The objective of this study was to prepare bioactive ginseng yogurts containing compound K, which is transformed from ginsenosides, and to investigate the compound’s cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Milk containng ginseng was fermented by Bifidobacteria KK-l and KK-2, and their activities for transforming ginsenosides to compound K were measured. Among the tested concentrations of ginseng in the milk, compound K was effectively produced in the 3% and 6% ginseng yogurts fermented for 48 hrs. These fermented ginseng yogurts were extracted with BuOH, and their cytotoxicities against tumor cells were examined. The BuOH extract of the yogurt made from the 3% ginseng milk showed cytotooxic activity against P388 and HeLa tumor cells. However, the nonfermented ginseng milk did not exhibit cytotoxicity against these cells. Therefore, we deem that the ginseng yogurt, which contained compound K, could be developed as a potential fermented drink product.

Potato (Solamum tuberosum 'Dejima') plantlets were investigated on culture type and initial quantity of inoculation in bioreactor and survival rate by hydroponics for mass production. rode stems (1 to 1.5cm in length) of potato plantlets multiplied in vitro were grown for 3 weeks in liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with sucrose 30 g L-1. When plantlets (80-node inoculation) were raised in 10L balloon type bubble (BB) bioreactor, the healthiest growth of plantlets was obtained from explants cultured in ebb & flow culture with medium supplied periodically 12 times per day. The suitable inoculation quantity of 20L BB bioreactor was 120 pieces of stem segments (mean 2.2g fresh weight) in ebb & flow culture. Number of nodal shoot was eight on the average. In controlled culture room, survival rate of plantlets at 7 days after stem cutting was above 70% when they were acclimatized by hydroponics grown in deep flow and solid medium culture. The highest survival rate of the stem cutting plantlets was in nutrient solution adjusted to EC 1.4dS·m-1. Stem cutting plantlets through one culture could be obtained 670~900, when plantlets were grown in ebb & flow culture during 3 weeks using a 20L bioreactor with initial 120 pieces of nodal segments. 11 is possible In do mass production of seedlings cultured in bioreactor and hydroponics.

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds have long been clinically used in Korea to promote bone formation and prevent osteoporosis. In addition, the safflower buds (SB) were found to have more useful functional ingredients than safflower seed. Thus, we investigated the preventive effects of SB diet in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The rats were divided into five groups; sham operated group, OVX alone group, OVX plus 17β-estradiol (E2 10 ㎍/㎏, i.p.) and OVX plus SB diet feeding group (0.3% or 1%). Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats markedly increased trabecular formation in femur compared to OVX rats. Feeding of SB diet (0.3% or 3%) to OVX rats also decreased TRAP activity compared to OVX rats. These results suggest that SB diets have bone sparing effects by the decrease of osteoclast activity. We also observed that OVX rats fed with SB diet (0.3% or 3%) exhibited the decrease of calcium and phosphorus in serum compared to OVX-induced rats. Therefore, SB may be beneficial for the patients of osteoporosis, especially in postmenopausal women.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata) is a fast-growing, warm-season legume crop that is primarily cultivated in developing countries of Asia. We constructed a draft genome sequence of mungbean to facilitate genome research into the subgenus Ceratotropis and to enable a better understanding of the evolution of leguminous species. The draft genome sequence covers 80% of the estimated genome, of which 50.1% consists of repetitive sequences. In total, 22,427 high confidence protein-coding genes were predicted. Based on the de novo assembly of additional wild mungbean species, the divergence of what was eventually domesticated and the sampled wild mungbean species appears to have predated domestication. Moreover, the de novo assembly of a tetraploid Vigna species (Vigna reflexo-pilosa var. glabra) provided genomic evidence of a recent allopolyploid event. To further study speciation, we compared de novo RNA-seq assemblies of 22 accessions of 18 Vigna species and protein sets of Glycine max and Cajanus cajan. The species tree was constructed by a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo method using highly confident orthologs shared by all 24 accessions. The present assembly of V. radiata var. radiata will facilitate genome research and accelerate molecular breeding of the subgenus Ceratotropis.

Mutagenesis approach in combination with whole genome sequencing has become an import role in genetic and molecular biological study and breeding of crop plants. In this study, we screened the fast neutron M4 10,000 soybean mutant plants based on morphological phenotypes of agronomically important traits and characterized the mutant of interest using resequencing. Fast neutron radiation has been known to be a very effective mutagen to cause large deletion in genome. The screened mutant showed abnormal phenotypes in plant heights, seed sizes, color of leaves, number of leaves, maturity and number of branches etc. Among them, the mutant displaying short plant height and bush type of growth habit was selected for identification of the altered genomic regions. Analysis of deletion sites of genome in interesting soybean mutant was performed using next generation sequencer Illumina Hi-seq. Mutant sequence reads generated by paired-end shotgun library were mapped on a draft soybean reference soybean (G. max cv. Williams 82). The paired-end DNA sequences of 21.6 Gb produced by Illumina Hi-seq produced 21 fold sequence depth. Among the predicted deletion sites, total 3 deletion regions confirmed by PCR. Glyma03g02390 gene and Glyma03g03560 gene were involved in the deletion regions. Glyma03g02390 gene was related to AMP binding, catalytic activity, cofactor binding and metabolic process of cell growth and Glyma03g03560 gene was concerned to oxygen binding, defense response to bacterium, and especially process of indole acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis. These genes detected in this mutant will be studied about their molecular function in stunted phenotype.

A new cut-Qower gerbera (Gerbera hybrida Hort.) "Noble Hugging" was renamed from 'B3-16', a seedling selectedfrom Fi Population ofa cross ofmatemal parent "Michelle", the single flower having orange ray flowers and black disc and pollenparent "Picasso", t

‘Namcheondeulkkae’ was developed as a new vegetable perilla variety using the pure line selection from Milyang local strains at the National Yeongnam Agricultural Experiment Station (NYAES), Rural Development Administration in 1998. The advanced and regio