Some of the deicer ingredients are the same as fertilizer ingredients from agricultural activities. The goal of this study is to distinguish the components of highway deicer from the components used for agriculture. Among the deicer ingredients, Ca and Cl are substances which can be supplied by fertilizer or livestock manure. However, fertilizer and livestock manure contain plenty of nitrogen, organic matter, phosphoric acid and magnesium, including deicer ingredients. The soil physico-chemical characteristics were analyzed according to the distance from the highway. The physico-chemical analysis items of the soil include electrical conductivity, total nitrogen (TN), available phosphate (Av.P), organic matter (OM), ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC). In the case of effective phosphoric acid, leaching into the subsoil is very low due to various binding mechanisms in the soil. However, it is considered that the compost (fertilizer) applied to the topsoil is mixed with the soil by the tillage or flattening operation. In addition to the organic matter content of the subsoil appear to 10% or more is that in some cases exhibit a similar level as the topsoil. The average soil organic matter content of about 2.6%. This results shows that an excess of organic compost in the study area flows into subsoil and was mixed with the subsoil. The high EC value at the points outside the snow removal effect range level is not considered to be affected by the deicer. The results of the survey showed that the values were differently detected by agricultural activities, and that they should be approached in a complex way in their interpretation.

Hericium erinaceus is considered a functional food and potential medicinal source. The present study was conducted to examine the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of carried out with water and ethanol extracts of Hericium erinaceus grown on germinated green rice (HEGR-W and HEGR-E, respectively) and the water and ethanol extracts of germinated green rice (GR-W and GR-E, respectively) as potential medicinal resources or antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. Methods and Results: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, DPPH, and ABTS activity, reducing power, DNA protective activity, cell viability, and NO production were investigated. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were highest in HEGR-E (66.53 ± 2.40 ㎎·GAE/100 g and 82.12 ± 7.10 ㎎·CE/100 g respectively). HEGR-E exhibited high DPPH (44.70 ± 1.28%) and, ABTS (44.70 ± 1.28%) activity and reducing power (0.219). HEGR and GR extracts showed protective activity against DNA damage. The cytotoxicity of HEGR and GR in RAW264.7 cells and LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells was low. HEGR-E and GR-W exhibited anti-inflammatory effects through a 28% inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Conclusions: These results suggested that the extracts of Hericium erinaceus grown on germinated green rice could be a potential medicinal material with natural antioxidant and NO inhibitory properties.

Background : Aronia melanocarpa ‘Viking’ known as black chokeberry, is a species of rosaceae family. Chokeberry is high in flavonoid/anti-oxidants as well as high in vitamins and minerals. Black chokeberry contains high amount of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. Methods and Results : The aim of this study is to figure out the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property of Aronia melanocarpa ‘Viking’ (AMV) for both water and ethanol extract. The extracts have been tested to assess the 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2ʹ-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and nitrite scavenging activity. We have also evaluated the reducing power activity of AMV. AMV extracts showed a good radical scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS free radical. The DPPH radical scavenging activity ranges from 20.59% - 80.12% and 26.12% - 95.59% for water and ethanol extract, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents have also been estimated in this study. Moreover, to appraise the anti-inflammation property we examined cell viability and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production by using the lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. The extracts showed no cytotoxic effects on RAW 264.7 cells. Conclusion : According to the results, we suggest AMV contains noticeable antioxidant properties and could be source of natural antioxidant substances.

Background : The interests in the consumption of red pepper (Capsicum annum L.) is, to a large extent due to its content of bioactive compounds and their importance as dietary antioxidants and Red pepper is commonly used as food material and a broad variety of medicinal applications, Therefore, we investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of red pepper. Methods and Results : This present study was evaluated the effect of red pepper ethanol and distilled water extracts on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Antioxidant activity of the extracts were evaluated by the assay of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and reducing power, along with the determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The ethanol and the water extracts showed strong antioxidant activity by the testing methods. Total phenol content was high in ethanol extract, whereas total flavonoid content was high in water extract. The red pepper extract exhibited high scavenging activity against DPPH radicals and showed high reducing power. In vitro cytotoxic assay, red pepper extract showed noncytotoxic effect in the RAW 264.7 cells with or without LPS. The level of nitric oxide (NO) production induced by LPS decreased in a dose-dependent manner (0.25 ㎍/ ㎖ – 1.0 ㎎/㎖). Proinfllamatory cytokine level including TNF-ɑ and IL-6 decresed in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells by treating red pepper extracts. Conclusion : These results indicate that the ethanol and distilled water extracts of red pepper can be used as an anti-proliferative therapeutic agent or functional food.

Background: There is an increasing surplus of chestnut that are abandoned due to their failure to meet customer awareness. Thus, we investigated the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of chestnut (Castanea crenata) inner shell extracts in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells as a potential source of anti-cancer materials. Methods and Results: Distilled water extract (CI-W) and ethanol extract (CI-E) were prepared from chestnut inner shell and evaluated their anti-proliferative effects in vitro. Each extract significantly decreased the cell viability of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Indeed, the morphology of HepG2 cells treated with CI-W or CI-D was distorted to shrunken cell masses. Furthermore, it was revealed that their extracts induced cell death as evidenced by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), formation of apoptotic body and condensation. In addition, Their extracts clearly modulated the down regulated of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptoic)/ Bax (pro-apoptotic) family and cleaved caspase-3 as an effector caspase in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: These results indicate that the extracts of chestnut inner shell can be used as an anti-proliferative therapeutic agent or functional food.

Background: Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is a serious problem in diabetes. Hyperglycemia induces the generation of free radicals which disrupts insulin signaling and result in insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and hypoglycemic potentials of LBO-1 mixture. Methods and Results: To evaluate antioxidant effect of LBO-1 mixture, DPPH, ABTS and reducing power were performed. LBO-1 mixture scavenged DPPH free radicals and ABTS radicals in a dose-dependent manner. The total phenolic contents of LBO-1 mixture was determined by a regression equation using a calibration curve by gallic acid equivalents. The obtained total phenolic contents were 65.90 ± 0.52 ㎎/g. Phenolic components of plant extracts that can scavenge free radicals. In addition, we evaluated effects of LBO-1 mixture on glucose production in high glucose-induced HepG2 hepatocytes. LBO-1 mixture decreased glucose levels in cultured medium and it down regulated Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) levels which is an enzyme used in the metabolic pathway of gluconeogenesis. Conclusion: These results indicate that the LBO-1 mixture can be used as hypoglycemic agent.

Background : Capsaicin is an active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. Research reported capsaicin has antioxidant and anti-inflamatory activity and osteoclast lineages are very susceptible to oxidative stress, as osteoclasts are produced by increased-generation of intracellular ROS and osteoclasts are activated by ROS. Therefore, our study was evaluated the influence of intracellular oxidative stress such as increased ROS level on RANKL-mediated osteoclast differenciation. Methods and Results : Capsaicin showed a good free radical scavenging activity at in-vitro antioxidant activity. The inhibitory effect of osteoclast differentiation on capsaicin was confirmed. Osteoclast differentiation from murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells was induced by RANKL. The effect of capsaicin on receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation was demonstrated using a tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assay and TRAP staining. Capsaicin showed an inhibitory effect on TRAP activity. The TRAP staining showed that the number of TRAP positive osteoclasts was reduced in capsaicin-treated cells. Conclusion : Capsaicin revealed an inhibitory effect in osteoclast differentiation induced by RANKL. These results suggest that capsaicin may have a beneficial effect for the prevention or treatment of osteoclast caused bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

A new black seed coat soybean variety, “Socheong” was developed at the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) in 2006. The goal to breed the black seed coat soybean is to develop the cultivar with high yield, lodging tolerance, resistant to disease such as soybean mosaic virus (SMV), and bacterial pustule and seed size. Socheong was selected from the cross between Milyang 78, which was late maturing, susceptible to lodging and SMV and with large seed size and green cotyledon, and Peking which was tolerant to lodging and with small seed size. The preliminary, advanced and regional yield trials for evaluation and selection of this variety were carried out from 2002 to 2006. It has determinate growth habit, white flower, brown pubescence, brown pod color, black seed coat, green cotyledon, elongated flattened seed shape, oval leaf shape and small seed size (15.7 grams per 100 seeds), and it was 3 days later in maturity than the check cultivar Cheongjakong. Socheong was higher, in the seed quality of sucrose and total sugar contents (6.8 and 8.2%) and isoflavone contents (1,754 ㎍/g) than the check cultivar. Futhermore, it has good characteristics for mechanical harvest, such as lodging tolerance, pod shattering and stem diameter. It also has been identified to have resistance to soybean mosaic virus symptom which was the troublesome soybean diseases. The average yield of Socheong was 2.21 ton per hectare in the regional yield trials carried out in four locations of Korea among seven locations from 2004 to 2006, which was 5 percent lower than the check cultivar Cheongjakong.

A new black seed coat soybean cultivar, “Heugmi” was developed at the Yeongnam Agricultural Research Institute (YARI) in 2006. The goal to breed the black seed coat soybean is to develop the cultivar with high yield, lodging tolerance, resistant to disease such as soybean mosaic virus (SMV), and bacterial pustule and seed size. Heugmi was selected from the cross between Milyang 78, which was late maturing, susceptible to lodging and SMV and with large seed size and green cotyledon, and Milyang 68, which was middle maturing, resistant to lodging and SMV and with middle seed size and yellow cotyledon. The preliminary, advanced and regional yield trials for evaluation and selection of this cultivar were carried out from 2001 to 2006. It has determinate growth habit, purple flower, brown pubescence, black pod color, black seed coat, green cotyledon, spherical seed shape, oval leaf shape and middle seed size (24.8 grams per 100 seeds), and it was 2 days earlier in maturity than the check cultivar Cheongjakong. Heugmi was better in the seed quality of crude protein contents, sucrose and total sugar contents than the check cultivar. It also has been identified to have resistance to SMV which was the troublesome soybean diseases. The average yield of Heugmi was 2.53 ton per hectare in the regional yield trials carried out in seven locations of Korea from 2004 to 2006, which was 8 percent higher than the check cultivar Cheongjakong.