IRIS(International Research on the Interior of the sun) is the name of a worldwide network of 6 stations for whole disc Doppler shift measurements. The network has been operating since 1987 and by now a few series of a hundred days long unbroken (by day/night periodicity) data were received. Analysis of these data allowed to receivesome new results which are discussed in the paper.

Doxorubicin is a anti-cancer drugs that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in human body. Doxorubicin is used to treat different types of cancers that affect the ovary, thyoid and lungs, but induced side effect such as nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. Thus, we investigated that the effect of iridin on doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells, a human proximal tubule cell. To confirm effect of iridin on doxorubicin-induced necrosis, HK-2 cells are treated with 10 μM doxorubicin and 80 μM iridin. 80 μM iridin reduced 10 μM doxorubicin-induced necrosis, the mitochondrial over activation and caspase-3 activation. However, iridin reduces anti-cancer effect of doxorubicin such as PARP1 and caspase-3 activation, checkpoint proteins (CDK4 and CDK6) in NCI-H1129 cells (Human non-small cell lung cancer cell). In HCT-116 cells (Human colorectan cancer cell), iridin do not increased protein expression of CDK4 and CDK6 decreased by doxorubicin. Results indicate that treatment of iridin was diminished doxorubicin-induced necrosis in HK-2 cells. However, iridin was decreased anti-cancer effect of doxorubicin on NCI-H1229, but not HCT-116. Thus, further experiment are required to iridin treatment on various cancer cells and animal models because effect of iridin different cell type.

In a continuing screening of selected medicinal plants native to Mongolia, the antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of methanol extract of Iris bungei were investigated. After extraction with 80% of methanol, the methanol fraction was further extracted with n-hexane, EtOAc and n-BuOH in order to obtain four different solvent-soluble fractions, namely n-hexane-soluble, EtOAc-soluble, n-BuOH-soluble and H2O residue. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by radical scavenging assay using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS+) radicals. The anti-diabetic efficacy of I. bungei extract was investigated by α-glucosidase assay. All tested samples showed dose-dependent radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Among the tested extracts, the EtOAc-soluble fractions showed the greatest radical scavenging activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties among other solvent-soluble fractions. This result suggested that there was a significant relationship between the total phenolic content and biological efficacy. Thus, I. bungei extract might be considered as a new potential source of natural antioxidant and as a α-glucosidase inhibitory source. A more systematic investigation of this biomass sill be performed for further investigation of activity against antioxidative and anti-diabetic effects.

This study intended to investigate environmental factors including soil and vegetation in order to understand the environmental and ecological characteristics of 12 different habitats of Iris odaesanensis. These habitats, according to investigations, are mostly located at elevation of 280 m to 1,555 m with angles of inclination ranging from 2 degree to 30 degrees. A total of 273 vascular plants are identified in 23 quadrates of 12 habitats. Dominant species of woody plants in 12 habitats are represented as Quercus mongolica in the tree layer (T1) and the subtree (T2) layer, and Lespedeza maximowiczii, Lindera obtusiloba, Rhododendron schlippenbachii in the shrub (S) layer. The importance value of Iris odaesanensis is 9.65%, as regards the herbaceous layer, and 6 highly ranked species such as Carex siderosticta (3.92%), Meehania urticifolia (2.67%), Spodiopogon cotulifer (2.58%), Aconitum pseudolaeve (2.51%), Carex bostrychostigma (2.28%) and Disporum smilacinum (2.09%) are considered to be an affinity with Iris odaesanensis in their habitats. The degree of their average species diversity is 1.32, and that of dominance and evenness are 0.08 and 0.89, respectively. The type of soil is sandy loam and loam, and the average field capacity of soil is 28.31%. Their average organic matter is 16.71%, soil pH 5.29, and available phosphorus is 9.29%. Correlation coefficients analysis based on environmental factors, vegetation and soil analysis shows that the coverage of Iris odaesanensis is correlated with pH and dominance, and species richness is positive related with species diversity.

Iris nertschinsk has been used generally as a decorative plant. However, it has been almost used as a medicine for therapy on various human diseases. In this study, we demonstrate the anti-tumor effect of Iris nertschinsk on human breast cancer cells. Firstly, we found that Iris nertschinsk dose-dependently induced cell death in human breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and MDA-MB231. Moreover, phosphorylation of p53 was induced after Iris nertschinsk treatment in MCF7 cells, which has a functional p53, but not in MDA-MB231 cells, which has a dysfunctional p53. We next examined whether Iris nertschinsk induces caspase-dependent cell death. Caspase-7 was cleaved after Iris nertschinsk treatment in MCF7 cells. Interestingly, either caspase-3 or caspase-7 was cleaved in MDA-MB231 cells that p53 had been phosphorylated by Iris nertschinsk treatment, indicating that Iris nertschinsk induces apoptosis through the cleavage of caspase-3, -7 in human breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and MDA-MB231, but related to the status of p53. Therefore, these results suggest that Iris nertschinsk could be used as a treatment for human breast cancer. This research is supported by National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology research grant.

Iris odesanensis Y.N. Lee is one kind of species among 54 endangered plant species designated by the Ministry of Environment in Korea. It is very rare native plant throughout the country. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the native Iris odesanensis in Mt. Naeyon for their distribution and ecological characteristics. They were mostly distributed mid-slope of the mountain from 443m to 498m altitude. They were located lower part of valley and provided enough humid condition. They had proper light and humidity conditions as they faced south south west, south south east, and south. They were also located at the places deciduous woody plants were distributed for proper light conditions for spring blooming. Iris flowered to use light at the period before the trees thickly covered with foliage. However this unfavorable light condition caused low percentage as 7.04% of blooming individuals in this study. In herbaceous, Viola chaerophylloides (Regel) W. Becker, Carex siderosticta Hance, Erythronium japonicum Decne., Oxalis obtriangulata Max., Hepatica asiatica Nakai, Lilium tsingtauense Gilg et cetera were appeared well. We propose that proper pruning of upper branches of the deciduous trees is needed for suitable light condition of management of native sites.

It is important to understand pedigree of rice cultivars commonly used for breeding. In this paper, pedigree tables for tracking the pedigree of 17 representative rice cultivars recommended by Rural development Adminstration (RDA) were completed and analyzed using two kinds of web database system; 'IRIS' and 'RRDB'. Seven cultivars, namely, 'Sangmibyeo', 'Ilpumbyeo', 'Saegewhabyeo', 'Surabyeo', 'Shindongjinbyeo', 'Ilmibyeo' and 'Jungwhabyeo' had 'Koshihikari' on the pedigree of their ancestor. Besides 'Koshihikari', the most feguently used ancestral germplasms among the high quality rice cultivars were 'Fujisaka 5', 'Kameno o' and 'Asahi', 'Fujisaka 5' was used as ancestral parent in 12 out of 17 cultivars. Interestingly, 'Kameno o' was used in pedigree of 16 out of 17 high quality varieties and 'Asahi' was used in the ancestral pedigree of all 17 varieties. 'Hwayeongbyeo' was used as one of parent in the breeding of 'Dongjin 1', 'Hwabongbyeo', 'Saegewhabyeo' and 'Junambyeo'. 'Ilpumbyeo' was used in the breeding pathway of 'Junambyeo' and 'Saegewhabyeo', 'Mangeumbyeo' itself was not enlisted as one of high quality rice cultivars, but was used as a breeding parent of three high quality varieties, namely, 'Saegewhabyeo', 'Hwabongbyeo' and 'Nampyeongbyeo'. Incorporated with evaluation data, pedigree will provide a valuable chance to genealogical tracking of agronomic traits such as disease resistance, grain quality and etc.

This study was carried out to provide the basic data for an identifying system for Iris species distributed in Korean market from complete analysing of genetic relationship between three native Iris species and one cultivar bred from the native Iris plant. RAPD analysis of genetic relationship among 4 Irises was possible. According to the RAPD analysis, they were divided into two groups. Among 4 Irises used in this study, Iris laevigata 'Veriegata', Iris laevigata and Iris setosa were classified into the same group since they had many similarities even though the habitat of Iris laevigata in Korean peninsular is restricted mainly in the south and Iris setosa is naturally inhabited in the northern part of Kangwondo. The value for the dissimilarity index of Iris laevigata and Iris laevigata ‘Veriegata’ was 6.757. The value for the dissimilarity index of Iris laevigata and Iris dichotoma was 95.000, so that they were genetically the farthest among them since the genetic relationship between two species are separated far if the value of the dissimilarity index is close to 100.

Karyotypes were established in the eight Korean native species of the genus Iris. Chromosome numbers were 2n=50 in I. koreana and 2n=42 in I. uniflora var. carinata and their karyotype formulas were K = 2n = 50 = 14m + 28sm + 8st and K = 2n = 42 = 16m + 26sm, respectively. I. dichotoma and I. pseudoacorus were diploids of 2n=34. However, they showed different karyotype formulas: K = 2n = 34 = 26m + 6sm + 2st in I. dichotoma and K = 2n = 34 = 8m + 24sm + 2st in I. pseudoacorus. I. setosa, and I. pallasii var. chinensis carried the same chromosome numbers of 2n=40, but they showed different patterns of karyotype formula: K = 2n = 40 = 22m + 14sm + 4st in I. setosa and K = 2n = 40 = 26m + 12sm + 2st in I. pallasii var. chinensis. I. sanguinea was a diploid of 2n=28 and the karyotype formula was K = 2n = 28 = 14m + 14sm. I. ensata var. spontanea was a diploid of 2n=24 and the karyotype formula was K = 2n = 24 = 10m + 14sm. Each species showed characteristic chromosome composition with a pair of satellite chromosome except I. koreana with three pairs of satellite chromosomes. The chromosomes of I. dichotoma and I. uniflora were comparatively short, while the chromosomes of I. ensata were remarkably bigger than those of other species. These cytological data will give a useful information for the identification and breeding program of the Iris plants.