• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.260-269
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• 2021

BACKGROUND: Diquat dibromide is a fast-acting nonselective herbicide and plant growth regulator. In this study, in order to understand the possibility of unintentional pesticide contamination in the following crops, the phytotoxicity and transition of diquat dibromide residue in soil into the following crops such as pepper, radish, lettuce and corn have been assessed through phytotoxicity trial and residual evaluation in the unintentional contamination of the higher residual diquat dibromide. METHODS AND RESULTS: The pepper, radish, lettuce and corn were cultivated in the sandy soil and loam soil where the 35 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg diquat dibromide were applied, respectively. Mild growth inhibition symptoms were observed in radish, lettuce and corn crops at the 90 mg/kg- diquat dibromide treatment on the 30 day of cultivation. Diquat dibromide was analyzed using liquid chromatography QTRAP (LC-MS/MS). The recovery rates of diquat dibromide from soil and crop were determined within range from 89.1 to 116.4% with relative standard deviation less than 14.7%. Diquat dibromide residues in soil were found to be 23.90-30.22 and 69.59-82.57 mg/kg from the 35 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg of diquat dibromide-treated soil, respectively after 30 days of crop cultivation. This result implicates that diquat dibromide did not convert to metabolites and remained mostly in the soil, even though it was partially decomposed during crop cultivation. In addition, the diquat dibromide in pepper and radish that were grown for 47 days, and lettuce and corn that were cultivated for 30 days were detected to be 0.01 mg/kg or less in the sandy loam and loam soil where the 90 mg/kg diquat dibromide was applied. CONCLUSION(S): Diquat dibromide did not cause severe phytotoxicity in the following crops as well as it did not uptake and distribute to the following crops, even though it was considered to be residual in the soil.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.27-38
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• 2021

We devised the system to automatically shutdown the boiler and to fundamentally block the harmful gases, including carbon monoxide, into the indoor when the exhaust system swerves: (1) The discharge pressure of the exhaust gas decreases when the exhaust pipe is disconnected. The monitoring system of the exhaust pipe is implemented by measuring the output voltage of APS(Air Pressure Sensor) installed to control the amount of combustion air. (2) The operating software was modified so that when the system recognizes the fault condition of a flue pipe, the boiler control unit displays the fault status on the indoor regulator while shutting down the boiler. In accordance with the ventilation facility standards in the "Rules for Building Equipment Standards" by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, experiments were conducted to ventilate indoor air. When carbon monoxide leaked in worst-case scenario, it was possible to prevent poisoning accidents. However, since 2013, the number of indoor air exchange times has been mitigated from 0.7 to 0.5 times per hour. We observed the concentration exceeding TWA 30 ppm occasionally and thus recommend to reinforce this criterion. In conclusion, if the flue pipe fault detection and the indoor air ventilation system are introduced, carbon monoxide poisoning accidents are expected to decrease significantly. Also when the manufacturing and inspection steps, the correct installation and repair are supplemented with the user's attention in missing flue, it will be served to prevent human casualties from carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.596-606
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• 2019

N-acyl-homoserine lactone quorum sensing (AHL-QS) has been shown to regulate many physiological behaviors in Serratia marcescens MG1. In the current study, the effects of AHL-QS on the biosynthesis of acid and neutral products by S. marcescens MG1 and its isogenic ${\Delta}swrI$ with or without supplementing exogenous N-hexanoyl-L-homoserine lactone ($C_6-HSL$) were systematically investigated. The results showed that swrI disruption resulted in rapid pH drops from 7.0 to 4.8, which could be restored to wild type by supplementing $C_6-HSL$. Furthermore, fermentation product analysis indicated that ${\Delta}swrI$ could lead to obvious accumulation for acidogenesis products such as lactic acid and succinic acid, especially excess acetic acid (2.27 g/l) produced at the early stage of fermentation, whereas solventogenesis products by ${\Delta}swrI$ appeared to noticeably decrease by an approximate 30% for acetoin during 32-48 h and by an approximate 20% for 2,3-butanediol during 24-40 h, when compared to those by wild type. Interestingly, the excess acetic acid produced could be removed in an AHL-QS-independent manner. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of genes responsible for acidogenesis and solventogenesis and showed consistent results with those of product synthesis. Finally, by close examination of promoter regions of the analyzed genes, four putative luxI box-like motifs were found upstream of genes encoding acetyl-CoA synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, ${\alpha}$-acetolactate decarboxylase, and Lys-like regulator. The information from this study provides a novel insight into the roles played by AHL-QS in switching from acidogenesis to solventogenesis in S. marcescens MG1.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2019

More effective treatments are needed for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We hypothesized that water extracts of blackberry fruits (BF) and leaves (BL) and their combinations (BFL) reduce fat deposition in HepG2 cells and modulate shor-tchain fatty acids (SCFA) and fecal bacteria in vitro. HepG2 cells were treated with BF, BL, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 for 1 h, and 0.5 mM palmitate was added to the cells. Moreover, low ($30{\mu}g/mL$) and high doses ($90{\mu}g/mL$) of BL and BF were applied to fecal bacteria in vitro, and SCFA was measured by GC. BL, BF, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 reduced triglyceride deposition in the cells in a dose-dependent manner, and BFL1:2 and BFL1:3 had a stronger effect than BF. The content of malondialdehyde, an index of oxidative stress, was also reduced in BL, BF, and BFL1:2 with increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. The mRNA expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c was reduced in BL, BF, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 compared to the control, and BFL1:2 had the strongest effect. By contrast, the carnitine palmitolytransferase-1expression, a regulator of fatty acid oxidation, increased mostly in BFL1:2 and BFL1:3. Tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ expression was reduced in BL compared to that in BF and BFL1:2 in HepG2 cells. Interestingly, BL increased propionate production, and BF increased butyrate and propionate production and increased total SCFA content in fecal incubation. BF increased the contents of Bifidobacteriales and Lactobacillales and decreased those of Clostridiales, whereas BL elevated the contents of Bacteroidales and decreased those of Enterobacteriales. In conclusion, BFL1:2 and BFL1:3 may be potential therapeutic candidates for NAFLD.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.272-277
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• 2019

The effects of medium-chain enriched diacylglycerol (MCE-DAG) oil on hepatic cholesterol homeostasis were investigated. HepG2 hepatocytes were treated with either 0.5, 1.0, or $1.5{\mu}g/mL$ of MCE-DAG for 48 h. There was no evidence of cytotoxicity by MCE-DAG up to $1.5{\mu}g/mL$. The level of proteins for cholesterol uptake including CLATHRIN and LDL receptor increased by MCE-DAG in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05). Furthermore, proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9, an inhibitor of LDLR, was dose-dependently diminished (p<0.05), indicating cholesterol clearance raised. MCE-DAG significantly increased 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase2 (p<0.05), required for cholesterol synthesis, and their transcriptional regulator sterol regulatory element-binding protein2 (p<0.05). These findings suggest that given conditions of prolonged sterol fasting in the current study activated both hepatic cholesterol synthesis and clearance by MCE-DAG. However, total intracellular level of cholesterol was not altered by MCE-DAG. Taken together, MCE-DAG has the potential to prevent hypercholesterolemia by increasing hepatic cholesterol uptake without affecting intracellular cholesterol level.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2021

Objectives : This study investigated cellular-protective effects of Nardotidis seu Sulculii Concha water extract (NSCE) against oxidative stress induced by arachidonic acid (AA)+iron or tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP). Methods : In vitro, MTT assay was assessed for cell viability, and immunoblotting analysis was performed to detect expression of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and autophagy related proteins. In vivo, mice were orally administrated with the aqueous extract of NSCE of 500 mg/kg for 3 days, and then injected with CCl₄ 0.5 mg/kg body weight to induce acute damage. The level of liver damage was measured by serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) analysis. Results : Treatment with NSCE inhibited cell death induced by AA+iron and tBHP. NSCE induced the phosphorylation of AMPK, and this compound also induced the phosphorylation of LKB1, an upstream kinase of AMPK, and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), a primary downstream target of AMPK. NSCE increased the protein levels of autophagic markers (LC3II and beclin-1) and decreased the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and simultaneously increased the phosphorylation of unc-51-like kinase-1 (ULK-1) in time-dependent manner. Conclusions : NSCE has the ability 1) to protect cells against oxidative stress induced by AA+iron or tBHP. NSCE 2) to activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and 3) to regulate autophagy, an important regulator in cell survival.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.17-24
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• 2017

Objectives : Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is bind formation of glucose and protein. Acceleration of AGE formation during hyperglycemia is associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic complications and causes kidney and skin damage. The aim of this study was investigated the AGEs inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of water extracts from young persimmon (YP) and heated young persimmon (HYP). Methods : Paeoniae Radix Alba (YP) is prepared by heating with 30% ethanol. AGEs formation inhibitory activities of YP and HYP measured using bovine serum albumin. To evaluate the protective effects of YP and HYP in diabetic rats induced with streptozotocin (STZ) and methyl glyoxal (MGO), SD rats were distributed into four groups; normal mice (Nor), AGEs-induced rats (Con), AGEs-induced rats treated with 100 mg/kg YP (YP), AGEs-induced rats treated with 100 mg/kg heated YP (HYP) for 3weeks. Heated young persimmon respectively decrease AGEs construction. Results : YP and HYP administration inhibited the biomarkers of AGEs in serum, kidney and skin tissues. AGE-induced rats revealed that the significant decreased collagen however, heat processing methods of young persimmon up regulated inhibits AGEs-induced collagen decrease. The expressions of AGEs were decreased in YP and HYP treated group compared with the control group in tissues. It specifies that HYP has potential to serve as a positive regulator of via AGEs path way. Conclusion : It has proposed that may have an improvement effect on diabetic complications, heated young persimmon has AGEs inhibitory excellent activities and antioxidant effect.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.555-560
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• 2011

The objective of this study was carried out to investigate the proper plant growth regulator for increasing the number of flower, fruit set, and to enlarge the size of the berries in Ardisia pusilla. Flower bud formation was used rooted cutting, and fruit set, enlargement, and coloration of fruit were used with two years-old. $GA_3$ concentrations were treated with 0, 100, 200, or $400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. Flower bud formation was effective in $400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ $GA_3$ and it was 1.8 times greater than control. Plant growth regulators were applied by foliar spray at full bloom stage to increase the fruit set. As a result, $GA_3$ was the most effective for increasing fruit set. Also, auxins of 4-CPA (Tomatotone, Donbu hitech Co., Korea) and dichloprop triethanol amine (Antifall, Bayer Crop Science Co., Ltd., Korea) were effective. When $GA_3$ concentrations of 0.5 and $1.0mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ were used, fruit set (%) reached to 70% and 77%, respectively. Effectiveness of $GA_3$ was 1.8 times greater than control. Also, auxins, dichloprop triethanol amine increased to about 7-12% during fruit setting, but cytokinin and anti-gibberellin were ineffective. To investigate the fruit enlargement and coloration, $GA_3$ was treated with 0.3, 0.6, and $1.2mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. Fruit enlargement was achieved to about 15% by $GA_3$ $0.6mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ when $GA_3$ was treated 3 times at the interval of 1 month per treatment when fruit size was about 2-3mm (after full-blooming two months). But anthocyanin contents for coloration of fruit skin were not significant according to $GA_3$ concentration. The results showed that $GA_3$ enhanced bud formation, fruit set and enlargement of fruit size in Ardisia pusilla.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2012

Using calli of $Muscari$ $armeniacum$ cv. 'Early Giant' that is monocotyledonous ornamental bulb crop with increasing demand in Korea, we carried out current studies to establish an in vitro multiple propagation protocol via somatic embryogenesis. We found that soft pale yellow green calli were induced from leaf explants cultured on all media containing 0.1~3.0 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ auxins such as 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). However, induced calli showed vigorous growth only when they further transferred on same media containing 2,4-D, 4-amino-3,5,6-tri-chloropicolinic acid (picloram), or 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba). Although frequency of somatic embryo induction depended on callus source and PGR composition in somatic embryo induction media, somatic embryogenesis was initiated on surface of proliferated calli after transferring on media with no PGR or 0.01 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ NAA co-supplemented with various cytokinins such as $N^6$-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Highest number of embryo at 9.3 per callus clump was obtained when calli which were grown under 0.1 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ picloram supplementation were sub-cultured on medium with 0.01 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ NAA and 0.5 $mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ BAP. In addition, morphological characteristics of somatic embryo were categorized into following nine phases: globular, biased heart, biased torpedo, early cotyledonary, middle cotyledonary, late cotyledonary, early sprouting, middle sprouting, and late sprouting embryos.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.329-337
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• 1995

The effect of N-(4-chlorophenyl) maleimide(CPMI), plant growth regulators, and alkylating agents on gluathione(GSH) content and glutathione S-transferase(GST) activity was examined with 3-day-old etiolated sorghum(Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) seedlings. The GSH content and GST activity of untreated seedlings were higher in shoots than that in roots. Response of GST activity in coleoptile was significantly greater than in other tissues of sorghum seedling. In CPMI-treated seedlings, GSH content was not significantly different from that in untreated seedlings. CPM treatment resulted in 2.3-fold increase in GST activity measured with metolachlor as substrate in the coleoptile region. In contrast, change in GST activity measured with metolachlor as substrate in the coleoptile region. In contrast, change in GST activity measured with 1-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene did not occur. The increase of GST activity was caused by induction of a GST isozyme, which is substrate-specific to metolachlor. Subsequently, two hypotheses related to metolachlor detoxification were evaluated on the basis of regulation of plant growth regulators and substrate induction of GST activity. In coleoptile, GST activity measured with metolachior was increased to 2.1-and 3.4-fold by both 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid(2,4-D) and metolachlor treated at the germination stage of sorghum, respectively. Treatments of 2.4-D and metolachlor also induced isozymes exhibiting the activity toward metolachlor. One of the isozymes was co-eluted with that induced by CPMI. These results indicated that increase in GST activity by CPMI may be partially related to auxin regulation and substrate induction.