• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2004

Sulfonylurea(SU)-resistant Monochoria korsakowii has resently been found in rice fields in Korea. A quick, practical and accurate test of confirming herbicide resistance is necessary to take timely management decision. This article describes a rapid reliable assay to detect SU-resistant biotype of Monochoria korsakowii. Up to now, the resistance to SU has been usually checked by application seedlings with herbicide. This application technique is time consuming and not practical. Therefore, we have developed efficient, rapid and practical diagnosis which allow easy detection of the SU-resistant Monochoria korsakowii by survival rate and regenerated plant length to herbicide application after cutting plants $0.5\sim1cm$ from the planted surface. This new rapid diagnosis can determine the SU resistance of the Monochoria korsakowii within 7 days at least. If the resistance of Monochoria korsakowii is identified by the rapid diagnosis, the selection of herbicide according to the stages of plants for the effective control is very important. The resistant biotype which treated with SU herbicide-based mixtures survived from the fields could effectively be controlled by soil application of butachlor+pyrazolate GR or by foliar application of the mixtures of bentazone SL and 2,4-D SL.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2018

Ethephon is useful pesticide as ethylene precursor, which is an efficient plant hormone to produce functional secondary metabolites. However, the residual safety of ethephon was not studied on various crops. In here, the dissipation pattern of ethephon residue in soybean leaf was investigated both on the foliar and drenching applications. The biological half-lives of ethephon residues were 26.6, and 21.1 h on the once, and double foliar applications, respectively. Although the residue after three days from the final application was up to $60.6mg\;kg^{-1}$, the residue was below the limit of quantitation on the dried soybean leaf. In addition, drenching application of ethephon could increase the residue up to $36.3mg\;kg^{-1}$ after 20.1 h from the application, however, the treatment would not affect to the total phenol content significantly (p >0.01).

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 1997

Melanin pigmentation in human skin is a major defense mechanism against ultraviolet light of the sun. Tyrosinase(EC 1.14.18.1) plays a key role in the biosynthesis of ultraviolet of melanin. This is why much researches have been focused on its regulation in controlling the epidermal melanization. We have found that the water-extract of Banha(Pinelliae ternate B.), an oriental medicinal plant, has no tyrosinase inhibitory activity, but does inhibit the melanin biolsynthesis in B16 mouse melanin cells. We also found that Banha extract lowers the tyrosinase activity in cultured cells. To elucidate the action mechanism of Banha extract we have investigated its effect on the tyrosinase mRNA level using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique. It was revealed that Banha extract reduced the tyrosinase mRNA level in dose dependent manner; when B16 mouse melanoma cells were cultured with 2mg/ml and 5mg/ml of Banha extract, there were 20% and 44% decrease in tyrosinase mRNA level, respectively. These data suggest that the Banha extract exerts its melanogenic inhibitory effect through the transcriptional regulation of tyrosinase mRNA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1491-1496
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• 2007

As an oriental medicinal plant, wild grape (WG, Vitis coignetiae) has been known to contain abundant nutrients compared to grape (Vitis vinifera L.) and as a source of stilbenes, a kind of polyphenol. This study was performed to investigate the antioxidative activity of WG extracts by measuring electron donating ability (EDA), nitrite scavenging ability (NSA), super oxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity and total polyphenol content (TPC). The extracts were obtained using microwave-assisted extraction (microwave power: 90 W, extraction time: 5 min, extractant: water, 50 and 100% ethanol). EDAs, SOD-like activities and TPCs were the highest at 50% ethanol extracts while conversely lowest at 100% ethanol extracts. EDAs of 50% and 100% ethanol extracts at 1.6 g/dL concentration, $97.70{\pm}0.55\;and\;98.05{\pm}0.36%$, were higher than those of 0.1 and 1% L-ascorbic acids, $101.44{\pm}0.98%\;and\;99.43{\pm}0.78%$, respectively. At the concentration of 1.6 g/dL, 50% ethanol extract showed lower NSA (pH 1.2) than water extract unlike EDA, TPC and SOD-like activity. Regarding TPCs of WG extracts, the activities were the highest at 50% ethanol extracts (1.6 g/dL: $38.76{\pm}0.23$ mM gallic acid equiv.) followed by water and 100% ethanol extracts. The results suggest the usefulness of developing functional foods using antioxidative active compounds of WG with high polyphenol contents.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.604-612
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• 2018

Coptis chinensis Franch is a valuable traditional oriental medicinal plant used for the treatment of various diseases. The major factors affecting the content of bioactive compounds and the relationship between bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacities of Coptis chinensis Franch were poorly understood. Thus, effects of the solvent, temperature, and extraction time on the extraction yields of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of C. chinensis Franch extracts were investigated in this work. Our cluster analysis indicated that the hydroalcoholic solvent (50% ethanol : 50% water) at $35^{\circ}C$ for 30 min (extract time) was the best extraction condition for a factory use because the highest level of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities was achieved. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that total phenolic content (TPC) contributed to the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging activity, while both total alkaloid content (TAC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were responsible for ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) activity. These results indicated that extraction conditions controlled the yield of bioactive compounds and the antioxidant activity of C. chinensis Franch, which can provide important information for the industrial extraction.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2010

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophic factor involved in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, survival and regeneration. BDNF draws massive attention mainly due to the potential as a therapeutic target in neurological diseases such as depression and Alzheimer's disease. In a primary screening for the natural compounds enhancing BDNF release from cultured rat primary cortical neuron, we found that compounds such as baicalein, tanshinone IIa, cinnamic acid, epiberberine, genistein and wogonin among many others increased BDNF release. All the compounds at $0.1{\mu}M$ of concentration barely showed stimulatory effect on BDNF induction, however, their combination (mixture 1; baicalein, tanshinone IIa and cinnamic acid, mixture 2; epiberberine, genistein and wogonin) showed synergistic increase in BDNF release as well as mRNA and protein expression. The level of BDNF expression was comparable to the maximum BDNF stimulation attainable by a positive control oroxylin A ($20{\mu}M$) without cell toxicity as determined by MTT analysis. Both mixtures synergistically increased the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as well as cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), an immediate and essential regulator of BDNF expression. Similar to these results, mixture of these compounds synergistically inhibited the up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by lipopolysaccharide treatments in rat primary astrocytes. These results suggest that the combinatorial treatment of natural compounds in lower concentration might be a useful strategy to obtain sufficient BDNF stimulation in neurological disease condition such as depression, while minimizing potential side effects and toxicity of higher concentration of a single compound.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2009

Coptis japonica (C. japonica) is a perennial medicinal plant that has anti-inflammatory activity. C. japonica contains numerous biologically active alkaloids including berberine, palmatine, epi-berberine, and coptisine. The most well-known anti-inflammatory principal in C. japonica is berberine. For example, berberine has been implicated in the inhibition of iNOS induction by cytokines in microglial cells. However, the efficacies of other alkaloids components on microglial activation were not investigated yet. In this study, we investigated the effects of three alkaloids (palmatine, epi-berberine and coptisine) from C. japonica on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial activation. BV2 microglial cells were immunostimulated with LPS and then the production of several inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were examined as well as the phosphorylation status of Erk1/2 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). Palmatine and to a lesser extent epi-berberine and coptisine, significantly reduced the release of NO, which was mediated by the inhibition of LPS-stimulated mRNA and protein induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) from BV2 microglia. In addition to NO, palmatine inhibited MMP-9 enzymatic activity and mRNA induction by LPS. Palmatine also inhibited the increase in the LPS-induced MMP-9 promoter activity determined by MMP-9 promoter luciferase reporter assay. LPS stimulation increased Erk1/2 phosphorylation in BV2 cells and these alkaloids inhibited the LPS-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2. The anti-inflammatory effect of palmatine in LPS-stimulated microglia may suggest the potential use of the alkaloids in the modulation of neuroinflammatory responses, which might be important in the pathophysiological events of several neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and stroke.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2001

The leaves of Duchung(Eucommia ulmoides), an oriental medicinal plant, have a peculiar aroma of Chinese medicine and astringent taste, which make the consumer be reluctant to Duchung leaf tea. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a mild flavored Duchung leaf tea by mixing with other plants. The flavor patterns of developed tea were analyzed using an electronic nose. Polygonatum odoratum and Elsholtzia splendens were used for improving the flavor of Duchung leaf tea. The addition of 20, 30 and 40% of Polygonatum odoratum improved the overall acceptance in hedonic sensory evaluation. The flavor pattern of the tea was described by principal component analysis(PCA) and the resistance ratio(R/cub gas/R$\_$air/) of sensors. The PCA plot was also used to explain the mild flavor of the tea, which was extended from the right side(positive value of the first principal component) to the left side(negative value). Analysis by using an electronic nose with metal oxide sensors could be applied to detect whether mixed Duchung leaf tea was acceptable or not.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.45-56
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• 2001

Korea mountain ginseng known as oriental miracle drug is an important medicinal plant. The effect of mountain ginseng adventitious roots extract has been described. The valuable root of mountain ginseng contained several kinds of ginsenosides that have been confirmed to have many active functions for the human body. However, the study of mountain ginseng has a limit because the price of wild ginseng is very expensive and rare. The mountain ginseng adventitious roots were derived from mountain ginseng callus that were induced from mountain ginseng roots. Adventitious roots were separated from callus and grown in solid media(Murachige and stoog media). It was cultured in a 20L bioreactor. After culturing for 40days, adventitious roots were harvested. Afterwards the harvested mountain ginseng adventitious roots were dryed and extracted. We examined the effect on melanogenesis of mountain ginseng adventitious roots extract. Here, we report the inhibitory effect of melanin biosynthesis on the adventitious roots extract of In vitro test. Also, we assessed the safety of adventitious roots extract. In vitro, cytotoxicity of adventitious roots extract was assessed in mouse fibroblast using two method: The neutral red uptake assay and the MTT assay. In vivo, the allergic and irritant were Patch teated in 30 patients. Consequently, extract of mountain ginseng adventitious roots have inhibitory effect on melanin biosynthesis in B-16 melanoma cell test, tyrosinase inhibitory test and DOPA auto-oxidation test. There were decreased 86%(0.5% concentration), 45%(1% concentration) and 61%(1% concentration), respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.655-663
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• 2014

Woosul (Achyranthis radix), a widely used material in food and oriental medicinal industry, has different origins of plant species in Korea, Japan and China. In Korea, woosul is designated as the radix of Achyranthes japonica Nakai (AJN) and Achyranthes bidentata Blume (ABB) in the regulation of The Korean Pharmacopoeia. However, the comparative study of hot water (HW) extracts between AJN and ABB is still rudimentary. In this study, HW extracts and its subsequent organic solvent fractions of AJB and ABB were prepared, and their in-vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-diabetes activities were evaluated. The HW extract of ABB has higher sugars and polyphenol compounds, and higher lightness and lower yellowness compared than those of AJN. Analysis of biological activities showed that the ethylacetate (EA) fraction of AJN and n-hexane fraction of ABB have antibacterial activities, and the EA fractions of AJN and ABB has strong antioxidation activities determined by radical scavenging activity and reducing power. In anti-diabetes activity assay, the EA fractions of AJN and ABB showed ${\alpha}$-amylase inhibitory activities, while the butanol fractions of AJN and ABB showed ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Our results suggest that the HW extracts of AJB and ABB have different components and extraction yields, and their subsequent fractions have different biological activity. Therefore it was concluded that the EA fraction of AJN is appropriate to develop as natural medicine, and the HW extract of AJN is suitable to woosul-tea or woosul-sikhye production.