• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.880-888
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• 2015

Foeniculum vulgare (FV) has long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In addition, it is usually known as an important medicinal and aromatic plant widely used as a carminative, digestive, lactogogue, and diuretic, and for treating respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. The skin barrier protects against the invasion of pathogens, fends off chemical and physical assaults, and protects against extensive water loss. In this study, the effects of solvent-fractionated FV fruits on strengthening the skin barrier and maintaining moisture, as well as their antifungal activity, were investigated in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The expression of involucrin, loricrin, filaggrin, hyaluronic acid synthase, human β defensin, and cathelicidin genes and proteins was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. The production of hyaluronic acid was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The butanol fraction increased the expression of involucrin and filaggrin. Both the ethyl acetate and the butanol fractions increased hyaluronic acid production by promoting the expression of hyaluronic acid synthase-1. Although the antimicrobial peptides were increased by FV crude extract and its fractions, the samples did not show a significant effect compared to the normal group. These results suggest that the butanol fraction of FV could be very useful in cosmetics for the treatment of dermatological diseases.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.4 no.3_4
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• pp.114-123
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• 1981

Diurnal acid fluctuations, stomatal resistance, and morphology and anatomy were investigated in leaves and stems P. oleracea L. growing under the natural environmental condition. A CAM-like pattern of acid fluctuation was exhibited not in leaves of the young purslane but in its stems. Defoliated stems showed a decreased in diurnal changes of total acidity as compared with normal stems. Excised stems stored in continuous darkness exhibited diurnal acid rhythms, and they showed light deacidifications for three days. Kranz-type arrangement was observed in leaves, but not in stems. Micrography of cross sections of stems showed cells with relatively large vaculoles and a few chloroplasts. The number of stomata was 3,275cm-2 in leaves, while the stomata could not be observed in stems. Stomatal resistance was high at night and low in daytime in leaves of the young purslane, and the range of its value was 5~40 sec.$\textrm{cm}^{-1}$. But stomatal resistance in leaves of the water-stressed plant was comparratively high in day time, and its value was 30 sec.$\textrm{cm}^{-1}$. The result of these studies showed the possibility that the stem of P.oleracea L. possesses CAM under certain stressed conditions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: Soybeans are the rich sources of isoflavones. To date, the changes of isoflavone contents in various black soybeans cheonggukjang during fermentation by Bacillus subtilis CSY191 has not been investigated.METHODS AND RESULTS: This study investigated the changes of total phenolic and isoflavone contents and antioxidant effects during cheonggukjang fermentation made with four black soybean (BS) cultivars including Cheongja, Cheongja#3, Geomjeong#5, and Ilpumgeomjeong with a potential probiotic Bacillus subtilis CSY191. The total phenolic contents, isoflavone-malonylglycoside and -aglycone contents, and antioxidant activity were increased in cheonggukjang at 48 h fermentation, while the content of isoflavone-glycosides was decreased during cheonggukjang fermentation. In particular, the Cheongja#3 soybean fermented at 37℃ for 48 h displayed the highest antioxidant activities, compared to those of the other BS cultivars tested. Also, the highest levels of total phenolic, daidzein, glycitein, and genistein were present at concentrations of 17.28 mg/g, 283.7 g/g, 39.9 g/g, and 13.2 g/g at the end of Cheongja#3 soybean fermentation.CONCLUSION: The results from this study suggested that the enhanced antioxidant activity of cheonggukjang of BS might be related to increased levels of total phenolic, isoflavon-aglycone, and malonyl-glycoside contents achieved during fermentation. Furthermore, fermented Cheongja#3 soybean showed the highest levels of enhanced antioxidant activities than the other BS cultivars.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: Momordica charantia (MC) have been used in various parts of the world to treat diabetes. Despite the highest effects of phytochemicals than any other part of the plant, the main components of seed of MC grown in Korea and their properties have not been studied extensively. METHODS AND RESULTS: The seeds of MC were extracted into five different polarity solvents: 30%, 50%, 70%, 95% ethanol and distilled water. The 95% ethanol extract showed the most potent inhibition ($IC_{50}=88.7{\mu}g/mL$) against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase. To investigate the compounds responsible for this effect, activity guided fractionation of MC seeds by chromatography yielded two phytochemicals which were confirmed as vicine (1) and ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) based on their NMR and ESI-MS spectroscopic data. Among them, ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) possessed potent ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activities with $IC_{50}$ values from $32.4{\mu}g/mL$. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the results from this present study strongly suggest that both extract and ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) have potent ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, ${\alpha}$-eleostearic acid (2) as the most active ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitor was proven to be present in high quantities in the MC seeds by a HPLC chromatogram.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.561-571
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• 2023

Background: Escalating evidence shows that ginseng possesses an antiaging potential with cognitive enhancing activity. As mountain cultivated ginseng (MCG) is cultivated without agricultural chemicals, MCG has emerged as a popular herb medicine. However, little is known about the MCG-mediated pharmacological mechanism on brain aging. Methods: As we demonstrated that glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is important for enhancing memory function in the animal model of aging, we investigated the role of MCG as a GPx inducer using GPx-1 (a major type of GPx) knockout (KO) mice. We assessed whether MCG modulates redox and cholinergic parameters, and memory function in aged GPx-1 knockout KOmice. Results: Redox burden of aged GPx-1 KO mice was more evident than that of aged wild-type (WT) mice. Alteration of Nrf2 DNA binding activity appeared to be more evident than that of NFκB DNA binding activity in aged GPx-1 KO mice. Alteration in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity was more evident than that in acetylcholine esterase activity. MCG significantly attenuated reductions in Nrf2 system and ChAT level. MCG significantly enhanced the co-localization of Nrf2-immunoreactivity and ChAT-immunoreactivity in the same cell population. Nrf2 inhibitor brusatol significantly counteracted MCG-mediated up-regulation in ChAT level and ChAT inhibition (by k252a) significantly reduced ERK phosphorylation by MCG, suggesting that MCG might require signal cascade of Nrf2/ChAT/ERK to enhance cognition. Conclusion: GPx-1 depletion might be a prerequisite for cognitive impairment in aged animals. MCG-mediated cognition enhancement might be associated with the activations of Nrf2, ChAT, and ERK signaling cascade.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.345-355
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• 1993

Anatomical study of the secondary xylem in Araliaceous plants, induding 7 genera and 11 species grown in Korea, was carried out to elucidate the relationship among genera in the family. Wood of Hedera has difbse porous and shows ulmiform pattern of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, and alternate pitting. In addition, its ray is homogeneous type II with only procumbent ray cell. Ring porous wood of Dendropanax shows ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, alternate pitting, and heterogeneous type II ray, which has sometimes horizontal secretory cavity. Fatsia has diffuse porous wood, which shows ulmiform of angular vessels, scalariform perforation plate (3-9 bars), scalariform pitting, spiral thickening in the lateral wall of vessel, and heterogeneous type II ray with sheath cells. Kalopanax has ring porous wood, which shows ulmiform of circular vessels, simple perforation plate and alternate pitting, and heterogeneous type II ray. While K pictum appears tylose with septum, K pictum var. maximowczii appears tylose without septum. Echinopanax shows ring porous wood, ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, scalariform pitting, and tylose with septum. And the ray of Echinopanax is paedomorphic type I composed of only upright cells. Acanthopanax genus is composed of diffuse porous wood, ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate and alternate pitting. In this genus, A. sessiliflorus has heterogeneous type II ray, apotracheal axial parenchyma and tylose with septum. A. senticosus appears paedomorphic type I with only upright cells, and tylose with septum. A. koreanum and A. sieboldianum have heterogeneous type II ray but have not tylose. Aralia is composed of ring porous wood, ulmiform of circular vessels, simple perforation plate, alternate pitting, heterogeneous type II ray, and tylose contained both septum and reticulate. On the basis of arrangement, shape, length and diameter of vessel element, the angle of end wall to vessel axis, and ray type, the line of specialization in these genera is as follow: from Fatsia, the most primitive, to the most highly specialized Aralia, throughout Hedera, Acanthopanax, Echinopanax, Dendropanax, and Kalopanax by turns. turns.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2009

To verify hybridity of Asplenium castaneo-viride, external morphology, spore morphology, anatomy and chromosomes of the species and of the two presumed parental species, A. incisum and A. ruprechtii, were examined. A. castaneo-viride usually had 1-pinnately divided frond. However, some individuals had almost simple fronds with pinnatisect basal parts similar to A. ruprechtii, while others had fronds similar to A. incisum in having oblanceolate blades and basal pinnae with triangular, 2-3 lobed apices. On the surface of the spores, sculpturing consisted of folds that were usually prominent; forming long wings, and irregular or incomplete reticulation. However, reticulation patterns varied among species. A. castaneo-viride showed a wide range of variation from sparse to dense patterns, whereas A. incisum showed only from sparse to intermediate patterns. A. ruprechtii showed from intermediate to dense patterns. The spore size of A. castaneo-viride was $54.63{\mu}m$, larger than other two species ($47.81{\mu}m$ in A. incisum and $44.22{\mu}m$ in A. ruprechtii). The level of undulation of epidermal cell wall was also different. A. incisum had the most shallowly undulated wall, and A. castaneo-viride had a pattern intermediate between the two presumed parental species. This same patterns was recognized in the density of stomata. The density of $45.91/mm^2$ in A. castaneo-viride was intermediate between the two presumed parental species ($67.00/mm^2$ in A. incisum, and $37.86/mm^2$ in A. ruprechtii). Chromosome number was constant (2x =2n = 72) as in A. incisum and A. ruprechtii. However, A. castaneo-viride showed a different ploidy level. The populations of Mt. Mai (Jeonbuk province) and Mt. Duryun (Jeonnam province) were diploid (2n = 72) which is a new record for this taxon, whereas the population of Mt. Buram (Seoul) was tetraploid (2n = 144). Conclusively, A. castaneo-viride was revealed to be a hybrid of A. ruprechtii and A. incisum based on evidence involving leaves, spores, epidermal cells, stomata and chromosome number.