• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.129-137
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• 2020

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Ultrasonication-Assisted (UA) extraction on the functionality of the herbaceous biennial plant maca (Lepidium meyenii). The specific objectives include comparison of the antioxidant activities among various maca extracts, determination of the macamide B content of the extracts, and in vitro evaluation of maca on cell viability and creatine kinase (CK) activity. The antioxidant activities of the water, ethanol, and UA extracts were compared by determining the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activities, and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the extracts. The macamide B content of maca extracts were analyzed by HPLC. The effects of the extracts on muscle cell viability and creatine kinase activity were also determined using C2C12 myoblasts. UA extraction significantly increased the total phenolic content (2.90 GAE ㎍/mg, p < 0.05), without affecting the flavonoid content. DPPH radical scavenging activity did not exhibit any statistical difference among the extracts. The ethanol and UA extracts exhibited significantly higher FRAP than the water extract (p < 0.05). The macamide B content of ethanol and UA extracts were 0.087 and 0.083 ㎍/mg, respectively. The water and UA extracts exhibited higher C2C12 muscle cell viability than the ethanol extract, and both extracts resulted in a significantly lower CK level than the H₂O₂-treated control group. This research suggests that the maca extract can protect muscle cells and serve as an antifatigue agent under oxidative stress conditions.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.111-111
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• 2019

Glycyrrhizae radix is one of the most frequently prescribed ingredients in Oriental medicine, and G. radix extract has been shown to exert anti-cancer effects. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis by G. radix are poorly defined. In the present study, it was examined the biochemical mechanisms of apoptosis by water extract of G. radix (WEGR) in human bladder T24 cancer cells. It was found that WEGR could inhibit the cell growth of T24 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by the formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation and increased populations of annexin-V positive cells. The induction of apoptotic cell death by WEGR was connected with an up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bax protein expression and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, and inhibition of apoptosis family proteins (XIAP, cIAP-1 and cIAP-2). In addition, apoptosis-inducing concentrations of WEGR induced the activation of caspase-9, an initiator caspase of the mitochondrial-mediated intrinsic pathway, and caspase-3, accompanied by proteolytic degradation of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase. WEGR also induced apoptosis via a death receptor-mediated extrinsic pathway by caspase-8 activation, resulting in the down-regulation of total Bid and suggesting the existence of cross-talk between the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. Taken together, the present results suggest that WEGR may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human bladder cancer cells.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2019

Baicalein is one of the main flavonoids derived from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, a traditional Oriental medicine. Although baicalein has high antitumor effect on several human carcinomas, the mechanism responsible for this property is not unclear. In this study, the data revealed that baicale-ininduced growth inhibition was associated with the induction of apoptosis connecting with cytochrome c release, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xl and increased the percentage of cells with a loss of mitochondria membrane permeabilization. Baicalein also induced the proteolytic activation of caspases and cleavage of PARP; however, blockage of caspases activation by z-VAD-fmk inhibited baicalein-induced apoptosis. In addition, baicalein enhanced the formation of autophagosomes and up-regulated LC3-II/LC3-I ratio. Interestingly, the pretreatment of bafilomycin A1 recovered baicalein-induced cell death suggesting that autophagy by baicalein roles as protective autophagy. Taken together, our results indicated that this flavonoid induces apoptosis and cell protective autophagy. These data means combination treatment with baicalein and autophagy inhibitor might be a promising anticancer drug.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6047-6053
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• 2012

Bracken fern [Pteridium aquilinem (L.) kuhn (Dennstaedtiaceae)] is one of the most common species on the planet. It has been consumed by humans and animals for centuries. Use by some human groups is because they believe bracken fern is good for health as plant medicine. However, it is also one of the few known plants that can cause tumors in farm animals. Many interested groups have focused their attention on bracken fern because of these interesting features. In order to evaluate the biological effects of exposure to this plant in cellular level, human cancer cell lines were treated with the fern dichloromethane extracts and the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects were studied. Anti-proliferative/cytotoxic effects were evaluated by cell count, MTT assay and flow cytometry methods with three different cancer cell lines, TCC, NTERA2, and MCF-7, and two normal cells, HDF1 and HFF3. Pro-apoptotic effects of the extracts were determined by DAPI staining and comet assay, on TCC cancer cells compared to the normal control cell lines. Cellular morphology was examined by light microscopy. Our present study showed that the extract caused DNA damage and apoptosis at high concentrations ($200{\mu}g/mL$) and also it may induce cell cycle arrest (G2/M phase) at mild concentrations (50 and $30{\mu}g/mL$) depending on the cell type and tumor origin. These results indicate that bracken fern extract is a potent source of anticancer compounds that could be utilized pharmaceutically.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.7-14
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• 1969

Dunaliella tertiolecta did not show any increase in respiration rate when supplied with glucose, glycerol, sucrose, L-alanine, acetate, pyruvate and succinate. This was in contrast to Chlorella pyrenoidosa, which, under identical conditions, showed significant increase when supplied with glucose or acetate but not with the other compounds. Production of 14CO2 from added 14C-glucose in D. tertiolecta was lower than the other 14C-labelled substrates: L-alinine, glycerol, succinate, but higher than 14C-sucrose addition. And it was also lower than C. pyrenoidosa experiments which was added 14C-glucose as a substrate. Light reduced amounts of labelled carbon dioxide from 14C-glucose or 14C-acetate and increased incorporation of 14C from the substrates to cell materials in either D. tertiolecta or C. pyrenoidosa. The contribution of 14C from 14C-glucose to 14CO2 in cell-free system of D. tertiolecta were much higher than in whole cell suspension. It was contrast to C. pyrenoidosa which were showed reduction of 14CO2 production in cell-free systems than whole cell suspensions. When cell-free systems of D. tertiolecta and C. pyrenoidosa were supplied with ATP, NAD, NADP or/and hexokinase, it was remarkably increased production of 14CO2 from the substrates than the control. It was concluded that the low ability of D. tertiolecta to metabolize glucose were caused by the impermeability of the cell membrane to glucose and were not due to deficiencies of enzyme systems concerning glucose metabolism. In the cell-free systems, it seemed to be more active pentose phosphate pathway than glycolytic pathway in D. tertiolecta.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.103-109
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• 2009

In this study we established reliable methods for conservation of seeds of Phaius tankervilleae as an orchid genetic resource. The seeds, which were dehydrated to 5% water content and preserved at $4^{\circ}C$, showed no decrease in viability and germinability after three months. After storage for six months, however, the seeds showed a drastic decrease in germinability, even though survival rate was high. For long-term preservation of seeds of P. tankervilleae, cryopreservation is applied to the freshly harvested seeds. When the seeds were cryopreserved by the vitrification method for up to 12 months there was no apparent deterioration effect of storage time. These results indicate that cryopreservation by the vitrification method is useful for long-term conservation of P. tankervilleae seeds, which are difficult to preserve for more than three months under dry and low-temperature conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.355-360
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• 2006

To gain a better understanding on the function of the potato Solanum tuberosum Multiprotein Bridging Factor 1 protein (StMBF1) its interaction with the TATA box binding protein (TBP) was demonstrated. In addition we reported that StMBF1 rescues the yeast mbf1 mutant phenotype, indicating its role as a plant co-activator. These data reinforce the hypothesis that MBF1 function is also conserved among non closely related plant species. In addition, measurement of StMBF1 protein level by Western blot using anti-StMBF1 antibodies indicated that the protein level increased upon $H_2O_2$ and heat shock treatments. However, the potato $\beta$-1,3-glucanase protein level was not changed under the same experimental conditions. These data indicate that StMBF1 participates in the cell stress response against oxidative stress allowing us to suggest that MBF1 genes from different plant groups may share similar functions.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

Secondary walls have recently drawn research interest as a primary source of sugars for liquid biofuel production. Secondary walls are composed of a complex mixture of the structural polymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. A matrix of hemicellulose and lignin surrounds the cellulose component of the plant's cell wall in order to protect the cell from enzymatic attacks. Such resistance, along with the variability seen in the proportions of the major components of the mixture, presents process design and operating challenges to the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuel. Expanding bioenergy production to the commercial scale will require a significant improvement in the growth of feedstock as well as in its quality. Plant biotechnology offers an efficient means to create "targeted" changes in the chemical and physical properties of the resulting biomass through pathway-specific manipulation of metabolisms. The successful use of the genetic engineering approach largely depends on the development of two enabling tools: (1) the discovery of regulatory genes involved in key pathways that determine the quantity and quality of the biomass, and (2) utility promoters that can drive the expression of the introduced genes in a highly controlled manner spatially and/or temporally. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the transcriptional regulatory network that controls secondary wall biosynthesis and discuss experimental approaches to developing-xylem-specific utility promoters.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2018

Chlorella, one single-cell green algae organism that lives autotrophically by photosynthesis, can directly suppress some plant diseases. The objective of this study was to determine whether pre-spraying with Chlorella fusca suspension could induce systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in cucumber plants against anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare. In order to illustrate SAR induced by algae, infection structures in host cells were observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Cytological changes as defense responses of host mesophyll cells such as accumulation of vesicles, formation of sheath around penetration hyphae, and thickness of cell wells adjoining with intracellular hyphae were demonstrated in cucumber leaves. Similar defense responses were also found in the plant pre-treated with DL-3-aminobutyric acid, another SAR priming agent. Images showed that defense response of host cells was scarcely observed in untreated leaf tissues. These cytological observations suggest that C. fusca could induce SAR against anthracnose in cucumber plants by activating defense responses of host cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2005

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cells were transformed with rice expansin genes, OsEXPA4, OsEXPB3, OsEXPB4, and OsEXPB6, to elucidate the function of the genes in tobacco cells. The transformation increased the mass of the callus by $36\%-65 \%$, and the cell length by $12\%-28\%$. The cell width was decreased by $3\%$ for OsEXPB3, not changed for OsEXPB4, increased by $25\%\;and\;20\%$ for OsEXPA4 and OsEXPB6, respectively. From database search, seven expansin genes were found and six of them belong to EXPA group and one of them belongs to EXPB group. EXLA and EXLB were not found. All tobacco expansin genes were evenly distributed in the phylogenetic tree of rice and Arabidopsis expansin genes.