In order to obtain scientific information for the conservation of Utricularia japonica Makino, rare plant species, we investigated life history, phenology, growth and distribution in the east coastal region of Korea. Seven habitats of U. japonica were confirmed in this study. Turion of U. japonica rests overwinter at the bottom and ripens at the water surface and then usually germinate and sprout when the water warms in spring. A single shoot grown from turion divided into several shoots. Shoot decomposition started in October and formed a new turion at the end of the decomposed shoot. Flowering period was from early July to late October. Percentage of flowering ramets was significantly low as 6.3%. U. japonica showed the fastest growth rate from April to July, the maximum growth in August and the highest biomass in October. U. japonica tended to be concentrated in larger ramets in the water depth of 50 cm~150 cm in Cheonjin lake. The main factors affecting the growth of U. japonica were water temperature and turbidity. The establishment and growth of U. japonica in Cheonjin lake were determined by responses to water temperature with seasonal change and to light conditions caused by the different plants. These conditions affect the temporal and spatial distribution of U. japonica and population change. The findings of this study would be helpful to provide the basic information needed for the conservation and restoration of U. japonica.

흰쥐의 식이섭취량에서 각각 지방 및 고콜레스테롤식이에 대나무 잎 추출물을 병합 급여하지 않는 군에 비하여 대나무잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한군이 증가하였고, 체중증가량은 각각 지방 및 고콜레스테롤 식이에 대나무잎 추출물을 급여하지 않는 군에 비하여 대나무잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한군이 감소하였다. 식이효율은 지방식이군에 비하여 대조군이 증가하였으나 유의한 없었다. 또한 각각의 지방식이에 대나무잎 추출물을 급여하지 않는 군에 비하여 대나무 잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한 군간에는 별다른 차이를 보이지 않았다. 중성지질 농도에서 대조군은 241.17 mg/dL 인데 비하여 지방식이군은 249.00 mg/dL으로 증가하였다. 대나무잎 추출물을 급여하지 않는 각 지방 및 고콜레스테롤 식이군은 254.00~255.50 mg/dL인데 비하여 대나무잎 추출물을 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한 군은 225.60~240.60 mg/dL으로 감소하였으며 특히3% 농도군이 가장 낮았다. 총콜레스테롤 함량에서 대조군은 96.17 mg/dL에 비하여 지방식이군은 124.50 mg/dL으로 유의하게 증가하였다. 대나무 잎 추출물을 급여하지 않는 각각의 지방 및 고콜레스테롤 식이군은 134.07~199.33 mg/dL인데 비하여 대나무잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병함 급여한 군은 101.13~131.80 mg/dL으로 유의하게 감소하였다. HDL-콜레스테롤 농도에서 대조군은 17.50 mg/dL인데 비하여 지방식이군은 18.50 mg/dL으로 증가하였으며, 각 지방 및 고콜레스테롤 식이군에 대나무 잎 추출물을 병합 급여하지 않는 군은 16.00~19.00 mg/dL이나 대나무 잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한 군은22.00~24.80 mg/dL으로 증가하였다. LDL-cholesterol 함량은 대조군에 비하여 지방 식이군의 함량이 증가하였고, 각각의 지방 및 고콜레스테롤 식이에 대나무잎 추출물 농도를 달리하여 병합 급여한 군은 92.00~111.00 mg/dL 인데 비하여 대나무잎 추출물을 급여하지 않는 군은 111.17~122.40 mg/dL으로 유의적으로 증가하였으며 동맥경화지수는 대나무잎 추출물을 급여시 유의적으로 감소되었다.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of Metaplexis japonica by using hot-water and ethanol extracts of its leaf and stem. Yields of hot-water and ethanol extracts of M. japonica leaf were high at 6.89 and 6.23%, respectively. The polyphenol and flavonoid contents in ethanol extracts of M. japonica leaf (ALEE) were high (86.96 and 60.73 mg/g, respectively). The electron-donating ability of all M. japonica extracts increased with an increase in extract concentration, with the highest electron-donating ability of 36.20~68.19% shown by hot-water extracts of M. japonica leaf (ALWE). The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities of ALWE and ALEE increased with an increase in extract concentration. The nitrite-scavenging ability of the extracts was the highest at pH 1.2 and that of ALWE was higher than that of ALEE. The reducing power of 62.5 μg/mL ALEE was 0.09 and that of 1,000 μg/mL ALWE was 0.44. The inhibitory effect of an ethanol extract of M. japonica stem (ASEE) on tyrosinase was 13.81% at a concentration of 62.5 μg/mL and that of 1,000 μg/mL ALEE was 57.04%.

In the present study, the anti-cancer activity of 80% ethanol extracts from 120 kinds of medicinal herbs and native plants were investigated. Among them, the barks of Melia azedarach L. var. japonica Makino showed the highest cytotoxicity in HCT-15 human colon cancer cell. With this result, we carried out hollow fiber (HF) assay and anti-metastasis study to confirm the anti-cancer effects of M. azedarach var. japonica. In MTT assay, M. azedarach var. japonica.inhibited the proliferation of HCT-15 cells in dose-dependent manner. HF assay was carried out using A549 human adenocarcinoma cell, HCT-15 and SK-Hep1 human liver cancer cell via intraperitoneal (IP) and subcutaneous (SC) site. As a results, SK-Hep1 implanted in IP site showed the highest cytotoxicity. The result from metastatic model using B16/BL6 mouse corresponded to that of HF assay. These results suggest that the ethanol extract from M. azedarach var. japonica. might have a potent anti-cancer activity and advanced study is needed for the development of novel natural anti-cancer drug.

Four compounds were isolated from Suaeda japonica by repeated column chromatography. Their structures were identified as 2'-hydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxy-isoflavone (1), loliolide (2), dehydrovomifoliol (3), and uridine (4) by spectral analysis and comparison with the published data. All compounds were isolated for the first time from this plant.