• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.416-423
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• 2023

Figs has known to have antioxidant, whitening, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects in their leaves, roots, stems, latex, and fruits. In order to develop cosmetic materials based on natural products, we have studied on the skin activity of the ficin in latex as well as the whitening function of the fruit extract with 70% ethanol, and used it as a raw material for released cosmetic product. However, there is little research on the demand for the development of new eutectic solvent extraction methods and its ability to control skin inflammation and psoriasis regulation. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of fig fruit extracts and fractions using eutectic solvent extraction for skin inflammation control and psoriasis. First, fig fruits were extracted under optimal eutectic solvent conditions and fractionated with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and butanol. First, the antioxidant activity and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production were confirmed in mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. In addition, as a result of observing the mRNA expression through RT-PCR, pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL1α, and IL-1β were suppressed significantly in the hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions. In addition, it was confirmed in TNF-α stimulated HaCaT keratinocyte model. Finally, chemokine CC motif ligand 20 (CCL20), marker gene of human psoriasis skin disease, was significantly suppressed in the hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate fractions. These results suggested its anti-inflammatory and skin soothing effect and the possibility of development as an excellent skin soothing natural cosmetic material in the future through future clinical trials.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the growth characteristics of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. 'Joeunbaekdadagi') and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. 'Dotaerang Dia') seedlings by light intensities and CO₂ concentrations in a closed-type plant production system (CPPS). Cucumber and tomato seeds were sown in 50-cell trays and germinated in CPPS at air temperature 25 ± 1℃ and relative humidity 50 ± 10% for 4 days. After germination, the CO₂ concentrations and light intensity treatment were treated at 500 (ambient), 1,000, and 1,500 µmol·mol^-1 and 100, 200, and 300 µmol·m^-2·s^-1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), respectively. The leaf area of cucumber showed the highest value in CO₂ 1,500 μmol·mol^-1. However, the leaf area of the tomato had no significant difference in CO₂ concentrations and light intensities treatments. In cucumber and tomato both seedlings, the growth and quality such as compactness and leaf area rate were increased with the increase of light intensity, and there were highest in 300 µmol·m^-2·s^-1. The root surface and number of root tips of cucumber and tomato seedlings were significantly increased with the increase in light intensity. In conclusion, the regulation of the CO₂ concentrations and light intensity can control the growth and quality of cucumber and tomato seedlings in CPPS, especially, increasing the light intensity can improve more significantly the growth and quality of seedlings.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.369-377
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• 2013

In order to increase the utilization of sweet potato leaves and stalks as much as roots, it is necessary to study their beneficial potential. In this study, the antioxidant, antiallergic and anti-inflammatory effects of sweet potato leaves and stalks were evaluated by measuring total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, DPPH radical scavenging effects, the reducing power and inhibition effects on xanthine oxidase (XO), 5-lipoxygenase (LOX), and cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 activities. Blanched sweet potato leaves (SL), raw whole purple stalks (ST) and peeled stalks (PST) were freeze-dried and extracted with 95% ethanol. Total polyphenol content was highest in SL (11.03 mg/g), followed by ST (0.87 mg/g), and PST (0.37 mg/g). Total flavonoid content was highest for SL (9.01 mg/g), followed by ST (0.50 mg/g) and PST (0.25 mg/g). The $IC_{50}$ for DPPH radical scavenging effects was highest for SL ($43.6{\mu}g/mL$), followed by ST ($308.4{\mu}g/mL$) and PST ($1,631.3{\mu}g/mL$). The reducing power was highest for SL ($59.72{\mu}g$ ascorbic acid eq./mL), followed by ST ($12.56{\mu}g$ ascorbic acid eq./mL) and PST ($2.18{\mu}g$ ascorbic acid eq./mL) with $1,000{\mu}g/mL$ of ethanol extract. The inhibition rate on XO activity was highest for SL (13.06%), followed by ST (5.05%) and PST (0.0%) at $250{\mu}g/mL$ extract treatment. The inhibition rate on COX-2 activity was highest for SL (55.34%), followed by ST (2.18%) and PST (0.0%) at $250{\mu}g/mL$ extract treatment. The inhibition rate on 5-LOX activity was highest for SL (91.16%), followed by ST (33.38%) and PST (14.93%) at $50{\mu}g/mL$ treatment. Taken together, sweet potato leaves showed high antioxidative, anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities, especially with very strong inhibition effects on 5-LOX activity. These beneficial effects of sweet potato leaves might be mainly caused by the high content of polyphenols and flavonoids.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and growth hormone (GH) in serum, the quantitation of spermato-genesis and the comparable relationships among these measurements during pubertal period in New Zealand White male rabbits. To investigate the age-related testicular changes in DNA contents of spermatogenic cells, the fine-needle testicular biopsies from males aged 10 to 28 wks were evaluated by flow cytometry(FCM). Body weight increased significantly between the ages of 12 and 20 wks (P<0.05) and reached 3.4 kg at 28 wks of age. The highest serum IGF-I level (451.3ng/mL) was observed at 20wks of age (P<0.05) and thereafter remained stable at low levels. Serum GH level at 18 wks of age was 183.3 pg/mL which was significantly higher compared to the other ages (P<0.05), and the rising time in serum GH tend to be somewhat earlier than that of IGF-I. The relative percentage of It-cells in testicular cell compartments was $48.2\%$ at the age of 18 wks which significantly increased than those of 16-wk-old (P<0.05) and thereafter increased with the advance of age to $68\%$. The percentage of 2C-cells in testis was $26.8\%$ at 18 wks of age which was significantly lower than $54.3\%$ at 16 wks old (P<0.05). The percentage of 4C-cells was constantly maintained $2\~6\%$ except the $9.9\%$ at 18 wks of age. In conclusion, the results suggest that the puberty onset occurred at about the 18 wks of age and that the IGF-I and GH in serum during the pubertal period showed the age/growth-specific changes and these changes might be related to the spermatogenesis. The DNA FCM combined with fine-needle testicular biopsy could offer a very sensitive method to monitor the quantitative spermatogenic events related to the puberty onset.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.278-283
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• 2003

This study was carried out to examine the nitrogen removal rate of a subsurface-flow treatment wetland system which was constructed on floodplain of the Kwangju River from May to June 2001. Its dimensions were 29m in length, 9m in width and 0.65m in depth. A bottom layer of 45cm in depth was filled with crushed granite with about $15{\sim}30\;mm$ in diameter and a middle layer of 10cm in depth had pea pebbles with about 10 mm in diameter. An upper layer of 5 cm in depth contained course sand. Reeds (Phragmites australis) were transplanted on the surface of the system. They were dug out of natural wetlands and stems were cut at about 40 cm height from their bottom ends. Water of the Kwangju River flowed into it via a pipe by gravity flow and its effluent was funneled back into the river. The height of reed stems was 44.2 cm in July 2001 and 75.3cm in September 2001. The number of stems was increased from $80\;stems/m^2$ in July 2001 to $136\;stems/m^2$ in September 2001. Volume and water quality of inflow and outflow were analyzed from July 2001 through December 2001. Inflow and outflow averaged 40.0 and $39.2\;m^3/day$, respectively. Hydraulic detention time was about 1.5 days. Average nitrogen uptake by reeds was $69.31\;N\;mg/m^2/day$. Removal rate of $NO_3-N$, $NH_3-N$, T-N averaged 195.58, 53.65, and $628.44\;mg/m^2/day$, respectively. Changes of $NO_3-N$ and $NH_3-N$ abatement rates were closely related to those of wetland temperatures. The lower removal rate of nitrogen species compared with that of subsurface-flow wetlands operating in North America could be attributed to the initial stage of the system and inclusion of two cold months into the six-month monitoring period. Increase of standing density of reeds within a few years will develop both root zones suitable for the nitrification of ammonia and surface layer substrates beneficial to the denitrification of nitrates into nitrogen gases, which may lead to increment in the nitrogen retention rate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.217-227
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• 2006

Micronutrient status in soils and crops of plastic film house and their relationship were investigated. Total 203 plastic film houses were selected (red pepper, 66; cucumber, 63; tomato, 74) in Yeongnam region and soil and leaf samples were collected. Hot-water extractable B and 0.1 N HCl extractable Cu, Zn, Fe, and Mn in soil samples and total micronutrients in leaf samples were analyzed. Contents Zn, Fe, and Mn in most of the investigated soils were higher than the upper limits of optimum level for general crop cultivation. Contents of Cu in most soils of cucumber and tomato cultivation were higher than the upper limit of optimum level, but Cu contents in about 30% of red pepper cultivation soils were below the sufficient level. Contents of B in most soils of cucumber and tomato were above the sufficient level but in 48% of red pepper cultivation soils B were found to be deficient. Micronutrient contents in leaf of investigated crops were much variable. Contents of B, Fe, and Mn were mostly within the sufficient levels, while in 71% of red pepper samples Cu was under deficient level and in 44% of cucumber samples Cu contents were higher than the upper limit of sufficient level. Contents of Zn in red pepper and cucumber samples were mostly within the sufficient level but in 62% of tomato samples Zn contents were under deficient condition. However, any visible deficiency or toxicity symptoms of micronutrients were not found in the crops. No consistent relationships were found between micronutrient contents in soil and leaf, and this indicates that growth and absorption activity of root and interactions among the nutrients in soil might be important factors in overall micronutrient uptake of crops. For best management of micronutrients in plastic film house, much attention should be focused on the management of soil and plant characteristics which control the micronutrient uptake of crops.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-68
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• 1989

aA series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of plant growth regulator treatments on the growth and lateral root formation in soybean sprouts in order to establish the effective method of producing root-less or short-rooted soybean sprouts with larger diameter in the hypocotyl. Major results can be summarized as follows. 1. Soybean sprouts showed fairly uniform elongation rate from 3 to g days after imbibition with daily increase of 3.8cm. The speed of elongation of hypocotyl was reduced whereas that of root accelerated 7 days after imbibition. Lateral roots began to emerge fairly evenly from 5 to 9 days after imbibition with a daily increase of 4.4. 2. Auxins(IAA, IBA, NAA, 2,4-D) inhibited hypocotyl elongation and formation of lateral roots and increased hypocotyl diameter without influencing root length and hook diameter at higher concentrations. The dry weight of cotyledon was increased significantly as compared to that of hypocotyl and root. Among the tested auxins, 2, 4-D was the most effective. 3. BA and 4PU-30 significantly reduced elongation of hypocotyl and root and resulted in the biggest diameter of hypocotyl when treated at higher concentrations. The lowest effective concentration of BA to prevent the formation of larval gal roots was 12.5ppm. The formation of lateral roots could be completely prevented by BA and 4PU-30 treatment but kinetin, zeatin, zeatin riboside resulted in many lateral roots and increased thickness of soybean sprouts with little influence. Cotyledon deformation was found in soybean sprouts treated by 4PU-30. 4. 2, 4-D was the most effective for increasing the hypocotyl diameter while 4PU-30 was the most effective for reducing no. of lateral roots. 5. It can be concluded that among the plant growth regulators tested, BA was effective in reducing root length and increasing hypocotyl diameter. BA 12.5 ppm or 15 ppm may thus be the more practical for production of soybean sprouts. 6. ABA showed no significant effect of growth parameter, however ABA 25 ppm inhibited only no of lateral roots with little influence on the growth of seedling. 7. Ethephon inhibited the elongation of hypocotyl and root and increased hypocotyl diameter at higher concentrations. 8. The combined effect of cytokinins and ethephon was very similar to result of BA treatment alone. As the ethephon concentration increased, hypocotyl diameter and dry weight of cotyledon tended to increase.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.8
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• pp.87-93
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• 1967

1) For the micro-analysis of mercury in plant materials, the method of Furutani was shown to be the simplest and most efficient way and the recovery of the assay was about 98%. 2) When the rice grain was soaked in 1/1000 diluted solution of organo-mercury fungicide for 8 hours at the end of March, the amounts of mercury residues in the brown rice and unhulled rice were 8.8 to $9.5\;{\mu}g/g$ seeds and 10.1 to $10.7\;{\mu}g/g$ seeds, respectively. 3) By washing the treated rice seeds with running water for three days, tile residual mercury concentration was reduced to 1/4 to 1/5; thus the mercury residues were 1.86 to $1.92\;{\mu}g/g$ for brown rice and 1.96 to $2.93\;{\mu}g/g$ for unhulled rice. 4) The residual mercury was present more in the unhulled rice than in the brown rice, either before or after washing of the treated seeds. 5) Among the different rice varieties, no difference was observed in mercury residues by seed treatment and washing.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.311-328
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• 2017

This study was carried out to investigate the changes in soil microorganisms and soil enzymes by split irrigation and organic matter application under no-tillage green house conditions. Soil bacteria and fungi abundances were higher in soybean cake fertilizer than in the soil without the soybean cake fertilizer under whole quantity irrigation. Bacteria and fungi abundances in soil increased with increasing organic fertilizer application rate. Bacteria and fungi amount in the soil increased at half division irrigation in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer compared with whole quantity irrigation. Actinomycete amount in the soil decreased with increasing soybean cake fertilizer with whole quantity irrigation while clearly increased in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer. Actinomycete amount in soil clearly increased with increasing organic fertilizer input at half division irrigation. Chitinase activity in the soil decreased in soybean cake fertilizer with increasing organic fertilizer input, while increased in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer. Chitinase activity in the soil increased at half division irrigation compared with whole quantity irrigation regardless of soybean cake fertilizer input. ${\beta}$-Glucosidase activity in the soil was higher in soybean cake fertilizer than in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer with whole quantity irrigation. ${\beta}$-Glucosidase activity in the soil increased with increasing organic fertilizer input, but decreased in above the standard level 66%. ${\beta}$-Glucosidase activity in the soil clearly increased in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer at half division irrigation compared with whole quantity irrigation. N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase activity was higher in soybean cake fertilizer than in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer with whole quantity irrigation. N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase activity in the soil increased with increasing organic fertilizer input, but decreased in above the standard level 66%. N-acetyl-${\beta}$-D-glucosaminidase activity in the soil was not significantly different at half division irrigation and whole quantity irrigation in organic fertilizer input, while increased at half division irrigation in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer. Acid phosphatase activity increased at standard level 66% in soybean cake fertilizer, while was not significantly different in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer. Spore density of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in the soil increased with increasing organic fertilizer input at whole quantity irrigation in no-treatment of soybean cake fertilizer, while decreased above the standard level 66% in organic fertilizer input. However, spore density of AMF in the soil was not significantly different in soybean cake fertilizer regardless of input amount of organic fertilizer. Root colonization rate of AMF in red pepper roots was not significant difference at two irrigations regardless of soybean cake input.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.2949-2967
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• 1973

The purpose of this study is to find out and determine the minimum consumptive use of water for Korean cabbage and turmp, so that the minimum water requirement can be secured always for a stable cultivation of these vegetables regardless of weather conditions. The experiment was conducted in two periods; first one from May to July and second one from August to October, each experiment with two varieties of cabbage and two varieties of radish with 2 replicants and 15 treatments. The results found from the above are briefly as follows: 1. Since the mean soil moisture equivalent 64 days after the treatment was 28.5% and the soil moisture content at the time was 2.67% which is far less than that of the wilting point, the crop seemed to be extremely caused by a drought. 2. The rate of 51 days after the seeding, soil moisture content of plot No.2 where irrigation has been continuous was the highest or 21.3%, whereas the plot No.14 without irrigations was 11.2% and the lowest. Therefore, the soil moisture content for the minimum qrowth seemed to be 20%. 3. The consumptive coefficient of Blaney and Criddle on cabbage in two periods were K=1.14 and 0.97 respectively, and on radish in two periods were K=1.06 and 0.86 respectively, thus, cabbage was higher than radish. The consumptive coefficient in the first experiment (May-July) was 0.17 to 0.20 higher than the 2nd experiment(August-October). 4. Nomally, cabbage and radish germinate within one week, however, the germination ot these crops which were treated with a suspended water supply from the beginning took two full weeks. 5. When it elapsed 30 days after seeding, the conditions in plot 1,2 and 3 were fairly good however, the crops in the plops other than these showed a withering and the leaves were withered and changed into high green due to an extrem drought. Though it was about same at the beginning, the drought damage on cabbage was worse than that on radish period, and the reasos for this appears in the latter that the roots are grown too deep. 6. The cabbage showed a high affinity between treated plots and varieties. Consequently, it can be said that cabbage is very suseptive to drought damage, and the yield showed a difference of 35% to 56% depending on the selection oe varieties. 7. The radish also showed a high affinity between the treated plots, however, almost us affinity existed between varieties. Therfore, the yield of radish largely depends on the extent of drought, and the selection of variety does not affect at all. 8. The normal consumptive use on cabbage is $0.62{\ell}/sec$, while that on radish is $0.64{\ell}/sec$, and the minimum optimum water requirement that was obtained in this study is $4,000cc/day/m^3$ or $0.462{\ell}/sec/ha$.