• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.384-393
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• 2021

Recently, due to environmental and toxicity issues, there has been increasing attention on research regarding natural products that can reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Wood extracts derived from the biorefining process contain various fertilizer ingredients. HPLC analysis revealed that wood extract contains approximately 5.2% hemicellulosic sugar. The growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) upon treatment with wood extract (extract obtained from steam-exploded pine) or water-soluble fertilizers containing different nutrients was analyzed in this study. After two weeks, the growth characteristics of lettuce as affected by wood extract or water-soluble fertilizers were significantly different. The effect of water-soluble fertilizers containing ascorbic acid, magnesium sulfate, citric acid, potassium nitrate, amino acids, or seaweed extract was less desirable than that of wood extracts regarding plant height (18.6 cm), number of leaves (10), leaf length (14.1 cm), shoot fresh wight (9.8 g/plant), root fresh weight (0.8 g/plant) and shoot dry weight (0.6 g/plant). The plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, shoot fresh wight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight of water-soluble fertilizers containing wood extract were significantly different compared to the control (plant height :13.5 cm, number of leaves : 7, leaf length : 9.4 cm, shoot fresh wight : 5.3 g/plant, root fresh weight : 0.7 g/plant, shoot dry weight : 0.4 g/plant, root dry weight : 0.07 g/plant). From these results, it was concluded that wood extract can be used as a potential water-soluble fertilizer to increase the yield of leafy vegetables.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.296-302
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• 2002

This study was designed to investigate the effects of a butanol extract of pine needles (Pinus densiflora Sieb et Zucc) on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in rats. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups over a 45 days study period: the control group on a basic diet, and three experimental groups on three different dietary levels of the butanol fraction, specifically 25 mg (BuOH-25), 50 mg (BuOH-50), and 100 mg (BuOH-100) butanol fraction/kg body weight/day, thereby 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1% of butanol extract of pine needles was added to basic diet respectively. At the end of the experimental period, body weights and food intakes were food intakes were not different among the four groups. Total and LDL-cholesterol levels were markedly decreased in the BuOH-25, BuOH-50, and BuOH-100 groups, respectively, as follows: 12.8%, 19.1% and 21.6% reductions in total cholesterol; and 10.2%, 15.6% and 23.7% reductions in LDL-cholesterol. However, HDL-cholesterol levels were significantly increased (by approximately 20%) in the serum of the BuOH-100 group only, compared with the control and other experimental groups. Atherogenic indices were also markedly decreased in the three experimental groups, by 24.8%, 30.4% and 36.2%, for each of the BuOH-25, BuOH-50, and BuOH-100 groups, respectively, compared with the control group. The levels of the hydroxyl radical (·OH) and of lipid peroxide (LPO) in the serum of the three experimental groups were significantly reduced, by 9.8%, 19.7% and 21.2%; and by 13.3%, 13.3% and 16.7%, for the BuOH-25, BuOH-50, and BuOH-100 groups, respectively Significant increases in serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) were observed in the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups; specifically, 12.1% in the BuOH-50 group and 23.3% in the BuOH-100 group, compared with the control group. Significant increases in catalase (CAT) avtivities, of 24.7% in the BuOH-50 group and 29.2% in the BuOH-100 group, were also observed, compared to the control group. These results suggest that a butanol extract of pine needles could inhibit chronic degenerative disease through improving lipid metabolism, and could also effectively modulate the aging process attenuating oxidative stress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.604-609
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• 2011

Pine (pinus densiflora) needles have long been used as a traditional health-promoting medicinal food in Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of pine needle extracts on the hepatic antioxidant system in the damaged liver of carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-treated rats. Nine-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: normal group (NOR), $CCl_4$-treated group (CCL), pine needle hot water extract and $CCl_4$-treated group (CCL-P), and Vitamin C and $CCl_4$-treated group (CCL-V). The enzyme activities and antioxidant effects of the pine needle hot water extracts were investigated at the levels of liver homogenates and serum of rats intoxicated with $CCl_4$. Serum GOT and GPT activities by $CCl_4$ treatment increased compared to those of the NOR group. However, they tended to decrease in the hot water extract-administered group. Liver SOD activity in the CCL group was significantly lower than the NOR group (p<0.05). However, they increased in the CCL-P group compared to the CCL group. Further, the CAT and GPx activities of serum treated with $CCl_4$ were higher compared to those of the NOR group but lower in the CCL-P group compared to CCL group. These results suggest that pine needle hot water extract increases antioxidant activities.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.349-350
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• 2002

In order to develop a natural food preservative, Korean plants were extracted with an ethanol and then antimicrobial activity was tested. The antimicrobial activity of the alcohol extract from the sample(Juniperus chinensis, Arundinaria simonii, Pinus densiflora, Artemisia princeps var. orientalis) was so high as to use for a food preservative. It was found that it had the antibacterial effect against a broad spectrum of saprogenous Bacillus sp. such as Bacillus subtilis KCTC 1021. Spraying them to the Ham, it was improved 2 days in its storage period compared to the control.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.281-287
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• 2011

In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant activity of pine needle extracts prepared with hot water, ethanol, hexane, hot water-hexane (HWH), and hot water-ethanol (HWE), using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical method. The hot water extract possessed superior antioxidant activity than the other extracts. We also compared the antioxidant activity of pine needle extracts through ROS inhibition activity in a cellular system using MC3T3 E-1 cells. The hot water extract exhibited the lowest ROS production. The pattern of HPLC analysis of each extract indicated that the hot water extract contained the highest proanthocyanidin level. The pine needle hot-water extract was then isolated and fractionated with Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography to determine the major contributor to its antioxidant activity. The No.7 and 12 fractions had high antioxidant activities, that is, the highest contents of proanthocyanidins and catechins, respectively. These results indicate that the antioxidant activity of procyanidins from the hot water extract of pine needles is positively related to not only polymeric proanthocyanidins but also to monomeric catechins. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of the pine needle hot water extract was similar to well-known antioxidants, such as vitamin C. This suggests that pine needle proanthocyanidins and catechins might be of interest for use as alternative antioxidants.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-22
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• 2010

Flavonoids are known to be effective scavengers of free radicals. In particular, proanthocyanidins are flavonoids that possess cardiovascular protection, antioxidative activities, and immunomodulatory activities. Here, we evaluated proanthocyanidin contents in the total polyphenolic compounds of pine needle extracts prepared by hot water, ethanol, hexane, hot water-hexane (HWH), and hot water-ethanol (HWE). Analysis of each extract indicated that the ethanol extract contained the highest proanthocyanidin concentration. The HWH and hexane extracts also contained relatively high concentrations of proanthocyanidin. On the other hand, proanthocyanidin content analyses out of the total polyphenolic compounds indicated that the HWH extract contained the highest content. These results suggest that HWH extraction is a suitable method to obtain an extract with a high level of pure proanthocyanidins and a relatively high yield. The HWH extract possessed superior activity in diverse antioxidative analyses such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferrous ion chelating (FIC), and ferric-ion reducing power (FRAP) assays. In addition, upon assessing the effects of the pine needle extracts on macrophages (Raw 264.7 cell), the HWH extract exhibited the highest activity. In this study, we discerned an efficient extraction method to achieve relatively pure proanthocyanidins from pine needles and evaluated the biological functions of the resulting extract, which could potentially be used for its efficacious components in functional food products.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.291-295
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• 2002

This study was designed to investigate the effects of a butanol (BuOH) fraction from an extract of pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb et Zucc.) needles, on oxygen radicals and their scavenger enzymes in the liver membranes of rats. Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups over a 45 days study period: the control group on a basic diet, and three experimental groups on three different dietary levels of the butanol fraction, specifically 25 mg (BuOH-25), 50 mg (BuOH-50), and 100 mg (BuOH-100) butanol fraction/kg body weight/day, thereby 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1% of butanol extract of pine needles was added to basil diet respectively. At the end of the experimental period, body weights and food intakes were not different among the four groups. The results showed that cholesterol accumulation in the mitochondria and microsomes of liver cells was significantly inhibited in the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups: by 11.6% and 20.1% in the mitochondria of the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups, respectively; and by 10.5%, and 13.5% in the microsomes of the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups, respectively, compared with the control group. The levels of hydroxyl radicals (.OH) were significantly) lower in the liver mitochondria of the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups (by 13.3% and 18.5%, respectively), while OH radicals were significantly lower in the microsomes or all three experimental groups (by 15.7% in the BuOH-25 group, 20.0% in the BuOH-50 group, and 20.6% in the BuOH-100group), compared with the control group. Superoxide radical (O$_2$) formation was also significantly inhibited in the liver cytosol of both BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups; the levels of these radicals were 8.0% lower for the BuOH-50 group and 11.1% lower for the BuOH-100 group, compared to the control group. Copper/Zinc - superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) activities were significantly increased (by 10.3% and 15.9%, respectively) in the liver cytosols of the BuOH-50 and BuOH-100 groups, but Mn-SOD activities were almost identical in the three RuOH groups, compared with the control group. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were significantly increased in the three experimental groups (by 9.0% in the BuOH-25 group, 19.4% in the BuOH-50 group, and by 25.6% in the BuOH-100 group), compared with the control group. These results suggest that the butanol extract of pine needles may play an effective role in attenuating oxygen radicals and activating scavenger enzymes; consequently, aging may be very effectively modulated and/or inhibited.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.646-651
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• 2017

This study was carried out to examine the antimicrobial activity of 70% ethanol and hot water extracts from different parts and essential oil in Pinus densiflora on skin pathogens such as Staphylococcus epiermidis, S. aureus, Propionibacterium acnes, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, and Trichophyton rubrum. The antimicrobial activities of extracts and essential oil were tested by paper disc assay and minimum inhibitory concentration test. The ethanol extract of pine pollen showed antimicrobial activity against C. tropicalis and T. rubrum. Ethanol extract of pine needle and pine gnarl showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, C. tropicalis, and P. acnes. Essential oil from pine needle exhibited antimicrobial activity against C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and P. acnes. The minimum inhibitory concentration of ethanol extracts of pine needle and pine gnarl against P. acnes and C. tropicalis ranged from 0.002% to 0.0063%. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (0.025%) against C. albicans and C. tropicalis was obtained from essential oil. These results indicate that ethanol extracts of pine pollen, pine needle, pine gnarl, and essential oil of pine needle could be applicable to control the skin infection pathogens. Especially, ethanol extract of pine gnarl had a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and pine extracts and essential oil exhibited higher antimicrobial activity with Candida sp. and P acnes.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.290-296
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• 2013

In preliminary tests, we examined the effect of several fractions isolated from fermented pine needle extract on pacemaker potentials in cultured interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) from the mouse colon using a whole cell patch clamp technique. Among these fractions, Fraction 3 (F3) elicited the most powerful depolarization of membrane. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of F3 obtained from fermented extract of Pinus densiflora needle on pacemaker potentials in ICCs and to establish its mechanism of action. Colonic ICCs generated spontaneous periodic pacemaker potentials in the current-clamp mode. F3 depolarized the membrane and decreased the frequency and amplitude of pacemaker potentials in a dose-dependent fashion. The F3-induced effects on pacemaker potentials were blocked by methoctramine, a muscarinic $M_2$ receptor antagonist, and by glycopyrrolate, a muscarinic $M_3$ receptor antagonist. The F3-induced effects on pacemaker potentials were blocked by external $Na^+$-free solution and by flufenamic acid, a non-selective cation channel blocker, as well as by the removal of external $Ca^{2+}$ and in the presence of thapsigargin, a $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase inhibitor in the endoplasmic reticulum. Taken together, these results suggest that F3 of pine needle extract modulates the pacemaker activity of colonic ICCs by the activation of non-selective cation channels via muscarinic $M_2$ and $M_3$ receptors. And external $Ca^{2+}$ influx and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release are involved in F3 actions on ICCs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.165-175
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• 2011

This study investigates the effects of Psidium guajava L. leaf (Pg) extract, Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaf (Ls) extract, and mixture A (Pg, Ls, Morus indica L. leaf, Pinus densiflora needles, Acanthopanax senticosus M. roots extract) on db/db mice. For four weeks, db/db mice were fed powdered extracts of Pg, Ls, and mixture A. Compared to the diabetic control, extracts of Pg, Ls and mixture A decreased body weight, glucose and insulin. The greatest decreases were caused by mixture A. These extracts decreased the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and free fatty acid compared to the diabetic control. The antihyperlipidemic effect of mixture A was the greatest. Mixture A also significantly decreased injuries of Langerhans' islets compared to the diabetic control. Mixture A showed a beneficial synergistic effect due to the supplementary pharmacological actions of the ingredients in contains, indicating that it improved hyperglycemia without the side effect of weight gain.