• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.24-30
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to select proper light intensity, pot media, and fertilization level for potted Hepatica asiatica Nakai native to Korea. The plants were grown under various light intensities (shading rate, 52, 82, 90, 97%) imposed by shading net. Plants grown with 52% shading showed a low survival rate (65%). Survival rate increased as shading increased, with over 80% survival in shading above 90%. Growth indexes such as fresh weight and leaf number did not show any significant difference between shading treatments. Plants grown in a soil mixture of decomposed granite:fertilizer-amended media:Kanumatsuchi (60:10:30, v/v/v) or river sand:fertilizer-amended media:bark (50:20:30) showed over 85% survival. However, plants grown in a soil mixture of river sand:fertilizer-amended media:Kanumatsuchi (50:30:20) or upland:river sand (40:60) showed very low survival, below 60%. Leaf number and plant height were the highest in a soil mixture of decomposed granite:fertilizer-amended media:Kanumatsuchi (60:10:30) as well. To select a proper fertilization level for H. asiatica, hyponex solution diluted 1,000- or 2,000-fold were applied weekly or biweekly. The survival rate was lowest at weekly application with 1,000-fold diluted solution, and no significant difference was observed between other treatments. In conclusion, H. asiatica exhibits preferences for very low light intensity and soil with air permeability, and is adaptable to a broad range of fertilization levels.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.1
• /
• pp.29-37
• /
• 2015

Background: Panax ginseng (i.e., ginseng) root is extensively used in traditional oriental medicine. It is a modern pharmaceutical reagent for preventing various human diseases such as cancer. Ginsenosidesd-the major active components of ginsengd-exhibit immunomodulatory effects. However, the mechanism and function underlying such effects are not fully elucidated, especially in human monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). Methods: We investigated the immunomodulatory effect of ginsenosides from Panax ginseng root on $CD14^+$ monocytes purified from human adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and on their differentiation into DCs that affect $CD4^+$ T cell activity. Results: After treatment with ginsenoside fractions, monocyte levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-10 increased through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), but not p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). After treatment with ginsenoside fractions, TNF-${\alpha}$ production and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK decreased in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-sensitized monocytes.We confirmed that DCs derived from $CD14^+$ monocytes in the presence of ginsenoside fractions (Gin-DCs) contained decreased levels of the costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86. The expression of these costimulatory molecules decreased in LPS-treated DCs exposed to ginsenoside fractions, compared to their expression in LPS-treated DCs in the absence of ginsenoside fractions. Furthermore, LPS-treated Gin-DCs could not induce proliferation and interferon gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) production by $CD4^+$ T cells with the coculture of Gin-DCs with $CD4^+$ T cells. Conclusion: These results suggest that ginsenoside fractions from the ginseng root suppress cytokine production and maturation of LPS-treated DCs and downregulate $CD4^+$ T cells.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.91-96
• /
• 2006

Antioxidant activities and biological properties such as antimutagenic and cytotoxic effect of Phellinus linteus extracts from different extraction conditions were measured against Salmonella typhimurium and human cancer cell lines. DPPH free radical scavenging activities of the extracts were higher in the solutions extracted with ethanol (17.14) and ethanol after water (17.79), respectively. In the Ames test, ethanol extract of P. linteus alone did not exhibit any mutagenicity but showed substantial inhibitory effect against mutations induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), and benzo $({\alpha})$ pyrene $(B({\alpha})P)$. The extracts of ethanol and ethanol after water of P. linteus $(200\;{\mu}g/plate)$ had the highest inhibitory effect of 61.5 and 60.9%, respectively, on the mutagenesis on S. typhimurium TA98 strain induced by $B({\alpha})P$. Extracted solutions of ethanol and ethanol after water of P. linteus showed high antimutagenic effect against MNNG, 4NQO, Trp-P-1 and $B({\alpha})P$, causing mutations in S. typhimurium TA100 strain. The anticancer effects of P. linteus extracts were investigated against human fibrosarcoma HT-29 and human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2. The treatment of 0.5 mg/ml of ethanol, ethanol after water and water extracts of P. linteus had the highest cytotoxicity of 59, 57, 54%, respectively against HT-27 cell line, whereas low cytotoxicity effects were observed against HepG2 cell line in the range of $10{\sim}30%$. The ethanol and water extracts of P. linteus also showed the nitrate scavenging ability at different pHs. The ethanol extract showed higher nitrate-scavenging ability compared to water extract of P. linteus.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.59 no.1
• /
• pp.38-46
• /
• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of sowing time on the bio-active content of major soybean cultivars in a southern region of South Korea. Experiments were carried out in Naju, Jeonnam Province (latitude $35^{\circ}$ 04'N, longitude $126^{\circ}$ 54'E) from 2008 to 2010. The cultivars grown in summer included Saeol-kong and Tawon-kong and those grown in autumn included Taekwang-kong, Pungsannamul-kong, and Cheongja3, respectively. Sowing dates were May 15 and 30, June 15 and 30, and July 15 of each year. Daidzein content was increased in all the test cultivars grown from later sowing, and the contents of genistein and total isoflavone were increased in all the test cultivars except for Cheongja3. On the other hand, glycitein content showed no significant change in any of the test cultivars across the 5 sowing dates except for Tawon-kong. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) content was significantly increased in Tawon-kong and Cheongja3, and delphinidin-3-glucoside (D3G) and total anthocyanin contents were significantly increased in Tawon-kong. However, pelargonidin-3-glucoside (Pg3G) and petunidin-3-glucoside (Pt3G) contents showed no significant difference in plants sown across the 5 dates. Lutein content in Cheongja3 was between 2.7 and $3.0{\mu}g/g$ based on sowing date and did not vary significantly, while chlorophyll content increased with later sowing and was significantly higher in the cultivars sown on June 30 and July 15. Crude fat content was higher in Taekwang-kong and Cheongja3 when the cultivars were sown earlier; crude fat did not vary in the other test cultivars based on sowing date. Palmitic acid composition was not affected by sowing date in most of the test cultivars. Stearic acid was increased in Saeol-kong, Tawon-kong, and Cheongja3 with later sowing. Oleic acid and linoleic acid were significantly higher in Saeol-kong at an earlier sowing date. The composition of linolenic acid showed significantly increased dates in most of the test cultivars with later sowing. There were no significant differences in carbohydrate and crude protein content across 5 different sowing dates in most of the test cultivars. However, crude protein content was higher in Saeol-kong when sowing occurred earlier, and was higher in Tawon-kong at later sowing dates.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.27 no.8
• /
• pp.902-908
• /
• 2017

In this study, the extracted phenolic compounds from 98 species of oriental herbal medicine were examined for biological activities to be used as functional resources. In particular, the anti-gout effect by xanthine oxidase (XOase) inhibition was determined using water and ethanol as extraction solvents because of their non-toxicity in the human body. The extracts of Chrysanthemum indicum L. (83.45%), Cuscuta chinensis (60.22%), Asiasarum sieboldi F. Maekawa (51.66%), Acorus gramineus (67.8%), Aconitum pseudo-laeve var. erectum (75.23%), Thuja orientalis (47.27%), Polygonum aviculare (53.98%), Carthami semen (63.99%), and Syzygium aromaticum (40.22%) showed relatively high XOase inhibitory activity. Chrysanthemum indicum L. was selected for its high XOase inhibitory activity. The biological compounds in Chrysanthemum indicum L. were identified to contain phenolics included in extracts of solids. Ultra-fine grind technology showed a higher extraction yield than normal grind and fine grind technology. Ethanol extracts showed relatively higher XOase inhibitory activity than water extracts. XOase inhibitory activity increased in a dependent manner as phenolic concentration increased. Therefore, ultra-fine grind technology was confirmed for use in increasing the extraction yield of XOase inhibitory compounds from Chrysanthemum indicum L.. Extracts from Chrysanthemum indicum L. are expected to be a useful functional resource for the prevention or treatment of gout.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.58 no.1
• /
• pp.57-66
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of shifts in sowing time on the ecological responses, growth and yields of major soybean cultivars in a southern region of South Korea. Experiments were carried out in Naju, Jeonnam Province (latitude $35^{\circ}$ 04'N, longitude $126^{\circ}$ 54'E) for three years from 2008 to 2010. The test cultivars included Saeol-kong and Tawon-kong of the summer type, Taekwang-kong and Pungsannamul-kong, and Cheongja3 of the autumn type. Sowing took place on May 15 and 30, June 15 and 30, and July 15 of each year. Of the summer type soybean cultivars, Saeol-kong showed a smaller curtailment in days from sowing to flowering, days from flowering to maturity, and days from sowing to maturity according to sowing time postponement than Tawon-kong. Of the autumn type soybean cultivars, Taekwang-kong exhibited a lower photoperiodic response in reproductive growth period than Pungsannamul-kong and Cheongja3, both of which recorded higher level photoperiodic responses in vegetative growth stages and reproductive growth periods than other test cultivars, with the former exhibiting higher levels than the latter. Most of the test cultivars tended to decrease in stem length, node numbers of the main stem, and stem diameter according to postponed sowing time, but there were no significant differences in stem length and node numbers of the main stem of the Saeol-kong cultivar. Differences in sowing times did not affect the first setting pod node order of Saeol-kong and Tawon-kong summer type cultivars of internode lengths of all of the test cultivars. All of the test cultivars tended to show decreases in pod number per plant due to postponement of sowing time except for the Saeol-kong cultivar. The variation was more prominent in small grain cultivars such as Tawon-kong and Pungsannamul-kong with the latter autumn type cultivar showing especially large variation. Yields were the greatest for the Tawon-kong, Taekwang-kong, and Pungsannamul-kong cultivars sown on May 30 and Cheongja3 sown on May 30 and June 15. There were no significant differences in the yields of Saeol-kong for different sowing times from May 30 to July 15, with the yields lowest for the batch sown on May 15.