• Title/Summary/Keyword: Natural Medicine

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Effect of Fermented Cirsium japonicum Extract on Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (엉겅퀴 발효 추출물을 통한 남성 갱년기 증상 개선 효과)

  • Jeong, Byung Seo;Kim, Seong Hoon;Kim, Hyun Pyo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.46 no.7
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    • pp.790-800
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    • 2017
  • As men get older, total testosterone levels decline gradually, and concentrations of free and bioavailable testosterone decline sharply with each decade beyond their 30s. Andropause or testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) is defined as a decrease in sexual satisfaction or decline in general well-being accompanied by low levels of testosterone in older men. This male climacteric is characterized by nervousness, reduced potency, decreased libido, irritability, fatigue, depression, memory problems, sleep disturbances, and hot flushes. Cirsium japonicum (CJ) is used as a traditional medicine for hemorrhage, blood congestion, and inflammation in Korea. However, there is no report on the efficacy of CJ treatment for TDS. In this study, we observed the mitigating effect of CJ extract (CE) and fermented CJ extract (FCE) on symptoms of TDS. In elderly male rats, total and testosterone levels, hind limbs muscles, forced swimming time, and total and motile sperm counts significantly increased after daily intake of CE and FCE for 6 weeks. In contrast, sex hormone binding globulin, retroperitoneal fat, total serum cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly reduced in CE and FCE groups. However, there was no difference in prostate specific antigen, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels among all groups, which means CE and FCE did not have putative adverse effects. In a cell experiment, we also observed that CE and FCE enhanced expression of genes related to testosterone biosynthesis but reduced genes involved in testosterone conversion. On the whole, these positive effects on TDS were greater in FCE compared to CE. Thus, these results suggest the potential of FCE as a promising natural product for recovering testosterone levels and alleviating TDS.

Wearable Computers

  • Cho, Gil-Soo;Barfield, Woodrow;Baird, Kevin
    • Fiber Technology and Industry
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    • v.2 no.4
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    • pp.490-508
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    • 1998
  • One of the latest fields of research in the area of output devices is tactual display devices [13,31]. These tactual or haptic devices allow the user to receive haptic feedback output from a variety of sources. This allows the user to actually feel virtual objects and manipulate them by touch. This is an emerging technology and will be instrumental in enhancing the realism of wearable augmented environments for certain applications. Tactual displays have previously been used for scientific visualization in virtual environments by chemists and engineers to improve perception and understanding of force fields and of world models populated with the impenetrable. In addition to tactual displays, the use of wearable audio displays that allow sound to be spatialized are being developed. With wearable computers, designers will soon be able to pair spatialized sound to virtual representations of objects when appropriate to make the wearable computer experience even more realistic to the user. Furthermore, as the number and complexity of wearable computing applications continues to grow, there will be increasing needs for systems that are faster, lighter, and have higher resolution displays. Better networking technology will also need to be developed to allow all users of wearable computers to have high bandwidth connections for real time information gathering and collaboration. In addition to the technology advances that make users need to wear computers in everyday life, there is also the desire to have users want to wear their computers. In order to do this, wearable computing needs to be unobtrusive and socially acceptable. By making wearables smaller and lighter, or actually embedding them in clothing, users can conceal them easily and wear them comfortably. The military is currently working on the development of the Personal Information Carrier (PIC) or digital dog tag. The PIC is a small electronic storage device containing medical information about the wearer. While old military dog tags contained only 5 lines of information, the digital tags may contain volumes of multi-media information including medical history, X-rays, and cardiograms. Using hand held devices in the field, medics would be able to call this information up in real time for better treatment. A fully functional transmittable device is still years off, but this technology once developed in the military, could be adapted tp civilian users and provide ant information, medical or otherwise, in a portable, not obstructive, and fashionable way. Another future device that could increase safety and well being of its users is the nose on-a-chip developed by the Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee. This tiny digital silicon chip about the size of a dime, is capable of 'smelling' natural gas leaks in stoves, heaters, and other appliances. It can also detect dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. This device can also be configured to notify the fire department when a leak is detected. This nose chip should be commercially available within 2 years, and is inexpensive, requires low power, and is very sensitive. Along with gas detection capabilities, this device may someday also be configured to detect smoke and other harmful gases. By embedding this chip into workers uniforms, name tags, etc., this could be a lifesaving computational accessory. In addition to the future safety technology soon to be available as accessories are devices that are for entertainment and security. The LCI computer group is developing a Smartpen, that electronically verifies a user's signature. With the increase in credit card use and the rise in forgeries, is the need for commercial industries to constantly verify signatures. This Smartpen writes like a normal pen but uses sensors to detect the motion of the pen as the user signs their name to authenticate the signature. This computational accessory should be available in 1999, and would bring increased peace of mind to consumers and vendors alike. In the entertainment domain, Panasonic is creating the first portable hand-held DVD player. This device weight less than 3 pounds and has a screen about 6' across. The color LCD has the same 16:9 aspect ratio of a cinema screen and supports a high resolution of 280,000 pixels and stereo sound. The player can play standard DVD movies and has a hour battery life for mobile use. To summarize, in this paper we presented concepts related to the design and use of wearable computers with extensions to smart spaces. For some time, researchers in telerobotics have used computer graphics to enhance remote scenes. Recent advances in augmented reality displays make it possible to enhance the user's local environment with 'information'. As shown in this paper, there are many application areas for this technology such as medicine, manufacturing, training, and recreation. Wearable computers allow a much closer association of information with the user. By embedding sensors in the wearable to allow it to see what the user sees, hear what the user hears, sense the user's physical state, and analyze what the user is typing, an intelligent agent may be able to analyze what the user is doing and try to predict the resources he will need next or in the near future. Using this information, the agent may download files, reserve communications bandwidth, post reminders, or automatically send updates to colleagues to help facilitate the user's daily interactions. This intelligent wearable computer would be able to act as a personal assistant, who is always around, knows the user's personal preferences and tastes, and tries to streamline interactions with the rest of the world.

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The effect of safflower seed fraction extract on periodontal ligament fibroblast and MC3T3-E1 cell in vitro (홍화씨 분획 추출물이 치주인대 섬유아세포와 MC3T3-E1 세포에 미치는 영향)

  • Huh, Ji-Sun;Kang, Jung-Hwa;Yoo, Yun-Jung;Kim, Chang-Sung;Cho, Kyoo-Sung;Choi, Seong-Ho
    • Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.833-846
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    • 2001
  • Recently, use of natural medicine is getting more attention, and some of them are believed to be effective in the treatment of periodontitis. Among them, the seeds of safflower(Carthamus tinctrorius L.) have been proven to be effective through its use in bone diseases such as fracture and osteoporosis. During the last few years, studies using the seeds of safflower gown in Korea have been active, and it has been reported that safflower seed extract increase the proliferation and the alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity of human periodontal ligament fibroblast(hPDLF), osteoblast, and that they promote the mineralization process. In animal studies, when safflower seed extract were administered orally new bone formation was promoted. Recently, in an effort to find out the most effective osteogenic components, among many components of the safflower seed, various safflower seed fraction extracts were obtained by multistep extraction of the safflower components using various solvents. Among these, saf-M-W fraction extracted by methanol and water was most effective in increasing osteogenic potential of osteoblasts. In this study, the effect of safflower seed fraction extract, saf-M-W, on the growth and differentiation of hPDLF and MC3T3-E1 cell was investigated. The toxicity of saf-M-W on both cells was measured using M'IT(3-(4,5dimethylthiazol-2-y1)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) test, and ALP activity was measured using the colorimetric assay of hPDLF. In addition, in MC3T3-El cells, the expression of ALP, bone sialoprotein(BSP) mRNA was observed using Northern blot, and the mineralized nodule formation Was observed using von Kossa stain and phase-contrast microscope. 1. In concentrations below $10{\mu}g/ml$, saf-M-W didn't show any toxicity on hPDLF and MC3T3-El cell. 2. The change in saf-M-W concentration had no effect on the ALP activity of hPDLF. 3. In MC3T-E1 cells, mRNA expressions of ALP and BSP were greater in the experimental group treated with $10{\mu}g/ml$ concentration of saf-M-W compared with the control group. 4. In MC3T3-El cells, abundance of mineralized nodules were formed in the experimental group treated with $10{\mu}g/ml$ Concentration of saf-M-W, while no mineralized nodule was formed in the control group. These results suggest that safflower seed fraction extract, saf-M-W. didn't show any toxicity on hPDLF and MC3T3-E1 cell at concentrations below $10{\mu}g/ml$ and effectively enhanced the differentiation and osteogenic potential of MC3T3-El cell.

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The error analysis of field size variation in pelvis region by using immobilization device (고정기구의 사용이 골반부위 방사선조사영역의 변화에 미치는 오차분석)

  • Kim, Ki-Hwan;Kang, No-Hyun;Bim, Dong-Wuk;Kim, Jun-Sang;Jang, Ji-Young;Kim, Yong-Eun;Kim, Jae-Sung;Cho, Moon-June
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.31-36
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    • 2000
  • In radiotherapy, it may happen to radiate surrounding normal tissue because of inconsistent field size by changing patient position during treatment. We are going to analyze errors reduced by using immobilization device with Electonic portal imaging device(EPID) in this study. We had treated the twenty-one patients in pelvic region with 10 MV X-ray from Aug. 1998 to Aug. 1999 at Chungnam National University Hospital. All patients were treated at supine position during treatment. They were separated to two groups, 11 patients without device and 10 patients with immobilization device. We used styrofoam for immobilization device and measured the errors of anterior direction for x, y axis and lateral direction for z, y axis from simulation film to EPID image using matching technique. For no immobilization device group, the mean deviation values of x axis and y axis are 0.19 mm. 0.48 mm, respectively and the standard deviations of systematic deviation are 2.38 mm, 2.19 mm, respectively and of random deviation for x axis and y axis are 1.92 mm. 1.29 mm, respectively. The mean deviation values of z axis and y axis are -3.61 mm. 2.07 mm, respectively and the standard deviations of systematic deviation are 3.20 mm, 2.29 mm, respectively and of random deviation for z axis and y axis are 2.73 mm. 1.62 mm, respectively. For immobilization device group, the mean deviation values of x axis and y axis are 0.71 mm. -1.07 mm, respectively and the standard deviations of systematic deviation are 1.80 mm, 2.26 mm, respectively and of random deviation for x axis and y axis are 1.56 mm. 1.27 mm, respectively. The mean deviation values of z axis and y axis are -1.76 mm. 1.08 mm, respectively and the standard deviations of systematic deviation are 1.87 mm, 2.83 mm, respectively and of random deviation for x axis and y axis are 1.68 mm, 1.65 mm, respectively. Because of reducing random and systematic error using immobilization device, we had obtained good reproducibility of patient setup during treatment so that we recommend the use of immobilization device in pelvic region of radiation treatment.

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Analgesic Effect of Hippophae rhamnoides Extract in Orofacial Pain in Rats (구강안면통증모델에서 산자나무 추출물의 진통효과)

  • Kim, Yun-Kyung;Choi, Ja-Hyeong;Kim, Hee-Jin;Yoon, Hyun-Seo;Hyun, Kyung-Yae;Lee, Min-Kyung
    • Journal of dental hygiene science
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    • v.17 no.6
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    • pp.495-500
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    • 2017
  • Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a shrub wood that belongs to the bamboo tree family, and is rich in vitamin C, D, and E; it is referred to as a vitamin tree. It is mainly grown in the high mountains of Europe and Central Asia, and has been widely used in China and Russia as natural medicine. Recent studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of cancer, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and gastrointestinal diseases. However, results of studies on its effect on the regulation of pain are insufficient. In this study, we investigated the effect of sea buckthorn on the development and control of pain in two facial areas. The experimental animals included 7- to 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (240~260 g). Formalin (5%), which is known as an inflammation inducer, was injected into the vibrissa pad or temporomandibular joints to induce orofacial acute pain. Rubbing or scraping of the region injected with formalin was regarded as a pain index, and the behavioral response was observed for 45 minutes after the injection. Sea buckthorn extract diluted to 150, 300 mg/kg (in 1 ml of distilled water) was orally administered 30 minutes prior to the acute pain. The facial pain behavior was effectively reduced in the 300 mg/kg group when compared to the control group (vehicle). Likewise, in an experiment in which formalin was injected into the temporomandibular joints, effective pain alleviation was confirmed at the same drug concentration. These results suggest that sea buckthorn extract may be useful in the development of therapeutic agents for acute inflammatory pain in the orofacial area and for controlling temporomandibular joint pain.

The Anti-angiogenic Potential of a Phellodendron amurense Hot Water Extract in Vitro and ex Vivo (in Vitro와 ex vivo에서 황백 온수추출물의 신생혈관 억제효과)

  • Kim, Eok-Cheon;Kim, Seo Ho;Bae, Kiho;Kim, Han Sung;Gelinsky, Michael;Kim, Tack-Joong
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.25 no.6
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    • pp.693-702
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    • 2015
  • Blocking new blood-vessel formation (angiogenesis) is now recognized as a useful approach to the therapeutic treatment of many solid tumors. The best validated approach to date is to target the vascular endothelial growth-factor (VEGF) pathway, a key regulator of angiogenesis. Many natural products and extracts that contain a variety of chemopreventive compounds have been shown to suppress the development of malignancies through their anti-angiogenic properties. Phellodendron amurense, which is widely used in Korean traditional medicine, has been shown to possess antitumor, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. The present study investigated the effects of P. amurense hot-water extract (PAHWE) on angiogenesis, a key process in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. To investigate PAHWE’s anti-angiogenic properties, this study’s authors performed an analysis of angiogenesis and endothelial-cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation, as well as zymogram assays and the rat aortic ring-sprouting assay. PAHWE inhibited cell growth, mobility, and vessel formation in response to VEGF in vitro and ex vivo. Furthermore, it reduced VEGF-induced intracellular signaling events, such as the activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9. These results indicate that PAHWE’s anti-angiogenic properties might lead to the development of potential drugs for treating angiogenesis-associated diseases such as cancer.

Chemical Components and Biological Activity of Stauntonia hexaphylla (멀꿀의 화학성분과 생리활성)

  • Park, Yun-Jum;Park, Yong-Seo;Towantakavanit, Korsak;Park, Jae-Ok;Kim, Young-Min;Jung, Kyoo-Jin;Cho, Ja-Yong;Lee, Kyung-Dong;Heo, Buk-Gu
    • Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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    • v.22 no.5
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    • pp.403-411
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    • 2009
  • This study was conducted to gather the basic data on the increase of utilization for the Japanese staunton vine (Stauntonia hexaphylla), native plants which were grown in the southern districts in Korea. We have also determined their partial physical and chemical compositions and their physiological activities. Vitamin C contents in fruit skin was 85.23 mg/100 g, and that in flesh was 61.67 mg/100 g. Total amino acids contents in fruit skin increased much more by 762.72 mg/100 g DW compared to that in flesh by 434.05 mg/100 g DW. Inorganic matter contents were more increased in the fruit skin (108.48 mg/$\ell$) and its main components were K (76.53 mg/$\ell$), Ca (20.20 mg/$\ell$) and Mg (6.22 mg/$\ell$). Total phenol compound and flavonoid contents in 1,000 mg/$\ell$ methanol extracts were 7.3-9.6 mg/$\ell$ and 5.1-6.7 mg/$\ell$. Nitrite radical scavenging activity in 4,000 mg/$\ell$ methanol extracts of fruit skin and flesh for Stauntonia hexaphylla were 79.5% and 77.8%, however, that in seeds was 17.1%. Overall mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity (% of control) was less than 10.8%. Anti-microbial activities of methanol extracts from the fruit skin against the gram negative and positive microbial strains were not significant in the lower concentration of extracting solution, however, that from flesh and seeds in terms of the inhibition diameter were $8.91{\sim}12.25\;mm$.

Induction of Apoptosis by Piceatannol in YD-15 Human Oral Cancer Cells (피세아타놀에 의한 YD-15 구강암세포의 세포자가사멸 유도 효과)

  • Lee, Hae-Nim;Jang, Hye-Yeon;Kim, Hyeong-Jin;Shin, Seong-Ah;Choo, Gang-Sik;Park, Byung-Kwon;Kim, Byeong-Soo;Jung, Ji-Youn
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.44 no.7
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    • pp.975-982
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    • 2015
  • Piceatannol (trans-3,4,3',5'-trihydroxystilbene), a natural stilbene, is an analogue of resveratrol. In the present study, possible mechanisms by which piceatannol exerts its pro-apoptotic action in cultured human oral cancer YD-15 cells were investigated. To investigate whether or not piceatannol has effects on cancer cell viability, human oral YD-15 cells were treated with piceatannol (0, 50, and $100{\mu}M$). Piceatannol treatment ($100{\mu}M$) showed the strongest inhibition of cell proliferation and reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Chromatin condensation detected by DAPI staining significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner, indicating apoptosis. Piceatannol treatment activated initiator Bax (pro-apoptotic) and cPARP in a concentration-dependent manner. Further, piceatannol induced down-regulation of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic). We also evaluated the activity of piceatannol against oral cavity cancer tumors in mice. Piceatannol-treated nude mice bearing YD-15 xenograft tumors exhibited significantly reduced tumor volume and weight due to the potent effect of piceatannol on tumor cell apoptosis, as determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Immunohistochemistry staining showed elevated expression of cleaved-caspase-3 as well as reduced expression of Ki-67 in the piceatannol-treated group. Therefore, piceatannol can be developed as a cancer preventive medicine due to its growth inhibitory effects and induction of apoptosis in human oral cancer cells.

Effects of Environment Friendly Agricultural Materials to Insect Parasitoids in the Laboratory (실내조건에서 친환경농자재가 기생성 천적곤충에 미치는 영향)

  • Yu, Yong-Man;Kang, Eun-Jin;Seo, Mi-Ja;Kang, Myeng-Gi;Lee, Hee-Jin;Kim, Da-A;Gil, Mi-La;Youn, Young-Nam
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.45 no.2 s.143
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    • pp.227-234
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    • 2006
  • For the biological control of the greenhouse whitefly, aphids, American leaf-miners, Encarsia formosa, Aphidius coiemani, Diglyphus isaea, and Dacnusa sibirica were used as biological control factors. Otherwise, many kinds of environment friendly agricultural materials were also used in the kindly environment friendly farming. For testing the toxicity of environment friendly agricultural materials against to insect parasitoids as biological control factors, 61 environment friendly agricultural materials were selected by using methods and periods with insect parasitoids in the greenhouses. Environment friendly agricultural materials were sprayed to mummies and adults of E. formosa and A. colemani, and adults of Diglyphus isaea and Dacnusa sibirica in laboratory condition. Emergence rates were checked during 12 days after spray to mummies of E. formosa and A. colemani, and survival rates were at 24 and 48 hours after viral test for adult parasitoids, with 10% sugar solution. Emergence rates of E. formosa mummies were inhibited by sprayed the fungicidal environment friendly agricultural material (FEFAM) E and the environment friendly agricultural materials contained molybdenum (EFAMMo) G as 0.4 and 2.7%, respectively. E. formosa adults were not survived in vial for 48hours after sprayed and dried with the environment friendly agricultural materials contained plant extract (EFAMPE) J and the EFAMMo C. The environment friendly agricultural materials contained microelements (EFAMMEs) B and EFAMPE H, environment friendly agricultural materials contained useful soil microorganisms (EFAMSMs) H, FEFAM A and FEFAM D were recorded low survival rates of E. formosa adults with 6.7, 13.3, 13.3, 20.0 and 20.0, respectively. In case of the spraying environment friendly agricultural materials to mummies of A. colemani there were low emergence rate from mummies to adults as around 20s % with water spraying as control. A. colemani adults were not survived in vial with EFAMMo C. EFAMPE J, EFAMPE F, EFAMPE H, EFAMSM H were recorded low survival rates under 20% as 6.7, 13.3, 13.3 and 13.3, respectively, D. isaea and D. sibirica adults were not survived in vial with EFAMPE J. EFAMMo C was 53.3% of survival rates in 48 hours vial tests. D. isaea and D. sibirica were not affected by environment friendly agricultural materials compared with E. formosa and A. colemani.

Biological Characteristics of Sclerodermus harmandi (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Parasitized on Cerambycid (하늘소류에 기생하는 개미침벌(Sclerodermus harmandi)의 생물적 특성)

  • Hong, Jung-Im;Koh, Sang-Hyun;Chung, Yeong-Jin;Shin, Sang-Chul;Kim, Gil-Hah;Choi, Kwang-Sik
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.133-139
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    • 2008
  • This study was performed to investigate the immature development period, fecundity, emergence rate and sex ratio of Sclerodermus harmandi against different host insects, Monochamus alternatus, M. saltuarius and Psacothea hilaris. Full grown larvae and pupae of host insects were provided with foods. The mean larval period of S. harmandi female was $29.2{\pm}0.93\;and\;25.1{\pm}0.47$ days in larvae and pupae of M. alternatus, $27.1{\pm}0.41\;and\;26.0{\pm}0.69$ days in M. saltuarius, and $26.3{\pm}0.38\;and\;31.2{\pm}0.24$ days in P. hilaris, respectively. S. hilaris adults were emerged at $12.9{\pm}0.2$ days in female and $11.9{\pm}0.2$ days in male after pupation when hosted M. alternatus pupa. Development period in male showed shorter one day than in female. Success rate of oviposition against different hosts was higher as 98.6 and 97.5% on full grown larva and pupa of M saltuarius. Emergence rate was higher as 90.1 and 87.3% on M. saltuarius larvae and pupae. Sex ratio of emerged S. harmandi adults was approximately 10:1 (Female : Male), females showed higher emergence rate than males. The period until first oviposition after emergence in S. harmandi female was the shortest in $4.6{\pm}0.1$ days on M. saltuarius pupa. When three females of S. harmandi were inoculated on M. saltuarius larva, the number of laid eggs was the highest $62.7{\pm}2.5$ per female.