In the current study, we investigated the inhibitory activity of water soluble β-glucan from oat (Avena sativa) against various digestive enzymes such as α-glucosidase, sucrase, maltase and glucoamylase. Inhibition of these enzymes involved in the absorption of disaccharide can significantly decrease the post-prandial increase of blood glucose level after a mixed carbohydrate diet. The β-glucan had the highest documented rate of small intestinal sucrase inhibitory activity (2.83 mg/mL, IC50) relevant for potentially managing post-prandial hyperglycemia. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of β-glucan on the level of post-prandial blood glucose in animal model. The post-prandial blood glucose levels were tested two hours after sucrose/starch administration, with and without β- glucan (100, and 500 mg/kg-body weight). The maximum blood glucose levels (Cmax) of β-glucan administration group were decreased by about 23% (from 219.06±27.82 to 190.44±13.18, p<0.05) and 10% (from 182.44±13.77 to 165.64±10.59, p<0.01) in starch and sucrose loading test, respectively, when compared to control in pharmacodynamics study. The β -Glucan administration significantly lowered the mean, maximum, and minimum level of post-prandial blood glucose at 30 min after meal. In view of the foregoing, it is felt that our findings suggest that β-glucan from oat serves to reduce post-prandial blood glucose rise secondary to slower absorption of glucose in the small intestine, via carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes inhibition.

For possibility of specific gas sieve and adsorption, metal organic framework has attracted expectation in the gas separation field. But, this enhances gas transport performance only at high loading. So we designed effective composite growing MOF on porous 2D template to improve membrane at low concentration. The mixed matrix membranes showed improved CO2 permeability drastically by improved CO2/N2 diffusion selectivity and showed anti-plasticization effect.

Facilitated transport membranes in the solid state have been attractive because they can improve both the permeability and the selectivity simultaneously to overcome the trade-off behavior. The carrier activity for facilitated transport plays a key role in determining separation performance. We have reported the solid-state facilitated transport membranes containing surface-activated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) as an olefin carrier for separation of olefin/paraffin mixtures, particularly propylene/propane mixture. Interestingly, the surface positive charge density of Ag atom in Ag NPs was linearly correlated with the propylene solubility and also with the propylene/propane selectivity. In addition, the separation performance has been maintained unchanged up to 500 hours.

In olefin/paraffin separation process, new technology such as membrane separation process has been ever demanding for both economic and environmental reasons. facilitated olefin transport membrane, containing positively charged silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by electron acceptor 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) as olefin carriers dispersed in poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), shows extremely high separation performance for propylene/propane mixtures. However, higher permeance is always demanding for practical applications. In this study, POSSs were added to PVP/Ag NPs/TCNQ membranes. Among various kinds of POSS, trisilanolisooctyl POSS showed higher permeance with a moderate selectivity. Therefore it is concluded that mesoporous POSS is an effective additive in improving the gas permeance.

CO2 capture technologies have been highlighted over the past decades because of global warming. Among the various technologies for CO2 capture, facilitated CO2 transport membranes show high CO2 selective performance by introducing carrier which interacts with CO2. In this presentation, we prepared and investigated facilitated CO2 transport membrane comprising potassium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonylimide] (TF2N) dissolved in a polymer matrix of Pebax1657. Adding potassium salt to the membrane shows further improvement in gas permeabilities while maintaining or even improving the gas selectivity, compared to the corresponding neat polymer membrane. Therefore, we have demonstrated that KTF2N can act as dual carrier for CO2 and its facilitated transport membrane could be very effective in enhancing the CO2 separation performance.

Reduction in the amount of Ag salts in the membranes is required for practical applications in the industry. However, since the separation performance is directly related to the amount of Ag salts, it has been difficult to reduce the amount of Ag salts. In this study, we succeeded in preparing polymer/Ag salts/Al(NO3)3 membranes with 30% reduction in the amount of Ag salts by utilizing KIT-6, which is a porous material. When KIT-6 was incorporated into the polymer/Ag salts/Al(NO3)3 membrane, the separation performance for propylene/propane mixed gas increased with a propylene over propane selectivity of 20 and mixed gas permeance of 10 GPU. The enhanced separation performance is attributed to both the coordination of hydroxyl groups in KIT-6 with Ag ions and the porous properties of KIT-6.

은 고분자 전해질은 올레핀/파리핀 혼합물 분리에 매우 효과적인 분리막 재료이다. 이는 고분자 매질속에 녹아 있는 은이온이 올레핀과 선택적, 가역적 반응을 통해 올레핀만을 분리막속으로 통과시키기 때문이다. 그러나 이러한 은 고분자 전해질 분리막은 실제 공정에 응용되기에는 다소 약한 장시간 운전 성능 안정성을 보인다. 즉 분리 성능이 시간이 지남에 따라 점차 감소되는데 이는 은이온이 은 나노입자로 환원되기 때문이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)와 AgBF4로 이루어진 고분자 전해질막의 안정성을 향상시키고자 비이온 계면활성제인 C18H35(OCH2CH2)20OH (Brij98)를 첨가제로 사용하였다. 분리막속에서 은이온의 은 나노입자로의 환원현상을 원자전자 현미경과 자외선 분광학을 이용하여 분석하였다. 그 결과 Brij98이 첨가된 분리막의 경우 은 나노입자의 성장이 늦춰졌으며, 프로판/프로핀렌 선택도가 장시간 유지됨을 알 수 있었다.

본 연구에서는 은-고분자 전해질 막에서의 프로필렌/프로판에 대한 순수 기체 선택도 (~10,000)와 혼합기체 선택도(~40)의 큰 차이의 원인을 규명하였다. 먼저 기체 공급 조건이 혼합기체의 투과도와 분리 성능에 미치는 영향을 고찰하였다. 프로필렌의 농도가 감소함에 따라 고분자 전해질 막을 통한 프로필렌의 투과도는 감소하고, 프로판의 투과도는 증가를 하였으며, 그 결과 프로판/프로필렌의 선택도가 감소하였다. 이는 고분자 전해질막의 프로필렌에 의한 가소화에 의한 것임을 실험적 결과 및 수학적 모델에 의해서 확인하였다. 또한, 압력과 무관한 투과도를 사용하였을 때의 이론적 계산에 의한 막 분리 성능은 실험치와 비슷하게 나왔음을 알 수 있었다.

은염이 함유된 고분자 전해질을 이용한 올리핀 촉진수송 분리막은 고체상에서 높은 올레핀/파라핀 분리 성능을 나타내었다 본 연구에서는, 프로필렌/프로판 분리 선택도와 투과도의 성능을 향상시키기 위해 아미노산의 일종인 valine을 고분자 전해질막에 첨가하였다. FT-lR 분광학을 통해 valine의 양이온과 은염의 음이온이 상호작용을 하고, 그 결과 valine은 은이온의 활성도를 증가시킴을 알 수 있었다. 따라서 valine을 포함하고 있는 촉진수송 분리막은 valine이 없을 때보다 더 높은 선택도와 투과도를 나타내었다.

기체 투과도 및 기계적 강도가 높은 고분자 비대칭막을 상분리법으로 제조하기 위해 막 제조 메카니즘을 규명하는 연구를 수행하였다. 기본적인 연구가 많이 이루어진 폴리스티렌, 이에 비해 용매와의 관계가 덜 알려져 있는 폴리아미드이미드인 Torlon과 3,3'4,4'-benzophenontetracarboxylic diahmydride와 1,4-phenylene diarnine로 이루어진 폴리이미드를 여러 용매에 녹여 얻어진 캐스팅 용액으로부터 비대칭막을 제조하였다. 용매와 비용매와의 혼합열과 막 구조의 관계로부터, 막의 구조를 결정하는 데에는 용매와 비용매의 혼합열이 크게 영향을 미침을 알 수 있었다. 이 결과로부터 폴리술폰 막의 구조를 용매 첨가제를 사용하여 조절하였다. 캐스팅 고분자 용액이 비용매를 만날 때 용매와 비용매와의 혼합열이 두 물질의 교환 속도에 영향을 미쳐 결국에는 막의 구조에 영향을 미치는 데에 대한 이론적인 고찰도 아울러 수행하였다.

This study was divised to observe the inhibitory effect of growth rate of human colon cancer cells by Eucommial leaf extract, in vitro. Three species of human colon cancer cells, HRT-18, HCT-48 and HT-29, were used for the experiment. Each extract of Ecommial leaf was prepared by extraction with water, 95% alcohol, acetone, chloroform and petroleum ether, and then the inhibitory effect of each extract on the growth rate of cells was compared with control group and each other. The expermental results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. Inhibitory effects on growth rate of human colon cancer cells were strongest in the petroleum ether extract and next in the chloroform extract. 2. Inhibitory effects on the growth rate of the cancer cells by extracts of water, 95% alcohol and acetone were weaker than that of petroleum ether and chloroform. 3. Inhibitory effect of each extract on the cancer cell growth was shown most strong activity in HT-29, and was in order of HRT-18 and HCT-48. In view of the results, it could be suggested that inhibitory effects of non-polar solvent`s extracts against the cancer cell growth were more stronger than that of polar solvents and the effects were indicated defference according to the species of the cells.

Transforming growth factor (TGF) family is well known to induce the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). However, the precise signal transduction pathways and underlying factors are not well known. Thus the present study aims to evaluate the possible role of C2 domain in the chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. To this end, 145 C2 domains in the adenovirus were individually transfected to hMSC, and morphological changes were examined. Among 145 C2 domains, C2 domain of protein kinase C eta (PKCη) was selected as a possible chondrogenic differentiation factor for hMSC. To confirm this possibility, we treated TGFβ3, a well known chondrogenic differentiation factor of hMSC, and examined the increased-expression of glycosaminoglycan (GAG), collagen type II (COL II) as well as PKCη using PT-PCR, immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. To further evaluation of C2 domain of PKCη, we examined morphological changes, expressions of GAG and COL II after transfection of PKCη -C2 domain in hMSC. Overexpression of PKCη-C2 domain induced morphological change and increased GAG and COL II expressions. The present results demonstrate that PKCη involves in the TGF-β3-induced chondrogenic differentiation of hMSC, and C2 domain of PKCη has important role in this process.