Quercetin and genistein, plentifully present in fruits and vegetables, are flavonoid family members that have antioxidative function and plant-derived phytoestrogen activity. The antioxidative effects of quercetin and genistein on boar sperm characteristics and in vitro development of IVF embryo were investigated. The sperm motility was increased by addition of genistein 50 μM for 6 hr incubation compared to control (p<0.05). The sperm viability was increased by addition of quercetin 1 and 50 μM and genestein 1 and 50 μM for 3 hr incubation. In addition, the sperm viability seemed to be increased dose-dependantly by addition of quercetin or genistein 1 and 50 μM, respectively (p<0.05). The membrane integrities were not increased by quercetin or genistein treatments for 3 hr or 6 hr incubation period except for quercetin 1 μM for 3 hr incubation. In mitochondrial activities, addition of quercetin 50 μM for 6 hr incubation increased mitochondrial activity but decreased at 100 μM concentration compared with control (p<0.05). When porcine IVF embryos were cultured in PZM-3 medium supplemented with low concentrations of quercetin (1∼10 μM), the developmental rates to morula and blastocyst increased but significantly decreased at high concentrations of quercetin (25∼50 μM). The highest developmental rate to blastocysts among all concentrations of quercetin was shown at quercetin 10 μM (p<0.05). The developmental rates to morula or blastocysts at low (0.01∼1 μM) and high (5∼10 μM) concentrations of genistein were not significantly different among all treatment group and genistein did not affect on IVF embryo development. These results suggest that quercetin and genistein seem to have positive effects at certain concentrations on sperm characteristics such as motility, viability and mitochondrial activity. In addition, low concentrations of quercetin (1, 5 and 10 μM) in this experiment, seem to have beneficial effect on porcine IVF embryo development but genistein did not affect on it at all given concentrations (0.01∼10 μM).

BPA, a diphenyl compound containing groups, that make it structurally similar to synthetic estrogen and is considered as one of the major endocrine disruptors. Silymarin has extensively been used to prevent and/or alleviate some human disease, especially for the treatment of adverse liver conditions. It has an antioxidative efficacy and cancer preventive efficacy. Therefore, we examined the hypothesis that silymarin can inhibit BPA-induced toxicity in boar sperm duing in vitro storage. Sperm characteristics (motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrion activity) in semen exposed to BPA (10~200 uM) were sharply lowered, while it increase in a dose and time dependent manner due to silymarin addition (50~200 uM) into semen extender in the presence of BPA (100 uM). All of the evaluated characteristics were gradually improved in the groups that were treated with silymarin (50~200 uM) in the presence of BPA (100 uM) in comparison to BPA 100 uM alone group, irrespective of incubation periods (3 and 6 h). These results demonstrate that silymarin can ameliorate the toxicity of BPA on boar sperm characteristics during in vitro storage, suggesting that silymarin indirectly act as an antioxidant.

The MTT assay is one of superior evaluation methods widely used to analyze the viability of metabolically active cell. It can be used to determine the percentage of viable sperm through measurement of the reduction of MTT granules at mitochondria in sperm tail. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal condition of a simple and easy MTT assay to validate boar sperm viability and compare the accuracy of this test with microscopic examination. The MTT reduction rate for sperm viability were analyzed in microtiter plates (96 well) from 1 hr to 5 hr incubation periods at using spectrophotometer (microplate reader) at 550 nm wavelength. The remainder of semen sample was simultaneously examined to compare the correlation of accuracy between MTT assay and other sperm parameters. Those sperm parameters were included the motility, survival rates, membrane integrity, mitochondria activity and acrosome integrity. The OD values of MTT assay (MTT reduction rates) did not greatly change at 1 hr to 5 hr incubation periods in different proportion of live and freeze-killed sperms (dead sperm). The MTT reduction rates or survival rates were decreased according to the different concentration of live and dead sperm. The linear regression at 1 hr and 4 hr incubation periods in sperm MTT assay was y=291.55x-72.176 and y= 180.64x-44.569, respectively. There are high correlation between 1 hr and 4 hr incubation periods (p<0.001). The results of MTT assay and other sperm parameters has a positive correlation (p<0.01 or 0.05). The correlation coefficients for MTT assay was 0.88115 for motility, 0.89868 for survival rates, 0.91722 for membrane integrity and 0.77372 for acrosome integrity, respectively. In conclusion, the MTT assay can be used as a reliable and efficient evaluation method for boar sperm viability. It can be use practical means to evaluate the quality of boar sperm by a fast, inexpensive and easy method.

Serial ultrasonography was performed to measure the normal appearance of uterine during estrous cycle and to determine whether the unterine appearance was related to the sex hormone, progesterone and estrogen. The uterine appearances, shape, diameter and echogenicity were daily monitored with ultrasonography in 9 Miniature Schnauzer dogs undergoing II estrous cycles. During proestrus and estrous, the uterus became hypoechoic but developed hyperechoic luminal echo. In the longitudinal view, the shape of the uterus occasionally changed from rectangular to coiled or serpentine, compared to other stages of the cycle. The diameter of the uterus during proestrus and estrous was larger (range: 0.600.86 mm) than other stages (range: 0.480.62 mm) of the cycle. The rising estrogen concentrations (range: 14.5116.86 pg/ml) in plasma during proestrus correlated with changes in the uterus (p<0.05). Progesterone concentrations were 0.080.15 ng/ml at the onset of proestrus, but rose 1.061.26 ng/ml at the end of proestrus. There was no relation to progesterone concentration from onset of estrus (p>0.05). There was dramatical changes in normal uterus and sex hormone during estrous cycle. Especially, the appearance, shape and diameter of uterus were related to plasma estrogen concentration during proestrus, correlated with other stages of the cycle.

본 연구를 통해 논, 시설재배 밭 토양, 쓰레기장, 하천 및 호수의 퇴적 토양 등 22개소에 서 분리한 총 6종의 광합성세균 중 호기 ․암 배양이 가능한 Rhodobacter sphaeroides PS-24 를 분리하였다. 형태학적 특징으로는 그람음성의 막대모양으로, 운동성이 있었다. 분리균주 의 16S rRNA 염기서열을 분석한 결과 Rhodobacter sphaeroides ATH2.4.1과 99%의 상동성을 나타내었으며, 본 연구에서 Rhodobacter spharoides PS-24로 명명하여 연구를 수행하였다. 선별균주를 modifed Van niel's yeast 배지에서 배양 후 생성된 carotenoid를 추출한 결과 12.03±0.15 mg/L의 함량이 측정되었으며, 반응표면분석법 중 Plackett burman 분석방법과 Box-Behnken 분석방법을 통해 carotenoid 생산에 영향을 미치는 요인을 분석하고 농도를 최 적화하였다. 분석결과 각각의 독립변수 yeast extract –0.4144 (1.23 g/L), Na2CO3 0.8541 (3.71 g/L)와 MgSO4 1.00 (1.00 g/L)의 농도를 선정하였으며, 이를 바탕으로 배지 조성을 최적화 한 결과 yeast extract 1.23 g, sodium acetate 1 g, NH4Cl 1.75 g, NaCl 2.5 g, K2HPO4 2 g, MgSO4 1.0 g, mono-sodium glutamate 7.5 g, Na2CO3 3.71 g, NH4Cl 3.5 g, CaCl2 0.01 g/ liter로 선정하였다. 최적배지를 대상으로 5 L, 50 L, 500 L scale-up을 진행한 결과 최종 carotenoid 는 각각 17.98 mg/L, 18.03 mg/L, 18.11 mg/L로 조사되었다. 최적배지의 경우 modified Van niel's yeast 배지보다 약 1.5배 많은 carotenoid를 생산하였으며, 대량배양을 통한 scale-up 과 정 시 carotenoid의 생산량은 크게 변화하지 않는 것으로 조사되었다. 따라서 본 연구를 바 탕으로 산업적으로 다양하게 사용되고 있는 carotenoid를 생산하는 광합성세균 Rhodobacter spharoides PS-24를 개발하였으며, 본 연구를 바탕으로 유기농축산에 사용이 가능한 기능성 미생물제제를 개발하고자 한다.