• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.710-717
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• 2015

Humankind has been searching for medicinal materials from various plant sources in an attempt to treat disease. Mistletoe is one indubitable plant source for these materials due to its effectiveness in treating various diseases, but it has almost disappeared from the mountainous areas of Korea due to excessive harvesting. In this study, in order to select host tree species for Korean mistletoe [Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohwi] by seed inoculation and to clarify the effect of host specificity among various tree species were conducted for the purpose of gaining basic information for the artificial cultivation of Korean mistletoe. Almost all the seeds of Korean mistletoe germinated in vitro at the temperature of 15℃. Among host trees used in this study, Prunus mume showed the highest parasitic affinity with inoculated Korean mistletoe, compared with any other host plants. However, treatment of hormones could not increase the low survival rate of Korean mistletoe on the host trees.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.3 s.134
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• pp.218-222
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• 2003

The mistletoe lectins are major active components in the extrct of Viscum album var. coloratum. This study was performed to investigate the anti- skin cancer effect of Korean mistletoe extract intensified with mistletoe lectin (KI 2103S). B16F10 melanoma cells were allografted in C57BL/6 mice and F344 rats. The effect of KI 2103S on melanoma was measured by monitoring tumor index. The KI 2103S was injected intra-tumorally and tumor index was decreased in dose dependent manner.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.27-33
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• 1996

The aim of this research was to investigate the chemical components of C30 compounds, especially triterpenoids in Korean native mistletoes of Korthalsella japonicus Engler parasiting to Camellia japonica L., Viscum album var. coloratum (Kom.) Ohmi, to Quercus acutissima Carruth. and Loran-thus yadoriko Sieb. to Neolitsea sericea (BI.) Koidz. For the identification of triterpenoidal components, alkaline hydrolyzates of mistletoes meals were analyzed by TLC, GC, and GC/MS. The content of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid derivatives were highest in K. japonica. In V. album, there was no big difference between leaves and twigs in content. but oleanolic acid in leaves. and olean-12-en-$3{\beta}$-ol and lup-20(29)-en-3-one in twigs were prominent. Similiar to V. album in L. yadoriki there was no difference between leaves and twigs in content, and both olean-12-en-$3{\beta}$-ol, lup-20(29)-en-3-one and urs-12-en-$3{\beta}$-ol in leaves, lup-20(29)-en-3-one in twigs were abundant. Triterpenoids as olea-12-en-$3{\beta}$-ol, lupe-20(29)-en-3-one, 3-oxo-urs-12-en-24-oic acid, and $21{\beta}$-A'-neogam-macer-22(29)-en-3-ol acetate were common in all samples tested. whereas ursolic acid only in P. japonicus and ursenol in L. yadoriki were detected. And P. japonicus had the largest number of triterpenoids and showed the highest in biological activity. So it is noted that Korean mistletoes tested in the study had three types of triterpenoid, oleanane, lupane, and ursane, irrespective of hosts, sampling positions and species.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.662-670
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• 2006

It is well documented that an extract of European mistletoe has a variety of biological effects, such as the stimulation of cytokine production from immune cells, and additional immunoadjuvant activities. While the European mistletoe has been studied intensively, we know less about Korean mistletoe as a therapeutic plant, especially as a possible immunomodulating drug. This study will investigated the effects of Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album L. var. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) on murine splenocytes to investigate whether VCA acts as an immunomodulator, which could lead to improved immune responses in these cells. The results showed that VCA inhibited cell proliferation at higher concentrations (at 1-8 ng/ml) and enhanced cell proliferation at lower concentrations (at 4-32 pg/ml). Further studies were carried out to determine if the pro-proliferative or anti-proliferative activity exhibited by VCA was correlated with cytokine secretion. Consequently, interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ secretion was decreased in concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated murine splenocytes by VCA (4-64 ng/ml), but there was no change in IL-4 levels. This suggests that VCA has the ability to modulate murine splenocyte proliferation and can possibly act on the balance of Th1/Th2 cellular immune responses.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.256-262
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• 2014

Viscum album var. coloratum (mistletoe) is considered as one of the endangered plant species in Korea. Our objective is to restore its population and multiplication of plant by ex situ method. In this research we explored the maximum germination (in vitro) of freshly harvested and stored seeds of mistletoe collected in different time intervals. Ex vitro germination after artificial inoculation on the branches of Prunus mume in different physiological conditions was also monitored. The research revealed that the lately harvested seeds (Feb. and March 2014) were superior over early harvested seeds (Nov. 2013 and Jan. 2014) of mistletoe due to the higher percentage of germination (above 93%). According to the data, it is also revealed that the survival and germination rate of mistletoe seeds decreased with the increase in storage duration. In ex vitro germination, the fluctuated temperature of a glass house in natural condition enhanced (four fold) the rate of germination on the branches of Prunus mume than the constant temperature condition in the glass house.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.109-118
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• 2016

The antioxidant potential of mistletoe (Viscum album L. var. coloratum Ohwi; VAL) extract in uncooked pork patties was evaluated. Three concentrations of VAL extract (0.1 [T1], 0.5% [T2] and 1.0% [T3]) along with 0.02% ascorbic acid as a positive control (V) were added to ground pork and pork patties were prepared. Incorporation of VAL extract decreased (p<0.05) the pH of the pork patties throughout the storage time and reduced (p<0.01) the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values after day 14 of storage. Total plate counts of the VAL extract-treated samples and V-treated samples were also significantly lower (p<0.01) than that of the control (C) throughout the storage period. In addition, odor scores of the VAL extract-treated patties were lower than those of the C- or V-treated samples on 3rd day of the storage period. These results demonstrated that the VAL extract acts as a natural antioxidant in uncooked pork products.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.389-393
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• 2009

Regional distribution of mistletoe (Viscum album var.coloratum) and its habitual environments were investigated in order to obtain the basal data on the artificial propagation to cope with its increasing consume for medicine. Mistletoes inhabited throughout the overall region of the South Korea investigated. They were parasitic mainly to the Quercus spp. including Q. serrata and rarely to the Castanea crenata var. dulcis, Prunus serrulata var. spontanea, Alnus japonica, and Pyrus pyrifolia, etc. Mistletoes were not observed on the conifers such as Pinus densiflora and Pinus koraiensis and some deciduous broad-leaved trees species such as Zelkova serrata, Diospyros kaki, Acer mono, Acer palmatum, and Morus alba. Their habitats were located from zero to 1,200 m above sea level nevertheless the direction or slope of the mountains, suggesting that artificial propagation can be carried out nation widely to the well-grown parasite tree species. Parasitic specificity related to the physical and chemical characteristic of the epidermal tissues will be studied further.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.268-275
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• 2012

This study was carried out to understand the anatomical characteristics of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) and host tree of Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) by the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy. The branch diameter of host tree at the parasitic part by mistletoe is larger than that of non-parasitic part. In the mistletoe, phloem consists of bast fiber and parenchyma cell and xylem is composed of fiber, ray and axial parenchyma cell, and vascular tracheid. The volume of ray parenchyma cell is higher than common wood species and is heterocellular made up of procumbent, upright, and square cells in the mistletoe. In the vascular tracheid of mistletoe, coarse spiral thickenings and bordered pit are present. Due to the insertion of the mistletoe haustorium, some deformed vessels but no tylosis are observed in the mistletoe. The shapes of mistletoe haustorium are sharp, and the destruction of the host tree cells due to the insertion of the mistletoe haustorium are not identified.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2009

Recently, the consumption of mistletoe[Viscum album var. coloratum(Kom.) Ohwi] is increasing because of its good medical effectiveness with the increased concern on the natural medicines and foods. The result obtained from the investigation on the stem tissues of the mistletoe and the oriental chestnut oak, a host plant species, are as follows. Haustorium from the seeds of the mistletoe after their sticking to the branches of the host plant penetrates into the bark where it forms the endophyte system through the active cell division. The endophyte grown in the cambium of the host plant makes the stems and leaves as the outer tissues in a certain time. Even through lignification of the host wood in the branches the oriental chestnut oak was not progressive, its tylosis coas developed partially assembly due to the formation of the endophyte. The stems of the mistletoe consisted of vascular tracheid, selereid, and ray and axial parenchyma, classified as a hardwood without vessels. The vascular tracheids seemed to take a role instead of the vessels in the mistletoe plant from the result that the pits of the vessels in the host branches are linked to the vessel-form tracheid in the mistletoe stems. The constituent ratio of the sclereid cells in the mistletoe stems increased with aging. Furthermore their ratio of the parenchyma cells was higher, which contained the more cell content, compared with the cells of the general woody plant species.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.215.2-216
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• 2003

Velutin and betulinic acid were isolated as a cytotoxic principle from the dichloromethane extract of Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) by repeated silicagel chromatography and recrystallization. In in vitro analysis of cytotoxic activity using NIH-3T3 cells, dichloromethane extract of Korean mistletoe was shown to be highly cytotoxic against tumor cells. And we obtained active compound (reffered to VD-2 and VD-6) from the dichloromethane extract. (omitted)