• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.301-309
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• 2009

The use of bioactive materials derived from microorganisms and plants has played a role in pest management in environmentally-friendly agriculture (EFA) system. In Korea, a number of agricultural agents for the control of insect pests have been registered officially as biopesticides and marketed widely. However, most of the biopesticides has a limitation in the resource availability of bioactive materials, which has been one of main problems related to the commercialization of agricultural agents. Plant materials and microbial metabolites are the best sources as starting components to commercialize natural-occurring agricultural agents for pest management. The lack of modernized system for the standardization and quality control of the starting materials, however, has also received as a main problem related to the commercialization of agricultural agents. Considered that EFA business has kept growing bigger and bigger with global economic status, the commercialization of agricultural agents is necessary to meet the required number of agricultural agents officially available in EFA. This study describes the status and future prospects of pest control agents in EFA. A number of main issues hindered in the commercialization of agricultural agents are discussed in order to present a promising approach to successful commercialization.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.135-153
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• 2015

The aromatic amino acids, which are composed of $\small{L}$-phenylalanine, $\small{L}$-tyrosine and $\small{L}$-tryptophan, are general components of protein synthesis as well as precursors for a wide range of secondary metabolites. These aromatic amino acids-derived compounds play important roles as ingredients of diverse phenolics including pigments and cell walls, and hormones like auxin and salicylic acid in plants. Moreover, they also serve as the natural products of alkaloids and glucosinolates, which have a high potential to promote human health and nutrition. The biosynthetic pathways of aromatic amino acids share a chorismate, the common intermediate, which is originated from shikimate pathway. Then, tryptophan is synthesized via anthranilate and the other phenylalanine and tyrosine are synthesized via prephenate, as intermediates. This review reports recent studies about all the enzymatic steps involved in aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways and their gene regulation on transcriptional/post-transcriptional levels. Furthermore, results of metabolic engineering are introduced as efforts to improve the production of the aromatic amino acids-derived secondary metabolites in plants.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.910-919
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• 2012

The role of inorganic nitrogen assimilation in the production of amino acids, organic acids and soluble sugars is one of the most important biochemical processes in plants, and, in order to achieve normally, nitrate uptake and assimilation is essential. For this reason, the characterization of nitrate assimilation and metabolite composition from leaves, roots and xylem sap of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) was investigated under different nitrate levels in media. Tomato plants were grown hydroponically in liquid culture under five different nitrate regimes: deficient (0.25 and 0.75 mM $NO_3{^-}$), normal (2.5 mM $NO_3{^-}$) and excessive (5.0 and 10.0 mM $NO_3{^-}$). All samples, leaves, roots and xylem sap, were collected after 7 and 14 days after treatment. The levels of amino acids, soluble sugars and organic acids were significantly decreased by N-deficiency whereas, interestingly, they remained higher in xylem sap as compared with N-normal and -surplus. The N-excessive condition did not exert any significant changes in metabolites composition, and thus their levels were similar with N-normal. The gene expression and enzyme activity of nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NIR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) were greatly influenced by nitrate. The data presented here suggest that metabolites, as a signal messenger, existed in xylem sap seem to play a crucial role to acquire nitrate, and, in addition, an increase in ${\alpha}$-ketoglutarate pathway-derived amino acids under N-deficiency may help to better understand plant C/N metabolism.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.76-91
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• 2020

Whole genome sequence of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai (Oleaceae) cultivar Ok Hwang 1 Ho, which is Korean endemic species, was recently sequenced to understand its characteristics. Acteoside is one of major useful compounds presenting various activities, and its several proposed biochemical pathways were reviewed and integrated to make precise biochemical pathway. Utilizing MetaPre-AI^TM which was developed for predicting secondary metabolites based on whole genome with the precise biochemical pathway of acteoside and the InfoBoss Pathway Database, we successfully rescued all enzymes involved in this pathway from the genome sequences, presenting that A. distichum cultivar Ok Hwang 1 Ho may produce acteoside. High-performance liquid chromatography result displayed that callus of A. distichum cultivar Ok Hwang 1 Ho contained acteoside as well as isoacteoside which may be derived from acteoside. Taken together, we successfully showed that MetaPre-AI^TM can predict secondary metabolite from plant whole genomes. In addition, this method will be efficient to predict secondary metabolites of many plant species because DNA can be analyzed more stability than chemical compounds.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.253-261
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• 2008

Isoflavone daidzein is a phytoestrogen widely distributed in Leguminosae and is especially rich in the soybean. The C6-C3 (rings B and C) unit of isoflavones is derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway and the remaining C6 (ring A) unit is from the polyketide pathway. This unique carbon skeleton is the result of isomerization of the flavone catalyzed by the isoflavone synthase, a cytochrome P450 enzyme. The isoflavones daidzein and genistein are present in the plant mostly in the glucosylated forms. However, in the human intestine, the glycosidic linkage is broken, and the free form is uptaked into blood stream. The free form is further metabolized into various reduction products to end up at the equol, which is known to have the most potent estrogenic effect among the metabolites. Several human intestinal bacteria that can convert daidzein into equol have been described, and the study into the chemistry and biochemistry of the daizein reduction would be rewarding to the improvement of the human health.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.329-338
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• 2006

The research aims to provide the basic data for practical applications by correlating the bio-kinetic coefficients with the load of recalcitrant organic matter in box-mill wastewater. The activated sludge process was employed to a Wastewater disposal plant in an industrial setting, increase of consequently leading to the organic load. The parameter values derived by Monod-kinetic analysis were as follows:specific substrate removal rate $K_{max}=0.17day^{-1}$, half saturation constants $K_s=60.37mg/l$, decay coefficient $K_d=0.142day^{-1}$, microbial yield coefficient y = 0.388mg/mg, and max specific growth rate ${\mu}_{max}=0.006day^{-1}$. In view of biodegradability, the $TCOD_{Mn}/TBOD_5$ ratios of inflow and outflow were 1.07 and 1.41, and the $SCOD_{Mn}/SBOD_5$ ratios of inflow and outflow were 1.10 and 1.50, respectively. The higher $TCOD_{Mn}/TBOD_5$ ratio of outflow indicated that metabolites of a microorganism have accumulated in the cells.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2014

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and related trichothecene mycotoxins are extensively distributed in the cereal-based food and feed stuffs worldwide. Recent climate changes and global grain trade increased chance of exposure to more DON and related toxic metabolites in poorly managed production systems. Monitoring the biological and environmental exposures to the toxins are crucial in protecting human and animals from toxicities of the hazardous contaminants in food or feeds. Exposure biomarkers including urine DON itself are prone to shift to less harmful metabolites by intestinal microbiota and liver metabolic enzymes. De-epoxyfication of DON by gut microbes such as Eubacterium strain BBSH 797 and Eubacterium sp. DSM 11798 leads to more fecal secretion of DOM-1. By contrast, most of plant-derived DON-glucoside is also easily catabolized to free DON by gut microbes, which produces more burden to body. Phase 2 hepatic metabolism also contributes to the glucuronidation of DON, which can be useful urine biomarkers. However, chemical modification could be very typical depending on the anthropologic or genetic background, luminal bacteria, and hepatic metabolic enzyme susceptibility to the toxins in the diet. After toxin exposure, effect biomarkers are also important in estimating the linkage and mechanisms of foodborne diseases in human and animal population. Most prominent adverse effects are demonstrated in the DON-induced immunological and behavioral disorders. For instance, acutely elevated interleukin-8 from insulted gut exposed to dietaty DON is a dominant clinical biomarker in human and animals. Moreover, subchronic exposure to the toxins is associated with high levels of serum IgA, a biological mediator of IgA nephritis. In particular, anorexia monitoring using mouse models are recently developed to monitor the biological activities of DON-induced feed refusal. It is also mechanistically linked to alteration of serotoin and peptide YY, which are promising biomarkers of neurological disorders by the toxins. As animal-alternative biomonitoring, huamn enterocyte-based assay has been developed and more realistic gut mimetic models would be useful in monitoring the effect biomarkers in resposne to toxic contaminants in the future investigations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.536-544
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• 2017

Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai is deciduous shrubs of flowering plant in Oleaceae. It is important plant resources and consists of one species in the world. Also the endemic plant of A. distichum has been protected and designed endangered plant in Korea. For this reason, study on the immature seeds of A. distichum (ADS) hasn't progressed. In the present study, we evaluated the antioxidant activity and inhibitory effects on proteins and mRNA levels were related in the whitening effect in B16F10 cells. ADS was effective for reaction oxygen species (ROS). ROS causes various diseases such as aging, inflammation, cancer, and etc. Antioxidant properties were evaluated DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity and Reducing power. Plants were known that contained phenolic compounds were related in antioxidant activity. Phenolic compounds were phytochemicals commonly named natural polyphenols. These are secondary metabolites of plants involved in the defense against different types of stresses. In results, ADS suppressed the expression and transcription of Tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, and Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). Tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TRP-2) are known to play an important role in melanin biosynthesis. MITF regulated the expression and transcription of Tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2. In conclusion, ADS was effective in both antioxidant activities and whitening effects. Also, they were associated with the content of phenolic compounds. We suggested that ADS can be use antioxidants and skin-whitening functional cosmetics material derived from natural plant resources.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.117-126
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• 1984

Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites which are produced by trains of A. flavus and A. parasiticus during their growth on foods and feedstuffs. Aflatoxins are a group of closely related heterocyclic compounds of which $B_1$, $B_2$, and $G_2$ are the major members. Aflatoxins are synthesized via a polyketide pathway in which the general steps are acetate, an-thraquinones, xanthone and aflatoxins. Aflatoxin formation is favored by high moisture or high $a_w$(0.95${\sim}$0.99). The limiting $a_w$ for aflatoxin production on agricultural commodities is 0.83. Optimum temperature for aflatoxin production by the molds is $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ and the incubation time for the maximum production of the toxin is 7${\sim}$15 days. The limiting temperatures for aflatoxin production are ${\leq}7.5^{\circ}C\;and\;\geq40^{\circ}C$. Cycling temperatures may or may not stimulate aflatoxin production depending on the amplitude of cycling, substrate and strains of molds. Aflatoxin pro-ducing molds are aerobic organisms and thus have a requirement for oxygen. A decreasing $O_2$ concentration and/or increasing concentrations of $CO_2$ or $N_2$ depress the mold growth and aflatoxin formation. A. flavus grows competitively or associatively in the presence of other microorganisms and occasionally loses the competition with other microorganisms. Some lactic acid bacteria have been shown to reduce growth and aflatoxin production by A. parasiticus. Carbon source is the most important nutritional factors affecting aflatoxin formation by the molds. Sucrose, fructose and glucose are the most favorable carbon sources. Food substrates of plant derived products which have high carbohydrate content such as agricultural commodities and their products are most vulnerable to contamination by aflatoxins.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.85-95
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• 2023

Objectives : This study was intended to reveal the chemical profiles of aerial(leaf, stem) and underground(rhizome, radix) parts of wild ginseng, and to investigate their anti-aging effects on human skin cells. Methods : Wild ginseng, estimated for over 20 years, was divided into the aerial and underground parts. Total phenolic contents of each extracts were measured using a Folin-ciocalteu method. The contents of 18 amino acids, 8 minerals and 27 ginsenosides were determined by GC-FID, ICP-MS and LC-MS, respectively. The anti-aging effects, including the radical scavenging activity, the activation of mitochondrial function on human fibroblasts, and the proliferation activity on human keratinocyte progenitor cells, for the whole plant and underground part of wild ginseng were evaluated. Results : The total phenolic acids, amino acids, and minerals in the aerial part were more than twice as high as in the underground part. Compared to the cultivated ginseng root, there were various types of ginsenosides in both parts of wild ginseng, and the total amount was more than twice as high. In particular, the aerial part significantly contained ginsenoside F1, F2, C-Mc1, and C-O, and the distinctive patterns that distinguish each parts of wild ginseng from the cultivated ginseng root were derived. The whole plant and underground part of wild ginseng exhibited significant antioxidant effect(14.3-45.6%), activation of mitochondrial membrane potential(105.5-120.1%), and cell proliferation(112.1-125.4%). Conclusions : The entire plant and underground part of wild ginseng are high value-added plants and have beneficial effects on skin anti-aging properties through its abundant metabolites.