Humic substances that can be obtained from coal resources such as leonardite in a bulk scale have been employed as crop stimulators and soil conditioners. The polymeric organics containing a variety of aromatic and aliphatic structures are known to activate plants in a multifunctional way, thus resulting in enhanced germination rate and abiotic stress resistance concomitant with induction of numerous genes and proteins. Although detailed structural-functional relationship of humic substances for plant stimulations has not been deciphered yet, cutting-edge analytical tools have unraveled critical features of humic architectures that could be linked to the action mechanisms of their plant stimulations. In this review article, we introduce key findings of humic structures and related biological functions that boost plant growth and abiotic stress resistance. Oxygen-based functional groups and plant hormone-like structures combined with labile and recalcitrant carbon backbones are believed to be critical moieties to induce plant stimulations. Some proteins such as HIGH-AFFINITY K+ TRANSPORTER 1, phospholipase A2 and H+-ATPase have been also recognized as key players that could be critically involved in humic substance-driven changes in plant physiology.

오늘날 인과응보는 인과론이 아니라 아직도 종교적 가설로 남아있다. 이러한 인과응보가 객관화되기 위해서는 일반 자연법칙과 같이 원인으로서 작용과 결과로서 반작용이 자연계의 법칙으로서 반드시 물리학에서 정의된 법칙에 따라 예측이 가능해야만 한다. 따라서 학계에서는 임상 의사들이 임사체험국제학회(IANDE)를 중심으로 사례를 수집하거나 인위적 임사체험을 만들어서 근거자료를 확보하는 실험적인 연구가 진행되고 있다. 그러나 인과응보 메커니즘이 규명되기 위해서는 먼저 체험자의 조상이나 전생의 카르마가 원인 작용으로 확인되어야 하고, 이 카르마가 시간차를 두고 현재의 자손에게 부메랑으로 나타난 반작용의 결과라는 인과관계가 합리적 타당성과 논리적 근거자료와 함께 검증되어야 한다. 이에 따라 연구팀은 인과응보를 카르마의 부메랑 현상이라는 개념으로 정의하고, 1994년 6월부터 2017년까지 3월까지 23년 동안 한국과 일본을 중심으로 23년간 관련 자료를 수집하고 분석하여 인과응보에 관한 객관화 연구를 수행하였다. 이러한 장기과제의 연구결과에서 인과응보가 자연법칙으로서 에너지 보존법칙과 작용·반작용에 대한 뉴턴의 물리학적 법칙과 정확하게 일치하는 메커니즘을 밝히고 있다.

This study was determined the hair growth effect and mode of action of a complex extract (abelmo), extracted from various natural plants including Acorus calamus var. angustatus. 30 six-week old C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into three treatment groups with ten mice per treatment group repeatedly. The treatment group is a control group, and was classified into saline-applied, minoxidil 5%-applied, and abelmo-applied groups. Hair growth started from the abelmo-applied and minoxidil 5% -applied groups on the 9th day, compared to the saline-applied group. Hair growth rate was 17.06% and 19.15% in those two groups, respectively, and the abelmo-applied group's hair growth rate was higher. The density, length and thickness of hair were significantly higher in the order of abelmo-applied group, minoxidil 5%-applied group and saline-applied group on the 9th day, and hair root was strongly maintained in the abelmo-applied group. The density, length and thickness of hair in the abelmo-applied group were significantly higher by 599.8, 122.2 and 181.8% on the 9th day compared to the saline-applied group, and 166.7, 171.4 and 200.2% on the 12th day, and 136.6, 216.9 and 180.7%, respectively on the 15th day. As for hair follicle and the length of hair shaft from the dosal skin histopathology manifestation, the abelmo-applied group was more excellent than the saline-applied group and minoxidil 5%-applied group. This result actually confirmed the fact that abelmo promotes hair growth and strongly maintains hair root simultaneously.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer has been extensively used in the traditional oriental medicine as a restorative, tonic and prophylatic agent. Petroleum ether extract of panax ginseng C.A. Meyer (GPE) and its several fractions (P1-P5) were tested for the evaluation of antigenotoxicity against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) and benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]-induced micronucleated reticulocytes in mouse peripheral blood. GPE and P2 showed more significant anticlastogenicity than other fractions did. To elucidate the anticlastogenic action mechanism of GPE and P2 against B(a)P, the alteration of B(a)P metabolism was studied. GPE and P2 inhibited B(a)P metabolism in the presence of S-9 mix and decreased B(a)P-DNA binding in calf thymus DNA with S-9 mix. They also decreased [3H] MNU induced DNA binding and methylation to 7-methyl guanine and O^5-methyl guanine adducts in calf thymus DNA by HPLC analysis. These results suggest that the anticlastogenicity of GPE and P2 on the B(a)P or MNU-induced clastogenicity is due to decrease of DNA binding with B(a)P or MNU, the inhibition of metabolism with B(a)P and the inhibition of methylation in DNA. Therefore, GPE and P2 may be useful chemopreventive agents of alkylating agent like MNU and secondary carcinogen like B(a)P.

Soybean germplasm have diverse accessions with great variation in their ability to survive and reproduce under salt stress conditions. In general, cultivated soybeans are more sensitive to salt stress than their wild relatives, however exceptions are found in both the groups. These variations in response to salt stress makes soybean germplasm an interesting collection of genetic resources to be explored for the identification of salt-tolerance genes, and their mechanism of action. Here, in this report we presented a data showing differential response of selected accessions of both cultivated and wild soybeans to salt stress. Two modes of salt treatment; gradual salt stress (GS) as well as salt shock (SS) were used in this study. The GS was found more effective in finding the difference in response of soybean accessions to salt stress. Various genetic marker based methods are in use to identify and isolate the potential genes contributing to the salt tolerance in soybean. Even then there is a paucity of knowledge on the key genes contributing to the salt tolerance in soybean. We expect that a recently developed functional screen based method, like yeast based functional screen, using cDNA library generated from different salt tolerant accessions of soybean could lead to identification of novel genes responsible for salt tolerance in soybean. Also, we propose for the use of RNA isolated from different stages of GS and SS for making cDNA library to be used for functional screening.