본 연구는 절화 국화의 수경재배와 토경관비재배 시 생육 특 성을 비교하기 위하여 실시하였다. 그 결과 초장, 절화의 생체중 과 건물중은 토경관비재배에서 증가하였다. 식물체 내 전질소, 칼륨 및 칼슘의 함량도 토경관비재배에서 더 높았다. 반면에 줄기 직경은 수경재배에서 3.7mm로 증가하였다. 또한 개화소 요일수도 토경관비재배보다 수경재배에서 3일 정도 단축되었 고, 줄기 1개당 꽃 수도 19.6개로 수경재배에서 더 많았다. 결과 적으로 토경관비재배에서 식물체 내 무기염류 함량이 높고, 초장이 길어지고 생체중, 건물중이 증가하였지만 수경재배보다 개화기는 지연되었다. 또한 토경관비재배보다 수경재배에서 줄 기 직경이나 꽃 수 등이 증가하였다. 따라서 재배자의 입장에서 국화 수경재배를 통해 양분과 수분 공급량의 조절에 의한 개화 기의 조절, 조기 개화 및 절화 품질 향상 등의 효과를 기대할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Cheonggukjang pills with aronia and blueberries on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. There have been several reports that Cheonggukjang is effective for intestinal health, but the efficacy of Cheonggukjang containing fruits has not yet been reported. In this study, we showed the effect of cheonggukjang pills with blueberries and aronia (CPBA) on DSS-induced colitis in BALB/c mice. CPBA was obtained from Soonchang Moonokae foods and orally administered once a day for 2 weeks before DSS treatment. Colitis was induced in mice by feeding 5% (w/v) DSS drinking water for 7 days. The results showed that CPBA treatment significantly alleviated DSS-induced disease activity index associated with a decrease in colon length. CPBA improved DSS-induced histological changes and intestinal epithelial barrier integrity in mice colon. In addition, CPBA administration significantly reduced the levels of DSS-mediated interferon-γ and interleukin-6 in serum and tumor necrosis factor-α in colon tissue. Moreover, the gene expression of COX-2 and iNOS, which are factors involved in inflammatory signaling, was significantly reduced by CPBA treatment. These results suggest that CPBA have a protective effect against DSS-induced mice colitis and may be a candidate for colitis treatment.

본 연구에서는 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출의 복합추출물의 항관절염 효능을 평가하였다. 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물이 세포에 미치는 독성을 확인하기 위해 RAW 264.7 세포에서 MTT 기법으로 세포 생존율을 평가하였다. 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물의 항염증 효능을 확인하기 위해 LPS로 염증을 유도한 RAW 264.7 세포에 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물을 5, 10, 25 ㎍/㎖ 농도로 처리한 후 ROS와 NO level, 염증성 사이토카인의 분비, 염증성 인자인 NF-κB, COX-2, iNOS 등의 발현을 측정하였다. 또한 type II collagen으로 유도한 관절염 모델 동물실험에서 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물을 33.5, 66, 133 mg/kg/day로 처리한 후 항관절염 효능을 확인 하였다. 그 결과, 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물은 25 ㎍/㎖ 농도까지 세포독성이 없었으며, LPS로 유도된 RAW 264.7 세포에서 ROS 생성 및 NO의 생성을 5, 10, 25 ㎍/㎖ 농도에서 대조군 대비 유의성 있게 감소시켰으며, 사이토카인(IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α)의 생성을 유의성 있게 억제시키고, NF-κB, COX-2, iNOS의 발현을 유의성 있게 감소시켜 세포 내에서 뛰어난 항염증 효과를 보였다. 관절염 모델 동물실험에서는 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물이 66.5, 133mg/kg 농도에서 관절 염을 유의성 있게 억제시키는 효능을 나타내었다. 본 연구는 방사선 육종 차조기와 백출 복합추출물이 뛰어난 항염증 효능을 나타내는 것을 제시하며, 관절염 질환을 개선하기 위한 건강기능식품 및 치료제의 원료로 개발될 수 있다는 것을 제시한다.

Rutin (3,3′,4′,5,7-pentahydroxyflavone-3-rhamnoglucoside) is a bioactive flavonoid from the plant kingdom. Rutin has been studied as potential anticancer agent due to its wide range of pharmacological properties including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. Autophagy is a conserved intracellular catabolic pathway to maintain cell homeostasis by formation of autophagosome. Processing of autophagy involves various molecules including ULK1 protein kinase complex, Beclin-1–Vps34 lipid kinase complex, ATG5, ATG12, and LC3 (light chain 3). Cargo-carried autophagosomes fuse with lysosomes resulting in autophagolysosome to eliminate vesicles and degrade cargo. However, the actions of rutin on autophagy are not clearly understood. In this study, we analyzed the effect of rutin on autophagy and inflammation in cancer cell lines. Interestingly, rutin induced autophagy in leukemia (THP-1), oral (CA9-22), and lung (A549) cell lines. TNF-α, key modulator of inflammation, was upregulated by inhibition of rutin-induced autophagy. Taken together, these data indicated that rutin induced autophagy and consequently suppressed TNF-α production.

Traditionally, Centella asiatica leaf extracts are used to treat neurodegenerative diseases in India. Centella asiatica is reportedly used to enhance memory and treat dementia, but its promoting effect on neural stem cell differentiation has not been studied yet. In the present study, we investigated whether or not Centella asiatica leaf extracts act on neuronal precursor cells and neuronal cell lines to induce neuronal differentiation, neurite outgrowth, and neuroprotection. The neurogenesis-promoting potential of Centella asiatica leaf extracts was determined by differentiation assay on neural stem cells isolated from mouse embryos and PC12 cell lines. To understand the contribution of specific neural cell types towards increase after Centella asiatica treatment, neural stem cells were differentiated into various neural subtypes and checked by Western blotting using neural cell lineage-specific antibody markers. Neuroprotective activity of Centella asiatica was analyzed in PC12 cells exposed to 100 μM of H2O2. Cell growth was analyzed by MTT assay while cell death was analyzed by Western blotting detection of apoptosis-related proteins. Cells treated with Centella asiatica had significantly longer primary and secondary neurites as well as a higher number of neurites per cell compared to control cells. Expression levels of TUBBIII, TH, NF, and BDNF increased upon Centella asiatica treatment, suggesting that Centella asiatica has a neurogenesis-promoting effect. Centella asiatica also inhibited oxidative stress-induced neural cell damage through regulation of apoptosis- and cell cycle-related proteins. Thus, leaf extracts of Centella asiatica might promote neurogenesis, neuroregeneration, and neuroprotection in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is an important pathogen in the development of localized aggressive periodontitis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a virulent factor of periodontal pathogens that contributes to alveolar bone loss and connective tissue degradation in periodontal disease. Our present study was designed to investigate the cytokine expression and signaling pathways regulated by A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS (Aa LPS). Cytokine gene expression profiling in RAW 264.7 cells was performed by microarray analyses. The cytokine mRNA and protein levels and related signaling pathways induced by Aa LPS were measured by RT-PCR, ELISA and western blotting. Microarray results showed that Aa LPS strongly induced the expression of NF-κB, NF-κB-related genes, inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β in RAW 264.7 cells. NF-κB inhibitor pretreatment significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA and protein. In addition, the Aa LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-1β expression was inhibited by p38/JNK MAP kinase inhibitor pretreatment. These results show that Aa LPS stimulates TNF-α and IL-1β expression through NF-κB and p38/JNK activation in RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting the essential role of this pathway in the pathogenesis of localized aggressive periodontitis.

A surveillance of chigger mites was conducted to clarify the incidence of scrub typhus vectors by new chigger mite collecting traps instead of trapping wild rodents for surveillance from each 4 collection points of 5 regions from September to November 2012 in Korea. During the surveillance period, 2,829 chiggers were collected and 10 species of 4 genera were identified. The first appearance of chigger mite and patients was 39 week (9.19~9.25) and the density of chigger mites had the peak in 43 week (10.17~10.23) and the density of patients had the peak in 44 week (10.24~10.30), respectively. In Goryeong-gun, a total of 1,797 mites representing 4 genera and 6 species were collected and the predominant species were Leptotrombidium scutellare (86.0%), L. pallidum (6.5%) and L. palpale (4.7%) whereas, In Gurye-gun, a total of 89 mites representing 2 genera and 3 species were collected and the predominant species were L. scutellare (46.5%) and L. palpale (36.2%) in similar to the natural environment. The high collecting rates were recorded at rice field (71.8%) and waterway (11.6%). This result shows that the surveillance of scrub typhus vectors by new chigger mite collecting trap is useful as an eco-friendly method.