• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.373-378
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• 1991

The skin and fleshy substance on the net fiber of sponge-gourd fruit pressed mechanically was removed with 0.2% NaOH solution in $3{\sim}5$ hours. The treatment of 0.2% NaOH with 0.02% Monopol(non-ionogenic polyoxethylen derivative) as surfactnat and with 0.1% $Ca(OCl)_2$ as bleaching agent enhanced the effect to remove the fleshy substance and improve the quality of net fiber. Also, the wet hardness and tensile strength of net fiber were controlled by the crosslinkage of the fiber with glu tardialdehyde, glyoxal, and formalin, respectively. The net fiber was stable on the acid and alkaline solutions. Also the range of temperature to degradate the fiber was $338{\sim}385^{\circ}C$. These values indicated a fair stability. The improved net fiber can be used for raw material of bath, dish washing, oil and gas filter, and many kinds of decorations.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.702-709
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• 2014

Luffa cylindrica Roem (sponge gourd) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and has been cultivated as an ornamental plant in Korea. Recently, its cultivation area has been increased with an increase in demand for it as an ingredient in cosmetics, herbal medicines, and health supplements. We analyzed inorganic components of sap collected from land race sponge gourds. We also measured antioxidant enzyme activities and antimicrobial activities of the plant, seed, and sap to examine functional properties of sponge gourd. The sap of the sponge gourd contained high levels of K, Ca, P, and Mg, with the most abundant mineral in the sap being K ($470mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$). The amounts of Ca and Mg were 2 and 1.7 times more than those found in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), respectively. Ascorbate peroxidase was more active than catalase and superoxide dismutase in various plant parts of sponge gourd. Antioxidant activities were much lower in stems than in other plant parts such as leaves, roots, flowers, fruits, seeds, and sap. In addition, sap showed a very low level of antimicrobial activity against two food-borne pathogens, Vibrio parahaemdyticus and Propionibacterium acne, and none against the other eight tested food-borne pathogens. Antimicrobial activities against Candida albicans and Malassezia furfur, which causes dermatitis, appeared to be higher in sap than in other parts of sponge gourd plants. Overall, the antimicrobial activity against Malassezia furfur appeared to be higher than against Candida albicans.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.375-379
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• 1997

Two ribosome-inactivating proteins, PRIP 1 and PRIP 2 have been isolated from the leaves of $Cucurbita\;moschata\;D_{UCHESNE}$. Crude extracts were purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation and column chromatography using DE-52 cellulose, S-Sepharose, FPLC Suprose 12 HR and FPLC Mono-S. The molecular weights of PRIP 1 and PRIP 2 were 31,000 and 30,500, respectively. PRIP 2 was thermostabe and maintained its activity even after the incubation of the protein at $50^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. In a cell free in vitro translation system using rabbit reticulocyte lysate, protein synthesis was inhibited by the addition of PRIP 1 and PRIP 2. The $IC_{50}$ of PRIP 1 and PRIP 2 were 0.82 nM and 0.79 nM, respectively. The comparison of N-terminal amino acid sequences of the PRIP 1 and PRIP 2 with known RIPs revealed that PRIP 1 shows sequence similarity with Luffin B from Luffa cylindrica and Trichokirin from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maximowicz and PRH) 2 has sequence similarity with Momordin II and MAP 30 from Momordica charantia.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.151-160
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• 2010

Objectives : The purpose of this research was to examine dietary therapy on the edema based on the literary findings, for clinical treatment and prevention of the edema. Methods : This Research was examined on histories, compositions, applications, and effects of dietetic treatment about 100 cases of dietary therapy of the edema from Chinese literatures. Results : 1. Various vegetables and animals including herbs, grains, vegetables, fruits, food and drink were used for the dietary therapy. 2. Methods of the preparation for use as therapeutics were decoction, pulvis, gruel, cake, tea, paste, gelatin and etc. 3. Frequently used materials were Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, Cucumis sativus L. Coix lachrymajobi var. mayuen, Zea mays, Maydis Stigma, Citrullus vulgaris, Zingiber officinale, Cinnamomum cassia Blume, Allium scorodorpasum var. viviparum Regel, Camellia sinensis, Armeniacae amarum Semen, Phyllostachys bambusoides, Luffa cylindrica, Dioscorea batatas Decne, Panax ginseng, Brassica oleracea and Raphanus sativus. Conclusion : Though dietary therapy for the edema is not based on clinical or experimental data, but through experience. It is mostly based on Yin-Yang and five elements, visceral manifestation, channels and their collateral channels and Oriental herbal medicine theories. If we use them properly according to oriental medicine method, it will be effective on treating and preventing the edema.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2020

The worldwide shortage of water resources is a major environmental issue. Using pure water for drinking and domestic purposes is a bigger issue than other environmental issues. Industrialization and Urbanization have even polluted rainwater. In China, when it rains, rainwater is stored on the roof or other sources of storage for daily use resulting in pollution. Several studies have been conducted to treat rainwater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of constructed wetlands by using ACF as a medium. So, this study aims to treat rainwater in Wuhan city through a Composite Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands. First, rainwater was stored in the tank while it flows out of the roof, further it is processed in constructed wetlands. The constructed wetlands is consisted with plants Calamus and Chives, adding ACF (prepared from luffa) has achieved great results in this study. Results show that the pollutants have been removed to a considerable level, there were significant differences in removal rates under different HRT at 6h, 9h and 12h respectively. Therefore, Composite Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands is recommended for total nitrogen and Ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.313-321
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• 2020

ACF preparation from different materials and its application in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment has been focused in environmental field. Different materials have been used to prepare ACF around the world. This study aims to prepare, characterize and use of ACF from loofah for removal of Tetracycline from water through composite vertical flow constructed wetlands. ACF was prepared and it was tested for characterization, later it was used for removal of Tetracycline from water through composite vertical flow constructed wetlands. In composite vertical flow constructed wetlands, three HRTs were set according to the experiment, 1D, 2D, and 3D is individually. Samples were transported immediately from collection point to laboratory for analyzing. Samples were measured for Tetracycline (TC), Total Phosphorus (TP), and Total nitrogen and COD. Tetracycline absorbance with respective 356nm was obtained good and HRT is important factor. Results show that composite vertical flow constructed wetlands with ACF from luffa is best option and it is recommended to study further deep analysis.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2001

A root rot/vine decline disease occurred naturally on bottle gourd-stocked watermelon, melon, oriental melon and squash grown in greenhouses, but not on these plants grown in fields. Self-rooted watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin and luffa were also proven to be hosts of the pathogen by artificial inoculation in this experiment. The pathogen was identified as Monosporascus cannonballus by comparing microscopic characteristics of fungal structures with those of previously identified fungal strains. Our field investigations showed that the temperature and electric conductivity of soil in infected greenhouses were higher and the soil moisture content was lower than in noninfected greenhouses. To investigate soil-environmental factors affecting disease development, greenhouse trials and inoculation experiments were conducted. The host plants inoculated and grown under conditions of high soil temperature and electrical conductivity ($35\pm2^{\circ}$, 3.2-3.5 mS) and with low soil moisture content (pF 3.0-4.5) were most severely damaged by the fungal disease. Since plants growing in greenhouses ae usually exposed to such environmental conditions, this may be the reason why the monosporascus root rot/vine decline disease has occurred only on cucurbits cultivated in greenhouses but not in field conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.1278-1284
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• 2016

Rhizopus chinensis cells immobilized on loofah (Luffa cylindrica) sponges were used to produce biodiesel via the transesterification of soybean oil. In whole-cell immobilization, loofah sponge is considered to be a superior alternative to conventional biomass carriers because of its biodegradable and renewable properties. During cell cultivation, Rhizopus chinensis mycelia can spontaneously and firmly adhere to the surface of loofah sponge particles. The optimal conditions for processing 9.65 g soybean oil at 40℃ and 180 rpm using a 3:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio were found to be 8% cell addition and 3-10% water content (depending on the oil's weight). Under optimal conditions, an over 90% methyl ester yield was achieved after the first reaction batch. The operational stability of immobilized Rhizopus chinensis cells was assayed utilizing a 1:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio, thus resulting in a 16.5-fold increase in half-life when compared with immobilized cells of the widely studied Rhizopus oryzae. These results suggest that transesterification of vegetable oil using Rhizopus chinensis whole cells immobilized onto loofah sponge is an effective approach for biodiesel production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.813-819
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• 2010

The intracellular lipid droplets were stained with Oil Red O dye and quantified. Compared to the control, lipid accumulation was significantly decreased by 19.4% with the treatment of LCM at the concentration of $1000\;{\mu}g$/mL. Intracellular triglyceride (TG) level was also reduced by 21% at the concentration of $1000\;{\mu}g$/mL. To determine the mechanism for the reduction in TG content, levels of glucose uptake and glycerol release were measured. Incubation of the 3T3-L1 adipocytes with LCM did not affect the cellular uptake of glucose. However, the level of free glycerol released into the cultured medium drastically increased by 24.3% with the treatment of LCM. In subsequent measurements using quantitative real-time PCR, mRNA levels of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) except lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were significantly elevated at higher concentration. These results suggest that LCM partially stimulates the lipolysis through the induction of HSL and/or ATGL gene expression, resulting in the reduced lipid accumulation and increased glycerol release.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.23 no.2 s.59
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• pp.74-81
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• 1984

The experiments were conducted to study the distribution of wilt of strawberry caused by Fusarium in Korea, the characters of the causal fnngus and its control. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. Wilt of strawberry has been found in Gimhae and Samrangjin, Gyeongnam province a few years ago. This disease has been spreading year after year, and observed on farms in most of the strawberry-growing areas in Korea. 2. The fungus was isolated frequently from the crowns and petioles of diseased straw berry plants, and the fungus belonging to Fusariun oxysporum in terms of the morphological characteristics of macroconidia, microconidia, chlamydospore and conidiophore on V-8 Agar. 3. The macroconidia formation of the fungus varied remarkably with the Isolates and kinds of medium tested. However. all isolates abundantly produced macroconidia on V-8 Agar. 4. The cross-inoculation tests with several forma specialis of F. oxysporum to cucumber, tomato, watermelon, luffa, cabbage, melon and strawberry were carried out. The isolates from strawberry viz. Kodama's F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae and S-1 of the authors were pathogenic to only strawberry. The fungus was also similar in morphology and symptoms to Kodama's and Winks' isolate of F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae. Therefore, the fungus is identified as Fusarium oxysporum Schl. f. sp. fragariae Winks & Williams. 5. The most effective fungicides were Benomyl and Homai for inhibiting sporulation and mycelial growth of the fungus. 6 The cultivar Kurumae 35, Himiko, Senga gigana and Daehak I were resistant, whereas Hokowase, Instiate Z4, Juspa, Puget beauty and Marshall were susceptible to the fungus with artificial inoculation.