This study was conducted to improve the postharvest storage techniques of managing and storing seeds, totest qualities and viabilities of the seeds and to examine the germination rate and the protein expression of Achyranthesjaponica Nakai. The seeds collected from different areas of Je-Cheon and Gwang-Ju were stored with different temperaturesand durations. Two plant growth regulators and two seed priming were treated to investigate their effect on the germinationrates and the days required for germination. The weight of one hundred seed collected in Gwang-Ju was heavier than thosein Je-Cheon. Seed length collected in Gwang-Ju was also longer about 5.12㎜ than those in Je-Cheon about 4.90㎜ andseed width was longer in Gwang-Ju than those in Je-Cheon. The rates of seed germination in two different collection areaswere higher about 2.9 to 13.0% in Gwang-Ju compared to those in Je-Cheon. Comparing its rates with the storing tempera-tures and durations, they were not clearly different in between 4℃ and 25℃ and they also were gradually decreased withgetting longer storing durations. The germination rates treated by plant growth regulators were higher with GA3 than thosewith Kinetin. The highest seed germination rate was appeared at 50 ppm of GA3. Comparing its rates with different seedpriming, they were relatively higher with KNO3 than those with PEG6000. In protein expression patterns between before thegerminating and after the germinating of seeds, more and clear bands were appeared in the seed after the germination com-pared to those before the germination of seeds, especially 10~20kDa. These results showing more and clear bands weremore clearly appeared in Gwang-Ju compared to Je-Cheon. Comparing the protein expression with plant growth regulatorsand seed primings, GA3 was better expression than those with Kinetin and KNO3 was better than those with PEG6000. Moreand clear bands were closely related to the germination rates of seeds and more detailed studies would be required.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a substantial contributor to morbidity and mortality. In search of a natural products capable of inhibiting this multidrug resistant bacteria, we have investigated the antimicrobial activity of brazilein (BRZ) isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L. (Leguminosae) against 8 different strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). New antimicrobial activity was found using the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), broth dilution as well as checkerboard method. Against the 8 strains, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of BRZ were in the range of 62.5-500μg/mL. From those results we performed the checkerboard test to determine the synergism of BRZ in combination with Hygromycin-b (HgB) against 4 strains. The combined activity of BRZ and HgB against 4 strains resulted in a fractional inhibitory concentrations index (FICI) ranging from 0.18-0.5. The effect of BRZ with HgB was found to be synergistic. We found that BRZ reduced the MICs of HgB. BRZ and HgB could lead to the development of new combination antibiotics against MRSA infection.

Polygonatum is a genus placed in the family Liliaceae, distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and 16 of the species are grown naturally in Korea. In oriental medicine, the rhizomes of Polygonatum have been used as two different medicines, Okjuk (Polygonati odorati Rhizoma) and Hwangjeong (Polygonati Rhizoma). However, it is difficult to identify the morphological and chemical differences between the medicinal groups and thus easy to confuse the one with the other. Therefore, a clear classification standard needs to be established so as to be able to discriminate between them. In the study, the morphological characteristics of the plants, Polygonatum spp., were examined. Then, the differences in SNPs among the DNA sequences of 7 of the Polygonatum spp. and 1 of the Disporum spp. were analyzed by DNA barcoding with rpoC1, rpoB2, matK, and psbA-trnH of the cpDNA region. In the results, three regions, rpoC1, rpoB2, and matK were useful for discriminating the species, P. stenophyllum and P. sibiricum. Furthermore, it was possible to discriminate the individual germplasm within the species by using the combination of the results obtained from rpoB2, rpoC1, and matK.

This study was conducted to investigate the quality of seeds, the germination rates and the days required for germination, to examine the patterns of protein expressions during the germination and to improve the techniques of managing and storing seeds and viability of the seeds of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. After collecting and harvesting seeds, they were classified to white and brown colors of seed coat through testing their seed size, weight, and quality. The germination rates, the days required for germination, and the protein expressions were examined with different colors of seed coats, storing temperatures and durations by treating the different plant growth regulators and primings. One hundred seed weight of white color was heavier about 1.17 g than those of brown one about 0.81 g. The germination rates in white color of seed coat was higher, 3.05 ~ 5.75%, than those in brown one. Its rates were decreased with getting longer in storage durations. There was no big differences on germination rates between storage temperatures. The plant growth regulator of GA3 and Kinetin was affected to improve the seed germination. GA3 increased the seed germination clearly at 25 ppm level, while kinetin increased it gradually from 25 to 100 ppm levels. In germination by seed primings, PEG6000 made higher germination rate with increasing their levels, whereas KNO3 increased the germination until 100 mM level and then decreased it with 200 mM unlike PEG6000. The protein expressed during the seed germination were appeared more and clearer bands in the seed after germination, especially 20 ~ 30 kDa, compared to those in the seed before germination. These results showing more and clearer bands were positively related to the germination rates which were different by seed colors, storage temperatures and durations, and plant growth regulators and primings.