Ixodidae에 속하는 일부 참진드기들은 중증열성혈소판감소증후군(severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome; SFTS)을 비롯한 질병을 매개하는 공중보건학적으로 중요한 해충이다. 우리나라에서는 2013년 이후로 SFTS 환자 발생수가 지속적으로 증가하는 경향을 보이며, 경상북도는 전국적으로 2번째로 많은 SFTS 환자가 발생하는 지역이다. 본 연구에서는 2019년 경북 상주 지역의 진드기 분포를 조사하기 위해 시민의 생활 반경 주변을 도심 녹지지역, 관리 취약지역 및 농촌지역으로 구별하여 flagging 방법을 통해 진드기를 채집하였고, 채집 진드기내 SFTS 바이러스 보균 여부를 조사하였다. 채집된 진드기 수를 Collection Index (CI = tick number / 1h / 2 people)로 산출한 결과, 상주시 내 총 26개 지점에서 작은소피참진드기와 개피참진드기, 일본참진드기를 포함하는 총 CI 143의 진드기가 채집되었고, 그 중 작은소피참진드기가 96.5%(CI 138)로 우점종으로 확인되었다. 채집된 진드기의 약 92%(131 CI)는 인적이 드물고 시청이나 관계 당국의 관리가 이루어지지 않는 관리 취약지역에서 채집되었으나, 도심의 녹지지역와 농촌 지역에서는 8.4%(CI 12)의 진드기만 관찰되었다. 총 CI 143의 진드기를 26개 pooling 한 후 SFTS 바이러스 존재 여부를 조사하였으나, 모두 음성으로 확인되었다. 본 연구의 결과는 지역주민들로 하여금 진드기 매개 질병으로부터 안전한 생활을 하기 위한 권고 자료로 활용할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Background : Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (common buckwheat) is an important pseudocereal due to high agricultural and medicinal values. It contains various minerals, fiber, and flavonoids. Additionally, flavonoids in buckwheat have various health effects. Thus, this study is aim to optimize the concentration of chitosan, salicylic acid (SA), and jasmonic acid (JA), for the production of phenolics in germinated buckwheat using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Methods and Results : The treatment with 0.1% chitosan increased the accumulation of all 7 phenolic compounds compared with the control, 0.01 and 0.5% chitosan treatments (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the germinated buckwheat treated with JA at the specific concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 μM increased the accumulation of total phenolic compounds. The germinated buckwheat grown in 150 μM of JA showed the highest amount of total phenolics which was approximately 2.47 times higher than that of control. Particularly, the accumulation of gallic acid, rutin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and (-)-epicatechin were approximately 2.00, 2.38, 1.76, 2.81, and 7.95 times higher in JA-treated buckwheat than in the control buckwheat samples. A total of seven phenolics, including gallic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, (-)-epicatechin, benzoic acid, and rutin, were detected in germinated buckwheat. Apparently, JA and chitosan treatment enhanced the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the germinated buckwheat. Particularly, the treatments with 0.1 % chitosan and 150 μM JA were the most effective on the accumulation of phenolic compounds. According to the time-course analysis, a 72 h chitosan treatment enhanced the production of phenolics. Similarly, the germinated buckwheat treated with 48 and 72 h showed the accumulation of higher levels of phenolic compounds than the control buckwheat. Conclusion : This study aimed to optimize the concentrations and treatment period of elicitors, chitosan and JA, for the enhanced production of phenolic compounds in germinated buckwheat. Thus, these results might help build sturdy strategies to enhance the production of phenolics in germinated buckwheat as a good nutritional source for human consumption.

Background : Agastache rugosa (A. rugosa), belonging to the Lamiaceae family, is a medicinal plant mainly distributed in Korea and contains various phenolic compounds revealing anti-fungal and anti-HIV properties. This study is aim to investigate change in phenylpropanoid content of flowers at different developmental stages using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Methods and Results : The variation in the transcriptional level of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes and phenylpropanoid contents in the flowers of A. rugosa at different developmental stages was analyzed. The transcript levels of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis genes, including ArPAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase), ArC4H (cinnamate 4-hydroxylase), and ArCHS (Chalcone synthase), were high in flowers at 1st stage compared with flowers at 2nd and 3rd stages. On the other hand, the expression levels of flavonoid biosynthesis genes, including ArTAT (tyrosine amino transferase), ArHPPR (hydroxyl phenylpyruvate reductase), and ArRAS (rosmarinic acid synthase), were higher in flowers at 3rd stage than those of flowers at 1st and 2nd. These results were consistent with HPLC analysis revealing that most phenolic compounds were higher in flowers at 1st and 2nd stage but the level of rosmarinic acid was the highest in 3rd stage. Conclusion : Our findings provide the information on change in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in A. rugosa flowers at different developmental stages.

Background : Lycoris radiata belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family and is a bulbous plant native to South Korea, China, and Japan. Galantamine, a representative alkaloid of Amaryllidaceae plants, including L. radiata, exhibits selective and dominant acetylcholinesterase inhibition. In this study, transcriptome analysis of L. radiata was performed. Methods and Results : Genes for galantamine biosynthesis were used to design primers for qRT-PCR. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed with LrActin as a reference gene for normalization. The RT-PCR results reveal the expression of LrPAL A and LrC4H at an early stage in the pathway. Interestingly, the expression of these genes was significantly higher in roots. However, the expression levels of LrNNR and LrN4OMT, which are closely involved in galantamine biosynthesis, were significantly higher in bulbs than leaves and roots. The expression levels of LrPAL B, LrTYDC, LrCYP98A3 and LrCYP76T were not significantly different among the different parts of the plants tested. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of galantamine in all the organs, including the root (0.53 ± 0.07 ㎎/g dry weight), bulb (0.27 ± 0.04 ㎎/g dry weight), and leaf (0.75 ± 0.09 ㎎/g dry weight). The galantamine level in the bulb was 1.42 and 2.78 times higher than that in the root and leaf, respectively. The results of qRT-PCR for the eight galantamine genes revealed relatively high levels of genes expressed early, including LrPAL A, LrPAL B, LrC4H, and LrTYDC in the roots. However, in the bulbs, the levels of LrNNR and LrN4OMT were higher, which are crucial for galantamine biosynthesis. It also explains why bulbs contain high amounts of galantamine, which is likely due to the increased expression of LrNNR and LrN4OMT and the high levels of LrCYP96T, although the genes expressed early were expressed at high levels in the root. Conclusion : Transcript data of plants grown in a growth chamber revealed high expression levels of LrNNR and LrN4OMT genes that are closely involved in galantamine biosynthesis, and, as expected, we observed higher amounts of galantamine in the bulbs than in the root and leaves.

Background : Agastache rugosa (A.rugosa), belongs to the Labiatae family, is a perennial plant distributed in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. It is commonly called korean mint and commercially consumed as a medicinal plant in many countries since the crop contains monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids including rosmarinic acid, tilianin and acacetin. Achievement of hairy root cultures (HRCs) through infection of A rhizogenes is a valuable alternative approach, resulting from genetic and biochemical stability, rapid growth rates and synthesis of natural products. Methods and Results : The hairy root, obtained from the explant of A.rugosa, was cultured in the basal half-strength MS (Murashige & Skoog) medium. The dry weights (DW) of hairy roots was measured after 4-days freeze dryer. The highest levels of DW were obtained at hairy roots cultured in the basal medium supplemented with glucose, galactose and sucrose. The lowest weight was recorded after HRCs in the control, meant that the medium did not contain any carbon sources. Sucrose, glucose and galactose are the most suitable for the growth of korean mint hairy roots. the rosmarinic acid contents in the hairy roots varied responding to various carbohydrates. The basal media added with sucrose resulted in the highest value of rosmarinic acid, followed by the basal media with galactose and glucose. The control showed the lowest amount of rosmarinic acid. Conclusion : In this study, carbon source are of importance for growth and accumulation of rosmarinic acid accumulation in korean mint hairy roots. Especially, the accumulation of rosmrinic acid and hairy root growth was the most appropriate carbohydrate. The current study suggests HRCs of korean mint could provide an valuable alternative approaches for the enhanced production of rosmarinic acid.