Colon cancer is known as the third most widespread cancer in the world. The interaction of heme-iron and ascorbic acid (AA) in colon carcinogenesis is not evident. Hemin (ferric chloride heme) is an iron-containing porphyrin with chlorine that can be formed from a heme group. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of AA on the formation of pre-neoplastic lesions induced by azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) plus hemin in mice. Forty-five ICR male mice were divided into three experimental groups; AOM/ DSS treatment (control group), hemin (2 g hemin/kg of b.w.), hemin + AA (1.0% in drinking water). The mice had three s.c. injections (0–2nd weeks of the experiment) of AOM (10 mg/kg b.w.) weekly and 2% DSS as drinking water for the next one week and the animals fed on AIN-76A purified rodent diet for 6 weeks. The numbers of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (ACs) in colonic mucosa were counted after methylene blue staining. Lipid peroxidation in feces was measured by the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay. The numbers of ACF and ACs per colon significantly increased in Hemin group compared to the control group. However, the numbers of ACF and ACs per colon notably decreased in hemin + AA group compared to the control group or hemin group (p<0.05). In feces, the TBARS value of hemin group was higher than the control group (p<0.01). The TBARS value of hemin + AA group was slightly decreased compared to Hemin group. These results indicate that hemin can promote the experimental colon carcinogenesis in ICR mice. On the other hand, additional supplement of AA via drinking water has a protective effect against the colon carcinogenesis. The related mechanisms need to be illustrated by further studies in future.

Globally, colon cancer is increased gradually and known as one of the major causes of cancer death. Stevia, a substitute of sugar, is known to have many components including alpha-tocopherol and anthocyanin etc, as antioxidants. This study's purpose is to investigate whether stevia plant extract can have a protective effect against colon carcinogenesis induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in mice. Total 30 male ICR mice were divided into 2 groups; AOM/DSS treatment (control group), AOM/DSS + stevia extract (0.5%, in drinking water). After acclimation for 1 week, five weeks old mice received three intraperitoneal AOM (10 mg/kg b.w.) injections weekly for 3 weeks (0–2nd weeks of the experiment) and 2% DSS as drinking water for the next one week. AIN-76A purified rodent diet and 0.5% stevia extract water were supplied to the animals for 6 weeks. The colons of mice were collected and the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and aberrant crypts (ACs) in colonic mucosa were counted after staining with methylene blue. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in feces were determined. The numbers of ACF and ACs were significantly (p<0.01) decreased in stevia-treated group compared with the control group. The MDA concentration in feces was also significantly (p<0.01) decreased in stevia-treated group compared with the control group. In histopathology of colonic epithelium, hyperplasia of colonic epithelium was less observed in steviatreated group. These results indicate that stevia has a protective effect against colon carcinogenesis induced by AOM/DSS in mice and further study needs to illustrate the protective mechanisms.

There is a growing global interest in food choices that could affect health. Consumer food choices are dictated by numerous factors such as attitudes, beliefs, desires and preferences stemming from psychological and physiological attributes. The present study aimed to understand consumers’ internal perceptions about cream soup, cream sauce, and tomato sauce using ZMET (Zaltman’s Metaphor Elicitation Technique). The 9 step ZMET interview process was conducted for a sample of 36 consumers (12 consumers for each sauce). A content analysis of the survey results was carried out. From this, 56 concepts of cream soup were derived, and 15 constructs that met with the agreement of more than one-third of the total sample consumers were extracted. These 15 constructs included ‘Soft’, ‘Recollection’, ‘Familiar’, ‘Warm’, ‘Comfortable’, etc. Similarly, for cream sauce, 67 concepts and 20 constructs ‘Silky’, ‘Warm’, ‘Restaurant’, ‘Family’, ‘Memory’, etc. were deduced. A total of 66 concepts and 20 constructs for tomato sauce ‘Sourness’, ‘Sauce Bottle’, ‘Pleasant’, ‘Ingredient’, ‘Cooking’, etc. were derived. The analysis of consumers’ consensus maps through this study provides a deep and useful understanding of consumers and their latent needs. Also, the results of this study indicate that exploring consumers’ internal perceptions is critical to understanding their healthy food choices. This can be used as basic data for formulating marketing strategies.

Consumers want to express their original unique personality, and even are willing to endure high expenses in order to do this. One noticeable strategy in the market, used by companies to suit for this consumer sentiment, is that of employing limited edition marketing and limited free gifts. This study investigated the effects of limited free gifts on consumer response. Specifically, the present study examined how the need for uniqueness moderated the effects of limited free gifts on brand commitment and attitudes. The online survey method was used to gather the data and a total of 224 data were used to analyze data. The results of the research were as follows. The findings revealed four dimensions of limited free gifts: scarcity/specialty, not for sale, complementarity, and risk. Complementarity positively affected brand commitment, while all four dimensions of limited free gifts positively influenced brand attitude. In addition, the need for uniqueness was proven to be the strongest variable which positively influenced brand commitment and attitudes. Also, when the need for uniqueness was applied as a moderating variable, depending on the levels of the need for uniqueness, the effects of riskiness on the consumer’s response were shown to be different. The findings of this study infer various academic and practical applications.

열대 및 아열대 아메리카 지역이 원산지인 열대거세미나방(신칭; Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797))은 최근 전세계적에서 돌발적으로 문제가 되고 있는 농업 해충이다. 높은 비행능력을 가진 열대거세미나방은 2016년 아프리카를 시작으로 2018년 인도, 2019년 동남아시아에서 발견되어 확산 속도가 매우 빠르다. 한국에서 열대거세나방은 2019년 6월 13일 제주도 옥수수 재배 농가포장에서 처음 발견되었고, 그 후 2019년 7월 초까지 전라도, 경상남도의 여러 시/군에서 추가로 발견되었다. 한국에서 최초 침입집단을 미토콘드리아 COI유전자를 이용하여 열대거세미나방임을 유전적으로 동정하였고, 서로 다른 분기군에 속하는 2개의 haplotypes(hap-1, hap-2)으로 구성됨을 확인하였다. 분석된31개의 COI 염기서열 중 hap-1 이 93.5%로 우점하였다.

미국선녀벌레에 방제효과가 높은 3종 (데리스, 시트로넬라, 계피)의 식물추출물과 보조제 (잔탄검과 실리콘 계열 화합물)를 함유하는 조성물을 개발하였다. 이 조성물은 인삼 재배지에서 미국선녀벌레 방제효과가 90% 이상으로 높았다. 또한 다른 흡즙성 해충에도 살충률이 높아 PLS (positive list system) 전면 시행에 따른 대응방안으로 활용이 가능할 것으로 생각된다.