• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.985-991
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological effect of obesity-induced oxidative damage on neurogenesis and early protein expression. Obesity was induced I thirty 4-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats through a high fat diet for 15 weeks. After one week of environmental adaptation, the rats were divided into 2 groups: high fat diet sedentary group (HDS, n=15) and high fat diet training group (HDT, n=15). Exercise training was performed 5 times a week for 8 weeks, with mild-intensity treadmill running for weeks 1-4 and moderate-intensity treadmill running for weeks 5-8. After the 8 week training period, we analyzed lipid profiles, serum 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG), liver tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) related to oxidative damage factors, nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), c-fos, c-jun, and extracellular signal regulated kinase (Erk) in the hippocampus. The results of this study are as follows. There were differences between HDS and HDT in triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) (p<0.05). In high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), the HDT was higher than HDS after treadmill training (p<0.05). In 8-OHdG, the HDT was lower than HDS after treadmill training (p<0.05). Genetic expressions of c-jun, BDNF and MDA in the HDT were higher than in the HDS after treadmill training in hippocampus (p<0.05). Therefore, we conclude that 8 weeks of treadmill training can improve imbalanced lipid profiles, reduce oxidative damage, and activate neurogenesis in obese rats.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.772-781
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• 2016

Dung beetle (Catharsius molossus, CA) is a well-known group of insects thanks to their exploitation of animal feces, a behavioral trait with a global impact on earth′s ecosystems. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of CA extract on a high-fat diet in SD rats. Male rats were divided into 5 groups. Animals were fed on a high-fat diet for seven weeks before and dung beetle extract for a month during the administration. Weight gain was decreased in ethanol extract from CA group. Administration of CA extract reduced the organ weight of testis and kidney, and adipose tissue weight. Lipid oxidative stress was evaluated measuring malondialdehyde level in liver. There were no significant differences in groups. Protein oxidative stress was evaluated measuring protein carbonyl content in blood. The protein carbonyl in blood was significantly decreased in ethanol and acetone extracted dung beetle groups (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the protein carbonyl in hepatocyte was not significant among the groups. Fibronectin and laminin by using D-HUVEC cell in vitro were measured by ELISA assay. There was significance in CA extract. The level of IL-10, IL-1β, VEGF, eNOS was evaluated by ELISA. There was significance in IL-10 compared to control (p<0.05). SOD and GPx tended to increase by CA extract. Furthermore, CAT was increased significantly by CA extract (p<0.05). After administration of CA extracts the composition of saturated fatty acid in adipose tissue tend to decrease, while unsaturated fatty acid increases. In conclusion, dung beetle had anti-hyperglycemia effects of oxidative stress and antioxidant activity.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.291-298
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• 2021

In this study, we investigated whether the combined administration of berberine (BBR) and silibinin (SBN) was effective in improving hyperlipidemia and anti-obesity efficacy using a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mouse model. HFD-induced obese mice were supplemented with the BBR and SBN combination (BBR-SBN) along with the HFD administration for 8 weeks. During the experiment, body weight, food intake, and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol were analyzed. Consumption of HFD in the mice caused rapid increases in body weight and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to the normal control (NC) group. However, supplementation of BBR-SBN in these obese mice significantly reduced body weight gain and suppressed the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride with the increment of HDL cholesterol level. In the HFD-fed group, abdominal fat weight was significantly increased and the adipocytes within the epididymal adipose tissue were found to have expanded sizes compared to the NC group. However, in the BBR-SBN group, the sizes of the adipocytes were comparable to those of the NC group and abdominal fat weight was significantly reduced. Moreover, the deposition of giant vesicular fat cells in liver tissues seen in the HFD-fed group was considerably reduced in the BBR-SBN group. These results suggest that the BBR-SBN combination tends to have synergic potential as an anti-obesity agent by significantly reducing body weight gain as well as lowering serum lipid levels and thus improving anti-obesity efficacy in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.399-405
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• 2021

A number of studies have been conducted to prevent obesity due to the worldwide increasing rate of obesity and its adverse effects on our health. Recently, a relationship between obesity and gut microbiome has been reported. Fecal and cecal microbiota are generally targeted for examining the gut microbiome during dietary interventions. There is, however, no common understanding on which microbiota and how results elucidated from the data would differ. In this study, we conducted dietary induced obesity study and compared fecal and cecal microbiota affected by dietary interventions. Normal Diet and high fat diet were fed to 6 weeks old mice for 12 weeks, and 16 S rRNA genes amplified from fecal and cecal DNA were sequenced using MiSeq. Our results show that the 𝛼-diversity showed significant differences between the dietary interventions as well as cecal and fecal microbiota. The difference in the taxonomic compositions between cecal and fecal microbiota had become clearer at the family and genus level. At the genus level, Faecalibaculum and Lactobacillus were more abundant in the cecal and fecal microbiota, respectively. In general dietary intervention studies, dietary effects are more significant than type difference. However, the microbiota analysis results should be interpreted carefully, considering both diet and samples (feces/caecum).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.143-152
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• 2022

We investigated the serum cholesterol and visceral fat lowering effects of Momordica charanatia (MC) and Withania somnifera (WS) extracts in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Combination of fermented MC and WS extracts (FMCWS) as well as that of non-fermented extracts (MCWS) were orally administered to HFD-induced obese mice along with the HFD supplementation for 8 weeks. During the experiment, body weight, food intake, and levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and HDL-cholesterol were analyzed. Body weight and the levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly increased in the HFD-fed mice compared with the normal control (NC) group. However, supplementation of the extracts showed a tendency to reduce body weight gain and suppressed the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride with the increment of HDL-cholesterol levels. Abdominal fat weight was significantly increased in the HFD group, and the size of adipocytes within the epididymal adipose tissue was markedly expanded compared with the NC group. However, in the FMCWS and MCWS groups, the abdominal fat weight was significantly reduced and the sizes of the adipocytes were noticeably diminished compared with those of the HFD-fed mice. Moreover, the deposition of giant vesicular fat cells observed in the liver tissue of the HFD group was prominently reduced in these groups. These results indicate that the combination of extracts from MC and WS tends to have potent synergic effects in reducing body weight gain as well as significantly lowering the visceral fat and the serum lipid levels, and thus improving anti-obesity efficacy in HFD-induced obese mice.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.304-315
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• 2008

The total suspended particles (TSP) collected at the 1100 site of Mt. Halla have shown higher compositions for the anthropogenic components followed by marine and soil originated ones. The concentrations of the soil originated nss-$Ca^{2+}$, Al, Fe, Ca components have been increased in spring, and the anthropogenic $NH{_4}^+$, $K^+$, nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ components showed high concentrations in June. Meanwhile, the concentration of $NO{_3}^-$ as same as nss-$Ca^{2+}$ was higher in spring. It's likely due to the influence of its long-range transport from China. Compared to the non-Asian Dust periods, the concentrations of nss-$Ca^{2+}$, Al, Ca, and Fe have been increased 7.2~9.5 times in Asian Dust storm periods, and those of nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$ and $NO{_3}^-$ were 1.3 and 3.8 times, respectively. From the factor analysis, the TSP compositions were influenced mainly by anthropogenic emission sources, followed by oceanic and soil sources. The backward trajectory analysis has shown that the concentrations of the anthropogenic and soil components were increased when the air parcels had been moved into Jeju island via China in a northwesterly wind.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.252-255
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• 2009

In this study we investigated the natural habitats of Allium grayi, Allium monanthum, Allium tuberosum' and Allium schoenoprasmum to develop a fundamental database for their breeding and cultivation. Both Allium grayi and Allium monanthum were growing wild mainly in the areas with the altitude of ${\leq}\;300\;m$. The natural habitats of Allium grayi and Allium monanthum were limited to the altitude of 1,000 and 800 m, respectively. Allium thunbergii was growing at a wide range of altitude from the lowlands (${\geq}\;100\;m$) to the high elevated areas (${\leq}\;1,000\;m$) whereas Allium maximowiczii was growing wild only at the high altitude of ${\geq}\;900\;m$. The number and the size of the natural habitat of Allium grayi were greater than those of Allium monanthum. The natural habitats of Allium grayi were in the Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang Provinces whereas those of Allium monanthum were found mainly in the Chungcheong and Jeju Provinces. Allium grayi was growing wild in both inland and seaside districts whereas Allium monanthum was mainly in the inland areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2008

This study was performed to reveal nutritional excellency of popular Korean dishes, which were intended to distribute as a take-out type food suited for Americans. Four Korean dishes were selected due to their high preference from American sensory panels: Jeyuk-bokkeum (B), Kimchi-bokkeum (C), Dubu-jorim (D) and Namul (E). Nine weeks of the experimental periods were composed of two parts. In phase 1(5 weeks of the first half), high fat diets were fed to all treatments including the control group (A). In phase 2 (4 weeks of the last half), freeze-dried four Korean dishes were fed to the treatments except for the control. There was no significant difference in the final body weights among the groups as well as daily body weight gains and FER. Organ weights of the control group tended to be smaller than those of the treatment groups. For visceral fats, perirenal fat pad (RFP) and epidydimal fat pad (EFP) of the groups C and D were decreased by 20% compared with those of the group A. Total cholesterol level of the group C (94.13 mg/dL) was significantly lower than any other groups (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference in triglyceride(TG) level. HDL-cholesterol level of group B(20.38 mg/dL) was significantly higher than that of group D (17.25 mg/dL), but no significant differences were seen in groups C and E (p<0.05). In LDL-cholesterol level, the highest level was seen in group D, the lowest level in group E (p<0.05). From the findings, Kimchi-bokkeum, Dubu-jorim and Namul were superior to those of the control and jeyukbokkeum in terms of the blood lipid profiles. It might be a good Korean style take-out items suited for the Americans’ taste along with a good nutritional quality in the near future.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.215-221
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• 2003

Ecological concepts were embedded in the old Korean maps and other documents. The concepts may represent ecological views which people had at the time. Through those ecological views, we propose that we can see a watershed concept in old Korean maps. We also discuss relevant records to understand the history of this concept. While many scholars have highlighted in the Baekdoodaegan frame only the pan of the mountain ranges, we are pointing out other perspectives. Our emphasis is that the concept is explicitly related to a watershed concept. An old Korean map shows that people at that time divided the Korean Peninsula into many watersheds, which was as early as 1402. We can even say that the idea is identified in a literal document written in the 12th century. It is hypothesized that a typical Korean landscape configuration was developed in the arrangement of village and surrounding landscape elements situated in a watershed. In addition, we suggest that the view had some negative effects on the current society. Even though the ideas of our ancestor are something to be praised, further study is needed to improve it in a wise manner.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.153-175
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• 2015

This study is to analyse Korean map inserted in the "Gwandong Gwanseo-jido(關東 關西地圖)" which is reserved in the Gyujanggak Archives as the mother edition of Korean Map("朝鮮圖") in Kangxi Atlas made in Qing dynasty. Map in Gyujanggak is very similar to the Korean map in the Kangxi atlas in terms of shape of southern part of Korean peninsula, boundary of provinces. Especially over 80% of place names on two maps are coincident and over 90% of islands names are identical. It is revealed that map in the Gyujanggak Archive is the most similar map to the Kangxi Atlas in Korea. This map was produced in 1729~1736 which is late compared to the Kangxi Atlas. This difference of production period shows that mother editon of map in Gyujanggak is the base map of Korean Map in Kangxi atlas. The similarity and differences between those maps show the process of edition of geography in the produce the Kangxi atlas. And map in Gyujanggak shows that production of new type of Korean whole map was began in the late $17^{th}$ century.