• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1501-1511
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• 2015

As essential trace elements, copper and zinc play important roles in many physiological events in plants. In excess, however, these elements can limit plant growth. This study selected a heavy metal-tolerant plant by analyzing seed germination and biomass of alfalfa (Medicago sativa), canola (Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nippo-oleifera), Chinese corn (Setaria italica), and a sorghum-sudangrass hybrid (Sorghum bicolor ${\times}$ S. sudanense), and determined heavy metal uptake capacity by analyzing biomass, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and heavy metal contents under high external copper or zinc levels. The seed germination rate and biomass of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were higher under copper or zinc stress compared to the other three plants. The plant biomass and photosynthetic pigment contents of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid seedlings were less vulnerable under low levels of heavy metals (${\leq}50ppm$ copper or ${\leq}400ppm$ zinc). The maximum quantum yield of PSII ($F_v/F_m$) and the maximum primary yield of PSII ($F_v/F_o$) decreased with increasing copper or zinc levels. Under high copper levels, the decline in $F_v/F_m$ was caused only by the decline in $F_m$, and was accompanied by an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The $F_v/F_m$ declined under high levels of zinc due to both a decrease in the maximum fluorescence ($F_m$) and an increase in the initial fluorescence ($F_o$), and this was accompanied by a marked decrease in photochemical quenching (qP), but not by an increase in NPQ. Accumulations of copper and zinc were found in both aboveand below-ground parts of plants, but were greater in the below-ground parts. The uptake capacity of the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid for copper and zinc reached 4459.1 mg/kg under 400 ppm copper and 9028.5 mg/kg under 1600 ppm zinc. Our results indicate that the sorghum-sudangrass hybrid contributes to the in situ phytoremediation of copper or zinc polluted soils due to its high biomass yield.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.171-176
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• 2010

To investigate the effect of leaf removal on enlargement and coloring of persimmon fruits (Diospyros kaki L. cv. 'Fuyu'), four treatments control (0%), 20%, 50%, and 100% depend on leaf removal of fruit bearing branch were applied to persimmon trees. Sunlight intensities around fruits with treatments depend on removal level, compared with natural sunlight intensity (100 percentage level), was 7.9%, 13.6%, 16.4%, and 30%, respectively. Hunter $a^*$ of the fruit with control and 20% removal treatments to harvest season increased continuously. $Chroma^*$ of the fruit since the removal treatments of leaves increased continuously in all treatments, but from seventh week that had a decreasing tendency. The fruit weight and diameter were significantly heavy and short in treatments with 100% removal level. L/D ratio of the fruits had a significant difference between control and the other treatments. Soluble solids of the fruits lowed significantly in treatment with 50% removal level. Hunter $a^*$ of the fruits was better in treatments with control and 20% removal levels, Hunter $b^*$ and $Chroma^*$ lowed significantly in treatment with 20% removal level. $\beta$-Carotene and lycopene concentration of the fruits lowed in treatment with the higher of removal level, total chlorophyll contents had the opposite tendency to the pigments. All results considered, removal level of leaves around fruit on bearing branch in fruit maturation stage had effect on fruit coloring improvement.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 2020

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as a food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in Korea. Monascus produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites, specifically monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, and dimerumic acid, have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure because of certain antioxidant effects. This study investigated the total phenolic content of ethanol extract from red yeast rice fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK and its anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. To assess its anti-inflammatory effect, the inhibitory activity of the ethanol extract on LPS-induced NO production and expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 proteins in macrophage cells were measured. Its total polyphenol content was higher than that of ordinary non-fermented rice. Its NO production inhibition activity was comparable to that of the negative control group treated with LPS at a concentration of 400 ㎍/ml. Western blot revealed a significant decrease in the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 protein expression at concentrations of 400 and 800 ㎍/ml, respectively. Red yeast rice ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate that red yeast rice could be used as a functional cosmetic and anti-inflammatory material.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.862-872
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• 2021

Recent studies on synthesis of metallic nanomaterials such as silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), cerium (Ce), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) using plants and microbes are attracted researchers for their wide range of applications in the field of biomedical sciences. The plant contains abundant of bioactive contents such as flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, steroids tannins and nutritionals components. Similarly, microbes produce bioactive metabolites, proteins and secretes valuable chemicals such as color pigments, antibiotics, and acids. Recently reported, biogenic synthesis of NPs in non-hazardous way and are promising candidates for biomedical applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-cell proliferative and anti-plasmodia activity. All those activities are dose dependent, along with their shape and size also matters on potential of NPs. Microbes and plants are great source of metabolites, those useful in biomedical field, such metabolites or chemicals involved in synthesis of NPs in an ecofriendly way. NPs synthesized using microbes or plant materials are reveals more non-toxic, facile, and cost-effective compare to chemically synthesized NPs. In present review we are focusing on NPs synthesis using biological agents such as microbes (bacteria, fungi and algae) and plant, characterization using different techniques and their antibacterial applications on pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.97-101
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• 1983

A study was conducted to investigate possibility of utilizing dried citrus peel (DCP) as an ingridient of broiler diets. Fresh citrus peels were collected from a citrus processing plant, and were sun-dried and ground. Both chemical analyses and a feeding trial were carried out. DCP was analyzed for proximate nutrients, amino acids and some minerals. In the feeding trial, a total of 192 day-old female broiler chicks of Manor strain was divided into 16 groups of 12 birds each. Each group was fed one of the 4 different levels(0, 2, 4 and 6%) of DCP replacing an equivalent amount of wheat bran in the diet with 4 replications for 6 weeks. Body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency of broilers fed different levels of DCP showed no significant differences among treatments. Immediately after termination of the feeding trial, cach bird was examined for shank color using Roche's Egg Yolk Color Fan. Shank color index of birds increased consistently (P＜0.05) as the level of DCP fed increased, indicating that DCP can be used as a source of pigments. It was concluded from the results that DCP could be used up to 6% in place of wheat bran in broiler diets without adverse effects.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1010-1022
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• 2017

Hybrid histidine kinase is part of a two-component system that is required for various stress responses and pathogenesis of pathogenic fungi. The Tco1 gene in human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans encodes a hybrid histidine kinase and is important for pathogenesis. In this study, we identified a Tco1 homolog, UmTco1, in the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis by bioinformatics analysis. To explore the role of UmTco1 in the survival of U. maydis under environmental stresses and its pathogenesis, ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants were constructed by allelic exchange. The growth of ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants was significantly impaired when they were cultured under hyperosmotic stress. The ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants exhibited increased resistance to antifungal agent fludioxonil. In particular, the ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants were unable to produce cytokinesis or conjugation tubes, and to develop fuzzy filaments, resulting in impaired mating between compatible strains. The expression levels of Prf1, Pra1, and Mfa1, which are involved in the pheromone pathway, were significantly decreased in the ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants. In inoculation tests to the host plant, the ${\Delta}umtco1$ mutants showed significantly reduced ability in the production of anthocyanin pigments and tumor development on maize leaves. Overall, the combined results indicated that UmTco1 plays important roles in the survival under hyperosmotic stress, and contributes to cytokinesis, sexual development, and virulence of U. maydis by regulating the expression of the genes involved in the pheromone pathway.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.225-229
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• 2003

Plant ash and soil drainage, derived by frequent mountain fires during winter, might cause biological contamination to seaweeds at seashore and river mouse area. To thalli of Ulva pertusa, maximum non-lethal concentration(MNLC), lethal concentration 50 $(LC_{50})$ and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) of pine needle ash were shown as 60, 350 and 550 mg/mL, respectively. The yellow loess and granite sand did not damage at concentrations of 20 and 200 mg/mL, respectively To thalli of Porphyra yezoensis, the MNLC, LC5O, MLC of pine needle ash were shown as 0.08, 0.4 and 1.0 mg/mL, respectively. Effects of yellow loess and granite sand were approximately 1/2 and 1/10 of the ash. To thalli of Undaria pinnatifida, the pine needle ash, yellow loess and granite sand did not damage at the concentration range of 20 to 40 mg/mL. Change of pigments $(chlorophyll\;\alpha,\;lutein,\;\beta-carotene,\;phycoerthrin)$ was also determined at the MNLC, $LC-{50}$ and MLC of pine needle ash. Among three seaweeds tested, P. yezoensis produced the most 2.7-fold of lutein and 2.3-fold of $\beta-carotene$ at $LC-{50}$ of the ash. Thus the P. yezoensis, appeared as a sensitive indicator, could be used as one of test organisms for determination of the biological effect of pollutants contaminated in marine environment.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.33 no.3 s.130
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• pp.245-251
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• 2002

Flavonoid seems to have various biological effects. Quercetin is a kind of natural plant flavonoids and has multiple biological effects such as antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenec agent. Melanogenesis is a physiological process resulting in the synthesis of melanin pigments, which play a crucial protective role against skin photocarcinogenesis. This present study was designed to investigate effect of quercetin on proliferation and melanogenesis in Melan-a melanocyte cells. After 48h treatment of cells with quercetin, the cells exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition in their proliferation without apoptosis. Therefore, thε growth retardation by the extract may be due to the cell arrest or cell differentiation. We also investigated the effect of quercetin on melanogenesis of this cells. Melan-a melanocyte cells were grown for 48h in the presence of $0.01-60\;{\mu}g/ml$ quercetin and the total melanin content and activity of tyrosinase were measured. Quercetin stimulated melanization of the cells in low concentrations $(0.01-1.0\;{\mu}g/ml)$, whereas it inhibited melanization in high concentrations $(5.0-30\;{\mu}g/ml)$. It was observed that quercetin differently regulates melanogenesis of Melan-a melanocyte cells dependent on Its concentrations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2017.06a
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• pp.205-205
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• 2017

An excess soil water condition is one of the major problems for the field crops growing in paddy fields because of their poor drainage and less availability for oxygen uptake which leads to adversely affect the photosynthesis. Therefore, the current study was undertaken with aim to investigate the effects groundwater level on the photosynthetic response of soy bean (Urum), red bean (Arari), sesame (Geonbaek), perilla (Dayu) after the transplanting to the lysimeter to investigate the plant-water relation and their effect on photosynthesis. The chlorophyll content of the crops according to the humid conditions of the soy bean, sesame and the perilla was found to be 5%, 6.89 % and 13.7% higher than that of the groundwater treated at 40cm, respectively. On the other hand, the chlorophyll content of adzuki bean decreased 6.6% from the groundwater level of 40cm, and the sorghum decreased by 5.7%. As a result of investigating the Fv / Fm value of groundwater, the adzuki bean at 20cm above groundwater was lower than that of groundwater by 40cm immediately before flowering. The Fv / Fm value of soy bean and sesame at 40cm above groundwater were lowered by flowering under groundwater 20 cm and Fv / Fm value of sorghum is increased at 40 cm treatment immediately before flowering while the Fv / Fm values of the perilla had no significant difference in comparison to those at 20 cm and 40 cm of groundwater. In the case of chlorophyll fluorescence reaction, it is known that the when the absolute value is closer to 0.82, the stress is considered less. As a result of comparing the numerical values of the crops, it was found that the sorghum was the most stressed followed by adzuki bean and sesame, while the soy beans and perilla was found on the average, as they received less stress.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.441-449
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• 2015

Flavonoids are plant pigments that have been demonstrated to exert various pharmacological effects including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the molecular mechanisms in terms of exact target proteins of flavonoids are not fully elucidated yet. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of scutellarein (SCT), a flavonoid isolated from Erigeron breviscapus, Clerodendrum phlomidis and Oroxylum indicum Vent that have been traditionally used to treat various inflammatory diseases in China and Brazil. For this purpose, a nitric oxide (NO) assay, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nuclear fractionation, immunoblot analysis, a kinase assay, and an overexpression strategy were employed. Scutellarein significantly inhibited NO production in a dose-dependent manner and reduced the mRNA expression levels of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$ in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells. In addition, SCT also dampened nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$-driven expression of a luciferase reporter gene upon transfection of a TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF) construct into Human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cells; similarly, NF-${\kappa}B$ nuclear translocation was inhibited by SCT. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of various upstream signaling enzymes involved in NF-${\kappa}B$ activation were decreased by SCT treatment in LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. Finally, SCT strongly inhibited Src kinase activity and also inhibited the autophosphorylation of overexpressed Src. Therefore, our data suggest that SCT can block the inflammatory response by directly inhibiting Src kinase activity linked to NF-${\kappa}B$ activation.