This study was conducted to identify allelopathic effect of Ganghwa domestic Artemisia spp., named Sajabalssuk and Ssajuarissuk, for various receptor plants including clover (Trifolium repens L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), lawn grass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), dandelion (Taraxacum platycarpum Dahlst.), and dahurianpatrinia (Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch. ex Trevir). Receptor plants were treated with the aqueous and essential oil extract of Artemisia plants. In consequence, their allelopathic effects were evaluated by measuring seed germination rates, seedling growth, and dry weights of the receptor plants. The seed germination and seedling growth of the receptor plants were inhibited by all treatments of both aqueous and essential oil extracts of the Artemisia plants, and, in addition, the inhibitory effects were increased according to the higher concentration. Among the donor plants, A. sp.*Ⅲ showed most effective allelopathic effect. Comparing the alleopathic effect among the receptor plants, seed germination was most inhibited in lawn grass while inhibitory effect of seedling growth was comparatively higher in dandelion. Although inhibitory effects were comparatively lower, the allelopathic effects of Artemisia plants were identified in clover and alfalfa since the seedling growth of these plants were inhibited more than 70%. Thus, in result, Ganghwa domestic Artemisia spp. could be possibly used for weed control since natural products of the plants showed inhibitory effects on seed germination and seedling growth of various receptor plants.

This study was carried out to know the characteristics of flowering and bearing fruit, the optimum period, regions and methods for seed harvesting, the optimum temperatures for seed storage and germination, and the optimum period for sowing at nursery bed and seedling transplanting of Valeriana fauriei Briquet. The flowering and bearing fruit of Valeriana fauriei was developed from the before-year root. Optimum period for seed harvest of Valeriana fauriei was from late July to middle August, and optimum areas were the high elevated areas over 500 m above the sea level as Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do. Using of net-bag for seed harvesting was the effective method to gather the full ripe seed, and bagging of net-bag was necessary from the season of middle May that was the flowering middle-stage. Germination rates don't show the difference among the different temperatures of storage as approximately 41% at -20℃, 2℃ or 20℃ of seed storage temperatures. The optimum temperature range was in 15~30℃ for seed germination at nursery bed. The optimum period for seed sowing at nursery bed was the late February, and the optimum period for seedling transplanting was the middle April.

This study was conducted to enhance the propagation of Acanthopanax divaricatus and Acanthopanax koreanum through different cutting practices. For propagation by cuttings, scions were taken on September 1. This already has hard skin and showed much higher values in terms of root length, root number, rooting ratio and root weight than those taken on June 30 and August 1. Regardless of cutting date, 50% shading resulted to the highest root length, root number, root ratio and root weight. Meanwhile, 95% shading significantly reduced these parameters compared with no shading. These results suggest that over-shading may inhibit root growth. Two growth regulators, IBA (concentration of 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 ppm) and Rootone-F (0.4%) were also tested of its effect to the cuttings. Rootone-F was found to be more effective than IBA. Cutting treated with Rootone-F had slightly higher root length and root number. A. koreanum which grows well in hot climatic condition showed better rooting ability than A. divaricatus.

This experiment was conducted to verify whether one time feeding of Lythrum salicaria root crude extract (LSR extract) exhibits liver protecting activities in acutely ethanol administrated rat. Experiment groups were composed of normal, negative control (alcohol control), 2 positive control (Hovenia dulcis extract 900 mg/kg and milk thisle 100 mg/kg), betulinic acid (20 mg/kg), a compound separated from LSR, and 3 LSR (100, 300, 900 mg/kg) groups. LSR treated groups showed decrease (p < 0.05) in serum triglyceride by dose-dependent manner. The content of serum albumin and the activity of ADH and ALDH in LSR extract fed rats were increased (p < 0.05) dependently on the administration amounts. Our study indicated that one time supplement of LSR downregulates oxidative stress and shows liver protective activity in the acute alcohol-fed rats.

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality variation of Lithospermum radix on the pigment contents and antioxidant activities according to different growth stages and areas of cultivation. Acetylshikonin contents showed the tendency to decrease gradually from the middle of July (0.28%) to the end of August (0.05%) and then the content was increased again to the end of October (0.25%). Shikonin content was detected as small amount of about 0.009% during the period. The weight of plants was increased from the end of September to the end of October and showed the highest value as 19.8 g on October 25. ROS scavenging activity was the highest in the early of October as IC50 value of 0.11 μg/mL. Lithospermum radix of September showed lower ROS scavenging activities than those of other growth stages as IC50 value of 1.02 and 0.49 μg/mL on September 9 and September 27, respectively. Among 17 areas cultivated Lithospermum radix, 10 areas (59%) showed 0.05-0.10% of acetylshikonin contents and 3 areas (18%) were measured to contain 0.16-0.26% of acetylshikonin.