• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.111-116
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inonotus obliquus (I. obliquus, Chaga mushroom) has long been used as a folk medicine to treat cancer. In the present study, we examined whether or not ethanol extract of I. obliquus (EEIO) inhibits cell cycle progression in HT-29 human colon cancer cells, in addition to its mechanism of action. MATERIALS/METHODS: To examine the effects of Inonotus obliquus on the cell cycle progression and the molecular mechanism in colon cancer cells, HT-29 human colon cancer cells were cultured in the presence of $2.5-10{\mu}g/mL$ of EEIO, and analyzed the cell cycle arrest by flow cytometry and the cell cycle controlling protein expression by Western blotting. RESULTS: Treatment cells with $2.5-10{\mu}g/mL$ of EEIO reduced viable HT-29 cell numbers and DNA synthesis, increased the percentage of cells in $G_1$ phase, decreased protein expression of CDK2, CDK4, and cyclin D1, increased expression of p21, p27, and p53, and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb and E2F1 expression. Among I. obliquus fractions, fraction 2 (fractionated by dichloromethane from EEIO) showed the same effect as EEIO treatment on cell proliferation and cell cycle-related protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that fraction 2 is the major fraction that induces $G_1$ arrest and inhibits cell proliferation, suggesting I. obliquus could be used as a natural anti-cancer ingredient in the food and/or pharmaceutical industry.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.101-131
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• 2015

A cap-and-trade program accounting for 60 percent of total national greenhouse gas emissions was launched in South Korea in 2015. Academic literature expects that the implementation of such a policy is likely to adversely impact income distribution among various socioeconomic groups in developed countries. South Korea is challenged by equity issues, as well circumstances, the distributional implications of carbon pricing policies need to be examined and reflected in the design of the program prior to implementation in order not to exacerbate social inequity. Using environmentally extended input-output analysis together with household expenditure data, this study finds that a carbon pricing policy will be regressive in South Korea, but the extent depends on whether relative burdens of a carbon pricing policy are measured based on current incomes or proxies of permanent incomes. Along with poor households, this paper finds that elderly and urban households will be more adversely impacted in South Korea. These burdens can be relieved if a small fraction of the revenue is redistributed to households.