• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2021

Pollinators are not only crucial for plant reproduction, but also important for crop production. These pollinators are affected by the diversity of plants within orchards. Thus, the study investigated the effect of blooming on the ground cover on pollinator diversity, network, fruiting rates and subsequent apple size during harvest season in apple blooming period. Total ten orchards were selected; Five with ground covered mostly by dandelion while the another five without ground cover. The orchards with dandelion bloom showed 16 pollinator groups and 801 pollination network interaction, while 14 pollinator groups and 589 interaction were found from orchards without ground cover blooms. es. Overall pollinators' abundances were not different. But bumble bees and caliphorid flies were more abundant in orchards with ground cover blooming. There was no significant in fruiting rates, but the apple size was significantly bigger in orchards with ground cover. These results may indicate that blooming on the ground cover during apple flowering season would increase pollinator diversity and influence fruit quality later on in apple orchards, and pose importance of floral diversity for sustainable apple production system.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.721-726
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• 2016

It has already been reported that short neuropeptide F (sNPF) stimulates feeding behaviors in a wide variety of insect species. In the present study, we cloned cDNA, encoding a sNPF receptor homologue from a silkworm, Bombyx mori, named BsNPF-R. The amino acid sequence of BsNPF-R was compared with those of sNPF-R thus far reported, which is shared with humans (36%), mice (34%), zebrafish (35%), and fruit flies (51%), respectively. A BsNPF-R protein’s mass was theoretically estimated to be 42,731 Da and it is a putative plasma membrane-penetrating protein. The mRNA expression of BsNPF-R was tested; the results showed that a strong expression was detected at the midgut, post-silk gland, Malpighian, and testis; however, a weak expression was at the fat body, hemocyte, and ovary. In addition, the synthesized sNPF of a silkworm regulated the BsNPF-R mRNA expression through the cell-based functional analysis.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.706-714
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• 2021

Chemical scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is considered a major mechanism of antioxidant effects, but preventing ROS generation can be more efficient in attenuating oxidative damage. In this study, the extracts of plants, Solanum lycopersicum, Ailanthus altissima, Equisetum arvense, and Oenothera biennis, were tested to determine whether their antioxidative effects are driven by the prevention of superoxide generation from mitochondria, a major ROS generator. While all the extracts efficiently attenuated the elevation of ROS levels in human fibroblasts and inflammation-induced mice, those of S. lycopersicum, A. altissima, and O. laciniata only suppressed mitochondrial ROS generation and reduced levels of lipofuscin and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, the extracts of A. altissima and O. laciniata extended the lifespan of fruit flies. Our results suggest that plant extracts with anti-oxidative effects differ in their ability to prevent ROS generation, which may be associated with the attenuation of oxidative damage in cells and animal tissues.