• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• 제1권1호
• /
• pp.70-85
• /
• 1995

The chemical constituents of the soft corals of Lobophytum are reviewed.

• ALGAE
• /
• 제25권4호
• /
• pp.205-216
• /
• 2010

The marine red alga Kappaphycus alvarezii is a major source of $\kappa$-carrageenan. It has been introduced in 20 countries including India. Recently, several reports have expressed concerns about Kappaphycus invasion on Acropora corals at Kurusadai Island in the Gulf of Mannar, India, which is part of a marine bioreserve. To understand the extent of the Kappaphycus invasion, 27 randomly selected locations around Kurusadai Island and the mainland coast were surveyed during May-August 2008 and July 2009. Our rigorous sampling revealed that K. alvarezii was confined to two different patches of 105 m $\times$ 55 m and 8 m $\times$ 9 m located at the southeastern part of Kurusadai Island. The actual extent of the K. alvarezii canopy coverage was 76.7 $m^2$, accounting for less than 0.0035% of the total coral reef area. The daily growth rate of the K. alvarezii at Kurusadai was 0.7%. K. alvarezii was not observed in the coral reef area of the adjoining Pullivasal and Poomarichan Islands or the Palk Bay area cultivation sites. The lack of functional reproductive cycle, low spore viability, and the absence of microscopic phases in the life cycle of this alga coupled with the abundance presence of herbivores may restrict the further spread of this alga, so its invasive potential at Kurusadai Island is considered remote.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제21권9호
• /
• pp.21.1-21.8
• /
• 2018

In the present study, we first evaluated the melanin inhibitory effect of four crude 70% ethanol extracts separated from soft corals abundantly growing along the seawaters of Jeju Island, South Korea, including Dendronephthya castanea (DC), Dendronephthya gigantea (DG), Dendronephthya puetteri (DP), and Dendronephthya spinulosa (DS). Among the four ethanol extracts, the ethanol extract of DP (DPE) did not possess any cytotoxic effect on B16F10 cells. However, all other three extracts showed a cytotoxic effect. Also, DPE reduced the melanin content and the cellular tyrosinase activity without cytotoxicity, compared to the ${\alpha}-MSH$-stimulated B16F10 cells. Specifically, DPE downregulated the expression levels of tyrosinase and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor by activating the ERK signaling cascade in ${\alpha}-MSH$-stimulated B16F10 cells. Interestingly, the melanin inhibitory effect of DPE was abolished by the co-treatment of PD98059, an ERK inhibitor. According to these results, we suggest that DPE has whitening capacity with the melanin inhibitory effects by activating ERK signaling and could be used as a potential natural melanin inhibitor for cosmeceutical products.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• 제56권1호
• /
• pp.43-48
• /
• 2013

In this study, methanol extracts from 25 indigenous Korean corals were prepared and their carotenoid constituents were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-APCI-MS). Among them, extracts from nine species showed detectable peaks in the HPLC chromatogram at 450 nm and the ultraviolet/visible spectra exhibiting carotenoid-specific characteristics were chosen. The mass data of carotenoid peaks revealed that only peridinin could be identified based on literature comparison and suggested the potential presence of novel carotenoid structures. This is the first reported investigation of indigenous Korean coral carotenoids and further work is needed to explore the carotenoids and their potential roles in the ecosystem of indigenous Korean corals.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• 제27권1호
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 2005

Impacts of Typhoon Maemi on a soft-coral community located on subtidal cliff at Munseom, Jeju were investigated in this study using underwater photography. Typhoon Maemi hit Jeju Island in late September 2003 and its impact was strong enough to destruct most shallow water sessile benthos including soft corals. To estimate numbers and size of soft-coral colonies, a line transect was installed on the cliff at depth from 3 to 9 m and photographs were taken serially by every 1m. From each $1{\times}1m$ underwater photograph, species and size of soft-coral colony was determined. Number of soft-coral colony and its Percent coverage (PC) in each $1m^2$ quadrat was calculated. Soft corals Scleronephthya gracillium, Dendronephthya gigantea, D. spinulosa and D. castanea were identified from the photographs. Dendronephthya sp. was mainly distributed at 3-6m while S. gracillimum was mostly occurred at $6{sim}9m$. A survey conducted before the typhoon showed that number of the soft-coral colonies at $3{\sim}4m,\;4{\sim}5m,\;5{\sim}6m,\;6{\sim}7m,\;7{\sim}8m\;and\;8{\sim}9m$ was 17, 24, 20, 23, 18 and 30 $colonies/m^2$ or 21, 48, 36, 28, 24 and 43%, respectively. After the typhoon, number of soft-coral colonies in the transect increased, 31, 35, 21, 10, 21 and 50 $colonies/m^2$ while PC was remarkably decreased as 21, 23, 21, 5, 9 and 13%, respectively. Our data suggested that the impact was limited in larger colonies; larger soft coral colonies were selectively destroyed and removed while the small colonies underneath the larger colonies remained undestroyed.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• 제4권1호
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2000

The genus Dendronephthya, generally known as soft corals, is reported as an abundant and variable taxon. They mostly distribute in warmer waters of the Undo-Pacific Ocean region including Korea. In spite of their abundance and ecological importance as habitats of marine organisms, there are difficulties in the study of their identification and systematics because they have morphological variabilities and limited taxonomec characters. To resolve the problems, we attempted to elucidate the genetic relationships in the genus Dendronephthya by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. This study was based on eight dendronephthian species and one Alcyoniidae species, Alcyonium gracillimum, as an outgroup. The results from all analysis suggest that they could be classified into four groups by the growth form and the anthocodial grades as follows: the first one,D. putteri and D. suensoni with the divaricate form and VI grade; the second one,D. sp.1 and D. sp.2 with the divaricate form and III or IV grade; the third one, D. gigantea and D. aurea being closer than D. spinifera with the glomerate form and III grade; the last one, D. castanea related to D. gigantea rather than D. putteri with the umbellate form and IV grade. Moreover, the divaricate form was separated from the group of the glomerate and umbellate form. At the intraspecies level, the types of the D. castanea, D. gigantea and D. spinifera were separated depending on the feature of spicules in the polyp head, and the coloration could not influence genetic variation. From this study, we can confirm that their morphological characters are compatible with the genetic variation, also RAPD analysis is a very useful method for resolving the systematic relationships of den-deonephthians.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국생물공학회 2005년도 생물공학의 동향(XVI)
• /
• pp.408-411
• /
• 2005

대장균을 이용하여 형광단백질을 형질전환하고 배양하면서 그 특성을 관찰하고 형광세기 및 형광 단백질의 크기를 조사하였다.

• 환경영향평가
• /
• 제18권6호
• /
• pp.445-452
• /
• 2009

This study surveys the surface water environment in Southwest sea areas of Vietnam in order to evaluate the current environment. It collects and analyzes experimental results of programs, scientific subjects, and international projects relevant to ecological areas and coastlines of Kien Giang province. The methods analyzed and discussed by specialists are evaluated according to pollution coefficients established by the World Health Organization (WHO), sampling methods, and case study analyses. Comparison between the scale of pollution levels and the surface water quality in experimental areas of Long Xuyen Quadrangle shows a light-moderate pollution level. In Ca Mau Peninsula, the surface water source is only slightly polluted. Sea areas and islands are also light-moderately polluted. Computing results from water quality indices (WQI) show the level of pollution in experimental sites. Activities such as constructing infrastructures for tourism, exploiting minerals, and increasing population accelerate environmental pollution by deteriorating inherently sensitive ecosystems like corals, sea grass, mangrove swamps, and Melaleuca forests. Surveying and evaluating the present situation of surface water are fundamental solutions for environmental protection in the Southwest sea areas of Vietnam.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• 제29권2호
• /
• pp.160-174
• /
• 2013

Soft corals were collected from the subtidal zone in the coastal regions of Jejudo Island between 1975 and 2010. By the taxonomic work on them, three species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) and one species in the subgenus Dendronephthya (Roxasia) of family Nephtheidae were newly added to Korean fauna: Dendronephthya (Dendronephthya) aurea Utinomi, 1952, Dendronephthya (D.) koellikeri K$\ddot{u}$kenthal, 1905, Dendronephthya (D.) mucronata (P$\ddot{u}$tter, 1900), and Dendronephthya (Roxasia) decussatospinosa Utinomi, 1952. These species are mainly distributed on the rocky substratum at the southern coast from 10 and 32 m. As a result of this study thirteen species in the genus Dendronephthya have been reported from Korean waters until now.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• 제27권4호
• /
• pp.419-431
• /
• 2005

With the draining of land resources, and rising new economic and resources expansionism, finding a new and yet to be developed ${\ulcorner}treasure{\lrcorner}$ is often a fierce and competitive challenge among many nations. This is especially true for Korea confronted with its urgent needs to find new resources and strategy to maintain the current pace of societal demand and economic development in this often impatient and rapidly progressing world. The ocean world in the South Pacific provides potentials to quench both orders with promises of new ${\ulcorner}treasure{\lrcorner}$ of living and ecosystem resources such as new fisheries and new bioactive products as well as providing alternative aesthetic, recreational resources and critical informations on various societal problems such as extreme weather conditions and early wining of the consequences resulting from global environmental changes.