• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.199-205
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the phytotoxic effects of 19 essential oils on seed germination and initial growth of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.). We found that anise, cinnamon, citronella, clove, geranium, lemongrass, mustard and pine oils completely inhibited germination of rapeseed at $100{\times}$ dilute solution. Based on the inhibition rates of rapeseed emergence and initial growth, three essential oils (cinnamon, clove, and geranium) were selected as potential bio-herbicides. Under pre-emergence applications of cinnamon, clove, and geranium oils at 90 kg ai $ha^{-1}$, rates of rapeseed emergence were 7.1, 25.0, and 3.6% and its initial growth were 22.0, 9.9 and 11.0%, respectively.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2019

Cymbopogon citratus, commonly know as lemongrass, prossesses strong antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. Howerver, its anti-obesity activity remains to be elucidated. This study investigated the effect of ethanol extract of Cymbopogon citratus on adipogenesis, and its underlying mechanism, in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The results demonstrated that ethanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus effectively suppressed intercellular lipid accumulation at non-toxic concentrations, and was associated with the down-regulation of adipocyte-specific transcription factors, including $C/EBP{\alpha}$ and $PPAR{\gamma}$, and phosphorylation of $AMPK{\alpha}$. Furthermore, ethanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus increased p21 and p21 expression, while the expression of CDK2, cyclin A and cyclin B1 was reduced. As a result, ethanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus seems to induce G0/G1 cell cycle arrest of 3T3-L1 cells. On the other hand, ERK and Akt signaling pathways were not involved in anti-adipogenesis by ethanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus. Taken together, theses results suggest that ethanol extracts of Cymbopogon citratus inhibits adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells and can be used as a safe and efficient natural substance to manage anti-obesity.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.198-205
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• 2021

Objectives: Antibiotics help treat Vaginitis, and prolonged usage of antibiotics can lead to resistance. Methods: This study investigates the antimicrobial activity of two types of lactic acid bacteria using essential oils. After cultivation by adding grapefruit seed extract (GSE), eucalyptus, tea tree, clove bud, cinnamon, lemongrass, thyme, and ginger oils in a specific ratio, pathogenic microorganisms, namely E. coli, C. albicans, and lactic acid bacteria were released. The number of bacteria was measured using a medium suitable for the strains. Results: The essential oils and GSE inhibited pathogenic microorganisms, and the inhibitory concentration of GSE against pathogenic bacteria (E. coli, C. albicans) was confirmed. The non-inhibitory mixing ratio was also confirmed (50 μl of eucalyptus globulus (EG) oil and 50 μl of melaleuca alternifolia oil (tea tree oil, TTO) at 200 ppm GSE (pH 5.0, 5.5, 6.0)). Conclusion: Essential oils can be considered as an alternative to antibiotics because of their antibacterial properties. They are useful as auxiliary antibacterial agents for patients under long-term antibiotic treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.103-111
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• 2022

Purpose : In recent years, essential oils have been produced using natural extracts for various uses. Their functionality is currently being tested not only for cosmetics and perfumes but also for other categories of products. Therefore, this study verified their antibacterial effects on S. mutans, P. gingivalis, and L. gasseri which are the representative strains that cause oral diseases. Methods : Eighteen types of natural essential oils were made at a concentration of 50 % (v/v) using Tween 20, and their antibacterial effects were verified by applying S. mutans, P. gingivalis, and L. gasseri. The antibacterial effects were measured with the disc diffusion method. All the experiments were repeated three times, and the mean value of three measurement values for each variable was used for data analysis. A one-way analysis of variance was conducted using these mean values. Results : Of the eighteen types of essential oils tested, sixteen types showed antibacterial effects on S. mutans, and sixteen and fifteen types exhibited antibacterial effects on P. gingivalis and L. gasseri respectively. The types of essential oils with high-level antibacterial activities were geranium, may chang, and bergamot for S. mutans, lemongrass, bergamot, and eucalyptus for P. gingivalis, and lemongrass, machan, and geranium for L. gasseri in order of antibacterial effect. This result was statistically significant (p<.001). In addition, in the case of mandarin oil, it was found that there was no antibacterial activity in all three strains. Conclusion : This study proved the antibacterial activities of essential oils, which are used for various purposes in daily life, against dental caries and periodontal diseases. The study results will likely be applied to different prevention programs for oral health and broadly used to develop products such as oral care items and dentifrices.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.121-135
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aimed to establish and provide reliable information for general public, based on expert consensus, on the risks of misuse of medicinal herbs for food and pure food ingredients for the fetus during pregnancy. Methods: A panelist of seven traditional Korean medicine (TKM) gynecologists responded to a questionnaire summarizing the fetal safety literature for twenty-five medicinal herbs for food and pure food ingredients derived from medicated diet (藥膳, Yaksun) recipes during three online Delphi rounds anonymously. Results: Ginkgonis Semen (Ginkgo nut), Illici Veri Fructus (Star anise), lavender, bitter gourd, and parsley were agreed at the level 1 of "Do not consume". These five ingredients were recognized as having significant risks both in the literature evidence and in expert opinion. Rosemary, Citri Unshius Pericarpium, Discoreae Rhizoma, lemongrass, Schisandrae Fructus, Cassiae Semen, Foeniculi Fructus, Mori Fructus, Cinnamomi Cortex, and Astragali Radix were agreed at the level 2 of "consultation with TKM practitioner is required". Conclusion: Based on the consensus of a seven-member expert panel of TKM gynecologists, consumption of Ginkgonis Semen (Ginkgo nut), Illici Veri Fructus (Star anise), lavender, bitter gourd, and parsley should be avoided by pregnant women. For Rosemary, Citri Unshius Pericarpium, Discoreae Rhizoma, lemongrass, Schisandrae Fructus, Cassiae Semen, Foeniculi Fructus, Mori Fructus, Cinnamomi Cortex, and Astragali Radix, the level 2 advisory may be recommended to use with caution and to consult a TKM practitioner for advice on consumption, dose, and duration.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2013

The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel), damages various cultivated crops and it can also be a serious pest of turfgrass, especially on golf courses. Essential oils have potential as alternative control agents for insect pests. Sixteen essential oils (anise, camphor, cinnamon, citronella, clove, fennel, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, linseed, neem, peppermint, pine, thyme, turpentine and tea saponin) and paraffin oil were assessed in the laboratory, the green house and field trials for their efficacy against black cutworms in turf. Treatment of potted cores of perennial ryegrass turf with anise, cinnamon, neem, paraffin or turpentine reduced black cutworm damage in a greenhouse trial, and in a similar trial, applying neem oil at 4000, 2000 and 1000 ppm resulted in 100, 100 and 64% mortality, respectively, of black cutworms. Weight of survivors at the 1000 ppm rate was 5- fold less than weight of comparably-aged controls. Neem oil (2000 ppm) reduced growth of black cutworms feeding on treated clippings. A high rate of neem oil followed by irrigation (0.1 L of 20000 ppm neem oil with 0.9 L watering/$m^2$) was more effective than a lower concentration (1 L of 2000 ppm neem oil/$m^2$) against $2^{nd}$ and $3^{rd}$ instars in potted turf cores and field plots, respectively. However, not even the aforementioned higher rate effectively controlled $4^{th}$ instars in the field.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 2016

In order to identify a new control measure for a sporadic insect pest, Pochazia shantungensis, 23 types of essential oils were screened for their repellent effects, with an olfactory test using a Y-tube olfactometer. Results indicated that 21 essential oils, except lemongrass oil and peppermint oil, did not show repellent activity against P. shantungensis. The repellent effect of peppermint oil was over 80%. When 0.1, 0.5, and $1{\mu}l$ of peppermint oil were used, the rate of repelling of P. shantungensis gradually increased, and was as high as 76.5% when $10{\mu}l$ was used. The main components of peppermint oil were 1,8-cineole, iso-menthyl acetate, menthone, and menthol, at 4.7, 8.0, 23.8 and 53.7%, respectively. When the three main components were mixed using a Y-tube olfactometer, a strong repellent effect (76.2%) was observed when $5{\mu}l$ was used. Peppermint oil showed a repellent and ovipositional repellent effect against P. shantungensis in the field. However, this activity persists only for a short period, and high concentrations can lead to phytotoxicity. Therefore, it is necessary to develop ideal formulations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 2014

In the present study, the chemical compositions and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of commercially available essential oils in Korea were investigated. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results demonstrated that they exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against gram positive, gram negative, and multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. The antimicrobial activity of five of the essential oils against 40 organisms was assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MIC values were in the ranges of 0.0625-0.5% (v/w) for lemongrass and manuka, 0.03125-1.0% (v/w) for tea tree, 0.0625-1.0% (v/w) for thyme, and 1-4% (v/w) for ravensara, depending on the pathogens studied. This study revealed that, among the essential oils tested, lemongrass and thyme oil showed broad antimicrobial activity against infectious bacteria. The antioxidant activities and the reducing power of the essential oils were determined with a 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Thyme oil exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity comparing with ascorbic acid. This is the first report on the chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of commercially available essential oils against infectious bacteria and MDR strains acquired from Korean hospitals.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2015

White grub damages various crops, trees and they can also be one of the most serious pests of turf grass in golf courses. This study was conducted to determine the biocontrol of white grubs with 18 different kinds (anise, camphor, castor, cinnamon, clove oil, citronella, fennel, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, linseed, neem, peppermint, pine, rosemary, tea-tree, thyme, and turpentine) of plant essential oils in laboratory, green house and field. Anise oil (88.9%), linseed oil (100%), and tea-tree oil (88.9%) were highly effective among tested essential oils against 3rd instar of Bifurcanmala aulax in cap vial experiment. However, anise and linseed oils showed low mortality against $3^{rd}$ instar of Popillia japonica in pot greenhouse experiment. Efficacy of anise, linseed oil, and tea-tree was also different depending on target white grub in field trials. Correlated mortality showed 32.6% only in tea-tree oil treatment against pupae of Adoretus tenuimaculatus however, correlated mortality of anise, linseed and tea-tree oil were 54.8, 51.6 and 56.5% respectively against $3^{rd}$ instar of Exomala orientalis in the field trial in Adelscott Country Club in Hapcheon, Gyeongnam province.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.1411-1417
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of methanol extracts from 6 plants which were Chrysanthemum zawadskii Herb. var. latilobum (Maxim.) Kitamura (Gu-jeol-cho), Lavandula spica L. (Lavender), Rosmainus offcinals L. (Rosemary), Cymbopogon citrates (Lemongrass), Saussureae radix (Mok-hyang), Calendular officinalis L. (Calendular). Antioxidative effects of herbal extracts were measured by polyphenols, flavonoids contents and DPPH radical scavenging activity assay. We also evaluated the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Methanol extracts from Gu-jeol-cho, lavender, rosemary and lemongrass showed high polyphenols contents as well as strong DPPH scavenging activity. In particular, rosemary extract contained highest polyphenol levels as $126.69{\pm}2.62{\mu}g/mg$ compared to other herbs. As for DPPH radical scavenging activities, $IC_{50}$ values of rosemary extracts were $6.23{\pm}0.58{\mu}g/mL$. The rosemary extracts also showed higher antibacterial effects against S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7. These results indicate that rosemary could be used as natural antioxidant and antibacterial agents.