• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.87-94
• /
• 2003

Recently, many researches for plant alkaloids, one of the largest groups of natural products, are reported because of their various pharmacological activity. This study was carried out to clone putrescine N-methyltransferase (PMT) gene which is a key enzyme in diverting polyamine metabolism towards the biosynthesis of nicotine and related alkaloids from Burley tobacco. To induce expression of PMT gene in tobacco plant, the floral meristem was removed and then mRNA was purified from root. cDNA encoding PMT gene was isolated by RT PCR and cloned. Three different groups of clones were screened by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion analysis and were characterized. The data of these screening revealed that three types of PMT are present in Burley tobacco. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of this three genes encoding putative PMT with those of other tobaccos revealed that two types of PMT are newly discovered from Nicotiana tabacum cv. Br21 tobacco and they were same as PMT2, PMT3 of N. tabacum cv. Xanthi.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.43 no.12
• /
• pp.824-829
• /
• 2010

Melanin synthesis is regulated by melanocyte specific enzymes and related transcription factors. $\beta$-carboline alkaloids including harmaline and harmalol are widely distributed in the environment including several plant families and alcoholic beverages. Presently, melanin content and tyrosinase activity were increased in melanoma cells by harmaline and harmalol in concentration- and time-dependent manners. Increased protein levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2 were also evident. In addition, immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses revealed harmaline and harmalol increased cAMP response element binding protein phosphorylation and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor expression. In addition to studying the signaling that leads to melanogenesis, roles of the p38 MAPK pathways by the harmaline and harmalol were investigated. Harmaline and harmalol induced time-dependent phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Harmaline and harmalol stimulated melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity, as well as expression of tyrosinase and TRP-1 and TRP-2 indicating that these harmaline and harmalol induce melanogenesis through p38 MAPK signaling.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.434-437
• /
• 2000

The contents and composition of alkaloids homoharringtonine, harringtonine, and cephalotaxine were determined in Korean native plumyew tree (Cephalotaxus koreana) collected from 17 different sites in Korea. The alkaloid contents of C. koreana varied with locations and plant populations from 11.8 mg/g to 195.2 mg/g of dry weight while C. koreana in southern area had higher alkaloid contents. The alkaloid compositions in C. koreana were highest with homoharringtonine (40%) and followed harringtonine (32%) and cephalotaxine (28%). Total alkaloids and homoharringtonine contents in needles were higher than those of stem by 2 fold. Alkaloid contents of C. koreana were the highest in winter, and the lowest in summer. Comparison of alkaloid contents and composition with other species of Cephalotaxus revealed that C. koreana was different to C. harringtonia, and contents of homoharringtonine were higher than other species. C. koreana could be potential source for homoharringtonine and related alkaloids.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
• /
• 1974.09a
• /
• pp.137-146
• /
• 1974

This experiment was on the purpose to study the effects of different shading of Mulching treatments on the quality and yield of ginseng root. This experiment were conducted at Mei-Feng for one year, from July, 1972 to July, 1973. The variety been used was introduced Korea Panax ginsvng. Three different Shading of Mulching treatments have been studied. The results were summerized as follows: 1. The growth of ginseng plant is good under around 4,300 Lux of light intensity. Fig . showed the shadow treatment of straw had a better effect than that of black or grey plastic film. The differences between treatments were significant. 2. The adequate soil temperature for ginseng culture was in the range of $16-18^{\circ}C$. Fig 2. showed that there were significant differences among treatments, of which the straw shadow treatment had the best effect. 3. The growth of ginseng plant was greatly affected wth various shadow treatments. Fig 1. showed both straw and black plastic film treatments had a better effects on growth of stem, leaf area and leaf numbers. 4. Fig. 2. 3. 4. 5 indicated there were distingished differences among all treatments. The straw and black plastics film mulching treatments had a better effects on root length, root diameter, root weight and leaf weight than the grey plastic film. 5. The amount of plant alkaloids and panacene content had related to the shadow treatment, as showed in Fig. 6 and 7 that straw shadow treatment had greatly increased the procuction of plant alkaloids and panacene content. 6. The quality and yield of roots of ginseng greatly affected by different shading of mulching treatments.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
• /
• 2002.10a
• /
• pp.348.2-348.2
• /
• 2002

The significant antitumor activities of 3-arylisoquinolines promoted us to explore the structure-activity relationship of these compounds. A series of 3-Arylisoquinoline derivatives, which related to Benzo［c］ phenanthridine alkaloids. were evaluated for antitumor cytotoxicity against human lung tumor cell (A 549). We tried to study structure-activity relationship (SAR) of 3-Arylisoquinolines using the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) method. (omitted)

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.103-109
• /
• 2004

The obese population has been increasing over the world wide and obesity became a socioeconomic problems. It is become more serious by the accumulation of the knowledge that the obesity is related directly or indirectly with several diseases like, diabetes, hypertension, etc. With these reasons, many functional food or agents for the purpose of weight loss have been developed. However, most of these remedies are unproven and some have produced even dangerous side effects due to the ephedrine alkaloids contained in Ma-Hang. Because of these reasons, they banned using of these agents in US and regards the antiobesity functional agents as drugs in Europe. Several functional agents are known for weight loss activities like, HCA, L-canitine, CLA, chitosan, calcium supplements and capsaicin containing red pepper, kimchi and kochujang. We describe here about the function, efficacy and mechanism of these antiobesity functional agents. Furthermore, the trial of the mixture of weight loss related herbal ingredients for safe multifunctional antiobesity functional agents are discussed here, as well.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.131-141
• /
• 2024

Objective: This experiment aimed to explore the protective action of dietary supplementation with isoquinoline alkaloids (IA) from Macleaya cordata on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in broilers. Methods: Total 216 healthy broilers were selected in a 21-d trial and assigned randomly to the following 3 treatments: control (CON) group, LPS group, and LPS+IA group. The CON and LPS groups were provided with a basal diet, whereas the LPS+IA group received the basal diet supplemented with 0.6 mg/kg Macleaya cordata IA. Broilers in LPS and LPS+IA groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (1 mg/kg body weight) at 17, 19, and 21 days of age, while those in CON group were injected with equivalent amount of saline solution. Results: Results showed LPS injection caused systemic and liver inflammation in broilers, inhibited immune function, and ultimately lead to liver injury. By contrast, supplementation of IA ameliorated LPS-induced adverse change in serum parameters, boosted immunity in LPS+IA group. Furthermore, IA suppressed the elevation of hepatic inflammatory cytokines and caspases levels induced by LPS, as well as the expressions of genes related to the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Conclusion: Dietary inclusion of 0.6 mg/kg Macleaya cordata IA could enhance immune function of body and inhibit liver damage via inactivating TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in broilers.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.285-290
• /
• 2005

Benzophenanthridine alkaloids - sanguinarine, chelirubine, macarpine, and chelerythrine are produced from Eschscholtzia californica (Californica Poppy, used as a sedative by Native Americans) and most of them are derived from dihydrosanguinarine. The properties of sanguinarine are the basis of its antimicrobial activity and its use in chemosurgery and skin cancer excision. For overproduction of sanguinarine from E. californica, yeast extract was used as elicitor and the elicited cell's metabolites were checked. Sanguinarine production was increased intracelluarly about 8 times in the cell and 5 times extracelluarly. We have peformed proteomic analysis of proteins sequentially extracted from E. califormica suspended cells which were cultured with elicitor, an increase of spot intensity was seen at 24 hours following elicitation. These proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). We found several spots that were expected to be related to benzophenanthridine alkaloids production by comparing the production profiles of metabolites such as sanguinarine. These results demonstrate the use of metabolite analysis as a tool for detecting target proteins related to metabolites production pathway.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.269-282
• /
• 2000

Benzylisoquinoline alkaloids are a diverse group of natural products that include many pharmacologically active compounds produced in a limited number of plant families. Despite their complexity, intensive biochemical research has extended our knowledge of the chemistry and enzymology of many important benzylisoquinoline alkaloid pathways, such as those leading to the analgesic drugs morphine and codeine, and the antibiotics sanguinarine and berberine. The use of cultured plant cells as an experimental system has facilitated the identification and characterization of more than 30 benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic enzymes, and the molecular cloning of the genes that encode at least 8 of these enzymes. The recent expansion of biochemical and molecular technologies has creat-ed unique opportunities to dissect the mechanisms involved in the regulation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in plants. Research has suggested that product accumulation is controlled by the developmental and inducible regulation of several benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes, and by the subcellular compartmentation of biosynthetic enzymes and the intracellular localization and trafficking of pathway intermediates. In this paper, we review our current understanding of the biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular regulation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis in plants. We also summarize our own research activities, especially those related to the establishment of protocols for the genetic transformation of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid-producing species, and the development of metabolic engineering strategies in these plants.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.249-256
• /
• 2011

Tall fescue (Schedonorus phoenix Scop.) is resistant to abiotic and biotic stresses through a symbiotic relationship with Neotyphodium coenophialum. However, this endophyte has been considered detrimental since it produces toxic alkaloids to animals. It is vital to understand mutuality between these two to maximize positive impact of the endophyte on agri-ecosystem. Little research has been conducted on endophyte transmission mechanism in planta. To provide basic information related to endophyte transmission, an experiment was conducted to examine the effect of endophyte genotype and water stress on endophyte transmission by imposing soil moisture deficits at different stages of panicle development. There was water stress effect on endophyte frequency but not on concentration, whereas endophyte genotype significantly influenced endophyte concentration in pseudostem of tall fescue at boot stage. Reproductive tillers showed greater endophyte frequency and concentration. Endophyte frequency in florets or seeds depended on position within panicle. There was no drought effect on endophyte concentration, but showed the effect of endophyte genotype on endophyte concentration in florets and seeds. Overall endophyte concentration in seeds was higher. From this study, we may conclude that although water stress reduced endophyte frequency in vegetative tiller, water stress does not have effect on endophyte transmission, suggesting that drought is not an important factor controlling the endophyte transmission from plant to seed. Endophyte genotype and seed position in a panicle affected endophyte transmission, indicating that these two factors are involved in endophyte transmission and may determine seed transmission of endophyte in tall fescue.