• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2024

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant risk factor in the global disease burden. The stem bark of the Betulaceae plant Alnus japonica, which is indigenous to Korea, has been used as a popular folk medicine for hepatitis and cancer. However, the preventive effect of Alnus japonica leaf extracts on alcohol-related liver damage has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of the extracts of Alnus japonica leaf (AJL) against ethanol-induced liver damage in HepG2/2E1 cells. Treatment with AJL significantly prevented ethanol-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2/2E1 cells by reducing the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). This protective effect was likely associated with antioxidant potential of AJL, as evidenced by the attenuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production and restoration of the depleted glutathione (GSH) levels in ethanol-induced HepG2/2E1 cells. Our findings suggest that FCC might be considered as a useful agent in the prevention of liver damage induced by oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant defense mechanism.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.252-261
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• 2019

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a group of secondary metabolites that are produced by plants all over the world as a defense mechanism against herbivores. To date, over 660 PAs have been identified from more than 6,000 plant species that have been reported to be widely present in plants belonging to Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, and Fabaceae. This study describes an analytical method based on UPLC-MS/MS for the quantitation of 7 pyrrolizidine alkaloids (Lycopsamine, Echimidine, Retrorsine, Retrorsine N-oxide, Senecionine, Heliotrine, and Trichodesmine) in honey, and was applied to 84 honey samples for validation. Quantitation was performed based on a matrix-matched calibration to compensate for the matrix effect on the electrospray ionization. Good linear calibrations were obtained for all 7 PAs in the spiked honey samples (2.575-202.14 ㎍/kg; R² ≥ 0.998). The extraction recoveries for most of the PAs in the honey samples were in the range of 81 %-108 %. The analysis showed that 6 of the 84 honey samples were contaminated by the PAs with the mean total sum of PAs being 47.19 ㎍/kg, and the concentrations of the PAs were observed to be in the range of 1.76-202.1 ㎍/kg. The retronecine type compounds (Echimidine, Lycopsamine) were the most frequently found PAs in honey. These data provide useful information for the assessment of human risk posed by the consumption of honey contaminated PAs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.450-455
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• 2003

Antioxidant enzymes are scavenger reactive-oxygen intermediates and are involved in many cellular defense systems. We previously reported that a crude extract of Garnoderma lucidum, a medicinally potent mushroom, profoundly increased the catalase gene expression and enzyme activities in mouse livers (Park et al., J. Biochem. Mol. Biol. 34. 144-149, 2001). In this study, we elucidated the detailed mechanism whereby G. lucidum stimulates the catalase activity and expression. The major active fraction was isolated from G. lucidum and methyl linoleate was considered the most major component of the fraction. In order to determine whether methyl linoleate increases mRNA and protein synthesis of catalase, Northern and Western blot analyses were performed in vivo with methyl linoleate-treated mouse liver homogenate after feeding methyl linoleate to the mice. Northern and Western blot analyses of the crude liver homogenates in the mice that were administered methyl linoleate revealed that the expression catalase was significantly increased when compared to the untreated controls. In addition, the catalase protein levels and enzymatic activities increased in the mouse liver homogenates. These results suggest that methyl linoleate that is produced by G. lucidum stimulates the catalase expression at the transcription level.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.23-32
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• 1997

Melanin pigmentation in human skin is a major defense mechanism against ultraviolet light of the sun. Tyrosinase(EC 1.14.18.1) plays a key role in the biosynthesis of ultraviolet of melanin. This is why much researches have been focused on its regulation in controlling the epidermal melanization. We have found that the water-extract of Banha(Pinelliae ternate B.), an oriental medicinal plant, has no tyrosinase inhibitory activity, but does inhibit the melanin biolsynthesis in B16 mouse melanin cells. We also found that Banha extract lowers the tyrosinase activity in cultured cells. To elucidate the action mechanism of Banha extract we have investigated its effect on the tyrosinase mRNA level using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique. It was revealed that Banha extract reduced the tyrosinase mRNA level in dose dependent manner; when B16 mouse melanoma cells were cultured with 2mg/ml and 5mg/ml of Banha extract, there were 20% and 44% decrease in tyrosinase mRNA level, respectively. These data suggest that the Banha extract exerts its melanogenic inhibitory effect through the transcriptional regulation of tyrosinase mRNA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.985-991
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• 2008

This study was to investigated the changes of physiologically active components in germinated brown rice treated with chitosan (CGBR) and its anti-obesity effect in rat fed a high fat diet. Contents of physiologically active compounds such as total phenolic compounds, total dietary fiber, $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and total phytic acid in CGBR were significantly higher than those of traditional germinated brown rice (GBR). Lipase inhibitory activity of CGBR was higher than those of GBR and brown rice (BR). High fat diets containing CGBR, GBR, and BR were administered to three groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats for four weeks. All groups showed no significant difference in body weight, total abdominal fat, and plasma lipid levels. However, CGBR group appeared to have lower body weight gain and total abdominal fat level than other groups fed high fat diets containing GBR and BR. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol contents in plasma of CGBR group were also lower than those of other groups. Thus, new germination method of brown rice using chitosan is a useful process, which utilizes plant defense responses to elevate the production of secondary metabolites and anti-obesity effect.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.658-667
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• 2003

Antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase; SOD, ascorbate peroxidase; APX, glutathione reductase; GR) play major roles in scavenging mechanism of reactive oxygen species which were involved in various stress conditions including salt. In order to investigate the relation between their growth responses (dry weight) and the changes of antioxidative enzymes activity, salt-tolerant spinach beet having 15cm of shoot length were treated with various salt levels (0, 50, 200, 1000 mM NaCl) for 24 hours. Spinach beet exhibited an increase in the activity of antioxidative enzymes by salt, the maximal activity at 200 mM NaCl and the lowest activity at 50 mM NaCl in 2 hrs. after treatments. As a result of PAGE, it has been confirmed that spinach beet contained 3 isoforms (Fe-SOD, CuZn-SOD and Mn-SOD) of SOD and main isoform was CuZn- SOD form. In case of APX, isoforms of the low molecular weight(No. 7, 8) were showed strong expression especially at 200 and 400 mM NaCl treatment. Meanwhile, GR did not show specific pattern of isoforms among the salt treatments. Especially, in case of 50 mM treatment, plant showed the lowest activity of SOD with the best growth, a low enzyme activity was induced by inactivation of the Mn-SOD. Therefore, we suggested that the decrease of SOD activity at a low salt level (50 mM NaCl) or the increase of enzyme activity at a high salt level (200 mM NaCl) may be related to expression of the Mn-SOD isoform. These antioxidative enzymes showed the increase of activity in a short time by salt addition. So, it is considered that spinach beet copes effectively with a stressful condition such as salt by operating effective antioxidative defense mechanism rapidly under high salt level.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.473-481
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• 2017

With the barracks modernization project, the Ministry of National Defense has been operating 60 projects of the 75 that have been announced. It was difficult to investigate and analyze the data in the past because data could not be obtained while it was much easier to do that since data can be obtained from private companies. With the aim of increasing the usability of the facilities, the objective of this study is to present a reasonable alternative for repair and maintenance costs by investigating and analyzing the budget and the actual expenses of repair and maintenance of military facilities for the past 3 to 5 years, and then identifying the problems with these. To accomplish this, a theoretical review of previous studies and legal grounds related to repair and maintenance costs was performed, and data on the estimates and the actual expenses data used in BTL projects carried out by private companies were analyzed. First, one of the problems was that there are some items omitted, including consumables, and these items should be included in order to secure their budget. Second, in terms of the items for divided payments, two improvements had been presented: a short-term payment plan for the operation period of 3 to 5 years and a long-term payment plan for an additional and complemented period other than the operation period. The repair and maintenance costs should be further studied at the point of time in a future when the actual data on the costs and operation period of military facilities can be secured. This study is expected to serve as empirical data that will form the basis for a reasonable calculation of the construction cost for military facilities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2015

Bacterial diversity was studied in the rhizosphere of Suaeda japonica Makino, which is native to Suncheon Bay in South Korea. Soil samples from several sites were diluted serially, and pure isolation was performed by subculture using marine agar and tryptic soy agar media. Genomic DNA was extracted from 29 pure, isolated bacterial strains, after which their 16S rDNA sequences were amplified and analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to confirm their genetic relationship. The 29 bacterial strains were classified into five groups: phylum Firmicutes (44.8%), Gamma proteobacteria group (27.6%), Alpha proteobacteria group (10.3%), phylum Bacteriodetes (10.3%), and phylum Actinobacteria (6.8%). The most widely distributed genera were Bacillus (phylum Firmicutes), and Marinobacterium, Halomonas, and Vibrio (Gamma proteobacteria group). To confirm the bacterial diversity in rhizospheres of S. japonica, the diversity index was used at the genus level. The results show that bacterial diversity differed at each of the sampling sites. These 29 bacterial strains are thought to play a major role in material cycling at Suncheon Bay, in overcoming the sea/mud flat-specific environmental stress. Furthermore, some strains are assumed to be involved in a positive interaction with the halophyte S. japonica, as rhizospheric flora, with induction of growth promotion and plant defense mechanism.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.673-683
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• 2016

In recent years, frequent terror or military attack by explosion, impact, fire accidents have occurred. Particularly, World Trade Center collapse and US Department of Defense Pentagon attack on Sept. 11 of 2001. Also, nuclear power plant incident on Mar. 11 of 2011. These attacks and incidents were raised public concerns and anxiety of potential terrorist attacks on major infrastructures and structures. Therefore, the extreme loading researches were performed of prestressed concrete (PSC) member, which widely used for nuclear containment vessel and gas tank. In this paper, to evaluate the blast resistance capacity and its protective performance of bi-directional unbonded prestressed concrete member, blast tests were carried out on $1,400{\times}1,000{\times}300mm$ for reinforced concrete (RC), prestressed concrete without rebar (PSC), prestressed concrete with rebar (PSRC) specimens. The applied blast load was generated by the detonation of 55 lbs ANFO explosive charge at 1.0 m standoff distance. The data acquisitions not only included blast waves of incident pressure, reflected pressure, and impulse, but also included displacement, acceleration, and strains at steel, concrete, PS tendon. The results can be used as basic research references for related research areas, which include protective design and blast simulation under blast loading.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2000

This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness of uniconazole in ameliorating low and high temperature injury in tomato plants(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cvs. Fireball and Patio). Plants were given a soil drench of 0, 0.001, 0.01 or $0.1mg{\cdot}pot^{-1}$ uniconazole, and after 14 days, were treated with 12-h day/12-h night cycles at $25/25^{\circ}C$, $2.5/25^{\circ}C$, $25/2.5^{\circ}C$ or $40/40^{\circ}C$ for 4 days in controlled-environment chamber. Number of damaged leaves per plant, reduction of stem elongation, and overall injury were high at $2.5/25^{\circ}C$, but more reduction of leaf elongation, delay of flowering, and abortion of floral bud were observed in plants at $40/40^{\circ}C$. There was difference in degree of injury between cultivars, thus, 'Fireball' was much affected by unfavorable temperature regimes. All concentrations of uniconazole reduced leaf and stem elongation, increased total chlorophyll concentration, delayed flowering, and significantly provided protection against low and high temperature injury in two cultivars. In general, the application of uniconazole did not inhibit flowering delay and floral bud abortion induced by high and low temperature exposure. Our results support the hypothesis that the role of uniconazole is related to defense system against oxidative stress induced by low temperature stress. Further research is required to clarifu the phytoprotective mechanism of this compound agaist high temperature stress.