• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1344-1351
• /
• 2012

We studied the physical, chemical, biological, and antimicrobial effects of eight types of essential oils used in the cosmetics industry: lavender, tea tree, rosemary, juniper berry, Chamaecyparis obtusa, cypress, cedar wood, and pine. Lavender oil had a linalyl acetate (an ester chemical compound) content of 48% and radical scavenging activity of 22.36% at 5,000 ppm. Tea tree oil had radical scavenging activity of 43.94% at 5,000 ppm and antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, S. epidermidis, S. mutans, and C. albicans in each 6, 3.5, 6.5, and 5 mm, respectively. Chamaecyparis obtusa oil had the highest acidity (pH 2.64) compared with the other oils, and sesquiterpene compounds were found to have 19.20%. Cedar wood oil had the highest specific gravity and refractive index compared to the other oils and had a sesquiterpene content of 99.73%. The radical scavenging activity of cedar wood essential oil exceeded 39.68% at 5,000 ppm. The clear zone, indicating antimicrobial activity against P. acnes, P. ovale, and C. albicans, was 3.5, 6, and 6 mm, respectively, at a concentration of 1% cedar wood oil. Results showed that with a high sesquiterpene content, the antioxidant effect was generally, but not always, high, suggesting that this is determined according to composition of the compound rather than presence of each antioxidant. The results indicate that antimicrobial activity is determined by the existence of each antimicrobial ingredient rather than terpene composition.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.133-140
• /
• 2012

The antifungal activities of the essential oils from Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, Abies holophylla, Larix kaempferi, Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa against Aspergillus fumigatus were evaluated. Essential oils were extracted from each conifer leaves for 8 h using water distillation method. The essential oil from A. holophylla appeared the strongest antifungal activity among the six oils with MIC value 0.125 mg/$m{\ell}$. The composition of the A. holophylla oil was analysed by GC/MS and then MIC was determined for main constituents of the oil. As the results, borneol and ${\alpha}$-bisabolol, which have a hydroxyl group, showed effective antifungal activities against A. fumigatus (0.25 mg/$m{\ell}$). In addition, the synergistic antifungal effects were observed in the combination of borneol and ${\alpha}$-bisabolol.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2021

This evaluation tested the skin irritation and sensitization of an acaricide (Wagoojabi II®, WGJB) for the control of poultry red mite, containing 20% Chamaecyparis obtusa oil and 56% Cinnamomum camphora oil. In a primary skin irritation test, rabbits were dermally treated with WGJB for 24 h. The acaricide did not induce any adverse reactions such as erythema and edema on intact skin sites, but on abraded skin sites, some rabbits showed very slight erythema and edema 24 h after topical application. So, the acaricide was classified as a practically mild-irritating material based on a 0.625 primary irritation index score. In the skin sensitization test, guinea pigs were sensitized with intradermal injection of 0.1mL WGJB for 24 h. After 1 week, The WGJB was treated on the site of injection, and challenged 2 weeks later. The WGJB did not induce any allergic reactions. Therefore, the WGJB was graded as a weak material at '0' in both sensitization score and rate. From the results of this study, it is suggested that WGJB does not cause contact irritation and sensitization.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.674-691
• /
• 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils extracted from the wood of Chamaecyparis obtusa, Pinus densiflora, Pinus koraiensis, and Larix kaempferi. Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation, and their chemical components were determined by GC/MS. Major chemical components of these essential oils were ${\alpha}$-cadinol (19.25%), ${\tau}$-muurolol (14.20%), and ${\alpha}$-pinene (13.74%) in C. obtusa; ${\alpha}$-pinene (47.16%), longifolene (14.31%), ${\beta}$-phellandrene (11.78%), and ${\beta}$-pinene (11.02%) in P. densiflora; ${\alpha}$-pinene (13.49%) and longifolene (10.79%) in P. koraiensis, and geranyl linalool (23.58%) and ${\alpha}$-pinene (18.57%) in L. kaempferi. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of essential oils, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RBL-2H3 mast cells were treated with these essential oils; then, the changes in the mRNA expression level of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 were examined. Further, degranulation was evaluated by measuring ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release. After LPS-induced RBL-2H3 mast cells were exposed to $10^{-7}%$ of all types of essential oils, the gene expression levels of IL-4 and IL-13 within the cells remarkably decreased. The relative mRNA expression level of IL-4 was 69.6% in P. densiflora, 63.2% in P. koraiensis, 55.1% in C. obtusa, and 45.8% in L. kaempferi compared with that in the group treated with LPS. The mRNA expression level of L-13 should a similar trend. The inhibitory rate of IL-13 mRNA expression of P. densiflora, P. koraiensis, C. obtusa, and L. kaempferi was 57.8%, 57.1%, 51.1%, and 34.5%, respectively. ${\beta}$-Hexosaminidase release significantly decreased following the treatment with the four types of essential oils. The rate of ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase release were 38.1% C. obtusa; 33.0% P. densiflora; 27.4% P. koraiensis; and 9.1% L. kaempferi. Among all types of essential oils, that extracted from P. densiflora wood showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity. These results show that the tested essential oils exert an anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of degranulation and expression of cytokines.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.19-29
• /
• 2010

Phytoncide, essential oil of trees, has microbicidal, insecticidal, acaricidal, and deodorizing effect. The present study was performed to examine the effect of phytoncide on Candida albicans, which is a commensal colonizer of the mucous membranes but has become an opportunistic pathogen. C. albicans was incubated with or without phytoncide extracted from Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.; Japanese cypress) and then changes were observed in its optical density, cell viability and morphology. As concentrations of phytoncide added to the culture medium increased, optical density and cell viability of C. albicans decreased. Minimum inhibitory concentration of phytoncide for C. albicans was observed to be 0.25%, and minimum fungicidal concentration was 0.5%. Numbers of morphologically atypical cells with electron-dense cytoplasm and granules and increased with increasing concentration of the phytoncide. At higher concentrations of phytoncide, compartments and organelles in the cytoplasm became indistinguishable. The overall results indicate that the phytoncide used for this study has a strong antimicrobial activity against C. albicans. Therefore, the phytoncide may be used as a candidate for prevention and therapeutic agent against oral candidiasis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 2009

The avoidance of the allergen of the house dust mite is one of the challenges to reduce and treat the symptoms of allergic diseases. Accordingly, various acaricidal agents are being used to kill the mite, but just killing it leaves the remains of it, which still act as the allergen. Therefore expelling the mite is thought as best policy to avoid the mite allergen. For this, some materials have been applied to repellent agents against the mite. Among them, a material with natural origin, known as the phytoncide, is being used for its repellent activity, as well as for its benefits for health. In this experiment, essential oils extracted from Korean white pine (Pinus koreaiensis S. et Z.) and hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), which are widely used as the source of phytoncide products, are studied for demonstration of the repellent effect against the house dust mites, Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus. Direct contact method was used to evaluate the repellent effect (%). And the results suggest the oils have a significant effect enough to be used as a source of repellent agent. For the repellent effect, the most effective concentration was $0.5{\mu}l/cm^2$ at 45 minutes both in the white pine and the hinoki oil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.102 no.3
• /
• pp.309-314
• /
• 2013

The concentration of terpene (18 species) was measured from spring to fall in ambient air and essential oil at three different forests located in Jeollanamdo province. Sampling was conducted at 4-hour-interval a day of each season. In the ambient air, ${\alpha}$-pinene, ${\beta}$-pinene and 2-carene were the most abundant compounds throughout the sampling periods and areas. The highest three-season average concentration of total terpene was 2,597 pptv at Jeamsan(Mt.) in Boseong which was predominantly populated by Pinaceae. The seasonal averages were observed to peak during spring with their max at Palyeongsan(Mt.) in Goheung and Jeamsan(Mt.) in Boseong, and during fall at Woodland in Jangheung. Most of terpenes had diurnal variations with higher concentrations during the daytime, and lower during the nighttime. However in essential oil, the highest annual average concentration of total terpene was $798{\mu}g/dry-g$ at Goheung which was predominantly populated by Chamaecyparis obtusa. Also, the component proportion ratio showed different distribution between ambient air and essential oil. From the results of this study, we suggest that Chamaecyparis obtusa species is more useful, and younger tree is more economical than older one, and spring is the best season for lumbering in order to use essential oil.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.27 no.1 s.88
• /
• pp.32-38
• /
• 1999

A Saprolegnia sp. was isolated from cultured snakehead, Channa argus, and its physiological characteristics were investigated. The optimum temperature, pH and NaCl concentration for mycelial growth of Saprolegnia sp. were $25^{\circ}C$, 6.0 and 0%, respectively. The mycelial growth was increased with the addition of 10 mM phosphate and 10mg/L casamino acid. The essential oils extracted from three plants, Artemisia princeps var. orientalis, Thuja orientalis and Chamaecyparis obtusa have been tested to know whether they inhibit the growth of Saprolegnia sp. at six different oil concentrations(10, 100, 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 ppm). Essential oil from A. princeps var. orientalis began to inhibite the mycelial growth of Saprolegnia sp. at the concentration more than 10ppm. Using other essential oils from T. orientalis and C. obtusa, those initially inhibited the mycelial growth of Saprolegnia sp. at the concentration over 10 ppm and complate inhibition of mycelial growth was observed at over 500 ppm. The histopathological features of Snakehead infected by Saprolegnia sp. were studied. A club shape of gill lamella epithelial cells was observed in the gill. The mycelial cells were penetrated into muscular tissue, and the accumulation of the ceroid was observed in the liver, spleen and kideny tissue in common. The necrosis of tubular epithelial cells was seen in the liver tissue, parenchymal tissue in the spleen and tubular epithelial cells in the kidney.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.1
• /
• pp.95-106
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of coniferous essential oils (EOs) blended films on insect repellence and crop productivity. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film is widely used, especially in agriculture and for food packaging. Ethylene vinyl acetate was blended with LDPE to reduce volatilization of EOs. An EO from Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) was incorporated into the blend film to conduct field research on antimicrobial and insect repellent properties. Among the various concentrations of EO, the highest concentration (2.5%) showed the highest efficiency in terms of pesticidal activity. The ability to inhibit microbial growth can be explained by the lipophilic properties of the EO component, and many studies have already demonstrated this. Agricultural films containing all types of EO have been tested on various crops such as chili, cucumber, Korean melon and have been able to verify their effectiveness in avoiding pests and increasing yields. From these results, it was found that it is reasonable to use a modified film such as a composite film containing an EO for agriculture. Thus, the modified film containing EO has undoubtedly shown impressive potential for reducing the use of pesticides in a variety of ways, not only for agricultural mulching film but also for food and agricultural product packaging. This product is an environmentally friendly chemical and is safe for agricultural and industrial and food packaging applications, among others. In particular, the use of agricultural films significantly reduces the use of pesticides, suggesting that farmers can increase their incomes by reducing working hours and costs, and increasing production.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2018.10a
• /
• pp.24-24
• /
• 2018

Degraded plantation forests are increasing because of unfavorable forestry conditions prevailing in Japan, including falling timber prices, increasing operational costs, and aging and declining forestry workforce. To remedy this situation, appropriate management strategy is required. This study introduces the challenges of Odai Town, Mie Prefecture that employed a new management strategy by evaluating site suitability for conifer forests and that proposes a new forest management regime of planting deciduous trees in unsuitable sites. The site suitability for conifer forests was evaluated from two aspects: the natural site conditions and the relationship among site conditions, growth, and damage by Anaglyptus subfasciatus Pic. in Cryptomeria japonica D. Don and Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. Et Zucc. forests. By analyzing the relationship among site conditions, growth, and insect damage based on field data obtained in plantation forests, growth evaluation and insect damage evaluation maps were developed. Based on the natural forest investigation, natural site condition maps for C. japonica and C. obtusa were established. Furthermore, by integrating these evaluation maps with the forest road maps showing the accessibility to the forest, the forest management regime for the whole plantation area of Odai Town was established. The forest management regime map indicates the sites suitable for forestry: suitable for long-rotation, short-rotation, and potential sites for short-rotation. The sites unsuitable for forestry were considered to be more suitable for broadleaved forests. Clear-cutting was conducted in a small area and different seral stage saplings (approximately 20 deciduous tree species) suitable to the site conditions were planted in an area of $80-120m^2$ protected by deer-fences. This might establish a forest composed of many species with a multilayer vertical forest structure in a short period. The planted saplings were distributed neither randomly nor uniformly to reflect the natural distribution of trees in the forest. A challenge to develop new products using the deciduous trees has started, such as wood chips for preparing smoked food, essential oil, and deodorizer. As these challenges have just begun, their effects on enhancing sustainable resource management are still being monitored. Even with the challenges, this regime can be of high value as a management strategy to remedy the situation of expansion of degraded forests in Japan.