• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.81-95
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• 2003

Carotenoids are synthesized from the plastidic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP)/pyruvate pathway in isoprenoids biosynthetic system of plants. They play a crucial role in light harvesting, work as photoprotective agents in photosynthesis of nature, and are also responsible for the red, orange and yellow colors of fruits and flowers in plants. In addition to biological actions of carotenoids as antioxidants and natural pigments, they are essential components of human diet as a source of vitamin A. It has been also suggested that some kinds of carotenoids might provide protection against cancer and heart disease as human medicines. In this article, we review the commercial applications on the basis of biological functions of carotenoids, summarize the studies of genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, and introduce recent results achieved in metabolic engineering of carotenoids. This effort for understanding the carotenoids metabolism will make us to increase the total carotenoid contents of crop plants, direct the carotenoid biosynthetic machinery towards other useful carotenoids, and produce a new array of carotenoids by further metabolizing the new precursors that are created when one or two key enzymes in carotenoid biosynthetic pathway are exchanged through gene manipulation in the near future.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.84-92
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• 2015

Tyrosinase is a key enzyme to control the biosynthesis of melanin pigments and has two enzyme activities, namely of 1-tyrosine hydroxylase and of 1-dopa oxidase. Thus, tyrosinase is regarded as a target in skin-whitening and therapeutic intervention of local hyperpigmentation diseases. We have tested tyrosinase inhibitory activity on the water extracts of 50 species oriental medicinal plant. Among them, five medicinal plants, Linderae Radix, Clematidis Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus and Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae were investigated strong inhibition effect. Five medicinal plants were fractionated using organic solvents (methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, water). Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus (ethyl acetate fraction) was investigated strong inhibition effect. Tyrosinase inhibitory activity below $IC_{50}\;40{\mu}g/ml$ is confirmed in five herbal plants that are Linderae Radix, Clematidis Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus, Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus and Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae. Tyrosinase inhibitory levels ($IC_{50}\;{\mu}g/ml$) of each plants were 15.56, 35.02, 25.14, 15.20 and 39.77. We also investigate the effect of effective plant's fraction. in dose of $100{\mu}g/ml$, Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus (P-36) EtOAc fraction significant inhibitory effect over 50%. Clematidis Radix (P-35) and Cinnamomi Cortex Spissus (P-36) MC fraction inhibit tyrosinase each 36.60% and 43.21%. inhibitory rates of Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus (P-40) EtOAc and $H_2O$ fraction are 31.40% and 31.51%. Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae (P-45) BuOH fraction regulate tyrosinase activity to 37.71%. We examined tyrosinase inhibitory activity of natural products and these results suggest that several herbs have potential as a new whitening material.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.17-26
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• 2013

Market available fermented indigo powders of Indian origin (FI1, FI2), Chinese origin (FC1, FC2), and raw indigo powders of Indian origin (R1, R2) were examined using TLC and HPLC analyses to investigate their pigment contents. TLC analysis gave $R_f$ values of 0.81 and 0.72 for blue and red pigments, respectively. All the powder products and the synthetic and natural indigo standards eluted at 6.9 min and 8.3 min in the HPLC chromatograms, and the peaks showed the ${\lambda}_{max}$ at 610nm and 542nm, representing indigotin and indirubin, respectively. The pigment content calculated based on the area of indigotin and indirubin peaks in the HPLC chromatograms showed that the indigotin content was higher in FC1 and FC2, while FI1 and FI2 had a higher indirubin content. The relative percentage of indirubin was the highest in R2, but the HPLC peak intensity was quite low. Despite the higher indigotin content in FC1 and FC2, cotton dyed with FI1 and FI2 (versus cotton dyed with FC1 and FC2) showed a higher blue (B) hue, the highest K/S values, and the highest antimicrobial effect.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.278-284
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• 2016

Anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids, are natural water-soluble pigments, mainly found in vegetables and fruits. Anthocyanins have attractive pharmacological activities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of the anthocyanin-rich fraction (ANF) from purple sweet potato on high fat diet-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. C57BL/6J mice were assigned to the following groups (n=8 per group): normal fat diet (NF); high fat diet (HF); high fat diet with ANF 50mg/kg (ANF50). Normal fat or high fat diets were fed for a total of 17 weeks, and ANF was orally administrated for 8 weeks (from 10 to 17 weeks, five times/week). In our results, there were no significant differences in body weight, food intake, and tissue weight upon ANF supplementation. The levels of serum triacylglycerol, total-cholesterol, and glucose were also not affected by ANF supplementation. However, ANF supplementation significantly decreased serum insulin and HOMA-IR levels as well as prevented hepatic fat accumulation in high fat-fed mice. These results show that ANF may be beneficial for improving high fat-induced insulin resistance and protecting against development of hepatic steatosis.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2022

This study examined the production technique of bracket murals in Daeungjeon Hall, Gaeamsa Temple by conducting a analysis of their wall structure, material characteristics, and painting layers. Wall was a single-branch structure with support layer, middle layer, finishing layer, and painting layer. The support layer, middle layer and finishing layer, were produced by mixing sand (quartz, feldspars etc.), and loess. The ratio of above medium sand to below fine sand was approximately 0.7 : 9.3 in the support layer, 4 : 6 in the middle layer and 6 : 4 in the finishing layer, which had a more percentage of above medium sand than the support layer. The analysis of the painting layer showed that natural soil pigment was used to establish a relatively ground layer of up to 50 ㎛, and pigments such as Lead sulfate, atacamite and mercury sulfide were painted on top of the layer. This study's results confirmed that the bracket mural paintings in Gaeamsa Temple are within the category of the production style of murals during the Joseon period. However, the points that the middle layer was formed several times, the significant difference in particle size distribution between the wall, and the absence of chopped straw in the support layer are a feature of bracket mural paintings in Gaeamsa Temple. These properties of murals as material and structure may be viewed for correlation with the degree of damage to wall structure of mural painting and would serve as an important reference to diagnosis the conservation conditions of murals or prepare conservation treatments.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1622-1631
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• 2022

Carotenoids, which are natural pigments found abundantly in wide-ranging species, have diverse functions and high industrial potential. The carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is very complex and has multiple branches, while the accumulation of certain metabolites often affects other metabolites in this pathway. The DsLCYB gene that encodes lycopene cyclase was selected in this study to evaluate β-carotene production and the accumulation of β-carotene in the alga Dunaliella salina. Compared with the wild type, the transgenic algal species overexpressed the DsLCYB gene, resulting in a significant enhancement of the total carotenoid content, with the total amount reaching 8.46 mg/g for an increase of up to 1.26-fold. Interestingly, the production of α-carotene in the transformant was not significantly reduced. This result indicated that the regulation of DsLCYB on the metabolic flux distribution of carotenoid biosynthesis is directional. Moreover, the effects of different light-quality conditions on β-carotene production in D. salina strains were investigated. The results showed that the carotenoid components of β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin were 1.8-fold and 1.23-fold higher than that in the wild type under red light stress, respectively. This suggests that the accumulation of β-carotene under red light conditions is potentially more profitable.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.356-371
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• 2024

Novel meat-inspired products, such as cell-cultivated meat and meat analogues, embrace environmental sustainability, food safety and security, animal welfare, and human health, but consumers are still hesitant to accept these products. The appearance of food is often the most persuasive determinant of purchasing decisions for food. Producing cultivated meat and meat analogues with similar characteristics to conventional meat could lead to increased acceptability, marketability, and profitability. Color is one of the sensorial characteristics that can be improved using color-inducing methods and colorants. Synthetic colorants are cheap and stable, but natural pigments are regarded as safer components for novel food production. The complexity of identifying specific colorants to imitate both raw and cooked meat color lies in the differences in ingredients and methods used to produce meat alternatives. Research devoted to improving the sensorial characteristics of meat analogues has noted various color-inducing methods (e.g., ohmic cooking and pasteurization) and additives (e.g., lactoferrin, laccase, xylose, and pectin). Additionally, considerations toward other meat components, such as fat, can aid in mimicking conventional meat appearance. For instance, the use of plant-based fat replacers and scaffolds can produce a marked sensory enhancement without compromising the sustainability of alternative meats. Moving forward, consumer-relevant sensorial characteristics, such as taste and texture, should be prioritized alongside improving the coloration of meat alternatives.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.314-324
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• 1997

This study was conducted to investigate whether 1) photosynthetic pigments(chlorophylls and carotenoids) are formed in dodder plant(Cuscuta australis), 2) there are any characteristics in the pigment biosynthesis, compared to that of other normal plants, and 3) dodder responds to some herbicides having target site on chloroplast. 1. Chlorophyll content of dodder tendrill grown under a natural daylight was 9 times and 50 times lower than that of field bindweed stem and leaf, respectively. 2. The photosynthetic pigment contents varied in different tissues, being higher in a apical region than in a lower region of seedling or tendrill. Chlorophyll wasn't almost observed below the 4th internode from the upper. 3. Pigment contents were greatly dependent on light intensity so that there were 4 to 6 times difference among light conditions. When the shoot containning low pigment contents under natural light, was incubated in growth chamber with various light intensities, the pigment contents were increased by 3 times of initial contents at about 97${\mu}E$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$PAR. While the change in pigment contents was not observed at above 450${\mu}E$ $m^{-2}s^{-1}$PAR 4. Exogenous supply of 5mM 5-aminolevulinic acid increased protochlorophyllide by 7 times and 1.4 times in the etiolated shoot from field bindweed rhizome and in dodder stem, respectively, showing that dodder relatively has a low response to 5-aminolevulinic acid. 5. Pigment loss was observed in the treatment of paraquat, norflurazon, oxyfluorfen and diuron, and protoporphyrin IX was accumulated by oxyfluorfen as in normal plants Based on above results, several chracteristics of pigment biosynthesis in dodder seem to be summerized as follows. Photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis in Cuscuta australis runs even in low level. The pigment contents is differentially distributed in different regions and their contents seem significantly to be controlled by light intensities. Especially, chloroplast rapidly tends to degenerate with the development of tissue. Some herbicides having target site on chloroplast induce damage to dodder stem but are unlikely to control it well in field, except paraquat, due to low chloroplast activity and parasitic mode of nutrition.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.80-97
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• 2023

By taking wallpaper specimens from Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and Chilgung Palace preserved from the late Joseon Dynasty to the present, we planned in this study to determine the types and characteristics of the paper used as wallpaper in the Joseon royal family. First, we confirmed the features of paper hanging in the palaces with old literature on the wallpaper used by the royal family based on archival research. Second, we conducted a field survey targeting the royal palaces whose construction period was relatively clear, and analyzed the first layer of wallpaper directly attached to the wall structure after sampling the specimens. Therefore, we confirmed that the main raw material was hanji, which was used as a wallpaper by the royal family, and grasped the types of substances(dyes and pigments) used to produce a blue color in spaces that must have formality by analyzing the blue-colored paper. Based on the results confirmed through the analysis, we checked documents and the existing wallpaper by comparing the old literature related to wallpaper records of the Joseon Dynasty palaces. We also built a database for the restoration of cultural properties when conserving the wallpaper in the royal palaces. We examined the changes in wallpaper types by century and the content according to the place of use by extracting wallpaper-related contents recorded in 36 cases of Uigwe from the 17th to 20th centuries. As a result, it was found that the names used for document paper and wallpaper were not different, thus document paper and wallpaper were used without distinction during the Joseon Dynasty. And though there are differences in the types of wallpaper depending on the period, it was confirmed that the foundation of wallpaper continued until the late Joseon Dynasty, with Baekji(white hanji), Hubaekji(thick white paper), jeojuji(common hanji used to write documents), chojuji(hanji used as a draft for writing documents) and Gakjang(a wide and thick hanji used as a pad). As a result of fiber identification by the morphological characteristics of fibers and the normal color reaction(KS M ISO 9184-4: Graph "C" staining test) for the first layer of paper directly attached to the palace wall, the main materials of hanji used by the royal family were confirmed and the raw materials used to make hanii in buildings of palaces based on the construction period were determined. Also, as a result of analyzing the coloring materials of the blue decorative paper with an optical microscope, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic analysis(UV-Vis), and X-ray diffraction analysis(XRD), we determined that the type of blue decorative paper dyes and pigments used in the palaces must have formality and identified that the raw materials used to produce the blue color were natural indigo, lazurite and cobalt blue.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.2
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• pp.236-243
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• 2012

The leaf growth and physiological characteristics of Forsythia saxatilis were investigated at six natural habitats under different light intensities in Bukhansan in order to figure out an appropriate growth environment for conservation and restoration of F. saxatilis that is Korean endemic plant designated as rare and endangered species. Relative light intensities (RLI) at six habitats showed from 10% to 78% of the full sun. Leaf length, leaf width, leaf area and dry leaf weight of population under highest relative light intensity (78%) were the highest. The ratio of dry leaf weight to leaf area increased with the increase of RLI. The content of photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid were the highest at 78% of RLI, whereas the ratio of total chlorophyll to carotenoid content reduced according to the increase of RLI. Photosynthetic parameters, such as photosynthetic rate, also increased with the increase of RLI. The total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) was 1.5 times higher at 78% of RLI than that at 10% of RLI and the total soluble sugar (TSS) was the highest at 78% of RLI. In conclusion, leaf characteristics and physiological characteristics have high positive correlation with light intensity. Therefore, light condition should be primarily considered to improve growth and physiology characteristics of F. saxatilis under low light intensity.