular acidification rate were analyzed by Seahorse multifunctional energy metabolism system; ATP production was detected by luciferase method. The number and size of mitochondria were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and MitoTracker probe combined with confocal laser microscopy. The potential mechanisms of ginsenoside CK on mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy were evaluated by RNA interference, pharmacological antagonism combined with co-immunoprecipitation analysis and phenotypic analysis. Results: Ginsenoside CK pretreatment could attenuate mitochondrial translocation of DRP1, mitophagy, mitochondrial apoptosis, and neuronal bioenergy imbalance against cerebral I/R injury in both in vitro and in vivo models. Our data also confirmed that ginsenoside CK administration could reduce the binding affinity of Mul1 and Mfn2 to inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of Mfn2, thereby elevating the protein level of Mfn2 in cerebral I/R injury. Conclusion: These data provide evidence that ginsenoside CK may be a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury via Mul1/Mfn2 mediated mitochondrial dynamics and bioenergy.