In the current study, oxidative decomposition of a volatile organic compound was investigated at room temperature and pressure. The experiment was carried out in lower ethylene concentration and with various higher gas flow rates. The reactor has 7 different compartments in which the reaction takes place independently. Plasma was generated inside each compartment by the application of alternating current (AC) voltage. 5 wt% manganese loaded and 5 wt% silver loaded 13X zeolite were used as catalysts. Bare zeolite showed higher ethylene decomposition efficiency than Ag loaded and Mn loaded zeolite. Ozone concentration was increased slightly while increasing the SIE, reached a maximum and started decreasing. Ag loaded zeolite also showed similar decomposition efficiency, but the concentration of ozone was greatly lowered.

Suaeda japonica is a halophytic plant that lives in mudflat at intertidal zone of western and southern coastal areas of Korea. The seawater-living plants showed a purple color during their whole life. In contrast, freshwater-living plants displayed a green color in leaves. When seawater-living plants were transferred to potting soil, the purple color was gradually changed to green in the leaves. The extracted purple pigment compound exhibited typical characteristics of betacyanin that were represented by water solubility, pH- and temperature-dependent color changes, sensitivity to light, UV-Vis spectra, and gel electrophoretic migration pattern. The LC-MS analysis of the extracted pigment compound showed the presence of two major protonated molecular ions ([M+H]+) at m/z 651.1 and m/z 827.1. Antioxidant activity of the pigment compound was determined using stable free radical DPPH assay. It was found to have an antioxidant activity that is linearly increased in proportion to the reaction time for up to 30 min, and the activity was comparable to that of control BHA at 9.0 ㎎/㎖. The anticancer activity against several tumor cell lines was also examined following the MTT assay. The significant growth inhibitory effect was observed on two tumor cell lines, SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma) and HEC-1B (human endometrial adenocarcinoma). Probably, the pigment compound may function as an osmolyte to uphold halotolerant physiological processes in saline environment.

Yield of potato is largely influenced by drought stress. This study was conducted in Gangneung and Cheongju during the spring cropping of potato. Potatoes in the Gangneung area were affected by drought but there was no damage due to drought in Cheongju. During the early-growth stage, the contents of inorganic components like available phosphate and growth characteristics of the potato leaf in Cheongju were significantly higher than those in Gangneung but there was no difference after the flowering stage. It was considered that the potato plants cultivated in Cheongju could vigorously grow than that of Gangneung under drought stress. In addition, the content of calcium (Ca), which is a secondary messenger related to aging, was found to be higher in potato plants grown in Cheongju than in Gangneung and accumulated more quickly in potato plants of Cheongju. Because magnesium (Mg) was also found to be higher in potato plants from Gangneung by a wide margin, this phenomenon was thought be related with drought stress. The amounts of all inorganic components absorbed from soil were higher in Cheongju than in Gangneung, showing a relatively higher plant biomass in Cheongju. Correlations of development indexes related to leaf showed less or no relation in Gangneung. According to yield characteristics of the harvest stage, although yield was greatly reduced under drought stress condition, the rate of commercial yield was not significantly affected under the drought stress condition. Consequently, it was considered that these responses to drought stress could be utilized to stabilize potato production under the stressful conditions associated with abnormal climate.