This study was conducted to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus After inducing obesity by feeding hight fat diet (diet induced obesity model: DIO) for four weeks, each 8 rats were assigned to normal (Nor), high fat diet (HF), high fat diet containing orlistat (PC), high fat diet containing different concentration of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus (UPDM_L, UPDM_H) and Discorea Japonica Thunb. (UPD) extract. Although the UPD, UPDM_L (ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 400 mg/kg) and UPDM_H (DIO oral administration ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 800 mg/kg) showed weight gain inhibition effects, the results of poor obesity inhibition rather than PC were confirmed. However, it showed a more effective weight loss effect in UPDM_H than UPD, and significantly reduced the weight of epididymal fat and subcutaneous fat. Furthermore, the possibility of anti-obesity effects of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be confirmed by observing the effects of reducing serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL concentrations, reducing ALT and AST levels, and inhibiting fat build-up in liver tissue. It is believed that Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be expected to utilize as a functional material that is important to improve anti-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The Hwasan wetland vegetation is observed at mountain basin (644~780 m a.s.l.) where had become a potential land for indigenous people since prehistoric period. We phytosociologically investigated old-growth alder (Alnus japonica) forests using the Zürich-Montpellier School’s method and analyzed their spatial distribution pattern by actual vegetation map. Species performance was determined by using coverage and r-NCD. Viburnum opulus var. calvescens-Alnus japonica community syntaxonomically belonging to the Alnetea japonicae was first described and composed of three subunits: Salix koreensis subcommunity, typical subcommunity, and Pyrus ussuriensis subcommunity. Present plant community was compared with vicariant syntaxa such as Molinia japonica-Alnus japonica community, Rhamno nipponicae-Alnetum japonicae, and Aceri-Salicetum koreensis. Hwasan’s alder forest, an alluvial terrace vegetation type on valley fan in the montane zone, is evaluated as vegetation class [I], which is a sort of benchmark plant community potentially on mountain wetlands in southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula. Simultaneously we suggested an establishment of the national strategy for habitat conservation free from hydrologically radical transform due to military utilization.

From August to October of both 2012 and 2013, powdery mildew was observed on white-fruited creeping cucumber(Melothria japonica [Thunb.] Maxim.) at Jinju, Korea. White mycelial colonies were observed on leaves and petioles. Lesions of severe infections were discolored or brown. In the present study, the morphological features of the anamorphic and teleomorphic reproductive stages of the fungus were studied. To complete the fungal identification, the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region of a ribosomal RNA(ITS rRNA) gene was determined. Based on morphological characteristics and analysis of the ITS rRNA gene, the fungus causing the powdery mildew symptoms was identified as Podosphaera fusca. Although the host range of powdery mildew caused by P. fusca has been previously described, no full description and illustration of the infection, including symptoms and signs on white-fruited creeping cucumber, has yet appeared. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first full description of powdery mildew on white-fruited creeping cucumber, featuring molecular identification, symptoms, and signs.

본 실험은 문헌상으로 혈당강하효과가 알려져 있는 인동초를 에탄올로 추출하여 그 추출물을 streptozotocin(STZ)으로 당뇨를 유발시킨 흰쥐에게 투여 후 혈당강하작용을 확인하였다. 또한, 그 유효 성분의 추적을 위하여 여러 용매(hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate, butanol, water)로 계통분획하여 그 추출물의 항 당뇨효능을 분석한 결과 hexane, water층의 분획물이 당뇨유발 흰쥐에서 glycogen 함량증가와 glucose-6-phosphatase(G-6-Pase), glucose-6-phosphate dedehydrogenase (G-6-PDH)등의 당대사효소 활성에 효과가 있었다.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary Indongcho(L. japonica Thunb) powder on blood glucose, serum lipid levels and antioxidative enzymes in normal and streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Four groups of rats(3-week-old inbred Sprague-Dawley male rats) were normal rats fed control diet(NC), diabetic rats fed control diet(DC), normal rats fed Indongcho powder diet(NI), and diabetic rats fed Indongcho powder diet(DI). Diabetes was induced by single injection of streptozotocin(60mg/kg B.W., i.p.). The animals were fed ad libium each of the experimental diet for 5 weeks. Food and water intakes were determined everyday. Blood glucose and serum total cholesterol levels were determined every week. After 5 weeks the animals were sacrificed and activities of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation products were determined in their liver and kidney homogenates. We also determined serum concentrations of total lipid(TL), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG) and HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C). Blood sugar and water intake were higher in diabetic group(DC and DI group) than normal group(NC and NI group) and were not significantly decreased by dietary Indongcho intake. Body weight gain and FER(feed efficiency ratio) were reduced by STZ treatment. But, Final body weight was recovered by Indongcho-contained diet. LHR(LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol) of the DI g re up was significantly lower than the other experimental groups(NC, NI and DC groups). The hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase(G6Pase) activity of the groups fed Indongcho diet(NI and DI group) was lower than the groups fed control diet(NC and DC group) and the G6Pase activity of NI group was recovered to the normal levels(p<0.05). However, The glutathione peroxidase(GPx) and glutathione reductase(GR) activities in liver and G6Pase activity in kidney were not statistically different between the control and diabetic control groups. Renal GST activity of the DI group was recovered by Indongcho intake. In conclusion, these results confirm oxidative stress in the liver and kidney of rats with STZ diabetes and antioxidative effect of Indongcho.

후피향나무 (차나무과)의 잎을 2~3장씩 철하고 그 안에서 가해하는 후피향나무애기잎말이나방(신칭)이 우리나라에서는 처음으로 보고된다.

Maesa japonica (Thunb.) is an evergreen shrub belonged to the Myrsinaceae family, which was discovered in2006 in South Korea. And, its biological functions have not been well studied. In this study, we determined the antioxidantactivities, α-glucosidase inhibitory effects and antimicrobial activities of methanol extract and the solvent fractions of M.japonica leaves and twigs. The highest antioxidant activity obtained by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scav-enging assay and reducing power assay was found in the ethylacetate fraction of twigs methanol extract, which contained thehighest level of total phenolic compounds compared to the other fractions. In addition, ethylacetate fraction of twigs extractexhibited higher inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase (IC50=0.8㎍/㎖) compared to the IC50 of the buthanol fraction(IC50=16㎍/㎖) of leaves extract. It showed antimicrobial activities against Bacillus atrophaeus and Bacillus subtilis subsp.Spizizenii. Although the data is too limited, the current study is the first report on biological functions of M. japonica.

자연상태에서 발아율이 낮은 나도생강은 멸종위기에 처해 1997년 산림청에서 보호종으로 지정되었다. 나도생강의 종자 번식률 향상을 위해 먼저 광, 온도에 따른 발아특성을 알아보았다. 나도생강 종자는 광조건이 암조건보다 발아율이 높고 생육 상태가 양호하였다. 온도별 발아율을 조사한 결과는 20℃에서 발아시키는 것이 다른 온도조건보다 발아율이 높았다. 발아율 증진을 위해 종자 전처리(priming)와 저장방법을 달리하여 실험을 수행하였다. 종자 전처리제로는 1%농도의 KOH와 NaOH용액 30분침지가 효율이 높았고, 1% NaOCl 와 100mg/L GA3용액은 대조구 보다 낮은 발아율을 보였다. 종자저장처리는 건조저장와 습윤저장를 하였으며 저장온도는 두 처리 모두 4℃에서 실시하였다. 습윤저장이 건조저온저장보다 탁월한 결과를 보였으며, 90일간 습윤저장 한 경우 발아율이 95.3%로 건조저장 보다 55.3% 높았다.

This study was conducted to evaluate the status of habitat distribution, environmental characteristics and plant species growing with Lonicera japonica in its habitats. In the distribution of plant coverage below 30%, it was 84.6% in the inland area and 80.7% in the seashore area. There was similar coverage in both inland and seashore areas. But the average relative coverage in the seashore area was 26.1%, which is a little higher than that of the inland area (22.5%). In the habitats, both inland and seashore areas showed a high distribution ratio below 10 degrees. But among them, inland areas showed a high distribution ratio (62.4%) below 10 degrees, which was about twice as much as the seashore areas (32.2%). Habitat distribution was most often found on the southern slopes in both inland and seashore areas. The average soil pH of Lonicera japonica habitat was 5.2 in the inland areas and 6.9 in the seashore areas. Also, the seashore areas showed little content of P2O5, but high content of K, Mg, Na on the other hand compared to the inland area. Miscanthus sinensis was the highest importance value (16.4) among plants growing with Lonicera japonica in their habitats in both inland and seashore areas. But in the inland areas, Artemisia princeps showed the highest importance value, and Miscanthus sinensis was the highest in the seashore areas.

50여개의 primer를 사용하여 잔대 Adenophora triphylla와 층층잔대 A. radiatifolia Nakai, 그리고 더덕 Codonopsis laceolata Trautv의 지역간, 속간의 차이점과 감별여부를 RAPD법으로 시행한 결과, 잔대와 층층잔대의 차이점은 거의 없었으며, 더덕의 지역차이는 0.889의 유전적거리를 나타내었다. 두 종(種)을 구별할 수 있는 특이 band로는 primer 357, 361, 363, 393 이었으며, 건조약재와 비교하였을 때 재현성이 확인되었고, 또한 잔대와 더덕의 건조약재를 각각 혼합시켰을 때 이를 구별할 수 있는 major band가 뚜렷이 나타나 혼용되어있는 건조약재에서의 감별이 가능함을 알 수 있었다..

헛개 나무 추출물과 오리나무 추출물들이 쥐 와 사람을 대상으로 실험한 결과 체내 알콜 분해능이있는 것으로 나타났으며, 쥐 실험의 경우 헛개 나무가 32% 의 알콜 분해능이 증진되었으며 오리나무는 13% 정도로 나타났으며 혼합물인 경우 42% 의 높은 것으로 나타났다. 사람을 대상으로 한 경우도 유사한 경향을 보여 혼합물을 섭취한 경우 4 시간만에 음주 전 알콜 농도로 감소했으나 오리나무는 6 시간에도 0.013% 정도의 알콜이 존재했다. 또한 헛개나무는 6 간 정도 후에 정상 치로 감소된 반면 알콜만 섭취한 경우는 6 시간이 되도 0.04% 의 알콜이 존재하고 있어 이 추출물들이 정도의 차이는 있으나 알콜 분해 효과가 있는 것으로 확인되었다. 간의 해독 증진 및 숙취 해소 기능에서도 혼합물, 헛개 나무, 오리나무 순으로 활성이 좋은 것으로 확인되었다. ADH 효소의 활성의 경우 혼합물의 경우 약 60% 정도 증진되는 것으로 나타났으나 헛개 나무의 경우 35.6% 로 상승되었으며는 것이 확인되었다. 하지만 오리나무의 경우는 약 29% 정도로 별 차이가 없는 것으로 측정되었다. GST 활성 증진의 경우 혼합물을 1 g/L의 농도로 투여해 실험한 결과 최대 180% 의 활성 증진이 가능한 것으로 측정되었다. 이에 비해 각 추출물들이 단독으로 작용하는 경우에 는 유사한 활성 증진을 보여 혼합물의 경우 간의 해독 작용 증진에 synergy 효과가 있을 것으로 예측된다. Cathepsin 활성 저해의 경우 역시 혼합물이 55 % 이상 활성 억제 효과를 보였으며 헛개 나무가 약 40%의 억제 기능을 나타냈다. 하지만 오리나무의 경우는 28% 정도의 낮은 억제 효과를 보였다. 이는 오리나무 추출물은 ADH 효소 활성 증진이나 cethepsin 효소 억제 기능이 아닌 다른 기작에 의해 알콜 분해 및 간 기능 증진에 영향을 주는 것으로 예측된다. 모든 경우 다 혼합물이 여러 활성 효과가 높은 것으로 나타나 이 혼합물을 이용한 기능성 식품 개발이 유용할 것으로 평가된다.