The methanol extracts and essential oils from 9 medicinal plants, Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, Cryptomeria japonica, Hedera rhombea, Prunus mume, Taxus cuspidatal, Paulownia coreana, Kalopanax pictus, Paris verticillata, and Ixeris dentata were tested for their insecticidal activity against larvae of S. exigua by topical application method. And the methanol extracts and essential oils obtained from Paris verticillata and Ixeris dentata were subjected to a screening test for their antifeeding activities and pupation and adult emergence of S. exigua by a leaf-dipping method at a concentration of LC50 value. The methanol extract from the bark of C. japonica, the leaf of H. rhombea and all parts of P. verticillata exhibited potent activity with LC50 of 5.02, 4.21 and 5.46(g/L) 5days after treatment, respectively. But all of the essential oils except for I. dentata with LC50 of 4.92(g/L) had shown high potential insecticidal activity compared to the methanol extracts against S. exigua. And the essential oil from all parts of P. verticillata and I. dentata have shown stronger antifeeding activity than those of methanol extracts against larvae of S. exigua. Also, the methanol extract and essential oil of P. verticillata and I. dentata affected growth pattern showing those of 32.5%, 10.0% of pupation and 27.5%, 10.0% of adult emergence of S. exigua.

Antioxidant activity of Astragalus membranaceus, Polygonatum stenophyllum, Angelica gigas, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and Angelica pubescens extracts cultivated in Jecheon prepared with different solvents were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrzyl(DPPH) radical scarvenging ability and thiocyanate method . The highest hydroxy radical scarvenging activity was shown in Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, while the lowest was in Polygonatum stenophyllum. Angelica gigas showed strong antioxidant activity by thiocyanate method. Methanol extracts and water extracts showed higher antioxidant activities than ethanol extracts. Angelica pubescens showed the highest polyphenol contents and Acanthopanax sessiliflorus showed the highest flavonoid contents. Direct correlation between the hydroxy radical scavenging activity and polyphenol contents or flavonoid contents was established by simple regression(r>0.8) in each solvent extracts. Among medicinal plants cultivated in Jecheon, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus and Angelica pubescens showed strong antioxidant activities. These results suggest that methanol or water extracts of several medicinal plant cultivated in Jecheon could be used as natural antioxidants.

배추좀나방과 담배거세미나방 유충에 대한 30종 한방 식물체 메탄올 조추출몰의 살충활성 및 섭식 저해활성을 잎침지법을 이용하여 5,000ppm으로 검정하였다. 황련의 추출물은배추좀나방에 대해 살충작용을 보였다. 길경, 사삼, 세신, 오배자 및 자초의 추출물은 배추좀나방 유충에 대해, 목통 및 속새의 추출물은 담배거세미나방 유충에 대한 강한 섭식저해활성을 보였으나, 오배자와 황련의 추출물은 이들 나비목 유충 모두에 강한 섭식저해활성을 나타내었다.

1987년(年)부터 1989년(年)까지 경북지역(慶北地域)을 중심(中心)으로 경남(慶南)과 충북(忠北)의 일부지역(一部地域)에서 조사(調査)한 약용자원식물(藥用資源植物)은 118과(科) 331속(屬) 456종(種)이었고, 이들중 Compositae, Liliaceae, Leguminosae, Labiatae, Rosaecae, Polygonaceae, Umbelliferae, Gramineae, Solanaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Ranunculaceae, Cruciferae, Rutaceae, Araliaceae, Araceae, Moraceae, Scrophularinaceae, Caryohpyllaceae, Convolvulaceae 등 19과(科)에 속하는 식물이 249종(種)으로 조사(調査)된 식물(植物)의 반수이상(半數以上)을 차지하고 있었고 나머지 207종(種)은 99과(科)의 식물(植物)로 분류(分類)되었다. 조사식물(調査植物)의 거의 대부분(大部分)이 다년생(多年生)이었으며, 개화기(開化期)는 대부분 6-8월(月)이었다. 재배포장(栽培圃場)과 전시포장(展示圃場), 정원(庭園), 공원(公園) 등지(等地)에 재식(栽植)되어 있는 78과(科) 213종(種)의 식물(植物)중에서 약용자원식물(藥用資源植物)의 주용도(主用途)는 관상용(觀賞用)이 93종(種), 약용(藥用) 50종(種), 채소류(菜蔬類) 27종(種), 식품용(食品用) 14종(種), 과채류(果菜類) 5종(種), 과수류(果樹類) 13종(種), 유료용(油料用) 5종(種), 다용(茶用) 6종(種), 녹음수(綠陰수樹) 및 가로수용(街路樹用)이 9종(種), 섬유용(纖維用) 등 기타의 용도(用途)가 14종(種)이었다. 조사식물(調査植物)의 약용부위(藥用部位)는 지하부(地下部)가 가장 많았고 그 다음은 경엽(莖葉), 전초(全草), 화기(花器), 종자(種子) 및 과실(果實)의 순(順)이었다. 약용효능은 이뇨(利尿), 위장병(胃腸病), 강장, 진통(鎭痛), 해열(解熱), 진해(鎭咳), 지혈(止血), 소염작용(消炎作用)의 식물(植物)이 대부분이었으며 항암효과의 식물(植物)도 9종(種) 조사(調査)되었고, 한약제(漢藥劑)로 많이 이용(利用)되고 있는 식물(植物)은 87과(科) 191종(種)이었다.

This study was designed to assess the possibility of using medicinal plant extracts as β-lactamase inhibitors to control antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The susceptibilities of S. aureus ATCC 15564 (SAWT), ciprofloxacininduced S. aureus ATCC 15564 (SACIP), oxacillin-induced S. aureus ATCC 15564 (SAOXA), and clinically-isolated S. aureus CCARM 3008 (SACLI) to ampicillin were determined in the absence and presence of medicinal plant extracts, including Cleyera japonica (CJ), Carpinus laxiflora (CL), Euphorbia helioscopia (EH), Euscaphis japonica (EJ), Oenothera erythrosepala (OE), and Rosa multiflora (RM). The phenotypic change in the clear inhibition zones around ampicillin disc was observed for SAWT, SACIP, and SAOXA, indicating the production of ampicillinase. Compared to the controls, the MICs of ampicillin against SAWT, SACIP, and SAOXA were decreased from 4 to 0.5 ㎍/mL in the presence of CL, 16 to 4 ㎍/mL in the presence of RM, and 32 to 2 ㎍/mL in the presence of CL, EH, and RM, respectively. The medicinal plant extracts, OE, EJ, and CL, effectively inhibited the β-lactamase activities of SAWT (78%), SACIP (57%), and SAOXA (76%) when compared to the control. This results suggest that the medicinal plant extracts can be used as BLIs to control the antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.

Background : Several members of the genus Clausena have a great potential as a candidate for the identification of new drug lead molecules, but lack of their genomic information can be a hindrance for the verification of the genetic background for future use. To broaden and delve into the genomic features of this genus, Clausena excavata, an important medicinal plant in many Asian countries, was used for RNA-seq analysis. Methods and Results : A ten ㎍ of the total RNA was used for mRNA isolation using oligo-dT beads and random sheared mRNAs were used to prepare a cDNA library for a illumina hiseq 2500 analysis. In total, 17,580,456 trimmed clear reads from the illumina hiseq 2500 were used for de novo assembly using three assemblers, CLC genomics workbench, velvet-oases, and Trinity. A total of 16,638 non-redundant unigenes with an average length of 755 bp were generated by the assembly. The functional categorization of the identified unigenes by a gene ontology (GO) term resulted in 2,305 genes in the cellular component, 5,577 in the biological processes, and 8,056 in the molecular functions, respectively. The top sub-category in biological processes was the metabolic process with 4,374 genes. Among annotated genes, 3,006 were mapped to 123 metabolic pathways by KEGG metabolic pathway analysis tool. The search for simple sequence repeats (SSRs) resulted in 845 SSRs from 749 SSR-containing unigenes and the most abundant SSR motifs was AAG/CTT with 179 occurrences. Twelve SSR markers were tested for cross transferability among five Clausena species; eight of them exhibited polymorphism. Conclusion : In the present study, genomic resources of the genus Clausena were enriched through RNA-seq and SSR markers, which will serve as valuable resources for genomic/genetic studies of the genus Clausena and close relatives.

Background: The present study assessed the response of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L., Jangdae) seed to NaCl and the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on kenaf seed germination and vigor. Methods and Results: Seed germination ranged from 11.3% to 58.8% after 24 hours of immersion in NaCl concentrations from 0% to 0.5%. The priming treatments had lower electrical conductivity (EC) values for the seeds than for the control and a deteriorated palisade layer. Priming in 10% PEG for 48 hours increased the germination upto 96.3% in H2O solution and 98.8% in 0.3% NaCl solution compared to that of the control (78.8%). Germination synchronization, and shoot and root growth of the primed seeds were greater than those of the control. The T50 of the control in H2O and 0.3% NaCl solution was 22 and 28 times, respectively. After priming, nine times was sufficient to reach T50 in both solution. The mean number of days to germination (MDG) decreased from 1.43 days for the control to 0.55 days for 0% PEG in H2O solution and from 1.57 days for the control to 0.56 days for 0% PEG in 0.3% NaCl solution. The dry weight after the 10% PEG treatment was higher than that of the control. Conclusions: Taken together, 10% PEG treatment for 24 hours is recommended for kenaf seed invigoration before planting.

Background: Allergic diseases like such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, and rhinitis have recently increased both domestically and globally. The present study was undertaken to select candidates with anti-allergic activity from plant resources. Methods and Results: Fifty-six plant extracts at 20㎍/㎖ were screened against β-hexosaminidase production and interleukin (IL)- 4 release in degranulated rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells. The anti-allergy activity of three plant extracts selected from the preliminary screening experiment, Polygonatum sibiricum F. Delaroche (root), Pyrus pytifolia var. culta (Makino) Nakai (leaf), and Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex Steud (root) were measured at concentrations of 2 - 250㎍/㎖ in three cell lines as RBL- 2H3, HaCaT and Jurkcat T cells. The assay showed the root extract of R. glutinosa to have an inhibitory activity of 4.2% - 28.6% on β-hexosaminidase production from IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells. Each extract of P. sibiricum and R. glutinosa reduced IL-4 release in IgE-sensitized RBL-2H3 cells, respectively. The leaf extract of P. pyrifolia var. culta showed a significantly potent suppressive effect of 10.2% - 74.7% on the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in HaCaT cells sensitized with TNF-a and INF-g, and showed inhibitory effect of –8.6% - 90.9% on the mRNA expression of IL-2 in Jurkat T cells sensitized with PMA and A23187. Conclusions: The results showed that the root of R. glutinosa and leaf of P. pyrifolia var. culta could be useful candidates as antiallergy materials.

Background : This study was carried out to investigate the cytotoxicity in 9 extracts from 8 medicinal plants, such as leaf extract of Lonicera maackii (Llm), leaf extract of Platycarya strobilacea (Lps), flower extract of Fagopyrum dibortryis (Fdf), stem extract of Physostegia virginiana (Spv), root extract of Allium senescence (Ras), aerial part extract of Allium schoenoprasum (Aas), aerial part extract of Artemisia japonica var. manshurica (Aaj), stem extract of Caryopteris incana (Sci), and leaf extract of Caryopteris incana (Lci), on human cancer cell lines. Methods and Results : Dried plant extracts were granted from National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Sciences. The extracts of each plant were dissolved in DMSO and stored in deep freeze at –20℃. The cell viabilities were examined by MTT assay. On SK-OV-3 cell line, Lps, Aas, Sci ans Lci showed dose-dependent cytotoxic effect. On A549 cell line, almost samples show dose-dependent cytotoxic effect, but especially Aaj showed relatively high cytotoxic effect. In case of HCT-15 cell line, Llm and Aas showed relatively high cytotoxic effect. Conclusion : These results suggested that Lonicera maackii, Platycarya strobilacea, Fagopyrum dibortryis, Physostegia virginiana, Allium senescence, Allium schoenoprasum, Artemisia japonica var. manshurica, and Caryopteris incana can be utilized as potential sources of anticancer agent due to their cytotoxicity.

이 연구의 목적은 이종산업인 섬유산업에서 사용되고 있는 천연염색의 원료인 천연염료의 항산화 활성을 확인하 는 것으로 이를 위해 총 페놀 함량 분석, DPPH 라디칼 소거능, ABTS 라디칼 소거능 및 단일항산소 억제 효과를 분석하였다. 7종의 천연염료 열수추출물에서 DPPH 라디 칼 소거 활성을 나타내는 IC50 값은 0.012~0.239 mg/mL를 나타내어 일부 색소 추출물의 DPPH 소거 활성이 우수하다 는 것을 알 수 있었다. 특히 폴리페놀함량이 높은 자단향과 아선약 추출물의 IC50 값이 각각 12.4 μg/mL, 24.2 μg/mL로 높은 DPPH 라디칼 소거 활성을 확인하였다. 단일항산소 억제 효과 역시 아선약, 자단향 추출물에서 각각 0.19, 0.21 mg/mL을 나타내어 높은 소거 활성을 띄는 것으로 강한 빛에 의해 야기되는 단일항산소(singlet oxygen)를 억제할 수 있는 것을 알 수 있었다. 총 페놀 함량도 열수추출물에서 높은 수준을 나타내었다. 반면, 플로라워터의 항산화 활성 은 열수추출물 대비 미비한 효과를 보였으나 한련초의 경우 열수추출물 보다 우수한 결과를 나타내었다. 플로라워터의 경우 액상시료를 첨가하여 수행되는 실험 방법에 의해 정량 적 수치를 명확히 나타내기 어렵기 때문에 연구 방법적 측면에서 개선이 필요할 것으로 판단된다. 결론적으로 일 부 천연색소 추출물은 생물체의 산화적 스트레스로부터 야기되는 활성산소를 억제하는 중요한 역할을 하며, 보다 심도 깊은 연구를 진행한다면 새로운 생물 소재로 활용성이 높을 것으로 사료된다.

The HWND_G02 (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Crataegus pinnatifida, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg, Cnidium officinale Makino) and HWND_G03 (Cinnamonum cassia Blume, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Crataegus pinnatifida, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg, Cnidium officinale Makino, Allium macrostemon Bunge) are new natural mixture composed with several oriental herbs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of HWND extracts on high cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: control, HCD, atorvastatin (5 ㎎/㎏, po), ethanolic extracts of HWND_G02 (1,000 ㎎/㎏, po) and HWND_G03 (1,000 ㎎/㎏, po) were administered to the HCD-induced hyperlipidemic rats for 4 weeks to evaluate their anti-hyperlipidemic activities. HWND extracts markedly decreased body and liver wight gain, and recovered serum lipid levels, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in the HCDinduced hyperlipidemic rats. Furthermore, the lipid levels (TC and TG) and the lipid accumulation were significantly lowered in the liver tissue of HWND-administrated rats. After a HCD, each group had a lower atherogenic index (AI) compared to the HCD group. In conclusion, these data suggest that HWND extracts could be the candidate for the material to prevent hyperlipidemia.