• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.278-288
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• 2014

Background: Panax ginseng Meyer is a traditional medicinal plant famous for its strong therapeutic effects and serves as an important herbal medicine. To understand and manipulate genes involved in secondary metabolic pathways including ginsenosides, transcriptome profiling of P. ginseng is essential. Methods: RNA-seq analysis of adventitious roots of two P. ginseng cultivars, Chunpoong (CP) and Cheongsun (CS), was performed using the Illumina HiSeq platform. After transcripts were assembled, expression profiling was performed. Results: Assemblies were generated from ~85 million and ~77 million high-quality reads from CP and CS cultivars, respectively. A total of 35,527 and 27,716 transcripts were obtained from the CP and CS assemblies, respectively. Annotation of the transcriptomes showed that approximately 90% of the transcripts had significant matches in public databases.We identified several candidate genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis. In addition, a large number of transcripts (17%) with different gene ontology designations were uniquely detected in adventitious roots compared to normal ginseng roots. Conclusion: This study will provide a comprehensive insight into the transcriptome of ginseng adventitious roots, and a way for successful transcriptome analysis and profiling of resource plants with less genomic information. The transcriptome profiling data generated in this study are available in our newly created adventitious root transcriptome database (http://im-crop.snu.ac.kr/transdb/index.php) for public use.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2016

In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of hyaluronidase (HAase) inhibition was determined from 92 species of oriental herbal medicine extracted with water and ethanol solvents because of their non-toxicity in the human body. The water extracts of Evodia officinalis (86.8%), Thuja orientalis (80.8%), Carthami semen (66.5%), Melia azedarach (74.7%), Siegesbeckia pubescens (61.3%), Saururus chinensis (49.15%) showed a relatively greater anti-inflammatory activity. The ethanol extracts of Ailanthus altissima and Saururus chinensis demonstrated the highest anti-inflammatory effect at above 90%. Saururus chinensis was selected for its high anti-inflammatory effect in both water and ethanol extract. Ethanol was more effective than water and optimal extraction conditions for phenolic compounds was determined to be extraction with 50% ethanol for 12 hours. The extracts from Saururus chinensis in optimal condition showed 70~80% anti-inflammatory effect when $100{\sim}250{\mu}g/mL$ phenolic concentration was treated. Concentration of above $500{\mu}g/mL$ decreased the inhibitory effect. The anti-inflammatory effect and extraction yield were increased by ultra-fine grind technology, indicating that this method can be used to increase the extraction yield of phenolic compounds from medicinal plants.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.168-173
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• 2011

This study was carried out to optimize the embryogenic callus induction and plant regeneration from mature seeds of Sorghum bicolor. The effect of growth regulators was investigated on formation of embryogenic callus. The highest frequency of embryogenic callus was observed when the mature seeds were cultured on B5 medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The highest frequency of plant regeneration from embryogenic callus was observed on MS medium with 0.5 $mg\;l^{-1}$ 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) and 0.25 $mg\;l^{-1}$ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) to optimize the shoot regeneration. High concentration of BAP (1 $mg\;l^{-1}$) supplemented with IBA (0.25 $mg\;l^{-1}$) was effective combination for shoot multiplication. MS medium supplemented with 1 $mg\;l^{-1}$ IBA was found to be the most effective for inducing roots. Normal rooted plantlets were transferred to the greenhouse for hardening with over 90% survival rate. Hence, this reproducible protocol could be useful for mass propagation and genetic transformation of S. bicolor.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.676-681
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• 2014

Licorice, widely used as a herbal medicine, has flavonoids such as liquiritin and its aglycone, liquiritigenin that show anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Licorice flavonoid-loaded cellulose hydrogels were prepared as carriers for skin drug delivery, and their properties were investigated. The porous cellulose hydrogel was made by reacting cellulose with epichlorohydrin as a cross-linking agent in NaOH/urea(1~10%) solutions. Through studies on the rheological properties and water uptake of the hydrogel, a NaOH/urea(6%) solution was established as being optimum for the synthesis of the cellulose hydrogel containing liquiritin and liquiritigenin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of a cross-section of the prepared hydrogel indicated its porosity. In particular, in skin permeation experiments using a Franz diffusion cell, hydrogel containing the licorice flavonoids showed remarkable transdermal permeation compared to the control group. These results indicate that porous cellulose hydrogel is a potential drug delivery system to enhance the skin permeation of licorice flavonoids.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2015

Alcohol-induced fatty liver (steatosis) results from excessive generation of reducing equivalents by ethanol metabolism. Generally, chronic ethanol treatment causes hepatosteatosis by regulating sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), which increases the synthesis of hepatic lipids. The effect of ethanol on SREBP-1c is mediated through mammalian sirtuin-1 (SIRT-1), a NAD⁺-dependent protein deacetylase that regulates hepatic lipid metabolism. Ginseng is a widely used herbal medicine that is used in Asia for its anti-diabetes and anti-obesity effects. The pharmacological and therapeutic effects of ginseng are primarily produced by bioactive constituents known as ginsenosides. Here, we examined the regulatory effects of Korean red ginseng (KRG) extracts on SREBP-1c and SIRT-1 on lipid homeostasis in AML-12 mouse hepatocytes. AML-12 cells were treated with ethanol and/or KRG extracts (0 - 1,000 μg/ml). Lipid droplets were assayed using Oil red O staining, and western blotting was used to measure SIRT-1 and SREBP-1 expression. Treatment with KRG extracts restored SIRT-1 expression and reduced SREBP-1c expression in ethanol-treated cells. We also showed that KRG extract and ginsenosides Rb₂ and Rd significantly decreased SREBP-1 acetylation in ethanol-treated cells. These results show that treatment with KRG extract and its active ginsenoside constituents Rb₂ and Rd protected against alcohol-related hepatosteatosis via regulation of SIRT-1 and downstream acetylation of SREBP-1c, which altered hepatic lipid metabolism.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.361-367
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• 2013

Hizikia fusiformis has been widely used in Oriental herbal medicine and health food. To identify antioxidation properties that contain natural bioactive substances, we investigated the distribution of active compounds existing in batches of organic solvent fractionation. A dried form of H. fusiformis was subjected to sequential fractionation using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-BuOH, and aqueous n-BuOH. The results showed that among the four isolated fractions, the n-BuOH fraction showed the highest antioxidation activities. The n-BuOH fraction was applied to reserve-phase silica gel column chromatography, which produced three fractions: BA, BB, and BC. Among these fractions, BB showed the highest antioxidation activities, which increased in a concentration-dependent manner. At a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml n-BuOH fraction, the activities of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and reducing power were approximately $45{\pm}0.14%$ and $1.34{\pm}0.23$, respectively. In addition, the activities of ${\beta}$-carotene-linoleic acid, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) radical scavenging were $76{\pm}0.12%$, $82{\pm}0.06%$, and $65{\pm}0.17%$, respectively. These findings suggest that the BB fraction contains potent antioxidation properties and that it could be used in the production of natural and functional foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.956-964
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• 2020

The radical scavenging activity measurement system linked with liquid chromatography (LC) is a useful tool for identifying the radical scavenging active compound in a sample composed of numerous compounds such as plant extracts. Using this system, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity were measured on extracts of Ulmus pumila cortex, which is known as an herbal medicine with antioxidant activity. Mass spectrometry (MS) was performed on the identified radical scavenging active compounds to identify the four components estimated to be procyanidin B2, procyanidin B3, catechin-7-O-β-D-apiofuranoside, and catechin-5-O-β-D-apiofuranoside, respectively. In order to compare the relative contents between extract samples, multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode analysis conditions were set for the four compounds in order to examine the possibility of comparing the content of radical scavenging active compounds in Ulmus pumila cortex extract using LC-MS/MS. As a result of the relative content comparison, it was found that the higher the ethanol concentration of the extraction solvent, the higher the content of radical scavenging active compounds. As with the results of measuring the radical scavenging activity of each extract, it was confirmed that the content difference of three of the compounds (all except the compound estimated as procyanidin B3) was not significantly observed in the extracts with an ethanol concentration of 50% or more.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the distribution of naturalized plants in Jeollanamdo which is located in the south-western areas of Korea from May 10, 2005 to December 20, 2006, and to suggeste the management methods of naturalized plants. The naturalized plants constisted of 29 families, 84 genera, 122 species, 8 varieties, totaling 130 taxa and ratio of naturalization was 45 percents at the study sites. According to the number of species investigated from each sites, 103 taxa were from Yeongam, 98 taxa were from Mokpo, 97 taxa were from Shinan, while it was higher in the other sites. A total of 30 naturalized plant communities were classified. In those eight sites, the common appearance communities were Robinia pseudo-acacia, Amorpha fruticosa, Bromus catharticus, Eragrostis curvula, Festuca arundinacea, Festuca myuros, Lolium multiflorum, Lolium perenne, Paspalum distichum var. indutum, Rumex obtusifolius, Oenothera biennis, Lepidium apetalum, Trifolium repens, Ambrosia artemisiofolia var. elatior, Comos bipinnatus, Rudbeckia bicolor, Erigeron annuus, Erigeron annuus-Erigeron canadensis, Coreopsis lanceolata, Cosmos sulphureus community. The distributional characteristics of naturalized plants were divided on the basis of six areas associated with ecological characteristics of a habitat

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.648-655
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• 2015

Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC.) is a perennial plant of mainly Campanulaceae family, which have been widely used as a food ingredient and herbal medicine in East Asia. Although demands on related products and yearly cultivation area for balloon flower are increasing, diverse fundamental technologies and molecular breeding studies are not very well supported in Platycodons. In this study, 30 random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers were test in an attempt to explore genetic diversities. In addition, sequences information of the actin gene, a well conserved gene encoding a globular protein that forms microfilaments, was retrieved and analyzed. Two actin homologs were recovered; 3.4 kb fragment is a Pg-actin and 1.4 kb fragment is a Pg-actin homolog with 28.6% similarity. We have confirmed that the Pg-actin gene is configured into 4 exons and 3 introns. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), G↔A, was detected on the intron 3, which served as a target for the CAPS marker development. The marker Pg-Actin-Int3 was applied to 32 balloon flower accessions. Balloon flower DNA sequence information generated in this study is expected to contribute to the analysis and molecular breeding and genetic diversity analysis of balloon flowers.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 2009

This study examined the halophyte community and soil analysis according to habitat in representative 18 salt marshes of southern and western coasts of Korea from July 2006 to April 2008 and suggested basic materials for vegetational restoration of these aras. First, the survey area was classified into coastal and estuarine marshes. Then, the coastal marshes were classified into clay marsh, sand gravel marsh, and sand marsh, and the esturarine marshes, into salt swamp and estuary marsh. Major plant communities according to habitat pattern were Phragmites communis, Carex scabrifolia, and Suaeda japonica community in the clay marsh; Phragmites communis, Zoysia sinica, Carex scabrifolia, Salicornia herbacea, Artemisia fukudo, Suaeda martima community in the sand gravel marsh; Elymus mollis, Carex kobomugi, and Vitex rotundifolia community in the sand mars; Phragmites communis, Zoysia sinica, Suaeda martima, and Carex scabrifolia community in the salt swamp, and Suaeda japonica, Phragmites communis, Carex scabrifolia, and Suaeda asparagoides community in the estuary marsh. The soil environment of halophyte community area showed a difference to soil and halophyte community according to habitat characteristics of halophyte. Thus, to restore salt mashes in the coast area, it is advantageous for the stable settlement, germination, and growth of halophyte to grasp physical and physicochemical characteristics of habitat soil in the salt marshes, to select halophyte suitable to these habitat conditions, and to expand gradually in the natural vegetation area after transplantation.