This study aimed to produce fermented soy-powder milk (FSPM) with Lactobacillus plantarum P1201 and to evaluate its anti-obesity activity. Isoflavone and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) of unfermented soy-powder milk (UFSPM) and FSPM and were analyzed via high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). Their inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase were assayed. Their anti-obesity activities were evaluated on the basis of their inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells, and the expression of mRNAs associated with adipogenesis and lipid metabolism were analyzed via real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative PCR (qPCR). FSPM with L. plantarum P1201 increased the isoflavone aglycones (daidzein, glycitein, and genistein) content and produced CLA in soy-powder milk (SPM), both of which possessed bio-activity. Both UFSPM and FSPM showed dose-dependent inhibitory activity for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase. FSPM, but not UFSPM, suppressed adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells and reduced their triglyceride content by 23.1% after treatment with 1,000 μg/mL of FSPM, compared with the control group. The anti-obesity effect of FSPM can be attributed to CLA and isoflavone aglycones, which targeted CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBP-α) and down-regulated lipoprotein lipase (LPL), adiponectin, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aP2), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA. Furthermore, FSPM enhanced the inhibitory activity of glucosidase and pancreatic enzymes and anti-obesity activity. Further studies are required to investigate whether the anti-obesity effect of FSPM persists in an in vivo mouse model of diet-induced obesity.

This study compared the quality and drying characteristics of dried king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii), shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes GNA01) and maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) slices obtained by sundrying, hot-air drying (40, 50, 60 ), low-temperature vacuum drying (20, 25, 30 ), heat-pump dehumidifying drying (30, 40, 50 ), and freeze drying. The quality changes investigted included color, browning degree, hardness, general components, -glucan. Color changes in king oyster mushroom during freeze drying were β less than that between control (raw) and treated mushrooms. Compared with other drying methods, low-temperature vacuum drying of shiitake mushroom resulted in less color changes. Browning degree differed significantly between the different drying methods. As temperature increased, low-temperature vacuum drying resulted in decreased browning while heat-pump dehumidifying drying resulted in increased browning. In king oyster mushroom, hardness increased with temperature under hot-air drying, low-temperature vacuum drying and heat-pump dehumidifying drying. In shiitake mushroom, hardness increased with increasing temperature under hot-air drying and heat-pump dehumidifying drying. β-glucan content after drying was found to be between 28.29 and 39.39% in king oyster mushroom, 23.05 and 29.48% in shiitake mushroom and 16.10 and 24.51% in maitake mushroom.

This study investigated the nutritional properties and biological activities of Ganoderma lucidum (GL). The round type of GL contained higher carbohydrate content, while the Nokgak type of GL contained higher crude ash, crude fat, and crude protein content. The most abundant amino acid, fatty acid, mineral, and soluble vitamin observed were valine (round type: 11.90 mg/g and Nokgak type: 17.18 mg/g), linoleic acid (round type: 47.56% and Nokgak type: 75.68%), potassium (round type: 116.50 mg/100 g and Nokgak type: 184.36 mg/100 g), and vitamin B3 (round type: 1.78 mg/100 g and Nokgak type: 1.81 mg/100 g), respectively. In addition, the β-glucan content were 34.15 g/100 g (round type) and 30.07 g/100 g (Nokgak type). The GL 70% ethanol extract at 40℃ showed higher radical scavenging as well as carbohydrate and lipid enzyme inhibition than other conditions. At 1 mg/mL of treatment with the 70% ethanol extract at 40℃ of round type GL, the DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase inhibition activities obtained were approximately 92.85, 99.74, 58.09, 89.68, 44.68, and 67.56%, respectively.

A freesia (Freesia hybrida Hort.) ‘Cutie Red’ was developed for the pot flower in the National Institute of Horticultural Herbal Science in 2014. This hybrid was crossed and selected from a seedling of three-way crossing the seedling of ‘Volcano’ and ‘Sailor’ with ‘Figaro’, and ‘Suzy’ in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Morphological characteristics of the selected freesia hybrid were investigated for 3 years from 2011 to 2013, and then it was named ‘Cutie Red’ in 2014. ‘Cutie Red’ has single and red petals (RHS, R45A) with yellow-orange color of center (RHS, YO21B). The average flower width is 5.3 cm and the average yield is 4. The growth of the plant is vigorous and the average height is 70.3 cm, and it is shorter than about 15.4 cm that of control cultivar ‘Red Race’. The average number of floret per stalk and stalk length, 10.7, and the stalk was 9.6 cm length, shorter than ‘Red Lace’, 13 and 11.7 cm length, respectively. The first flowering, in avarage, of ‘Cutie Red’ takes about 141 days, and it’s average vase life and yield is 9.7 days and 5 cormlets per plant, respectively.

A freesia (Freesia hybrida Hort.) ‘Song of Angel’ was developed for the cut flower in the National Institute of Horticultural Herbal Science in 2013. This hybrid was crossed and selected from a seedling of three-way crossing ‘Golden Flame’ and the seedling of ‘Athene’ and ‘Yvonne’ in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Morphological characteristics of the selected freesia hybrid were investigated for 5 years from 2008 to 2012, and then it was named ‘Song of Angel’ in 2013. ‘Song of Angel’ has single flower and yellow petals (RHS, YG13B) with yellow center color (RHS, YG13A). The average flower width is 5.8 cm and the average yield is 4.3. The growth of the plant shows vigorous and the average height is 95.3cm, and it is higher than about 30cm that of control cultivar ‘Yvonne’. The average number of floret per stalk and stalk length, 14.3, and stalk was 11.1 cm length is higher than the ‘Yvonne’, 9.7 and 8.3cm length, respectively. The average days to first flowering of ‘Song of Angel’, 141 days, was approximately 10 days earlier than the control cultivar. It’s average vase life and yield is 10.7 days and 6.2 cormlets per plant, respectively.

Riptortus clavatus, one of the many insects in major crops, damages pods and seeds, which reduces seed vigor and viability in soybeans. This study was conducted to examine the effect of diversely damaged seeds by R. clavatus on seed germination and seedling emergence and to determine the association of damaged seed with quality and yield of soybean sprouts. All seeds damaged by R. clavatus significantly (P<0.05) reduced seed vigor as measured by the rates of seed germination, germination speed, and seedling emergence. Mean seed germination rate of non-damaged seeds in sprout-soybean varieties was 97.8%, whereas the rates of seeds damaged at different levels, 31-50% and 51-80%, were 23.0 and 5.4%, respectively. The rates of seedling rot and abnormal, incomplete germination significantly (P<0.05) increased as the amount of seeds damaged by R. clavatus increased to 5, 10 and 15% against the total seeds for sprout production. Yield of soybean sprouts from seeds damaged at different levels decreased up to 13% as compared to that in normal seeds. In customer preferences on soybean sprout produce, 84% of customers participated in survey preferred to purchase sprouts from seeds with 5% of damaged seeds, but sprouts produced from seeds with 15% of damaged seeds were intended to purchase only by 22% of the customers. Areas of the seed damaged by R. clavatus were readily infected by pathogens as the seed germinated, resulted in deteriorated quality and reduced yield of sprout produce.

The mode of inheritance and allelic relationship of resistance genes in a Korean landrace, Guju and a Korean weedy rice, Geumleungaengmi 33 were studied using Korean isolate (HB9101, race K1) of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. The analysis of F₁