• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.430-437
• /
• 2022

We conducted a study on the whitening activity of Abies nephrolepis MAX. extracts. The electron-donating ability of 70% ethanol extracts from A. nephrolepis MAX. Stem (AN-S) and A. nephrolepis MAX. Leaf (AN-L) were found to be 89.4% and 90.9% at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. Their ABTS⁺ radical scavenging abilities were found to be 88.8% and 96% 500 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. Their tyrosinase inhibitory effects were found to be 48.5% and 31.1% at 500 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. Cell survival rates measured in B16F10 were examined with the AN-S and AN-L extracts. Results showed cell viabilities of 98.3% and 94.4% at 500 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. The protein and mRNA expression inhibitory effects of AN-S and AN-L extracts were measured by Western blotting and RT-PCR, respectively, at 25, 50 and 100 ㎍/ml concentrations. The results of western blotting showed that the AN-S extract at 100 ㎍/ml concentration decreased the TRP-1 protein expression rate by 46%. The results of Western blotting also showed that the AN-L extract at 100 ㎍/ml concentration decreased the MITF protein expression rate was by 54.6%. Consequently, in the case of MITF, TRP-1, TRP-2, and tyrosinase, the amount of mRNA expressed decreased as the concentration of the extracts increased. Our results suggested that A. nephrolepis MAX. extracts can be used as a functional cosmetic material by confirming that they can be used as a whitening material.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.61 no.2
• /
• pp.377-385
• /
• 2022

Most pruning branches of mulberry, Korean raspberry (bokbunja), and blueberries are discarded without use. These discarded pruning branches were utilized as feed in the investigation of the development and oviposition characteristics of Protaetia brevitarsis with a focus on breeding possibilities. It was observed that the developmental period of P. brevitarsis larvae fed with berry fermented sawdust from mulberry, bokbunja, and blueberry was shortened to 157.3 130.3 days, and 140 days, respectively, compared to 169.3 days for those fed with oak fermented sawdust. The weight and survival rate of the larvae also increased. Under all three types of fermented sawdust feed, the percentage of larvae with weight ≧ 2.5 g during the group was over 60% between 6-8 weeks after hatching; however under oak fermented sawdust feed, it was within 10%, and the percentage only increased after 10 weeks. The average number of eggs laid per female was ≧ 80, with an average oviposition period of approximately 9 weeks; however, there was no significant difference owing to the large deviation per individual. Furthermore, mixed fermented sawdust from the three berries enhanced the growth rate of larvae, and there was no difference in the number of eggs laid compared to those fed with control oak fermented sawdust. Our study demonstrates berry fermentation sawdust is just as effective as oak fermentation sawdust in the breeding of P. brevitarsis.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.514-520
• /
• 1996

To clarify the proper nitrogen application level for rasing rice infant seedling under different nursery soil, Dongjinbyeo was raised at seedling box with different basal nitrogen level. The results are as follows. The higher the nitrogen level was, the lower emergence rate and the lower establishment rate. The establishment rate was less than 90%, when the nitrogen was more than 2g/box in hill soil and more than 1g/box in paddy soil. The more the nitrogen level was, the higher the seedling height in hill soil, but was higher in the order of N-2, 3, 1 and 0g /box. Leaf number wasn't significantly different between nusery soils and among nitrogen levels when seedling was raised more than 6 days. The endosperm survival rate was decreased as the increased nitrogen level, but wasn't different between the nursery soils. Amount of root was decreased as the increased nitrogen level in paddy soil, but was heavier in the order of N-1, 0, 2 and 3g /box in hill soil. Mat formation was better as the nitrogen level was decreased in all nursery soils. Considering the emergence rate, seedling charactors and mat formation, the proper nitrogen levels seemed to be 2g /box for hill soil and 1g /box for paddy soil.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.65 no.4
• /
• pp.421-427
• /
• 2022

In this study, Jeju Tatary buckwheat tea's chemical composition and physiological activities were compared according to the leaching temperature (60, 80, 100 ℃). As the leaching temperature is increased, the degree of browning is induced. However, there was no significant change in pH. The total polyphenol content was higher at 80 ℃ than at 60 ℃ leaching temperature, but significantly decreased at 100 ℃ leaching temperature (60 ℃: 17.06 mg GA/g, 80 ℃: 20.09 mg GA/g, 100 ℃ :18.45 mg GA/g). There were high content of flavonoid and rutin as the leaching temperature increased. Consistently, 2,2-diphenyl1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and tyrosinase inhibitory activity were significantly higher with increasing temperature (DPPH % inhibition: 60 ℃: 41.88%, 80 ℃: 46.01%, 100 ℃: 46.80%/tyrosinase inhibitory activity: 60 ℃: 9.38%, 80 ℃: 22.94%, 100 ℃: 28.17%). However, there was no significant difference in DPPH radical scavenging activity between 80 and 100 ℃. A cytotoxicity test was performed by treating with Jeju Tatary buckwheat extract into mouse macrophage cells (Raw264.7). 100 and 200 ㎍/mL treatment (100 ℃ extract) were significantly upregulated the survival rate, but there was no significant difference in other concentrations. Collectively, most of the bioactive components, antioxidant activity, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity were induced as the leaching temperature increased. However, the content of polyphenols which are known to have antioxidant activity, was significantly reduced at 100 ℃ leaching temperature. Several reports have demonstrated that leaching at too high temperature lowered the overall acceptability, so the optimal leaching condition of Tatary Buckwheat is 80 ℃, 5 min in this study.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.9
• /
• pp.713-723
• /
• 2023

Lung cancer is a type of cancer that has the highest mortality rate. It is mainly classified into small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy is used to treat lung cancer, but long-term treatment causes side effects and drug resistances. Curcumin is a bright yellow polyphenol extracted from the root of turmeric. It has biological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we observed differential cell death in human lung cancer cells. Based on the results, curcumin at 10, 30, and 50 μM exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition on the cell survival of several lung cancer cells, with minor differential phenotypes. In addition, apoptosis, autophagy, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) regeneration were observed through flow cytometry. Curcumin dose-dependently increased these phenotypes in A549 (NSCLC) and DMS53 (SCLC), which were restored by corresponding inhibitors. Western blotting was performed to measure the level of expression of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins. The results indicate that Bax, PARP, pro-caspase-3, and Bcl-2 were dose-dependently regulated by curcumin, with seemingly higher Bax/Bcl-2 ratios in DMS53. In addition, autophagic proteins, p-AKT, p62, and LC3B, were dose-dependently regulated by curcumin. ROS inhibition by diphenyleneiodonium reduced the induction of apoptosis and autophagy generated by curcumin. Taken together, it is suggested that curcumin induces apoptosis and autophagy via ROS generation, leading to cell death, with minor differences between human lung cancer cells.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 2023

Liposomes as drug delivery system have proved useful carrier for various disease, including cancer. In addition, perfluorocarbon cored microbubbles are utilized in conjunction with high-intensity focused-ultrasound (HIFU) to enable simultaneous diagnosis and treatment. However, microbubbles generally exhibit lower drug loading efficiency, so the need for the development of a novel liposome-based drug delivery material that can efficiently load and deliver drugs to targeted areas via HIFU. This study aims to develop a liposome-based drug delivery material by introducing a substance that can burst liposomes using ultrasound energy and confirm the ability to target tumors using PET imaging. Liposomes (Lipo-DOX, Lipo-DOX-Au, Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD) were synthesized with gold nanoparticles using an avidin-biotin bond, and doxorubicin was mounted inside by pH gradient method. The size distribution was measured by DLS, and encapsulation efficiency of doxorubicin was analyzed by UV-vis spectrometer. The target specificity and cytotoxicity of liposomes were assessed in vitro by glioblastoma U87mg cells to HIFU treatment and analyzed using CCK-8 assay, and fluorescence microscopy at 6-hour intervals for up to 24 hours. For the in vivo study, U87mg model mouse were injected intravenously with 1.48 MBq of ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Lipo-DOX-Au and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and PET images were taken at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 24 hours. As a result, the size of liposomes was 108.3 ± 5.0 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au and 94.1 ± 12.2 nm at Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD, and it was observed that doxorubicin was mounted inside the liposome up to 52%. After 6 hours of HIFU treatment, the viability of U87mg cells treated with Lipo-DOX-Au decreased by around 20% compared to Lipo-DOX, and Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD had a higher uptake rate than Lipo-DOX. In vivo study using PET images, it was confirmed that ⁶⁴Cu-Lipo-DOX-Au-RGD was taken up into the tumor immediately after injection and maintained for up to 4 hours. In this study, drugs released from liposomes-gold nanoparticles via ultrasound and RGD targeting were confirmed by non-invasive imaging. In cell-level experiments, HIFU treatment of gold nanoparticle-coupled liposomes significantly decreased tumor survival, while RGD-liposomes exhibited high tumor targeting and rapid release in vivo imaging. It is expected that the combination of these models with ultrasound is served as an effective drug delivery material with therapeutic outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.52-62
• /
• 2023

This study focused on determining the specific causes and prevention methods of mass fish deaths occurred in five reservoirs (Gagugi, Neupgokgi, Danggokgi, Sagokji, and Hangokji) in Andong-si. For this purpose, a survey of agricultural land and livestock in the upper part of the reservoirs and analysis of water quality in the reservoir irrespective of whether it rains or not were conducted. We attempted to examine the changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the surface and bottom layers of reservoirs and changes in DO depending on the amount of livestock compost and time. Based on the above investigations, treatment plans were established to efficiently control the inflow of contaminated water into reservoirs. The rainfall and farmland areas in the upper part of the reservoir were investigated using Google and aviation data provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. The current status of livestock farms distributed around the reservoirs was also examined because compost from these farms can flow into the reservoir when it rains. Various water quality parameters, such as phosphate phosphorus (PO₄-P) and ammonium nitrogen (NH₃-N), were analyzed and compared for each reservoir during the rainy season. Changes in the DO concentration and electrical conductivity (EC) were also observed at the inlet of the reservoir during raining using an automated instrument. In addition, DO was measured until the concentration reached 0 ppm in 10 min by adding livestock compost at various concentrations (0.05%, 0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5% by wt.), where the concentration of the livestock compost represents the relative weight of rainwater. The DO concentration in the surface layer of reservoirs was 3.7 to 5.3 ppm, which is sufficient for fish survival. However, the fish could not survive at the bottom layer with DO concentration of 0.0-2.1 ppm. When the livestock compost was 0.3%, DO required 10-19 h to reach 0 ppm. Considering these results, it was confirmed that the DO in the bottom layer of the reservoir could easily change to an anaerobic state within 24 h when the livestock compost in the rainwater exceeds 0.3%. The results show that the direct cause of fish mortality is the inflow of excessive livestock compost into reservoirs during the first rainfall in spring. All the surveyed reservoirs had relatively good topographical features for the inflow of compost generated from livestock farms. This keeps the bottom layer of the reservoir free of oxygen. Therefore, to prevent fish death due to insufficient DO in the reservoir, measures should be undertaken to limit the amount of livestock compost flowing into the reservoir within 0.3%, which has been experimentally determined. As a basic countermeasure, minerals such as limestone, dolomite, and magnesia containing calcium and magnesium should be added to the compost of livestock farms around the reservoir. These minerals have excellent pollutant removal capabilities when sprayed onto the compost. In addition, measures should be taken to prevent fish death according to the characteristics of each reservoir.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.158-168
• /
• 2023

Natural products have been used to mitigate the effects of cancer and infectious diseases, as they feature diverse bioactivities, such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Here, we chose 10 natural products that are well-known as pulmonary enhancers and investigated their bactericidal effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae. In the disk diffusion assay, the growth of S. pneumoniae was significantly regulated by G. fructus treatment regardless of extraction method used. We first adopted spraying as a novel delivery method for G. fructus. Interestingly, mice exposed to G. fructus three times a day for 2 weeks were resistant to S. pneumoniae intranasal infection (shown both through body weight loss and survival rates compared to the control group). Moreover, we confirmed that exposure to G. fructus regulated the colonization of the bacteria despite the sustained inflammation in the lung after exposure to S. pneumoniae, indicating that migrated inflammatory immune cells may involve a host defense mechanism against pulmonary infectious diseases. While a similar number of granulocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C⁺Ly6G⁺), neutrophils (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G⁺), and monocytes (CD11b⁺Ly6C^intLy6G^-) were found between groups, a significantly increased number of alveolar macrophages (CD11b⁺CD11c^hiF4/80⁺) was detected in BAL fluids of mice pre-exposed to G. fructus at 5 days after S. pneumonia infection. Taken together, our data suggest that this usage of G. fructus can induce protective immunity against bacterial infection, indicating that facial spray may be helpful in enhancing the defense mechanism against pulmonary inflammation and in evaluating the efficacy of natural products as immune enhancers against respiratory diseases.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.360-367
• /
• 1995

The relative toxicity of abamectin was assessed to the predatory mite Amblyseius womersleyi Schicha and to dicofol-resistant and -susceptible twospotted spider mite (TSM) Tetranychus urticae Koch in the laboratory. Abamectin was much les toxic to the predator than to the spider mite. At 0.12 and 0.6 ppm, all TSM adult females of the tow strains were killed within 48 h after dipping n the solutions. The lower concentrations (0.06 and 0.012 ppm) killed more than 77% of TSM female adults of the two strains at 120 h after treatment. However, abmectin did not significantly affect the survival and mobility of A. womersleyi female adults at a concentration of 0.12 ppm but the mortality was slightly increased up to 20~23% at 0.6 and 6 ppm. Abamectin did not significantly affect hatchability of one-day old TSM eggs at 0.06~0.6 ppm. The Four-day old eggs were much more susceptible to abamectin than one-day old eggs were. Within 0.006-6 ppm, abamectin did not affect the hatchability of A. womersleyi eggs and the development of resulting immature predators. When the predator female adults were dipped in 0.6 and 0.12 ppm solution, their reproduction was not affected, but at 6 ppm it was decreased by 35%. However, the reproduction of TSM reduced significantly at concentrations between 0.006 and 0.6 ppm. The differential toxicity of abamectin between TSM and the predator could be of practical importance in managing spider mite populations in the field. Abamectin at selective sublethal concentrations (i.e., 0.012~0.06 ppm) could be of value in adjusting predator/prey ratios in integrated management of spider mites.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.281-289
• /
• 2022

The effect of five different constant temperatures (18, 21, 24, 27, and 30±1℃) and a photoperiod of 14 : 10 (L :D) h on the reproduction parameters of Spodoptera frugiperda was studied. The longevity of adult female S. frugiperda decreased with increasing temperature (22.4 days at 21℃ and 13.9 days at 30℃) but not at 18℃. The pre-oviposition period and oviposition period was the shortest at 30℃ compared to the other temperatures. The total fecundity egg count was 887.4, 1,246.4, 1,348.9, 1,154.9, and 1,034.2 at 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30℃, respectively, during its life span. The survival rate of female S. frugiperda decreased rapidly after 13 days at 18℃, after 14 days at 21℃, after 15 days at 27℃, and after 9 days at 24℃, and 30℃. On the third day after the start of oviposition, 50% of the total fecundity was accomplished. In corn fields at less than the 10-leaf stage, the distribution of S. frugiperda egg masses was observed in the middle and lower plant regions, corresponding to 46.8% and 41.4% of the total egg masses, respectively. Egg masses were mostly found on the underside of the leaf blade (abaxial) of corn(66.7%). After releasing S. frugiperda adults on May 12, May 17, May 25, and May 30, the number of eggs per egg mass was 89.9, 88.5, 126.6, and 127.9, respectively. Egg masses of the subsequent generations of S. frugiperda were observed from late June, and the number of eggs per egg mass was 155.8 in late June, 270.7 in early July, and 303.5 in mid-July.