Phenolic acid concentrates of rice bran(RB-ex) and hydroxycinnamic acids were investigated for their anti-hyperglycemic activities through glucose uptake and glucokinase activity using HepG2 cells and stimulatory effects on insulin secretion using HIT-TI5 cells. RB-ex was prepared as an ethylacetate extract after alkaline hydrolysis and hydroxycinnamic acids, found as major compositions of RB-ex, such as ferulic acid(FA), sinapic acid(SA) and p-coumaric acid(p-CA) were investigated to compare with the properties of RB-ex. The properties of glucose uptake in HepG2 cells were examined in the absence of insulin and two different glucose concentrations(5.5 mM and 25 mM). RB-ex and FA showed anti-hyperglycemic activities through the increase of glucose uptake and the stimulation of glucokinase activity in HepG2 cells. RB-ex exhibited higher glucose uptakes with higher glucose concentrations, whereas FA exhibited the same increasing effects on both concentrations of glucose. RB-ex and FA exhibited doubled glucokinase activities relative to control. In the presence of insulin in the 25 mM glucose-containing medium, the levels of glucose uptake were increased in all treatments compared with control. As stimulatory effects of samples on insulin secretion were estimated, RB-ex and FA stimulated insulin secretion at a concentration of 25㎕/㎖ and in particular, FA showed the highest amount of insulin-release in HIT-TI5 cells. Antioxidative effects on BIT-TI5 cells, RB-ex and hydroxycinnamic acids, excluding p-CA, showed inhibitory activities of 78% to 80% at a concentration of 100㎕㎖. On the basis of these results, we conclude that RB-ex and FA could help decrease blood glucose levels and prevent the cell damages via antioxidant activity.

The production of sweet (su) and super sweet corns (sh2) has been economically feasible in Korea in recent years. Major factors limiting super sweet corn production are low germination and low seedling vigor. Since seed quality is closely related to seed maturity, the optimum harvest time for the seed production of sweet and super sweet corns was studied and the quality of seeds with varying maturities was investigated in 2001 and 2002 cropping seasons. The parents of the sweet corn seeds were Hybrid Early Sunglow and 'Golden Cross Bantam 70' and those of super sweet corn were Xtrasweet 82 and 'For­tune'. Seeds were harvested at 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 days after silking (DAS). As the seeds developed, seed weight of sweet corn increased and the seed moisture content decreased faster than that of super sweet corn. Germination rates of sweet corn seeds harvested 21 and 28 DAS at 25~circC and emergence rates in the cold soil test were significantly lower than those of seeds harvested after 42 DAS in both years. Although the germination rates of super sweet corn seeds with varying maturities showed similar patterns as sweet corn seeds at 25~circC , the emergence rate of super sweet corn seeds in cold soil test continuously increased with seed maturity. This suggests that seed quality of super sweet corn should be tested in a cold soil test to estimate field emergence. As the seeds developed, leakage of total sugars and electrolytes from the both sweet and super sweet corn seeds decreased up to 42 or 49 DAS. The α-amylase activities of both sweet and super sweet corn seeds increased with seed maturity from 21 to 35 or 49 DAS depending on genotype and year. The optimum harvest time for the seed production of sweet corn was 42 DAS and 49 DAS for super sweet corn considering emergence rate and plumule dry weight in the cold soil test, leakage of sugars and electrolytes from the seeds, and α-amylase activity.