• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.162-169
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• 2015

Hamamelis japonica (Hamamelidaceae), widely known as Japanese witch hazel, is a deciduous flowering shrub that produces compact clumps of yellow or orange-red flowers with long and thin petals. As a part of our ongoing search for phenolic constituents from this plant, eleven phenolic constituents including six flavonol glycosides, a chalcone glycoside, two coumaroyl flavonol glycosides and two galloylated compounds were isolated from the flowers. Their structures were elucidated as methyl gallate (1), myricitrin (2), hyperoside (3), isoquercitrin (4), quercitrin (5), spiraeoside (6), kaempferol 4'-O-β-glucopyranoside (7), chalcononaringenin 2'-O-β-glucopyranoside (8), trans-tiliroside (9), cis-tiliroside (10), and pentagalloyl-O-β-D-glucose (11), respectively. These structures of the compounds were identified on the basis of spectroscopic studies including the on-line LCNMR-MS and conventional NMR techniques. Particularly, directly coupled LC-NMR-MS afforded sufficient structural information rapidly to identify three flavonol glycosides (2 - 4) with the same molecular weight in an extract of Hamamelis japonica flowers without laborious fractionation and purification step. Cytotoxic effects of all the isolated phenolic compounds were evaluated on HCT116 human colon cancer cells, and pentagalloyl-O-β-D-glucose (11) was found to be significantly potent in inhibiting cancer cell growth.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2015

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the most important postharvest fungal pathogens of cut flowers. Here, gamma irradiation, an alternative for phytosanitary purposes, and sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) were used to control B. cinerea in a cut chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) cultivar, 'Baekma', one of the cultivars susceptible to B. cinerea. Spore germination and mycelium growth of B. cinerea were inhibited by gamma irradiation in an inversely dose-dependent manner. A dose of 4 kGy completely inhibited the mycelium growth of B. cinerea. A significant change in flower quality (physical properties) on chrysanthemum was shown from gamma irradiation at over 0.2 kGy (p<0.05). Therefore, in this study, the integration of gamma ray (below 0.2 kGy) and NaDCC, an eco-friendly form of chlorine, was investigated to control the disease with low dose of gamma irradiation dose. Interestingly, the gamma irradiated flowers showed more disease severity than the non-irradiated flowers. The combined treatment of gamma irradiation and NaDCC does not affect the severity of the fungal disease, whereas only 70 ppm of NaDCC treatment showed a significantly reduced severity. These results suggest that only chlorination treatment can be applied to control B. cinerea in cut chrysanthemum flowers.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.141-144
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• 2012

Total 50 species, 80 strains: Eighty strains of yeasts were isolated from wild flowers of Daejeon city and its surroundings in Korea. Isolated yeasts were identified by comparison of their PCR-amplified 18s rDNA V3 region or internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) genes with BLAST database. Among them, 32 species, 54 strains of yeasts were isolated and identified from wild flowers of Daejeon city, and Cryptococcus species were dominant yeasts. Furthermore, 18 species, 26 strains of yeasts were isolated and identified from wild flowers of Geumsan-gun and Nonsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do in Korea, and also Candida species and Pseudozyma species were dominant yeasts.

• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2008

This study was conducted to find out the cause of discoloration after pressing yellow-colored flowers. Plant materials used were Lilium Asiatic Hybrids, Oncidium spp., Rosa hybrida, $Tulipa{\times}gesneriana$, Antirrhinum majus, Dianthus caryophyllus, Freesia hybrida, Zantedeschia elliottiana, Gerbera jamesonii, Helianthus annuus, and Ranunculus asiaticus. Thickness, ratio of length to width, and water content of petals did not considerably affect discoloration of pressed flowers. Expression of yellow color in petals was caused by carotenoids in Lilium Asiatic Hybrids, Oncidium spp., Rosa hybrida and $Tulipa{\times}gesneriana$, by flavonoids in Antirrhinum majus, Dianthus caryophyllus, Freesia hybrida and Zantedeschia elliottiana, and by coexistence of carotenoids and flavonoids in Gerbera jamesonii, Helianthus annuus and Ranunculus asiaticus. Carotenoids that expressed yellow color in petals affected significantly on discoloration in pressed flowers containing carotenoids alone or both carotenoids and flavonoids. However, discoloration was hardly ever found in yellow-colored species as affected by flavonoids. Dark treatment was effective for almost perfect preservation in color of pressed flowers, while light treatment resulted in severe discoloration.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.56-60
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• 2019

Ginsenosides are active constituents of ginseng (Panax ginseng) that have possible anti-aging, physiological and pharmacological activities, such as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Although the ginseng root is generally used more often than the aerial parts for medicinal purposes, the flowers also contain numerous ginsenosides, including Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re and Rg1. Therefore, an extract from the flowers of the P. ginseng could have the pharmacological efficacy of bioactive compounds including ginsenosides. The high hydrostatic pressure extraction (HHPE) is a method that is used for the efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials. In this study, we compared the yield of ginsenosides from ginseng flowers under different conditions of extraction pressure and time of HHPE. The results indicate that the total yield of the ginsenosides improved as the pressure increased from 0.1 to 80 MPa and treatment duration increased to 24 hours. In addition, the ginsenoside extracts from HHPE at 80 MPa, which possessed a higher total ginsenoside concentration, decreased the viability of the primary human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) significantly than the ginsenoside extracts from HHPE at 0.1 MPa. Collectively, we found that the method of HHPE that was performed for 24 hours at 80 MPa showed the highest yield of ginsenosides from the flowers of P. ginseng. In addition, our study provides a foundation for the efficient extraction of ginsenosides, which had a potent bioactivity, from flowers of P. ginseng through HHPE.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.62-75
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• 2022

Background: Pollinators help plants to reproduce and support economically valuable food for humans and entire ecosystems. However, declines of pollinators along with population growth and increasing agricultural activities hamper this mutual interaction. Nectar and pollen are the major reward for pollinators and flower morphology and volatiles mediate the specialized plant-pollinator interactions. Limited information is available on the volatile profiles attractive to honey bees and bumblebees. In this study we analyzed the volatile organic compounds of the flowers of 9 different plant species that are predominantly visited by honey bees and bumblebees. The chemical compositions of the volatiles were determined using a head space gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method, designed to understand the plant-pollinator chemical interaction. Results: Results showed the monoterpene 1,3,6-octatriene, 3,7-dimethyl-, (E) (E-𝞫-ocimene) was the dominating compound in most flowers analyzed, e.g., in proportion of 60.3% in Lonicera japonica, 48.8% in Diospyros lotus, 38.4% Amorpha fruticosa and 23.7% in Robinia pseudoacacia. Ailanthus altissima exhibited other monoterpenes such as 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol (𝞫-linalool) (39.1%) and (5E)-3,5-dimethylocta-1,5,7-trien-3-ol (hotrienol) (32.1%) as predominant compounds. Nitrogen containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were occurring principally in Corydalis speciosa; 1H-pyrrole, 2,3-dimethyl- (50.0%) and pyrimidine, 2-methyl- (40.2%), and in Diospyros kaki; 1-triazene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl (40.5%). Ligustrum obtusifolium flower scent contains isopropoxycarbamic acid, ethyl ester (21.1%) and n-octane (13.4%) as major compounds. In Castanea crenata the preeminent compound is 1-phenylethanone (acetophenone) (46.7%). Conclusions: Olfactory cues are important for pollinators to locate their floral resources. Based on our results we conclude monoterpenes might be used as major chemical mediators attractive to both honey bees and bumblebees to their host flowers. However, the mode of action of these chemicals and possible synergistic effects for olfaction need further investigation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Floral Art and Design
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• no.40
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• pp.125-136
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• 2019

This study aims to examine the important factors of flower shops' store attributes influencing the repurchase intention for people who buy flowers for themselves with a hedonic shopping motivation. This study was verified by empirical survey and the results are summarized as follow. First, it was found that price, salesperson's professionalism, store accessibility had a significant positive impact on the repurchasing intention of flowers. Second, it was found that price is the first important factor influencing the repurchasing intention of flowers, and next salesperson's professionalism is the second important one, and lastly store accessibility is the third important one. For implications of this study, this study investigated the cause-and-effect relationship between flower shops' store attributes and the repurchasing intention of flowers for people who buy flowers for themselves with a hedonic shopping motivation, so it provides a theoretical foundation for further studies.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2018

This experiment was conducted to develop a healthy tea by fumigation, low temperature drying, drying and instant immersion using flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L. that bloom in May in all regions of Korea. The drying was drying after fumigation treatment, low temperature drying, drying and instant immersion. The color of the flowers, beverage color, the sugar content, and the taste of the beverage were measured after changing the weight of the flowers. The change in the weight of flower tea was 11% ~ 12.5% of the body weight. The change in the color of the flowers appeared to be the lightest brown in the treatment of drying, and the other treatment area became turbidity white. The color of the beverage was yellowish from the tea treated with drying and became pale yellow when fumigation, low temperature drying and instant immersion. Sugar content was highest at 2.9brix from the drying and 2.6-2.7brix at the other three treatments. The taste was the best in the drying treatment, and the instant taste dipped in the tastes.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.145-157
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• 2019

This study was conducted to examine the effects of horticultural therapy on depression and emotional balance of women with hearing impairment. Ten women with hearing impairment registered in the Mokpo branch of the Korean Association of the Hearing Impaired were selected, and participated in the horticultural therapy program composed of 14 sessions from May 15 to July 31. The horticultural therapy program consisted of 'planting tropical orchids,' 'making a dish garden,' 'making plum pickles,' 'decorating a table with flowers,' 'making a hanging pot with succulent plants,' 'making pressed flowers with hydrangea,' 'making a fan with pressed flowers,' 'making a terrarium,' 'making a flower basket,' 'making a mosquito repellent spray,' 'decorating a heart-shaped cup with flowers,' 'making a natural herbal soap,' 'making a hydrangea bouquet' and 'making watermelon salad.' The depression and emotional balance scales were used to examine the effects of the program and the pre- and post-program scores were compared. The mean value of depression statistically significantly decreased from 49.0 points before the program to 43.9 points after the program. In addition, the mean value of emotional balance statistically significantly increased from 0.3 points before the program to 2.3 points after the program. The activity of drawing a picture after each session was effective in reducing depression and improving positive emotional balance by expressing emotions through pictures. The programs preferred by women with hearing impairment included 'making plum pickles,' 'making pressed flowers with hydrangea,' 'planting tropical orchids,' 'making a mosquito repellent spray,' 'making a natural herbal soap,' and 'making watermelon salad.' In conclusion, horticultural therapy programs were effective in reducing depression and improving emotional balance of women with hearing impairment.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.47-57
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• 2005

To investigate the characteristics of edible flowers as a food material, we have examined the kinds, colors, sizes, fresh weights, pigments and shipping periods of edible flowers marketed on the cropping farms, selling agencies and Internet shopping malls from February through September, 2005. Thirty six kinds of edible flowers were marketed in Korea, and all but the chrysanthemum were introduced species. The characteristics of edible flowers were shown differently by the varieties following the same kinds of flowers. Those colors were yellow (twenty five kinds), red (twenty three), pink (twenty), white (eighteen), and orange (sixteen). Flower diameters were measured and showed that seven kinds of edible flowers were 1.0 to 2.0cm, fourteen 2.0 to 3.0cm, sixteen 3.0 to 4.0cm, eight 4.0 to 5.0cm, and nine over 5.0cm. Flower fresh weights were measured as follows: twenty one kinds of edible flowers were under 0.5g ($58.3\%$), eight were $0.6\∼1.0g(22.2\%$), and six were $1.1{\∼}1.5g(16.7\%$). The taste of edible flowers was often bitter (twenty one kinds), sweet and sour (seven), somewhat fragrant (six), fishy (three), and others (nine). The pigments of edible flowers were anthoxanthin (twenty seven kinds), flavonoid (twenty three), carotenoid (seventeen), and betanidin (four).