• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 2022

In the present work, biochar was prepared using Achyanthes japonica stem as a by-product of herbal medicine. In order to apply the prepared biochar to water treatment process, the adsorption characteristics of zinc and iron ions dissolved in water were investigated. When the experiments were performed for 2 h to remove 70 and 100 mg/L of zinc ions, the adsorption amounts of 32.3 and 31.0 mg/g were obtained, respectively. It was also found that the adsorption amount of Achyanthes japonica stem biochar for the removal process of zinc ion was three times higher than that of the activated carbon. In addition, when the experiments were performed for 2 h to treat 70 and 100 mg/L of iron ions, high adsorption amounts of 50.1 and 54.3 mg/g were achieved, respectively. In order to further enhance the removal efficiency of zinc and iron ions, a steam activation process was performed on the biochar of Achyanthes japonica stem. As a result, the removal efficiencies of 70 and 100 mg/L of zinc ions increased to 80 and 60%, respectively. Also, the removal efficiencies of 70 and 100 mg/L of iron ions were improved to 100 and 82%, respectively. In addition, when the biochar of Achyanthes japonica stem with a steam activation was compared with the untreated biochar of Achyanthes japonica stem, the specific surface area increased 37.3 times, and the total and macroporpous pore volumes were improved by 28.4 and 136 times, respectively. Therefore, the results can be used for economically and practically adsorbing zinc and iron ions contained in water.

• Journal of Mushroom
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.294-299
• /
• 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide basic data on the safety of Poria cocos, a major Korean herbal medicine, and to establish tolerance levels for hazardous substances. Residual pesticides (321 types), heavy metals (7 types), radioactivity (3 types), and ash content were analyzed in 10 Poria cocos products distributed in Korea (5 domestic and 5 in China). Of the residual pesticides, cypermethrin was detected at 0.03 mg/kg in one domestic sample and was below the standard value. Of the heavy metals, the levels of Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Hg, and Cr were below the standard values in all samples. Hg was not detected in any sample. Cd was detected at 0.011 mg/kg in one Chinese sample. The radioactivity concentration was also below the MDA value in all P. cocos samples. The ash content was less than the standard value of 1.0% in all P. cocos samples. The findings indicate that P. cocos distributed in Korea is safe. However, because P. cocos is always exposed to harmful substances because of the nature of its cultivation in the soil, it seems necessary to establish systematic management standards for the entire production stage, such as cultivation, storage, and distribution.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.112-117
• /
• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.39 no.6
• /
• pp.796-804
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to compare and analyze the qualitative property of MLT (mulberry leaf tea) and FMLT (fermented mulberry leaf tea) based on the antioxidant, anticancer activities of various extracts. When the antioxidant activity of MLT and FMLT extracts was evaluated, the electron donating activity was found to increase proportionally as the concentration of each extract increased. In addition, the extract of FMLT showed a higher electron donating activity than that of MLT. Furthermore, the ethanol extracts showed the highest electron donating ability. When the SOD activity was evaluated, it was also found to increase proportionally with the concentration of each extract. Furthermore, the SOD activity of the ethanol extract group was the highest, whereas the SOD like activities of both MLT and FMLT were similar. When nitrite decomposition was evaluated for each pH, the highest value was observed at pH 1.2. Finally, the nitrite deleting ability was the highest for the ethanol extracts. When each extract of MLT and FMLT was analyzed in vitro for anticancer effects, they were found to decrease the number of cancer cells proportionally as the concentration of extract increased for both HeLa cells and MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, FMLT was found to exert a greater inhibition of cancer cells than MLT. Among the extract groups, the ethanol extract induced the greatest inhibition of the development of cancer cells, and these effects were greater against MCF-7 cells than HeLa cells.