• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.51-61
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• 2018

Transportation and storage technologies, which are key drivers for trade, has increased global trade of agricultural products about 165% from 1995 to 2015. Korea imports 76.2% of grain from major food exporters such as USA, Australia, Brazil, and China. The expected long shipping distances from these countries can seriously cause environmental impacts on various environmental categories such as climate change, particulate matter, and acidification. The goal of this study is to assess the environmental implications focused on greenhouse gases (GHGs) and particulate matters (PMs) emissions of imported grains (wheat, corn, and bean) using food miles analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA). The environmental impacts of imported crops are estimated by transportation modes using the national LCI database provided by Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI). The results of this study are as follows; (1) Imported wheat comes from USA (29%), AUS (27%), and URK (20%), corn is imported from USA (34%), BRA (29%), and URK (16%), and bean comes from BRA (57%), USA (40%), and CHN (2%); (2) the food miles of imported crops (wheat, corn, and bean) are 3.62E+10, 1.30E+11, and $2.20E+10ton{\cdot}km$, respectively; (3) the potential GHGs and PMs of wheat, corn, and bean are 5.02E+08, 1.67E+09, and 2.84E+08 kg $CO_2e$ and 5.89E+05, 1.83E+06, 3.07E+05 kg $PM_{10}e$, respectively. The outputs of this study could provide environmental impacts and carrying distances of imported agricultural products for preparing a plan to reduce environmental impacts.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.746-752
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• 2011

A composite microbial system (XDC-2) was used to pretreat and hydrolyze corn stalk to enhance anaerobic digestion. The results of pretreatment indicated that sCOD concentrations of hydrolysate were highest (8,233 mg/l) at the fifth day. XDC-2 efficiently degraded the corn stalk by nearly 45%, decreasing the cellulose content by 22.7% and the hemicellulose content by 74.1%. Total levels of volatile products peaked on the fifth day. The six major compounds present were ethanol (0.29 g/l), acetic acid (0.55 g/l), 1,2-ethanediol (0.49 g/l), propionic acid (0.15 g/l), butyric acid (0.22 g/l), and glycerine (2.48 g/l). The results of anaerobic digestion showed that corn stalks treated by XDC-2 produced 68.3% more total biogas and 87.9% more total methane than untreated controls. The technical digestion time for the treated corn stalks was 35.7% shorter than without treatment. The composite microbial system pretreatment could be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly microbial method for efficient biological conversion of corn stalk into bioenergy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1322-1330
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• 2016

This experiment was conducted to determine standardized ileal amino acid digestibility (SIAAD) of commonly used feed ingredients in poultry diets in Pakistan. These feed ingredients included corn, rice broken (RB), rice polishings (RP), wheat bran (WB), sunflower meal (SFM), cottonseed meal (CSM), guar meal (GM), soybean meal (SBM) from India and Argentine and fish meal (FM). The SIAAD of each ingredient was determined in triplicate using 21-days-old broilers. Day-old male broiler chicks (Hubbard${\times}$ Hubbard) were reared on corn-SBM based diet from 1 to 13 days and thereafter birds were fed experimental diets from day 14 to 21. Each diet was fed to 36 birds kept in six replicate cages, each cage had six birds. In cereals, the SIAAD of corn's amino acid (AA) (90.1%) was similar (p>0.05) to RB (89.0%). Isoleucine (97.8%) and lysine (96.9%) were highly digestible AA in corn and RB, respectively. Among cereal-by products, WB's SIAAD (76.9%) was same (p>0.05) as RP (71.9%). Arginine from WB (82.5%) and RP (83.2%) was highly digestible. However, threonine in WB (72.7%) and leucine in RP (69.6%) were the lowest digestible AAs. In plant protein meals, AAs from Argentine-SBM (85.1%) and Indian-SBM (83.4%) had higher (p<0.5) SIAAD than other protein meals. However, SIAAD of SFM (77.1%) and CSM (71.7%) was intermediate while GM (60.3%) exhibited the lowest (p<0.05) SIAAD among all ingredients. Arginine from GM (76.9%), CSM (85.8%), SBM-India (89.5%) and SBM-Argentine (91.5%) was highly digestible from indispensable AAs. In SFM, methionine (91.4%) SIAAD was the greatest. The average SIAAD of FM was 77.6%. Alanine from FM had the highest (84.0%) but cysteine (62.8%) had the lowest SIAAD. In conclusion, cereals i.e. corn and RB had higher (p<0.05) SIAAD of the cereals by-products. The SIAAD of RP and WB was same (p>0.05). The SBM from plant protein meals had higher (p<0.05) SIAAD than other studied feed ingredients. However, the GM had the lowest (p<0.05) SIAAD among protein meals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.35-40
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• 2001

In order to evaluate the safety of agricultural products in Korea, we carried out work by screening of Fusarium species. which can produce deoxinivalenol(DON) from agricultural products in Western Gyeongnam, Korea. From 215 samples of soil agricultural products, 129 strains of Fusarium species were obtained. The production of DON was verified by thin layer chromatography(TLC) As the results of TLC, 25 strains were identified as DON producing strain. But only 10 strains were identified as DON producing strains by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The maximum DON producing strain No.41 was isolated from corn. In conclusion. the above results indicate that DON producing fungi contaminated agricultural products in Korea. Therefore further studies are required to accumulate more detailed data about the contamination of DON in various agricultural products.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.23-27
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• 1995

To extend the shelf lives of rice and corn products, the effects of the polyphosphates[$Na(PO_3)n$, n=11] on the growth of Penicillium griseofulvum and patulin production were investigated. The growth was completely inhibited in the potatoes dextrose agar medium treated with 2% polyphosphate. Moisture content had a considerable influence on the production of patulin. At 30% moisture content, the amounts of patulin produced in rice and corn were $61.40 \mu g/ml$ and $40.74 \mu g/ml$, respectively, but the level of the toxin was significantly decreased to 93~95% by addition of 1% polyphosphates. No patulin was detected in both rice and corn medium added 2% polyphosphate when the incubation time prolonged. The result of scanning electron microscopy was supposed that the biocidal action of polyphosphate on fungi was related to the collapse of cell wall structure.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.475-478
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• 1994

The hydrolyzability of chemically modified starches and ramen staches was determined by hog pancreatic ${\alpha}-amylase$ in vitro test. The extents of hydrolysis were 64.5% and 59.3% in native and acetylated potato starch, 70.5% and 60.4% in native and hydroxypropylated corn starch, and 65.2% and 57.3% in native and hydroxypropylated high amylose corn starch, respectively. The hydrolysis extents of waxy corn starch derivatives were shown in the descending order of pregelatinized (74.3%)>native (72.1%)>acetylated (66.5%)>acetyl distarch adiphate (56.4%)>hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (50.7%). In the test on starches of container and regular ramen cooked by practical way, no significant difference was observed between ramen products of five different makers. Although the hydrolysis rate and extent of chemically modified starches were lower than those of native starches, the digestibility of ramen seemed to be not affected in the common diet as the use level of modified starch was relatively low.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1201-1205
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• 2009

Corn starches with different amylose contents were enzymatically modified using Thermus aquaticus 4-$\alpha$-glucanotransferase ($TA{\alpha}GTase$). Upon the enzyme treatment, the chain-length distributions of isoamylolytically debranched products became broader [degree of polymerization (DP): 3-40] than those of untreated corn starches. In addition, a variety of cycloamyloses (CAs) with different sizes were formed by the glucanotransfer activity of $TA{\alpha}GTase$. CAs with DP 5-40 were detectable in all of the $TA{\alpha}GTase$-treated corn starches. From the results of high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography analyses, it was suggested that the amount of CAs produced by the enzyme treatment increased as the amylose content of the starches increased. Thus, we concluded that the extent of modification of starch molecules was enhanced in proportion to amylose content by the transfer activity of $TA{\alpha}GTase$. This finding could be useful for developing an efficient process of CA production using this enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2009

Individual immunochromatographic assays (ICG) for ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) were optimized and used in the development of a one-step simultaneous immunochromatographic assay (OS-ICG) for the rapid multianalysis of two mycotoxins in corn samples. The nitrocellulose membrane of the OS-ICG was treated with OTA-bovine serum albumin (BSA), ZEA-ovalbumin (OVA), and anti-mouse IgG in the OTA test, ZEA test, and control zones, respectively. Monoclonal antibody-gold conjugates (OTA3 MAb-gold and ZEA2C5 MAb-gold) were sprayed onto the conjugate pad. The visual detection limits were 2.5 and 5 ng/ml for OTA and ZEA, respectively, and the results were obtained within 15 min after starting the analysis. An efficient, simple, and rapid extraction method using 30% MeOH/PBS was established and validated by analyzing the corn samples spiked with OTA/ZEA mixtures (0/0, 5/10, 10/20, and $20/30\;{\mu}g/kg$). The cut-off values of the OS-ICG for the spiked corn were 5 and $10\;{\mu}g/kg$ for OTA and ZEA, respectively. Natural corn samples were analyzed by OS-ICG, direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DC-ELISA), and HPLC. Results of the OS-ICG were in good agreement with those obtained by DC-ELISA and HPLC. The developed OS-ICG offers a rapid, easy-to-use, and portable analytical system and can be used as a convenient qualitative tool for the on-site simultaneous determination of OTA and ZEA in cereals, food, and agricultural products in one analytical cycle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1761-1768
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• 2006

In this study, the comparative effects of transgenic corn (Mon 810 and Event 176) and isogenic corn (DK729) were investigated for their influence on in vitro rumen fermentation. This study consisted of three treatments with 0.25 g rice straw, 0.25 g of corn (Mon810/Event176/DK 729) mixed with 30 ml rumen fluid-basal medium in a serum bottle. They were prepared in oxygen free conditions and incubated at $39^{\circ}C$ in a shaking incubator. The influence of transgenic corn on the number of bacterial population, F. succinogenes (cellulolytic) and S. bovis (amylolytic), was quantified using RT-PCR. Fermentative parameters were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h and substrate digestibility was measured at 12 and 24 h. No significant differences were observed in digestibility of dry matter, NDF, ADF at 12 and 24 h for both transgenic and isogenic form of corns (p>0.05) as well as in fermentative parameters. Fluid pH remained unaffected by hybrid trait and decreased with VFA accumulation as incubation time progressed. No influence of corn trait itself was seen on concentration of total VFA, acetic, propionic, butyric and valeric acids. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) in total gas production, composition of gas (methane and hydrogen) at all times of sampling, as well as in NH3-N production. Bacterial quantification using RT-PCR showed that the population number was not affected by transgenic corn. From this study it is concluded that transgenic corn (Mon810 and Event 176) had no adverse effects on rumen fermentation and digestibility compared to isogenic corn. However, regular monitoring of these transgenic feeds is needed by present day researchers to enable consumers with the option to select their preferred food source for animal or human consumption.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2009

Benzo(a)pyrene[B(a)P] levels were determined in processed oils and by-products of corn oil, and removal protocol was formulated. The cause of high level B(a)P contents in corn oil was established. Corn germ had a B(a)P level more than 80% that of whole corn. B(a)P content in final deodorized corn oil was $2.15{\mu}g/kg$, after the usual refining process. B(a)P contents less than $2.0{\mu}g/kg$ could not be attained by routine refining process. However, deodorized corn oil, with B(a)P level of $0.09{\mu}g/kg$, could be prepared by treatment of oil with approximately 2% (w/w) mixed granules(acidic clay:active carbon= 90:10[w/w]). The optimal amount of active carbon was 10% (w/w) that of acidic clay;higher levels of active carbon was not required. The optimal particle size of active carbon was $50{\sim}100$ mesh, removal of B(a)P from bleached corn oil was efficient at this mesh size.