Bee pollen is a valuable apitherapeutic product and has been known to have diverse biological activities, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and even anticancer activity. However, its effect on the immune system is not well studied and is rather controversial. This study intended to elucidate the biological activity of bee pollen on immunity. For this purpose, we used lyophilized bee pollen after wet grinding, which shows increased extraction of bioactive components and enhanced biological activity. First, lyophilized bee pollen after wet grinding significantly increased the proliferation of splenocytes isolated from normal mice. On the other hand, lyophilized bee pollen after wet grinding dose-dependently reversed splenocyte proliferation by concanavalin A or lipopolysaccharide. To clarify the activity of bee pollen on immunity lyophilized bee pollen after wet grinding was administered daily to mice for five weeks and isolated splenocytes. In this study, there was no significant difference in the population of immune cells and the size of spleen between bee pollen- and sterile water-treated groups. However, proliferation of splenocyte isolated from bee pollen-administered animals was boosted by both concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. Finally, kaempferol, a well-known flavonoid from bee pollen, dose-dependently increased splenocyte proliferation by both Con A and LPS. On the other hand, naringenin, another flavonoid in the bee pollen, dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of splenocytes by Con A and LPS. Together, these data indicate that bee pollen may be able to prime the immunity to boost immune reaction after inflammation.

To analyze the pesticide residues in commercial bee pollen products in South Korea, 61 samples were collected and screened for 339 pesticides. Results revealed that approximately 34% (>LOQ) of samples were contaminated with at least one pesticide. The pesticide residue detection rates of domestic and imported samples were 31% and 44%, respectively. Furthermore, the pesticide residue detection rate of online distribution (60%) was higher than that of offline distribution (27%). Fifteen pesticides were discovered in bee pollen, and pendimethalin, chlorfenvinphos, chlorpyrifos, and fluazinam were detected in 7, 6, 3, and 2 order of frequency, respectively. Even though its concentration was low, chlorfenvinphos which is banned in food crops in the United States, European Union, and Korea, was detected in bee pollen samples commonly. Therefore, continuous investigation of pesticide residues in bee pollen products and their acceptance criteria is required for safety.

This study investigated on the chemical components, quality characteristics, antioxidant compounds, and activity of maize hybrids according to the cultivar, and breeding maize seeds crossed with seed and pollen parent. The moisture, crude fat, crude ash, crude protein, carbohydrate, and amylose contents of maize hybrids were significantly different among cultivars, and seeded and pollinated maize. The L-, a- and b-value of maize hybrids were 39.81~47.21, －0.01~0.55 and 5.85~18.47, respectively. Water binding capacity, water solubility index and swelling power were 123.29~153.32, 4.69~5.76 and 20.11~21.47%, respectively. The phenolic compounds and radical scavenging activity of maize hybrids were significantly different among cultivars, and seeded and pollinated maize. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of maize hybrids were 1,335.41~1,876.29 μg/g and 184.24~453.95 μg CE/g, respectively. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were 171.75~239.16 and 299.44~364.09 mg TE/100 g, respectively. As a result, it could be used as a basic data for cultivating phenol compounds and antioxidant activity in maize breeding.

본 연구는 농촌진흥청 국립원예특작과학원 채소과에서 육성 중인 고추 34계통과 세계채소센터 육성 계통과 자원 12점 등 총 46점의 고추를 공시하여, 종자의 발아율, 수량 및 상품과율, 그리고 화분발아율을 조사하여 내서성이 강한 고추 자원을 선발하기 위하여 수행되었다. 1. 종자발아율 비교에서 여름종자는 가을종자 대비 상대적인 피해율은 4.3~100% 범위였고, H42(1.6%), H16(5.0%), H14(6.3%), H02(12.4%), H44(13.7%), H12(15.9%), H03 (17.6%), H17(23.4%) 순으로 대조 계통인 H37(26.2%)에 비해 피해율이 낮았다. 2. 고추 과실의 수량은 34.4~446.5g, 총 과실수는 2.0~134.3 개를 나타냈다. 상품과 비율에 있어서 75% 이상은 H22(95.0%), H16(89.1%), H37(88.4%), H40(86.4%), H6 (86.0), H27(83.7%), H04(83.6%), H03(82.6%), H08(81.1%), H44(81.4%), H02(80.0%), H45(79.1%), H17(78.7%), H19 (77.7%), H34(77.0%), H15(76.9%), H42(76.3%) 순으로 나타 났다. 3. 고온 처리에 의한 화분발아율의 피해율은 H06(59.5%), H14(74.4%), H44(85.3%), H03(90.2%)가 대조구인 H37 (94.7%)과 나머지 다른 고추에 비해 상대적으로 낮았다. 이상의 결과, 가을종자 대비 여름종자 종자발아율의 피해율, 수량 및 상품과율, 그리고 고온 처리에 의한 화분발아율 등을 고려하여, H03, H04, H06, H14, H17, H22, H44, H45 계 통을 내서성이 높은 자원으로 선발하였다.

여주는 열대와 아열대 지역에서 재배되는 1년생 박과 채소로 혈당조절 등의 기능성이 알려지면서 재배면적이 증가하고 있다. 그러나 여주는 자웅동주이화 식물로 인공수분이 필요하고 온도나 일장에 민감하게 반응하는 개화특성 때문에 안정적인 수량 확보가 어려운 경향이 있다. 평균적으로 암꽃과 수꽃의 착생 비율은 1:25 정도이나 생육 초기 단일조건에서는 암꽃 발생이 많아 인공수분이 어렵다. 이 연구는 암꽃 비율이 높아지는 시기에 환경 조건과 관계없이 화분을 안정적으로 공급하고자 화분 활력 및 저장성 검정에 관한 연구를 수행하였다. 화분을 채취하여 상온(25℃), 냉장(4℃), 냉동(-20℃), 초저온냉동(-70℃)조건에서 180일간 저장하여 발아율을 조사한 결과, 상온에서는 저장 3일 경과 후 급격히 감소하였고 초저온냉동저장(-70℃)에서 발아율이 30%로 가장 높게 나타났다. 또한, 화분의 활력도 발아율과 같이 저장온도가 낮을수록 높은 경향을 보였으며, 초저온냉동저장(-70℃) 화분은 69%로 개화당일 화분의 74%와 유사한 수준이었다. 저장온도를 달리하여 저장한 화분으로 인공수분한 결과 결실률도 저장온도가 낮을수록 높게 나타났고, 상품과 평균과중은 처리 간에 큰 차이는 없었다. 이는 저장온도가 화분의 생존율과 결실률에 영향을 미치는 것으로 판단되어 여주의 안정적인 수량 확보를 위해서는 효과적인 화분 공급 체계가 필요할 것으로 생각된다.

본 연구는 키위 ‘Halla Gold’, ‘Sweet Gold’ 및 ‘Enza Gold’ 품종에서 꽃가루 품종 및 희석 비율이 과실 품질 및 종자 형성에 미치는 영향을 분석하고자 수행되었다. 1. 화분관은 인공수분 2일 또는 3일 후에 밑씨에 도달하였는데, 그 양상은 꽃가루 품종과 희석 비율에 따라 차이가 있 었다. 화분관 신장은 ‘Halla Gold’와 ‘Sweet Gold’에는 ‘Bohwa’가 ‘Enza Gold’에는 ‘Chieftian’이 좋았으나 ‘Enza Gold’에서는 반대의 경향이었다. 중국산 꽃가루 희석 비율에 따른 화분관 신장은 20배 희석에서 다소 낮은 경향이었다. 2. ‘Hall Gold’, ‘Sweet Gold’ 및 ‘Enza Gold’에서 과중과 건물 률은 ‘Bohwa’로 수분했을 때 높은 경향을 보였다. 종자 수에 있어서 ‘Halla Gold’와 ‘Sweet Gold’에서는 과중과 건물률과 유사한 경향이었으나, ‘Enaza Gold’에서는 반대의 경향을 나타냈다. 3. ‘Enza Gold’에서 중국산 수입 꽃가루 희석비율에 따른 과중 및 건물률은 1~10배에서는 큰 차이가 없이 높은 편이나 20배에서는 가장 낮은 경향이었다. 종자 수 및 100립 중도 유사한 경향이었다.

In this study, we investigated the nutritional composition including proximate, amino acid, vitamin, minerals, and the antioxidant activity of green tea (Camellia sinensis) pollen grains collected by Apis mellifera bees, for use as a health food. The crude protein and fat content was estimated at 26.14% and 3.49%, respectively. Eighteen amino acids were identified in green tea pollen, including 8 essential amino acids and 10 non-essential amino acids. The predominant amino acids were glutamic acid, proline and aspartic acid accounting for about 33.3% of total free amino acids. The concentration of vitamin C was the highest value of 35.7%, followed by B3 and B2 among the detected vitamins. The predominant minerals were potassium (790.32 mg/100g), followed by phosphorus (707.52 mg/100g) and sulfur (302.67 mg/100g), whereas copper, zinc and sodium were detected as minor elements. The antioxidant activity and phenolic content accounted for 33.8% at 500 μg/mL extract and 2.55 μg/mg, respectively.

Honey production from approximately 1.7 million colonies owned by around 21 thousand beekeepers was almost 36 thousand M/T in Korea. Pollen has used as a food and medicine from before the Joseon Dynasty period in Korea. Pollen grains such as acorn (Quercus acutissima), actinidia (Actinidia arguta) and green tea (Camellia sinensis) are popular in the markets in Korea. But stiff pollen wall hindered dissolution of polysaccharides and lowered extraction efficiency. In the present study, we measured the antioxidant activity and the total polyphenol content from the pulverized and lyophilized green tea pollen grains inoculated with 6 kinds of fungi to confirm the husk removal effect. The total polyphenol content of green tea pollens was highest in lyophilized pollen medium inoculated with Armillaria mellea, and was lowest in pollen inoculated with Lentinula edodes. Total polyphenol content of the lyophilized pollen was higher than that of the refined pollen and the pulverized pollen in green tea pollen germinated with A. mellea. The total polyphenol content of the lyophilized green tea pollens germinated with A. mellea was 1.4-fold higher than that extracted with water. Measurement of antioxidant activity using the DPPH free radical scavenging method showed that the lyophilized green tea pollen grains germinated with A. mellea had the highest and that germinated with L. edodes was lowest in antioxidant activities. The lyophilized green tea pollen grains germinated with A. mellea was 2 to 4 times higher than that extracted with water in the antioxidant activity of DPPH free radical scavenging. Many germinated cells were formed around pore of green tea pollen inoculated with L. edodes, while those were formed at the end of hyphae derived from green tea pollen grains inoculated with A. mellea.

Bee pollen have been used for centuries as a kind of traditional medicine and food diets additive due to their nutritional and biological properties. The present study was to evaluate the biological features of ethanol extracts of 18 different bee pollen (EEBP) samples collected from 16 locations of South Korea. Our results indicated most of the EEBP samples showed 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, inhibitory activities against human β-amyloid precursor cleavage enzyme (BACE-1), and antiproliferative activities towards five cancer cell lines. However, these EEBP samples did not present human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities, and intestinal bacteria growth inhibitory activities.

본 시험은 만개기 기온(15~40oC) 및 생장조절제(GA4+7 +BA와 prohexadione-calcium) 살포가 국내 주요 사과 품종(‘후지’, ‘쓰가루’)과 국내에서 육성한 품종들(‘추광’, ‘감홍’, ‘홍안’, ‘홍금’, ‘홍로’, ‘홍소’, ‘화홍’, ‘섬머드림’, ‘선홍’)의 화분 발아율 및 화분관 신장에 미치는 영향을 조사하고자 실시하였다. 15oC부터 25oC까지 온도가 올라갈수록 화분 발아율과 화분관 신장 길이는 증가되었으나, 30oC 이상의 고온은 화분 발아율과 화분관 신장 길이를 억제시켰다. 30oC 이상의 고온에서 화분 발아율과 화분관 신장 길이가 가장 높았던 국내 육성 사과품종은 ‘선홍’이었다. GA4+7+BA 살포는 무처리구에 비해 화분 발아율 및 화분관 신장 길이를 증진시켰으나, 이러한 효과는 40oC에서 발생하지 않았다. prohexadione-calcium 살포는 화분 발아율과 화분관 신장 길이에 영향을 주지 않았다. 결론적으로, 사과나무 만개기 기온이 30~35oC 정도로 높아지면, 인공수분 후 GA4+7+BA를 살포하는 것이 착과 증진에 좋을 것으로 판단되었다.

Bee pollen is rich in various nutrients and called as natural complete food. Bee pollens of acorn (Quercus acutissima) and actinidia (Actinidia arguta) are the most collected in Korea. But stiff pollen wall hinders dissolution of polysaccharides and lowers extraction efficiency. Thus, we measured antioxidant activity as DPPH radical scavenging and the total polyphenol content of pulverized and lyophilized actinidia pollens inoculated with fungi to confirm the husk removal effect. The total polyphenol content of actinidia pollen was highest in lyophilized pollen medium inoculated with Armillaria mellea, and was lowest in pollen inoculated with Lentinula edodes. Total polyphenol content of the lyophilized pollen was higher than that of the refined pollen and the pulverized pollen in actinidia pollen germinated with A. mellea. The total polyphenol content of the lyophilized actinidia pollen germinated with A. mellea was 1.4-fold higher than that extracted with water. Measurement of antioxidant activity using the DPPH (2, 2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging method showed that the lyophilized actinidia pollen germinated with A. mellea had the highest and that germinated with L. edodes was lowest in antioxidant activities. The lyophilized actinidia pollen germinated with A. mellea was 2 to 4 times higher than that extracted with water in the antioxidant activity of DPPH free radical scavenging. Many germinated cells were formed around pore of actinidia pollen inoculated with L. edodes, while those were formed at the end of hyphae derived from actinidia pollen inoculated with A. mellea.

The taxonomic importance of pollen morphologyin family Malvaceae had long been acknowledged as it pro-vides the basis for palynological and phylogenetic analysis.In present study, pollen morphological characteristics of var-ious Hibiscus syriacus cultivars were examined. The objec-tive of this study was to provide comprehensive evidence onpollen morphology and to determine pollen morphologicaldiversity in cultivars of H. syriacus that would be useful forplant taxonomy and classification. To get a clear insights ofthe pollen morphology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)was carried out. It has been recorded that the pollen diam-eter of 16 cultivars of H. syriacus ranges from 108.81 to172.15 •Ïm. The maximum pollen size was reported fromthe cultivar ‘Chongdansim’ followed by the cultivar ‘Paedal’.The maximum spine exine length was reported from‘Jabae’ (25.29µm) followed by ‘Collie mullens’ (23.25µm),whereas the minimum value was recorded from ‘Paedal’(8.16µm). It is apparent from this study that pollen morphol-ogy of various H. syriacus cultivars was fairly uniform, andin almost all studied cultivars the pollen shape was spheroi-dal. The spines were present in all studied cultivars and var-ied considerably among the cultivars. The pollen spinefeatures presented notable variations which were of greatsignificance at both specific and generic levels, and hasalso been helpful in understanding the process of spine evo-lution within H. syriacus. The maximum distance betweenspines was observed from cultivar ‘Gyewolhyang’ that haddistance of 45.03µm. The morphological characteristics ofpollen studied in this study could be useful in performing amore efficient Hibiscus hybridization and breeding in future.