• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.231-234
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• 1997

Four urushiol components isolated from the sap of Korean lacquer tree(Rhus vernicifera Stokes) showed a strong antifungal activity, but they have no or low activity the bacteria and yeasts. Among them, 3-pentadecylcatechol marked the highest activity on the spore germination of Cladosporium herbarum ($MIC:4{\mu}g/ml$).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.227-230
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• 1997

The authors isolated four olefinic catechols, commonly referred to as urushiol, from the sap of Korean lacquer tree(Rhus vernicifera STOKES) with stronger antioxidative activities than $\alpha-tocopherol$. The hexane extract with a free radical scavenging activity was purified by silica and ODS gel column chromatography. The active compounds were identified by MS and $^1H-NMR$ as 3-[8'(Z),11'(Z),14'-pentadecatrienyl]catechol, 3-[8'(Z),11'(Z)-pentadecadienyl]catechol, 3-[8'(Z)-pentadecenyl] catechol, and 3-pentadecylcatechol. All of these compounds showed strong free radical scavenging activities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical, in which 3-pentadecylacatechol exhibited the highest activity ($IC_{50}$: $1.2{\mu}g/ml$). They also showed a significant inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation ($IC_{50}$: 2.1 - 3.5 ${\mu}g/ml$). The antioxidative activity of 3-pentadecylcatechol on DPPH radical and lipid peroxidation is approximately two times greater than that of $\alpha$-tocopherol. The results suggest that the urushiol derivatices may contribute to the preservative characteristics effective against oxidative stress and could be a good source for industrial applications including a coating material.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 1998

For the comparison of the urushiol composition and biological acitivity between the fresh sap and fire distilled sap of lacquer tree(Rhus vernicifera), we analysed the urushiol composition by HPLC and EI-MS, and investigated the antioxidative , antimicrobial and anticancer acitivities according to solvent fractionations. There was no difference in the urushiol composition between fresh and fire distilled saps of lacquer tree. The hexane frqctionsof two saps showed a strong DPPH radical scaverging activity (RC50 : 7.0-7.5$\mu\textrm{g}$). They also showed a strong antifungal activity onthe spore germination of Cladosporium herbarum(MIC : 8$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml), whereas they have no or low activity against the bacteria(BAcillus subtilis , Escherichia coli). In addition , hexane and butanol fractions of two saps showed a strong inhibitory activity against cultured tumour cell lines (GI50 : 0.35, 12.29$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml) in vitro. These results confirm that the fresh sap and fire distilled sap might have the similar urushiol compositions and biological activities.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.638-641
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• 1999

Cytotoxicities of four urushiols, congeners isolated from the sap of Korean lacquer tree (Rhus vernicifera Stokes), to 29 human cancer cell lines originated from 9 organs were evaluated. Their values of 50% growth inhibition were below $4{\mu}g/ml$, and showed cell line specific cytotoxicity. The present results is the first report on the cytotoxicity of urushiols suggesting that they would have an anticancer activity to human cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.284-287
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• 2002

Four olefinic catechols, commonly referred to as urushiol were isolated from the sap of Korean Rhus verniciflua Stokes and had the stronger inhibitory effects on the reverse transcriptase of AIDS. The hexane extract with a inhibitory effects on reverse transcriptase was purified by silica and ODS gel column chromatography. The active compounds were identified by MS and $^1H-NMR$ as 3-[8' (Z), 11' (Z), 14' -pentadecatrienyl]catechol, 3-[8' (Z), 11' (Z)-pentadecadienyl]catechol, 3-[8' (Z)-penta- decenyl]catechol, and 3-pentadecylcatechol. All of these compounds showed strong inhibitory effects on reverse transcriptase of AIDS, in which 3-pentadecylcatechol exhibited the highest activity $(IC_{50}\;:\;10.87\;{\mu}g/ml)$.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.275-279
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• 2003

Excised cotyledons and embryo axises of zygotic embryos of Rhus vemicifera were cultured on Murashige and Skoog(MS) medium with various concentrations of 2,4-D. About 3-5% of explants produced callus. Embryogenic callus was preferentially induced from basal parts of embryo axis of zygotic embryos seeds when they were cultured without removal of seed coats. Somatic embryos were developed from embryogenic callus in growth regulator-free medium after 2-3 subcultures on medium with 1.0mg/L 2,4-D and these embryos were matured to cotyledonary stage. Plantlets with well-developed shoots and roots from embryos were obtained on $\frac{1}{4}$MS medium with GA$_{3}$. After acclimatization of plantlets on artificial soil, they were exposed to soil pots.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.168-172
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• 2002

Antioxidative activities of solvent fractions obtained from Korean Rhus vernicifera, being used in food industry and as a traditional medicine, were examined by the methods of DPPH scavenging activity, inhibitory effect on autooxidation of linoleic acid, nitrite scavenging activity and the inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase activity. Ethyl acetate fraction showed potent antioxidative activities. Three compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction by rotatory locular counter current chromatography (RLCCC), Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and HPLC. The isolated compounds were 1,2,3-trihydroxybezene, methyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate and 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid determined by GC/MS and, $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR. Among the isolated compounds, methyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate showed the strongest antioxidative activity than artificial antioxidants, BHA and BHT in various methods. However, these isolated compounds did not show cytotoxicity effects on the human cancer cell lines. Therefore, we may suggest that methyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate can be used as a food additive possessing the potent antioxidative activity.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1999

Copper-containig enzyme, laccase (Rhus vernicifera) was immobilized onto gold electrode using self-assembly technique and its surface properties and catalytic activities were examined. Laccase is an oxidoreductase capable to oxidize diphenols or diamines by 4-electron reduction of molecular oxygen without superoxide or peroxide intermediates. The electrode surface were modified by $\beta-mercaptopropionate$ to have a net negative charge in neutral solution and positively charged laccase (pI=9) was immobilized by electrostatic interaction. The successful immobilization was confirmed by cyclic voltammograms which showed typical surface-confined shapes and behaviors. The amount of charge to reduce the surface was similar to the charge calculated assuming the surface being covered by monolayer. The activity of the immobilized enzyme was tested by the capbility of oxidizing a substrate, ABTS (2,2-azine-bis-(3-ethylbenzthioline-6-sulfonic acid) and it was maintained for $2\~3$ days at $4^{\circ}C$. The immobilzed laccase showed about $10\~15\%$ activity compared to that in solution. The laccase-modified electrode showed the activity of elefoocatalytic reduction of oxygen in the presence of mediator, $Fe(CN)_6^{3-}$ The addtion of azide which is an inhibitor of laccase compeletly eliminated the catalytic current.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.246-254
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• 2018

Enzyme fermentation is a type of food processing technique generally used to improve the biological activities of food and herbal medicines. In this study, a Syzygii Flos (clove) extract was fermented using laccase derived from Trametes versicolor (LTV). The fermented clove extract showed greater neuroprotective effects against glutamate toxicity on HT22 than the non-fermented extract did. HPLC analysis revealed that the eugenol (1) and dehydrodieugenol (2) contents had decreased and increased, respectively, after fermentation. The content of 2 peaked at 1 h after fermentation to $103.50{\pm}8.20mg/g_{ex}$ (not detected at zero time), while that of 1 decreased to $79.54{\pm}4.77mg/g_{ex}$ ($185.41{\pm}10.16mg/g_{ex}$ at zero time). Compound 2 demonstrated promising HT22 neuroprotective properties with inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ influx, the overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxidation. In addition, LTV showed the best fermentation efficacy compared with laccases derived from Pleurotus ostreatus and Rhus vernicifera.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2001

Urushiol, a natural monomeric oil, was used to prepare a detergentless micro-emulsion with water and 2-propanol The formation of micro-emulsion was verified by conductivity measurements and dynamic light scattering. The conductivity data showed phase change dynamics, a characteristics of micro-emulsions, and subsequent dynamic light scattering study further confirmed the phenomenon. Average water droplet diameter was 10 nm to 500 nm when the molar ratio of 2-propanol ranged from 0.40 to 0.44 . Earlier studies were performed on toluene and hexane, in which the insoluble substrate in water phase was added to the solvents to be reacted on by enzymes. However, in the present urushiol system, urushiol was used as both solvent and substrate in the laccase polymerization of urushiol. The laccase activity in the system was examined using polymerization of urushiol. The laccase activity in the system was examined using syringaldezine as a substrate, and the activity increased rapidly near the molar ratio of 2-propanol at 0.4, where micro-emulsion started. The activity rose until 0.46 and fell dramatically thereafter. The study of laccase activity in differing mole fractions of 2-propanol showed the existence of an ‘optimal zone’, where the activity of laccase was significantly higher. In order to analyze urushiol polymerization by laccase, a bubble column reactor using a detergentless micro-emulsion system was constructed. Comparative study using other organic solvents systems were conducted and the 2-propanol system was shown to yield the highest polymerization level. The study of laccase activity at a differing mole fraction of 2-propanol showed the existence of an ‘optimal zone’ where the activity was significantly higher. Also, 3,000 cP viscosity was achieved in actual urushi processing, using only 1/100 level of laccase present in urushi.