• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.686-702
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• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Schisandrae Fructus, the fruit of Schisandra chinensis Baill., has traditionally been used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of various diseases, and has proven its various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of Schisandrae Fructus ethanol extract (SF) on inflammatory and oxidative stress in particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5)-treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. MATERIALS/METHODS: To investigate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of SF in PM2.5-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, the levels of pro-inflammatory mediator such as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of SF, the expression of genes involved in the generation of inflammatory factors was also investigated. We further evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy of SF against PM2.5 in the zebrafish model. RESULTS: The results indicated that SF treatment significantly inhibited the PM2.5-induced release of NO and PGE₂, which was associated with decreased inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. SF also attenuated the PM2.5-induced expression of IL-6 and IL-1β, reducing their extracellular secretion. Moreover, SF suppressed the PM2.5-mediated translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) from the cytosol into nuclei and the degradation of inhibitor IκB-α, indicating that SF exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, SF abolished PM2.5-induced generation of ROS, similar to the pretreatment of a ROS scavenger, but not by an inhibitor of NF-κB activity. Furthermore, SF showed strong protective effects against NO and ROS production in PM2.5-treated zebrafish larvae. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that SF exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects against PM2.5 through ROS-dependent down-regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, and that SF can be a potential functional substance to prevent PM2.5-mediated inflammatory and oxidative damage.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

Recently, Low impact development techniques, a form of nature-based solutions (NBS), were seen cost-efficient alternatives that can be utilized as alternatives for conventional stormwater management practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an infiltration trench (IT) and a small constructed wetland (SCW) in treating urban stormwater runoff. Long-term monitoring data were observed to assess the seasonal performance and cite the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the facilities. Analyses revealed that the IT has reduced performance during the summer season due to higher runoff volumes that exceeded the facility's storage volume capacity and caused the facility to overflow. On the other hand, the pollutant removal efficiency of the SCW was impacted by the winter season as a result of dormant biological activities. Sediment data also indicated that fine and medium sand particles mostly constituted the trapped sediments in the pretreatment and media zones. Sediments in SCW exhibited a lower COD and TN load due to the phytoremediation and microbiological degradation capabilities of the system. This study presented brief comparison LID facilities equipped with pre-treatment zones. The identified factors that can potentially affect the performance of the systems were also beneficial in establishing metrics on the utilization of similar types of nature-based stormwater management practices.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.404-413
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• 2023

In this research, we studied the development of a SUS304 microneedle array based on microfabrication technology and the applicability of Parylene-C thin film, a medical polymer material. First of all, four materials commonly used in the field of medical engineering (SUS304, Ti, PMMA, and PEEK) were selected and a 5 ㎛ Parylene-C thin film was deposited. The applicability of Parylene-C coating to each material was confirmed through SEM analysis, contact angle measurement, surface roughness(Ra) measurement, and adhesion test according to ASTM standards for each specimen. Parylene-C thin film was deposited based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and a 5 ㎛ Parylene-C deposition process was established through trial and error. Through characteristic experiments to confirm the applicability of Parylene-C, SUS304 material, which is the easiest to apply Parylene-C coating without pretreatment was selected to develop a microneedle array based on CNC micromachining technology. The CNC micromachining process was divided into a total of 5 steps, and a microneedle array consisting of 19 needles with an inner diameter of 200 ㎛, an outer diameter of 400 ㎛, and a height of 1.4 mm was designed and manufactured. Finally, a 5 ㎛ Parylene-C coated microneedle array was developed, which presented future research directions in the field of microneedle-based drug delivery systems.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1280-1286
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• 2006

Three different virgin activated carbons made of each coal(Calgon), coconut(Samchully) and wood(Picabiol) based activated carbon(AC) were tested for an adsorption performance of 1,4-dioxane in a continuous adsorption column. Breakthrough behavior was Investigated that the breakthrough points of coal, coconut and wood based AC were observed as 3600 bed volumn(BV), 1440 BV and 144 BV respectively. Adsorption capacity(X/M) of coal, coconut and wood based AC was observed. The reported results of adsorption capacity showed that coal based AC was highest(578.9 ${\mu}g/g$), coconut based AC was intermediate(142.3 ${\mu}g/g$) and wood based AC was lowest(7.4 ${\mu}g/g$) due to increasing specific surface area. Moreover, carbon usage rates(CURs) for coal, coconut and wood based AC had been shown as 0.48 g/day, 1.41 g/day and 6.9 g/day respectively. The constant characteristic of the system, k of coal based AC was found to be 91.5 and k of coconut based AC was found to be 17.9. Removal efficiencies of 1,4-dioxane with different ozonation dosages(2 and 5 mg/L) for 20 min ozonation had been shown 38% and 87% respectively. There was no observation for biological removal of 1.4-dioxane by attached micro-organisms when used(3.1 years and over 5 years) biological activated carbon(BAC) without pretreatment of oxidation were employed. When a combination of ozonation(2 mg/L and 5 mg/L) and BAC process for $10{\sim}30$ min was applied, removal efficiency for 1,4-dioxine increased only $2{\sim}6%$ compared to only applying ozonation. Therefore removal efficiency of BAC process prior to using oxidation was proven to negligible. Consequently, the results presented in this paper provide a better insight into the adsorption performance of 1,4-dioxane. This observation suggests that using virgin activated carbon made of coal is the best selection for removal of 1,4-dioxane in the water treatment for an advanced treatment. It is clear from this research that longer EBCT for ozonation or higher ozone concentration are more effective operation methods for removal of 1,4-dioxane than longer EBCT in the BAC process.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.368-373
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• 2008

In order to investigate the effects of low temperature pretreatment of floral bud and plant growth regulators on anther-derived callus and shoot differentiation, anthers were cultured on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D, NAA, BA and TDZ. This plant depends on the plant growth regulators, for these anthers couldn't respond on 1/2 MS medium without plant growth regulators. 2,4-D was a prerequisite substance in this experiment, especially 52.6% of callus formation on MS medium with 2.0mg/L 2,4-D alone. However, the optimum medium was on 1/2 MS medium with 0.1 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.0mg/L BA for continuous growth and shoot differentiation from the anther. Calli derived from on MS medium with 2.0mg/L 2,4-D transferred to the 1/2MS medium with TDZ and BA. TDZ were less superior to BA, only one anther could produce shoot on MS media with 1.0mg/L TDZ. On the other hand, when the calli transferred to the medium with 3.0mg/L BA, adventitious shoots were proliferated, subsequently, regenerated shoots elongated from the embryogenic calli. After floral buds of one week before anthesis were incubated at $5^{\circ}C$ refrigerator for eight or fifteen days, anthers seperated from floral buds were cultured on 1/2MS medium supplemented with 0.1mg/L 2,4-D and 1.0mg/L BA. Callusing and shoot differentiation on anthers from treated at $5^{\circ}C$ for eight days were more effective than those of fifteen days or control.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.186-191
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• 2006

In the present study, an attempt has been made to produce hybrid yeast strains of different useful and dominant characteristics. The hybrid yeast strains were produced by electrofusion and their genetic analysis were performed by RAPD-PCR (random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction). The protoplast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCTC 7904 and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii KCTC 7966 were obtained above 92% when treated with lyticase at $30^{\circ}C$ for $60{\sim}90$ min after the pretreatment of $1{\sim}2%$ 2-mercaptoethanol at $30^{\circ}C$ for $15{\sim}20$ min. The fusant was produced from paired protoplast stage under the electric pulse at high frequency conditions (1.5 MHz/50 pV, 615 $V/256\;{\mu}sec$) within glass-platinum made electrofusion chamber. Changes in RAPD patterns in mother cells and hybrid cells proved that the fusant contains two types of yeast gene originated from its parent. Furthermore, fermentation characters exhibits by the fusant cell confirmed its genetic changes. These results suggest that genetically stable hybrid yeast strains of economic importance can be produced by electrofusion technique and these electrofused yeast cells have an enormous impact in biotechnology and biomedicine.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.10
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• pp.1-13
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• 1968

Phytin is a salt(mainly calcium and magnesium) of phytic acid and its purity and molecular formula can be determined by assaying the contents of phosporus, calcium and magnesium in phytin. In order to devise a new method for the quantitative analysis of the three elements in phytin, the chelatometric method was developed as follows: 1) As the pretreatment for phytin analysis, it was ashfied st $550{\sim}600^{\circ}C$ in the presence of concentrated nitric acid. This dry process is more accurate than the wet process. 2) Phosphorus, calcium and megnesium were analyzed by the conventional and the new method described here, for the phytin sample decomposed by the dry process. The ashfied phytin solution in hydrochloric acid was partitioned into cation and anion fractions by means of a ration exchange resin. A portion of the ration fraction was adjusted to pH 7.0, followed by readjustment to pH 10 and titrated with standard EDTA solution using the BT [Eriochrome black T] indicator to obtain the combined value of calcium and magnesium. Another portion of the ration fraction was made to pH 7.0, and a small volume of standard EDTA solution was added to it. pH was adjusted to $12{\sim}13$ with 8 N KOH and it was titrate by a standard EDTA solution in the presence of N-N[2-Hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxy-4-sulfo-1-naphytate)-3-naphthoic acid] diluted powder indicator in order to obtain the calcium content. Magnesium content was calculated from the difference between the two values. From the anion fraction the magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitate was obtained. The precipitate was dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and a standard EDTA solution was added to it. The solution was adjusted to pH 7.0 and then readjusted to pH 10.0 by a buffer solution and titrated with a standard magnesium sulfate solution in the presence of BT indicator to obtain the phosphorus content. The analytical data for phosphorus, calcium and magnesium were 98.9%, 97.1% and 99.1% respectively, in reference to the theoretical values for the formula $C_6H_6O_{24}P_6Mg_4CaNa_2{\cdot}5H_2O$. Statical analysis indicated a good coincidence of the theoretical and experimental values. On the other hand, the observed values for the three elements by the conventional method were 92.4%, 86.8% and 93.8%, respectively, revealing a remarkable difference from the theoretical. 3) When sodium phytate was admixed with starch and subjected to the analysis of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium by the chelatometric method, their recovery was almost 100% 4) In order to confirm the accuracy of this method, phytic acid was reacted with calcium chloride and magnesium chloride in the molar ratio of phytic: calcium chloride: magnesium chloride=1 : 5 : 20 to obtain sodium phytate containing one calcium atom and four magnesium atoms per molecule of sodium phytate. The analytical data for phosporus, calcium and magnesium were coincident with those as determine d by the aforementioned method. The new method employing the dry process, ion exchange resin and chelatometric assay of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium is considered accurate and rapid for the determination of phytin.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1048-1055
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• 2018

In the current study, comparisons of Oenothera Biennis seed extracts with water, ethanol, methanol, and 70% ethanol in their total polyphenolics contents, anti-oxidant, anti-neurotoxicity, anti-cancer, and immune-modulatory activities were investigated. Compared with other extracts, those concentrations of total phenolics and flavonoids were the highest in MeOH extract (31.90 mg GAE/g and 20.66 mg QE/g). The radical scavenging and reducing power activities were dose-dependently increased by treatment of O. Biennis seed water, EtOH, MeOH, and 70% EtOH extracts. Furthermore, pretreatment of water, EtOH, and MeOH extracts significantly reduced glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in HT22 hipocampal neuron cells. In the case of cancer cells, MeOH extracts showed lower $IC_{50}$ values in HepG2 ($74.21{\mu}g/ml$), A549 ($188.24{\mu}g/ml$), MCF-7 ($186.42{\mu}g/ml$), and B16 ($101.80{\mu}g/ml$) than other extracts, where those water ($101.96{\mu}g/ml$) and EtOH ($788.39{\mu}g/ml$) extracts showed the lowest $IC_{50}$ activity in HT-29 and PC-3 cells, respectively. O. Biennis seed extracts did not show any cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 macrophages at the concentration of $1-10{\mu}g/ml$, whereas 70% EtOH extract dose-dependently enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells. Overall, we evaluated that various bioactive potentials of O. Biennis seed extracts which would relate with phenolic compounds abundance, thus these can be useful to future developments as functional food ingredients and natural medicines.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.36 no.2 s.115
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• pp.145-152
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to evaluate electroless plating as a method of increasing the diameter of an orthodontic wire in comparison with eletroplating. After pretreatment plating of the 0.016 inch stainless steel orthodontic wire, electroless plating was performed at $90^{\circ}C$ until the diameter of the wire was increased to 0.018 inch. During the process of electroless plating, the diameter of the wire was measured every 5 minutes to examine the increasing ratio of the wire's diameter per time unit. And to examine the uniformity, the diameter at 3 points on the electroless-plated orthodontic wire was measured. An X-ray diffraction test for analyzing the nature of the plated metal and a 3-point bending test for analyzing the physical property were performed. The electroless-plated wire group showed a increased tendency for stiffness, yield strength, and ultimate strength than the electroplated wire group. And there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups for stiffness and ultimate strength. In the electroless-plated wire group, the increasing ratio of the diameter was $0.00461{\pm}0.00003mm/5min$ (0.00092 mm/min). In the electroplated wire group, it was $0.00821{\pm}0.00015mm/min$. The results of the uniformity test showed a tendency for uniformity in both the plating methods. The results of this study suggest that electroless plating of the wire is closer to the ready-made wire than electroplating wire in terms of the physical property. However, the length of plating time needs further consideration for the clinical application of electroless plating.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.382-395
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• 1992

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in central nervous system and produce sedative, antianxiety and muscle reaxing effects via $GABA_A$ receptor or $GABA_B$ receptor. Recently it is known that GABA is widely distributed throughout peripheral organs and may playa physiological role in certain organ. The vas deferens is innervated by species-difference. These study, therefore, was performed to investigate the mode and the mechanism of action of GABA on the norepiniphrine-, ATP- and electric stimulation-induced contraction of vas deferens of rat. Sprague-Dawley rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The smooth muscle strips were isolated from the prostastic portion and were mounted in the isolated muscle bath. PSS in the bath was aerated with 95/5%-$O_2/CO_2$ at $33^{\circ}C$. Muscle tensions were measured by isometric tension transducer and were recorded by biological recording system. 1. GABA, muscimol, a $GAB_A$ agonist, and baclofen, a $GABA_B$ agonist inhibited the electric field stimulation(EFS, 0.2Hz, 1mSec, 80 V, monophasic square wave)-induced contraction with a rank order of potency of GABA greater than baclofen greater than muscimol. 2. The inhibitory effect of GABA was antagonized by delta aminovaleric acid(DAVA), a $GABA_B$ antagonist, but not by bicuculline, a $GABA_A$ mtagonist. 3. The inhibitory effect of baclofen was antagonized by DAVA, but the effect of muscimol was not antagonized by bicuculline. 4. Exogenous norepinephrine(NE) and ATP contracted muscle strip concentration dependently, but the effect of acetylcholine was negligible : and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractions. 5. GABA, baclofen and muscimol did not affect basal tone, and GABA did not affect the NE-and ATP-induced contractionsm 6. EFS-induced contraction was including 2 distinctable components. The first phasic component was inhibited by beta gamma-methylene ATP(mATP), a desensitizing agent of APT receptor and the second tonic component was reduced by pretreatment of reserpine(3 mg/Kg, IP). 7. GABA inhibited the EFS-induced contraction of reserpinized strips, but not the mATP-treated strips. These results suggest that in the prostatic portion of the rat vas deferens, adrenergic and purinergic neurotransmissions are exist, and GABA inhibits the release of ATP via presynaptic $GABA_B$ receptor on the excitatory neurons.