• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2011

Spirodela polyrrhiza L. Schleid. (Lemnaceae), also known as 'duckweed', is a traditional medicine in Korea. The whole plant is used to treat many diseases, including the common cold, edema, acute nephritis, and urticaria. The present study investigated antinociceptive properties of the EtOAc soluble fraction of S. polyrrhiza (ESP). The antinociceptive activities of ESP were studied using experimental models of pain, including thermal nociception methods, such as the tail immersion test and the hotplate test. Moreover, we studied chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid and subplantar formalin in mice. ESP exhibited dose-dependent antinociceptive activity in both thermal and chemical pain models. In a drug combination test using the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, diminished analgesic activities of ESP were observed, indicating that the antinociceptive activity of ESP is mediated by opioid receptors.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.205-209
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• 2001

Lemna gibba was newly cultured and provided for toxicity tests. In this study, the chromate toxicity tests for Lemna gibba were performed according to the OECD Lemna growth inhibition test guideline. The test species was Lemna gibba, and the tests were repeated 5 times. To evaluate the toxicity test results, the average specific growth rate, EC50, 95％ confidential limit, and variances were calculated. The test performance was analyzed by the doubling time and test statistics. The average values of EC50 data determined by logistic and linear interpolation curves were 25.9 ppm and 35.4 ppm respectively (by chromate concentration). The doubling time of all controls were below 2.5 day, so all tests passed the criteria for the test performance. This study introduced a new test method, Lemna growth inhibition test, which is provided for the hazard assessment of aquatic environment.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2004

This study was conducted to discover new phytotoxins which may be used as lead molecules for the development of new herbicides. A total of 187 endophytic fungi were isolated from 11 plant species, which were collected from 8 locations in Korea. Their herbicidal activities were screened in vivo by herbicidal and duckweed bioassays after they were cultured in potato dextrose broth and rice solid media. Both fermentation broth and solid culture extract of Gliocladium catenulatum F0006 isolated from red pine (Pinus densiflora) showed 70% herbicidal activity only against cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) out of the 10 weeds tested. Solid culture extract of F0034 isolated from arrowroot (Pueraria thunbergiana) exhibited 20 to 100% herbicidal activities against all of the weeds. Especially, shattercane (Sorghum bicolor), barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli), large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), and fall pauicum (Panicum dichtomiflorum) were sensitive to the solid culture extract of F0034. In addition, solid culture extract of F0043 isolated from red pine displayed 20% to 70% herbicidal activities only against 5 grass species, but not against 5 broad-leaf plant species. On the other hand, as the results of duckweed assay, 8 fermentation broths showed 100% growth inhibitory activity at concentrations less than 5.0% of culture supernatants and 12 solid cultures had a potent inhibitory activity against duckweed growth. A toxic metabolite was purified from the solid cultures of G. catenulatum F0006 by repeated column chromatography and bioassay. It caused a phytotoxic syndrome only on cocklebur out of the 10 weeds tested; it completely killed cocklebur seedlings at $500\;{\mu}g/ml$ and showed 85% herbicidal activity against cocklebur at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. The molecular weight of the toxic metabolite is 238 daltons and its structure determination is underway.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2016

Structural differentiation of the connective stalk in giant duckweed, Spirodela polyrhiza, was examined to reveal the anatomical and ultrastructural characteristics within reduced shoot. The study focuses primarily on structural features of the connective stalk (CT), which connect offspring to their mother fronds. Photoautotrophic offspring fronds remained connected by stalks to mother fronds in the reproductive pockets until separation. The CT originated from the meristematic region of the abaxial frond and joined the fronds laterally with two abscission layers. The most notable features of the CT were polymorphic mitochondria, random occurrences of fibrillar structures in intercellular spaces, and great variability in cell wall thickness. Vascular tissues in CTs were highly reduced, demonstrating only a central vascular strand. Grana with 2 to 4 thylakoids and starch grains were found in the chloroplasts. A chlorophyll assay indicated high chlorophyll concentrations in daughter fronds and low concentrations in CTs. The frond and CT, while physically connected to each other, functioned independently. Despite great reduction in S. polyrhiza, the CT has proven to be very efficient for separating offspring from the mother frond, which lends to its capacity for rapid vegetative reproduction. The ultrastructural aspects of CTs in S. polyrhiza were characterized for the first time in this study.

• Plant Resources
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 1998

The effects of basal media, sucrose and phytohormone concentrations, and gelling agent combinations on in vitro frond proliferation of Lemna gibba G3 and 24 additional Lemna gibba strains were examined. Frond proliferation was equivalent on Schenk and Hidebrand. Murashige and Skoog. Nitsch and Nitsch, and Gamborg's B5 media and poor on murashige and Skoog medium in the absence of benzyladenine. With the addition of benzyladenine, Schenk and Hildebrand and Gamborg's B5 Were superior and equivalent. The addition of benzuyladenine increased equally frond proliferation at either 1 or $10{\mu}M$, however at $10{\mu}M$ fronds were severely curled or fused. Benzyladenine and thidiazuron suppressed root growth but kinetin was found to greatly enhance root growth. Gibberellic acid inhibited frond proliferation. Frond proliferation was significantly different on the four sucrose concentrations of 0, 1, 3, and 5% Among them, 3% sucrose was found to be superior. The reduced frond size observed in cultures grown on 8% sucrose could be explained by showing medium osmotic potential in excess of frond water potential. Gell agents also varied significantly in their ability to promote frond proliferation with 0.25% Gelrite or a mixture of 0.15% Gelrite and 0.4% agar. Proliferation of 25 Lemna gibba strains on medium neat optimal for Lemna gibba G3 showed a six-fold variation across strains with Lemna gobba G3 placing in the top 5 fastest proliferating strains.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 1982

The simple logistic growth model on the logistic curve, being originally a kind of population growth curve has also been sometimes utilized to describe growth curves in herbaceous plants such as duckweed and sun-flowers. It has already been recognized that the agreement between the theoretical calculations and the empirical observations is quite satisfactory form a practical point of view. It remains, however, still doubtful whether the logistic curve could be applied to the growth or ordinary woody plants which is quite different in its character from that of herbaceous plants. In this study, the simple logistic model, being a basic tool of stand density management, is applied to yield data from pine stands in order to test the adequacy of the model An attempt of testing the significance of the fit is made by applying the Chi-square test.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.133-137
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• 1996

Duckweed, an aquatic plant of the family Lemnaceae, is a rich source of protein and also contains cell wall materials. Spirodela, Lemna and Wolffia, the most available species of duckweeds were evaluated in terms of their chemical composition, the rate and extent of digestion of their dry matter(DM) and crude protein(CP) in the rumen and also their acceptability to the cattle. The three species contained CP of 284, 399 and $299g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively; NDF of 471, 574 and $476g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively; ADF of 215, 203 and $227g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively. The rumen digestibilities of DM of the three species for 24 h were 410, 570 and $731g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively and of CP were 528, 740 and $778g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively. The rates of digestion of DM of the three duckweeds were 2.22, 3.63 and $5.73%h^{-1}$, respectively and of CP were 5.14, 4.22 and $6.05%h^{-1}$, respectively. Similarly, the extent of digestion of DM were 853, 723 and $926g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively and of CP were 801, 874 and $943g{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ DM, respectively. Mixed duckweeds as a component of a concentrate mixture were eaten by the cattle at the rate of 10% of their live weights. It may be concluded that the dry matter and crude protein of the available duckweeds wee highly degradable in the rumen and may be fed to cattle mixing with concentrates. For the effective utilization of duck weeds as cattle feed their effect on the rumen digestion kinetics of a roughage diet need to be studied carefully.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2004

Fresh specimens of the aquatic macrophyte, Spirodela polyrhiza, have been examined employing scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Observations revealed the occurrence of microbial colonization during development. Submerged parts of the small, free-floating S. polyrhiza body exhibited a variety of microorganisms such as bacteria, cyanobacteria, and diatoms throughout their development. However, immature and/or young plants normally demonstrated much less microbial colonization compared to mature plants. During the study, heavy colonization by the microorganisms was routinely encountered at maturity, especially in the fully developed abaxial fronds and root caps. The mucilaginous layer was shown along the root caps, and the microorganisms appeared to be either clustered or attached to this layer. In contrast, only moderate degrees of colonization were observed in the root, and little to no colonization was observable in the adaxial frond surface. Transmission electron microscopy clearly demonstrated the microbial colonization to be external in the S. polyrhiza specimen examined in the current study. The association between the microorganisms and S. polyrhiza has been considered non-harmful, as no frond senescence and almost no mechanical penetration of the plant by the microorganisms were noticed during the study.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2002

A phytotoxin was purified by repeated chromatography from liquid cultures of Fusarium oxysporum BG isolated from barnyardgrass. Its chemical structure was determined to be dehydrofusaric acid by mass and NMR spectral analyses. The substance showed a potent phytotoxic activity against growth of duckweed with a $EC_{50}$ value of $1.5{\mu}g/ml$. It also inhibited the root growth of barnyard millet, cress, barnyard grass, and rice cultivar 'Dongjin'. However, it had no inhibitory activity against seed germination of barnyard millet and cress, and the shoot growth of the four plant species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.986-993
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• 2001

In balance experiments with rats either 25 or 50% of the casein protein in the control diet was replaced with one of the following eight sun-dried tropical biomass products: water spinach plants (WS) (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk), leucaena leaves (LL) (Leuceana leucocephala), duckweed plants (DW) (Lemma minor L.), groundnut foliage (OF) (Arachis hypogaea L.), trichantera leaves (Tric) (Trichantera gigantea), indicago leaves (Ind) (Indigofera hirsuta), mungbean foliage (Mb) (Phaseolus aureus), and cassava leaves (CL) (Manihot esculenta Crantz). The experiment included 102 rats with six individuals per treatment group. In three of the 16 biomass treatment groups, feed intake and weight gain of the rats were unacceptably low, and therefore they were excluded from the statistical evaluation, The crude protein (CP) content of the biomass products varied between 20.9% (Tric) and 33.2% (DW), whereas the content of NDF varied between 18.5% (Ind) and 32.2% (DW) of dry matter (DM). The total content of essential amino acids (g/16 g N) was comparable with that of alfalfa meal, except for GF and Tric, which were inferior. Between plant species, differences in dietary digestibility of organic matter (dOM) and CP (dCP) were observed (p<0.001). Also, the replacement level negatively influenced dOM and dCP (p<0.001). The lowest values for dOM (p<0.001) were observed for diets including biomass products with the highest content of NDF (OF, Tric, Mb, LL). Digestibility of CP was negatively affected by level of protein replacement. Significant (p<0.001) differences were found in N-retention and biological value among diets with different biomass products. The most favourable overall results were obtained for DW, WS and CL. The main factors affecting the nutritive value of the diets tested were their NDF content, dCP and AA profile of the biomass. Also antinutritive component(s) may have influenced the process of digestion and metabolism of some of the biomass products.