We have investigated that a couple of soft ferrite ceramic powders having a spinal structure have shown the effect on growth and secondary metabolites production of some medicinal plants cultured in vitro. The addition of the ceramic powders as bare state to culture medium has stimulated the growth of Achyranthes japonica callus and plantlet, adventitious root of Hyoscyamus niger and Platycodon grandiflorum hairy root about 65, 75, 150 and 50%, respectively. Whereas Centella asiatica callus and plantlet, Scopolia parviflora hairy root, and Hyoscyamus albus adventitious root were not affected markedly. Moreover, the ceramic powder has enhanced the growth of H. niger adventitious roots even under conditions of irradiating alone without any direct contact between ceramic powder and media. Based on growth stimulation effect, the ceramic powders have enhanced the gross production of tropane alkaloid in H. niger adventitious root, and polyacetylene in P. grandiflorum hairy root about 35 and 30%, respectively.

To investigate the changes in the composition and pool size of nitrogen metabolites under drought stress, white clover (Trifolium repens L.) were exposed to -0.04MPa (well-watered, control) or to -0.12MPa (drought-stressed) of soil water potential during 28 days. Dry weight of leaves in drought-stressed plants was remarkably decreased by 45% and 74% within 14 days and 28 days, respectively, compared with control. For nitrate concentration after 28 days of treatment, a significant difference (1.6 times higher in drought-stressed plants) was observed only in stolon. NH3 -NH4 + concentration in all three organs of drought-stressed plants linearly increased to more than 1.6 times higher level at 28 day when compared to the initial level (day 0), while the increasing rate in control was much less than that of drought-stressed plants. Proline concentrations in drought-stressed plants remarkably increased and reached to 7, 13 and 17 times higher level at 28 day compared to control. Protein concentration in leaves of drought-stressed plants tended to decrease, while it slightly increased during the first 14 days and reached a plateau afterward in control. There was not significant difference in the proteins concentration of stolon and roots throughout experimental period. On SDS-PAGE analysis, two major proteins specifically induced by drought stress (16-kD and 18-kD) were detected in stolon.n.

Some metabolites and embryo growth of primed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. ‘KFI09’) seeds were observed during priming. The seeds were primed at 15 and 25~circC for 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 15 days in a -0.8 MPa polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG) solution. The time to 50% seed germination (T50 ) was greatly reduced when the seeds were primed at 25~circC when compared with 15~circC . The α -amylase activity and sugars and amino acid contents in the seeds primed at 25~circC greatly increased, while α -amylase activity was similar, and sugar and amino acid contents increased slightly in the seeds primed at 15~circC . When the seeds were primed at 25~circC , growth of the embryo which was enclosed by endosperm was detected, while the endosperm became thinner as the priming duration was extended.d

Fritillaria pallidiflora의 전분체 미세구조와 신구인경의 세포간 대사물질의 이동을 전자현미경으로 관찰하였다. 기존의 인경과 새로 형성된 인경세포내 전분체는 내부 막구조에 있어서 뚜렷한 차이를 나타내었을 뿐만 아니라 대사물질의 세포간 이동도 활발히 이루어지고 있음을 관찰할 수 있었다. 엔도사이토시스와 엑소사이토시스 현상이 세포막에서 관찰되었으며 대사물질의 세포간 이동을 위해 원형질 연락에 있어서 염류수송 경로가 형성됨을 알 수 있었다. 또한 일단의 소포체들이 원형질 연락의 말단에 위치하고 있었는데 이는 세포간 물질 이동에 이들이 관여하고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 이러한 결과는 F. pallidiflora의 신구 인경형성과 발달에 미치는 기작을 연구하는데 유용하게 이용될 수 있는 것으로 생각된다.