• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.662-670
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• 2005

Recently many efforts were focused to understand the mechanical insights of melanogenesis to develop the agents for hyper-pigmentation and hypo-pigmentation. In the melanin bio-synthetic pathway, tyrosinase is the rate limiting enzyme, and ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone(MSH) stimulates melanogenesis and enhances the melanin synthesis and the tyrosinase activity. The author has analyzed the effects of Biota Orientalis Folium on the basal melanogenic activities of B16 mouse melanoma cells, and on the ${\alpha}$-MSH or tyrosinase-induced melanogenesis. Biota Orientalis Folium alone markedly suppressed melanin content and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The decrease of cell propagation was observed in B16 cells treated with 200${\mu}$g/ml dose of Biota Orientalis Folium, indicating that Biota Orientalis Folium-induced depigmenting effect was caused by inhibition of melanin synthesis, not due to destruction of B16 cells. Pretreatment of the cells with Biota Orientalis Folium also suppressed the increase of ${\alpha}$-MSH (10 nM) induced melanin content and tyrosinase activity. Biota Orientalis Folium inhibited the revelation of ${\alpha}$-MSH induced tyrosinase protein and tyrosinase related protein and mRNA of tyrosinase in B16 melanoma cell. These results suggest that Biota Orientalis Folium inhibits melanogenesis and abrogates ${\alpha}$-MSH and tyrosinase-induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

This paper describes the radiation doses to human and non-human biota in the Republic of Korea, as a result of the Fukushima nuclear accident. By using the measured airborne activity and ground deposition, the effective and thyroid doses of five human age groups (infant, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and adult) were estimated by the ECOSYS code, and the whole body absorbed dose rate of the eight Korean reference animals and plants (RAPs) was estimated by the K-BIOTA (the Korean computer code to assess the risk of radioactivity to wildlife). The first-year effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 5.7E-5 mSv in the infant group to 2.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 5.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.4E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The life-time (70 years) effective and thyroid human doses ranged from 1.5E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.0E-4 mSv in the 5 years group, and from 6.0E-4 mSv in the infant group to 3.5E-3 mSv in the 5 years group, respectively. The estimated maximum whole body absorbed dose rate to the Korean RAPs was 6.7E-7 mGy/d for a snake living in soil (terrestrial biota), and 2.0E-5 mGy/d for freshwater fish (aquatic biota), both of which were far less than the generic dose criteria to protect biota from ionizing radiation. Also, the screening level assessment for ERICA's (Environmental Risks from Ionizing Contaminants: Assessments and management) limiting organisms showed that the risk quotient (RQ) for the estimated maximum soil and water activity was significantly less than unity for both the terrestrial and freshwater organisms. Conclusively, the radiological risk of the radioactivity released into the environment by the Fukushima nuclear accident to the public and the non-human biota in the republic of Korea is considered negligible.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.400-409
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• 2001

A method for the analysis of most common phthalate acid esters (9 secies) in biota samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring mode is described. Phthalates in biota samples are extracted by organic solvent and purified by Florisil column. Phthalates are easily contaminated during extraction prodedure. Since the extraction and cleanup steps for biota samples generally are more complicate than those for water or sediment samples, we compared with contamination state of each sample work-up step. By applying this developed method, the overall recoveries ranged between 79 - 117% in biota sample which was spiked with standards. For phthalates used in this study, the quantitaive accuracy, elution pattern on Florisil column, and detection limits were also investigated.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 1998

Six minor diterpenes were isolated from Biota orientalis (Cupressa-ceae) leaves. On the basis of comparison with reported spectral data, they were identified as 7,15-isopimaradien-18-oic acid (isopimaric acid), 8(14),15-isopimaradien-18-oic acid (sandaracopimaric acid), 7,15-isopimaradien-3-ol, 7,15-isopimaradien-3,19-diol, 8(17),13-labdadien-16,15-olid-19-oic acid (demethylpinusolide), and 15-hydroxy-8(17),13-labdadien-19-oic acid (isocupric acid). They were first reported in the genus of Biota.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.89-99
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• 2014

The cultivation of biomass crops is now global demand for decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) from fossil fuel. Miscanthus species have been studied as a suitable crop for biomass production, due to its characteristics of fast growth and high biomass. In Korea, Miscanthus species have gained wide attention as an option for biomass production alternative to fossil fuels, recently. New strain of giant Miscanthus has been developed and two large trial sites for the giant Miscanthus production were built in the lower reaches of the Geum River. To evaluate the ecological influence of the giant Miscanthus as an bioenergy crop for the future, we investigated the impact of the construction of the giant Miscanthus production fields on the biota and also compared it with biota in paddy fields near the study sites. The biota including plants, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, avifauna, insects, and bugs was investigated. The plant diversity of the giant Miscanthus production fields was poorer than the paddy fields because the high height of the giant Miscanthus might hinder the growth of other plants. However, the giant Miscanthus production fields serves habitat to animals, leading to rich diversity of animals including avifauna, insects, and bugs. The rich diversity of the animals in the giant Miscanthus production fields coincides with the fact that the giant Miscanthus was grown without any pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer. This study showed that the giant Miscanthus can influence on biota and further long term study is needed to elucidate the interaction between the diversity of biota and the giant Miscanthus.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.252-260
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• 2015

This paper describes the technical background for the Korean wildlife radiation dose assessment code, K-BIOTA, and the summary of its application. The K-BIOTA applies the graded approaches of 3 levels including the screening assessment (Level 1 & 2), and the detailed assessment based on the site specific data (Level 3). The screening level assessment is a preliminary step to determine whether the detailed assessment is needed, and calculates the dose rate for the grouped organisms, rather than an individual biota. In the Level 1 assessment, the risk quotient (RQ) is calculated by comparing the actual media concentration with the environmental media concentration limit (EMCL) derived from a bench-mark screening reference dose rate. If RQ for the Level 1 assessment is less than 1, it can be determined that the ecosystem would maintain its integrity, and the assessment is terminated. If the RQ is greater than 1, the Level 2 assessment, which calculates RQ using the average value of the concentration ratio (CR) and equilibrium distribution coefficient (Kd) for the grouped organisms, is carried out for the more realistic assessment. Thus, the Level 2 assessment is less conservative than the Level 1 assessment. If RQ for the Level 2 assessment is less than 1, it can be determined that the ecosystem would maintain its integrity, and the assessment is terminated. If the RQ is greater than 1, the Level 3 assessment is performed for the detailed assessment. In the Level 3 assessment, the radiation dose for the representative organism of a site is calculated by using the site specific data of occupancy factor, CR and Kd. In addition, the K-BIOTA allows the uncertainty analysis of the dose rate on CR, Kd and environmental medium concentration among input parameters optionally in the Level 3 assessment. The four probability density functions of normal, lognormal, uniform and exponential distribution can be applied.The applicability of the code was tested through the participation of IAEA EMRAS II (Environmental Modeling for Radiation Safety) for the comparison study of environmental models comparison, and as the result, it was proved that the K-BIOTA would be very useful to assess the radiation risk of the wildlife living in the various contaminated environment.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.167-170
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• 2008

We previously reported that 90% MeOH fraction of Biota orientalis leaves (L.) ENDL. had significant neuroprotective activity against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells. In the present study, (-)-savinin (1), (-)-hinokinin (2), dehydroheliobuphthalmin (3) were isolated by bioactivity-guided fractionation from the 90% MeOH fraction. All three lignans had significant neuroprotective activities against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity at the concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10.0 ${\mu}M$.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.432-436
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• 2002

Benomyl, one of the known endocrine disrupting chemicals, was analyzed to understand the fate in the nature. Water, sediment and biota samples are acidified to hydrolyze benomyl into carbendazim then followed by extraction and concentration. The concentrations of carbendazim in the samples were determined by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Analysis data showed that certain amount of carbendazim was accumulated in sediment. On the contrary, no sign of accumulation in biota was observed probably due to the increased degradation rate in vivo. It is, however, that no one can claim carbendazim is not harmful to biota, since carbendazim may give a negative effect against organisms at the point of intaking.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.249-262
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• 2010

Regulatory test method for Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) in the marine sediment and biota has not still been established even though TPHs are one of the major pollutants in marine environment. Based on the Korean Soil Standard Method (SSM) for TPHs, we considered a new treatment method for determining TPHs in marine environmental samples by using a Gas chromatography coupled with Mass spectrometric detector. We suggested an improved recovery test for quality control procedures and introduced analytical procedures of removing sulfur, polar organic materials, water and saponification for removing neutral lipids in marine bottom sediments and biota.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.392-399
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• 2001

The analysis of n-butylbenzene and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) as volatile organic compounds in biota samples was performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-selected ion monitoring mode. The target compounds, n-butylbenzene and DBCP, in biota samples were extracted by headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) with $100{\mu}m$ polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) fiber and purge & trap method. The extraction recoveries of these compounds obtained by SPME was 85.8% for n-butylbenzene and 92.4% for DBCP, respectively. Each value of method detection limit were $0.15{\mu}g/kg$ and $0.05{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. While in the case of purge & trap method, the extraction recovery was 115.2% for n-butylbenzene, 80.9% for DBCP and method detection limit were $0.04{\mu}g/kg$ and $0.70{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. The extraction yields and detection limits of these compounds obtained by purge & trap were equivalent to those by SPME.