• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.97-104
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• 2021

Background: Asarum sieboldii Miq., a species of forest understory vegetation, is an herbaceous perennial belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae. The metapopulation of A. sieboldii is distributed sparsely and has a short seed dispersal distance by ants as their seed distributor. It is known that many flowers of A. sieboldii depend on self-fertilization. Because these characteristics can affect negatively in genetic structure, investigating habitat structure and assessment of genetic structure is needed. A total of 27 individuals in a valley were sampled for measuring genetic diversity, genetic distance, and genetic differentiation by RAPDPCR. Results: The habitat areas of A. sieboldii metapopulation were relatively small (3.78~33.60 m²) and population density was very low (five to seven individuals in 20×20 m quadrat). The habitat of A. sieboldii was a very shady (relative light intensity = 0.9%) and mature forest with a high evenness value (J = 0.81~0.99) and a low dominance value (D = 0.19~0.28). The total genetic diversity of A. sieboldii was quite high (h = 0.338, I = 0.506). A total of 33 band loci were observed in five selected primers, and 31 band loci (94%) were polymorphic. However, genetic differentiation along the valley was highly progressed (G_st = 0.548, N_m = 0.412). The average genetic distance between subpopulations was 0.387. The results of AMOVA showed 52.77% of variance occurs among populations, which is evidence of population structuring. Conclusions: It is expected that a small-scale founder effect had occurred, an individual spread far from the original subpopulation formed a new subpopulation. However, geographical distance between individuals would have been far and genetic flow occurred only within each subpopulation because of the low density of population. This made significant genetic distance between the original and new population by distance. Although genetic diversity of A. sieboldii metapopulation is not as low as concerned, the subpopulation of A. sieboldii can disappear by stochastic events due to small subpopulation size and low density of population. To prevent genetic isolation and to enhance the stable population size, conservative efforts such as increasing the size of each subpopulation or the connection between subpopulations are needed.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.636-641
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• 2011

Since the mid-1990s, the number of fires continue to increase and the size has been also larger. However, the pyrolysis and combustion characteristics of the various species of the medium such as fallen leaves, herbaceous plants, conifers and broadleaf trees have scarcely been studied. In this paper, we investigate the pyrolysis and combustion of the typical domestic needle-leaf tree of Pinus densiflora and thinning-out tree by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Pinus densiflora was ignited at $200^{\circ}C$ and pyrolysis from $230^{\circ}C$. In case of thinning-out tree was ignited and pyrolysis at $180^{\circ}C$ and $205^{\circ}C$, respectively. The values of activation energy for pyrolysis were increased as the conversion efficiency increasing from 10% to 80%, whereas the values was decreased during combustion.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2021

Asarum sieboldii Miq. (Aristolochiaceae) is a perennial herbaceous plant and has been used as traditional medicine for treating diseases, cold, fever, phlegm, allergies, chronic gastritis, and acute toothaches. Also, it has various biological activities, such as antiallergic, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and antifungal. However, the anticancer effect of A. sieboldii have been rarely reported, except anticancer effect on lung cancer cell (A549) of water extracts of A. sieboldii. This study investigated the anticancer activity of methanol extracts of A. sieboldii (MeAS) and the underlying mechanism in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. MeAS inhibited FaDu cells grown dose-dependently without affecting normal cells (L929), as determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and live and dead assay. In addition, concentration of MeAS without cytotoxicity (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) inhibited migration and colony formation. Moreover, MeAS treatment significantly induced apoptosis through the proteolytic cleavage of caspase-3, -7, -9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax in FaDu cells, as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole stain, and western blotting. Altogether, these results suggest that MeAS exhibits strong anticancer effects by suppressing the growth of oral cancer cells and the migration and colony formation via caspase- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways in human FaDu hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma cells. Therefore, MeAS can serve as a natural chemotherapeutic for human oral cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

This study suggested suitable soil textures that is proper to propagate native plants to manage and restore barren land in DMZ. Germination tests were conducted for 16 native herbaceous plants growing in the DMZ border area in accordance with FAO-BI (Biodiversity International) standards, and the germination rate and T₅₀ in vitro were investigated. In order to examine the germination characteristics according to the soil textures, we used gravel, bed and mixed soil and investigated the germination characteristics under ordinary room temperature conditions in the greenhouse. As a result, it was observed that the germination rate in the greenhouse was significantly decreased compared to the germination rate in vitro of the species advertised due to soil textures. T₅₀ between the in vitro and each soil texture showed significant differences whereas T₅₀ between soil textures alone did not in all species advertised. The germination rate in vitro of Aster koraiensis, Dendranthema zawadskii var. latilobum, Hosta clausa, and Hosta minor there was no significant difference compared to ordinary room temperature conditions. In addition, as the germination rate is demonstrated more than 70%, which is relatively higher than other species advertised, it is considered to have strong environmentally adaptable. On the other hand, considering that the 6 species of Leontopodium coreanum, Plantago major, Potentilla chinensis, Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum latiovalifolium, and Veronica kiusiana demonstrated less than 50% of germination rate in vitro, it is expected to be difficult to propagate without pre-treatment. In order to use these 6 species as restoration material plants, it needs to be considered to pre-treat to improve germination rate, or to enhance the vitality of seeds by improving the seed gathering period and storage method.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.419-429
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• 2022

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) is a perennial herbaceous plant widely cultivated in China, Korea, the United States, and Japan due to its multifunctional properties. In northwest China, transplanting after 2-3 years has become the main mode of artificial cultivation of American ginseng. However, the effects of the cultivation process on the chemical properties of the soil and bacterial community remain poorly understood. Hence, in the present study, high-throughput sequencing and soil chemical analyses were applied to investigate the differences between bacterial communities and nutrition driver factors in the soil during the cultivation of American ginseng. The responses of soil nutrition in different ecological niches were also determined with the results indicating that the cultivation of American ginseng significantly increased the soluble nutrients in the soil. Moreover, the bacterial diversity fluctuated with cultivation years, and 4-year-old ginseng roots had low bacterial diversity and evenness. In the first two years of cultivation, the bacterial community was more sensitive to soil nutrition compared to the last two years. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes dominated the bacterial community regardless of the cultivation year and ecological niche. With the increase of cultivation years, the assembly of bacterial communities changed from stochastic to deterministic processes. The high abundance of Sphingobium, Novosphingobium, and Rhizorhabdus enriched in 4-years-old ginseng roots was mainly associated with variations in the available potassium (AK), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and organic matter (OM).

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2021

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of foliar application of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), sprayed weeks after pinching (SWP), on ornamental usage of Veronica longifolia L, which is native to Korea. Foliar application of 0, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 mg/L BA on 10 cm long V. longifolia L. plant was evaluated at 0, 7, and 14 days after pinching for growth and flowering. The maximum result of multiple shooting was seen in the 2,000 mg/L BA at 1 week after pinching, and almost all the treatments showed dwarf growth in V. longifolia L. The number of days to flowering was delayed by BA treatments. Moreover, the length and the number of flowers decreased with high concentrations of BA. Thus, foliar application of BA via pinching technique can improve the ornamental usage of V. longifolia L. by controlling the plant type.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.485-498
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• 2021

Background and objective: This study was conducted to find out the status of plant utilization in the current textbooks by analyzing the plants by grade and subject in the national textbooks for all elementary school grades in the 2015 revised curriculum in Korea. Methods: The data collected was analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel to obtain the frequency and ratio of collected plant data and SPSS for Windows 26.0 to determine learning content areas by grade and the R program was used to visualize the learning content areas. Results: A total of 232 species of plants were presented 1,047 times in the national textbooks. Based on an analysis of the plants presented by grade, the species that continued to increase in the lower grades tended to decrease in the fifth and sixth grades, the upper grades of elementary school. As for the number and frequency of plant species by subject, Korean Language had the highest number and frequency of plant species. The types of presentation of plants in textbooks were mainly text, followed by illustrations and photos of plants, which were largely used in first grade textbooks. In addition, as for the area of learning contents in which plants are used, in the lower grades, plants were used in the linguistic domain, and in the upper grades, in the botanical and environmental domains of the natural sciences. Herbaceous plants were presented more than woody plants, and according to an analysis of the plants based on the classification of crops, horticultural crops were presented the most, followed by food crops. Out of horticultural crops, flowering plants were found the most diversity with 63 species, but the plants that appeared most frequently were fruit trees that are commonly encountered in real life. Conclusion: As a result of this study, various plant species were included in elementary school textbooks, but most of them were horticultural crops encountered in real life depending on their use. Nevertheless, plant species with high frequency have continued a similar trend of frequency from the previous curriculums. Therefore, in the next curriculum, plant learning materials should be reflected according to social changes and students' preference for plants.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2021

Background and objective: Particulate matter (PM) has a fatal effect on health. There have been many studies on the use of plants such as trees and shrubs as eco-friendly and sustainable biofilter for the removal of PM. In forming more green space, ground cover plants play an important role in multi-layered planting. This study was conducted to investigate the ability of plants to reduce PM, targeting Korean native ground cover plants with high availability in urban green spaces. Methods: For 4 species of Asteraceae, 4 species of Liliaceae, and 3 species of Rosaceae, one species of plants at a time were placed in an acrylic chamber (800 × 800 × 1000 mm, L × W × H) modeling an indoor space. After the injection of PM, the amount of PM remaining in the chamber over time was investigated. Results: For all three types of PM (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), significant difference occurred in the amount of PM remaining between plant species after 1 hour in the Liliaceae chamber, 3 hours in the Asteraceae chamber, and 5 hours in the Rosaceae chamber. With Liliaceae, the leaf area and the amount of PM remaining in the chamber showed a negative (-) correlation. With the Asteraceae and Rosaceae, there was a weak negative correlation between the leaf area and the amount of PM remaining in the chamber. Conclusion: When using ground cover plants as a biofilter to remove PM, it is considered effective to select a species with a large total leaf area, especially for Liliaceae.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.49-54
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• 2017

Objectives : Bangki is commonly Sinomeni Caulis et Rhizoma (SC) in Korea. But it often confused with others such as Cocculi Radix (CR), Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix (SR) and Aristolochiae Fangchi (AR) due to the similarity in herbal names and morphological characteristics. However, because all of these types of Bangi have different healing properties, they need to be differentiated. Methods : A discrimination on external features of original plants and external characteristics of herbal medicines was carried out using visual examination, stereoscope. For the examination of Internal characteristics of herbal medicines, tissues were dyed using fast green FCF, hematoxylin and safranin O, and the features were observed by the microscope. Results : In external morphology of original plants, the original plants of SC and AR were lignum plants and others were herbaceous plants. The leaf blade and the petiole were another discriminative criteria. In external morphology of herbal medicines, SR and AR have powders and others didn't. Also, SC and CR were determined by the dense of the radiation pattern in the cross section. In internal morphology of herbal medicines, SR and AR were distinguished by the dense of Stone cells. Moreover, SC and CR were different in the pattern of medullary ray and vascular bundle. Conclusions : The results above could be used as identification keys of Bangki. Moreover, these identifications might attribute as a fundamental material to further studies like physicochemical pattern analysis and biological reaction.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.293-297
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• 2022

Korean thistle (Cirsium setidens Nakai), also called Gondre, is an edible perennial herbaceous plant. A new occurrence of aphids has been confirmed on Korean thistle, which is expected to damage crops. The control effect of organic materials was tested to develop an eco-friendly control method for aphid. Pyrethrins+paraffinic oils exhibited a 98% control effect, pyrethrins+matrine+pyroligneous acid showed a 95% control effect, and azadirachtin+rotenone was found to have a 75% control effect. Pyrethrins appear to be the most effective; no damage (phytotoxticity) was caused with organic materials spraying.