• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.68-70
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• 2010

Puer tea is a traditional beverage originating from Yunnam area of China. It supplies basic nutrients such as vitamin C. It has been well reported that daily drinking of Puer tea can help the digestion and ease the stomachache after food intake. Puer tea also contains various polyphenols which may exert antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. Because of these functional effects on digestive system we suspected if Puer tea can display any dietary effect or decrease the obesity after long-term drinking. We employed 6-week old SD rats as experimental animal and treated them with extract of Puer tea in relation to the body weights. Rats were divided into 5 groups (NC, PC, E, E+P, E+P5). NC group was experimental control and rest of them are as follows: water only (PC), water with exercise (E), water with exercise and Puer tea extract (E+P), water with exercise and 5X extract of Puer tea (E+P5). Feeding was carried out every day for 5 weeks by oral administration. Reduction rate of body weights was highest in E group. Relative ratio of losing weight was as follows: PC group (100.78%), E group (95.57%), E+P group (94.53%) and E+P5 group (74.22%), respectively. Exercise was more helpful to control the body weight. The result strongly suggests that Puer tea is highly effective to control the body weight and could be used for pharmaceutical purpose to treat obesity without side effects.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1407-1421
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• 2010

This study was carried out to elucidate the relation between water quality and structure of the aquatic ecosystem in the agriculture reservoir Otae-ji from January to December in 2009. The proportion of forest was 46.98%, which means that non-point sources are major contributor of water pollution in this area. The annual mean COD(Chemical Oxygen Demand) in Otae-ji was $3.6mgL^{-1}$, indicating, level II of environmental standards and the trophic state was mesotrophic. Although total phosporus concentration in the reservoir was high in August due to large inflow of nutrients from outside the reservoir during monsoon season, there was no break out of significant algal bloom in the summer. The seasonal succession of phytoplankton showed that the dinophyta dominated in the the spring, chlorophyta in the summer, chrysophyta and chlorophyta in the autumn and chrysophyta in the winter. In case of zooplankton, rotifers dominated in the most seasons, but cladoceran(Bosmina longirostris) dominated in June and copepod(Nauplii) in August. The macrophyte plants showed diverse species compositon consisted of 3 varieties, 24 species, 23 genera, 15 families and 14 orders. The macroinvertebrates also showed various FFG(Functional Feeding Groups) such as GC(Gathering-Collector), P(Predator), SH(Shedder), FC(Filter-Collector) and PP(Plant-Piercer). Ecosystem stability analysis using aquatic insects was classified as Group I, which has high resilience and resistance indices. A total of 14 species of fish was collected but exotic species such as Lepomis macrochirus and Micropterus salmoides were not found in Otae-ji. In conclusion, the preservation of healthy food wed in the reservoir ecosystem is closely related to water quality management as well as effective prevention of algal bloom by helping good material circulation in aquatic ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2015

The study was carried out to investigate the effects of by-products of herbal medicines on performance, enteric microflora and blood biochemical profiles and immunological parameters in broiler chicks. A total of ninety-six, 3-d-old birds were assigned to a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.15 % (HM1), 0.3% (HM2) or 0.5% (HM3) by-products of herbal medicines. There was a significantly (p<0.05) improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) in birds fed diet supplemented with 0.15% by-products of herbal medicines (HM1) compared with the control birds during starter period (3~21 days). However, no difference in body weight, feed intake, total gain and FCR among treatment groups was observed during the entire feeding period (3~35 days). The colony forming units (CFU) of E. coli and Lactobacilli in the digesta of ileo-cecum was not also affected by dietary treatment. Serum AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and glucose decreased (p<0.05) in birds fed diets supplemented with herbal medicines compared with those fed the basal diet. In particular, the birds fed diets supplemented with herbal medicines showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in blood mean corpuscular volume (MCV) level compared with the control birds. However, the most of blood biochemical and hematological parameters and immunoglobulins (IgG and IgA) were not affected by the dietary treatment. In conclusion, the low level of dietary herbal medicines showed beneficial effects on FCR during starter period and liver functions, suggesting that by-products of herbal medicines may be applicable as functional feed additives in birds.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2021

Macroinvertebrates in forest streams affect the overall health of other streams in the same water system. In this study, we compared differences in the benthic macroinvertebrate community at two headwater streams located at different latitudes in the southern and northern parts of South Korea. We calculated the community temperature index (CTI), which represents the thermal preferences of the benthic communities. Hierarchical cluster analyses (HCA) were conducted to compare the similarities among sampling sites. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between community composition and environmental and community characteristics using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). Our results showed that CTI was significantly different between the two regions, indicating that these benthic macroinvertebrate communities have different thermal preferences. These two regions were clearly distinguished from each other in the HCA; furthermore, seasonal differences in benthic community composition were observed within each region. The functional feeding groups present in the benthic macroinvertebrate communities were different even though their habitat was similar.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1720-1725
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• 2011

Aspartic acid chelated iron (Asp-Fe) was synthesized by a new method using calcium carbonate, aspartic acid, and ferrous sulfate. This study was carried out to investigate the bioavailability of Asp-Fe in iron-deficient rats. We divided the rats into four experimental groups. The first was the normal diet control group, or NC. The second was the no treated control group of iron-deficient (ID) rats, or ID+C. The third was the heme-iron (heme-Fe) treated group of ID rats, ID+heme-Fe. And the fourth was the Asp-Fe treated group of ID rats, or ID+Asp-Fe. There were no differences among any of the experimental groups in diet consumption, change of body weight, or the weight of the livers, kidneys, or spleens. After 7 days of feeding, the iron content in the sera of the ID+Asp-Fe group (175.2 ${\mu}g$/dL) and the ID+heme-Fe group (140.8 ${\mu}g$/dL) were significantly higher than that of the ID-C group (96.1 ${\mu}g$/dL). The total iron binding capacity (TIBC) of the ID+Asp-Fe group (735.4 ${\mu}g$/dL) was significantly normalized compared to the ID+C group (841.9 ${\mu}g$/dL) or ID+heme-Fe group (824.6 ${\mu}g$/dL). The hematocrit level of the ID+Asp-Fe group was increased to normal levels, but there was no statistical difference among ID groups. The absorption ratio of heme-Fe was 21.3% and that of Asp-Fe was 50.2%, which indicates a 2.3 times higher ratio in comparison with heme iron. With the above results we found that Asp-Fe seems to be an efficient form of iron to supply iron deficient rats in order to cure them of anemia. Thus, these findings suggest that aspartic acid chelated iron has the potential to serve as a functional food related to iron metabolism.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.58-70
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• 2016

An investigation was carried out to study the diversity of aquatic insects, functional feeding groups (FFGs), habitat oriented groups (HOGs), and species-specific distribution in the Taean area in Korea from June to August, 2015. As a result, a total of 72 species belonging to 30 families and six orders were identified in all the investigated regions. Odonata (22 spp.: 30.56%) was the largest group in species richness followed by Coleoptera (21 spp.: 29.16%), Hemiptera (17 spp.: 23.61%) and Diptera (8 spp.: 11.11%) while for Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera, only two species (2.78%) were found. In addition, Plecoptera and Megaloptera inhabiting clean and flowing waters were not found. In the FFGs, predators (48 spp.: 66.67%) were relatively larger as represented by Odonata, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera, whereas shredders and scrapers were lower in proportion. The dominant groups of HOGs were swimmers (24 spp.: 33.33%), climbers (18 spp.: 25.0%), and sprawlers (12 spp.: 16.67%), which were characterized as aquatic insects community of island. Four species: Cybister lewisianus Sharp, Helophorus auriculatus Sharp, Agrypnia pagetana Curtis, Diplonychus esakii Miyamoto & Lee that are designated as Endangered, Near Threatened, and Vulnerable (Korean Red List) have been found to inhabitthe Taean area. Also, two species belonging to the exportable species group (Ceriagrion auranticum Fraser, Paracercion melanotum (Selys)) and one species belonging to the climate-sensitive biological indicator group (Ischnura elegans (Van der Linden)) were identified. In this study, four significant species including the Endangered are presented on the Korean distribution map based on the information in the national ecosystem survey accumulated for 7 years (2006-2012) by the Ministry of Environment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.476-483
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• 2005

This experiment was planned to develop a functional supplement by food resources to prevent and lessen the deleterious effects caused by environmental pollutants such as polluted food, air, water and heavy metals. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of peking-duck extracts supplemented with six kinds of medicinal herbs (DJ) on the intoxication of lead and mercury in rats. Sprague-Dawley rat weighing $150g\pm15g$ g, were randomly assigned to 5 groups, basal diet only (NCG), heavy metal without DJ injection (HCG), heavy metals and DJ (3 mg/mL) injection (HMLD), heavy metal and DJ (30 mg/mL) injection (HMMD), heavy metal and D] (300 mg/mL) injection (HMHD). Mecury (Hg) and lead (Pb) injected at the level of 50 ppm for 17 days. Also DJ oral feeding was continued for 31 days. The result of this study were as follows; Food intake and body weight gain in heavy metal administered groups were lower than those of control group (NCG). The activities of GOT, GPT and BUN level were significantly reduced in DJ-treated groups as compared to HCG. DJ was shown to suppress the accumulation of Hg and Pb in serum. The results suggest that DJ might have protective effect on Hg and Pb intoxication.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.185-195
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• 2022

This study conducted a survey over spring and autumn from 2014 to 2020 to confirm the ecological characteristics of the size of streams and habitats, centering on the ecological landscape conservation area, and a total 256 species of benthic macroinvertebrates in 105 families, 25 orders, 8 classes, and 5 phyla appeared. In terms of appearance species, by region, the rate of appearance of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera was high in regions consisting of lotic area and the rate of appearance of Coleoptera and Odonata was high in regions consisting of lentic areas. When comparing the population of Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera (EPT) groups by region, they were classified into three groups: upstream area, mainstream area, and lentic areas, and it was confirmed that the population ratio of EPT changed as it moved from upstream to downstream. As the stream order increased, the number of species and populations increased. The Shredder group (SH) tended to decrease as the size of stream increased(r=0.9925), and the Collector-Filtering (CF) tended to increase as the size of stream increased(r=0.9319). It was confirmed that the Scraper (SC) replaced each other between species with the same ecological status as it went downstream from upstream, and it is thought that the SC did not differ significantly by stream order. In order to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the designation and management of ecological landscape conservation areas, it is necessary to consider ecological factors such as competition and physico-chemistry factors such as water quality and substrate conditions. Therefore, if the competent authority designated survey areas including buffer areas that include streams and physical habitats of various sizes, it will be advantageous to the conservative area and securing more biological resources.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 2012

This study aimed to develop a new type of functional citrus beverage (Citurs-F) containing flavonoids extracted from the young fruits of satsuma mandarin ($Citrus$ $unshiu$) and matured fruits of Jeju native dangyooja ($C.$ $grandis$). We made beverages that contained 30% of satsuma mandarin extract with different percentages of concentrated dangyooja-derived flavonoid extracts. In sensory evalution, the highest response indices of color, taste and aroma were from the beverages based on the 30% young fruit extracts plus 15% (Citrus-F-15) and 20% (Citrus-F-20) flavonoids extract from the dangyooja using the KILO prep. In the changes of body weight after oral administration of the Citrus-F, the rat group with HF diet plus the Citrus-F decreased the body weight compared to the rat group fed only HF diet. This effect was to be continued for 9 weeks until the end of experiment. In the lipid content in blood, the rat group with oral administration of citrus extractions merely tended to resolve it in serum test. However, all the 0.1% Citrus-F-15 and Citrus-F-20 treated rat groups from the beginning or after 5 weeks appeared the lowest lipid contents in the blood. In the cholesterol contents, the rat group feeding the KILO-prep's extraction from the beginning weren't significantly recognized them in the group but the rat group feeding 0.1% Citrus-F-15 acted to reduce in the cholesterol contents from 5 weeks. The results indicated that the Citrus-F-15 with rich flavonoids might be main source alleviating the vascular diseases and obesity in human diet.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2017

Benthic macroinvertebrates were investigated in thermal discharge that flows Buso stream region from December 2015 to February 2016, Korea. Study site was selected for the upstream, downstream relative to the mixing station and mixing station which thermal effluent flows, water quality analysis and benthic macroinvertebrates composition, taxa of EPT-group individuals, analysis of biological water quality. As a result, a total of 4,015 individuals including 50 species, 30 families, 11 orders, 4 classes, and 3 phyla were recognized. Taxa of species is Ephemeroptera 16 species (32.0%) including 6 families, the density composition was highest in 1,848 individuals (46.03%) Diptera. EPT-group occupied during the study period were a total of 1,876 individuals (46.72%) including 32 species and 17 family, lowest in the mixing station for study period. As a results of community analysis, mixing station in the Limnodrilus gotoi and Chironomidae sp.2, which is dominated by the analysis was Ecdyonurus levis, Cincticostella levanidovae, Nemoura KUa. The dominant species showed a difference in the upstream and downstream. In the functional feeding groups, in the upstream and mixing station Gathering-Collectors, downstream it was analyzed that the ratio of the highest Filtering-Collectors and decreased the ratio of Shredders increasing from upstream to downstream. Habitat orientation group is analyzed that accounted for most of the Clingers and Burrowers, from upstream to downstream toward the higher the ratio of Clingers. Biological water quality assessment results were analyzed the worst state in the mixing station with an average 2.73 (${\pm}0.41$). Correspondence analysis, correlation analysis results of water temperature and the cold-water species, as the water temperature increases were analyzed by reducing cold-water species and EPT-group.