Background : Dioscorea quinqueloba(DQ) is a medicinal herb that is used as an alternative therapy for cardiovascular disease and various medical conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize the antioxidant activities of DQ. Methods and Results : The samples were extracted with Distilled water and analyzed for total flavonoid contents, polyphenol contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ABTS radical scavenging activity. H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells were subjected to H2O2, to study the protective effect of DQ on cell viability, and ROS production. The total amounts of polyphenols and flavonoids, which indicate the antioxidant capabillity of water extracts from DQ were 27.21mg/g and 22.95mg/g, respectively. The DQ water extract showed highest antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities. The DQ water extract was protected cells against H₂O₂-induced cell death without any cytotoxicity, as determined by the MTT assay. The DQ water extract also was inhibiting production of intracellular ROS. Conclusion : These observations suggest that DQ can use potentially good natural antioxidant in daily life for possible health benefits.

Background : The purpose of the present investigation is to enhance extracellular acidic protease production by subjecting a protease producing strain Cordyceps pruinosa DK-01 to random mutagenesis by UV irradiation after ethidium bromide treatment. Methods and Results : Mutants were screened as protease producers on the basis of zone of clearance and relative proteolytic activity (RPA) on skimmed milk agar plates. In addition, mutants showed strong pink-red color intensity and different RAPD profiling compared with wild type control. Four mutants were randomly selected and their extracellular enzyme activities were investigated. In liquid culture without casein, 2.2-, 2.9-, 5.2- and 4.4-fold higher acid protease activity was achieved from mutants DK-m9, -m11 and -m12, respectively, than that of wild type strain (11.13 ± 1.60 U/ml). In liquid culture with casein, 1.1-, 1.3-, 1.3 and 1.3-fold higher acid protease activity was achieved with those mutants were found to produce, respectively, than that of wild type strain (93.95 ± 12.84 U/ml). Maximum acid protease activity was noticed from a mutant DK-m11 in liquid culture with casein (121.18 U/ml) and without casein (57.65 U/ml). The extracellular acid protease produced from DJ-m11 that was active in the pH range 4.5-6.5 and optimum temperature for the activity was 37°C. Furthermore, we found a deformed, shorten structure of setae on the elytron surface of dynastid beetles treated with culture supernatant of the DK-m11. Conclusion : These findings have more impact on enzyme economy for biotechnological and insecticidal applications of fungal proteases.

Background : With the increasing demand of the mistletoe in larger quantities for cancer therapy, it has been depleted from its natural habitat in the Far East countries including Korea because of overharvesting for high-value products (e.g., lectins and viscotoxins). The rapid multiplication of mistletoe by tissue culture can help this problem and provide the benefits in the phamaceutical industry. Methods and Results : Mistletoe plants growing on oak trees were collected and their leaf and stem segments were inoculated on MS basal medium supplemented with various concentrations of growth regulators. Calli were induced only from stem explants on MS medium containing 2,4-D and transferred onto MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-D, NAA and BAP, respectively, for their propagation. The best callus multiplication rate of more than 15 folds (759 mg) was obtained in treatment of 2,4-D (4 mg/L) that produced yellowish-green, white and friable callus on this medium. To compare biochemical characterization, lectins were partially purified from natural mistletoe plants (nML) and in vitro cultured mistletoe calli (cML), respectively. The former was purified by lactose-agarose affinity chromatography and the latter was done by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed Sephadex G-25 chromatography. Both nML and cML showed similar molecular weight on SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses. In addition, they showed similar carbohydrate-binding specificities and hemagglutination activities. Conclusion : From the above results, we may suggest that nML and cML showed the similarity in biochemical characters.

Background : Lectins were individually isolated from natural Korean mistletoe (nML) and its in vitro cultured calli (cML). Both of the lectins showed the difference in bioactivities such as cytotoxicity and cytokine induction. Methods and Results : Target cells (1 x 104 cells/well) were seeded independently into each well of a 96-well culture plate and incubated with different concentrations of each lectin. Survivability of target cells was determined by CCK-8 kit (Sigma, USA) according to manufacturer’s directions. The nML showed 46, 34 and 5.5 times stronger than cML in cytotoxicity (IC50) to human melanoma cell line (SK-MEL-28), human carcinoma cell line (NCI-H1650) and murine macrophage (RAW 264.7), respectively. In addition, respective lectins directly stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 but they showed the difference in enhanced productivity of some inflammatory cytokines. Compared with cML, the nML induced both TNF-α and IL-1β at its low concentration. Administration of two kinds of lectins (10-1000 μ g/kg body weight) to ICR mouse did not show any significant changes on the level of alanine transaminase (ALT), glutamate-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in sera. Conclusion : From the above results, we may suggest that nML and cML showed differences in cytotoxic effects and cytokine production due to the difference in amounts from sources.

Background : Osteoclasts as multinucleated cells originate from hematopoietic monocyte/ macrophage precursor cell, shows the bone absorption through the commitment, differentiation, fusion, and bone resorption stages by regulation of M-CSF and RANKL. It has been reported a significant negative correlation between the increase of oxidative stress and the bone density, and when RANKL reaction to the osteoclasts precursor cells is mainly generated ROS is due to increased activity of NADPH oxidase1 (NOX1), and these ROS act as a factor which promotes osteoclasts differentiation. Thus, RANKL signaling process is important that excessive osteoclast formation and differentiation inhibited through the regulation of each step. Methods and Results : F3570 ethanol extract showed relatively high activity at in-vitro antioxidant activity. F3570 water extract inhibited ROS generation in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with H2O2 and RANKL, even at low concentrations. The inhibitory effect of osteoclast differentiation on F3570 water extract was confirmed that shown through NF-κB pathway, MAPK pathway including ERK and JNK. F3570 ethanol extract is considered to be regulated by the p38 MAPK and the other signaling pathway. Also, F3570 both water and ethanol extract were significantly reduced gene expression such as TRAP, calcitonin receptors and integrin β3 of RANKL-induced mature osteoclast in the bone resorption stage. Conclusion : Through this study, F3570 extract revealed an outstanding inhibitory effect and signaling mechanisms in osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. These results suggest that F3570 is bone diseases associated with aging or osteoporosis caused by menopause in an aging society is expected to be a superior candidate for the treatment or the prevention

The removal of nitrogen compounds from a wastewater is essential and it is often accomplished by biological process. An aerobic nitrate-removing bacterium was isolated from a municipal sewage treatment plant and soil. On the basis of its morphological, cultural and physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA sequencing data, this strain was identified as Pseudomonas fluorescens, and named as P. fluorescens K4. The optimal conditions of the initial pH and temperature of media for its growth were 7.0~8.0 and 30℃, respectively. P. fluorescens K4 was able to remove 99.9% of nitrate after 24 h in a culture. The strain could grow with a nitrate concentration up to 800 mg/l and was able to remove 99.9% of nitrate after 104 h of incubation. The optimal electron donor was sodium citrate for a nitrate removal. The strain K4 showed a capability of a complete nitrate removal when the initial C/N ratio was 1.0. An effect of the initial seed concentration was observed for a cell of 10% (v/v) for a nitrate removal. Especially P. fluorescens K4 could completely remove 200 mg/l ammonium for 3 days.

‘Zasoojeongchal’ is a new colored naked barley cultivar developed from the cross between HB83072〔Tapgolbori / HB 78100-B-17-3-2〕, a disease resistant and good quality line and ‘Dokusima mochi hadaka’, colored naked cultivar with waxy endosperm by the Honam Agricultural Research Institute (HARI), NICS, RDA in 2006. An elite line CNB7-13-37-2-5-3, was selected in 2002 and designated as ‘Iksan 81’. It showed good agronomic performance in the regional yield trials (RYT) from 2005 to 2006 and was released with the name of ‘Zasoojeongchal’ possessing purple colored waxy endosperm. The average heading and maturing dates of ‘Zasoojeongchal’ were May 2 and Jun. 7, which were two and five days later than those of the check cultivar ‘Saechalssalbori’ respectively. The new cultivar, ‘Zasoojeongchal’, had 75cm of culm length that was 4cm shorter than that of ‘Saechalssalbori’, and 5.4 cm of spike length. It showed 607 spikes per m2, 63 grains per spike, 27.2 g of 1,000-grain weight, and 771 g of test weight. ‘Zasoojeongchal’ showed weaker winter hardiness, but better resistance to powdery mildew and BaYMV (Barley yellow mosaic virus) than those of the check cultivar, ‘Saechalssalbori’. It showed higher ß-glucan content, anthocyanin content, water absorption rate and expansion rate than those of the check cultivar, ‘Saechalssalbori’. Its average yield of the pearled grain in the regional yield trial was 2.67 MT/ha in upland, and 3.49 MT/ha in paddy field, which were 26% and 6% lower than those of the check cultivar, respectively. This cultivar would be suitable for the area above the daily minimum temperature of -6℃ in January in Korean peninsula.

‘Gwangan’ is a new six-rowed covered barley cultivar developed by the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), R.D.A in 2004. This cultivar is developed from a cross between “Mirak” and ‘Milyang59’ in 1995. An F6 selection was made at Milyang in 2001 an

“Younbaek”, a new noodle making wheat cultivar, was developed from the cross between “Keumkang” with white grain color and “Tapdongmil” by the Honam Agricultural Research Institute(HARI), National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA, Korea in 2005. Amon

Dahyang, a new six-rowed and covered barley cultivar, was developed from the cros betwen Milyang26/NICS, RDA in 2005. Among the crosses made in 1994, a promising line that showed both high yield and lodging resistance in theYield Trial tested at Suwon in

A new mungbean cultivar Soseon (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) was derived from the cross between KM9003-2B-783 and V2939 at the Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research & Extension Services (JARES) in 2003. “Soseon” has erect growth habit, heart leaf, green hypoc