• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2011

Hibiscus cannabinus L is a plant in the Malvaceae family. Kenaf was seeded at June 1st in 2010 and harvested at November 18th and dried and evaluated worth as a bulking agent for livestock composting. Harvested and dried Kenaf was divided into the bast, core and leaf. All materials were grinded by hammer mill and the moisture absorption, moisture evaporation, pH, volume weight and C/N ratio were measured. Kenaf was higher water absorption and evaporation ability than those of sawdust and chaff. The pH values of Kenaf were pH $2.8{\pm}0.01$ - $4.34{\pm}0.02$, which is lower pH value than those of sawdust (pH $5.28{\pm}0.01$) and chaff (pH $6.3{\pm}0.02$). The C/N ratio of Kenaf showed 649 of core, 204 of bast and 70 of leaf, which were lower than sawdust (789.1) but higher than chaff (132). In volume weight test, the materials were divided by particle size of Kenaf, named as group A(${\geq}4cm$), B(${\leq}4cm$, ${\geq}0.25cm$) and C(${\leq}0.25cm$). The volume of weight of group A and B for core, bast and leaf showed similar, but group C showed higher than those of sawdust and chaff. Especially, the volume weight of group C for leaf was 5 times higher than those of sawdust and chaff. This study suggested the possibility of using Kenaf as a bulk agent for composting of livestock manure. This is considered that strengthen the competitiveness of farmers through reducing the cost, prevention of environmental pollution caused by livestock manure and environmentally friendly processing of livestock manure.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.43-50
• /
• 2011

Hibiscus cannabinus L. is a plant in the Malvaceae family, that was seeded at June 1st in 2010 and harvested at November 18th. The present study was designated to investigate the safety for host cells, antibacterial effects of Hibiscus cannabinus L. of flower (HCME-F) or leaf (HMEF-L) methanol extract for typical Gram's positive bacteria (St. aureus and Str. epidermidis) or Gram's negative bacteria (S. typhimurium and E. coli). In treatment of different concentrations of HCME-F or HMEF-L (1, 50 and $100{\mu}g/ml$), cytotoxic effects were not shown to RAW 264.7 cells until 24 h incubation. In determination of antibacterial activity of HCME-F or HMEF-L, the antibacterial activities for St. aureus and Str. epidermidis were markedly increased compared to that of untreated control group, but antibacterial activity of HCME-F or HMEF-L for S. typhimurium and E. coli were not changed. Taken together, we demonstrated that methanol extract of HCME-F or HMEF-L showed the safety for RAW 264.7 cells and antibacterial activities for Gram's positive pathogenic bacteria St. aureus and Str. epidermidis. These findings suggest that a methanol extract of Kenaf flower or leaf may be useful alternatives of conventional chemotherapies for dermatitis and mastitis causing Gram's positive pathogens such as Stapylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. in domestic animals and humans.