• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.354-361
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• 2012

This study was conducted to evaluate on the freezing tolerance of introduced blueberry cultivars in Korea and to investigate availability of portable timber moisture meter for simple and rapid diagnosis of blueberry-shoot damage by freezing during wintering. Frost tolerance of blueberry cultivars showed big difference that rates of blueberry-shoot death were widely distributed from about 0% to 100% after wintering. Optical density in TTC reduction of blueberry twig treated low temperature was low in order of $-40^{\circ}C$ < $-21^{\circ}C$ < $4^{\circ}C$. Hardiness evaluation of visible injury in the cross-sectional surface color did not agree with that of rates of blueberry-shoot death during wintering. Lowest water content of blueberry stem measured by timber moisture tester during wintering was about 15%. During wintering, water contents of blueberry stems were higher at lower part of tree, but were low at end part of stems, and then when the blueberry grew again for spring, the water content gradually increased to 20~40%. Water content of blueberry stem with freezing injury during wintering decreased to under 5% by desiccation. Therefore it is assummed that the moisture content of blueberry stem injured by freezing during wintering was about under 14%, and it is expected that portable timber moisture meter could be available for rapid diagnosis of blueberry freezing injury in field.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2022

In modern society, interest in antioxidants is increasing as the stress caused by oxidants increases. However, the demand for synthetic antioxidants is decreasing because some studies have confirmed that they are harmful when consumed in large quantities; thus, studies on antioxidants derived from natural substances are actively being conducted to replace synthetic antioxidants. Blueberry, known as one of the world's top ten long-lived foods, is a plant of the Vaccinium (Ericaceae) family, and various pharmacological activities of blueberry including antioxidant activity have been studied. Vaccinium oldhamii (VO) is a deciduous broad-leaved shrub in the same genus as blueberries, and in this paper, we summarize the studies on the efficacy analysis of VO extracts and purified products. The content of phenolic compounds in VO fruits was proportional to antioxidant and anti-influenza activity such as the inhibition of NO production, and the total content of polyphenols and anthocyanin was higher than that in blueberries. VO fruit extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity and anti-cancer activity against human acute leukemia; in contrast, VO branch extracts showed anti-inflammatory activity, activity to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption due to inflammatory response, and anti-cancer activity against several human cancer cell lines. Compared to blueberries, VO showed higher phenolic compound content, antioxidant activity, and various physiological activities. In addition, VO is considered to have sufficient value as an alternative crop to blueberries, such as it can be grown natively in Korea, with simple mass cultivation and no need to pay royalties for commercialization.