• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.172-177
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• 2013

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases among elderly men. As the old-age population is increasing recently, it is to our interest to observe the growing BPH within them. In BPH, the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) acts as promotes prostate growth. It inhibits enzyme $5{\alpha}$-reductase that is involved in the conversion of testosterone to the DHT activity which reduces the excessive prostate growth. Through experiments, the effects of Phellius linteus water extract performed on the BPH rats were induced by testosterone treatments. For 12 weeks, Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with testosterone for the induction of BPH. Rats were divided into four experimental groups: the not treated group (N), the testosterone injection and D.W treatment group (TN), the testosterone injection and Phellinus linteus treatment group (TP) and testosterone injection and finasteride treatment group (TF). Prostate weight, volume and weight ratio in the TP group and the TF group were significantly lower than the TN group. Testosterone and DHT levels in the TN group were significantly higher than that of the N group. And the TP group was significantly decreased than that of the TN group. While prostates of control rats revealed severe acinar gland atrophy and stromal proliferation; the TP and TF groups showed trophic symptoms and were lined by flattened epithelial cells, thus, the stromal proliferation is relatively low as compared to the TN group. These suggest that Phellinus linteus water extracts may be an useful remedy for treating the benign prostatic hyperplasia.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.364-373
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• 2018

The present study assessed the efficient removal of nutrients and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) by using methyl esterified sericite (MES) and pine needle extracts (PNE), a low cost and abundant green hybrid material from nature. For this purpose, the optimal conditions were investigated, such as the pH, temperature, MES and PNE ratio, and MES-PNE dose. In addition, a Microcystis aeruginosa control using MES-PNE was also analyzed with various inhibition models. The removal of the nutrient and Chl-a onto MES-PNE was optimized for over 95% removal as follows: 2-2.5 for the MES-PNE ratio, 7-8 pH and a $22-25^{\circ}C$ temperature. In this respect, approximately 1.52-2.20 g/L of MES-PNE was required to remove each 1 g of dry weight/L of Chl-a. Total phosphorus (TP) has a greater influence on the increase in Chl-a than total nitrogen (TN) according to the correlation between TN, TP and Chl-a. Moreover, the Luong model was the best model for fitting the biodegradation kinetics data from Chl-a on MES-PNE from lake water. The novel hybrid material MES-PNE was very effective at removing TN, TP and Chl-a from the lake and can be applied in the field.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.2 s.107
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• pp.213-226
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• 2004

The present study was conducted to analyze the pattern of eutrophication of Korean reservoir with Chl. a concentration and morpho-physical parameters, and to valuate water quality characteristics of the classified types. The collected data from 486 reservoirs were classified as four types, with the Chl- a concentration (25 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) and the ratio of water storage/surface area (mean depth, 7.5 m). According to OECD criteria and trophic state index based on Chl-a concentration, 34.3 and 72.8% of selected reservoirs appeared to be eutrophic, respectively. Characteristics of TYPE ll reservoirs generally showed high Chl-a concentration, relatively old age, small DA/LA ratio, short Hydraulic retention time, large paddy field and field to watershed ratio, and high pollutant loading compared to other types of reservoirs. The difference of TP concentration was greater than that of TN concentration in reservoir water among classified four types. Based on TN/TP ratio (by weight), phosphorus was limiting nutrient in all types and more closely related with Chl- a concentration than nitrogen. Significant decrease of Chl- a concentration with increase of TN/TP ratio observed only in reservoirs with Chl-a concentration > 25${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$. Although drainage area is believed to be a factor that is related to the generation load of pollutants in the watershed, it did not show any significant relationship with water quality parameters. Morphometric characteristics such as depth and age of reservoir as well as type of land use patterns in the watershed was among important parameters for the assessment of water quality characteristics in Korean reservoirs.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1 s.106
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• pp.36-46
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• 2004

We evaluated the effect of limiting nutrients and N/P ratio on the growth of phytoplankton in a small eutrophic reservoir from November 2002 to December 2003. Nutrient limitation was investigated seasonally using nutrient enrichment bioassay (NEB). DIN/DTP and TN/TP ratio (by weight) of the reservoir during the study period ranged 17${\sim}$187 and 13${\sim}$60, respectively. Most of nitrogen in the reservoir account for $NO_3$-N, but sharp increase of ammonia was evident during the spring season. Seasonal variation of dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentration was relatively small. DTP ranged 26.5${\sim}$10.1 ${\mu}g\;P\;L^{-1}$, and the highest and lowest concentration was observed in August and December, respectively. Chlorophyll a concentration ranged 28.8${\sim}$109.7 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, and its temporal variation was similar to that of cell density of phytoplankton. Dominant phytoplankton species were Bacillariphyceae (Melosira varians) and Chlorophyceae (Dictyosphaerium puchellum) in Spring (March${\sim}$April). Cyanophyceae, such as Osillatoria spp., Microcystis spp., Aphanizomenon sp. dominated from May to the freezing time. TN/TP ratio ranged from 46 to 13 (Avg. 27${\pm}$6) from June to December when cyanobacteria (Microcystis spp.) dominated. p limitation for algal growth measured in all NEB experiments (17cases), while N limitation occurred in 8 out of 17 cases. The growth rates of phytoplankton slightly increased with decreasing of DIN/DTP ratio. Evident increase was observed in the N/P ratio of > 30, and it was sustained with DTP increase until 50 ${\mu}g\;P\;L^{-1}$. Under the same N/P mass ratio with the different N concentrations (0.07, 0.7and 3.5 mg N $L^{-1}$), Microcystis spp. showed the highest growth rate in the N/P ratio of< 1 with nitrogen concentration of 3.5 mg N $L^{-1}$). The responses of phytoplankton growth to phosphate addition were clearly greater with increase of N concentration. These results indicate that the higher nitrogen concentration in the water likely induce the stronger P-limitation on the phytoplankton growth, while nitrogen deficiency is not likely the case of nutrient limitation.

• Proceedings of the Microbiological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.113-120
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• 2001

The production of microcystins from Microcystis aeruginosa was investigated in a P-limited continuous culture and a batch culture. The microcystin content of M aeruginosa was higher at a lower $\mu$, whereas the microcystin (MC)-producing rate was linearly proportional to $\mu$. The ratios of the MC-producing rate to the C-fixation rate were higher at a lower $\mu$. Consequently, increases in the microcystin content per dry weight along with the production of the more toxic form, MC-LR, were both observed under more P-limited conditions. The microcystin content of M. aeruginosa exhibited a high correlation with the total N content regardless of N-fixed or P-fixed culture. The microcystin concentration was investigated from spring to autumn in 1999 in the Daechung Reservoir, Korea. The dominant species in the algal blooming season was Microcystis. When the microcystin concentration exceeded about 100 ng $1^{-1}$ the ratio of particulate to dissolved total nitrogen (TN) or total phosphorus (TP) interestingly converged at a value of 0.6. The microcystin concentration was lower than 50 ng $1^{-1}$ at a particulate N:P ratio below 8, whereas the microcystin concentration varied quite substantially from 50 ng $1^{-1}$ to 250 ng $1^{-1}$ at a particulate N:P ratio> 8.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.3 s.91
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• pp.260-266
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• 2000

Water quality parameters were surveyed in Lake Andong. Turbidity, temperature, secchi disc transparency (SD), phosphorus, nitrogen and chlorophyll a concentration were measured at dam site from July 1993 to December 1998. Minimum transparency in summer was only about 2 meters in 1993 and 1994, but it decreased to about 1 meter in 1997 and 1988. Total phosphorus concentration of the epilimnion increased slightly from $11{\sim}30\;mgP/m^3$ in 1993 to $18{\sim}42\;mgP/m^3$ in 1998. Total nitrogen concentration of the epilimnion decreased slightly from $1.81{\sim}2.96\;mgN/L$ in 1993 to $1.48{\sim}2.57\;mgN/L^3$ in 1998. TN/TP weight ratio decreased from $82{\sim}281$ in 1993 to $21{\sim}143$ in 1998 due to the increase of phosphorus concentration and the decrease of nitrogen concentration. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentration and the decrease of nitrogen concentration. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen concen tration of the epilimnion were in the range of $0.9{\sim}5.3\;mgP/m^3$ and $1.36{\sim}1.68\;mgN/L$, respectively. Chlorophyll a concentration in summer was in the range of $11.0{\sim}19.1\;mg/m^3$ in 1994, 1996 and 1997, but it decreased to $2.3{\sim}6.5\;mg/m^3$ in 1998. Trophic state of Lake Andong can be classified as mesotrophic to eutrophic from TP, TN and chlorophyll a concentration.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4 s.92
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• pp.366-373
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• 2000

Toxin production and low digestibility of cyanobacteria are known to cause low exploitability of cyanobacteria by zooplankton. In this study, we compared relative tolerance and compatibility of zooplankton taxa in eight eutrophic lakes, exposed to frequent cyanobacterial blooms, uring the summer season of 1999. Microcystis, Anabaena, Oscillatoria and Phormidium were common cyanobacteria in all lakes. with relatively lower $NO_3-N$ concentration (<0.2 mgN/l) and TN/TP ratio (<20), compared with other lakes where colonial cyanobacteria dominated. Rotifers were dominant zooplankton in most lakes, and among them, Keratella, Polyarthra and Hexathra were common. The laboratory feeding experiment showed that relative copepods that greatly decreased (90%) after 4 day when cyanobacteria were used as the food source of zooplankton, while rotifers gradually increased with the change of dominant taxa from Keratella through Pompholyx to Monostyla. These results suggest that rotifers may be capable of coexisting with cyanobacteria by exploiting them for the food source.