• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.15-22
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to examine characteristics of rhizome growth and flowering of white lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) plant in Muan Hoesan-lake for collecting the basic data on the cultivation and the flowering which is growing in Muan Hoesan-lake of Jeonnam province in Korea. We have planted from the seeds and the enlarged rhizomes of the white lotus which were planted in the plastic containers on April 20 and May 4, 2008, and cultivated under rain shelter condition. Rhizome growth pattern and the flowering characteristics of the white lotus were examined on September 4, 2008. Main rhizomes of the white lotus propagated by the seeds and the enlarged rhizomes were branched by 10% and 15%, respectively. Numbers of nodes in the bloomed and non-bloomed rhizomes of the white lotus were over 14 and below 11, respectively. Flower was not observed in the white lotus when propagated with seeds, however, flowers came out up to 80% by the enlarged rhizomes. First flowers were bloomed from the late July and to the early August, and the number of flowers were 4.0~4.4. The first flower stalks without branching of the main rhizome were emerged in 8.8th node, however, that with branching were 8.0th node. Time to flowering from the emergence of flower stalk on the above-ground parts were required 16 days. White flowers from the lotus were 15.3 cm in height and 28.2 cm in width, their longevity was 3.3 days and the averaged flower fresh weight was 29.2 g. The results conclude that optimum number of nodes on the main rhizomes for blooming the white lotus flowers should be over 8 nodes before the rhizome enlargement.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.59-70
• /
• 1997

A rat chemokine, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1) has chemotactic and activating properties to neutrophils. Rat kidney epithelioid NRK-52E cells contained 4 ng/ml of ClNC-1 as a basal level and their CINC-1 production was significantly increased by stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of E. coli. Maximal induction of ClNC-1 was 58 ng/ml when 3 ${\mu}g/ml$ of LPS was treated to the NRK-52E cells. Inhibitory effects on CINC-1 induction in LPS-stimulated NRK-52E cells by extracts prepared from herbal medicines and wild plants in Korea were analyzed. At the final concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/ml$ , 9 species out of 304 species of herbal extracts exhibited more than 50% of inhibition on the CINC-1 induction. The active extracts prepared from Artemisia argyi, Lythrum salicaria, Machilus thunbergii, Magnolia sieboldii, Nelumbo nucifera, Prunus persica, Rubus coreanus, Sanguisorba officinalis, and Tripterygium regelii have been sequentially fractionated to obtain methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous layers. Among solvent fractions of the active herbal extracts, methylene chloride fractions of Artemisia argyi and Magnolia sieboldii exhibited the highest inhibitory effects on CINC-1 induction in LPS-stimulated NRK-52E cells.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.161-168
• /
• 2011

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) has been shown to play an important role in the development of the diabetic complications. The AGEs inhibitors or cross-link breakers attenuate various functional and structural manifestations of diabetic complications. In this study, 69 China herbal medicines have been investigated with an in vitro evaluation system using AGEs inhibitory activity. Of these, 28 herbal medicines $IC_{50}$=<50 ${\mu}g/ml$) were found to have stronger AGEs inhibitory activity compared with aminoguanidine ($IC_{50}$=59.77 ${\mu}g/ml$). Particularly, 5 herbal medicines, Camptotheca acuminata (stem, leaf), Eurya groffii (stem, leaf), Cornus Capitata (leaf), Mucuna birdwoodiana (root), Nelumbo nucifera (fruit, seed) showed more potent inhibitory activity (approximately 6-27 fold) than the positive control aminoguanidine.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.22-28
• /
• 2015

Phenolic rich ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) from lotus leaves was prepared and its bioactive components, antioxidant and cytoprotective effects were investigated. EAF showed high total phenolic content and flavonoid content and contained rutin ($11,331.3{\pm}4.5mg/100g\;EAF$), catechin ($10,853.8{\pm}5.8mg/100g\;EAF$), sinapic acid ($1,961.3{\pm}5.6mg/100g\;EAF$), chlorogenic acid ($631.9{\pm}2.3mg/100g\;EAF$), syringic acid ($512.3{\pm}2.5mg/100g\;EAF$), and quercetin ($415.0{\pm}2.1mg/100g\;EAF$). EAF exerted the $IC_{50}$ of $4.46{\mu}g/mL$ and $5.35{\mu}g/mL$ toward DPPH and ABTS cation radicals, respectively, and showed strong reducing power, which was better than that of ascorbic acid, a positive control. Additionally, EAF protected hydroxyl radical-induced DNA damage indicated by the conversion of supercoiled pBR322 plasmid DNA to the open circular form and inhibited lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid in a linoleic acid emulsion. In cultured hepatocytes, EAF exerted a cytoprotective effect against oxidative stress by inhibiting intracellular reactive oxygen species formation and membrane lipid peroxidation. In addition, depletion of glutathione under oxidative stress was remarkably restored by treatment with EAF. The results suggest that EAF have great potential to be used against oxidative stress-induced health conditions.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.8 no.12
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 2017

The purpose of the study aimed to explore the possibility for natural preservative convergence materials by examining the antioxidant activity and antimicrobial effect of 19 wild plants in Jiri Mountain. Total polyphenols were higher in the order of CS(Camellia sinensis L., 87.9 mg GAE/ g), MP(Mentha piperascens Holmes., 85.1 mg), NN(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., 65.0 mg) and PD(Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc., 52.8 mg). Total flavonoids were high in NN(25.7 mg QUE / g) and MP (25.4 mg QUE / g). CS(58.1%), NN(47.9%), and MP(40.6%) showed high ABTS radical scavenging ability and the result was similar in DPPH radical scavenging ability. The extracts of HC(Hemerocallis coreana Nakai.), PD, and CO(Cornus officinalis Siebold et Zucc.) showed the highest inhibitory effect on the growth of E. coli. The extracts of PK(Pulsatilla koreana Nakai ex Nakai.), SC(Saururus chinensis Baill.), and MC(Smilax china L.) completely inhibited the proliferation of S. aureus, showing the possibility to be developed as natural preservatives and disinfectants.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.143-149
• /
• 2009

Among aging diseases, the most basic problem is a decrease in bone mineral density. Patients with osteoporosis are steadily increasing in the world. This study was investigated to show the relationship between osteoporotic effects and oxidative damage. Water extracts of 15 medicinal plants and ethanol extracts of 14 medicinal plants with known anti-osteoporotic effects, were tested for their radical scavenging activity using DPPH, ABTS, SRSA and FRAP assay. Water extract of Cornus officinalis, Rubus coreanus and ethanol extract of Rubus coreanus, Viscium album var. coloratum, Cimicifuga heracleifolia showed about 15-20 mg/g of total phenolic contents. Water extract of Cornus officinalis, Rubus coreanus and Epimedium koreanum showed high radical scavenging activity. Ethanol extract of Drynaria fortunei, Cornus officinalis, Rubus coreanus, Gentiana scabra and Astragalus membranaceus showed high radical scavenging activity. Water extract of Drynaria fortunei, Cornus officinalis, Nelumbo nucifera, Epimedium koreanum, and Gentiana scabra showed very strong protective effect against oxidative damage to DNA. These results suggest the correlation between anti-osteoporotic effects and antioxidative effects.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.21-31
• /
• 2002

Vegetation structure and sediment properties were investigated in the Wondong wetland of the Nakdong-gang, Yangsan-city, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. The vegetation type was classified into eleven communities based on the actual vegetation map: Miscanthus sacchariflorus community, Salix nipponica community, Phragmites communis community, Zizania latiofolia community, Trapa japonica community, Hydrilla verticillata community, Hydrocharis dubia community, Digitaria sanguinalis community, Nelumbo nucifera community, Phragmites japonica community, and Salix matsudana for. tortuosa community. Among them, Distribution area of Miscanthus sacchariflorus community was largest as 12.4 ha (36.3%). The dominant vegetation type was Miscanthus sacchariflorus community based on phytosocialogical method, and it was classified into two subcommunities; Persicaria maackiana - Miscanthus sacchariflorus subcommunity and Hydrilla verticillata - Miscanthus sacchariflorus subcommunity. Ranges of the sediment properties such as pH, conductivity, organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus were 4.9~6.2, $23{\sim}423{\mu}mho/cm$, 0.37~11.16%, 0.02~0.36% and 0.14~0.38mg/100g, respectively. Percentages of the partical size of the sediment such as clay, silt, and sand were 5.0~27.0%, 6.7~31.3%, and 46.7~88.3%, respectively.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.257-263
• /
• 2005

In this study, lotus root(Nelumbo nucifera G.) which has been used in oriental medicine and folks remedy, was studied to apply to functional foods. We investigated the effects of the lotus root extracts(LTE) with hot water on the reduction of serum lipid and improvement of blood parameters in rats fed high fat diet for 5 weeks. Sprague-Dawley rats weigh $150g\pm15g$, were randomly assigned to 4 groups such as basal diet only(BDG), high fat diet without LTE(FDCG), high fat diet with $6\%$ LTE(FD6L), high fat diet with $12\%$ LTE(FD12L). The results of this study were as follows. Hematological data were not significantly different among 4 groups. Serum transferrin concentration and GOT activity were reasonable levels in FD6L and FD12L groups compared with FDCG group. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride in serum and atherogenic index were remarkably reduced in LTE supplemented groups as compared with the control group. But HDL-cholesterol contents in FD6L and FD12L groups were significantly increased compared with that in control group. These results imply that lotus root extracts could be used as a potent food resources for decrease of serum lipid concentration.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.316-325
• /
• 2017

Background: Ginseng essence (GE) is a formulation comprising four medicinal and edible herbs including ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), lotus seed (Nelumbo nucifera), and lily bulb (Lilium longiflorum). This study was aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective effect of GE against carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$)-induced liver injury in rats. Methods: We treated Wistar rats daily with low, medium, and high [0.625 g/kg body weight (bw), 1.25 g/kg bw, and 3.125 g/kg bw, respectively] doses of GE for 9 wk. After the 1st wk of treatment, rats were administered 20% $CCl_4$ (1.5 mL/kg bw) two times a week to induce liver damage until the treatment ended. Results: Serum biochemical analysis indicated that GE ameliorated the elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and albumin decline in $CCl_4$-treated rats. Moreover, $CCl_4$-induced accumulation of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride was inhibited. The hepatoprotective effects of GE involved enhancing the hepatic antioxidant defense system including glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. In addition, histological analysis using hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome staining showed that GE inhibited $CCl_4$-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of alpha-smooth muscle actin indicated that $CCl_4$-triggered activation of hepatic stellate cells was reduced. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that GE improves $CCl_4$-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis by attenuating oxidative stress. Therefore, GE could be a promising hepatoprotective herbal formulation for future development of phytotherapy.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.792-803
• /
• 2019

The supplementation with natural ingredients that are rich in polyphenols could improve the quality and functionality of yogurt. Lotus leaf (LL) are abundant in phenolic compounds. We aimed to investigate the effects of LL powder on the quality properties, total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of yogurt. Yogurt was supplemented with four different concentrations (0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1%) of LL powder and evaluated for 14 d refrigerated storage. During storage, the titratable acidity (TA) of all LL yogurt groups was higher than that of the control (p<0.05). The $L^*$ and $a^*$ values decreased by LL addition to the yogurts, while the $b^*$ values increased. All LL yogurt groups indicated better viscosity than that of control, and among them, 0.2% LL yogurts had the highest viscosity without significant decrease until the end of the storage duration. The addition of LL into yogurt enhanced the water-holding capacity (WHC) by at least 1.5-fold than that of control for the entire storage duration. The TPC of yogurts gradually increased with the addition of LL (p<0.05) and continued to increase during storage; the 1% LL yogurt at 14 d showed the highest value of $61.94{\pm}1.68{\mu}g$ GAE/g. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and reducing power of the yogurts were also significantly enhanced with increasing LL concentrations (p<0.05). These results suggest that lotus leaf may be useful as a natural ingredient for improving the quality and antioxidant activity of yogurt.