• Title/Summary/Keyword: Health concerns

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Research status of the development of genetically modified papaya (Carica papaya L.) and its biosafety assessment (GM 파파야 개발 및 생물안전성 평가 연구 동향)

  • Kim, Ho Bang;Lee, Yi;Kim, Chang-Gi
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.45 no.3
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    • pp.171-182
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    • 2018
  • Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is one of the crops widely planted in tropical and subtropical areas. The papaya fruit has low calories and are plentiful in vitamins A and C and in minerals. A major problem in papaya production is a plant disease caused by the papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). The first PRSV-resistant GM papaya expressing a PRSV coat protein gene was developed by USA scientists in 1992. The first commercial GM papaya cultivars derived from the event was approved by the US government in 1997. Development of transgenic papayas has been focused on vaccine production and limited agricultural traits, including insect and pathogen resistance, long shelf life, and aluminum and herbicide tolerance. Approximately 17 countries, including the USA and China, produced transgenic papayas and/or commercialized them, which provoked studies on biosafety assessment and development of GM-detection technologies. For the biosafety assessment of potential effects on human health, effects of long-term feeding to model animals have been studied in terms of toxicity and allergenicity. Studies on environmental safety assessment include influence on soil-microbial biodiversity and transfer to soil bacteria of GM selection markers. Many countries, such as Korea, the European Union, and Japan, that have strict regulations for GM crops have serious concerns about unintended introduction of GM cultivars and food commodities using unauthorized GM crops. Transgene- and/or GM event-specific molecular markers and technologies for genomics-based detection of unauthorized GM papaya have been developed and have resulted in the robust detection of GM papayas.

Evaluation of in vitro and in vivo bacteriophage efficacy against Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection (Bacteriophage의 Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis에 대한 in vitro 및 in vivo 효능 평가)

  • Cha, Seung-Bin;Rayamajhi, Nabin;Lee, Won-Jung;Shin, Min-Kyoung;Roh, Yu-Mi;Jung, Myung-Hwan;Myoung, Kil-Sun;Ahn, Young-Tae;Huh, Chul-Sung;Yoo, Han Sang
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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    • v.50 no.3
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    • pp.213-220
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    • 2010
  • Salmonella (S.) Enterica infection ranks among the most common food borne bacterial infections worldwide. Although there are six subspecies of S. Enterica, the vast majority of human and animal infections are caused by strains belonging to subspecies 1 serovar Typhimurium and Enteritidis. Recent reports on antibiotic resistance of Salmonella spp. are rising steadily. The increasing problem of antibiotic resistance has rekindled interest in bacteriophage to therapy. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of bacteriophage in S. enterica serovar Enteritidis infected mice and pigs by measuring of body condition, body weight, bacterial colonization and weight of organs based on the in vitro analysis. In vitro experiment, phage cultured with S. Enteritidis showed clear lysis pattern, the plaque forming unit (PFU) of our phage culture was $1.5{\times}10^{11}PFU/mL$, and phage showed its maximum activity at 4 h post inoculation. In mouse experiment, there was no significant difference among experimental groups in the general body conditions and body weight of mice. However, there was difference in weight of liver and spleen depending on the experimental group (p < 0.05). The weight of liver and spleen were reduced by the phage treatment. Also bacterial colonization in spleen and liver were significantly reduced by the phage treatment. In pig experiment, the general body conditions and body temperature exhibited not much difference among the pigs except few pigs in group 3 which showed poor body conditions. From the feces in each group, we could isolate the S. Enteritidis only from group 3. Bacterial enrichment culture was necessary for isolating the bacteria from 5 dpi and 10 dpi, however direct isolation was possible from 15 dpi feces. In phage treated group, postmortem lesion was better than non-phage treated group. Recently, antibiotic resistance concerns on the food-borne bacterial pathogens have been increasing because of the wide spread of the antibiotics resistance genes. This concern is widely transmitted to the human related public health. As one of the alternative treatments on the bacterial pathogens, attempt using phages have been made to control the bacterial diseases. The positive possibility of the trail using phage was observed to control the S. enterica serovar Enteritidis in this study even though the further analysis has been remained.

Review of Production, Husbandry and Sustainability of Free-range Pig Production Systems

  • Miao, Z.H.;Glatz, P.C.;Ru, Y.J.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.17 no.11
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    • pp.1615-1634
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    • 2004
  • A review was undertaken to obtain information on the sustainability of pig free-range production systems including the management, performance and health of pigs in the system. Modern outdoor rearing systems requires simple portable and flexible housing with low cost fencing. Local pig breeds and outdoor-adapted breeds for certain environment are generally more suitable for free-range systems. Free-range farms should be located in a low rainfall area and paddocks should be relatively flat, with light topsoil overlying free-draining subsoil with the absence of sharp stones that can cause foot damage. Huts or shelters are crucial for protecting pigs from direct sun burn and heat stress, especially when shade from trees and other facilities is not available. Pigs commonly graze on strip pastures and are rotated between paddocks. The zones of thermal comfort for the sow and piglet differ markedly; between 12-22$^{\circ}C$ for the sow and 30-37$^{\circ}C$ for piglets. Offering wallows for free-range pigs meets their behavioural requirements, and also overcomes the effects of high ambient temperatures on feed intake. Pigs can increase their evaporative heat loss via an increase in the proportion of wet skin by using a wallow, or through water drips and spray. Mud from wallows can also coat the skin of pigs, preventing sunburn. Under grazing conditions, it is difficult to control the fibre intake of pigs although a high energy, low fibre diet can be used. In some countries outdoor sows are fitted with nose rings to prevent them from uprooting the grass. This reduces nutrient leaching of the land due to less rooting. In general, free-range pigs have a higher mortality compared to intensively housed pigs. Many factors can contribute to the death of the piglet including crushing, disease, heat stress and poor nutrition. With successful management, free-range pigs can have similar production to door pigs, although the growth rate of the litters is affected by season. Piglets grow quicker indoors during the cold season compared to outdoor systems. Pigs reared outdoors show calmer behaviour. Aggressive interactions during feeding are lower compared to indoor pigs while outdoor sows are more active than indoor sows. Outdoor pigs have a higher parasite burden, which increases the nutrient requirement for maintenance and reduces their feed utilization efficiency. Parasite infections in free-range pigs also risks the image of free-range pork as a clean and safe product. Diseases can be controlled to a certain degree by grazing management. Frequent rotation is required although most farmers are keeping their pigs for a longer period before rotating. The concept of using pasture species to minimise nematode infections in grazing pigs looks promising. Plants that can be grown locally and used as part of the normal feeding regime are most likely to be acceptable to farmers, particularly organic farmers. However, one of the key concerns from the public for free-range pig production system is the impact on the environment. In the past, the pigs were held in the same paddock at a high stocking rate, which resulted in damage to the vegetation, nutrient loading in the soil, nitrate leaching and gas emission. To avoid this, outdoor pigs should be integrated in the cropping pasture system, the stock should be mobile and stocking rate related to the amount of feed given to the animals.

Optimization of Hot Water Extraction Conditions of Wando Sea Tangle (Laminaria japonica) for Development of Natural Salt Enhancer (천연 염미증강제 개발을 위한 완도산 다시마의 열수 추출 조건 최적화 및 염미증강 효능 평가)

  • Kim, Hyo Ju;Yang, Eun Ju
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.44 no.5
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    • pp.767-774
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    • 2015
  • In recent decades, health concerns related to sodium intake have caused an increased demand for salt or sodium-reduced foods. Umami substance can enhance taste sensitivity to NaCl and may offer a unique approach to replace and reduce the sodium content in foods. In this study, hot water extraction conditions of Wando sea tangle with high umami taste were investigated. Wando sea tangle harvested in June was selected for hot water extraction based on its free amino acids composition. The quality properties of sea tangle extract were investigated at various extraction temperatures ($60^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$, and $100^{\circ}C$) and times (1 h, 2 h, and 3 h). Sea tangle extracts at the extraction temperature of $100^{\circ}C$ contained the highest soluble solids (35.47%~36.93%), and crude protein (3.75%~4.00%). Viscosities of sea tangle extracts decreased with increasing extraction temperature. Umami amino acids (glutamic acid and aspartic acid) and sensory characteristics were best at extraction conditions of $100^{\circ}C$ for 2 h. Saltiness enhancement of sea tangle extract powder was determined. Saltiness intensities of NaCl solution after adding 1% sea tangle extract powder were enhanced (1.84~4.25-fold). At the same saltiness intensity, sodium contents of NaCl solution with 1% sea tangle extract powder were 12.24~24.33% lower than that of NaCl solution. These results suggest that it is possible to reduce sodium in foods with sea tangle extract as a natural salt enhancer without lowering overall taste intensity.

Analysis of online breast-feeding consultation on the website of the Korean Pediatric Society (대한소아과학회 홈페이지의 모유수유 상담내용 분석)

  • Kim, Jung Yun;Hwang, Seung Jae;Park, Hyun Kyung;Lee, Ha-beck;Kim, Nam Su
    • Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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    • v.51 no.11
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    • pp.1152-1157
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    • 2008
  • Purpose : Since the infant formula milk has been produced in Korea, it has faced a low rate of breast milk feeding, though breast milk feeding is a little increasing. Therefore, the Korean Pediatric Society launched its website for breast-feeding consultation to provide information to the general public and enhance the health of growing infants. The consultation results were analyzed to identify the problems that mothers encounter during breast-feeding. Methods : From August 1, 2004 to July 31, 2007, 1001 mothers who visited the online consultation webpage (www. pediatrics.or.kr) of the Korean Pediatric Society asked 1,021 questions. The questions were divided into 3 major categories and 14 specific categories. Interesting questions asked more than 100 times were retrospectively analyzed. Results : The results for the major categories were as follows: 413 questions (40.3%) were on how to breast-feed, 315 (30.8%) on problems of feeding mothers, and 293 (28.8%) on problems of the fed babies. In the specific categories, 22.2% of the questions were on how to breast-feed. With the increasing number of working couples and working mothers, many questions were asked on the problems of breast-feeding after returning from work. Conclusion : The author expects that analyses of these consultations will contribute to the enhancement of information on the consultation website, thus enabling to provide clearer answers to people's increased interest in and concerns on breast-feeding. Furthermore, this research will help to establish correct breast-feeding practice.

Factors Associated with Willingness to Volunteer for End-Stage AIDS Patients among Hospice Volunteers (호스피스 자원봉사자들의 말기 AIDS 환자들에게 자원봉사를 제공할 의향에 영향을 미치는 요인)

  • Yoon, SeokJoon;Choi, YoungSim;Jung, Jin Gyu;Kim, Jong-Sung;Ryu, Hyewon
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.20 no.4
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    • pp.226-234
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    • 2017
  • Purpose: With the implementation of the Act on Life Sustaining Treatment, hospice-palliative care will be extended to non-cancer diseases including the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, there are concerns about negative perceptions and prejudice toward AIDS patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related with willingness to volunteer (WV) for patients with end-stage AIDS among hospice volunteers. Methods: Participants were 326 hospice volunteers from 19 institutions. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to investigate the participants' WV for end-stage AIDS patients, and the questions were answered using an 11-point rating scale. Demographics, volunteer activity, satisfaction with hospice volunteering, knowledge of AIDS, and attitudes towards AIDS patients (i.e., fear AIDS patients, negative attitude towards AIDS patients, personal stigmatization and stigmatizing attitude) were also investigated. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine factors associated with WV for patients with end-stage AIDS. Results: WV for patients with end-stage AIDS was 2.82 points lower than that for cancer patients (P<0.001). The multiple regression analysis showed that the higher the level of satisfaction with hospice volunteering (P=0.002) and the lower the level of "personal stigmatization" (P<0.001), participants showed greater WV for end-stage AIDS patients. Conclusion: The level of satisfaction with hospice volunteering and "personal stigmatization" were factors associated with participants' WV for patients with end-stage AIDS.

Quantity over Quality? Perception of Designating Long-Term Care Hospitals as Providers of Hospice and Palliative Care

  • Kim-Knauss, Yaeji;Jeong, Eunseok;Sim, Jin-ah;Lee, Jihye;Choo, Jiyeon;Yun, Young Ho
    • Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.145-155
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    • 2019
  • Purpose: Amendment to the Act on Decisions on Life-sustaining Treatment was recently enacted to designate long-term care hospitals as providers of hospice and palliative care. Despite its benefit of providing improved accessibility to end-of-life care, the amendment has raised concerns about its effect on quality of service. This study aimed to use information obtained from an expert group interview and previous studies to compare how cancer patients, family caregivers, physicians, and the general Korean population perceive the potential benefits and risks of this amendment. Methods: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study from July to October 2016. The included participants answered a structured questionnaire regarding the extent to which they agree or disagree with the questionnaire items indicating the potential benefits and risks of the amendment. Chi-square tests and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Compared with the general population, physicians agreed more that long-term care hospitals are currently not adequately equipped to provide quality hospice and palliative care. Family caregivers found improved access to long-term care hospitals more favorable but were more likely to agree that these hospitals might prioritize profits, thereby threatening the philosophy of hospice care, and that families might cease to fulfill filial responsibilities. Compared with the general population, cancer patients were more concerned about the potentially decreased service quality in this setting. Conclusion: Although potential service beneficiaries and providers expected improved accessibility of hospice and palliative care services, they were also concerned whether the system can provide adequate quality of end-of-life care.

Protective Effect of Saengshik Supplementation on Lead Induced Toxicity in Rats (생식의 섭취가 납중독 흰쥐의 피해 경감에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Oh, Young-Joo;Kim, Jae-Min;Song, Si-Wan;Ha, Hyo-Cheol;Kim, Hyun-Su
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.34 no.7
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    • pp.959-967
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    • 2005
  • Lead is a ubiquitous environmental and industrial pollutant that causes a major health concerns. It is known to induce a broad range of physiological, biochemical, and behavioral dysfunctions in laboratory and humans, including hematopoietic system, kidneys, liver, and reproductive system. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Saengshik supplementation on the lead-induced toxicity in rats. Five week old male Sprague­Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups for six weeks as followings: control group (CT), lead acetate treated group (PT), and lead acetate groups administered with three different dosages of Saengshik $(SI2.5-12.5\%,\;S25-25\%,\;and\;S50-50\%).$ Lead acetate (12 mg/rat) was intragastrically administered daily for 6 weeks. The results were summarized as follows; Weight gain and food efficiency ratio were significantly lower (p<0.05) in lead administered group compared with those of the control group. Also, significant lead-induced alteration in blood hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and reticulocyte distribution width (RDW) were observed. In the liver of lead-exposed animals, there was an increase in the lipid peroxidation (MDA) and the level of glutathione (GSH), but superoxiede dismutase (SOD) activity did not change. Lead-exposed animals with $25\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik supplementation showed marked improvements in the values of MCH, MCV, and RDW. Also, the level of HCT was significantly increased by $50\%$ Saengshik supplementation. The levels of liver MDA in $12.5\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik administered groups and GSH level in $50\%$ Saengshik administered group were significantly decreased compared to the lead administered group. Also, hepatic SOD activity tended to increase in the presence of Saengshik supplementation. Furthermore, the accumulation of lead in liver and kidney was reduced by presence of Saneghshik supplementation. Liver lead concentration was significantly reduced by both $25\%\;and\;50\%$ Saengshik supplementations and kidney lead concentration was significantly reduced by the $25\%$ Saengshik supplementation. These results show that Saengshik may have a protective effect against lead intoxication but the mechanism of their effects remains unclear.

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on the Yield and Effective Components of Chrysanthemum boreale M. (질소시비가 산국의 수량과 유효성분에 미치는 영향)

  • Lee, Kyung-Dong;Yang, Min-Suk;Lee, Young-Bok;Kim, Pil-Joo
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.38-46
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    • 2002
  • Chrysanthemum boreale M. (hereafter, C. boreale M.), a perennial flower, has been historically used as a natural medicine in Korea. With increasing concerns for health-improving foods, the demand for C. boreale M. has become higher than ever. Howevr, the amount of wild C. boreale M. collected from mountainous areas is not enough to cover all demands. The cultivation system and fertilization strategy are required to meet increasing demand on C. boreale M. with a good quality. We investigated the effects of nitrogen application on plant growth and effective components of C. boreale M. to suggest optimum rate of nitrogen fertilization. C. boreale M. was cultivated in a pot scale (1/2000a scale), and nitrogen applied with rate of 0(N0), 50(N50), 100(N100), 150(N150), 200(N200), and $250(N250)kg\;ha^{-1}$. Phosphate and potassium were applied at the same level ($P_2O_5-K_2O=80-80kg\;ha^{-1}$) in all treatments. Maximum yield achieved in 246 and $226kg\;ha^{-1}$ N treatment on the whole plant and the flower part, a valuable part as a herbal medicine, respectively. Proline was the most abundant amino acid in the flower of C boreal M. and the contents of amino acids increased with increasing nitrogen application rate in flower. Nitrogen recovery efficiency was high more than 41% in all nitrogen treatments and increased to 61.8% in nitrogen N100 treatment. From the nitrogen content, the high nitrogen uptake, the low residue of mineral N and the reasonably good apparent fertilizer recovery, it can be inferred that C. boreale M. made efficient use of the available nitrogen. In flower, contents of Cumambrin A. which is a sesquiterpene compound and has the effect of blood-pressure reduction, decreased with increasing nitrogen application. However, the amount of Cumambrin A in flower increased as nitrogen rate increased, because of increasing flower yield. Conclusively, nitrogen fertilization could increase yields and enhance quality. The optimum nitrogen application rate might be on the range of $225{\sim}250kg\;ha^{-1}$ in a mountainous soil.

Effect of Soil Amendment Application on Yields and Effective Components of Chrysanthemum boreale M. (산국의 수량과 유효성분에 대한 토양개량제의 효과)

  • Lee, Kyung-Dong;Lee, Yong-Bok;Yang, Min-Suk;Kim, Pil-Joo
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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    • v.35 no.1
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    • pp.27-37
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    • 2002
  • With increasing the concerns of health improving foods. the demands of C. boreale M., which is a perennial flower and has been historically used for a natural medicine, become higher, recently, However, wild C. boreale M. collected in a mountatinous area is limited and not enough to cover all demands. The cultivation system and fertilization strategy are required to produce much amount of C. boreale M. with a good quality. We investigated the effects of soil amendment application on plant growth and effective components of C. boreale M. to develop efficient cultivation system. C. boreale M. was cultivated in a pot scale, and lime, fly ash, poultry manure compost and swine manure compost as an amendment applied with rate of 2, 20, 150 and $150Mg\;ha^{-1}$, respectively. Here, chemical fertilizers were applied with the same level ($N-P_2O_5-K_2O=150-80-80kg\;ha^{-1}$) in all treatments. Flower yields of C. boreale M., edible part as a natural medicine, were increased to 37 and 27% by swine and poultry manure compost application, respectively. Poultry manure compost amending (NPK+PMC) increased 3.6 times of proline content and 58% of total amino acids in the flower part more than chemical fertilization (NPK). But the contents of amino acids did not increase with amending liming materials like lime and fly ash. Cumambrin A, which is a sesquiterpene compound and has the effect of blood-pressure reduction, increased to 34 and 19% by lime and fly ash applications, respectively. Cumambrin A was significantly correlated with calcium content in the flower part of C. boreale M. Conclusively, soil amendments like compost and liming materials might contribute to increase the yields and quality of C. boreale M.