• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.813-821
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• 2015

Asthma is an increasing global health problem, and novel strategies to prevent or ameliorate the condition are needed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-asthma effects of Adenophora triphylla var. japonica extracts. We investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of 80% ethanol extracts (AE) of A. triphylla on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. AE treatment inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6 as well as nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In particular, NO and pro-inflammatory cytokine production was suppressed more effectively by aerial parts (AE-A) than roots (AE-R) of A. triphylla. Quantitative RT-PCR assay showed that AE reduced mRNA levels of iNOS and COX-2. We also evaluated the anti-asthmatic effects of AE-A in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced BALB/c mouse model. AE-A supplementation significantly reduced the amounts of airway eosinophils, IL-4 and IL-13 levels in BALF, and IgE levels in serum as compared with untreated, OVA-induced mice. These results suggest that AE-A can be considered as a therapeutic agent to potentially relieve asthma.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2016

Background: The photosynthetic efficiency cool-season, semi-shade ginseng is normal at low morning temperatures, but drops at high afternoon temperatures. Therefore, optimal plant performance would be ensured if it were possible to control daily light transmission rates (LTR). Methods and Results: Plants were grown in a controlled light environment that replicated 11 AM conditions and comparatively analyzed against plant grown under normal conditions. Growth in the controlled light environment resulted in a 2.81 fold increase in photosynthetic efficiency with no change in chlorophyll content, although LTR were high due to low morning temperatures. Increased aerial plant growth was observed in the ginseng plants adapted to the controlled light environment, which in turn influenced root weight. An 81% increase in fresh root weight (33.3 g per plant on average) was observed in 4-year-old ginseng plants grown in controlled light environment compared to the plants grown following conventional practices (18.4 g per plant on average). With regard to the inorganic composition of leaves of 4-year-old ginseng plants grown in controlled light environment, an increased in Fe content was observed, while Mn and Zn content decreased, and total ginsenoside content of roots increased 2.37 fold. Conclusions: Growth of ginseng under a favorable light environment, such as the condition which exist naturally at 11 AM and are suitable for the plant's photosynthetic activity creates the possibility of large scale production, excellent-quality ginseng.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.125.2-125
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• 2003

Since 2000, severe rots on aerial and underground parts of paprika( Capsicum annum L.) has occurred in most cultivation glasshouses throughout the country. Totally 169 isolates of a fungus were consistently isolated from the diseased plant tissues of fruits, stems, branches, and roots collected from 19 farms in six provinces. Anamorph stage of the fungus was identified as Fusarium solani based on morphological characteristics. However, the fungus readily produced sexual structure of perithecia on infected plant tissues and on agar medium. Since the fungus formed abundant perithecia by single isolate, it was considered as a homothallic strain of Nectria hematococn, the teleomorph of F. solani. Irregularly globose perithecia with orange to red color formed sparsely to gregariously on dead tissues of fruits and basal stems at the 3ate infection stage, which is a diagnostic sign for the disease. Abundancy of perithecium varied among isolates and they sized 125-220$\mu\textrm{m}$ in diam. Asci enveloping eight ascospores were cylindrical and measured 60-80x8-12$\mu\textrm{m}$. Ellipsoid to obovate ascospores are two-celled and measured 11-l8${\times}$4-7$\mu\textrm{m}$. Ascospores are hyaline, slightly constricted at the central septum, and revealed longitudinal striations that is a typical trait of the species. This fungus that has never been reported in Korea previously became a threat to paprika cultivation because of its strong pathogenicity and nationwide distribution.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.67.1-67
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• 2003

Phytophthora blight is a devastating disease of pepper and occurs almost anywhere peppers are grown. Phytophthora blight is caused by Phytophthora capsici and this pathogen can infect every part of the plant by moving inoculum in the soil, by infecting water on surface, by aerial dispersal to sporulating lesions. Management of Phytophthora blight currently relies on cultural practices, crop rotation, and use of selective fungicides. Since these treatments are a short-term management, a classical breeding for development of resistant pepper against the Phytophthora is an alternative. So far some of the resistant cultivars have been on the market, but those are limited regionally and commercially. Therefore, ultimately an elite line resistant against this disease should be developed, if possible, by biotechnology. We have set out a series of work recently in order to develop Phytophthora resistant pepper cultivar. For the first time, the cDNA microarray analysis was peformed using an EST chip that holds around 5000 pepper EST clones to identify genes responsive to Phytophthora infection. Total RNA samples were obtained from Capsicum annuum PI201234 after inoculating P. capsici to roots and soil and exposed to the chip. .Around 900 EST clones were up-regulated and down-regulated depending on the two RNA sample tissues, leaf and root. From those, we have found 55 transcription factors that may be involved in gene regulation of the disease defense mechanism. Further and in detail information will be provided in the poster.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.73-84
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• 2015

Nine plant species were selected through vegetation survey at three military shooting ranges at northern Gyeonggi Province. Plants were germinated in normal soil and three seedlings were transplanted to a bottom sealed pot containing sandy loam soils contaminated with either RDX (291 mg/kg) or TNT (207 mg/kg). Planted, blank (without plant), and control (without explosive compound) pots were grown in triplicate at a green house for 134 days. During cultivation, transplanted plants exhibited chlorosis and necrosis in flower and leaf by explosive toxicity and stress. Only three plants, Wild soybean, Amur silver grass, Reed canary grass, survived in TNT treated pot, while seven plant species except for field penny cress and jimson weed, thrived in RDX treated pot. Appreciable amount of TNT (61.6~241.2 mg/g-D.W.) was detected only in plant roots. Up to 763.3 mg/g-D.W. along with 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, an intermediate of TNT, accumulated in the root of wild soybean. In addition, azoxy compounds, abiotic intermediates of TNT, were detected in TNT treated soils. RDX absorbed average 1,839.95 mg/kg in shoot and 204.83 mg/kg in root. Most of TNT in plant was accumulated in underground part whereas RDX was localized in aerial part. Material balance calculation showed that more than 95% of the initial TNT was removed in the planted pots whereas only 60% was removed in the blank pot. The amount of RDX removed from soil was in the order of Amur Silver Grass (51%) > Chickweed (43%) > Evening primrose (38%). Based on the results of pot cultures, Amur silver grass and Reed canary grass are selected as tolerant remedial plants for explosive toxicity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 1979

Effect of gibberllin on the breaking of bud dormancy of root and growth of aerial parts were investigated under laboratory and field condition for the prolongation of shoot growth duration, shortening of fruit bearing age and the increase of root yield. Drop application of GA (0.5ml of 50ppm) on rhizome of one year old root broke bud dormancy better than by low temperature. Soaking for one hour of one year old roots which wintered in the field in GA (50-200ppm) greatly accelerated the emergence of new buds while kinetin was only effective at low level (50ppm). GA substantially increased stem length in early stage and petiole length later on while kinetin increased stem diameter. Under the field condition with polythylene film tunnel (PET) in early spring the soaking in GA (50ppm for 1 hour) of rhizome of 4 year old root with replanting and dropping GA (50ppm, 1ml) on rhizome without replanting brought earlier emergence (29days) in comparison with that in the usual field. PET alone caused 14 day-early emergence. GA increased the length of stem and petiole only in early stage and replanting decreased only petiole length in later stage. Soaking in GA with replanting caused the Pronounced decrease in peduncle length, percentage of (ruin set and dry weight of reproductive organ (fruits and peduncle). Dropping without replanting showed significant decrease only in dry weight of reproductive organ. Fruit maturing was 20 days earlier than in usual held with little difference between GA and PET. It is well expected that GA could be used for early emergence of bud, shortening of root dormancy period, thinning of fruit and higher root yield according to application amount and methods.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.389-393
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the difference of growth characteristics, yield and extract content between upland and paddy ginseng cultured with 4­year-old ginseng in 2003. Although upland ginseng showed larger variation in yield than that of paddy ginseng, the average of it was greater than that of paddy ginseng because it showed better growth of aerial part and higher survival rate than that of paddy ginseng. Moisture content of fresh root was $71.8\%\;(68.5\~73.1\%),\;and\;72.7\%\;(70.2 \~74.9\%)$ on average in upland and paddy ginseng, respectively. Paddy ginseng showed higher hardness in taproot, and higher rate of rusty colored root than that of upland ginseng. The ratio of taproot dry weight in upland ginseng was smaller than that of paddy ginseng, while that of lateral root was larger in upland ginseng. Ratio of marketable root (>60g) to total harvested roots was $13.7\%\;(0.82\~8.0\%)\;and\;7.7\%\;(1.6\~12.6\%)$ in upland and paddy ginseng, respectively. Extract content did not show distinct difference between upland and paddy ginseng, but it showed large variation from $16.1\;to\;25.1\%$ in taproot, and from $24.2\;to\;32.5\%$ in lateral root depanding on the ginseng field examined.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2015

Background: Ginseng is a semishade perennial plant cultivated in sloping, sun-shaded areas in Korea. Recently, owing to air-environmental stress and various fungal diseases, greenhouse cultivation has been suggested as an alternative. However, the optimal light transmission rate (LTR) in the greenhouse has not been established. Methods: The effect of LTR on photosynthesis rate, growth, and ginsenoside content of ginseng was examined by growing ginseng at the greenhouse under 6%, 9%, 13%, and 17% of LTR. Results: The light-saturated net photosynthesis rate ($A_{sat}$) and stomatal conductance ($g_{s}$) of ginseng increased until the LTR reached 17% in the early stage of growth, whereas they dropped sharply owing to excessive leaf chlorosis at 17% LTR during the hottest summer period in August. Overall, 6-17% of LTR had no effect on the aerial part of plant length or diameter, whereas 17% and 13% of LRT induced the largest leaf area and the highest root weight, respectively. The total ginsenoside content of the ginseng leaves increased as the LTR increased, and the overall content of protopanaxatriol line ginsenosides was higher than that of protopanaxadiol line ginsenosides. The ginsenoside content of the ginseng roots also increased as the LTR increased, and the total ginsenoside content of ginseng grown at 17% LTR increased by 49.7% and 68.3% more than the ginseng grown at 6% LTR in August and final harvest, respectively. Conclusion: These results indicate that 13-17% of LTR should be recommended for greenhouse cultivation of ginseng.

• Mycobiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2007

In the present study we first report in Korea the identification and characterization of Fusarium oxysporum isolated from rotten stems and roots of paprika (Capsicum annuum var. grossum) at Masan, Kyungsangnamdo in 2006. The fungal species produced white aerial mycelia accompanying with dark violet pigment on PDA. The optimal temperature and pH for the growth of the species was $25^{\circ}C$ and pH 7, respectively. Microscopic observation of one of isolates of the species shows that its conidiophores are unbranched and monophialides, its microconidia have oval-ellipsoidal shape with no septate and are of $3.0{\sim}11{\times}1.5{\sim}3.5\;{\mu}m$ sizes, its macroconidia are of $15{\sim}20{\times}2.0{\sim}3.5\;{\mu}m$ sizes and have slightly curved or slender shape with $2{\sim}3$ septate. The results of molecular analysis show that the ITS rDNA of F. oxysporum from paprika shares 100% sequence identity with that of known F. oxysporum isolates. The identified species proved it's pathogenicity by causing rotting symptom when it was inoculated on paprika fruits. The growth of F. oxysporum from paprika was suppressed on PDA by agrochemicals such as benomyl, tebuconazole and azoxystrobin. The identified species has the ability of producing extracelluar enzymes that degrade cellobiose and pectin.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.106-111
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• 2010

The chemical structures of eight compounds purified from two plants (Polygala tenuifolia Willdenow and Dioscorea batatas Decene) were determined and their anti-microbial activity against three microbial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans) was tested. The three micro organisms were cultured in 96-well plates or Petri dishes without (control) or with the eight compounds added at concentrations of 100 to 0.01 ${\mu}M$ (wt/vol). The growth of the microorganisms in the medium was examined after a 24-h incubation. The inhibitory effect of each compound on the growth of the microorganisms was calculated from the optical density measured at 595 nm, turbidity, and size of the inhibition zone around the treated paper disc. The minimum inhiitory concentration (MIC) of compounds 4 to 7 against S. aureus was 0.08, 0.05, 1.3 and 0.02 ${\mu}M$, respectively, and 0.09, 0.1, 0.2 and 100 ${\mu}M$ against C. albicans. The $IC_{50}$ (50% inhibition) values of compounds 5 and 6 were 3.1 and 6.4 ${\mu}M$ against S. aureus, respectively, and 10 and 2.4 ${\mu}M$ against C. albicans. Therefore, compounds 4 to 6 were the most potent anti-microbial agents among the eight compounds tested.