• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.1 s.144
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• pp.37-41
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• 2006

This study investigates the chemical components and biological activities in Picrasma quassioides (D.Don) Benn. extracts for the purpose of developing natural pharmaceutical products. The proximate components in Picrasma quassioides (D.Don) Benn. extracts were 81.56% of carbohydrate, 5.80% of crude fat, 7.75% of crude protein, and 2.07% of crude ash. Calcium was the most predominant mineral and followed phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, in a decreasing order. The content of the unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, was find to be higher than those of saturated fatty acids. Water and methanol extract exhibited antioxidative activity with $IC_{50}$ of $128{\mu}g/ml$ and $144{\mu}g/ml$, respectively, suggesting that the extracts are the major biological component in Picrasma quassioides (D.Don) Benn. extracts. The ${\alpha}-glucosidase$ inhibitory activity showed that methanol and water extract were the high inhibitory activity. Considering these results, water extracts of Picrasma quassioides (D/Don) Benn. showed the possibility that they can be used as a new material for natural pharmaceutical products.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.329-334
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• 2007

The potential antioxidant and anticancer activities of Hexane, EtOAc (Ethyl acetate), BuOH (n-Buthanol) and water fractions from methanolic (MeOH) extract of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. were evaluated in vitro. Tested fractions showed strong antioxidant activity, especially EtOAc fraction had the highest activity ($IC_{50}\;=\;114.01\;{\mu}g/mL$), containing high total phenolics and total flavonoids contents, showed $67.59\;Tan\;{\mu}g/mg$ and $64.95\;Que\;{\mu}g/mg$ respectively. Anticancer activity of these fractions was tested by MTT assay on HT-29 (the human colon carcinoma cells) cell line. BuOH fraction not only showed very high anticancer activity, but also had no cytotoxic effect on 293 (the human normal kidney cells) cell line. Considering these results, we used BuOH fraction of MeOH crude extract from P. quassioides (D.Don) Benn. to do assessment of apoptosis by flow cytometry and the mRNA expression levels of widely established apoptotic-related genes on HT-29 cell line. All the experiments showed that BuOH fraction can induce apoptosis on HT-29 cell line strongly. Taken together, methanolic extract of P. quassioides has potential for antioxidant and anticancer activities products.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.5-9
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• 2011

An alkaloid, 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione, was isolated from the stem of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. and characterized by comprehensive analyses of its 1D and 2D NMR spectra. It was also evaluated for its cytotoxic activity in vitro against three human cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, HT-29 and NCI-N87), using MTT assays. We found that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting NO production induced in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The antioxidant activity of 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assays, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays and reducing power assays. Our results showed that 3-methylcanthin-5, 6-dione has significant biological activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.354-359
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• 2012

In our study, we investigated the antioxidant effect of methanol extract from the leaves of Picrasma quassioides (PQ) and Chamaecyparis obtuse (S. et Z.) ENDL (CO). Total polyphenol contents of methanol extracts from PQ and CO varied from 138.3 to $367.52{\mu}g/mg$ and total flavonoid contents varied from 8.12 to $46.41{\mu}g/mg$. Contents of polyphenol and flavonoid in PQ were found to be extremely high. In addition, the methanol extract of PQ had a higher antioxidant activity in both DPPH ($4.79{\mu}g/ml$) and ABTS ($7.21{\mu}g/ml$) compared to other plants (CO). Based on the results of the FRAP assay, PQ showed a value of $8.52{\mu}mol/{\mu}g$ and CO exhibited a value of $1.77{\mu}mol/{\mu}g$. The methanol extracts from the leaves of PQ showed the highest radical-scavenging activity in various antioxidant systems.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.629-636
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• 2013

This study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of methanol extract from the leaves of Picrasma quassioides BENNET (PLME). The antioxidant effects of PLME were measured based on polyphenol and flavonoid contents. PLME was found to have $367.52{\mu}g/mg$ and $46.61{\mu}g/mg$ high polyphenol and flavonoid contents. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) was measured by Griess assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In order to effectively anti-inflammatory agents, we examined the inhibitory effects on the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO and $PGE_2$ in RAW 264.7 cells. PLME significantly decreased the production of NO and $PGE_2$ in a dose-dependent manner, and also reduced the expression of iNOS, a COX-2 protein. In addition, PLME reduced the NF-${\kappa}B$, $I{\kappa}B$ phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells upon stimulation with LPS (100 ng/ml) for 24 h. These results provide evidence for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Picrasma quassioides leaves.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.95-103
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• 1984

The Populus maximowiczii dominated forest of the Sangcheon ravine, Mt. Seolag, is distributed in the area with the conglemerates substrate, along the ravine stream from 170m to 550m in altitude. Toward the both slopes of the northern and southern peak from the stream side, the zonal distribution of vegetation was recognized; P. maximowiczii forest of Pinus densiflora forest and deciduous broad leaved forest. The pure community of P. maximowiczii with even more 80-98% in relative basal area (aspen basal area/basal area) was found in the ravine area from 360m to 420m in altitude, the optimal ranges in the species and community by two dimensional ordination with thermal and xeric cline axis. The species compete with Pinus densiflora, in the ravine stream side, and with deciduous broad leaved tree species such as Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Prunus sargentii, Lindera obtusiloba, in the mountain slope sides. On the other hand, the ravine vegetation, including the aspen forest, was classified into Pinus densiflora, Pinus densiflora-Carpinus laxiflora, Pinus densiflora-Populus maximowiczii, jessoensis, Acer mono-Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Carpinus laxiflora-Quercus mongolica, Quercus variabilis-Quercus ariena, Quercus ariena, Quercus variabilis-Stephanandra incisa, Picrasma quassioides-Celtis sinensis, Betula davurica-Zanthoxylum schinifolium and Styrax obassia-Lindera obtusiloba association.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.85-90
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate the dimensional stability of bentwoods by three treatments: steaming, urethane varnish coating, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment. Bentwood processing employed a bending-jig with only 4 cm radius of curvature (ROC). The used species were bitter wood (Picrasma quassioides), painted maple (Acer mono), and birch (Betula schmidtiii). The bending properties of these are well-known in bentwood production (Jung et al., 2002). The bentwoods were treated repeated at room temperature [20℃, RH 80% (12 hours) and 40℃ under RH 10% (12 hours)]. To estimate the dimensional stability of bentwoods, we measured the radius of curvature and end-distance. The best results could be attained with PEG treatment. Steaming was the worst treatment. Comparing the properties of the different species, the dimensional stability of bitter wood was excellent. It was concluded that the steaming treatment was unsuitable for dimensional stability of bentwoods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.4 s.161
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• pp.269-276
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• 2005

This research was carried out in order to make clear population and community structure of Berchemia berchemiaefolia forest surveyed from October 1998 to October 2004 which was located in Janggok-Ri Gunwi-Gun, Kyungpook province. B. berchemiaefolia community was classified into 3 groups such as Picrasma quassioides group, Carex ciliata-marginata group and Typical group using ZM methods. In case of floristic composition structure according to crown stories, B. berchemiaefolia occupied 42.82%, 34.43%, and 5.28%, in tree layer, subtree layer and shrub layer, respectively. Importance value of Quercus variabilis, Platycarya strobilacea and Quercus serrate species was generally high. Species diversity of Picrasma quassioides group indicated 1.6669 which was highest value among the 3 vegetation groups. Population of B. berchemiaefolia showed overall the structure of reverse J type in DBH class showing the peak between 6 cm and 10 cm and reached 14 meters in height class, and the age structure of the population ranged from 11 years to 60 years showing regular distribution type. Stump sprout or/and epicormic branch made numerous stems around original stump of previous generation which was considered to be cut and disappeared by residents. Seedlings or/and saplings of B. berchemiaefolia were intensively occurred in the opened areas of forest road. Those things could be certainly considered to establish management plan of B. berchemiaefolia forest.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.143-146
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• 2007

This study was carried out to assess the dimensional stability of wood material treated by plastic processing for bentwood and compression wood. The evaluation method was different between two wood materials, but the treatments for them were very similar to each other. One of the main methods is heat treatment with sufficient water vapor. In bentwood, the used species were painted maple (Acer mono), bitter wood (Picrasma quassioides) and birch (Betula schmidtii). Steaming was the worst treatment method for dimensional stabilization of bentwood. The best results could be attained with PEG treatment for dimensional stabilization of bentwood. Dimensional stability of bitter wood was found to be conspicuous. However the steaming treatment at lower temperatures, i.e., about $130^{\circ}C$ was not suitable for dimensional stability of bentwood. In compression wood, the used specimen was Italian poplar wood (Populus euramericana). Two heat compressive pressing conditions, an open-press system and an air-tighten closed-press system, were used. The recovery rate was measured after boiling and/or absorbing in water to estimate the dimensional stability of heat compressed wood. The best dimensional stability of compressed wood in the air-tighten closed-press system was found to be better at $200^{\circ}C$ than $180^{\circ}C$. The best compression rate for dimensional stability was 73 percent.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.298-304
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• 2013

In this study, 64 Korean herbal medicines have been investigated with an in vitro evaluation systems using glycation end products (AGEs) formation inhibitory activity. Of these, 30 herbal medicines ($IC_{50}<50{\mu}g/ml$) were found to have significant AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Of these, four herbal medicines ($IC_{50}<5{\mu}g/ml$) were found to have significant AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Particularly, Cornus controversa (branches and leaves), Acer ginnala (stems and leaves), Platycarya strobilacea (flowers) and Picrasma quassioides (stems), showed more potent inhibitory activity (approximately 17-27 fold) than the positive control aminoguanidine ($IC_{50}=77.04{\mu}g/ml$).