• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.242-251
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• 2019

Background: Korean Red Ginseng has been widely used in traditional oriental medicine for a prolonged period, and its pharmacological effects have been extensively investigated. In addition, Angelica gigas and deer antlers were also used as a tonic medicine with Korean Red Ginseng as the oriental herbal therapy. Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate the potential toxicological effect of KGC-HJ3, Korean Red Ginseng with angelica gigas and deer antlers, on reproductive and developmental functions including fertility, early embryonic development, maternal function, and embryo-fetal development. KGC-HJ3 was administered by oral gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats (22 animals per sex per group) at dose levels of 0 mg/kg (control), 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg, and 2000 mg/kg to evaluate the potential toxicological effect on fertility and early embryonic development. In addition, KGC-HJ3 was also administered by oral gavage to mating-proven Sprague-Dawley rats (22 females per group) during the major organogenesis period at dose levels of 0 mg/kg (control), 500 mg/kg, 1000 mg/kg, and 2000 mg/kg to evaluate the potential toxicological effect on maternal function and embryo-fetal development. Results and conclusion: No test item-related changes in parameters for fertility, early embryonic development, maternal function, and embryo-fetal development were observed during the study period. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that KGC-HJ3 did not have toxicological potential on developmental and reproductive functions. Therefore, no observed adverse effect levels of KGC-HJ3 for fertility, early embryonic development, maternal function, and embryo-fetal development is considered to be at least 2000 mg/kg/day.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.183-187
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• 2007

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) playa key role in development of atherosclerosis. To take into account the atherogenic properties of MCP-1 and IL-8 and its influence on insulin resistance, we examined circulating levels of MCP-1 and IL-8 in adults. We recruited 292 subjects (84 males and 208 females) aged between 29 and 79 years. MCP-1 and IL-8 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Age, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels were significantly higher in female subjects (P<0.01, respectively), but diastolic blood pressure (BP) was significantly lower in female subjects compared to male subjects. MCP-1 and IL-8 levels were tended to increase with age, the highest in their seventies. MCP-1 (P=0.05) and IL-8 (P<0.01) levels were higher in males than in females. MCP-1 was positively correlated with age (r=0.17, P<0.05), IL-8 (r=0.26, P<0.01), fasting insulin (r=0.30, P<0.01), and HOMA-IR (r=0.29, P<0.01). In linear regression analysis, age was found to be independent factor associated with MCP-1 adjusted by age, BMI, fasting glucose, triglyceride, and systolic BP. In conclusion, age was found to be independent factor associated with MCP-1. It is possible that an increase of MCP-1 in adults with age may be risk to atherosclerosis and diabetic properties.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.391-397
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• 2017

Skeletal deformities are significant problems that affect the growth and commercial value of fish reared in hatcheries. However, studies of bone metabolic process related to skeletal deformities are limited. We investigated the potential correlation between bone deformities and plasma calcium, phosphorus, and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels in reared red spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) juveniles. We collected E. akaara frys from private farms at 110, 140, 180 and 300 days after hatching (DAH), and classified the normal and deformed fish by observing their external shape and inner frame by soft X-ray. We also analyzed the calcium, phosphorous, and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels in their plasma. A comparison between normal and deformed fish, indicated that calcium and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels were higher in deformed fish than in the normal at 180 and 300 DAH. The level of phosphorus was also higher in deformed individuals than in normal fish, but only at 300 DAH. These results suggest that skeletal deformities are associated with increases in plasma calcium, phosphorus, and estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.53-80
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• 2021

The main objective of this study is to determine whether there have been TFP increases in the Korean manufacturing sector due to trade liberalization since the 1990s. Based on the methodology proposed by Pavcnik (2002), which focuses on the channel through which trade liberalization measures enhance overall industrial productivity by triggering the exit of low-productivity firms, this study tests the following two hypotheses: first, the TFP increase in the Korean tradable industry is not higher than that in the non-tradable industry, and second, plants with lower TFP levels did not exit from the tradable industry. Through the rejection of these two hypotheses, it is possible to infer indirectly the effect of trade liberalization on firm productivity rates in Korea since the 1990s. First, this analysis reveals that since the 1990s, the TFP of the tradable sector compared to the non-tradable sector presented a statistically meaningful increase only in the 2000s, when China joined the WTO and trade increased sharply between Korea and China. Secondly, TFP growth in the tradable sector was positively affected by exits, as it was plants with lower TFP levels that ceased to exist.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.95-103
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the influences of dietary levels, ratios and sources of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the growth and fatty acid compositions of juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Sixteen diets containing five levels of EPA (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 4.0%), five levels of DHA (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 4.0%), three ratios of EPA/DHA (75/25, 50/50 and 25/75), two levels of squid liver oil (5% and 10%) and a control diet containing 5% soybean oil were hand-fed to triplicate groups of fish (average weight, $9.7{\pm}0.3g$) for 8 weeks. Survival, specific growth rate, feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio of fish were not affected by dietary EPA and DHA levels or ratios. Also, the dietary treatment had no significant effect on the lipid and protein contents of muscle and whole body of fish. A corresponding increase in the EPA and DHA contents of fish occurred with increasing EPA and DHA levels in their diets. Our results suggest that juvenile olive flounder require a dietary EPA level of approximately 0.32% in the presence of 0.74% DHA for suitable survival and growth, and that EPA and DHA levels in fish muscle can increase to as much as 32% and 53%, respectively, of the total fatty acid content.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.547-560
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• 2022

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract on the growth performance and physiological properties of broiler chicks. Two diet energy levels (Positive and Negative) and four additives (0.0, 0.05, and 0.1% peanut shell extract and commercial antioxidant) were factorially arranged for eight treatments. The overall weight gain of the broilers was slightly improved at 0.05% for the antioxidant treatments regardless of the diet energy levels, but there was no statistical difference among the treatments (p > 0.05). The carcass characteristics of the broilers, such as cooking loss, crude protein content, antioxidant activity, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, were improved by the feeding diets containing the 0.05% peanut shell extract. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract did not have a negative effect on the immune responses of the broilers show by the lack of statistical differences in the liver and bursa Fabricious weight and cytokine level among the treatments. From the economic analysis, dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract significantly influenced the compensatory growth and food efficiency and, in turn, led to a decrease in the duration needed to reach 1.5 kg compared to the control. These results suggest the possibility that the peanut shell extract could be used as a functional feed additive by improving the growth performance and carcass characteristics with no detrimental effects on broilers.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.21-35
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• 1967

Anemia is a usual finding in advanced malignant diseases. Various mechanisms were reported as to be involved in the development of anemia of this kind, and they may differ in individual cases. Tumor anemias may be due, for instance, to chronic blood loss, shortened life span of the red blood cells or a decreased hemopoiesis in the bone marrow. The serum iron and copper levels, total iron binding capacity, apparent half survival of $^{51}Cr$-labelled red blood cells were measured along with the ferrokinetic studies using $^{59}Fe$ in 64 patients with various malignant tumors. Following were the results: 1. The serum iron levels were decreased in all cases. There existed no correlation between the serum iron levels and the severity of the diseases. 2. The serum copper levels were increased, particularly in lung cancer, rectal cancer, hepatoma and various sarcomas. There was also no correlation between the serum copper levels and the severity of the diseases. 3. The serum iron levels appeared to be inversely proportional to the serum copper levels. 4. The total iron binding capacities were within normal limits in all cases. There were also no correlations between the total iron binding capacities, serum iron levels and the severity of the diseases. 5. The patients could be classified according to the ferrokinetic patterns, namely, that of iron deficiency anemia in 10 cases, that of refractory anemia in 6 cases, normal in 1 case and that of atypical abnormal in 9 cases. 6. Apparent half survival time of $^{51}Cr$-labelled red blood cells were definitely shortened in half of the cases.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.232-238
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• 2015

Background: A relationship between low vitamin D levels and the development or outcomes of respiratory diseases has been identified. However, there is no data on the vitamin D status in patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP). We evaluated the vitamin D status in patients with AEP among South Korean military personnel. Methods: We prospectively compared the serum levels of total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], 25(OH)D3, and 25(OH)D2 among patients with AEP, pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Results: In total, 65 patients with respiratory diseases, including AEP (n=24), PTB (n=19), and CAP (n=22), were identified. Of the 24 patients with AEP, 2 (8%) had deficient total 25(OH)D levels (<10 ng/mL), 17 (71%) had insufficient total 25(OH)D levels (${\geq}10$ to <30 ng/mL), and only 5 (21%) had sufficient total 25(OH)D levels (${\geq}30$ to <100 ng/mL). The difference in the total 25(OH)D levels among patients with AEP, PTB, and CAP was not statistically significant (p=0.230). The median levels of total 25(OH)D, 25(OH)D3, and 25(OH)D2 were 22.84, 22.84, and 0.00 ng/mL, respectively, and no differences in the 25(OH)D level were present among patients with AEP, PTB, and CAP with the exception of the total 25(OH)D level between patients with AEP and PTB (p=0.042). Conclusion: We have shown that low vitamin D levels are frequently found in patients with AEP and are comparable with those in patients with PTB and CAP.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.226-231
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• 2005

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementary diet in infants. Influence of appropriate dietary habits on infants was also examined by being applicable to diets fortified chewiness as a means of intervention. The iron supplementary diet was supported to the healthy infants twice a day for three months. Measures of hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC count, serum iron, TIBC, ferritin, development examination, and dietary intake patterns of experimental group (n = 25) and control group (n = 20) were performed before and after the intervention. The amount of iron intake from the supplementary diet in the experimental group was $1.77{\pm}0.80 {\cal}mg/day$. After the intervention period, the experimental group not only had increased intakes of grains also decreased intakes of milk. Outcomes observed in infants receiving iron intervention showed that the improved trend of excessive milk intakes and the possibility as a regular diet by serving the iron supplementary diet which can apply to main dish. All measures in blood did not provide significant differences except TIBC between the experimental and the control group before the intervention. But, after the intervention, the experimental group improved most levels of measures, especially significance in hemoglobin, but serum iron. Development of two groups did not differ significantly and both groups were in the range of normal infants' development. However, the levels of MDI and PDI evaluated by BSID-II in the experimental group were slightly higher than the control. Furthermore, the development of cognitive and languistic function was associated with infant growth in the experimental group. In conclusion, this research demonstrated that the iron supplementary diet could affect the iron status and the development of infants despite low-dose supplementation of iron.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.920-928
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• 2023

Objective: Angora rabbits fed a low-protein diet exhibit decreased hair production performance. This study was set out to evaluate the effects of methionine on hair properties and nitrogen metabolism in Angora rabbits fed a low-protein diet and to investigate the gene expression related to hair follicle development to determine the possible molecular mechanism of methionine effects on hair follicle development. Methods: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of DL-methionine addition on a low-protein diet on hair development in Angora rabbits. Angora rabbits were divided into 5 groups: fed a normal diet (control), fed a low-protein diet (LP), or fed an LP supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.6% DL-methionine (Met). Results: The results showed that rabbits in the LP group had lower wool yield than the control rabbits, but the addition of 0.4% to 0.6% Met to LP attenuated these effects (p<0.05). Dietary addition of 0.4% to 0.6% Met to LP increased the apparent nitrogen digestibility, nitrogen utilization rate, and feed efficiency (p<0.05). Feeding LP decreased the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), keratin-associated protein (KAP) 3.1, and KAP 6.1 mRNA levels compared with the control, but the addition of 0.4% Met in LP attenuated these effects (p<0.05). Relative to the LP or control group, dietary addition of 0.4% Met increased versican mRNA levels. Conclusion: In conclusion, the addition of Met to LP could improves wool production performance and feed efficiency and reduce nitrogen emissions in Angora rabbits. Met can promote hair follicle development, which may be associated with IGF1, KAP, and the versican signaling.