• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.439-448
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• 2011

Oxalic acid is synthesized by a wide range of plants. A few of them are forage plants that can cause oxalate poisoning in ruminants under certain conditions. In this paper, the role of some agronomic, climatic and genetic factors in minimizing oxalate accumulation in forage plants has been discussed. Research indicates that the content of oxalate in forage can be controlled by fertilizer application. For example, nitrate application resulted in higher contents of soluble and insoluble oxalates than ammonium application. With an increased rate of potassium application, soluble oxalate content showed an increasing trend and insoluble oxalate content showed a decreasing trend. With an increased rate of calcium application, soluble oxalate content showed a decreasing trend and insoluble oxalate content showed a reverse trend. Other agronomic factors such as growing season, harvesting practices, plant maturity, plant species, plant variety and plant parts can also have a large effect on oxalate accumulation. However, the potential benefits of the above approaches for improving forage quality have not been fully exploited. In addition, there is still insufficient information to fully utilize means (e.g. plant nutrients, season and soil moisture) to minimize oxalate accumulation in forage plants. Therefore, more research is required for a better understanding of the interactions between oxalate and the above-mentioned factors in forage plants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.719-723
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• 2010

Ingestion of forage containing a large quantity of soluble oxalate can result in calcium deficiency and even death of livestock. Fertilization is one of the most practical and effective ways to improve yield and nutritional quality of forage. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization (150, 300 and 600 kg/ha) across varying levels (150, 300 and 600 kg/ha) of potassium (K) on oxalate accumulation in napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum). Application of N at 300 kg/ha produced higher dry matter yield than at 150 or 600 kg/ha, while K fertilization had no effect on yield. In general, N fertilization did not affect the soluble and total oxalate contents, but slightly affected the insoluble oxalate content. Soluble oxalate content showed an increasing trend and insoluble oxalate content showed a decreasing trend with increasing K level, but total oxalate content remained relatively constant. There were significant interactions between N and K fertilization for the content of soluble and insoluble oxalate fractions. The greatest increase in soluble oxalate content with N level at 300 kg/ha was found at the high level (600 kg/ha) of K application. The greatest increase in insoluble oxalate content with N level at 600 kg/ha was found at the low level (150 kg/ha) of K application. These results indicated the possibility of controlling the content of soluble and insoluble oxalate fractions in forage by fertilization.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.471-477
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• 2010

Although the roles of calcium in plant are widely known, little is known about on an antagonistic effect of macro elements, oxalate biosynthesis and main shape of crystal in cucumber plant organs. Seeds of cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Ijoeunbackdadagi) were germinated in perlite tray supplied with distilled-deionized water. Seedlings were transplanted into aerated containers with a half strength of Ross nutrient solution. Ca levels treated in media were as follows; No-Ca, $Ca(NO_3)_2$ 0.25, 1.25 and 2.5 mmol $L^{-1}$, and $Ca(NO_3)_2$ 2.5 mmol $L^{-1}$ + $CaCl_210$, 25 and 50 mmol $L^{-1}$. Ca-deficient and -excessive conditions severely reduced cucumber growth, as compared to the control, and adversely affected an accumulation of macro elements (N, P, K, and Mg). Calcium favorably induced oxalate (acid-soluble) synthesis in leaves and roots of cucumber plant, but not in stem. Acid-soluble oxalate contents in leaves proportionally increased with Ca supply levels (0.91, P<0.001), however, this pattern was not observed in stem and roots. Ca-oxalate crystal formation and compositional analysis were examined using SEM-EDS technique in cucumber leaves. The main type of crystal revealed a prismatic crystal and main components were Ca, Na and Cl.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2011

It is controversial whether low calcium intake, commonly associated with osteoporosis, results in calcium accumulation in soft tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of low calcium (Ca) and oxalate (ox) intake on soft-tissue Ca deposits and bone metabolism in ovariectomized (ovx) rats. Eight week old female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and divided into four groups. The rats were fed experimental diets containing low (0.1%, w/w) or normal (0.5%, w/w) Ca with or without sodium oxalate (1%, w/w); Sham/NCa, Ovx/NCa, Ovx/LCa, Ovx/NCa-ox, Ovx/LCa-ox for 6 weeks. All ovx rats showed a remarkable increase in body and tissue weight, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, alkaline phosphatase, and decreases in weight, ash, and Ca contents, as well as bone breaking force compared to those in sham rats. Serum Ca concentration was not significantly affected by dietary Ca levels or ox intake. Kidney Ca, ox acid content, and microscopic Ca deposition increased remarkably in the Ovx/LCa-ox group compared to those in the other groups. Ca content in the spleen and aorta also increased significantly, but the weight contents, Ca, bone breaking force, and Ca and oxalic acid in feces decreased significantly in the Ovx/LCa-ox group. Serum parathyroid hormone levels were not significantly different among the groups. These results indicate that low Ca intake decreased bone mineral content and increased Ca deposits in soft tissues, which was aggravated by ox intake in ovx rats. Thus, high ox intake may result in a kidney disorder in patients with osteoporosis who eat a low Ca diet.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 1994

Some ammonium oxalate soluble pectic fragments prepared from cultured cell wall of Ephycla distrahya elicited the accumulation of p-coumarocylamino acids (p-CAA) in E. distachya cultures while water soluble and alkali soluble fractions had no activity. Partial purification of the pectic fragments fraction using DEAE-cellulose chromatography afforded two active fractions (PS-I and PS-II) which were composed of mainly uronic acids (98-99 w/w %). They elicited the accumulation of p-CAA in an amount of 52-60 nmol per gram fresh weight of cultures. The acidic sugar compositions of PS-I and PS-II were found to be galacturonic acid and glucuronic acid by TLC analysis. They were supposed to act as endogenous elicitors of p-CAA accumulation. In order to investigate the effect of ethylene on p-CAA accumulation, Ethrel, which is known as ethylene generator, and ACC(1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid), a direct precusor of ethylene biosynthesis, were added to the culture. However, they did not glycopeptide elicitor [(Con A-II)], either. Consequently, no relationships between ethylene and p-CAA accumulation were recognized. Several tentative elicitors were teted for their activity. Commercial yeast glucan, $CuCl_2$, laminarin and laminariheptaose had slight activity whereas ${\alpha}$-methylmannopyranoside and commercial yeast mannan had no elicitor activity. ${\alpha}$-methylmannopyranoside which has been known as a tentative inhibitor of glucan elicitor in Glycine max did not affect on the elicitor activity of Con A-II.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 1985

In order to characterize relationship between accumulation of cadmium, zinc and lead in soil and soil chemical properties and also to choose a suitable soil extractant for the prediction model of heavy metal content in brown rice, four extractants-0.1 M HCl, 0.1 M $HNO_3$, 0.1 M $NH_4-oxalate$ and 0.001 M 2Na-EDTA, were compared by analyzing 84 soil samples collected from paddy fields adjacent to five zinc-minig sites. Contents of Cd, and Pb in soil increased with Zn content and those of three elements were found to be much higher in surface soil ($0{\sim}15 cm$) than suvsqrface soil ($15{\sim}30 cm$). Contents of these elements in soil were positively correlated with soil pH, but its correlation between extractable heavy metal content and organic matter or CEC varied from region to region. These three elements were negatively correlated with Mg content of soils. The extractability of the metals was in the order 0.1 M $HCI{\geq}0.1 M$ $HNO_3>0.001 M$ 2Na-EDTA>0.1 M $NH_4-oxalate$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2004

Accumulation of nitrate in edible crops is undesirable due to potential risks to human health. Since nitrate has a role in the osmotic regulation of plants, salt accumulation in soil is expected to stimulate nitrate accumulation in plants. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was grown in soils of different salinities, 9.69 and $4.49dS\;m^{-1}$, in a greenhouse, and the effect of soil salinity on nitrate accumulation in lettuce was investigated. Content of nitrate in the lettuce increased significantly as soil salinity increased under low light intensity and ample supply of nitrate in root media. Soluble sugar and oxalate contents in lettuce were also significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity. Phosphate, Cl, and $SO_4$ contents in lettuce were not significantly different in soils of different salinities. Among the cations, K content in lettuce was significantly higher in the soil of higher salinity, but Na, Ca, and Mg comtents were not much influenced. Comparing to the lettuce grown in low salinity soil, although the growth of lettuce was decreased by 9% in the soil of higher salinity, nitrate accumulation in the lettuce was increased by 18.6%. These results indicate that higher nitrate content in lettuce of higher salinity soil is a positive accumulation to adapt to the water stress condition. The nitrate accumulation of vegetables grown in plastic film houses is known to be due to the heavy fertilization and low light intensity, but salt accumulation in the soil, which can lower soil water potential, is expected to stimulate the nitrate accumulation further.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.65-70
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• 2003

Shihwa tidal freshwater marsh was constructed recently to treat pollutants entering Shihwa lake. In this study, we examined the spatial and temporal patterns of heavy metal accumulation in soils of Shihwa marsh and sought correlations between several soil variables (pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and acid ammonium oxalate-extractable Fe and Al contents) and the heavy metal concentration of soils. Surface soil samples (0∼20 cm) were collected in June 2000, November 2000, and July 2001, and were analyzed for heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, As, and Hg) and soil chemical properties. The neutral pH and water-saturated conditions of Shihwa marsh appeared to favor immobilization of heavy metal through adsorption onto soils. The concentrations of heavy metal (especially Zn, Cu, and Cr) in soils of Shihwa marsh increased along the sampling occasions, suggesting that soils of Shihwa marsh serve as a sink of heavy metal. Among the sub-marshes, metal concentrations were highest in Banweol high marshes and lowest in Samhwa marshes. The temporal and spatial variations in the heavy metal concentrations of soils were correlated positively with organic matter and oxalate extractable Fe and Al contents, but negatively with electrical conductivity. These results suggest that organic matter and hydrous oxide of Fe/Al may playa key role in removing heavy metals in soils of Shihwa marsh, and that heavy metal removing capacity would increase with desalinization. However, the removal patterns of heavy metal by reeds warrant further studies to evaluate the total removal capacity of heavy metals by Shihwa marsh.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-33
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• 2003

The chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, and its hypovirus aye a useful model system in the study of the mechanisms of hypoviral infection and its consequences, such as a biological control of fungal pathogens. Strains containing the double-stranded (ds) RNA viruses Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 show characteristic symptoms of hypovirulence and display hypovirulence-associated changes, such as reduced pigmentation, sporulation, laccase production, and oxalate accumulation. Interestingly, symptoms caused by hypoviral infection appear to be the result of aberrant expression of a number of specific genes in the hypovirulent strain. Several viral regulated fungal genes are identified as cutinase gene, Lac1, which encodes an extracellular laccase, Crp, which encodes an abundant tissue-specific cell-surface hydrophobin that mediates physical strength, and Mf2/1 and Mf2/2, which encode pheromone genes involved in poor sporulation in the presence of hypo-virus. Since the phenotypic changes in the fungal host are pleiotropic, although coordinated and specific, it has been suggested that the hypovirus disturbs one or several regulatory pathways (Nuss,1996). Accordingly, several studies have shown the implementation of a signal transduction pathway during viral symptom development. Although further studies are required, hypovirulence and its associated symptom development due to the hypoviral regulation of a fungal hetero-trimeric G-protein have been suggested. In addition, recent studies have shown the presence of a novel protein kinase gene cppk1 and its transcriptional upregulation by hypovirus. In this review, the presence of important components in signal transduction pathway, their putative biological function, and viral-specific regulation will be addressed.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.397-406
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• 2000

In order to clarify the ecophysiological characteristics of Chenopodiaceae which widely distribute on saline and arid habitats, we collected 10 chenopodiaceous plant species, examined their inorganic and organic solute patterns, and confirmed several common physiological characteristics. In spite of high soil Ca/sup 2＋/ contents, chenopodiaceous plants had a little water-soluble Ca within cells, but contained high contents of acid-soluble Ca particularly as a result of Ca-oxalate formation. These plant species also showed accumulation of inorganic ions such as K/sup ＋/, NO₃/sup －/ and Cl/sup －/, and Na/sup ＋/especially in saline habitats instead of K/sup ＋/ Meanwhile, with respect to nitrogen metabolism they retained high N contents in leaves, but showed very low amino acid contents. Additionally, they contained very little proline known to act as a cytoplasmic osmolyte. To ascertain whether this physiological characteristics in the field also can be found under controlled conditions, 7 chenopodiaceous plants (Atriplex gmelini, Corispermum stauntonii, Salicornia herbacea, Suaeda aspayagoides, Suaeda japonica, Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum, C. serotinum) were selected and cultivated under salt treatments. As well as field-grown plants, selected plant species showed similar solute pattern in growth experiment. In summary, the family of Chenopodiaceae represents the following physiological properties; high storage capacity for inorganic ions (especially alkali cations, nitrate and chloride), oxalate synthesis to maintain lower soluble Ca contents within cytoplasm, and low contents of amino acids. In addition to some characteristics mentioned above, the physiological plasticities of Chenopodiaceae which can properly regulate their ion and solute pattern according to soil conditions may enable its representative to grow in dry sand dune and salt marsh habitats.