• 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.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.677-691
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• 2016

To assess South Korean commercial tomato cultivars, regular and cherry tomato cultivars were grown in the greenhouse and evaluated for color attributes, titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, carotenoids (lycopene and ${\beta}$-carotene), total phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity. Significant differences (p < 0.05 using Duncan's multiple range test (DMRT)) were observed in the levels of most phytochemicals, quality parameters, and antioxidant activity among the twenty South Korean tomato cultivars tested. Lycopene and ${\beta}$-carotene contents varied significantly (p < 0.05 using DMRT), from $0.95mg{\cdot}100g^{-1}$ to $5.12mg{\cdot}100g^{-1}$ and $0.65mg{\cdot}100g^{-1}$ to $3.56mg{\cdot}100g^{-1}$ of fresh weight, respectively. ${\beta}$-carotene contents exhibited the highest genetic variation (59.2%), followed by naringenin (52.8%) and other phytochemicals. Most of the cherry tomato cultivars had statistically higher levels (p < 0.05 using DMRT) of carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, vitamin C, and antioxidant activity compared to the regular tomato varieties, suggesting their higher nutritional value. Lycopene content was highest in the cultivars YoYo, Jicored, Titi-Chal, TY-Endorphin, and Rubyking. Cultivars Rubyking, TY-Endorphin, and Titi-Chal also showed relatively higher antioxidant activities in three assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. All the antioxidants, except luteolin, were positively correlated with antioxidant activities; the highest correlation was observed between total phenol and antioxidant activities, followed by the correlation between rutin and vitamin C. Cultivars identified to have superior nutritional status would be useful in tomato breeding programs to further improve quality and health benefits of tomatoes for the fresh and processed markets.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.221-225
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• 2009

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has been known well as one of traditional medicine for fever reduction, detoxication, and blood circulation improvement. This study was carried out to isolate biological active compounds from roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon and to investigate their low density lipoprotein (LDL) antioxidant and anticancer activities. The hexane extract of Lithospermi Radix has been separated on silica gel chromatography and a naphthoquinone pigment compound 1 has been isolated. The structure of the compound 1 has been identified by spectroscopic technique, including MS and NMR, as acetylshikonin (1). Acetylshikonin showed significantly inhibitory activity on $Cu^{2+}$-induced human LDL oxidation with $IC_{50}$ value of $8.8\;{\mu}M$ and obvious anticancer effect by inhibiting farnesyl:protein transferase (FPTase) activity with $IC_{50}$ value of $23\;{\mu}M$, which suggested that acetylshikonin might be useful for the treatment of atherosclerosis and cancer.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2010

We evaluated the antioxidant activity and tyrosinase inhibitory effects of Pleurotus ostreatus fruiting bodies extracted with acetone, methanol, and hot water. The antioxidant activities were tested against $\beta$-carotene-linoleic acid, reducing power, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, and ferrous chelating ability. Furthermore, phenolic acid and flavonoid contents were also analyzed. The methanol extract showed the strongest $\beta$-carotene-linoleic acid inhibition as compared to the other exracts. The acetone extract (8 mg/mL) showed a significantly high reducing power of 1.54 than the other extracts. The acetone extract was more effective than other extracts for scavenging on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals. The strongest chelating effect (85.66%) was obtained from the acetone extract at 1.0 mg/mL. The antioxidant activities of the extracts from the P. ostreatus fruiting bodies increased with increasing concentration. A high performance liquid chromatography analysis detected seven phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, naringenin, hesperetin, formononetin, and biochanin-A in an acetonitrile and 0.1 N hydrochloric acid (5 : 1) solvent extract. The total phenolic compound concentration was $188{\mu}g$/g. Tyrosinase inhibition of the acetone, methanol, and hot water P. ostreatus extracts increased with increasing concentration. The results revealed that the methanol extract had good tyrosinase inhibitory ability, whereas the acetone and hot water extracts showed moderate activity at the concentrations tested. The results suggested that P. ostreatus may have potential as a natural antioxidant.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.215-222
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• 2014

This study was conducted to isolate a compound with anticancer properties from the roots of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. (Umbelliferae), and to evaluate the efficacy of that compound's anticancer activity. The $CHCl_3$ layer was purified via repeated column chromatography and recrystallization. The two compounds isolated from $CHCl_3$ layer were identified via NMR spectroscopic analysis as (10E) 1,10-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,8,9-triol (Comp. I) and anomalin (Comp. II). (10E) 1,10-heptadecadiene-4,6-diyne-3,8,9-triol was the first report from the roots of P. japonicum. MTT assays were conducted to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic activities of Compounds I and II against the following human cancer cell lines: HeLa, HepG2, SNU-16, and AGS. Comp. I evidenced the most profound cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells ($IC_{50}=6.04{\mu}g/mL$), and Comp. II exhibited the most profound cytotoxic activity against SNU-16 cells ($IC_{50}=18.24{\mu}g/mL$) among the human cancer cell lines tested in this study. However, no significant cell death was observed in the CCD-25Lu human normal lung fibroblast cells. Quantitative analysis using UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) showed that the roots of P. japonicum contained 0.015 (Comp. I) and 1.69 mg/g (Comp. II) of these compounds.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2006

The plant defence activator, Acibenzolar-S-methyl [benzo (1,2,3) thiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid-S-methyl ester, ASM] was assayed on tomato seedlings for its ability to induce resistance against Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold in tomato. Pre-treatment of plants with ASM reduced the severity of the disease as well as the growth of the mycelium in plants. In ASM treated plants, reduction in disease severity (up to 55%) was correlated with suppression of mycelia growth (up to 46.5%) during the time course of infection. In plants treated with ASM, activities of peroxidase were determined as markers of resistance. Applications of ASM induced Progressive and significant increase of the enzyme in locally treated tissues. Such responses were expressed earlier and with a much higher magnitude when ASM-treated seedlings were challenged with the pathogen, thus providing support to the concept that a signal produced by the pathogen is essential for triggering enhanced synthesis and accumulation of the enzymes. No such activities were observed in water-treated control plants. Therefore, the slower symptom development and reduction in mycelium growth in ASM treated plants might be due to the increase in activity of oxidative and antioxidative protection systems in plants.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.515-521
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of horticultural activities with reminiscence materials and singing songs on the ability to recall words and depression in the elderly with mild dementia. A total of 20 sessions of a horticultural therapy program was held once or twice a week from July 14, 2015 to November 3, 2015 for the elderly with mind dementia at the social welfare center in D city. The subjects of this study were 13 women and the mean age was 81.2 years. The ability to recall words significantly improved from $8.6{\pm}1.8$ before the program to $9.4{\pm}0.6$ after the program (p=.012). However, there was no significant difference in the score of depression after the program. Synergistic effects were generated by applying horticultural activities, singing and reminiscence therapy activities simultaneously, and it was effective in recalling memories. As emotional functions were associated with hormones in vivo, there were emotional ups and downs at each session and short-term alternative therapies were not sufficient to completely eliminate neurotoxic substances caused by dementia.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.354-359
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• 2023

Tricholoma matsutake has been the most valuable ectomycorrhizal fungi in Asia because of its unique flavor and taste. However, due to the difficulty of artificial cultivation, the cultivation of T. matsutake has relied on natural growth in forests. To cultivate the T. matsutake artificially, microorganisms in fairy rings were introduced. In this study, we isolated 30 fungal species of microfungi from the soil of fairy rings. Among them, one single fungal strain showed a promoting effect on the growth of T. matsutake. The growth effect was confirmed by measuring the growth area of T. matsutake and enzyme activities including a-amylase, cellulase, and b-glucosidase. In comparison with control, microfungal metabolite increased the growth area of T. matsutake by 213% and the enzyme activity of T. matsutake by 110-200%. The isolated fungal strain was identified as Penicillium citreonigrum by BLAST on the NCBI database. The Discovery of this microfungal strain is expected to contribute to artificial cultivation of T. matsutake.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.352-354
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• 1998

A soilless culture system with the precise control of nutrient solution was developed and the time changes of ionic contribution to EC reading was analyzed. The measuring device designed was able to wash electrodes cleanly and to measure the pH and EC of nutrient solution stably in the box. The nutrient supply system using metering device was also able to control the EC and pH within ${\pm}0.05mS/cm$ and ${\pm}0.05$, respectively. Under the EC control, activity coefficients of all ions decreased with time as ionic concentrations of $SO_4$, Mg and Ca increased due to the selective nutrient absorption by plants. Time changes of ionic contribution to EC reading could be calculated using equivalent ionic conductivities and activity coefficients obtained by numerical analysis.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 1998

Tomato phenylalanine ammonia-lyase 5 (tPAL5) was identified that alternate initiation sites were utilized differentially in response to environmental stimuli (Lee et al, 1992b). In this study, we tried to look into tissue -or cell- specific expression pattern of tPAL5 gene by fusing with ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ (GUS) gene in transgenic tobacco plants. In transgenic plants, root and stem extracts contained 8~12 fold higher levels of GUS activity than petiole or leaf tissue while the highest levels of induction was observed from leaf tissue by mechanical wounding (5~11 fold). In trans-sections of stems and petioles, GUS activity was restricted to phloem cells(outer region) of developing vascular bundle and mainly at apical tip region in the root tissues. The levels of GUS activity was drastically reduced (10~12 fold reduction) when the 5'-upstream region of tPAL5 gene (-1151bp from ATG codon) was deleted up to -665. The levels of GUS expression, however, raised up by 6~8 fold when deleted up to -455. Therefore, we conclude that there are positive cis-elements at the region -1151 to -1008 and at -455 to -195 while the negative cis-element is at -1008 to -455.