• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.116-123
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• 2019

Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) is a traditional medicinal herb especially in Korea. It contains pyranocoumarins, which are major active components including decursin (D) and decursinol angelate (DA). This study was carried out to determine the change in active component content and antioxidant activity depending on the root diameter of AGN. Several processing steps are involved to use AGN roots as medicine. The dried AGN roots are divided into body (B), thick root (TkR), medium root (MR) and thin root (TnR) according to their diameter before cutting into medicine. The recovery rates of each root parts per 100 kg were measured as $32.3{\pm}2.5$, $9.0{\pm}1.0$, $39.3{\pm}2.1$ and $15.0{\pm}1.0%$, respectively and the mean diameters were measured as $51.95{\pm}4.55$, $7.05{\pm}0.89$, $2.88{\pm}0.49$ and $1.57{\pm}0.32mm$. Two index components, D and DA, were analyzed. The change of both D and DA content showed a similar tendency. Both D and DA content were increased as the root diameter decreased (higher in TnR). In addition, antioxidant activity was higher in B and TnR, and lower in TkR and MR than control. This study showed that the thinner the root diameter, the higher the D and DA content in AGN roots and that TnR has excellent antioxidant activity compared to other root parts, suggesting that the thinner root part of AGN could be used as a potential material.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to verify the drying characteristics of steamed sweet potato and to establish optimal drying conditions for far-infrared drying of steamed sweet potato. 4 kg of steamed sweet potato was sliced to thicknesses of 8 and 10 mm, and dried by a far-infrared dryer until a final moisture content of $25{\pm}0.5%$. The far-infrared dryer conditions were an air velocity of 0.6, 0.8 m/s and drying temperature of 60, 70, and $80^{\circ}C$. The results can be summarized as follows. The drying time tended to be reduced as temperature and air velocity for drying increased. The Lewis and Modified Wang and Singh models were found to be suitable for drying of steamed sweet potato by a far-infrared dryer. The color difference was 35.09 on the following conditions: Thickness of 8 mm, temperature of $80^{\circ}C$, and air velocity of 0.8 m/s. The highest sugar content ($59.11^{\circ}Brix$) was observed on the conditions of a thickness of 8 mm, temperature of 80, and air velocity of 0.8 m/s. Energy consumption decreased on the conditions of higher temperature, slower air velocity, and thinner steamed sweet potato.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.41-48
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• 2021

This study aimed to develop an alternative organic fertilizer to castor oil cake-based fertilizers. To assess the nutrient effect of the developed fermented mixed organic fertilizers, the yield of lettuce and soil characteristics after growth were analyzed and compared to those of a trial using a mixed expeller cake fertilizer. Two fermented mixed organic fertilizers, FA and FB, each containing 5.0% nitrogen, 2.6% phosphate, and 1.4% potassium, were produced by mixing different ratios of rice bran, dried distillers grains, sesame oil meal, and fish meal. This study was conducted with six trials: untreated, mixed expeller cake fertilizer, and the fermented mixed organic fertilizers FA and FB. Based on the amount of nitrogen fertilization (70 kg ha^-1) on the lettuce, the fermented mixed organic fertilizers FA and FB were applied at 100% and 150%, respectively, and the mixed oil cake was applied at 100%. As the amount of treatment increased, there was no significant difference except the number of leaves in FA treatment. The yields from the FA100 and FB100 treatments were 38.2 and 40.8 Mg ha^-1, respectively, which was not significantly different from that of the mixed expeller cake fertilizer treatment at 38.3 Mg ha^-1. In addition, the nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency of the lettuce were not significantly different between mixed expeller cake fertilizer and fermented mixed organic fertilizer treatments. Analysis of the chemical properties of the soil after the trial showed that he mixed expeller cake fertilizer treatment showed the lowest pH. There were no significant differences in electrical conductivity, content of soil organic matter, available phosphate, and exchangeable cation among the fertilizer treatments. However, the bacterial and actinomyces density was higher in the soil from the fertilizer trials than in the non-fertilizer trials. These results indicated that the two tested fermented mixed organic fertilizers had nourishing effects and soil characteristics that were similar to those of the mixed expeller cake fertilizer. Thus, farmers can use these fermented mixed organic fertilizers as alternatives to castor oil cakes for the cultivation of organic lettuce.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.211-223
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• 2021

Purpose: A total of 39 seafood menus were prepared according to the Korean standard recipe, and analyzed for vitamin B₉ (folate) and B₁₂ (cobalamins) contents, using validated applied analytical methods. The menus included Guk/Tang/Jjigae (boiled or stewed dishes, n = 10), Bokkeum (stir-fried dishes, n = 10), Jjim/Jorim (braised or steamed dishes, n = 7), Gui (baked or grilled dishes, n = 7), Twigim (deep-fried dishes, n = 2) and Muchim (dried or blanched-seasoned dishes, n = 3). Methods: The contents of vitamin B₉ and B₁₂ in all food samples were determined by the trienzyme extraction-Lactobacillus casei and immunoaffinity-high-performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detection methods. Analytical quality control was performed in order to assure reliability of the analysis. Results: Accuracy (97.4-100.6% recoveries) and precision (< 6% relative standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility) of vitamin B₉ and B₁₂ analyses were determined to be excellent. The vitamin B₉ and B₁₂ contents of the 39 seafood menus evaluated, varied in the range of 1.83-523.08 ㎍/100 g and 0.11-38.30 ㎍/100 g, respectively, depending on the ingredients and cooking methods. The vitamin B₉ content was highest in Jomi-gim (523.08 ㎍/100 g), followed by Geonsaeu-bokkeum (128.34 ㎍/100 g) and Janmyeolchi-bokkeum (121.53 ㎍/100 g). Vitamin B₁₂ was detected in all seafood menus, with highest level obtained in Kkomack-jjim (41.58 ㎍/100 g). The seaweed dish was found to have high levels of both vitamin B₉ and B₁₂. All assays were performed under strict quality control. Conclusion: Guk and Tang menus, which contain a large amount of water, were relatively lower in the vitamin B₉ and B₁₂ contents than the other menus. Bokkeum menus containing various vegetables were high in the vitamin B₉ content, but the vitamin B₁₂ content was dependent on the type of seafood used in the menu.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.438-446
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• 2019

In this study, the nutrients of a total of 4 species of popcorn, Oryun Popcorn, Oryun Popcorn 2, G-Popcorn and Gichan Popcorn, cultivated in Gangwon-do, were analyzed and compared. The contents of these products, including their general ingredients, inorganic substances, fatty acids, reducing sugar and starch, were analyzed. The moisture, crude ash and crude fat content of the dried popcorn species were 11.54-12.54%, 0.97-1.45% and 2.48-2.62%, respectively. The crude protein content was 9.68-11.75%. As for inorganic substances, the potassium and phosphorus content were the highest. Potassium was 228.25-310.46 mg/100g and was the highest in Oryun Popcorn, and the content of phosphorus was 276.04-310.00 mg/100g. As for fatty acids, 11 types were detected. The content of linoleic acid accounted for 52.89-55.76% of the total fatty acid content showing the highest amount followed by oleic acid (24.31-26.65%) and palmitic acid (14.20-15.92%). As for amino acids, total 16 types of amino acids were detected by specie, with glutamic acid making up 17.70-18.52% of total amino acids, the highest, followed by leucine (12.30-12.54%) and proline (10.34-10.92%) in that order. The creducing sugar content by specie was 4.68-5.13% and starch content was 42.14-46.14%.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.287-297
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• 2021

Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc. is traditionally used as an edible and medicinal plant in many countries in East Asia. Previous studies have shown the pharmacological potential of extracts and components of C. officinalis, but comparative analysis of the composition of the leaf, stem, and fruit extracts has been insufficient to date. In the present study, the content of active antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients was verified in different C. officinalis parts (under-ripe sansuyu, ripe sansuyu, seed, leaf, stem, and dried sansuyu). One active component, morroniside, was high in fruit (under-ripe and ripe sansuyu), while loganin was high in fruit (under-ripe sansuyu) and cornin was high in seeds. Total polyphenol contents were highest in fruit (ripe sansuyu) and flavonoids were highest in leaves. DPPH radical scavenging activity was highest in leaves, followed by seeds and then ripe sansuyu extract. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of leaf extracts of C. officinalis (LCO) was further investigated by measuring their effects on levels of nitric oxide (NO) and the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of LCO effectively decreased the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inducible NO synthase, resulting in decreased NO production. LCO also significantly suppressed LPS-induced production and expression of IL-1β and IL-6. Taken together, the present findings suggest that C. officinalis leaves have potential as natural materials for the development of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2021

This study was performed to investigate the antioxidant activities of subfractions of Peucedanum insolens Kitagawa root in various organic solvents and their anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. First, P. insolens Kitagawa roots were dried at room temperature for one week, chopped, and extracted with 70% ethanol. The resulting extracts were successively sub-fractionated with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water. The antioxidant potential of the fractions was evaluated using a DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay and by measuring total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. The anti-inflammatory potency of the fractions was evaluated by measuring the inhibition levels of the expressions of inflammatory-mediated genes and proteins (e.g., iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, and IL-6) in RAW264.7 cells. The results clearly showed that the ethyl acetate fraction of the P. insolens Kitagawa root contained relatively high total flavonoid (34.08±1.68 ㎍ of quercetin equivalents per mg) and total polyphenol (154.1±3.2 ㎍ of gallic acid equivalents per mg) contents. The DPPH assay results showed that the P. insolens Kitagawa root possessed strong free radical scavenging activity in the ethyl acetate fraction. Both the ethyl acetate and hexane fractions showed strong inhibitory potencies to nitric oxide production induced by lipopolysaccharide (1 ㎍/ml) treatment for 24 hr in RAW264.7 cells. The results also showed that both the hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of the P. insolens Kitagawa root strongly inhibited mRNA levels of iNOS, IL-1β, and IL-6, which were overexpressed by LPS treatment for 24 hr in the RAW264.7 cells. These results suggest that P. insolens Kitagawa root may contain compounds that possess strong potency for anti-inflammatory activity. Further studies are needed to discover more detailed modes of action of P. insolens Kitagawa root fractions against inflammation modulation, such as the regulation of cytokine signaling and inflammatory signaling pathways.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.4
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• pp.512-520
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• 2020

We assessed the nectar source potential of a prospective honey plant, Idesia polycarpa, by analyzing nectar volume, free sugar content, and free amino acid content. Idesia polycarpa is a dioecious tree; the males bloom approximately four days earlier than females, and the blooming period is approximately 17 days-from March 14th to March 30th. Upon investigating the patterns of nectar secretion, it was found that male flowers peak on the third day of blooming at 5.0 ± 2.5 μL, and female flowers peak on the second day of blooming, at 1.1 ± 0.4 μL. There was a significant difference between males and females in the total nectar volume (9.7 ± 2.9 μL for males and 1.7 ± 0.5 μL for females) and the dried nectar volume (2.2 ± 0.6 μL for males, 0.8 ± 0.3 μL for females) during the blooming period. The free sugar content of floral nectar was 54.6 ± 15.4 ㎍/μL for males and 20.5 ± 4.9 ㎍/μL for females, and the sugar content per flower was higher in males (170.7 ± 15.4 ㎍) than in females (24.9 ± 5.5 ㎍). Our analysis of the amino acid content showed that 20.4 ± 3.9 mg/L (comprised of 19 amino acids) is produced in male flowers and 3.2 ± 0.1 mg/L (11 amino acids) in female flowers. In the male flower, the main amino acid was glutamine, followed by asparagine and proline, whereas in the female nectar, asparagine was the main amino acid, followed by glutamic acid and glutamine. Idesia polycarpa blooms after the blooming period of a major honey plant, Robinia pseudoacacia, and its nectar volume and nectar characteristics, such as free sugar content and amino acid content, make it a viable honey plant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2021

The effects of freeze-dried powder from fresh and black garlic hot water extracts on the lipid metabolism in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-cholesterol diet were analyzed. The experimental group was classified into the normal group (NG), the high-fat (HF) and high-cholesterol diet group (CG), the HFC and 1% fresh garlic hot water extract powder-added diet group (FGEG), and the HFC and 1% black garlic hot water extract powder-added diet group (BGEG), respectively. The serum total lipid content was 381.52±7.30 mg/ml and 368.80±4.40 mg/ml in the FGEG and the BGEG, respectively, and was significantly lower than that of the CG. The total cholesterol and triglyceride contents of the FGEG and BGEG were also significantly lower than that of the CG. The high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was significantly higher, and the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and the very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol content was lower in the FGEG and BGEG than in the CG. The serum ALT and AST activities were significantly lower than those of the CG, and especially the BGEG was lower. The total cholesterol content and the triglyceride levels of the liver tissue were 36.0% and 14.3% lower in the BGEG than in the CG, respectively. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentrations in the serum and the liver tissue were higher in the CG than in the FGEG and BGEG, but there was no difference between them. Based on these results, garlic extract powders significantly reduced the lipid profile and increased the antioxidant activity in rats in vivo. The black garlic hot water extract powder was more effective than raw garlic because of the total number of phenolic compounds and browning substances in the black garlic.