• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.103-118
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• 1989

In order to investigate the uptake of the systemic insecticide, carbofuran, 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl-N-methyl(arbamate) residues, fresh and aged, by rice plants, they were grown for 42 days in soils containing freshly treated (T-1), 3-month-aged (T-2), and 6-month-aged residues (T-3). The amounts of $^{14}CO_2$ evolved from $^{14}C-carbofuran$ during the 3-and 6-month aging in soil (temp. $22{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ ; moisture, 50% of the maximum water-holding capacity) were 8.9 and 26.7% of the original radioactivity applied, respectively. Mineralization of $^{14}C-carbofuran$ in soil to $^{14}CO_2$ during 42 days of rice growing was 4.4% (T-1), 11.0% (T-2), and 15.7 (T-3). The methanol extract of the 3-and 6-month-aged soils revealed that 3-keto carbofuran phenol (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxo-7-benzofuranol) was the major metabolite, where as 3-hydroxy carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-7-benzofuranyl-N-methylcarbamate) turned out to be the major metabolite in the shoots by the enzymatic cleavage of the possible conjugate present in the methanol extract. Volatilization of $^{14}C-carbofuran$ in soil during 3-and 6-month-aging, and 42 days of rice growing was 0.026, 0.05, and 0.012-0.018% of the applied radioactivity, respectively. The $^{14}C-radioactivity$ which was absorbed from the soils by rice plants during 42 days of the growing period and persisted in rice plant tissues was 26.8, 21.4, and 10.3% in T-1, T-2, and T-3, respectively. The non-extractable bound residues were 8.3, 37.9, and 54.6% of the originally applied carbofuran in T-1. T-2, and T-3, respectively. The small translocation of $^{14}C-radioactivity$ in T-3 upwards suggests that major metabolite 3-keto carbofuran phenol is conjugated in roots and the low recovery in T-1 indicates the loss of carbofuran from the shoots.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2015

To determine whether metabolite fingerprinting for whole cell extracts based on Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy can be used to discriminate and compare metabolic equivalence, standard medicinal parts from four medicinal plants (Cynanchum wilfordii Hemsley, Atractylodes japonica Koidz, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg and Astragalus membranaceus Bunge) and their in vitro-produced adventitious roots were analyzed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) from the FT-IR spectral data showed that the whole metabolic pattern from Cynanchum wilfordii was highly similar to Astragalus membranaceus. However, Atractylodes japonica and Polygonum multiflorum showed significantly different metabolic patterns. Furthermore, adventitious roots from Cynanchum wilfordii and Astragalus membranaceus also showed similar metabolic patterns compared to their standard medicinal parts. These results clearly show that mass proliferation of adventitious roots may be applied to aquire novel supply of standard medicinal parts from medicinal plants. However, the whole metabolic pattern from adventitious roots of Atractylodes japonica and Polygonum multiflorum were not similar to their standard medicinal parts. Furthermore, FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analyses established in this study may be applied as an alternative tool to discriminate the whole metabolic equivalence from several standard medicinal parts. Thus, we suggest that these metabolic discrimination systems may be applied for metabolic standardization of herbal medicinal resources.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2018

To determine whether metabolite fingerprinting for whole cell extracts based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) can be used to discriminate and compare metabolic equivalence, standard medicinal parts of Cynanchum wilfordii (Maxim.) Hemsl. and their adventitious roots were subjected to FT-IR. The principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) from FT-IR spectral data showed that whole metabolic pattern from the adventitious root of Cynanchum wilfordii was highly similar to its standard medicinal parts. These results clearly showed that mass proliferation of adventitious roots could be applied for the novel supply of standard medicinal parts of medicinal plants. Furthermore, FT-IR spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis established in this study could be applied as an alternative tool for discriminating of whole metabolic equivalence from standard medicinal parts. Thus, it is proposed that these metabolic discrimination systems from the adventitious root of Cynanchum wilfordii could be applied for metabolic standardization of in vitro grown Cynanchum wilfordii.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.239-244
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• 1973

Effects of nitrogen sources on free amino acids, and on photosynthsis-respiration equilibrium point of various positional leaf in soybean were investigated in relation to phosphorus sensitivity. The content of free amino acids was highest in ammonium and lowest in urea treated leaves. Glycine, serine, alanine and especially histidine were high in the ammonium treated leaves. Aspartic acid was high in the nitrate treated leaves. Photosynthesis respiration equilibrium point was higher in the sensitive cultivars, and higher with ammonium than with nitrate. The excess ammonium in plant appears to draw out an intermediate metabolite from carbon fixation pathway resulting in photosynthetic inhibition and activate pentoses phosphate pathway and photorespiration. Such phenomena were likely accentuated in phosphorus sensitive variety.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.341-345
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• 2009

Cerebral ischemia results from a transient or permanent reduction in cerebral blood flow that decreases oxygen and glucose supply. When the cellular oxygen supply is reduced to critical level, damage to cells and induction of cell death are occurred by excitotoxicity, oxidative stress and inflammation. Ischemia remains one of the leading causes of death, but there is no effective treatment that might protect neurons gainst ischemia by interrupting the cascade of cell death. In this study, human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells are exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) followed by reoxgenation. OGD can mimic the acute restriction of metabolite and oxygen supply caused by ischemia and is widely used as a model of ischemic conditions. SH-SY5Y cells are treated samples at the commencement of OGD to achieve different final concentrations, and cell viabilities were quantified using the measurement of flow cytometry analysis. Of those tested, the extracts of Polygala tenuifolia (roots), Dictamnus dasycarpus (barks), Polygala tenuifolia (roots), Eucommia ulmoides (branches), Eucommia ulmoides (barks), Poria cocos (whole), Sophora flavescens (roots) showed neuroprotective effects, with $EC_{50}$ values of $4.5{\pm}0.6$, $7.9{\pm}1.5$, $10.5{\pm}0.7$, $18.4{\pm}1.9$, $19.6{\pm}0.3$, $21.6{\pm}1.9$, and $30.7{\pm}3.9{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.439-442
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• 2014

Cinnamyl derivatives are abundant secondary metabolite in biomass, and they have been studied on their biological activities. However, little information was available for plant growth regulation of the cinnamyl derivatives. In here, the acid, amide, alcohol, aldehyde and ester of cinnamyl derivatives were screened for their root growth inhibition properties including germination. The aldehyde, amide and ester derivatives showed better the root growth inhibition than the carboxylic acid, and the meta-positioned electron withdrawing group on cinnamyl derivatives enhanced the inhibition activity. 3-Chlorocinnamic acid, cinnamaimde and 4-methoxycinnamaldehyde were highlighted with the early stage root development inhibition ($GR_{50}$ < 100 mg/L) on Brassica campestris.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2017

In the enduring investigation of the bioactive microbes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain (referred to as CGK-KS-1 (ICTB-315)), isolated from Chumathang hot spring, Ladakh, and India, was identified to possess a major bioactive fraction with antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties. This bioactive metabolite was purified through bioactivity-guided fractionation. The chemical structure of this major compound was elucidated as phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN) based on $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR, FT-IR, EI-HR-MS and 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques. In the current study, PCN exhibited antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging between $1.9-3.9{\mu}g/ml$ against various test human pathogens and Xanthomonas spp. PCN showed the anti-biofilm property with the $IC_{50}$ values ranging from 17.04 to $60.7{\mu}M$ against different test pathogens. The in silico docking studies showed PCN strongly interacted with various proteins of different Xanthomonas spp. with high binding energies. We report herein for the first time the anti-biofilm property and the docking studies of PCN. The extrolite from P. aeruginosa strain CGK-KS-1 showed promising bioactivities and may be considered as a potential candidate for application in various biocontrol strategies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1401-1408
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• 2017

Petiveria alliacea L. (Phytolacaceae) is a medicinal plant with a broad range of traditional therapeutic properties, including the treatment of dysentery and intestinal infections caused by protozoan parasites. However, its effects against Entamoeba histolytica have not been reported yet. We investigated the antiamoebic activity present in the leaves of P. alliacea Antiamoebic activity was evaluated in methanolic and aqueous extracts, as well as in the hexanic, methanolic, and EtOAc fractions. The P. alliacea methanolic extract showed a better antiamoebic activity than the aqueous extract with an $IC_{50}=0.51mg/ml$. Likewise, the hexanic fraction was the most effective fraction, showing a dose-dependent activity against E. histolytica, with an $IC_{50}=0.68mg/ml$. Hexanic subfraction 12-19 showed the highest antiamoebic activity at 0.8 mg/ml, producing 74.3% growth inhibition without any toxicity in mammal cells. A major component in subfraction 12-19 was identified as isoarborinol, which produced 51.4% E. histolytica growth inhibition at 0.05 mg/ml without affecting mammal cells. The P. alliacea leaf extract has antiamoebic activity that can be attributed to a major metabolite known as isoarborinol.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

OSCC is currently the most common malignancy of the head and neck, affecting tens of thousands of patients per year worldwide. Natural flavonoids from plants are potential sources for novel anti-cancer drugs. Icariin is the active ingredient of flavonol glycoside, which is derived from the medical plant Herba Epimedii. A metabolite of icariin, icariside II exhibits a variety of pharmacological actions, including anti-rheumatic, anti-depressant, cardiovascular protective, and immunomodulatory functions. However, the exact mechanism causing the apoptosis-inducing effect of icariside II in OSCC is still not fully understood. In the present study, we assessed the anti-cancer effect of icariside II in OSCC cell lines by measuring its effect on cell viability, cell proliferation, and mitochondria membrane potential (MMP). Icariside II treatment of OSCC cells resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability. Hoechst staining indicated apoptosis in icariside II-treated HSC cells. Icariside II inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HSC cells, with significant increases in all present parameters in HSC-4 cells. The results clearly suggested that icariside II induced apoptosis via activation of intrinsic pathways and caspase cascades in HSC-4 cell lines. The collective findings of the study suggested that Icariside II is a potential treatment for OSCC; in addition, the data could provide a basis for the development of a novel anti-cancer strategy.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.368-375
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• 2008

Approximately 120 UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs), which are classified into 14 distinct groups (A to N), have been annotated in the Arabidopsis genome. UGTs catalyze the transfer of sugars to various acceptor molecules including flavonoids. Previously, UGT71C1 was shown to glycosylate the 3-OH of hydroxycinnamates and flavonoids in vitro. Such secondary metabolites are known to play important roles in plant growth and development. To help define the role of UGT71C1 in planta, we investigated its expression patterns, and isolated and characterized a loss-of-function mutation in the UGT71C1 gene (named ugt71c1-1). Our analyses by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), microarray data mining, and histochemical detection of GUS activity driven by the UGT71C1 promoter region, revealed the tissue-specific expression patterns of UGT71C1 with highest expression in roots. Interestingly, upon treatment with methyl viologen (MV, paraquat), ugt71c1-1 plants displayed enhanced resistance to oxidative stress, and ROS scavenging activity was higher than normal. Metabolite profiling revealed that the levels of two major glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol were reduced in ugt71c1-1 plants. In addition, when exposed to MV-induced oxidative stress, eight representative ROS response genes were expressed at lower levels in ugt71c1-1 plants, indicating that ugt71c1-1 probably has higher non-enzymatic antioxidant activity. Taken together, our results indicate that ugt71c1-1 has increased resistance to oxidative stress, suggesting that UGT71C1 plays a role in some glycosylation pathways affecting secondary metabolites such as flavonoids in response to oxidative stress.