• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.673-677
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• 2013

In order to examine the effects of Korean cucurbitaceous plants on sonic hedgehog pathway and growth of cancer cells with over-activated hedgehog pathway, we measured the sonic hedgehog conditioned medium (shh-CM) induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and cell viability of pancreatic cancer cell lines by treatment of cucurbitaceous plants. Among the tested cucurbitaceous plants, Actinostemma lobatum Maxim, Cucumis sativus L., Momordica charantia L., Schizopepon bryoniaefolius Maxim and Trichosanthes kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam showed the potent inhibitory effects (> 50 % at $20{\mu}g/mL$) on shh-CM induced ALP activity. We also evaluated the cell viability of pancreatic cancer cells treated with the cucurbitaceous plants. The tested cucurbitaceous plants showed the very weak effects on cancer cell proliferation but, T. kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam presented the inhibitory effect of 72.7 % on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells at $20{\mu}g/mL$. Taken together, we screened the effects of Korean cucurbitaceous plants on shh-CM induced ALP activity and cell viability of pancreatic cancers to search for the modulators of the hedgehog pathway leading to the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. T. kirilowii Max, var. japonica Kitam, among the tested cucurbitaceous plants, showed the inhibitory effects on the shh-CM induced ALP activity and the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2014

This study was conducted to determine the effects of seed storage temperature and pre-treatment on seed germination, seedling quality and vigor index of wild Trichosanthes kirilowii and Trichosanthes kirilowii var. japonica. As a result the highest germination rate of T. kirilowii was the 95% at seed stored in room temperature and then soaking for 24 hours in $dH_2O$. And the highest germination rate of T. kirilowii var. japonica was 96% at seed stored in $2^{\circ}C$ and then soaking for 24 hours in $GA_3$ (100 ppm). But the seed germination rate was non-significance in pre-treatment at seed stored in room temperature $2^{\circ}C$. Seedlings of T. kirilowii and T. kirilowii var. japonica showed not only the best seedling quality but also seedling vigor index in seed stored at $2^{\circ}C$ and then soaking for 24 hours in $GA_3$ (100 ppm). In this research, T. kirilowii and T. kirilowii var. japonica seed were stored in room temperature or $2^{\circ}C$, and then sown in peat moss, seed germination rate was more than 90% and production of superior quality seedlings.

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.40-49
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• 2012

The NE Asiatic Solidago virgaurea complex in Korea has been reported on 5 taxa (S. virgaurea subsp. asiatica, S. virgaurea var. taquetii, S. virgaurea var. coreana, S. virgaurea subsp. leiocarpa, and S. virgaurea subsp. gigantea). However, the broad morphological variations and a lack of diagnostic characteristics have made it difficult to distinguish these taxa and have thus resulted in a complicated taxonomy in the complex. Therefore, to clarify the classification and delimitation of each taxon, the morphological characteristics of the S. virgaurea complex were investigated by examining the original descriptions and type specimens. Field work was also conducted to investigate the morphological and geographic features. In conclusion, S. japonica Kitam., as a legitimate name, was distributed all over the country except for the Is. Ulleung-do in Korea, as distinguished from S. virgaurea L. Both S. virgaurea var. taquetii and S. virgaurea var. coreana were considered as synonyms of S. japonica, as their morphological characteristics were within the variation range of those of S. japonica. Furthermore, S. virgaurea subsp. leiocarpa does not occur in Korea. Additional investigations are required to clarify the classification of S. virgaurea subsp. gigantea, whose populations were not found during the investigation in this study. S. dahurica, meanwhile, was distributed in the northern part of North Korea.