In recent years, interest in edible insects has increased, and the number of farmers that breed insects in large quantities is increasing. As a result of mass breeding of insects, the damage from diseases and mites is also increasing. The chief aims of the investigation reached during some work are briefly stated. In this experiment, the kinds of mites and the environment of mites occurring in beneficial insects were investigated. The species with the highest frequency were Sanacassania sp., Tyrophagus sp., Canestriniidae and Gaeolaelaps sp.. Sanacassania sp. and Canestriniidae of them are reported as parasitic mites on beneficial insects.

Chrysanthemum boreale Makino (C. boreale) is widely distributed in Asian countries, and has traditionally been used to treat various inflammatory diseases including bronchitis. In this study, we aimed to isolate biologically active compounds from leaves and stems of C. boreale. Chemical components were purified by column chromatograpy and recyclic HPLC, and characterized from their spectral data (IR, MS, NMR). Biological activity experiments were conducted for Farnesyl-protein transferase (FPTase) activity, apoptosis and nitirc oxide (NO) release. As a results, three sesquiterpene lactones were isolated. Compound 1 (4-methoxy-8-O-acetyl-10-hydroxy-2,11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide) showed strong cytotoxic activities having an average growth inhibition of 50% (GI50) value of 1.89 ㎍/㎖against human colon adenocarcinoma cells. Compound 1 also showed a low half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 10 ㎍/㎖ for NO release. In the caspase 3 activity, compound 1 and compound 2 (8-O-(2-carbonyl-2-butyl)-3,10-dihydroxy-4,11(13) -guaiadiene-12,6-olide) exhibited 94% and 90% apoptosis inhibition activity, respectively. Compound 3 (4,8-O-diacetyl -10-hydroxy-2(3),11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide) showed a strong inhibitory effect on FPTase activity with 90% inhibitory activity at a concentration of 100 ㎍/㎖. These results clearly show the presence of lactone compounds in the leaves and stems, which may partially contribute to the pharmacological activity of C. boreale.

Chrysanthemum boreale Makino is widely distributed in Korea, China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. C. boreale is one of the herbs used for treating various inflammatory diseases in oriental medicine. The present study was conducted to identify biologically active compounds from the leaves and stems of C. boreale. We isolated two sesquiterpene sactones from the leaves and stems of C. boreale using silica gel column chromatography and recyclic high perfomance liquid chromatography. The lactones were characterized by their spectroscopic data (NMR, IR, MASS). These compounds were subjected to Farnesyl Protein Transferase (FPTase) inhibition, Nitric Oxide (NO) release inhibition and apoptosis inhibition. The structur of the following isolated compound were elucidated 8,10-o-Acetyl-2-methoxy-10-hydroxy-3,11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide and 4,10-dihydroxy -8-o-Acetyl-2,11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide. In the NO release inhibition assay, compound 2 showed strong activities, with an IC50 value of 7 μg/mL, whereas compound 1 did not exhibit significant activity with an IC50 value of over 14 μg/mL against murine macrophage.

Acyltransferase (AT) catalyzes the transfer of an acyl moiety from acyl-coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) to an acceptor. ATs play important roles in the maintenance of homeostasis in the human body and have been linked to various diseases; therefore, several ATs have been proposed as potential targets for the treatment or prevention of such diseases. The AT family includes acyl-CoA:cholesterol AT (ACAT), diacylglycerol AT, and monoacylglycerol AT for the metabolism of lipids. Furthermore, recent molecular biological studies revealed the existence of their isozymes with distinct functions in the body. ACAT plays a critical role in the formation of cholesteryl esters from cholesterol and fatty acids, and is a potential target for treating hypercholesterolemia. During an experiment designed to discover biologically active compounds from herbal medicines, we isolated two known guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones from Chrysanthemum boreale Makino (Compositae). The lactones were characterized from their spectroscopic data (NMR, IR, MASS). These compounds were subjected to ACAT inhibition assay. Here, we report the isolation and structural elucidation of the compounds 8-o-acetyl-2-methoxy-10-hydroxy-3,11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide and 8-acetyl-3,10-hydroxy-4(15),11(13)-guaiadiene-12,6-olide. In the ACAT inhibition assay, compound 1 showed strong inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value 45 μg/mL, whereas compound 2 did not exhibit significant inhibitory activity with an over 100 μg/mL.

This study is an endeavor to evaluate the safety of medicines from heavy metals, prescribed on the basis of herbal medicinal system and oriental medical prescription which are circulated much recently. For that, three globular types, four extract granular types and four liquid types of herbal medicine were bought to compare and analyze the content of heavy metals, such as As, Pb, Cd and Hg, which are harmful to human body. The concentration of Pb was found to be 0.552 ppm in Sachiltang, 2.552 ppm in Anjungjogiwhan and 1.735 ppm in Cheongsangbohwawhan in case of pill type herbal medicine, and liquid type herbal medicine, Maekmundongtang was 0.002 ppm, Galgeuntang was 0.003 ppm, Sangwhatang was 0.004 ppm, 20jeon Daebotang was 0.0185 ppm. And the concentration of Pb was found to be 0.322 ppm in Banhasasimtang, 0.47 ppm in Eungjosan, 0.29 ppm in Yukmijihwangtang, 0.64 ppm in Socheongryongtang in case of granular type. It was found that the liquid types herbal medicines were relatively safer than three pill types of, four granular types of and four liquid types herbal medicines were tested for concentration of heavy metals. It is considered that is required in the stage of raw material treatment, manufacturing and packaging because those herbal medicines are directly taken in and absorbed into human body through the final treatment process.

We studied concentration of heavy metals in Sagunjatang. In this experiment was analyzed the concentration of heavy metals of boiled Sagunjatang, decoction and its ingredient herbal medicines. The concentration of heavy metals(As, Pb, and Cd) were analysed using ICP-AES, and Hg was analysed by mercury analyzer. The average concentration of heavy metals in Sagunjatang were as follows : In all ingredient herbal medicines (Glycyrrhizae Radix, Atractylodes Macrocephala, Poria Cocos and Jinseng) of Sagunjatang, As(arsenite) contents in all samples was in the range of 0.369-0.723ppm, Cd(cadmium) was in the range of 0.000-0.085ppm, Pb(lead) was in the range of 0.059-0.871ppm and Hg(mercury) was in the range of 0.001-0.004ppm. In boiled Sagunjatang, the concentration of heavy metals(As, Pb, Cd and Hg) was in the range of 0.000-0.016ppm, respectively. In the decoction of herbal medicines after boiled, the concentration of heavy metals was in the range of 0.004-0.387ppm. These results suggest that Sagunjatang which we take is less harmful than herbal medicine itself, and there are more significant for using the decoction of herbal medicines.

The concentrations of fourteen mineral and trace elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Se, Ba, Co, Cu, V, Pb, Hg, Cd and As) were determined in Ganoderma Lucidum and their infusions consumed for medical purposes collected from Vietnam, China and some places in Korea. Concentrated acid digestion procedure was applied under optimized conditions for dissolution of these medicinal fungi. Element concentrations in these fungi and their infusions were then determined by ICP-AES. The mineral and trace element content of these samples and their infusions showed a wide variability. However, distribution of some elements in the infusions is not high.

To obtain the safety evaluation of the ginseng, residues of heavy metals in culture environment of ginseng on Punggi and Sangju, Kyeongbuk are surveyed. The concentration for component of ginseng on Punggi and Sangju were 14.12 mg/kg and 15.74 mg/kg, respectively. The concentration for general component such as crude fiber, ash, crude lipid, crude protein, carbohydrate, of ginseng were coincided between Punggi and Sangju. The concentration for As, Pb, Cd, and Hg in soil on Punggi were 14.24 ppb, 43.13 ppb, 8.73 ppb and 0.82 ppb, respectively. The concentration for As, Pb, Cd, and Hg in soil on Sangju were 19.20 ppb, 54.82 ppb, 15.90 ppb and 1.04, respectively. Residual heavy metals are not polluted in the soil with culture ginseng on Punggi and Sangju. The concentration for As, Pb, Cd, and Hg with ginseng on Punggi were 29.30ppb, 21.78 ppb, 1.32 ppb and 2.72 ppb, respectively. The concentration for As, Pb, Cd, and Hg with ginseng on Sangju were 3.22 ppb, 24.43 ppb, 1.44 ppb and 4.74 ppb, respectively. Also the detection concentration for As, Pb, Cd, and Hg in ginseng were also lower than the Korea Food & Drug Administration advisory level for heavy metal in herbal medicines. Residual heavy metals are not polluted in the ginseng on Punggi and Sangju at Kyeongbuk, Korea.

Stability of reactor and effect on biofilm characteristics were investigated by varying the hydraulic residence time in an inverse fluidized bed biofilm reactor(IFBBR). The SCOD removal efficiency was maintained above 90 % in the HRT range of 12hr to 2hr, but the TCOD removal efficiency was dropped down to 50 % because of biomass detachment from overgrown bioparticles. The reactor was stably operated up to the conditions of HRT of 2hr and F/M ratio of 4.5㎏COD/㎥/day, but above the range there was an abrupt increase of filamentous microorganisms. The optimum biofilm thickness and the biofilm dry density in this experiment were shown as 200 ㎛ and 0.08 g/㎤, respectively. The substrate removal rate of this system was found as 1st order because the biofilm was maintained slightly thin by the increased hydraulic loading rate.

Catalytic slurry reactors, in which a solid maintained in the form of fine particles suspended in a liquid, are frequently used in chemical and biochemical and industries. In these processes the particle loading is normally low so that the effects of particles on the liquid-film mass transfer coefficent and the gas-liquid interface area are assumed to be negligible. But it is known from the works, amongst others, that the finely powdered activated carbon can increase the gas-liquid mass transfer significantly in surface-aerated reactors. The stirred cell (13.2cm inside diameter) contained four baffles and at the stirring speeds range of 80∼300rpm, the gas-liquid interfacial area could be considered as that of the cross section of the vessel (that is, 130.1㎝2). When the stirrer speeds were increased, the effective interfacial area was slightly higher than the geometric area and was obtained experimentally from the Danckwerts`plots.

Methane production from grain dust was studied using a 3 L laboratory-scale anaerobic plug flow digester. The digester was operated at; temperature of 35, 45, and 55℃ hydraulic retention time(HRT) of 6 and 12 days; and influent concentration(S_0) of 7.8 and 9.0 % total solids(%TS). With ten different operation conditions, this study showed the significant effects of temperature, hydraulic retention time, and influent concentration on methane production, The highest methane-production rate achieved was 1.903 (L methane) /(L digester)(day) at 55℃, 6 days HRT, and S_0 of 7.8 %TS. A total of 3.767 L of biogas per day with a methane content of 50.57% was obtained from this condition. The ultimate methane yield(B_0 was found to be a function of temperature and influent concentration, and was described as : B_0= 0.02907T-0.1263-0.00297(T-10)(%TS), where TS is the total solids in the liquid effluent, and T is temperature(℃). Our results showed that thermophilic condition is better than mesophilic for grain dust stabilization in an anaerobic plug flow digester.