• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.58-63
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• 2003

Ginseng has been recommended to alleviate the menopausal symptoms, which indicates that components of ginseng very likely contain estrogenic activity. We have examined the possibility that a component of Panax ginseng, $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ acts by binding to estrogen receptor. We have investigated the estrogenic activity of $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ in a transient transfection system using estrogen-responsive luciferase plasmids in MCF-7 cells. $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ activated the transcription of the estrogen-responsive luciferase reporter gene in MCF-7 breast cancer cells at a concentration of 50 $\mu$M. Activation was inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, indicating that the estrogenic effect of $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ is estrogen receptor dependent. Next, we evaluated the ability of $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ to induce the estrogen-responsive gene c-fos by semi-quantitative RT-PCR assays and Western analyses. $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ increased c-fos both at mRNA and protein levels. However, $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ failed to activate the glucocorticoid receptor, the retinoic acid receptor, or the androgen receptor in CV-1 cells transiently transfected with the corresponding steroid hormone receptors and hormone responsive reporter plasmids. These data support our hypothesis that $ginsenoside-R_{b1}$ acts a weak phytoestrogen, presumably by binding and activating the estrogen receptor.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to investigate the hemp (Cannabis sativa cv. Chungsam) seed structure and ultrastructure of food reserves by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We examined the seed coat and embryo consisting of a hypocotyl-radicle axis and two cotyledons. The seed coat consisted of exotesta and endotesta. The exotesta was a mechanical layer with lignified and elongated cells, while endotesta of the underlying layers of the exotesta was consisted of two separated cell layers. The collapsed outer layer of endotesta showed the unique reticulate structures. In cotyledon cells, protein and lipid bodies occupied most of cytoplasm. Protein bodies varied in diameter from 1.8 to $5.0{\mu}m$ and possessed a protein matrix containing electron-dense globoid crystals. Numerous lipid bodies ranged from 0.8 to $3.0{\mu}m$ in diameter were distributed around the protein bodies. During the early stages of breakdown, protein bodies rapidly changed their shape into the granular feature, however, lipid bodies were gradually degradated and fused each other. The degeneration process of protein bodies and lipid bodies of cotyledon cells might be correlated with the reports which hemp seeds rapidly lose their ability to germinate.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.249-254
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• 2001

Effects of ultraviolet stress and elicitors, cellulase and jasmonic acid (JA), for the production of capsidiol, sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin, in seedlings and suspension cultures of pepper (Capsicum annum L. cv, Soobicho) were examined. Extracellular capsidiol in the medium of suspension cultures was absent from control cells, but accumulated in the elicitor treated cells with 0.05 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL of cellulase or 0.1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL JA. Elicited cells gradually decreased their viability and eventually died within 48 hours of elicitor treatment by the toxicity of capsidiol accumulated in the culture medium. Capsidiol production in the leaves of pepper seedlings was markedly increased by the treatment of ultraviolet stress and reached maximum level at 48 hours of irradiation. Infiltration of elicitors, 0.05 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL cellulase or 1.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL JA, to the surface of leaf or fruit, stimulated the elicitation of the cells which resulted in the production of capsidiol and expansion of pathogene-like lesion around the elicitor treated region.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.2 s.86
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• pp.263-269
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• 2005

Citrus juice, a concentrate manufactured by the Jeju Provincial Corporation, was converted into vinegar orderly by alcohol and acetate fermentation. The juice with 6 folds dilution by distilled water was used as the sole nutrient source through out experiments. Diluted juice contained $12.96^{\circ}Brix$ of total sugar, $0.632\%$ of total acid and $20.23{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ of hesperidin. Naringin was not detected from the juice. Citrus wine having $5.6\~6.3\%$ alcohol was produced from diluted juice by 3 days of fermentation at $28^{\circ}C$. A kind of malomelo yeast CMY-28 was used for wine fermentation. The wine was succeedingly fermented for 8 days at $30^{\circ}C$ after inoculation of seed vinegar which contained active cells of acid producing bacteria CV1. Inoculum size of seed vinegar was controlled to $10\%$(v/v) of citrus wine. The wine converted into vinegar by the fermentation. Citrus vinegar, the final product of fermentation, was colored with very thin radish-yellow and transparent. It's acidity ranged between $5.8\~6.2\%$ as acetic acid. The vinegar got the best score by sensory test among several natural fruit vinegars. It was clear from the results that citrus vinegar in high quality could be produced from concentrated citrus juice, however fermentation conditions should be improved to reduce the amount of reducing alcohol.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2001

Artemisia asiatica Nakai aqua-acupuncture solution (ANAS) was administered once daily for 10 days before the tumor implantation ($1{\times}10^6\;cells$). Body weight, spleen weight and the number of ascitic tumor cells were measured at 6 days after tumor implantation. The change of body weight and the survival rate of mice were observed for 21 days. It was used three biomarkers (quinone reductase, glutathione, glutathione S-transferase) to test chemopreventive potentials of ANAS. ANAS exerted antitumor activity by inhibiting the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vivo. Mice given Ehrlich cells and ANAS at $CV_{12}$ and $BL_{18}$ had 57.1% to 49.2% survival after 21 days. Quinone reductase activity and glutathione levels were increased with ANAS. However, glutathione S-transferase level was 1.1-fold with ANAS. These results suggest that ANAS has chemopreventive potential by inducing QR activity and increasing GSH level.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 2003

Cryopreservation of embryogenic callus derived from apical meristem culture was attempted by slow prefreezing method (two-step method) with various cryoprotectants in sweetpotato cv. 'Yulmi' Precultured embryogenic calli on medium containing 10 mg/L ABA prior to slow prefreezing in liquid nitrogen indicated higher survival rate than 1.0 mg/L ABA preteatment. The cryoprotectant comprising 1.28 M DMSO in 0.4 M sucrose solution gave the best survival (over 46%) of sweetpotato cells exposed to liquid nitrogen as determined by TTC reduction and FDA staining method. Cryopreserved calli cultured on MS medium with 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D were grown for 4 weeks in the dark and induced embryos after another 4 weeks. They were subcultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/L 2,4-D＋0.1 mg/L kinetin for 2 weeks and regenerated into normal plantlets in MS basal medium.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 2003

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Puerariae radix(PR) herb-acupuncture on nitric oxide synthase(NOS) expression in hippocampus of alcohol-intoxicated Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats. Methods: SD rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups; normal group, control group, alcohol with herb-acupuncture group(0.3, 3, 30 and 300mg/kg PR). Normal groups were received with NaCl, while alcohol intoxication groups were injected intraperitoneally with alcohol(2g/kg) twice per day for 3 days. Herb-acupuncture groups were injected on Zhongwan(CV12) for 5 consecutive days. For the detection of NADPH-d-positive cells in hippocampus, immunohistochemistry was performed. Results: n control group, a significant decrease in NADPH-d-positive cells was observed compared to normal group. In alcohol with herb-acupuncture group, NADPH-d-positive cells increased significantly compared to control group. Conclusions: The present results revealed that NOS expression is enhanced in the hippocampus of SD rats through PR herb-acupuncture in an acute alcoholic intoxication condition.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.361-367
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• 1997

This study was carried out to select cadmium resistant cell lines from leaf-derived calli of diploid and haploid of Nicotiana tabacum cv. BY4, for understanding adaptation mechanism of plants in cadmium contaminated environment. suspended cell clumps were plated onto selection medium containing 0 to 2,000 $\mu$M cadmium. Cadmium resistant colonies were formed on the selection medium after 3 or 4 weeks of culture. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of cadmium on colony formation were 300 $\mu$M in diploid and 200 $\mu$M in haploid plants, respectively. In order to test the resistance to cadmium, selected cell line on MIC were transferred to medium containing high concentration of cadmium. The selected cell lines, especially haploid cell line, were resistant an the high concentration of cadmium. And dry weight, ash weight, and cadmium contents of cell were increased. These results indicated that the selected cell lines showed higher resistance of cadmium than control cells, and haploid plant is more resistant than diploid plant on medium with cadmium.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.228-231
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• 2005

Recent characterization of several genes involved in plant defense responses suggested that ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation has a role in these responses. We isolated two cDNAs (NtUBA1 and NtUBA2) encoding ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1) from Nicotiana tabacum cv. BY-2. The open reading frames of both encoded 1080 amino acids, corresponding to molecular masses of 120 kDa. The E1s and corresponding transcripts were upregulated by infection with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), and to a lesser extent by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Furthermore, they were also upregulated by wounding stress, and the plant hormones salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and the ethylene precursor, aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). Our findings support the idea that the ubiquitin-proteasome system plays a role in plant disease defenses.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.132-135
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• 2007

The effects of rose flower extracts on the growth of CHO cells were examined. Rose flower extracts were prepared by solvent extraction with hexane, ethylacetate and ether from five domestic rose cultivar, Rosa hybrida L. cv. Mihyang, Noeul, Redqueen, Whitelady and Pinklady, respectively. The effects of rose flower extracts on the growth of CHO cells were measured using MTT colormeteric assay and compared with control. Extracts of rose flowers showed stimulative effect or inhibitory effect on the growth of CHO cells depending on the kinds of solvent and concentration of extracts. Ether extracts of rose flower showed a more effective stimulative effect on the growth of CHO cells at the concentration of 5 ${\mu}g{\cdot}ml^{-1}$. These results suggest that rose flower has the simulating activity on the growth of CHO cells and a potential as new functional food source.