• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.424-430
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• 2010

Immuno-modulatory activities of peptides from Asterias amurensis were investigated using a nano-encapsulation process. The molecular weights of the peptides in the range of 5-7 kDa were separated using Sephadex G-75 gel filtration. Eighty-five percent of the nano-particles were in the 300 nm range using dynamic light scattering. The cytotoxicity of the A. amurensis nano-particles against CCD-986sk human dermal fibroblast cells was 11.64% after adding 1.0 mg/mL of the samples, which was lower than that from the control (13.28% collagen). The secretion of $NO^-$ from macrophages was estimated as $40\;{\mu}M$ after adding 1.0 mg/mL of gelatin nano-particles, which was higher than the others. Prostaglandin $E_2$ production from UV-induced human skin cells decreased greatly to 860 pg/mL after adding 1.0 mg/mL of the samples. Confocal microscopy revealed that nano-particles effectively penetrated the cells within 1 hour. From these results, we consider that nano-encapsulation of the peptides from A. amurensis can improve their biological functions.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2018

Inland wetlands in the Republic of Korea provide key breeding and wintering habitats, while coastal wetlands provide nutrient-rich habitats for stopover sites for East Asia/Australasia Flyway(EAAF) migrants. However, since the 1960's, Korea has reclaimed these coastal wetlands gradually for agriculture and urban expansion. The habitat loss has rippled across global populations of migrant shorebirds in EAAF. To protect a similar loss, the United States, specifically Missouri, developed the moist-soil management technique. Wetland impoundments are constructed from levees with water-flow control gates with specific soils, topography, available water sources, and target goals. The impoundments are subjected to a combination of carefully timed and regulated flooding and drawdown regimes with occasional soil disturbance. This serves a dual purpose of removing undesirable vegetation, while maximizing habitat and forage for wildlife. Flooding and drawdown schedules must be dynamic with constantly shifting climate conditions. Korea's latitude ($N33^{\circ}25^{\prime}{\sim}N38^{\circ}37^{\prime}$) is comparable to Missouri ($N36^{\circ}69^{\prime}{\sim}N40^{\circ}41^{\prime}$); as such, moist-soil management could prove to be an effective wetland restoration technique for Korea. In order to meet specific conservation goals (i.e. shorebird staging site restoration), it is necessary to test the proposed methodology on a site that can meet the required specifications for moist-soil management. Moist-soil management has the potential to not only create key habitat for endangered wildlife, but also provide valuable ecosystem services, including water filtration.