Cordyceps militaris is well known as a traditional herbal ingredient, which has been used for patients suffering from cancer in oriental medicine. In this study we have investigated the biochemical mechanisms of anti-proliferative effects by C. militaris extract(CBE) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. It was found that CBE treatment induced chromatin condensation, mitochondrial energization, annexin V staining and sub-G1 phase DNA content. These indicators of apoptosis correlate with the mitochondrial dependent pathway, which results in the activation of caspase-3 activity. Both the cytotoxic effect by CBE treatment were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, demonstrating the important role of caspase-3 in the observed cytotoxic effect. Co-treatment of CBE and LY294002, resulted in significantly induction of apoptosis. These results indicate that caspase-3 is a key regulator of apoptosis in response to CBE in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 through down regulation of Akt, and that the C. militaris extract may therefore have therapeutic potential against human breast cancer.

Cordyceps militaris is well known as a traditional herbal ingredient, which has been used for patients suffering from cancer in oriental medicine. In this study we have investigated the biochemical mechanisms of anti-proliferative effects by C. militaris extract(CBE) in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. It was found that CBE treatment induced chromatin condensation, mitochondrial energization, annexin V staining and sub-G1 phase DNA content. These indicators of apoptosis correlate with the mitochondrial dependent pathway, which results in the activation of caspase-3 activity. Both the cytotoxic effect by CBE treatment were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, demonstrating the important role of caspase-3 in the observed cytotoxic effect. Co-treatment of CBE and LY294002, resulted in significantly induction of apoptosis. These results indicate that caspase-3 is a key regulator of apoptosis in response to CBE in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 through down regulation of Akt, and that the C. militaris extract may therefore have therapeutic potential against human breast cancer.

Agaricus blazeiMurill is an edible mushroom distributed in Brazil and presently cultivated in other areas, including Korea, Japan, and China. Its chemical components, including steroids and lectin and various polysaccharides have been widely studied. For this, we used U937/vector and U937/Bcl-2 cells, which were generated by transfection of the cDNA of the Bcl-2 gene. As compared with U937/vector, U937/Bcl-2 cells exhibited a 4-fold greater expression of Bcl-2. Treatment with 0.5 or 4 mg/ml A. blazei Murill for 24 h produced morphological features of apoptosis in U937/vector cells, respectively. This was associated with caspase-3 activation and PARP degradation. In contrast, A. blazei Murill-induced caspase-3 activation and PARP degradation and apoptosis were significantly inhibited by z-DEVD-fmk in U937 cells. Bcl-2 overexpressing cells exhibited sustained caspase-3 activation and expression levels of the Bcl-2 proteins during A. blazei Murill-induced apoptosis. In addition, these findings indicate that Bcl-2 inhibits A. blazei Murill-induced apoptosis by a mechanism that interferes with Bcl-2 degradation and activity of caspase-3 that is involved in the execution of apoptosi.

Deacidification of waste cooking oil such as, palm oil or soybean oil, using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction has been widely investigated for reusing waste cooking oil. The deacidification process using scCO2 has been carried out under various experimental conditions temperature range between 40 and 100oC, pressure range between 20 and 35 MPa, CO2 flow rate range between 10 and 40 g/min, and extraction time range from 1 to 7 hours. The purified waste oils were characterized by their acid value and peroxide value measured. The optimized conditions were deduced in this paper at the temperature of 80oC, pressure of 20 MPa, and CO2 flow rate of 40 g/min. At the optimized operating condition the peroxide value was existed between 40 and 100. Also 80% of the purified oil was recovered. The properties of the purified oil were shown as similar to those of the pure oil.

This study was to investigate characteristics of Seoho watershed in Suwon city. BOD5 and SS were selected due to the one of the important factors of the water qualities. Monitoring was conducted monthly for four years during the non-rainfall time. Also, we have been monitored BOD5, CODMn, SS, TN and TP with two times sampling after the rainfalls. The highest concentrations of BOD5 and SS were observed in downstream compare with upstream and midstream during the non-rainfall time. No change was observed in BOD5 and CODMn during the non-rainfall time and after the rainfalls. The monitoring result indicated that the concentration of SS was the highest in downstream after the rainfalls. We have collected the samples two times after the rainfalls. The rainfall intensity in first sampling was two times higher than second sampling. TN and TP concentrations were increased with increasing the rainfall intensity at all stream. The ESB (Ecological Score of Benthic macroinverterbrate community) index was used to evaluate the statement of stream. ESB results were identified that the upstream is protected waters and the down and midstream is reformed waters. EBS analysis results indicated that the Seoho watershed was β-mesosaprobic at all stream.

Enzymatic biodiesel using lipase Novozyme-435 instead of using chemical catalyst was studied in this paper for cost reduction, increase of production efficiency and environment friendly product in this paper. In this paper the standard of biodiesel quality was met by using enzyme. The optimal reaction condition of methanol/waste oil molar ratio was 3, which 1 mol of methanol was injected at initial reaction. Then, each of 1 mol of methanol was injected at 4 hours of interval. Other reaction condition was like as follows : Reaction temperature, reaction time, agitation speed and amount of lipase were 55oC, 24 hours, 400 rpm, and 6wt%, respectively.

This study was to investigate the runoff characteristics of non-point pollutants source at the urban area in Suwon city. The highest T-N and T-P concentration of rainfall runoff observed in agricultural area. In residential area, the highest BOD5 and SS concentration of rainfall runoff was investigated. During rainfall events, the peak concentrations of SS and BOD5 were observed after 1~2 hours of rainfall in urban area. Whereas, the peak concentrations occurred within 1~2 hours after rainfall and then the highest concentrations of SS and BOD5 sharply decreased, showing strong first flush effect in urban area. The EMC results indicated that the highest value of T-N and T-P in agricultural area was observed. While residential area was shown the lowest EMC value as T-N and T-P. Non-point pollutant loads on the land use types in urban area were investigated in the order of residential>industrial>agricultural>highway. BOD5 and SS loads on urban watershed were investigated in the order of Suwon>Hwangguji>Seoho>Wonchunri. Whereas, T-N and T-P loads on urban watershed were investigated in the order of Hwangguji>Suwon>Wonchunri>Seho.

Field studies were conducted in the southeastern Korea (36~circ N) on a commerce silt loam soil at paddy field. Seed were manually planted on 16 July 2003. Plants were planted with plant densities of 70~times 10 cm (row width x plant spacing), 50 x 10 cm, and 30 ~times 10 cm. Two seedlings per hill were taken prior to V3 stage. Fertilizer was applied prior to plant at a rate of 30-30-34 kg (N-~textrmP2~textrmO5 -~textrmK2~textrmO ) per ha. Experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split plot arrangement with three replications. Yield from different planting densities responded similarly in three soybean cultivars and increased when planting density increased. Somyeongkong showed the highest increasing rate of yield about 26% by 338 g ~textrmm-2 at 30 x l0 cm compared to yield of conventional planting density (70 x 10 cm). Also, the planting density significantly affected pod and seed number and seed weight, but not seed per pod. The tallest plant appeared at 30~times 10 cm. The change of leaf area according to days after emergence showed differently in soybean cultivars. The highest and lowest total dry matter production per square meter appeared at 30 x 10 cm and at 70 x 10 cm, respectively. Crop growth rate (CGR) showed greater at R3∼R4 stages compared with V7∼R2 or R2∼R3 growth stages and showed the greatest at 30 x 10 cm in three soybean cultivars. As late planted soybean, there was a significant relation between seed yield and CGR, and leaf area index (LAI) according to planting densities at before and after the flowering stage. Relationship between seed yield and CGR in three planting densities showed a highly significant positive relation (~textrmR2 =0.757) at R3 to R4 stages, and significant relations (~textrmR2 =0.505, 0.617) at V7 to R2 and V2 to V3. Also, there was a highly significant positive difference between seed yield and LAI during R3 to R4 and R2 to R3 stages.

A species of facultative photo-organotrophic, purple, non-sulfur bacterium was isolated from the 47 point at west and south coast of Korea in September 2001. Separated 13 samples of changes with red color under 28～32 ℃, 3000 lux, anaerobe conditions for 7 days cultivated in basal medium. For pure isolation from 13 samples, we used agar-shake tube method (0.4 % agar) and separated 5 strains through 13-repetition test. EGH-24 and EGH-30 was identified as the same strain through the RAPD(Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA)-PCR of strain EGH-9, EGH-13, EGH-23, EGH-24, EGH-30. Four isolates cultivated in synthesis wastewater for wastewater biodegradation test. EGH-24 was selected with efficient wastwater treating strain. Based on the results obtained from morphology, nutrient requirements, major bacteriochlorophyll content, 16S-rDNA phylogenetic analysis, EGH-24 strain may be identified as a new strain of the genus Rhodobacter and named Rhodobacter sp. EGH-24.