• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.80-88
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• 2014

This study was carried out to understand the effect of sowing date on growth characteristics, flower duration of a total of 6 domestic rapeseed cultivars, "Sunmang", "Tammiyuchae", "Tamlayuchae", "Naehanyuchae", "Yongsanyuchae" and "Hallayuchae" with different sowing dates (25 Sept., 5 Oct., 15 Oct., 25 Oct., 5 Nov.) in Muan, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea. The results obtained were summarized as the follows: The number of seedling stand after overwintering was decreased in all 6 cultivars. It changed little until 5 Oct., and then showed continuously largely decrease as the sowing date being delayed. As the sowing date was being delayed, plant height was decreased while Silique length and thousand seed weight were increased. Seed yield in all 6 cultivars decreased almost linearly with late sowing date. In correlation analysis between the delaying sowing date and growth characteristics, it was inversely correlated with plant height ($r=-0.769^{**}$), No. of branches/plant ($r=-0.760^{**}$), No. of siliqua/panicle ($r=-0.631^{**}$) and seed yield ($r=-0.946^{**}$), while showed a positive correlation with silique length (r=0.635), seed diameter ($r=0.629^{**}$) and thousand grain weight ($r=0.422^*$). No. of seeds/silique and seed set percentage were not significantly correlated with the delaying sowing date. The flower duration was long in order of Sunmang, Tammiyuchae, Yongsanyuchae, Naehanyuchae, Hallayuchae and Tamlayuchae. Varietal variation of flowering date was larger with early sowing date than with delaying sowing date. The range of flower duration across all cultivars was from 1 day of Tamlayuchae to 14 days of Sunmang according to the sowing date, and the end flowering date was able to be extended from 2 to 9 days, compared to normal date of end flowering.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.451-462
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate fungi and mycotoxin contamination of the rice straw bale silage in Korean. It was tested the 33 samples of rice straw round bale silage with various condition which fed cattle in the farm. The level of fungal contamination was $2.1{\times}10^6\;cfu\;g^{-1}$ in the average and $9.2{\times}10^8\;cfu\;g^{-1}$ in the maximum. The fungal contamination was detected in the all of normal samples which good condition of rice straw bale silage. When the fungi was isolate and identify, it was found 28 species and mycotoxin producing fungi were 8 species as following as Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium carneum, Penicillium paneum, Penicillium roqueforti, Penicillium viridicatum. Specially, Penicillium paneum was found 42% of samples and Aspergillus sp. (A. flavus, A. fumigatus) are 21% of samples. In case of mycotoxin contamination, the 42% of samples are detected more than one kind of mycotoxin. Some samples are contaminated three kinds of mycotoxin. This study was not found aflatoxin ($B_1$, $B_2$, $G_1$, $G_2$) and fumonisin ($B_1$, $B_2$), but were detected the contamination of ochratoxin A (1.0~5.8 ug/kg), deoxynivalenol (DON, 156.0~776.7 ug/kg) and zearalenone (ZON, 38.0~750.0 ug/kg). Therefore, the above results show that rice straw round bale silage expose on hazard factors as mycotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxin contamination, and than need more research about mycotoxin in animal feed to protect animal and human healthy.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.633-639
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• 2016

Biomaterials including polymer, metal, ceramic, and composite have been widely applied for medical uses as medical fibers, artificial blood vessels, artificial joints, implants, soft tissue, and plastic surgery materials owing to their physicochemical properties. However, the biocompatibility and toxicity for film- and plate-form biomaterials is difficult to measure in mammalian cells because there is no appropriate incubation system. To solve these problems, we developed a novel mammalian cell culture system consisting of a silicone ring, top panel, and bottom panel and we applied two polymer films (PF) and one metal plate (MP). This system was based on the principal of sandwiching a test sample between the top panel and the bottom panel. Following the assembly of the culture system, SK-MEL-2 cells were seeded onto Styela Clava Tunic (SCT)-PF, NaHCO₃-added SCT (SCTN)-PF, and magnesium MP (MMP) and incubated at 37℃ for 24 hr and 48 hr. An MTT assay revealed that cell viability was maintained at a normal level in the SCT-PF culture group at 24 or 48 hr, although it rapidly decreased in the SCTN-PF culture group at 48 hr. Furthermore, the cell viability in the MMP culture group was very similar to that of the control group after incubation for 24 hr and 48 hr. Together, these results suggest the sandwich-type mammalian culture system developed here has the potential for the evaluation of the biocompatibility and toxicity of cells against PF- and MP-form biomaterials.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1406-1413
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• 2007

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa(PBE) on chronically ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rat liver. Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 90-130 g were divided into 5 groups; normal group(NOR), ethanol(35%, 10 ml/kg) treated group(CON), PBE 200 mg/kg treated group(P1), PBE 200 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P2), and PBE 400 mg/kg and ethanol treated group(P3). PBE was also fractionated by the following solvent: n-hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and n-butanol. The antioxidative capacity of the n-hexane fraction was the highest among fractions and was similar to that of butylated hydroxytoluene(BHT). The body weight gain and feed intake of the rats were decreased by ethanol administration, but were gradually increased to the similar levels of the NOR group by administering PBE. The AST activity in serum elevated by ethanol was significantly decreased by administering the high dosage of PBE, but exerted no significant change on serum ALT activity. It was also observed that the hepatic activities of xanthine oxide(XO), catalase and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) increased by ethanol were markedly decreased in the combined ethanol and PBE administered groups(P2 and P3), but not in the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) as compared with the CON group. The glutathione(GSH) contents were decreased by ethanol adminstration, however, increased after administering PBE. These results suggest that ethanol extract of Pimpinella brachycarpa has a possible positive effect on the liver function in hepatotoxicity-induced rats by ethanol administration.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1678-1688
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• 2011

The apoptogenic effect of p-coumaric acid, a phenolic acid found in various edible plants, on human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells was investigated. Exposure of Jurkat T cells to p-coumaric acid (50-$150{\mu}M$) caused cytotoxicity and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive apoptotic DNA fragmentation along with Bak activation, ${\Delta}{\psi}m$ loss, activation of caspase-9, -3, -7, and -8, and PARP degradation in a dose-dependent manner. However,these apoptotic events were completely abrogated in Jurkat T cells overexpressing Bcl-2.Under these conditions, necrosis was not accompanied. Pretreatment of the cells with the pan-caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-fmk) could prevent p-coumaric acid-induced sub-$G_1$ peak representing apoptotic cells, whereas it failed to block ${\Delta}{\psi}m$ loss, indicating that the activation of caspase cascade was prerequisite for p-coumaric acid-induced apoptosis as a downstream event of ${\Delta}{\psi}m$ loss. FADD- and caspase-8-positive wild-type Jurkat T cell clone A3, FADD-deficient Jurkat T cell clone I2.1, and caspase-8-deficient Jurkat T cell clone I9.2 exhibited similar susceptibilities to the cytotoxicity of p-coumaric acid, excluding an involvement of Fas/FasL system in triggering the apoptosis. The apoptogenic activity of p-coumaric acid is more potent in malignant Jurkat T cells than in normal human peripheral T cells. Together, these results demonstrated that p-coumaric acid-induced apoptogenic activity in Jurkat T cellswas mediated by Bak activation, ${\Delta}{\psi}m$ loss, and subsequent activation of multiple caspases such as caspase-9, -3, -7, and-8, and PARP degradation, which could be regulated by anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1274-1280
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• 2011

The concentration of cordycepin produced by crossbred Cordyceps militaris JLM 0636 (CM${\alpha}$) was 7.42 mg/g dry weight, which was 7-fold higher than that of C. militaris (CM). However, cordycepin was not detected in Paecilomyces japonica (PJ). The improvement effects of CM${\alpha}$, CM and PJ on orotic acid (OA)-induced fatty liver in male Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated. Rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=6) based on five dietary categories: normal (N), OA control (C), OA plus 3% (w/w) PJ (PJ), OA plus 3% CM (CM), and OA plus 3% CM${\alpha}$ (CM${\alpha}$). OA treatment induced the retardation of body weight gain and enlargement of the liver. The concentration of hepatic triglyceride was markedly increased by OA-feeding, whereas this rise was significantly reduced by simultaneous feeding of OA, PJ, CM, and CM${\alpha}$, and this phenomenon was more pronounced by cordycepin-enriched CM${\alpha}$. The contents of total lipid, triglyceride, and free fatty acid in the serum were significantly or slightly lower in the OA control group than those of the N group, but there were no significant differences among the OA treatment groups. The hepatocytes in the OA-induced fatty liver contained numerous large lipid droplets, but PJ, CM, and CM${\alpha}$ feeding prevented the OA-induced lipid droplet accumulation in the hepatocytes. This effect was more pronounced in cordycepin-enriched CM${\alpha}$ than in PJ or CM in OA treatment rats. Accordingly, cordycepin-enriched CM${\alpha}$ could be an ideal candidate material as a dietary supplement in healthy functional foods to improve the effects of fatty liver.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1224-1230
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• 2012

Cancer chemotherapy drugs command a large share of the market, and the development of new therapeutics with high efficacy and specificity is an active area of study. Recently, the development of cancer therapeutics from natural products targeting angiogenesis has drawn attention due to conventional chemotherapeutics showing serious side effects and resistance in cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the pharmacological efficacy of Gomisin A, an active ingredient of Schizandra chinensis baillon, on tumor growth and metastasis. Administration of Gomisin A at 10 and 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ reduced tumor growth in vivo by $80.5{\pm}8.1%$ and $96.2{\pm}2%$, respectively, compared with positive tumor controls. Treatment of Gomisin A in normal and various tumor cell lines did not exert significant toxicity. Mice treated with Gomisin A at a concentration of 10 and 100 ${\mu}g$/head showed a significant reduction in tumor-induced angiogenesis of $151{\pm}16.9%$ and $98.5{\pm}29.5%$, respectively. Furthermore, tumor metastasis analysis revealed that the administration of Gomisin A at a concentration of 10 and 100 ${\mu}g$/head inhibited tumor metastasis by $13.5{\pm}8.56%$ and $58.3{\pm}9.12%$, respectively. In addition, Gomisin A significantly decreased cell adhesion of the B16BL6 cells to the extracellular matrix. These results demonstrate that Gomisin A inhibits tumor growth via suppression of angiogenesis and tumor metastasis inhibition, without cellular toxicity. The pharmacological efficacy of Gomisin A suggests that it may be a potential candidate for the development of cancer drugs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1012-1018
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to determine whether Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein (APP) is dysregulated in adipose tissues of C57BL/6 male mice by high-fat diet (HFD) induced obesity, aging, or streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. APP mRNA expression was examined by quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) in subcutaneous (SAT) and epididymal adipose tissues (EAT) from mice in 8 different condition groups. By combining conditions of age (16 weeks/26 weeks of age), diet (normal diet (ND)/high-fat diet), and induction of diabetes (non-diabetic/diabetic), 88 mice were divided into 8 different groups. QPCR demonstrated that APP expression in SAT was significantly increased by about two-fold in HFD-induced obese mice compared to both 16 week-old and 26 week-old mice in the ND group (16 weeks p=0.001; 26 weeks p<0.0001), but no changes in EAT was found. Particular effects of aging on APP gene expression were not observed in either adipose tissue depots. Significantly decreased APP expression was found in SAT in STZ-induced diabetic mice fed on ND or HFD at 16 weeks of age (ND p<0.05; HFD p<0.01). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that APP expression levels correlated with body weight in both the non-diabetic group (R=0.657, p<0.0001, n=39) and the diabetic group (R=0.508, p=<0.0001, n=49), but did not correlate with plasma glucose levels, which suggests that decreased APP expression in STZ-induced diabetic mice is most likely due to weight loss rather than hyperglycemia. These data confirm APP dysregulation by weight changes in humans and suggest a possible role linking midlife obesity with the later development of amyloidogenesis in the brain of older patients with Alzheimer's disease.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1134-1142
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of powders of autoclaved soy flour and doenjang fermented using Bacillus subtilis DJI on lipid profiles and antioxidative activities of rats fed a high cholesterol diet. Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 200~210 g were divided into four groups: normal diet group (N), high cholesterol diet group (HC), autoclaved soy flour and high cholesterol diet group (SHC), and doenjang and high cholesterol diet group (DHC). The serum ALT, AST and ALP activities of the SHC and DHC groups were lower than those of the HC group, but exerted no significant change on serum LDH activity. Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels were markedly decreased by autoclaved soy flour and doenjang administration, while the serum HDL-cholesterol level was higher in groups given autoclaved soy flour and doenjang administration. The GSH-Px and catalase activities in liver elevated by a high cholesterol diet were significantly decreased by autoclaved soy flour and doenjang administration (p<0.05). Liver GSH levels of the SHC and DHC groups were significantly decreased compared to the HC group (p<0.05). Liver TBARS level was significantly decreased in the DHC group fed with doenjang powder compared with those of the HC group (p<0.05). These results suggest that soy flour and doenjang may reduce levels of serum cholesterol and prevent oxidative stress by stimulating antioxidative systems in rats fed a high cholesterol diet.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.983-993
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• 2009

The effects of Monascus-fermented Korean red ginseng (MFRG) on the contents of serum lipids and tissues lipid peroxidation was investigated in alcohol feeding rats (AC group). Serum contents of total lipid and free fatty acid in alcohol feeding rats were significantly increased, but these increases tended to decrease in the AMFRG group. Serum triglyceride content was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to other groups. Serum content of total-cholesterol was significantly increased in AC group compared to normal control (NC) group, whereas there was no significant difference between the AC and AMFRG groups. Content of HDL-cholesterol in serum was slightly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but this increase in the AC group was more significantly increased in the AMFRG group. At the same time, atherogenic index (AI) was also significantly decreased in the AMFRG group compared to the AC group. Contents of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, heart, spleen and testes were significantly increased in the AC group compared to the NC group, but these increases were significantly less in the AMFRG group. Contents of liver nonheme ion was increased in the AC group and was significantly decreased in the AMFRG group, which suggested that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. Hepatic glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the AC group, but this content was significantly increased in the AMFRG group and it showed the antioxidant abilities of glutathione. These results suggested that Monascus-fermented Korea red ginseng has anti-atherogenic index (AI) effects as well as antioxidative activities through reduced tissue oxidative stress in alcohol feeding rats.