• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.223-236
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• 2021

This study aims to provide basic data for the systematic conservation and efficient management of forest ecosystems by analyzing changes in understory vegetation of temperate broad-leaved deciduous forests. One-hectare permanent survey plot, consisting of 100 subplots sized 10 × 10 meters, was installed in Gwangneung forest in Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do in 2003. The state of stands and the understory vegetation in the permanent survey plot were examined at a 5-year interval from 2003 to 2018. The vascular plants found in the survey area were 56 families, 128 genera, 176 species, 18 variants, 4 varieties, and 1 subspecies, for a total of 199 taxa. The number of species in both the shrub layer and the herbaceous layer showed a tendency to decrease with time. The MRPP-tests showed a significantly differing species composition of the shrub layer in all years except 2008-2013, whereas significant differences were found in all years concerning the herbaceous layer. As for the average importance value, Euonymus oxyphyllus (18.23%), Acer pseudosieboldianum (16.48%), and Callicarpa japonica (13.85%) were dominant in the shrub layer, while Ainsliaea acerifolia (23.41%), Disporum smilacinum (9.45%), and Oplismenus undulatifolius (5.62%) were dominant in the herbaceous layer. In the shrub layer, the richness of Smilax china, Lonicera subsessilis, and Philadelphus schrenkii was high when the basal area and the stand density of an upper layer were high. By contrast, smaller basal area and stand density were associated with the richness of Acer pseudosieboldianum, Deutzia glabrata, Morus bombycis, and Cornus kousa. Furthermore, it was found out that the impact of the basal area and the stand density on the herbaceous layer decreased over time, while the herb layer's species composition was greatly affected by cover degrees of Euonymus oxyphyllus and Acer pseudosieboldianum in the shrub layer. In conclusion, the number of species in the understory vegetation in Gwangneung forest is continuously decreasing, thus implying that species diversity, basal area, and stand density of an upper layer can influence the species composition in understory vegetation.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.1-13
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• 2011

Background and Objective: Coptidis Rhizoma is a medicinal herb known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of CR on the experimental burn elicitation in vitro and in vivo. Material and Methods: In order to know the antioxidant effect on skin cell of mice after burn elicitation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was measured. In vitro, the RAW 264.7 macrophage cells were treated with lipopolysaccharides for experimental inflammation. iNOS mRNA expression was observed after CR-treatment. In order to know effects on the skin regeneration in the burned mice, we counted the nitric oxide (NO) in blood. We also observed the histological structure in the epidermal basal layer and the dermal section, and we studied changes of angiogenesis in the capillaries surrounding the basal layer and dermal papilla. The changes of transcription of iNOS mRNA (inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA) and changes of NF-${\kappa}$B (nuclear factor ${\kappa}$B) p65 positive reaction were also observed to investigate the changes of the stress in the skin. Results: The results indicated that CR has significant effects on the antioxidant effect on skin cells of mice after burn elicitation by increasing SOD activity in the in vitro test. It seemed that CR decreased the amount of NF-${\kappa}$B which induced the iNOS mRNA dose-dependently and suppress activating NO and angiogenesis. Furthermore, CR facilitated the process of skin recovery after experimental burn. Conclusion: CR can be applied for burned skin via antioxidant effect and skin regeneration.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.233-247
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to offer the basic data for management of National Park by surveying and analysing the change of flora of damaged lands in Juwangsan National Park, Korea. In cause of occurring the damaged lands, site-1 was the vegetation damage by stamping, the removing Gwangamsa of site-2, 3, 4 and the removing Naewon village of site-5, 6, 7. Whole sites are caused by the artificial disturbance and interference. The numbers of flora were summarized as 135 taxa including 52 families, 109 genera, 116 species, 2 subspecies and 17 varieties in whole sites. The status of flora by sites, site-6 is the largest number of 52 taxa, site-1 is the lowest of 23 taxa. The rare plant is 1 taxa, 4 taxa of endemic plants, 10 taxa of specific plants by floristic region, 9 taxa of naturalized plants and 1 taxa of invasive alien plant. In the results of analysis about the change of coverage ratio, for this shrub layer, site-7 was changed to the most $0%{\rightarrow}50%$, and the herb layer, site-5 was changed to the most $75%{\rightarrow}95%$. In case of the change of species numbers, most sites tended to increase in the sites introduced different species or generated by the growth. It is contemplated that is similar to the restoration with the surrounding natural vegetation that is in progress is a transition occurs with the passage of time. In the dominant species, the shrub layer is Fraxinus sieboldiana, Lespedeza bicolor, Rhus javanica, Lespedezamaximowiczii, Salix koreensis and Zelkova serrata, and Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens, Oplismenus undulatifolius, Artemisia princeps, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Erigeron annuus of herb layer. In the results of analysing Naturalized Index(NI) and Urbanized Index(UI), NI was increased or decreased this phenomenon with the lapse of time, UI was the most increase. In particular, the increase in UI is due to the transition process, the pioneering plant, naturalized plant was imported to continue.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-13
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• 2010

Most of investigations about the effects of dam construction on the surrounding environments have focused mainly on the change of climate conditions and crop production. In order to research the effect of dam construction on the surrounding vegetation, we chose the Soyanggang dam whose storage capacity is the largest in Korea, and was built 33 years ago. We surveyed and analyzed the surrounding vegetation by using quadrat method and measured the soil moisture content among floodplain (FP), 5m above the flood plain (AFP) and control group (CG) which is 3km far from the lake through ridge. The largest value of mean importance percentage of the canopy~understory layer at FP was Salix koreensis (87.9%) and those of AFP and CG was Quercus mongolica (38.9% and 40.4% respectively) and the largest important percentage of the herb layer at FP was Artemisia capillaris (34.2%) and those of AFP and CG was Oplismenus undulatifolius var. undulatifolius (9.4% and 24.6% respectively). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index of shrub~canopy layer at FP (0.26) was lower than AFP (2.34) and CG (2.23) and there was not any significant difference in the herb layer among three groups. The S${\o}$rensen similarity index between FP and AFP, FP and CG was 0, and that of AFP and CG was relatively high. The highest density of tree and subtree with the DBH level of FP was S. koreensis of 5~10cm (240/ha), and that of AFP and CG was Quercus spp. of 15~20cm (400/ha and 466/ha respectively). And the highest density of seedlings of FP was Pinus densiflora (7,040/ha), and that of AFP and CG was Quercus spp. (720/ha and 400/ha respectively). The soil water content of FP (6.28%) was relatively lower than AFP and CG (11.13% and 10.14% respectively; p<.01). These results indicated that construction of Soyanggang dam changed the vegetation of the floodplain, without showing a change in its upland areas.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.313-322
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• 2018

To investigate the changing patterns of sub-alpine forest vegetation due to climate change requires accumulation of contiguous reference data and continuous monitoring. Furthermore, it is crucial to monitor short-term ecological change of lower level vegetation to understand the trend of long-term vegetation change. Therefore, this study carried out a vegetation survey and tree diameter measurement in 36 plots of Mt. Jiri inhabited by Abies koreana species from 2015 to 2017 to examine the short-term dynamics of Abies koreana seedling and the change of vegetation distribution according to altitude. We analyzed the importance value and MIV (mean importance value) of major species by each stratum as well as the importance value and species diversity index of major species and the change of seedling population by altitude. The results showed that Abies koreana had the highest importance value on tree layer, Rhododendron schlippenbachii on shrub layer and Tripterygium regelii on herb layer. MIV was high in the order of Abies koreana, Rhododendron schlippenbachii and Acer pseudosieboldianum. Regarding the species composition and species diversity index (H') along the altitudinal gradient, Sasa borealis showed high MI and low H' in the elevation less than 1,500 m, and IV of Tripterygium regelii and H' of herb layer were high in the elevation of 1,700 - 1,800 m. Abies koreana seedling decreased by 22.4% from 1,250 n/ha in 2015 to 970 n/ha in 2017 (p <0.05) throughout the investigated area. The decline rate along seedling and sapling height were 22.9% in less than 10 cm, 3.4% in 10-30 cm, 8.9% in 30-50 cm, 39.3% in 50-100 cm, and 55.1% more than 100 cm. Few of A. koreana seedlings appeared due to the dominance of Sasa borealis in the elevation of 1,500 m or less and due to the dominance and high species diversity of Tripterygium regelii in the elevation of 1,700-1,800 m. On the other hand, many of A. koreana seedlings appeared in the elevation of 1,600-1,700 m due to no distribution of S. borealis and T. regelii species in that altitude range. Therefore, we concluded that those seedlings and saplings of A. koreana could be more stable in the altitude of 1,600-1,700 m.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.394-398
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• 2000

A methanol extract of the root of Peucedanum japonicum, used as a medicinal herb, showed an inhibitory effect on mammalian topoisomerase I activity. The methanol extract was suspended in ethyl acetate, and a topoisomerase I inhibitor in the organic soluble fraction was then isolated by silica gel and thin layer chromatography. The topoisomerase I inhibitory compound was indentified as falcarindiol based on the analysis of EI-MS, $^1$H and \ulcornerC NMR spectroscopy. This inhibitory showed cytotoxicity against human leukemia Jurkat T and HL60 cells with an IC\ulcorner value of 7 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. These results suggest the possibility of falcarindiol as a new anticancer agent which can be expected to have a synergistic effect on other anticancer drugs. In addition, the present data show that falcarindiol has antifungal, yet not antibacterial, activity.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.326-331
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• 2013

A Korean folk medicine, "SinKyungCho" has been used to cure common cold and rheumatis. While this crude drug has similar morphological feature to that of Rubia species, the botanical origin has never been studied pharmacognostically. Therefore, in order to clarify the botanical origin of "SinKyungCho", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Rubia species growing in Korea, i.e. R. akane, R. chinensis var. glabrescens, R. cordifolia var. pratensis, R. cordifolia var. sylvatica were studied. Especially, differing from the other three species, R. cordifolia var. pratensis has 2-4 cork cell layers under the endodermal cell layer. R. cordifolia var. sylvatica showed the largest number of parenchyma cell layers in cortex by 8-17. While the average ratio of stele to root transverse section is over 45% for R. akane and R. cordifolia var. pratensis, the ratio is under 45% for R. chinensis var. glabrescens and R. cordifolia var. sylvatica. According to these morphological criteria, the folk medicine "SinKyungCho" from Korean traditional market was proved to be the underground part of R. akane.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.243-253
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• 1995

Seral changes in environmental factors and recovery of soil fertility during abandoned field succession after shifting cultivation were investigated in eastern Kangwon-Do, Korea. Relative light intensity of herb and shrub layer decreased gradually until 50 years and increased slightly thereafter. Amount of litter and nutrients derived from it were depicted as a parabola form showing the gradual increment during the first 50 years and slight decrease thereafter. Organic matter, pH value, total-N and Mg of soil were plotted as an early depletion-mid pinnacle form showing the extrems depletion during the first 10 years, abrupt increase in about 20 or 50 years and gradual decrease thereafter. Ca, Al, Mn and Na of soil were depicted as a pinnacle form showing the peak in about 20 or 50 years. Thickness and field capacity of soil increased gradually, but K and total-P did not show any tendency as succession proceeded. The soil fertility, overall capacity of soil nutrients and water for plant growth, was plotted as the early depletion-mid pinnacle form.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.134-137
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• 1993

Yongia sonchifolia Max. has been used as raw materials of traditional Kimchi and medicinal herb in Korea. This study was performed to investigate biologically active components in the plant. First, the writer carried out the experiment of antitumor screening test against Sarcoma-180A and the cytotoxic activity against Chinese hamster V-79 cells with methanol extract of the plant. And the aqueous solution of the extract from roots of Youngia sonchifolia Max. was partitioned into n-hexane. The concentrated extract of n-hexane layer was chromatographed on silica gel column and developed with n-hexane and ethylacetate. Two yellow elutes, on concentration, were recrystallized from ethylacetate, and the $R_f$ value of TLC of the crystal was 0.43. After analysis by $^{1}H-NMR$, $^{13}C-NMR$ and MS to confirm the structure, the author could identify the compound as bauerenyl acetate, a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene. The crystal was colorless plate and m.p. was $280{\sim}282^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1422-1427
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• 2013

Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), a traditional herb with high pharmacological value, contains more than 10% flavone by weight. To improve the biological activity of flavones in SB, we aimed to enhance the bioconversion of baicalin (BG) to baicalein (B) and wogonoside (WG) to wogonin (W) in SB during fermentation using beta-glucuronidase produced from Lactobacillus brevis RO1. After activation, L. brevis RO1 was cultured in milk containing SB root extract with various carbon or nitrogen sources at $37^{\circ}C$ for 72 h. During fermentation, the growth patterns of L. brevis RO1 and changes in the flavone content were assessed using thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. After 72 h of fermentation, the concentrations of B and W in the control group increased by only 0.15 and 0.12 mM, respectively, whereas they increased by 0.57 and 0.24 mM in the fish peptone group. The production of B and W was enhanced by the addition of 0.4% fish peptone, which not only improved the growth of L. brevis RO1 (p < 0.001) but also enhanced the bioconversion of flavones. In conclusion, the bioconversion of flavones in SB may provide a potential application for the enhancement of the functional components in SB.