Background : Saliva miltiorrhiza is a perennial medicinal crop of Lamiaceae and has been reported to have various functionalities such as improvement of cardiovascular function and antihypertensive. However, domestic cultivation technique in Korea has not been established yet. Seed production system is required to increase propagation efficiency and to establish breeding basis for stable production. This experiment was carried out to determine the optimal date of the S. miltiorrhiza. Methods and Results : S. miltiorrhiza was seeded in April of 2017 and 2018. The seeds were harvested at 5-day intervals based on the flowering period of 2018. Number of peduncles, flowers, and seeds were investigated at each period. And germination rate was also investigated. The optimum seed harvest time was estimated by relationship between the seed production and days after flowering period (DAF) or cumulative temperature. The flowering rate and amount of seed of 2-years plant was higher than 1-year plant. As DAF increased, number of flowers, fertility rate, and the amount of seeds increased. At 20 DAF, 1-year, and 2-years plant respectively produced 2.2 g and 25.2 g of seed. Seed production (SP) and DAF or accumulated temperature (AT) had a quadratic relation, SP (g) = -0.1052DAF2 + 3.7396DAF - 12.347 (R2 = 0.828) and SP (g) = -0.0002AC2 + 0.1727AC - 9.146 (R2 = 0.853). The maximum amount of seed was estimated to be 20.9 g at 17.8 DAF or 21.3 g at 353℃. The seed germination rate was increased until 20 DAF with 62.0%. The amount of seed and germination rate were decreased at 25 DAF. Conclusion : The seeds of S. miltiorrhiza can be produced the highest amount with high viability on the 18th day after flowering period in 2-years after planting.

Background : Ginseng seeds are harvested in immature stages and take 3 - 4 month to be germinated following cold stratification. Improvement of germination speed can be a valuable traits to be characterized for economically important medicinal plant. Modulation of cell wall compositions is also considered as another agricultural trait when the crops can be processed for foods and forages. Here we show the functional characterization of ginseng pPLAIIIβ focused on its possible values on germination and modulation of cell wall compositions. Methods and Results : Patatin-related phospholipase AIII family genes were identified from ginseng EST clones and further confirmed by PCR. Clone showing the highest homology with pPLAIIIβ was overexpressed in model plant Arabidopsis, and it displayed dwarf plants. qPCR analysis showed that pPLAIIIβ expressed in all organs of 2-years-old ginseng. Overexpression of ginseng pPLAIIIβ also displayed apparently enlarged seeds as well as altered germination speed in early stage compared to the control. Chemical stainings and direct quantification of lignin and cellulose were performed to understand the link of cell elongation patterns and cell wall compositions. Conclusion : Overexpression of ginseng pPLAIIIβ inhibited longitudinal cell elongation in all tested organs except seeds which is enlarged in both directions than the control. Shorter root length is related with auxin responsive genes and its dwarf morphological phenotype is resulted in altered cell wall compositions.

본 연구에서는 단백질 함량이 높은 들깨박을 기능성 식품소재로서의 활용가능성을 확인하기 위하여 단백질분해효소 및 한외여과를 이용하여 가수분해물과 펩타이드 분획을 제조하고 이들의 항산화 활성을 측정하였다. 먼저 들깨박단백질의 가수분해물 생산을 위한 최적 효소를 선정하기 위해 단백질분해효소 7종을 이용하여 효소 반응 후 가수분해도를 측정한 결과, flavourzyme이 가장 높은 가수분해율을 나타내었다. Flavourzyme에 의한 들깨박단백질 가수분해물을 얻기 위한 최적 조건은 pH 7.0, 50℃, 효소농도 10 unit, 가수분해시간은 4시간으로 결정되었다. 들깨박단백질 가수분해물을 한외여과 후 얻은 각 분획의 수율은 1 kDa 이하가 45.65%로 유의적으로 가장 높았으며, 그 다음으로5-10 kDa(16.45%), 10 kDa 이상(16.37%), 1-3 kDa(10.86%), 3-5 kDa(10.67%) 순으로 높았다. DPPH 라디칼 소거능은 효소가수분해물이, 환원력은 3-5 kDa 분획물이, superoxide dismutase 유사활성은 1 kDa 이하의 분획물이 가장 높은 활성을 나타내었다. 따라서 들깨박단백질로부터 생산된 가수분해물 및 펩타이드 분획은 각기 다른 항산화 활성 특성을 보여 기능성 식품 소재의 목적에 맞게 선택하여 활용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. 또한 향후 식품학적 기능성 평가가 이루어진다면 식품산업에서 다양한 식품재료로의 활용성이 확대될 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

This study was investigated the effect of immature rhizome production according to harvest times-based treatment method for seed production of Gastrodia elata. The results revealed that when the tuber weight of G. elata harvested in spring (GEHS) was ≥ 100 g, the rate of artificial fertilization, protocorm formation, and immature rhizome formation was 90.9%–94.8%, 3.1%–5.4%, and 10.1%–15.3%, respectively. When G. elata harvested in fall (GEHF) was treated at a low temperature for 4 weeks or more, the rate of artificial fertilization, protocorm formation, and immature rhizome formation was 70.4%–87.6%, 2.2%–2.6%, 8.7%–9.5%, respectively. Therefore, to produce seeds and immature rhizomes, GEHS must have tubers of more than 100 g, whereas GEHF requires breaking dormancy by low-temperature treatment for 4 weeks or more. Compared with those of GEHS, the rate of artificial fertilization, protocorm formation, and immature rhizome formation was lower in GEHF; however, it was higher than those in the natural germination state. Thus, it can be expected that G. elata can be produced throughout the year by ensuring that the seeds and immature rhizomes of G. elata are produced using a constant tuber weight and by breaking dormancy with low temperature treatment.

Tiarella polyphylla D. Don is a native plant distributed only in Ulleung Island in Korea and has been traditionally used for medicinal purposes, although it is also used ornamentally. This study was conducted to determine the requirements for dormancy break and germination and to classify the type of seed dormancy. The experiments were performed with cold stratification (0 or 12 weeks at 5℃), warm stratification (0, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 23℃, followed by 8 weeks at 5℃, and then incubation at 23℃), and GA3 treatments (0, 10, 100, or 1000 ㎎/L). The treated seeds were incubated on aseptic media at room chamber (23℃, a 16h photoperiod of fluorescent lamps with 40 μmol ․ m-2 ․ s-1). The seeds were dispersed in nature as underdeveloped embryos with no physical barrier to absorb water to prevent water absorption. However, the seeds did not germinate for 30 days after sowing without any pre-treatments. Thus, the seeds had morphological dormancy (MD) and physiological dormancy (PD). The final germination percentage following cold stratification (0 or 12 weeks) was 66.7% and 45.6%, respectively. The cold stratification delayed seed germination by about 3 weeks. In the warm stratification experiment (0, 4, 8, or 12 weeks), the final germination percentage was 21.1%, 27.8%, 41.1%, and 57.8%, respectively, 20 weeks after sowing. The embryos of the T. polyphylla seed grew in relatively warm temperatures (23℃). GA3 application overcame seed dormancy and promoted germination. Following GA3 treatment (0, 10, 100, or 1000 ㎎/L), the final germination percentage was 33.3%, 45.0%, 42.5%, and 72.5%, respectively. These results suggest that the T. polyphylla seeds had non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy (MPD) and GA3 treatment could be used as a substitute for warm stratification for breaking seed dormancy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of seed dormancy characteristics of the genus Tiarella native to Korea.

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of packaging material on the growth of rootstock of Liriope platyphylla. Methods and Results: This study examined the effects of two types of packaging material, LDPE (low density polyethylene) and functional film on the growth of the tubers of L. platyphylla, at 5℃. During the 16-weeks of storage period, the ratio of loss and decay of the tubers was examined at intervals of 4, 8, and 16 weeks to detect the quality of the plant. After 16 weeks of storage, the treated tubers were own. Subsequently, plant height and the number of leaves were recorded. The results revealed that functional film at 5℃ was the ideal material for the storage of L. platyphylla tubers. The rate of loss was the highest (57.42%) with a onion net and the lowest (22.12%) with a functional film. Similarly, the rate of tuber decay was highest (8.20%) using onion net and the least (4.60%) when the functional film was used. Conclusions: Thus, the use of the functional film proved to be the most effective in the storage of L. platyphylla tubers when compared with the LDPE.

The use of Rehmannia glutinosa of the family Scrophulariaceae, in traditional medicine is well known. This study was conducted to elucidate the effect of air curing of the seed rhizome of R. glutinosa on its storability and yield. Methods and Results: The root of the R. glutinosa cultivar (Dagang) was harvested in at the end of November. The seed rhizomes were air cured for one to seven days. They were subsequently wrapped with newspaper and further stored in a plastic container at 1℃. It was observed that the weight loss and decay rates were significantly lower in the air cured seeds than in the untreated ones. Moreover, the decay rate of the control was approximately 50%, 120 days after storage. However. the decay rate of all the air cured treatment groups was less than 1%. Additionally, air curing led to an increase in the germination rate of the seeds and the root yield when compared with the untreated groups. Taken together, the ideal treatment period for air curing was found to be 3 days. Under these conditions, the germination rate and yield were 88.7% and 2,185 ㎏/10a, respectively. Conclusions: This study successfully demonstrated that the air curing of seed rhizomes can lead to a considerable increase in the storability and yield of R. glutinosa.

Background : Oxidative stress and inflammatory response are important features of the brain pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to the antioxidant activity and biochemical characterization of safflower seed. Moreover, we investigated the impact of Safflower seed on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. Methods and Results : First, in order to determine active ingredient contents of safflower seed extract, we were carried out total phenol content and total flavonoid content analyses. As a result, dried safflower seed were found to contain 35.4 ± 0.4 ㎎·GAE/g dry weight and 45.3 ± 7.5 ㎎·NE/g dry weight in boiling water extraction. Also, the major compounds of safflower seed from HPLC analysis were identified as serotonin and serotonin derivatives [N- (p-coumaroyl)serotonin and N-feruloylserotonin]. In addition, the antioxidant activity of safflower seed showed IC50 values of 331.4 and 168.2, respectively, against DPPH and ABTS in vitro. Finally, with regard to the memory improvement activity, the administration of Safflower seed extract significantly restored memory impairments induced by scopolamine in the behavior tests such as novel object recognition and Morris water maze test. Conclusion : The results of our study suggest that the safflower seed extract possess potent memory improvement activity and are also a good source of natural antioxidants. Further study is needed to identify the mechanism responsible for their memory improvement activity.

Background : The objective of this study was to determine the antioxidant activities of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seed extracts using various solvents. Method and Results : The safflower seed extracts was obtained using methanol (50, 75, 100%), ethanol (50, 75, 100%) and water. Total phenolic content (TPC) w as determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant activities w ere estimated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and reducing power (RP). Average TPC of safflower seed extracts were 72.03 ㎍·GAE·㎎-1 DE in methanol, 50.16 ㎍·GAE·㎎-1 DE in ethanol, and 28.47 ㎍·GAE·㎎-1 DE in water. TPC were significantly different (p < 0.05) between the solvents. DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and RP a average activities of methanol extracts showed the highest antioxidant activity, with value of 62.95 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, 123.48 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, 171.68 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, and 76.07 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, respectively. Values of Ethanol extracts showed DPPH 32.26 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, ABTS 81.02 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, FRAP 159.24 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, and RP 34.83 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE. There was no significant difference between extracts of ethanol and methanol in FRAP value. The 75% ethanol extracts showed higher antioxidant activity than 50% and 100% ethanol extracts (p < 0.05). The 75% ethanol extracts had TPC 68.98 ㎍·GAE·eq/㎎ DE, DPPH 70.07 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, ABTS 166.59 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, FRAP 208.78 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE, and RP 82.16 ㎍·ASC·eq/㎎ DE. Conclusion : Although ethanol extracts had lower antioxidant activity compared to methanol, it was suggested to be more suitable for further studies as it is less toxic and a recommended food grade solvent. It is estimated that the bioactive substance is extracted extensively from 75% ethanol with high antioxidant activity.

Background : This experiment was conducted to improve the farm income by decreasing the rate of corrosion and increasing the emergence rate by selecting the proper storage method of the medicinal crop seed root. Methods and Result : Ten kinds of medicinal crop seed roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Codonopsis lanceolata, Platycodon grandiflorum, Atractylodes japonica, Angelica acutiloba, Adenophora triphylla, Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica gigas and Cnidium officinale were used as test materials. In experiment 1, storage experiments were carried out using four treatments: untreated (dry in advance), untreated, filler (dry in advance) and filler. Drying in advance was carried for 2 days in dark place and the filler was vermiculite. For storage, in styrofoam box, seed roots were laid down in 3 replicates of 10 sets, stored in – 1℃ warehouse. The storage temperature was set as long as each seed root was not frozen investigating freezing point, supercooling point. As a result, the rate of corrosion was significantly lower in the 4th treatments (filler), such as A. japonica (30%) and A. gigas (10%), compared with untreated one. Therefore, in experiment 2, six treatments were carried out using filler. There were 6 treatments: filler disinfectant (dry in advance), filler disinfectant, filler biochar (dry in advance), filler biochar, filler disinfectant biochar (dry in advance) and filler disinfectant biochar. The disinfectant was used by metalaxyl-M at a concentration of 0.4 g/ℓ, and a biochar was used at a volume ratio of 50% (v/v). As a result, the rate of corrosion was significantly lower in the 6th treatment (filler disinfectant biochar), such as S. miltiorrhiza (13.3%) and C. lanceolata (6.7%). Conclusion : In storing medicinal crop root, it is better to store using fillers. It was shown that a mixture of filler and disinfectant biochar reduced the rate of corrosion.

Background : Rehmannia glutinosa belonging to the family of Scrophulariaceae have been utilized as a traditional medicine. This study was conducted to elucidate an effect of air curing for seed rhizome of R. glutinosa on storaging ability and yield. Methods and Results : The root of R. glutinosa cultivar (Dagang) was harvested in the end of November. Seed rhizomes were air curing for one to seven days then wrapped with newspaper and further stored in a plastic container box at 1℃. The weight loss and decay rates were significantly lower in seed air curing treatment than in untreated. Especially, the decay rate of control was approximately 50% at 120 days after storage. But, the decay rate of all air curing treatment groups was less than 1%. Also air curing led to an increase in germination rate of seeds and root yield compared with untreatment. Taken together, the best air curing treatment period was 3 days, under the that conditions, germination rate and yield were 88.7% and 2,185 ㎏/10 a, respectively. Conclusion : This study has successfully demonstrated that the air curing of rhizome as a seeds led to considerable increasement of both storaging ability and yield in R. glutinosa.

Peach seeds contain a large amount of phenolic components and exhibit excellent physiological effects in various diseases. We examined the antioxidant effects of stone and seed of three peach cultivars (Miwhang, MH; Kanoiwa hakuto, KH; and Cheonhong, CH) by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, ferric reducing activity of plasma (FRAP) assay, and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) reduction. The results showed that the stone extracts of CH had higher levels of total phenols and flavonoids than those of the other cultivars do, and the stone extracts of KH and CH have the potential to reduce DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC activities. In addition, we found that KH, MH, and CH stone extracts decreased nitric oxide generation in RAW 264.7 and BV2 cells. The total phenol and flavonoid contents had no significant correlation with anti-oxidant activities. On the other hand, the anti-inflammatory activity had a low linear correlation with anti-oxidant activities and total phenol and flavonoid contents. The present results suggest that the correlation between antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of stone and seed, and the appropriate combination of the stone and seed extracts could be used as an anti-inflammatory treatment and prevention material, respectively.

Background: The present study assessed the response of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L., Jangdae) seed to NaCl and the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on kenaf seed germination and vigor. Methods and Results: Seed germination ranged from 11.3% to 58.8% after 24 hours of immersion in NaCl concentrations from 0% to 0.5%. The priming treatments had lower electrical conductivity (EC) values for the seeds than for the control and a deteriorated palisade layer. Priming in 10% PEG for 48 hours increased the germination upto 96.3% in H2O solution and 98.8% in 0.3% NaCl solution compared to that of the control (78.8%). Germination synchronization, and shoot and root growth of the primed seeds were greater than those of the control. The T50 of the control in H2O and 0.3% NaCl solution was 22 and 28 times, respectively. After priming, nine times was sufficient to reach T50 in both solution. The mean number of days to germination (MDG) decreased from 1.43 days for the control to 0.55 days for 0% PEG in H2O solution and from 1.57 days for the control to 0.56 days for 0% PEG in 0.3% NaCl solution. The dry weight after the 10% PEG treatment was higher than that of the control. Conclusions: Taken together, 10% PEG treatment for 24 hours is recommended for kenaf seed invigoration before planting.

A total of 447 accessions consisting of seven Brassica spp.; Brassica carinata (34), B. juncea (199), B. rapa subsp. dichotoma (18), B. rapa. subsp. oleifera (14), B. rapa subsp. rapa (36), B. rapa subsp. trilocularis (56) and B. alba subsp. alba (90) were studied for their morphological characters and fatty acid compositions. There was a wide variation for morphological traits, oil content and fatty acid composition among Brassica species. Seed number/silique and yield/plant were varied from 4.2 (B. alba) to 25.1 (B. rapa subsp. trilocularis) and from 170.7 g (B. rapa subsp. oleifera) to 351.9 g (B. juncea L. Czern.), respectively. Among Brassica species, B. rapa subsp. trilocularis exhibited the highest oil (29.2%), stearic (20.4%) and erucic acid (45.3%) content. B. carinata had the highest content of palmitic (5.2%), oleic (21.2%) and linolenic acid (11.1%). B. rapa subsp. dichotoma and B. rapa subsp. oleifera exhibited the highest content of linoleic (8.1%) and behenic (26.9%) acid, respectively. B. rapa subsp. trilocularis exhibited the highest (45.3%) erucic acid content and significant positive relationship was observed between oleic acid and linoleic acid. This variation of agronomic and fatty acid compositions in Brassica species can be utilized to develop new varieties.

In the published article “Bitter melon extract does not alter photoperiodic effects on reproduction of male golden hamsters. Dev. Reprod. 2017; 21(2):215-221. https://doi.org/10.12717/DR.2017.21.2.215,” the corresponding author’s name is given incorrectly. The Editorial Office of Korean Society of Developmental Biology would like to correct the corresponding author’s name. The Editorial Office apologizes for any inconvenience that it may have caused.

The main objective of this study was to increase the germination percentage of kenaf seeds with less number of times under non-saline and saline conditions. Therefore, the first goal was to assess the response of kenaf seeds to NaCl. The second goal was to evaluate the effects of KNO3 on kenaf seed germination. The germination percentage exhibited a decreasing tendency in germination rate. Plant dry weight was approximately 0.2 g in all treatments at 5 days after germination. As time passed, the electrical conductivity (EC) value of hydro-priming (HP) consistently increased by 8.7 mS/cm at 24 hours of immersion. However, seeds primed with KNO3 showed no difference in EC values even as times passed. Regarding the priming effect, priming in 100 mM KNO3 concentration for 12 hours increased germination up to 85% in H20 solution and in 0 mM KNO3 concentration upto 73.8% under 0.3% NaCl solution, compared to that of Control. Germination synchronization, shoot length, and leaf unfolding of primed seeds were greater than those of the Control. In addition, main root and hair roots appeared more rapidly in the treated seeds and were more abundant compared to that of the Control. The T50 (times to reach 50% of the final germination percentage) of the Control in both H20 and 0.3% NaCl solutions was 18 and 22 hours, respectively. However, when treated KNO3 priming (0 to 100 mM) in H20 and 0.3% NaCl solution, 9 hours was sufficient to reach T50. Primed (hydro-priming and KNO3) seeds had a lower MDG (mean days untill germination; 0.6-0.62) compared to that of the Control (1.13-1.31) in H20 and 0.3% NaCl solutions. Regarding dry weight of plants after priming, an increasing tendency after the priming treatment in the H20 solution was observed. Furthermore, no significant difference in plant dry weight under 0.3% NaCl stress was observed between the Control and primed seeds. Taken together, the results suggest that 50-100 mM KNO3 priming for 24 hours optimize seed germination rate in less number of times of exposure with great vigor. Therefore, it is recommended for kenaf seed invigoration before planting.

A new colored soybean variety ‘Jungmo3005’ was developed as a breeding parent. ‘Cheongjakong’ and ‘Geomjeongkong3’ were crossed in 2000. F1 and F2 populations were grown for 2 years and selected by pedigree method from F3 to F5. The preliminary yield trial (PYT) and advanced yield trial (AYT) were conducted from 2006 to 2007, and regional yield trial (RYT) in 9 regions was conducted from 2008 to 2010. ‘Jungmo3005’ is determinate, white flower, green cotyledon, green spherical seed and yellow hilum. Flowering date and maturing date were July 30 and Oct. 7, respectively. Other quantitative characteristics of ‘Jungmo3005’ were similar to ‘Cheongdu1’, but it was more tolerant to lodging and shattering than ‘Cheongdu1’ at RYT field and indoor test. Although ‘Jungmo3005’ showed symptom of mosaic disease in inoculation test at greenhouse, it had high level of resistance to soybean mosaic virus and bacterial pustule diseases at field. The yield of tofu of ‘Jungmo3005’ was more than that of ‘Cheongdu1’. The mean yield of ‘Jungmo3005’ in RYT was 256kg/10a which was 97% of the yield of ‘Cheongdu1’. ‘Jungmo3005’ is expected to be widely used as a breeding parent to cross with other varieties and lines for creating colored soybean cultivars with tolerance to lodging, shattering and bacterial pustule.