• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2009

Recently, the consumption of mistletoe[Viscum album var. coloratum(Kom.) Ohwi] is increasing because of its good medical effectiveness with the increased concern on the natural medicines and foods. The result obtained from the investigation on the stem tissues of the mistletoe and the oriental chestnut oak, a host plant species, are as follows. Haustorium from the seeds of the mistletoe after their sticking to the branches of the host plant penetrates into the bark where it forms the endophyte system through the active cell division. The endophyte grown in the cambium of the host plant makes the stems and leaves as the outer tissues in a certain time. Even through lignification of the host wood in the branches the oriental chestnut oak was not progressive, its tylosis coas developed partially assembly due to the formation of the endophyte. The stems of the mistletoe consisted of vascular tracheid, selereid, and ray and axial parenchyma, classified as a hardwood without vessels. The vascular tracheids seemed to take a role instead of the vessels in the mistletoe plant from the result that the pits of the vessels in the host branches are linked to the vessel-form tracheid in the mistletoe stems. The constituent ratio of the sclereid cells in the mistletoe stems increased with aging. Furthermore their ratio of the parenchyma cells was higher, which contained the more cell content, compared with the cells of the general woody plant species.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 1994

To investigate the effect of Korean mistletoe on stimulation of macrophage, the activity to induce interleukine-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factors-${\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$ from murine peritoneal macrophage by its extracts originated from oak was examined. From in vitro analysis of the cytokines using the culture supernatants of macrophages stimulated with its extracts for 1hr, it was found that Korean mistletoe induces IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ from murine macrophage. Furthermore, both extracts of Korean mistletoes that were extracted with distilled water and 2% acetic acid exhibited a significant activity to induce two cytokines. In the stimulation for 30 min, Korean mistletoe at concentration of $1{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$ showed a significant induction of IL-1 from macrophage until 24 hrs after stimulation, showing maximal activity on $5{\sim}10\;hrs\;at\;10{\sim}100\;\mu/ml$. On the other hand, $TNF-{\alpha}$ was induced on the early period, 2 hrs, after stimulation at a wide range of concentration, $1{\sim}500\;\mu/ml$. In addition, the fraction of Korean mistletoe from 80% saturated ammonium sulphate precipitation showed a significant activity to induce both cytokines from macrophage. The present study demonstrates that Korean mistletoe contains immunoregulatory factors responsible for stimulating murine macrophage to secrete IL-1 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ which play an important role in immune responses, and suggests that the activity of Korean mistletoe to induce two cytokines is functioned by a possible independent stimulation manner.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.3
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• pp.461-468
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• 2012

This study was conducted to study the seasonal changes of relative water relations parameters by pressure-volume curves of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) leaves for understanding ecological characteristics. In growing season, the osmotic potentials at full turgor (${\Psi}_o^{sat}$) and at incipient plasmolysis (${\Psi}_o^{tlp}$) decreased, while increased the maximum bulk elastic modulus of the cell wall ($E_{max}$) and relavive water content ($RWC^{tlp}$). Korean mistletoe in Quercus variabilis and Korean mistletoe in Quercus mongolica in November showed best maximum perssure potential (${\Psi}_{P,\;max}$). Pressure potential (${\Psi}_P$) and water potential (${\Psi}_L$) in Korean mistletoe in Quercus variabilis were rapidly decreased with decreasing of relative water content. The values of $RWC^{tlp}$ in November were all above 84% showing that the function of osmoregulation is somewhat better, and symplastic water content (Vo/DW) and maximum water content (Vt/DW) were variable seasonally. Thus, responses to water relations of Korean mistletoe in Quercus variabilis and Korean mistletoe in Quercus mongolica such as ${\Psi}_o^{sat},\;{\Psi}_o^{tlp},\;E_{max},\;{\Psi}_{P,\;max},\;RWC^{tlp}$ showed increaing drought tolerance with increasing of leaf aging.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.697-702
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• 2001

This study was done to investigate effects of Korean mistletoe extract and lectin on serum GOT, GPT and $\alpha$-L-fucosidase activities and the preneoplastic lesion in chemically induced rat hepatocarcinogenesis. To attain the above objectives weanling Sprangue-Dawley male rats were fed modified AIN-76 diets containing 10% corn oil for 9 weeks. One week after feeding rats were intraperitonealy injected twice with a dose of diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 50 mg/kg body weight(BW)) and were provided 0.05% phenobarbita (PB) with drinking water from one week after DEN treatment until the end of experiment. For the same period as PB treatment, rats were injected mistletoe extract (10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BW European mistletoe, 10 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BW and 100 $\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BW Korean mistletoe) and lectin(1 ng/kg BW, 10 ng/kg BW) twice a week. At the end of 9th week rats were sacrificed and the formation of hepatic glutthione S-transferase placental form positive (GST-P+) foci serum GOT, GPT and $\alpha$-L-fucosidase activities were determined. By treatment of mistletoe extract or lectin there were no significant effects on serum GOP, GPT and $\alpha$-L-fucosidase activities whereas those activities showed a tendency to increase by DEN treatment. The formation of GST-P+ foci was significantly decreased by mistletoe extract or lectin treatment especially in group of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$/kg BW Korean mistletoe. These results suggest that Korean mistletoe extract and lectin have a possibility to inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis of animals.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2017

This study was carried out to investigate the quality characteristics and antioxidant activities of bread containing mistletoe (Viscum album var.) powder (at ratios of 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10% of total flour quantity). As mistletoe powder (MP) content increased, the pH levels of dough and bread and lightness decreased, whereas total titratable acidity increased. The fermentation power of the dough expansion by fermentation decreased with an increase in MP content added. Although bread weight decreased, there were no significant differences in baking loss as MP content increased. Volume and specific volume significantly decreased as MP content increased. Moisture content was highest at a substitution level of 10% and increased with increasing MP content. Lightness of crumbs significantly decreased with increasing MP content, whereas redness and yellowness showed the reverse effect. As MP content increased, changes in hardness, gumminess, and brittleness were all significant. In the sensory evaluation, color, flavor, softness, and overall acceptability were highest at MP 3% and were lowest at MP 10%. Total polyphenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activity of bread significantly increased with increasing MP content. In conclusion, addition of MP 3% showed the best performance in terms of the nutritional and functional aspects of the bread.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.306-312
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• 1997

We attempted to isolate and characterize the lectins from stem and leaves of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) by affinity chromatography. Lectin I was isolated only from stem. Lectin II was not isolated from Korean mistletoe, whereas lectin III was isolated from the stem and leaves. The hemagglutinating activity of lectin I was 16HU and inhibited by D-galactose, lactose, and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine. The lectin I has molecular weight of 60, 000D being composed of two basic subunits with molecular weights of 32, 000D and 28, 000D which are linked by a disufide bond. The lectin III from stem has molecular weight of 66, 000D being two basic subunits which have molecular weights of 34, 000D and 29, 000D and are linked by a disufide bond. The activity of lectin I was stable at the pH range of 4.00-8.50 and at a wide range of temperature (0-42.deg. C). The lectin I showed more potent mitogenic activity to murine lymphocytes than concanavalin A.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.959-965
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• 2007

Two isolectins (KML-IIU and the KML-IIL) were individually isolated from the previously reported Korean mistletoe lectin, KML-C, by using an immunoaffinity column. Molecular weights of the KML-IIU and the KML-IIL were 64 kDa and 60 kDa respectively. Both of the lectins were composed of heterogeneous A and B subunits linked with a disulfide bond, and showed the same carbohydrate-binding specificities for Gal and GalNAc. However, they are different not only in biophysical properties (glycosylation and amino acid compositions) but also bioactivities (cell killing and cytokine induction). The KML-IIL showed 17-145 times stronger in cytotoxicities to various human and mouse cancer cell lines than the KML-IIU. The KML-IIL also induced TNF-$\alpha$ secretion from mouse peritoneal macrophages 4.5 times better than the KML-IIU. The results demonstrated isolectins in Korean mistletoe were varied in bioactivities and the KML-IIL may be developed as an anti-cancer agent.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.278-285
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• 2003

The serine proteases such as human leukocyte elastase (HLE) and porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) are classified in the chymotrypsin family, and possibly the most destructive enzymes having the ability to degrade virtually all of the connective components in the body. In the present study, the extracts of water and methanol of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) inhibited significantly the PPE activity. The fractions eluated on Amberlite XAD-2 from methanol extract were further purified on the repeated $SiO_2$ column chromatography and the fractions A, B and C were eluated. The fractions A, B and C at 3 mg/ml inhibited significantly the PPE activity up to 66%, 95% and 85%, respectively. In conclusion, the fraction A assumed as lignans or phenylpropanes, and fraction B and C assumed as triterpenoids showed the PPE inhibitory effects on the PPE and that these compounds in mistletoe may be used for treatment of pathological processes such as age-dependent tissue loss or inflammation.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.244-250
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• 2005

The copper-containing enzyme, tyrosinase, catalyzes the oxidation of tyrosine into dihydroxy phenylalanine (DOPA) and subsequently DOPAquinone. It is responsible, not only for the pigment melanin biosynthesis in human skin, but also for browning in foods. In the present study, tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant activities of Korean mistletoe extract and its fractions were investigated. As a result, both water and methanol (MeOn) extracts inhibited the tyrosinase activity. Among the fractions, the fraction eluted with $95\%$ MeOn significantly inhibited the tyrosinase activity. The fraction was further purified, and the purified fraction C strongly inhibited the enzyme activity up to $92\%$. In addition, water and methanol extracts exerted radical scavenging effects. The fractions eluted with $70\%\;MeOn\;and\;95\%$ Me on showed high radical scavenging activities. In conclusion, these results suggest that Korean mistletoe extract and its fractions might be useful for the treatment of various dermatological disorders such as epidermal hyperpigmentation and for improving food quality.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2013

Berries of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum [Kom.] Ohwi) contained one seed, which have, in general, one or two embryos but very rarely three embryos. Mucilaginous substances in berries may help them adhere to the branches of host trees. It was observed that seeds need more than one and half years to develop into normal and healthy seedlings from the time of inoculation. Many factors such as adhesion of berry, thickness of host branch, orientation of haustorial root, etc. influenced the successful development of mistletoe plants. Through the application of six-year observation results on the germination of seeds and growth of seedlings, about 80% of germination rate for mistletoe seeds and 61% of survival ratio for germinated seeds, which is more than 23 times higher in natural conditions, were obtained after inoculation of seeds on the one-year-old branches of Malus pumila var. dulcissima and Quercus mongolica trees. The technological aspects of the success can be applied to other host plants and provide a critical clue to an artificial propagation system, for this medicinally valuable genus. This is the first successful report on artificial inoculation and plant development of Korean mistletoe.