• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.323-332
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• 2024

Background: Studies have reported that the combination of two or more therapeutic compounds at certain ratios has more noticeable pharmaceutical properties than single compounds and requires reduced dosage of each agent. Red ginseng and velvet antler have been extensively used in boosting immunity and physical strength and preventing diseases. Thus, this study was conducted to elucidate the skin-protective potentials of red ginseng extract (RGE) and velvet antler extract (VAE) alone or in combination on ultraviolet (UVB)-irradiated human keratinocytes and SKH-1 hairless mice. Methods: HaCaT cells were preincubated with RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 2 h before UVB (30 mJ/cm²) irradiation. SKH-1 mice were orally given RGE/VAE alone or in combination for 15 days before exposure to single dose of UVB (600 mJ/cm²). Treated cells and treated skin tissues were collected and subjected to subsequent experiments. Results: RGE/VAE pretreatment alone or in combination significantly prevented UVB-induced cell death, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and DNA damage in keratinocytes and SKH-1 mouse skins by downregulating mitogen-activated protein kinases/activator protein 1/nuclear factor kappa B and caspase signaling pathways. These extracts also strengthened the antioxidant defense systems and skin barriers in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells and SKH-1 mouse skins. Furthermore, RGE/VAE co-administration appeared to be more effective in preventing UVB-caused skin injury than these extracts used alone. Conclusion: Overall, these findings suggest that the consumption of RGE/VAE, especially in combination, offers a protective ability against UVB-caused skin injury by preventing inflammation and apoptosis and enhancing antioxidant capacity.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 2002

Drying process is very important for commercialization of velvet antlers. So far, artificial drying has mostly depended on experience of farmers resulting in low efficiency of drying, deterioration during drying, and contamination by dust and bacteria. Various drying techniques for high-quality production have currently been commercialized in some developed countries, and one of them is a drying technique using microwave. In this study, application of the technique using an electronic (microwave) oven for drying of velvet antler was investigated. The results of this study are as follows. 1. It was found that the drying period was significantly affected by cornification of velvet antlers. Accordingly, it can be assumed that the velvet antlers should partly be sliced to save drying period and required drying energy. 2. It was also found that the drying speed was changeable according to tempering period and even with same drying period. The tempering period should be controlled according to processing rate. 3. The results indicated that a repeated drying of 2-min drying and 3-min tempering is the most effective when a microwave oven was used. 4. The results also showed that the drying technique using microwave of electronic oven can be effectively used for drying of velvet antlers. 5. Only drying and tempering periods were examined in this study, however, ingredient change of deer antler after drying is necessary to be investigated in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.345-349
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of pasture grazing and barn feeding system on the growth performance, weight gain and velvet antler productivity in Elk. Twelve 5-year-old elk stags about 273 kg were stratified by weight and randomly assigned by feeding system (a pasture grazing and a barn feeding, n=6). The average feed intake were not signigicant difference between two groups. Average daily gain for grazing and barn feeding group was 0.25 g and 0.29 g respectively, showing no significant difference. Velvet antler yield for grazing and barn feeding group was 7,700 g and 6, 960 g respectively, with no significant difference. In conclusion grazing group was better than barn feeding group in feed intake, body weight gain and velvet antler productivity. However, there were no statistical significant difference between the two group. These results may serve as the basis for further study of deer feeding system in Korea and further study needed to examine the grazing intensity and economic efficiency.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2003

Three dietary treatments were compared over two years to determine the effects of dietary protein levels and feeding patterns on velvet production in red deer (Cervus elaphus). The LL group received a 13% protein diet whereas the HH group received a 19% protein diet. The LH group switched from the low to high protein diet at the time of antler casting. Significant relationships were found between velvet production and the girth and length of main beam (p<0.01), daily growth rate of velvet (p<0.01), body weight at cutting time (p<0.05 in 1998 and p<0.01 in 1999), date of casting (p<0.01), and body weight and velvet production of the previous year (p<0.05 in 1998 and p<0.01 in 1999). Different levels of protein in diets in this study did not show statistically significant different effects in general. The girth of velvet, summed for top, middle and bottom of the main beam, tended to be thickest in HH for two years and thinnest in LL for 1998 and in LH for 1999. The main beam tended to be longest in HH at 46.3cm in 1998 and 45.2cm in 1999 and shortest in LH at 39.9cm in 1998 and 41.5cm in 1999. Velvet fresh weight tended to be highest in HH at 2,600$\pm$1,000g in 1998 and 3,038$\pm$867g in 1999 and lowest in LH at 2,287$\pm$826g in 1998 and 2,739$\pm$1,079g in 1999. Daily growth rate of velvet antler tended to be greatest in HH (43$\pm$16g/day in 1998 and 51$\pm$14g/day in 1999) and least in LH (38$\pm$15g/day in 1998 and 45$\pm$18g/day in 1999).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1303-1308
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate changes in blood enzyme parameters and to evaluate the relationship between insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), antler growth and body weight during the antler growth of sika deer (Cervus nippon). Serum enzyme activity and IGF-1 concentrations were measured in blood samples collected from the jugular and femoral veins at regular intervals during the antler growth period. Blood samples were taken in the morning from fasted stags (n = 12) which were healthy and showed no clinical signs of disease. Alfalfa was available ad libitum and concentrates were given at 1% of body weight to all stags. The experimental diet was provided at 9 am with water available at all times. There were no significant differences in alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase during antler growth, but alkaline phosphatase concentrations increased with antler growth progression, and the highest alkaline phosphatase concentration was obtained 55 days after antler casting. Serum IGF-1 concentrations measured from blood samples taken from the jugular vein during antler growth, determined that levels of IGF-1 was associated with body weight and antler growth patterns. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were higher at the antler cutting date than other sampling dates. Antler length increased significantly during antler growth (p<0.001), and there was a similar trend to between right and left beams. Body weight increased with antler growth but was not significant. Consequently it appeared that serum alkaline phosphatase concentration was related to antler growth and both antler growth and body weight were associated positively with IGF-1 concentrations during antler growth.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.347-355
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• 1994

Thirty farmers, representing three major deer counties in Kyung-Kee province and 50 farmers scattered in Chung-Buk province were interviewed to determine the current status of the Korean deer industry. Items surveyed were general information, farmed deer breeds. farm facilities, feeding and nutrition, hygiene and disorder incidence, velvetting, income sources, products and their sale, management problems and herd size control. The 888 deer farmed in Kyung-Kee province included spotted deer (Cervus nippon. 69.4%), red deer (Cervus elaphus, 6.1%), wapiti (Cervus elaphus canadensis, 12.2%), spotted $\times$ red deer hybrids (6.2%), red deer $\times$ wapiti hybrids (4.6%). and fallow deer (Dama dama, 1.5%). Poor information on feeding was evidenced by wide variation among farms of daily feed supply and ratios of forage to concentrate, and poor nutritional considerations according to physiological status of deer. Hygiene needed more attention. The incidence of diseases and disorders was high: enteritis (73.3% in Kyung-Kee province), fractures (60.0%), and dystocia (56.7%). The major source of farm income was velvet antler and its blood. To improve productive efficiency, attention should be given to improving farm facilities, simplified product marketing, developing standard feeding system, and economic grazing system.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.123-130
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• 2003

In this study, current status of domestic deer farms and its feeding were surveyed. The information of supply and demand of feed f3r deers including its industry were also examined and then analyzed to make fundamental data for deer farms and government policy. The results are as follows. 1. Over 40 years old farmers were about 63％ of total deer farms while 20­30 years olds were less than 1％ indicating that young people still evade agriculture. Moreover, considering education, over 52％ of the farmers have bachelor degree showing much higher rates compared to the other agricultural fields. The reason can be assumed that the labor burden is not serious in deer farming while it is not dirty job compared to the other livestock management. Those high­educated people can be easily trained as experts of deer farming to improve its international competition. 2. Most of investigated farms raise Korean spotted deers and Elk showing that the percentage of Elk has greatly increased(However, many farmers have complained about purchasing methods and they insisted that the sales organization should be controlled by government). 3. 57％ of total cost of production is for feed while most of feeds are imported from abroad. It indicated that it is urgent to make counterplan for saving feed cost. 4. It is necessary to develop feeds for deers in the near future while most of the examined farmers currently use normal assorted feed. Typical roughage sources feeds are rice straw, alfalfa hay, browses feed, and so on. Most of them are currently imported except the rice straw indicating urgently needed to develop domestic bulky feed. 5. The present questions are development of processed goods of velvet antler, establishment of reasonable management system, difficulty of velvet antler selling, feed supply, and so on. It is necessary for government and academic world to develop reasonable policy and scientific research program.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2019

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementary feeding levels on livestck and forage productivity and grazing intensity in Elk stags (Cervus canadensis). A fifteen 2-year-old Elk stags about 195 kg were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments (five animals per treatment). The dietary treatments consisted of a feeding concentrate of 1.0% of body weight (T1), 1.5% of body weight (T2) and 2.0% of body weight. Total dry matter intake (TDMI) was increased with increased with an increasing supplementary feeding levels. Average daily gain (ADG) were significantly increased with an increasing supplementary feeding levels (p<0.05) and reached a maximum on July and was lower in spring than autumn. The velvet antler production was no differences among treatment groups. Forage productivity of pasture and crude protein content were highest on May and decreased thereafter, however, crude fiber content was the reversed. The grazing intensity of Elk stags was increased in spring (38 to 59 head per ha) than summer and autumn (13 to 32 head per ha). The average grazing intensity of Elk stags ranged from 21 to 34 head per ha, which is affected by supplementary feeding levels. This result suggests that feeding supplementary diet at 1.5 % of body weight was needed to maintain the stable wight gain in antler growing periods and control the proper grazing intensity of Elk deer stags.