• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.193-200
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• 2016

Purpose: New low-cost oilseeds are needed to meet an ever-increasing demand for oil for food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. African oil bean seed is a tropical crop that is underutilized and has high oil yields, but there have been no studies conducted on its mechanical oil expression up to now. The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of moisture content and seed dimensions on mechanical oil expression from the seeds. Methods: Fresh oil bean seeds were procured, de-hulled, and cleaned. Initial seed moisture content, obtained in accordance with the ASAE standard, was 12% dry basis (db). The seeds were further conditioned by dehydration and rehydration prior to oil expression to obtain four other moisture levels of 8, 10, 14, and 16% db. The major diameter of the seeds was measured using digital vernier calipers, and the seeds were classified into size dimensions (< 40, 41-45, 46-50, 51-55, and > 55 mm). The oil yield and expression efficiency were obtained in accordance with standard evaluation methods. Results: The highest oil yield and expression efficiency (47.74% and 78.96%, respectively) were obtained for a moisture content of 8% db and seed dimensions of < 40 mm, while the lowest oil yield and expression efficiency (41.35% and 68.28%, respectively) were obtained for a moisture content of 14% db and seed dimensions between 51-55 mm. A mathematical model was developed to predict oil yield for known moisture content and seed dimensions, with a coefficient of determination $R^2$ of 95% and the confidence level of the predictive model of 84.17%. The probability of prediction F ratio showed that moisture content influence was more significant than seed dimensions. Conclusions: The higher the moisture content and larger the seed dimensions, the lower the oil yield from African oil bean seeds.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2020

The biological activities of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) root extracts have been studied intensively, whereas there are limited number of studies on PG seed extract (PGSE). PGSE was prepared by ethanol extraction, and its antidiabetic effect was evaluated in mice with type 2 diabetes (C57BLKS/J-db/db). Results indicated that the administration of high-dose PGSE (600 mg/kg, wb) significantly stabilized the blood glucose levels, as evidenced by the results of the oral glucose tolerance test. Mice treated with high-dose PGSE exhibited significantly lower serum hemoglobin A1c, insulin, and leptin levels after eight weeks of feeding trial (p<0.05). High-dose PGSE administration significantly improved glucose uptake in the femoral muscle of db/db mice by activating both IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/AS160 and AMPK phosphorylation pathways. GLUT4 translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane increased 1.7-fold in the PGSE high-dose group. These results suggest that PGSE has potential for development as an antidiabetic agent.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.83-88
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• 2005

This study was to investigate the effect of psyllium seed husk (PSYL) on postprandial glucose control and insulin secretion dynamics in Sprague-Dawley rats. In experiment 1, the rise in postprandial serum glucose was monitored during a 240-min period using a maltose loading test In normal rats given 16.6 mg/l00 g B.W./ml of PSYL orally, all the blood glucose levels during the 240-min period did not show statistically significant differences from the corresponding levels in normal rats given water. However, in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats given the same amount of PSYL, the blood glucose level at 30 min was significantly lower than that in diabetic rats given water, and the peak time of the rise in the postprandial glucose was delayed In experiment 2, the normal (N) and diabetic (Db) rats were given PSYL (25 mg/l00 g B.W./ml/day) orally for 5 days. Blood samples were collected in order to measure the s-glucose and s-insulin levels. The final s-glucose level at day 5 in Db-PSYL was significantly lower than that in the corresponding control rats (Db-CONT) and the final s-insulin level in Db-PSYL was significantly greater than that in Db-CONT. In vitro 40-min pancreas perfusion was performed at day 5 in order to examine the insulin secretion dynamics. Results showed that the amounts of insulin secreted during the first phase (11-20 min) and the second phase (21-40 min) in the Db-PSYL were significantly greater than those in Db-CONT. Therefore, it is concluded that psyllium seed husk could be beneficial for controlling postprandial glucose levels in the stretozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and it may be partially mediated by insulin secretion dynamics.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2009

E. japonica is a well-known medicinal plant in Japan. The leaves of E. japonica were reported to have a hypoglycemic action. However, seeds of E. japonica are discarded and not used. To elucidate for anti-diabetic effects of E. japonica, Type 2 diabetic mice were allocated to control group, E. japonica leaf, and seed extract group. Animals were fed a 2018S Teklad global 18% protein rodent diet. Animals were received daily oral injections of E. japonica leaf or seed extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight for 6 weeks. Body weight, food intake and water intake, and total adipose tissue weight of animals were significantly reduced by feeding of E. japonica leaf extract. All E. japonica extract groups significantly decreased fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, size of adipocytes and serum adiponectins. However, they did not have a beneficial effect on the serum triglyceride and cholesterol in the diabetic animals. These results suggest that E. japonica seed and leaf extracts have a antidiabetic effect by controlling of blood glucose and decrease of size of adipocytes in db/db mice and seed extract is more effective in hypoglycemic action than leaf extract.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2019

The liquefaction is a phenomenon that the effective stress becomes zero due to the rapidly accumulated excess pore water pressure when a strong load acts on the ground for a short period of time, such as an earthquake or pile driving, resulting in the loss of the shear strength of the ground. Since the Geongju and Pohang earthquake, liquefaction brought increasing domestic attention. This liquefaction can be assessed mainly through the semi-empirical procedures proposed by Seed and Idriss (1982) and the liquefaction risk based on the penetration resistance obtained from borehole DB and SPT. However, the geotechnical information data obtained by the in-situ tests or boring information fundamentally have an issue of the representative of the target area. Therefore, this study sought to construct a ground information database by classifying and reviewing the ground information required for liquefaction assessment, and tried to solve the representative problem of the soil layer that is subject to liquefaction evaluation by performing spatial interpolation using GIS.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.161-167
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• 2022

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder that increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the anti-obesity effects of Nelumbo nucifera leaf (NL) extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and obese db/db mice. NL extract among various parts (leaf, seed, and root) of N. nucifera most effectively reduced adipogenesis via inhibiting CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The addition of NL extract enhanced the protein expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) as compared to untreated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The oral administration of NL extract (100 mg/kg BW) significantly reduced food efficacy ratio, body weight, and face or total cholesterol level in obese db /db mice. Also, administration of NL extract significantly decreased adipocyte size and C/EBPα or PPARγ expression in the adipose tissues as compared with control (obese db/db mice). Therefore, our results suggest that NL extract among various parts of N. nucifera could be used as a functional food ingredient for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.921-929
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• 2011

Stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling followed by increase of glucose uptake in L6 myotubes were studied with organic solvent extract of Malva verticillata (MV) seeds. Ethanol extract of M. verticillata seeds (MVE) significantly increased the phosphorylation level of AMPK, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and glucose uptake in L6 myotube cells. The MVE was fractionated with n-hexane (MVE-H), chloroform (MVE-C), ethylacetate (MVE-E), n-butanol (MVE-B), and water (MVE-W). MVE-H (150 ${\mu}g$/ml) showed the highest phosphorylating activity and increased glucose uptake by 2.3-fold. Oral administration of MVE-H (40 mg/kg) for 4 weeks to type 2 diabetic (db/db) mice reduced non-fasting and fasting blood glucose levels by 17.1% and 23.3%, respectively. Phosphorylation levels of AMPK and ACC in the soleus muscle and liver tissue of db/db mice were significantly increased by the administration of MVE-H. MVE-H was further fractionated using preparative HPLC to identify the AMPK-activating compounds. The NMR and GC-MS analyses revealed that ${\beta}$-sitosterol was a major effective compound in MVE-H. Phosphorylation levels of AMPK and ACC, and glucose uptake were significantly increased by the treatment of MVE-S (${\beta}$-sitosterol) isolated from M. verticillata to L6 cells, and these effects were attenuated by an AMPK inhibitor (Compound C) pretreatment. These results, taken together, demonstrate that increased glucose uptake in L6 myotubes by MVE-H treatment is mainly accomplished through the activation of AMPK. Our finding suggests that the extract isolated from M. verticillata seed would be beneficial for the treatment of metabolic disease including type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.361-367
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• 2002

In order to determine the optimum harvest time for the seed production of inbreds and hybrids in silage corn, the ears of sib-pollinated 'KS5', 'KS7rhm', and 'Ga209' and cross-pollinated 'KS5' $\times$ 'KS6' (Suwon19), 'KS7 rhm' $\times$ 'KSl17' (Suwonok), and 'Ga209' $\times$ 'DB544'(Kwanganok) were harvested at the one-week intervals from 4 to 10 weeks after silking. The optimum harvest time for the seed production for 'KS5', 'KS5' $\times$ 'KS6', 'KS7 rhm', and 'KS7rhm' $\times$ 'KS117' was 7 weeks after silking considering both emergence rate and plumule growth in cold test. Although earlier harvested seeds showed similar germination rate as the seeds harvested at the optimum time at $25^{\circ}C$, their emergence rate were lower in cold test. Seed weight and $\alpha$-amylase activity of earlier harvested seeds were lower compared to those of seeds harvested at the optimum time, while leakage of total sugars and electrolytes were higher. However, the later harvested seeds showed lower germination rates at $25^{\circ}C$ and emergence rates in cold test probably due to the lower $\alpha$-amylase activity although they showed increased seed weight and reduced leakage of total sugars and electrolytes. In contrast, the emergence rate of 'Ga209' and 'Ga209' $\times$ 'DB544' in cold test increased up to 10 weeks after silking probably due to the increased seed weight and $\alpha$-amylase activity and reduced sugar and electrolyte leakages during the germination. The cross-pollinated F$_1$ hybrid seeds showed higher germination and emergence rates at $25^{\circ}C$ and in cold test, and higher plumule growth and $\alpha$-amylase activity compared to those of sib-pollinated inbreds.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.212-223
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• 2015

Purpose: Physical properties of Detarium microcarpum seeds were investigated as a function of moisture content to explore the possibility of developing bulk handling and processing equipment. Methods: Seed size, surface area, and 1,000-seed weight were determined by measuring the three principal axes, measuring area on a graph paper, and counting and weighing seeds. Particle and bulk densities were determined using liquid displacement and weight in a measuring cylinder, respectively. Porosity was computed from particle and bulk densities. Roundness and sphericity were measured using shadowgraphs. Angle of repose and static and kinetic coefficients of friction were determined using the vertical cylindrical pipe method, an inclined plane, and a kinetic coefficient of friction apparatus. Results: In the moisture range of 8.2%-28.5% (db), the major, intermediate, and the minor axes increased from 2.95 to 3.21 cm, 1.85 to 2.61 cm, and 0.40 to 1.21 cm, respectively. Surface area, 1,000-seed weight, particle density, porosity, and angle of repose increased from 354.62 to $433.19cm^2$, 3.184 to 3.737 kg, 1060 to $1316kg/m^3$, and 30.0% to 53.1%, respectively, whereas bulk density decreased from 647.6 to $617.2kg/m^3$. Angle of repose increased from $13.9^{\circ}$ to $28.4^{\circ}$. Static and kinetic coefficients of friction varied between 0.096 and 0.638 on different structural surfaces. Conclusions: Arithmetic mean, geometric mean, and equivalent sphere effective diameters determined at the same moisture level were significantly different from each other, with the arithmetic mean diameter being greatest. Surface area, 1,000-seed weight, particle density, porosity, and angle of repose all increased linearly with moisture content. Bulk density decreased linearly with moisture content. The coefficients of friction had linear relationships with moisture content. The highest values of static and kinetic coefficients of friction were observed on galvanized steel and hessian fabric, respectively, whereas the lowest values were observed on fiberglass.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.337-353
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• 2018

We used Illumina/HiSeq sequencing for analysis of gene expression profiling among four maize seed types (dent, CM3 and CM6; waxy, CM5 and CM19) at 10 DAP (days after pollination). A total of 88,993,000 (CM3), 103,817,340 (CM6), 103,139,640 (CM5), and 66,978,958 (CM19) sequence reads were generated with read lengths of about 0.9, 1.0, 1.0, and 0.7 billion bp, respectively. We obtained 69.1 (CM3), 71.0 (CM6), 71.2 (CM5), and 71.8% (CM19) high quality reads from the raw data and compared them with reference RNA sequences in a public DB (NCBI). It was revealed that mapped reads were 58%, 63%, 62%, and 62% of the EST reference in CM3, CM6, CM5 and CM19, respectively; and more than 51,000 genes were expressed based on RPKM criteria (over 0.25 value) in each CM3, CM6, CM5, and CM19 inbred line. In differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, we found that 3,527 genes were differentially expressed by at least two-fold with 1,709 upregulated in the two waxy inbred lines and 1,818 upregulated in the two dent inbred lines. We also detected genes for the sucrose and starch biosynthesis pathways based on BINs, and different expression patterns between waxy and dent inbred lines were shown for the gene set for starch synthesis, such as sh2, bt2, du1, wx1, and ae1. Although some genes were more expressed in dent lines, most genes for starch synthesis were much expressed in waxy lines. Especially, there was greater expression of the sus2 gene in both waxy lines compared with the dent lines.