• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.67 no.2
• /
• pp.129-136
• /
• 2023

Osteoarthritis is to the abnormality of the inflammatory response of joint tissue caused by various causes such as aging, and muscle loss. In this study, the activity in joint inflammation was verified using SKBE, a plant extract, and the expression levels of arthritis-inducing proteins including MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, and collagen type II in vitro were compared and analyzed. Furthermore, we synthesized α-spinasterol, an active ingredient of SKBE, by the previously reported synthesis method and these findings could provide a new starting point for the development of treatments for osteoarthritis.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.1129-1137
• /
• 2008

We investigated the ecological characteristics of reed populations growing in Korea and tried to select reed populations showing better growth patterns in waste landfill leachate. To examine the growth characteristics, 14 reed populations from various habitats were collected. Four reed populations were from inland reclaimed habitats, 4 reed populations from brackish or salt marsh habitats, and 6 reed populations from fresh water habitats. Total plant biomass after the treatment with landfill leachate showed that Daebudo and Nanjido reed populations had the higher biomass with 3755 g DW/pot and 3305 g DW/pot, respectively. Reed populations being sampled from the higher salinity and landfill habitats had relatively higher total biomass than that of other reed populations. Especially reed populations from landfill habitats showed higher biomass. Reed populations from Songjiho and Daebudo, which were believed to have tolerance to salt stress, also showed good growth patterns. Population from the fresh water habitats exhibited relatively lower tolerance to leachate treatment compared to others. From the results, we could conclude that reed populations from Nanjido and Daebudo with higher biomass and better salt tolerance were able to good candidates for purification of waste landfill leachate.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.133-139
• /
• 1999

Thioltransferase, also known as glutaredoxin, was previously purified and characterized from Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. napus var. pekinensis). However, in the process of gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, there were two activity peaks. In this study, a second thioltransferase (TTase CC-2) in the minor peak of the Sephadex G-75 elution profile was further purified using affinity chromatography on an S-hexylglutathione-agarose column by eluting with buffer solution containing 2.5 mM S-hexylglutathione. It showed a single band on SDS-PAGE indicating that TTase CC-2 is electrophoretically homogeneous. The molecular weight of TTase CC-2 was estimated to be about 22,000 daltons, and its isoelectric point was determined to be 6.73. Its size appears to be atypical and much larger than that of the first thioltransferase (TTase CC-1) from Chinese cabbage, and it can utilize 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, S-sulfocysteine, and insulin as substrates. S-sulfocysteine was found to be a superior substrate for TTase CC-2. TTase CC-2 also displayed the reducing activity for non-disulfides such as dehydroascorbic acid. Its optimum pH was 8.5, which was consistent with that of TTase CC-1. TTase CC-2 activity was greatly activated by L-cysteine and reduced glutathione, and was found to be less heat-stable compared with TTase CC-1. Molecular and physiological differences between TTase CC-1 and TTase CC-2 remain to be elucidated. Chinese cabbage is the first plant which is known to contain two kinds of thioltransferases.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.103 no.2
• /
• pp.240-247
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted as a restoration research in a mountain stream of hydrologic cycle system, which is a type of microsites purposely changing vegetation. The status of vegetation in the three experimental sites, water purification site, small dammed pole site, and aquatic plant restoration site, and one control site within the area of the mountain forest stream were investigated in three different periods, namely before sites restoration, year of sites restoration, and year after sites restoration. After one year of restoration, number of vegetation was increased in the small dammed pool and control site respectively. Vegetation coverage ratio of Zizania latifolia was increased at the water purification area. The effects of habitats restoration appeared to be good a year after the restoration of the experimental sites, in terms of families and species composition of the introduced vegetation, and stream flow. Therefore, the results of the study strongly suggest that fairly effective ways to restore and reproduce degrading mountain hydroecological habitats are by way of forming pool sites and small dams in intermittent mountain streams and re-vegetating with selected plants.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.380-384
• /
• 2007

The COD removal capacity of aquatic plants, when foamed glasses were not used, showed 56% for Pistia straiotes, 48% for Phragmites japonica and 41% for Oenanthe javanica, but no significant COD removal was observed for Lythrum anceps. When the foamed glasses were used as support materials, the COD removal efficiency increased for all aquatic plants used in this study showing 69% fur Pistia straiotes, 68% for Pharagmites japonica 62% for Oenanthe javanica, respectively. The T-N removal efficiency of aquatic plants when foamed glasses were used as support materials showed 91% for Lythrum anceps and 93% for Phragmites japonica. Similar removal efficiency was observed as 94% for all aquatic plants planted as a group used in this study. The T-P removal efficiency of aquatic plants when foamed glasses were not used showed 35% for Lythrum anceps, 8% for Phragmites japonica, however, that, when foamed glasses were used, ranged 78% for Lythrum anceps, 43% for Phragmites japonica, showing that the foamed glasses increase the T-P removal efficiency of aquatic plants used in this study.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.38 no.5
• /
• pp.526-532
• /
• 2005

A lectin with in-vitro anticancer activity against established human cancer cell lines has been purified by affinity chromatography on asialofetuin-linked amino activated silica beads from the tubers of Arisaema tortuosum, popularly known as Himalayan Cobra lily, a monocot plant from the family Araceae. The bound Arisaema tortuosum lectin (ATL) was eluted with glycine-HCl buffer, pH 2.5. ATL was effectively inhibited by asialofetuin, a complex desialylated serum glycoprotein as well as by N-acetyl-D-lactosamine, a disaccharide. It gave a single band corresponding to a subunit molecular weight of 13.5 kDa in SDS-PAGE, pH 8.8 both under reducing and non reducing conditions. When subjected to gel-filtration on Biogel P-200, it was found to have a molecular weight of 54 kDa, suggesting a homotetramer structure, in which individual polypeptides are not bound to each other with disulfide bonds. ATL is a glycoprotein with 0.9% carbohydrate content, stable up to $55^{\circ}C$ and at pH 2 to 10. The lectin had no requirement for divalent metal ions i.e. $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$ for its activity. However, as reported for other monocot lectins, ATL gave multiple bands in isoelectric focusing and Native PAGE, pH 8.3. The lectin was found to inhibit in vitro proliferation of human cancer cell lines HT29, SiHa and OVCAR-5.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.29-35
• /
• 2003

The methods for improving epichlorohydrin process was investigated by carrying out experiments on hypochlorination reaction, from which dichlorohydrin is produced by reacting with allyl chloride and chlorine. As the recycle water from PVC plant was used instead of industrial water for reaction, the effect of recycle water on the reaction yield was studied. It was shown from this experiment that the recycle water rarely affected on the ratio between products. TCPA, which was almost of byproducts, could be removed before purification process using "extractant A". This could prevent additional side reaction by TCPA and reduced energy to separate it in purification part. The change of product yield was observed as the chlorine gas addition decreases which reacted with allyl chloride. It seems that the yield of major products didn't change almost, but the byproducts showed rather reduced trend with decreasing chlorine gas.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.300-307
• /
• 1992

Bromelains (EC 3.4.4.24) isolated from pineapple fruit and stem have been purified about 18 and 46-folds to homogenity in the same yield of 23%. Molecular weights of fruit and stem-bromelain were estimated to be 32.5 KDa and 37 KDa by Sephadex G-200, respectively. The enzymes were composed of one subunit. The fruit and stem-bromelain had their maximum activity at pH 8.0, $70^{\circ}C$ and at pH 7.0, $60^{\circ}C$. Especially the enzymes catalyzed hydrolysis of plant proteins such as ISP (Isolated soybean protein) and wheat gluten with high molecular activity compared to animal proteins. The enzymes were competitively inhibited by sulfhydryl reagent; $K_i$ values of fruit and stem-bromelain for pCMB(p-chloromercuribenzoate) were 0.18 mM and 0.10 mM. Activities of the enzymes inhibited by pCMB were reversibly restored with increasing concentration of cysteine.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.437-446
• /
• 2004

To develop sewage treatment apparatus by natural purification method, the sewage treatment plant that consisted of aerobic and anaerobic plot was constructed. And then, the effects of treatment conditions on the removal of pollutants in the relation to sewage loading, sewage injection method and season according to the pebble kind. Removal rate of BOD and COD according to the sewage loading in effluent were over 95 and 77%, respectively. Removal rate of nitrogen in treated water by aerobic plot and effluent using sand were about 22~40 and 49~75%, respectively. Those of effluent using sand 75%+ oyster shell 25% and sand 50%+ oyster shell 50% as filter media in comparison with using sand were about 7~25 and 16~23%, respectively. Removal rate of phosphorus in treated water by aerobic plot and effluent using sand as filter media were about 30~36 and 52~56%, respectively. Those of effluent using sand 75%+ oyster shell 25% and sand 50%+ oyster shell 50% in comparison with using sand as filter media were about 11~40 and 12~45%, respectively. Removal efficiency of BOD and COD according to the intermittent injection method of sewage were slightly decreased, but those of nitrogen and phosphorus were little varied in comparison with continuous injection method. Removal efficiency of BOD and COD in winter in comparison with the others were little varied, but those of nitrogen and phosphorus slightly decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.81-101
• /
• 2011

This study was conducted to understand the environmental and ecological function of habitat through evaluation of water environment, soil environment, vegetation characteristics, macro-invertebrate characteristics, and visual habits environment evaluation (SVAP) in Hongdong stream located in Hongseong-Gun, Chungnam Province, and hereafter to utilize the results for the habits reconstruction and improvement project. As the results of water quality analysis, BOD, COD, T-P was almost below the standard quality from upper stream to down stream. The construction of small reservoir, wetland and water purification facility, and the management of non-point pollution are proposed to improve these problems. The soil texture was sandy soil, which is unfitted with vegetation development. The construction of shallows and bogs, and induction of soil sedimentation and biotope formation are proposed to improve these problems. In the plant flora, total 90 kinds were observed with 81 species and nine varieties in total 36 families and 85 genera, and the naturalization rate was higher at down area than upper area. As the results of macro-invertebrate fauna survey, total 26 species and 297 individuals in 20 families and 22 genera were collected. Peltodytes sinensis, Chironomidae sp., and Culicidae sp., which are observed at polluted environment, were collected as dominant species. An appropriate vegetation management party idea is necessary, and it is done an idea in consideration of the soil and a physical characteristic. Visual habits environment evaluation (SVAP) result was mostly determined with below normal (Fair) grade. Pollution source interception, purification pond establishment, and various bog establishment are proposed to improve these problems. With the above results, the ecological environment was determined with bad condition, and the improvement of biotope was urgently needed through sustainable monitoring and management of streams habitat in rural area.