• Title/Summary/Keyword: Water treatment plant

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Comparison of nutrient removal efficiency of an infiltration planter and an infiltration trench (침투도랑(IT)과 침투화분(IP)의 영양염류 저감효율 비교분석)

  • Yano, K.A.V.;Geronimo, F.K.F.;Reyes, N.J.D.G.;Jeon, Minsu;Kim, Leehyung
    • Journal of Wetlands Research
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.384-391
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    • 2019
  • Nutrients in stormwater runoff have raised concerns regarding water quality degradation in the recent years. Low impact development (LID) technologies are types of nature-based solutions developed to address water quality problems and restore the predevelopment hydrology of a catchment area. Two LID facilities, infiltration trench (IT) and infiltration planter (IP), are known for their high removal rate of nutrients through sedimentation and vegetation. Long-term monitoring was conducted to assess the performance and cite the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the facilities in nutrient removal. Since a strong ionic bond exists between phosphorus compounds and sediments, reduction of total phosphorus (TP) (more than 76%), in both facilities was associated to the removal of total suspended solids (TSS) (more than 84%). The efficiency of nitrogen in IP is 28% higher than IT. Effective nitrification occurred in IT and particulate forms of nitrogen were removed through sedimentation and media filters. Decrease in ammonium- nitrogen (NH4-N) and nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N), and increase in nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) fraction forms indicated that effective nitrification and denitrification occurred in IP. Hydrologic factors such as rainfall depth and rainfall intensity affected nutrient treatment capabilities of urban stormwater LID facilities The greatest monitored rainfall intensity of 11 mm/hr for IT yielded to 34% and 55% removal efficiencies for TN and TP, respectively, whereas, low rainfall intensities below 5 mm resulted to 100 % removal efficiency. The greatest monitored rainfall intensity for IP was 27 mm/hr, which still resulted to high removal efficiencies of 98% and 97% for TN and TP, respectively. Water quality assessment showed that both facilities were effective in reducing the amount of nutrients; however, IP was found to be more efficient than IT due to its additional provisions for plant uptake and larger storage volume.

Process Suggestion and HAZOP Analysis for CQ4 and Q2O in Nuclear Fusion Exhaust Gas (핵융합 배가스 중 CQ4와 Q2O 처리공정 제안 및 HAZOP 분석)

  • Jung, Woo-Chan;Jung, Pil-Kap;Kim, Joung-Won;Moon, Hung-Man;Chang, Min-Ho;Yun, Sei-Hun;Woo, In-Sung
    • Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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    • v.56 no.2
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    • pp.169-175
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    • 2018
  • This study deals with a process for the recovery of hydrogen isotopes from methane ($CQ_4$) and water ($Q_2O$) containing tritium in the nuclear fusion exhaust gas (Q is Hydrogen, Deuterium, Tritium). Steam Methane Reforming and Water Gas Shift reactions are used to convert $CQ_4$ and $Q_2O$ to $Q_2$ and the produced $Q_2$ is recovered by the subsequent Pd membrane. In this study, one circulation loop consisting of catalytic reactor, Pd membrane, and circulation pump was applied to recover H components from $CH_4$ and $H_2O$, one of $CQ_4$ and $Q_2O$. The conversion of $CH_4$ and $H_2O$ was measured by varying the catalytic reaction temperature and the circulating flow rate. $CH_4$ conversion was 99% or more at the catalytic reaction temperature of $650^{\circ}C$ and the circulating flow rate of 2.0 L/min. $H_2O$ conversion was 96% or more at the catalytic reaction temperature of $375^{\circ}C$ and the circulating flow rate of 1.8 L/min. In addition, the amount of $CQ_4$ generated by Korean Demonstration Fusion Power Plant (K-DEMO) in the future was predicted. Then, the treatment process for the $CQ_4$ was proposed and HAZOP (hazard and operability) analysis was conducted to identify the risk factors and operation problems of the process.

Microbial Influence on Soil Properties and Pollutant Reduction in a Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Treating Urban Runoff (도시 강우유출수 처리 인공습지의 토양특성 및 오염물질 저감에 따른 미생물 영향 평가)

  • Chiny. C. Vispo;Miguel Enrico L. Robles;Yugyeong Oh;Haque Md Tashdedul;Lee Hyung Kim
    • Journal of Wetlands Research
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.168-181
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    • 2024
  • Constructed wetlands (CWs) deliver a range of ecosystem services, including the removal of contaminants, sequestration and storage of carbon, and enhancement of biodiversity. These services are facilitated through hydrological and ecological processes such as infiltration, adsorption, water retention, and evapotranspiration by plants and microorganisms. This study investigated the correlations between microbial populations, soil physicochemical properties, and treatment efficiency in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSF CW) treating runoff from roads and parking lots. The methods employed included storm event monitoring, water quality analysis, soil sampling, soil quality parameter analysis, and microbial analysis. The facility achieved its highest pollutant removal efficiencies during the warm season (>15℃), with rates ranging from 33% to 74% for TSS, COD, TN, TP, and specific heavy metals including Fe, Zn, and Cd. Meanwhile, the highest removal efficiency was 35% for TOC during the cold season (≤15℃). These high removal rates can be attributed to sedimentation, adsorption, precipitation, plant uptake, and microbial transformations within the CW. Soil analysis revealed that the soil from HSSF CW had a soil organic carbon content 3.3 times higher than that of soil collected from a nearby landscape. Stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in the inflow and outflow were recorded as C:N:P of 120:1.5:1 and 135.2:0.4:1, respectively, indicating an extremely low proportion of N and P compared to C, which may challenge microbial remediation efficiency. Additionally, microbial analyses indicated that the warm season was more conducive to microorganism growth, with higher abundance, richness, diversity, homogeneity, and evenness of the microbial community, as manifested in the biodiversity indices, compared to the cold season. Pollutants in stormwater runoff entering the HSSF CW fostered microbial growth, particularly for dominant phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, which have shown moderate to strong correlations with specific soil properties and changes in influent-effluent concentrations of water quality parameters.

Herbicidal Phytotoxicity under Adverse Environments and Countermeasures (불량환경하(不良環境下)에서의 제초제(除草劑) 약해(藥害)와 경감기술(輕減技術))

  • Kwon, Y.W.;Hwang, H.S.;Kang, B.H.
    • Korean Journal of Weed Science
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.210-233
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    • 1993
  • The herbicide has become indispensable as much as nitrogen fertilizer in Korean agriculture from 1970 onwards. It is estimated that in 1991 more than 40 herbicides were registered for rice crop and treated to an area 1.41 times the rice acreage ; more than 30 herbicides were registered for field crops and treated to 89% of the crop area ; the treatment acreage of 3 non-selective foliar-applied herbicides reached 2,555 thousand hectares. During the last 25 years herbicides have benefited the Korean farmers substantially in labor, cost and time of farming. Any herbicide which causes crop injury in ordinary uses is not allowed to register in most country. Herbicides, however, can cause crop injury more or less when they are misused, abused or used under adverse environments. The herbicide use more than 100% of crop acreage means an increased probability of which herbicides are used wrong or under adverse situation. This is true as evidenced by that about 25% of farmers have experienced the herbicide caused crop injury more than once during last 10 years on authors' nationwide surveys in 1992 and 1993 ; one-half of the injury incidences were with crop yield loss greater than 10%. Crop injury caused by herbicide had not occurred to a serious extent in the 1960s when the herbicides fewer than 5 were used by farmers to the field less than 12% of total acreage. Farmers ascribed about 53% of the herbicidal injury incidences at their fields to their misuses such as overdose, careless or improper application, off-time application or wrong choice of the herbicide, etc. While 47% of the incidences were mainly due to adverse natural conditions. Such misuses can be reduced to a minimum through enhanced education/extension services for right uses and, although undesirable, increased farmers' experiences of phytotoxicity. The most difficult primary problem arises from lack of countermeasures for farmers to cope with various adverse environmental conditions. At present almost all the herbicides have"Do not use!" instructions on label to avoid crop injury under adverse environments. These "Do not use!" situations Include sandy, highly percolating, or infertile soils, cool water gushing paddy, poorly draining paddy, terraced paddy, too wet or dry soils, days of abnormally cool or high air temperature, etc. Meanwhile, the cultivated lands are under poor conditions : the average organic matter content ranges 2.5 to 2.8% in paddy soil and 2.0 to 2.6% in upland soil ; the canon exchange capacity ranges 8 to 12 m.e. ; approximately 43% of paddy and 56% of upland are of sandy to sandy gravel soil ; only 42% of paddy and 16% of upland fields are on flat land. The present situation would mean that about 40 to 50% of soil applied herbicides are used on the field where the label instructs "Do not use!". Yet no positive effort has been made for 25 years long by government or companies to develop countermeasures. It is a really sophisticated social problem. In the 1960s and 1970s a subside program to incoporate hillside red clayish soil into sandy paddy as well as campaign for increased application of compost to the field had been operating. Yet majority of the sandy soils remains sandy and the program and campaign had been stopped. With regard to this sandy soil problem the authors have developed a method of "split application of a herbicide onto sandy soil field". A model case study has been carried out with success and is introduced with key procedure in this paper. Climate is variable in its nature. Among the climatic components sudden fall or rise in temperature is hardly avoidable for a crop plant. Our spring air temperature fluctuates so much ; for example, the daily mean air temperature of Inchon city varied from 6.31 to $16.81^{\circ}C$ on April 20, early seeding time of crops, within${\times}$2Sd range of 30 year records. Seeding early in season means an increased liability to phytotoxicity, and this will be more evident in direct water-seeding of rice. About 20% of farmers depend on the cold underground-water pumped for rice irrigation. If the well is deep over 70m, the fresh water may be about $10^{\circ}C$ cold. The water should be warmed to about $20^{\circ}C$ before irrigation. This is not so practiced well by farmers. In addition to the forementioned adverse conditions there exist many other aspects to be amended. Among them the worst for liquid spray type herbicides is almost total lacking in proper knowledge of nozzle types and concern with even spray by the administrative, rural extension officers, company and farmers. Even not available in the market are the nozzles and sprayers appropriate for herbicides spray. Most people perceive all the pesticide sprayers same and concern much with the speed and easiness of spray, not with correct spray. There exist many points to be improved to minimize herbicidal phytotoxicity in Korea and many ways to achieve the goal. First of all it is suggested that 1) the present evaluation of a new herbicide at standard and double doses in registration trials is to be an evaluation for standard, double and triple doses to exploit the response slope in making decision for approval and recommendation of different dose for different situation on label, 2) the government is to recognize the facts and nature of the present problem to correct the present misperceptions and to develop an appropriate national program for improvement of soil conditions, spray equipment, extention manpower and services, 3) the researchers are to enhance researches on the countermeasures and 4) the herbicide makers/dealers are to correct their misperceptions and policy for sales, to develop database on the detailed use conditions of consumer one by one and to serve the consumers with direct counsel based on the database.

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Environmental Impact Assessment and Evaluation of Environmental Risks (환경영향평가와 환경위험의 평가)

  • Niemeyer, Adelbert
    • Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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    • v.4 no.3
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    • pp.41-48
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    • 1995
  • In former times the protection of our environment didn't play an important role due to the fact that emissions and effluents were not considered as serious impacts. However, opinions and scientific measurements meanwhile confirmed that the impacts are more serious than expected. Thus measures to protect our earth has to be taken into consideration. A part of these measures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). One of the most important parts of the EIA is the collection of basic datas and the following evaluation. Experience out of the daily business of Gerling Consulting Group shows that the content of the EIA has to be revised and enlarged in certain fields. The historical development demonstrated that in areas in which the population and the industrial activities reached high concentration there is a high necessity to develop strict environmental laws and regulations. Maximum values of the concentration of hazardous materials were fixed concerning the emission into and water. Companies not following these regulations were punished. The total amount of environmental offences increased rapidly during the last decade, at least in Germany. During this development the public consciousness concerning environmental affairs increased as well in the industrialized countries. But it could clearly be seen that the development in the field of environmental protection went into the wrong direction. The technologies to protect the environment became more and more sophisticated and terms as: "state of the art" guided more and more to lower emissions, Filtertechnologies and wastewater treatment for example reached a high technical level-but all these sophisticated technologies has one and the same characteristic: they were end-of-the pipe solutions. A second effect was that this kind of environmental protection costs a lot of money. High investments are necessary to reduce the dust emission by another ppm! Could this be the correct way? In Germany the discussion started that the environmental laws reduce the attractivity to invest or to enlarge existing investments within the country. Other countries seem to be not so strict with controlling the environmental laws which means it's simply cheaper to produce in Portugal or Greece. Everybody however knows that this is not the correct way and does not solve the environmental problems. Meanwhile the general picture changes a little bit and we think it changes into the correct direction "End-of-the-pipe" solutions are still necessary but this word received a real negative touch and nobody wants to be brought into connection with this word received a real negative touch and nobody wants to be brought into connection with this word especially in connection with environmental management and safety. Modern actual environmental management starts in a different way. Thoughts about emissions start in the very beginning of the production, they start with the design of the product and modification of traditional modes of production. Basis of these ideas are detailed analyses of products and processes. Due to the above mentioned facts that the public environmental consciousness changed dramatically a continous environmental improvement of each single production plant has to be guarantied. This question is already an important question of the EIA. But it was never really checked in a wholistic approach. Environmental risks have to be taken into considerations during the execution of an EIA. This means that the environmental risks have to be reduced down to a capable risk-level. Environmental risks have to be considered within the phase of planning, during the operation of a plant and after shut down. The experience shows that most of the environmental relevant accidents were and caused by human fault. Even in highly protected plants the human risk-factor can not be excluded during evaluation of the risk-potential. Thus the approach of an EIA has to regard technical evaluations as well as organizational thoughts and the human factor. An environmental risk is a threat to the environment. An analysis of the risk concerning the organizational and human aspect however never was properly executed during an EIA. A possible solution could be to use an instrument as the actual EMAS (Environmental Management System) of the EC for more accurate evaluation of the impact to the environment during an EIA. Organizations or investors could demonstrate by an approved EMAS or even by showing their installment of EMAS that not only the technical level of the planned investment meets the requested standards but as well the actual or planned management is able to reduce the environmental impact down to a bearable level.

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Bionomics of Tetranychus urticae Koch on Eggplants under Various Nitrogen Regimes in Controlled Environment (시설 재배 가지에서 질소 시비 수준에 따른 점박이응애의 생물적 특성)

  • Kim, Ju;Lee, Sang-Koo;Kim, Jeong-Man;Kim, Tae-Heung;Moon, Hyung-Cheol;Choi, Kyu-Hwan;Choi, Dong-Chil
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
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    • v.47 no.3
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    • pp.237-248
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    • 2008
  • Development of T. urticae was studied on the leaves of eggplant grown in hydroponics with nitrogen contents of 5 mM, 10 mM, 30 mM, and 60 mM. As the nitrogen level in hydroponics increased, it also increased in the plant whereas that of K, Ca, and Mg decreased. More nitrogen in hydroponics resulted in increased contents of water and crude protein, and decreased ash, carbohydrates, and fibers within the plant. Biomass was the heaviest as 989.5 g at 10 mM and the lightest at 60 mM. Leaf thickness and the content of chlorophyll increased as the content of nitrogen increased. Laboratory leaf disc tests obtained from plants grown at various nitrogen levels revealed that feeding and oviposition preferences of T. urticae were high at 30 mM and low at 5 mM. Ratio of damaged leaf by naturally occurring T. urticae on eggplants of 99 days post-transplant in the greenhouse was the highest as 98% at 60 mM. Degrees of damage on eggplants with and without T. urticae infestation turned up more as the differences in the levels of nitrogen in the hydroponics get bigger. No definite differences in the rate of T. urticae development was found between nitrogen treatment levels but, mortalities in immature stages dropped as the nitrogen levels went up. Adult longevity was the longest of 11.9 for female and 6.9 days for male at 60 mM. Oviposition period was also the longest as 11.7 days at 60 mM and shortened as the level of nitrogen decreased. The number of eggs oviposited was the most as 144.4 at 60 mM while it was the least as 41.0 at 5 mM. Sex ratio was 0.75 in favor of female at 10 mM. $R_o$ and T increased, no trends were detected in $r_m\;and\;{\lambda}$, while Dt decreased as the levels of nitrogen went up.

Influence of Application Rates of Dolomitic Lime in the Acid Substrate on the Reduction of Bicarbonate Injury during Vegetative Growth of the 'Seolhyang' Strawberry (산성 혼합상토의 고토석회 시비수준이 영양생장 중인 '설향' 딸기의 중탄산 피해 경감에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Hee Su;Choi, Jong Myung;Kim, Dae Young;Kim, Seung Yu
    • Horticultural Science & Technology
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    • v.34 no.2
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    • pp.220-227
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    • 2016
  • The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of application rates of dolomitic lime in the acid substrate on the mitigation of high bicarbonate damage in 'Seolhyang' strawberry. For this purpose, an acid substrate was formulated by mixing of sphagnum peat moss and pine bark with the ratio of 5:5 (v/v). The pH, EC and CEC of the substrate analyzed before application of dolomite were 4.07, $0.46dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$, and $91.3cmol+/kg^{-1}$, respectively. To adjust the pH of substrate, various amounts of dolomitic lime [$CaMg(CO_3)_2$] such as 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, and $4g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ were added during substrate formulation. Then, seedlings with 3 leaf stage were transplanted as mother plants and those were fed with Hoagland solution containing $240mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of the $HCO_3{^-}$. The growth parameters of mother plants 140 days after transplanting, such as plant height, chlorophyll content, and fresh weight were the highest in the treatments of 2 and $3g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ of dolomitic lime. The physiological disorders in mother plants were not observed in the 1, 2 and $3g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ treatments, but the symptoms of Ca, K and B deficiencies were observed in the 0 and $4g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ treatments. During the propagation period, the number of daughter plants derived from each mother plant were 21.0, 29.5, 35.8, 27.3 and 16.0 in the treatments of 0, 1, 2, 3 and $4g{\cdot}L^{-1}$, respectively. The substrate pH during cultivation of mother plants were maintained at appropriate levels for the 1 and $2g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ treatments, whereas it was the highest in $4g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ treatment. The contents of macro- and micro-elements in the above ground tissue were the highest in $2g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ and the lowest in $4g{\cdot}L^{-1}$ lime treatments. Above results suggest that the bicarbonate injury originated from ground water can be mitigated by adjusting the amount of dolomitic lime incorporated into the acid substrate.

Bioactivity of the Extract of Coptis chinensis: In-vitro Antifungal Activity against Phytophthora capsici and Growth-promotion Effect in Red-pepper (황련 추출물의 고추역병에 대한 In-vitro 항진균 활성 및 고추 생육촉진 효과)

  • Ahn, Seon-Mi;Lee, Dong-Sin;Kim, Mi-Sun;Choi, Su-Ji;Choi, Chung-Sik;Lee, Jung-Bok;Jang, Han-Su;Sohn, Ho-Yong
    • Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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    • v.37 no.3
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    • pp.280-286
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    • 2009
  • To investigate anti-phytopathogenic fungal activity of Coptis chinensis, the methanol extract and its organic solvent fractions were prepared. Using the extract and the fractions, in-vitro spore-germination inhibition and mycelial-growth inhibition activities were evaluated against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Phytohpthora capsici, Pyricularia grisea, Rhizoctonia solani, Botryosphaeri dothidea, Glomerella cingulata, respectively. Treatment of the methanol extract (500 mg/mL) into the spore of phytopathogenic fungi completely inhibited germinations for 5 days, except B. dothidea, and showed strong antifungal activities against P. grisea and B. cinerea, and antioomycetes activity against P. capsici. The minimal growth inhibition concentrations of the methanol extract against P. grisea, B. cinerea and P. capsici were 300, 300, and 500 mg/mL, respectively. For practical application of C. chinensis in red-pepper field, the hot-water extract (1,000 mg/mL) was prepared in commercial facility, after evaluation of heat stability and solvent-extraction yields of antifungal substances. The 3-times leaf-spray of the extract from June to August, 2008 did not show any deleterious effect to red-pepper. In fact, the leaf-spray promoted plant growth including leaf, root and fruit. The average weight and rind of each fruit were increased to 119% and 117% comparison to those of without treatments. Our results suggest that C. chinensis is a useful source for control of red-pepper diseases and plant growth.

Anti-obesity Effects of Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg L. on 3T3-L1 Cells and High-fat Diet-induced Obese Mice (식방풍잎(Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg L.)의 물추출물이 3T3-L1 세포와 고지방식이로 유도된 마우스에서 항비만 효과)

  • Jung, Ho-Kyung;Sim, Mi-Ok;Jang, Ji-Hun;Kim, Tae-Muk;An, Byeong-Kwan;Kim, Min-Suk;Jung, Won Seok
    • Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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    • v.29 no.1
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    • pp.1-10
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    • 2016
  • Obesity is a pro-inflammatory state that contributes to the development of metabolic disorders such as hyperlipidemia, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we evaluated the inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice by Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg L. water extract (PJT). Lipid accumulation measurement indicates that PJT markedly inhibited adipogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. RT-PCR results demonstrated that the mRNA expression of adipogenic transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα) in 3T3-L1 cells were significantly down-regulated by PJT treatment. Oral administration of PJT (100, 300, and 500 ㎎/㎏, b.w/daily for 4 weeks) was conducted in high-fat diet induced obese mice and C57BL/6 mice. The PJT-administered group of HFD-induced mice had a lower body weight gain, along with decreased serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, and total cholesterol compared with the control mice, however, the HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio was increased. Furthermore, the elevated mRNA expression levels of adipogenesis related genes in the white adipose tissue of obese mice were significantly suppressed by PJT. These results indicate that PJT exhibits anti-obesity effects in obese mice by decreasing in serum lipid levels and lipogenesis related gene.

Functional implications of gene expression analysis from rice tonoplast intrinsic proteins during seed germination and development (벼 종자에서 액포막 aquaporin (tonoplast intrinsic protein) 유전자의 발현과 기능)

  • Huh, Sun-Mi;Lee, In-Sook;Kim, Beom-Gi;Shin, Young-Seop;Lee, Gang-Seop;Kim, Dool-Yi;Byun, Myung-Ok;Kim, Dong-Hern;Yoon, In-Sun
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.517-528
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    • 2010
  • Rice seed maturation and germination involve drastic changes in water and nutrient transport, in which tonoplast aquaporins may play an important role. In the present study, gene expression profiles of 10 tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIP) from rice were investigated by RT-PCR during seed development and germination. OsTIP3;1 and OsTIP3;2 were specifically expressed in mature seeds. Their transcript level rapidly decreased after onset of seed germination and gene expression was induced by ABA treatment. In contrast, expression of OsTIP2;1 and OsTIP4;3 was not seed specific as transcripts were found in vegetative tissues as well. Their respective transcript levels decreased at an early stage of seed development, whereas they increased at a later stage of seed germination and elongation of embryonic roots and shoots. When seed germination was inhibited by various stress conditions and ABA, expression of OsTIP2;1 and OsTIP4;3 was completely suppressed. In contrast, the expression level of OsTIP2;2 rapidly increased after seed imbibition and the transcript level was maintained under conditions inhibiting seed germination. These results implicate that tissue specific and developmental transcriptional regulation of OsTIPs in rice seeds depends on their specific function. In addition, OsTIPs can be discriminated by different potential phosphorylation and methylation sites in their protein structures. OsTIP3;1 and OsTIP3;2 possess unique phosphorylation signatures at their N-terminal domain, loop B and loop E, respectively. OsTIP2;1 and OsTIP4;3 have a potential methylation site at their Nterminal domain. This suggests that activity of specific tonoplast aquaporins may be regulated by post-translational modification as well as by transcriptional control.