• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.75-85
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• 2023

The potential sources and spatial distribution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the leaf plants of Al-Zubair city. A total of 14 samples of conocarpus lancifolius plant leaf were collected and analyzed for their heavy metals and PAHs content using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and a 7890 Agilent capillary gas chromatograph (GC) respectively. Bioaccumulation factor calculation revealed the highest pollution of heavy metals , due to the activity of a petrochemical in the area. The diagnostic ratio of Ant/(Phe+Ant), BaA/BaA+Chr), In/(In+BghiP), Flu/Pyr, FlA/FlA+Pyr), FlA/FlA+Pyr), ∑LMW/∑HMW are commonly used for determining the origin and source of PAHs in various environmental media. The diagnostic ratio indicated the anthropogenic origin. PAHs with five-to-six membered rings were dominant in the plant leaf, which likely results from anthropogenic activities. The leaves of C. lancifolius have a preponderance of high molecular weight PAHs compared to low molecular weight PAHs, indicating a combustion origin (car exhaust, petroleum emissions, and fossil fuel). C. lancifolius leaves are a reliable indication of atmospheric PAHs absorption. The background level of heavy metals in the city (or the near environment) is in the order of Fe > Cu > Ni > Cr. On the other hand, the bioaccumulation in plant leaves showed greater tendencies as follows: Co>Cd>Zn=As>Cu>Mn>Ni>Pb>Cr>Fe. Cobalt showed high bioaccumulation, indicating strong uptake of Co by plant leaves. These findings point to human activity and car emissions as the primary sources of roadside vegetation pollution in Al-Zubair city.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.417-425
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• 2024

This study investigated the effects of various planting models on the joint cultivation of eggplant (Solanum melongena) and marigold (Tagetes erecta)to enhance sustainable rooftop urban farming. Rooftop agriculture is increasingly valued to boost the food supply and benefit the environment. Integrating such practices into urban planning is viewed as a way to sustainably manage resources and improve the food-energy-water cycle in cities. The experiment was conducted on a rooftop in Chungju, South Korea from May to August. Four different planting setups were used: central eggplant with peripheral marigold (SET), eggplant with a protective net (SIC), central marigold with peripheral eggplant (TES), and control with only eggplant (CON S). These models tested the effects of companion planting versus monoculture using a lightweight soil mix ideal for rooftops made from cocopeat and perlite and enriched with organic fertilizer. Measurements focused on soil conditions and plant health and assessed soil temperature, moisture, conductivity, plant height, width, and leaf size. The results indicated that the SET modelyielded the best growth. This setup benefited from marigold pest control properties and its ability to improve soil conditions by enhancing moisture and nutrient levels and aiding eggplant growth. These findings underscore the potential of mixed planting on rooftops and suggest that such approaches can be effectively incorporated into urban agriculture to boost yield and environmental sustainability. This study supports the idea that diverse planting methods can significantly affect plant growth and promote urban greening and food security.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.969-977
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• 2024

Indigo is a valuable, natural blue dye that has been used for centuries in the textile industry. The large-scale commercial production of indigo relies on its extraction from plants and chemical synthesis. Studies are being conducted to develop methods for environment-friendly and sustainable production of indigo using genetically engineered microbes. Here, to enhance the yield of bioindigo from an E. coli whole-cell system containing tryptophanase (TnaA) and flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO), we evaluated tryptophan transporters to improve the transport of aromatic compounds, such as indole and tryptophan, which are not easily soluble and passable through cell walls. Among the three transporters, Mtr, AroP, and TnaB, AroP enhanced indigo production the most. The combination of each transporter with AroP was also evaluated, and the combination of AroP and TnaB showed the best performance compared to the single transporters and two transporters. Bioindigo production was then optimized by examining the culture medium, temperature, isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside concentration, shaking speed (rpm), and pH. The novel strain containing aroP and tnaB plasmid with tnaA and FMO produced 8.77 mM (2.3 g/l) of bioindigo after 66 h of culture. The produced bioindigo was further recovered using a simple method and used as a watercolor dye, showing good mixing with other colors and color retention for a relatively long time. This study presents an effective strategy for enhancing indigo production using a combination of transporters.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2009

Essential oils are mixture of volatile, lipophilic compounds originating from plants. Essential oils have potential biological effects, i.e., antibacterial, antifungal, spasmolytic and antiplasmodial activities and insect-repellent property. In this study, five essential oils, namely R, LG, FR, O, and NM, extracted from various aromatic plants were used to test their antimicrobial activity against the oral microorganisms. The effects of essential oils were investigated against eight important bacteria, Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Streptococcus sanguis (S. sanguis), Streptococcus anginosus (S. anginosus), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A. actinomycetemcomitans), Streptococcus sobrinus (S. sobrinus), Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis), and Escherichia coli (E. coli). Essential oils, except NM, effectively inhibited the growth of tested oral pathogenic microorganisms dose-dependently. However, the essential oils didn't show a significant inhibitory effect against E. coli and S. epidermidis. Consequently, these results represented that essential oil-mediated anti-microbial activity was prominent against the oral pathogenic bacteria. For example, minimum bactericidal concentration(MBC) of R, LG, FR oil against A. actinomycetemcomitans was very low as 0.078 mg/mL. In addition, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of R, LG, FR, O oil against S. mutans was low as 0.156 mg/mL in vitro.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2020

Here, we describe an efficient and rapid protocol for the micropropagation of Thymus pallidus Cosson ex Batt., a very rare medicinal and aromatic plant in Morocco. After seed germination, we tested the effect of different macronutrients, cytokinins alone or in combination with gibberellic acid (GA₃) or auxins, on T. pallidus plantlet growth. We found that Margara macronutrients (N₃₀K) had the best effect on the in vitro development of the plantlets. The addition of 0.93 μM/L 1,3-diphenylurea (DPU), 0.46 μM/L adenine (Ad), and 0.46 and 0.93 μM/L kinetin (Kin) resulted in the best shoot multiplication and elongation. In addition, the combination of 0.46 μM/L Kin, DPU, or Ad with gibberellic acid, in particular, 0.46 μM/L Ad + 0.58 μM/L GA₃ and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 1.15 μM/L GA₃, led to better bud and shoot multiplication. Moreover, the integration of the combinations of 0.46 μM/L Kin and auxins, namely 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 or 5.71 μM/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and 0.46 μM/L Kin + 0.3 or 0.57 μM/L 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), in the culture medium led to better root development and optimized aerial growth. Finally, the in vitro plants from the medium containing N₃₀K + 0.46 μM/L Kin + 2.85 μM/L IAA were successfully acclimatized; these plants served as a source for repeating in vitro culture.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

The antioxidative activity and the related parameters of hot water extracts obtained from 16 medicinal plants were tested. The extraction yield was the highest in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge $(36.49\%)$ pH range was $4.00\~5.92$ in all samples. Absorbance at 280 nm was examined to determine aromatic compounds content. The absorbance of $250{\mu}g/mL$ sample was the highest in Prunella vulgaris Linne var. lilacina Nakai (2.872) and below 0.5 in Cirsium maackii, Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge and Zizyphus jujuba Miller. Also, absorbance at 420 nm was high in order of Prunella vulgaris Linne vu. lilacina Nakai (1.312), Zea mays Linne (0.917) and Inula japonica Thunberg (0.725) Total phenolic compounds contents was the highest in Prunella vulgaris Linne var. lilacina Nakai $(5.07{\pm}0.05\;mg/100g)$ and flavonoids contents was 2-fold higher in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge $(4.82{\pm}1.16\;mg/100g)$ than the other samples. Electron donating abilities of Zizyphus jujuba Miller, Cornus officinalis Siebold et Zuccarini and Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge were over $90\%$ at $1000{\mu}g/mL$. Reducing power had similar tendency to electron donating ability while reducing power was significantly lower in samples compared to BHT. Two samples (Prunella vulgaris Linne val. lilacina Nakai and Inula japonica Thunberg) were found to have more than $50\%$ nitrite scavenging effect at $500{\mu}g/mL$ while 8 kinds samples (Zizyphus jujuba Miller, Cornus officinalis Siebold 81 Zuccarini, Chrysanthemum indicum Linne, Prunella vulgaris Linne var. lilacina Nakai, Inula japonica Thunberg, Acanthopanax sessiliflorum Seeman, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and Curcuma longa Linne) showed more than $50\%$ nitrite scavenging effect at $1000{\mu}g/mL$. Prunella vulgaris Linne var. lilacina Nakai showed significantly stronger nitrite scavenging effect than other samples, and its activity was $59.62{\pm}1.573\%$ and $80.58{\pm}0.300\%$ at concentrations of 250 and $1000{\mu}g/mL$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.315-322
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• 2013

BACKGROUND: This study was performed for the identification and quantification of glucosinolate (GSL) contents in seven varieties of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) sprouts cultivated under dark and light conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Crude glucosinolates (GSLs) were desulfated by treating with aryl sulfatase and purified using diethylaminoethyl sepharose (DEAE) anion exchange column. Individual GSLs were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Eleven GSLs including six aliphatic (progoitrin, sinigrin, glucoalyssin, gluconapoleiferin, gluconapin, and glucobrassicanapin), four indolyl (4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin) and one aromatic (gluconasturtiin) were identified based on the fragmentation patterns of MS spectrum. Aliphatic GSLs were noted as the predominant group with average 85.2% of the total contents. The most abundant GSLs were progoitrin which was ranged at $8.14-118.68{\mu}mol/g$ dry weight (DW). The highest total GSL amounts were documented in 'Hanra' ($146.02{\mu}mol/g$ DW) under light condition and 'Mokpo No. 68' ($86.67{\mu}mol/g$ DW) in dark condition, whereas the lowest was in 'Tamra' (30.13 and $14.50{\mu}mol/g$ DW) in both conditions. The sum of aliphatic GSLs attributed > 80% in all varieties, except 'Tamra' (67.7% and 64.9% in dark and light conditions, respectively) in the total GSL accumulation. Indolyl GSLs were ranged $2.41-15.73{\mu}mol/g$ DW, accounted 2.78-33.6% of the total GSLs in rapeseed varieties. CONCLUSION(S): These results provide valuable information regarding potential beneficial GSL contents individually. This study attempts to contribute to knowledge of the nutritional properties of the different varieties of rapeseed plants. These results may be useful for the evaluation of dietary information.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.510-515
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• 2014

Duckweed (Lemna perpusilla J. Torrey) is a typical floating aquatic macrophyte that has been used for evaluating phytotoxicity of toxicants. In this study, we evaluated the responses of duckweed to PAHs and ammonium as toxicants that frequently affect the growth of plants in polluted industrial and agricultural areas. As the duckweed is growing in aquatic environment, the PAHs and ammonium were incorporated into nutrient solution and the fronds were cultured hydroponically. Frond growth was responded differentially to the concentration and type of PAHs. The severe inhibition of frond growth was observed in the treatment of fluorene. Fluoranthene and pyrene, however, showed weak inhibition of frond growth. The latter PAHs that showed weak inhibition did not reduced frond number at the low concentration of 30 ppm. Pigment contents were also responded differentially. Phenanthrene and fluorene reduced chlorophyll content more strongly than fluoranthene and pyrene. Carotenoids, well-known antioxidative compound, was relatively increased at the low concentration of PAHs up to 30 ppm by the treatment of fluoranthene and pyrene, suggesting an increased antioxidative activity in fronds. Ammonium treatment showed higher inhibitory effect even low concentration of 3 mM.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 1997

The composition and chemical structures of same individual components of essential oils from ginger flavor plants were estimated by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spetrometric analysis with the aid of NBS and Wiley library and RI indice searches. Through gas chromatography and gas chromatography /mass spetrometry analysis of 43, 41, 32 essential oil components from flowers, leaves and stems from Lindera obstusiloba., respectively were identified, among which sabinene, $\beta$-myrcene, ι-limonene, phelandrene, ${\gamma}$-selinene, $\alpha$-terpinene, 2, 4a, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9a -octahydro benzocycloheptane, $\delta$-cadinene, ${\gamma}$-terpinene, (Z) -3-hexen-1-ol acetate, ${\gamma}$-elemene, l-boreneol, $\delta$-guaiene, ledene, cis-3-hexanal, elemol, $\alpha$-chamigrene, $\beta$-endesmol: 9-octadecanal, 1-(1, 5-diMe-4-hexenyl)-4-Me. benzene were estimated to be major components.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.62-73
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• 2020

PAHs commonly found in industrial sites such as manufactured gas plants (MGP) are potentially toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic, and thus require immediate remediation. In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is known as a highly efficient technology for soil and groundwater remediation. Among the several types of oxidants utilized in ISCO, persulfate has gained significant attention in recent years. Peroxydisulfate ion (S₂O₈^2-) is a strong oxidant with very high redox potential (E⁰ = 2.01 V). When mixed with Fe²⁺, it is capable of forming the sulfate radical (SO₄^-·) that has an even higher redox potential (E⁰ = 2.6 V). In this study, the influence of various iron activators on the persulfate oxidation of PAHs in contaminated soils was investigated. Several iron sources such as ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄), ferrous sulfide (FeS) and zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) were tested as a persulfate activator. Acenaphthene (ANE), dibenzofuran (DBF) and fluorene (FLE) were selected as model compounds because they were the dominant PAHs found in the field-contaminated soil collected from a MGP site. Oxidation kinetics of these PAHs in an artificially contaminated soil and the PAH-contaminated field soil were investigated. For all soils, Fe(0) was the most effective iron activator. The maximum PAHs removal rate in Fe(0)-mediated reactions was 92.7% for ANE, 83.0% for FLE, and 59.3% for DBF in the artificially contaminated soil, while the removal rate of total PAHs was 72.7% in the field-contaminated soil. To promote the iron activator effect, the effects of hydroxylamine as a reducing agent on reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺, and EDTA and pyrophosphate as chelating agents on iron stabilization in persulfate oxidation were also investigated. As hydroxylamine and chelating agents (EDTA, pyrophosphate) dosage increased, the individual PAH removal rate in the artificially contaminated soil and the total PAHs removal rate in the field-contaminated soil increased.