• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.326-331
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• 2013

A Korean folk medicine, "SinKyungCho" has been used to cure common cold and rheumatis. While this crude drug has similar morphological feature to that of Rubia species, the botanical origin has never been studied pharmacognostically. Therefore, in order to clarify the botanical origin of "SinKyungCho", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of Rubia species growing in Korea, i.e. R. akane, R. chinensis var. glabrescens, R. cordifolia var. pratensis, R. cordifolia var. sylvatica were studied. Especially, differing from the other three species, R. cordifolia var. pratensis has 2-4 cork cell layers under the endodermal cell layer. R. cordifolia var. sylvatica showed the largest number of parenchyma cell layers in cortex by 8-17. While the average ratio of stele to root transverse section is over 45% for R. akane and R. cordifolia var. pratensis, the ratio is under 45% for R. chinensis var. glabrescens and R. cordifolia var. sylvatica. According to these morphological criteria, the folk medicine "SinKyungCho" from Korean traditional market was proved to be the underground part of R. akane.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2000

Effects of Jasmonic Acid and Wounding on Polyphenol Oxidase Activity in Senescing Tomato Leaves The effects of jasmonic acid(JA) and wounding on polyphenol oxidase(PPO) during leaf senescence was investigated by measuring the PPO activity in detached tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) leaves of two-week-old seedlings. The PPO activity in the detached senescing leaves increased significantly in the dark. The leaf segments responded to the application of JA with accelerated senescence, as indicated by the loss of chlorophyll and rapid increase in the PPO activity. The senescence-promoting action of JA differed in the light and dark. Wounding the detached senescing leaves by scraping surface segments or making punctures with needles considerably delayed the loss of chlorophyll and had a significant effect on the PPO activity, the amounts of which were roughly proportional to the intensity of the wounding. In the dark, the combination of wounding plus JA resulted in stable levels of chlorophyll and PPO. JA and ABA acted similarly in both unwounded and wounded leaves, however, the amount of chlorophyll and PPO in the wounded segments was always higher than in the respective controls. JA was found to eliminate the senescence-retarding action of benzyladenine. In a histochemical localization test, the PPO activity was found to be localized in the cell walls of the parenchyma tissue, thereby indicating moderate cytoplasmic reactions. In the JA-treated plants, the PPO activity was intense in the cells of the cortex and phloem parenchyma. Accordingly, based on these observations it would appear that PPO is a component of a defense response maker, whereas JA plays an integral role in the intracellular signal transduction involved in inducible defense mechanisms.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.43-49
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• 2007

Anatomical properties of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) planted in a reclaimed-land of Korea were examined to understand the growth characteristics by an optical and scanning electron microscopy. The samples of kenaf were taken from four positions of the stem (3, 35, 70, 105 cm above from the ground) in four growth periods (July. August, September, October) from seeding planted in the middle of May. Bast fiber, phloem rays, cortex parenchyma cells and sieve tube members were observed in phloem, and vessel elements, fibers and rays in xylem. Solitary and multiple radial pores existed in xylem. The cell types of ray parenchyma in radial section were procumbent, upright, and square. The intervascular pitting showed an alternate type. Xylem proportion, the number of bast fibers and dimension of phloem rays increased with increasing growth period, and decreased with increasing stem height. The proportion of multiseriate rays was higher than that of uniseriate and biseriate rays in xylem with increasing growth period. On the other hand, The proportion of multiseriate rays was lower than that of uniseriate and biseriate rays in xylem with increasing stem height.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.918-928
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• 1998

The present study was done with two aims. First, to evaluate the radiographic measurements of liver volumes in normal and hepatomegaly dogs induced by carbon tetrachloride. Second, to investigate quantitative tissue echo pattern by ultrasonography. Gray level histogram of the normal liver and the kidney were estimated with carbon tetra-chloride intoxication. In normal, r-square for liver volume to body weight was 0.93372, and this showed direct linear regression. Gray level histograms of the normal liver and the kidney were $19.150{\pm}2.490$(mean${\pm}$SD) and $13.175{\pm}2.686$(mean${\pm}$SD) respectively(p < 0.01). Liver parenchymal echogenicity was more hyperechogenic than kidney cortex echogenicity. Liver/Kidney ratio was $1.504{\pm}0.313$ and it can be used relative comparison of liver and kidney parenchymal echogenicity. In carbon-tetrachloride($CCl_4$) intoxication, changes of liver volume appeared to increase up to 24 hours after administration (p < 0.05), and decreased gradually to normal level after 2~5 days. Gray level histogram of liver parenchyma decreased up to 24hours (p < 0.01) after intoxication and then gradually increased to normal level. But that of kidney cortex had no significant change. Liver/Kidney ratio also decreased by 2 days(p < 0.01) and then gradually increased to normal level. On histopathologic features of hepatic tissues in carbon tetrachloride intoxication, both coagulative necrosis of hepatic cell and hemorrhage of centrilobular & midzonal area were identified. Conclusively, plain radiography is a useful diagnostic method for evaluating liver volume in mild hepatomegaly. Especially, it is considered that an adequate numerical processing of the liver length, depth and thoracic width and depth measurement would be helpful. Using gray level histogram, ultrasonographic evaluation was useful objective methods in early diagnosis of diffuse hepatic disease.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.331-338
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• 2007

One-node stem pieces ca. 1 cm in length containing a axillary bud and a fully expanded leaf were obtained from it in vitro plants of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Leaves were removed and the nodes were cultured on the MS medium to investigate the effects of temperature, day length, sucrose, and CCC in microtuber formation and development. The fresh weight of microtubers after 80 days increased significantly at 8% sucrose and $20^{\circ}C$ compared with $28^{\circ}C$. The tuberization and development were reduced at $28^{\circ}C$ except short-day treatment of 8 hours at 8% sucrose. The fresh weight and diameter were increased on the culture medium added CCC 500 mg/L. The potato tuberization was promoted under short daylength, and it showed great effect by treatment with the CCC. Though the tuberization was promoted at low temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ in a histologic change of an axillary bud part cell of a potato, the cells were able to observe the swelling growth. Swelling growth of tissue was stimulated in the darkness and was more remarkable by addition of CCC. In particular, in the visual ratio of cell division for each position in the tissue, the cortex part showed larger ratio of cell expansion than that of the pith part. The effect of CCC was identified at 8% sucrose in the darkness. The effect of CCC was not showed in sucrose 3% under long daylength of 16 hours. As a result, the fact of a substance with AGPase important for starch composition was certified by the result with the inclose of AGPase activity on high concentration of sucrose, CCC, and dark treatment by which tuber formation and development are promoted.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.329-337
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• 2002

The morphology and cellular characteristics of adventitious roots, viz aerial roots, in the epiphytic American Ivy were examined to reveal structural changes of the aerial root upon surface attachment. Immature aerial roots were composed of parenchyma cells with dense cytoplasm containing plastids, however, the upper and lower epidermis were not distinguished. At early development, electron-dense substances (EDS) were constituents of much of the aerial root tissue, but the distribution of EDS varied within the tissue. The deposits appeared most concentrated in the superficial cell layers, with lesser amounts in cell layers closer to the cortex. Electron micrographs revealed that EDS deposits were always found in the vacuole, and were mainly associated with the tonoplast. While most of them occurred in the vacuole as small spherical deposits adjacent to the tonoplast, some deposits were oddly shaped or larger in size. Many of the vacuoles eventually filled with EDS, but the EDS content in those vacuoles decreased substantially after initial attachment to the surface. When the vacuoles became almost empty, cells near the epidermis already exhibited irregularity in outline. Subsequent breakdown of cellular components took place in the cells while they were still attached to the surface. This study suggests the potential role of EDS as substances involved in the surface attachment of the plant, however, further studies must be conducted to reveal the nature of EDS and the effects of EDS storage within these vacuoles.