The use of non-therapeutic antibiotics as animal feed additives has raised public health concerns due to the increasing resistance of pathogens to antibiotics. It is therefore required to develop safe and effective alternative feed additives to replace non-therapeutic antibiotics. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the multiherbal compound, KIOM-C, on growth performance and immune response of growing-to-finishing pigs under farm conditions. The experimental trials were performed in a Korean commercial swine growing-to-finishing complex, and a total of 70-day-old 160 pigs were selected. Eighty pigs were treated with KIOM-C at the level of 2 kg/tonne until slaughter age (KT group), while another 80 pigs were not treated with KIOM-C (NT group). All animals were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at 60 and 110 days of age. During the trial period, average daily weight gain (ADWG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival rates, and average slaughter ages were measured. The serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IgA were also evaluated. In order to evaluate specific humoral immune responses, the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotype O-specific antibody was measured. The ADWG, ADFI, and FCR of the KT group were significantly greater than those of the NT group (p<0.05). Serum concentrations of IgA in the KT group was statistically higher than the NT group. The antibody levels of the KT group against FMDV serotype O was higher than the NT group, and 86.67% of the KT group tested positive for anti-FMDV antibodies. Overall, these findings suggest that KIOM-C improves growth performance and immune response of pigs under growing-to-finishing farm conditions, and implies that the herbal compound may be used as a suitable alternative feed additive.

The knock-in efficiency is very important to manipulate gene editing in the transgenic domestic animal. Recently, it is reported that transiently loosen nucleosome folding of transcriptionally inactive chromatin might have potential tp enhance the homologouse recombination efficiency. Histone deacetylases (HDAC) are a class of enzymes that remove acetyl groups from an amino acid on a histone. This is important because DNA is wrapped around histones, and DNA expression is regulated by acetylation and de-acetylation. In this study, Mac-T cell were treated with 10uM VPA (valproic acid, HDAC inhibitor) for 24 h and transfected with Knock-in vector and TALEN at targeting of β-casein gene. After 3 day of transfection, knock-in efficiency was confirmed by PCR. The level of HDAC2 protein in Mac-T cells was decreased by VPA treatment. The knock-in efficiency in the Mac-T cell with treated HDAC inhibitor was higher than cell not treated HDAC inhibitor. These results indicated that chromatin modification by HDAC inhibitor enhances homologous recombination efficiency in the Mac-T cell.

Customer engagement has become a prominent issue in hospitality and tourism industry. However, customer engagement, is not easily defined or uniformly measured because a number of diverse factors must be considered. While meeting planners are important customers to CVBs, their engagement with CVBs has rarely been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a model of meeting planners’ engagement in CVBs empirically. Survey data were collected from a variety of meeting planners, which resulted in 305 usable responses for data analysis. Two step analyses (measurement model and structural model) were implemented. In addition, the moderating effect of reputation and familiarity were examined among the paths of the constructs. The results showed that the hypotheses were supported while familiarity has less salient impact than reputation on customer engagement in the event industry.

The culture filtrate of Lentinula edodes showed potent antimicrobial activity against the plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi. To purify antibacterial compound, the culture filtrate was subjected to Octadecyl-silica (ODS) column chromatography and was eluted with different concentrations from 5 to 100% methanol and each 50 μL aliquot of the methanol elutes did not show antimicrobial effect on the bacteria, but the water fraction that passed through the column maintained antibacterial activity on the bacteria. The pH of the passed fraction was 3.9, speculating the low pH can be caused by an organic acid. Qualitative analyses of organic acids from culture filtrate of L. edodes were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Nine organic acids including oxalic acid, phytic acid, malonic acid, and fumaric acid were identified and oxalic acid was a dominant component in culture filtrate of L. edodes and it made up 50% from HPLC analysis data. Oxalic acid concentrations over 300mg/L exhibited antimicrobial activities on eight phytopathogenic bacteria and different fungi. The quantitative analysis by HPLC revealed that the content of oxalic acid was more highly detected in water extract from spent mushroom substrate than that of liquid culture.

Medical mushroom, Phellinus linteus (PL) called as “Sanghwang” has been studied extensively for its extraordinary capacity of suppressing cancer or enhancing body immunity. The mycelial materials of PL have mainly been used as research samples worldwide because its fruiting body was difficult to artificially produce. Alternatively, P. baumii (variety, “Jangsu”) have stably been cultivated in Korea. However, fruiting body morphology of P. baumii is clearly different to that of PL. Of Phellinus isolates collected in Korea, P. linteus, KACC 93057P having features of fast mycelial growth rate was mycologically characterized. This study is to establish artificial cultivation of P. linteus KACC93057P having high mycelial growth rate and to examine bioactive efficacy of its fruiting body. The grain spawn of P linteus KACC93057P was inoculated on oak and mulberry logs (20 cm). The optimum temperature for the mycelial growth was at 25-30°C and growth was optimal at pH 5-7. The mycelial growth of P. linteus was faster than P. baumii and other P. linteus isolates. The mushroom pinning was observed on the 60 days after the inoculation, and fruiting bodies were formed in more than 90% of the logs after 6 months. The productivity fruiting body on the logs was more than 10 times that of the existing P. linteus (Korean Sanhwang). The fruiting bodies showed typical morphologies of P. linteus. The pore shape in basidiocarp is circular with 5-7 per mm, hyphal system is dimity, and basidiospores are ellipsoid. Bioactive efficacy of the fruiting bodies was analyzed by immunoreactivity and antioxidant activity.

DNA-based markers have been used in various fields like molecular biology and crop breeding program. DNA marker is able to be used for protection of genetic resource and quantification of specific cultivar. Eleven DNA markers have been developed for Korean wheat cultivar identification in 2013-2014. 27 of 32 wheat cultivars were distinguished by 11 DNA markers. In this study, we developed four DNA markers, KWSM0012, KWSM0013, KWSM0014 and KWSM0015, derived from SSR and SNP analysis. Consequently, 32 Korean wheat cultivars were identified by 15 DNA markers. We are convinced that these new DNA markers are very useful for wheat varieties DNA fingerprinting and are able to be applied to marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding program in Korea.

Free radicals originate due to the radiolysis of cytoplasmic water with low “Linear Energy Transfer” (LET) radiations. Naringenin (Ng) is a natural antioxidative compound found in citrus fruits. This study revealed that Naringenin (Ng) reduced the radiation damage of critical organs by scavenging oxidative free radicals. In the study, Ng was orally administrated to rats daily for 7 consecutive days, prior to whole body exposure to gamma-rays. The scavenging efficacy was evaluated biochemically by measuring the concentration of cytotoxic byproducts and the activity of enzymes relevant to oxidative free radicals, after extracting the organs from the exposed rat. We observed increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the exposed control group. However, pretreatment with Ng significantly reduced the MDA concentration, and increased the activities of SOD and CAT, as compared to the control group, due to the free radical scavenging by Ng. The results indicate that Ng administration prior to irradiation could protect critical organs from radiation damage.

농진청에서 수행하고 있는 아프리카 국제협력프로그램인KAFACI 사업의 일환으로 우간다 등 8개국에 ‘통일형 다수성벼 품종개발’ 사업을 추진하고 있다. 이를 위해 아프리카에서정상적인 생육과 수량을 나타내는 다수성 통일형 품종인 밀양23호와 아프리카의 재래종인 O. glaberrima를 이용하여 밀양23호의 유전적배경을 보유한 근동질 계통인 BC4F1을 육성하고, 약배양을 통해 유전적 고정계통을 육성하였다. 이 중 50개계통을 우간다에서 생물검정을 실시한 결과, 아프리카에서 문제시되는 Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV), Bacterial LeafStreak(BLS), 흰잎마름병 및 도열병에 복합저항성인 계통으로판명되었다. 특히 RYMV에 대한 저항성은 저항성원이 결여되어 있는 병으로 본 연구를 통해 육성한 계통들은 향후 아프리카에 적응하는 내병성 다수성 품종개발에 유용한 재료를 활용 될 것으로 생각된다.