There has been increased interest in lignans due to their potential effect in reducing the risk of developing several diseases. To evaluate lignan contents, sensitive and accurate methods should be developed for their quantification in food. The present study aimed to validate a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantification of 5 lignans: lariciresinol (Lar), matairesinol (Mat), pinoresinol (Pin), secoisolariciresinol (Seco), and syringaresinol (Syr). The validation included selectivity, linearity, recovery, accuracy, and precision. The method was proved to be specific, with a linear response (R2≥0.99). The limits of detection were 0.040~0.765 μg/100 g and the limits of quantification were 0.114~1.532 μg/100 g. Recoveries were 90.588~109.053% for black sesame powder. Relative standard deviations of repeatability and reproducibility were below 5%. Total lignan contents of roasted coffee bean, oat, and blacksoy bean were 105.702 μg/100 g, 78.965 μg/100 g, and 165.521 μg/100 g, respectively. These results showed that LC-MS/MS analysis would be effective in producing acceptable sensitivity, accuracy, and precision in five lignan analyses.

Medicinal plant extracts from 27 plant species in 20 families were tested for their larvicidal activity against house fly, Musca domestica (L.). Responses varied with plant material and concentration. Among plant species tested, Phryma leptostachya var. asiatica showed 100% larvicidal activity against M. domestica at 10 mg/g concentration. Larvicidal activities of Atractylodes japonica, Saussurea lappa, Asiasarum sieboldi, and Gleditsia japonica var. koraiensis were 89.3, 85.3, 93.3 and 96.6% at 10 mg/g concentration, respectively. Extracts of Prunus persica, Curcuma longa and Paeonia moutan produced moderate activity. Larvicidal activity of other plant extracts was less than 50%. Among test plant species, Phryma leptostachya var. asiatica showed the most potent larvicidal activity. The active constituent of P. leptostachya var. asiatica roots was identified as the leptostachyol acetate by spectroscopic analysis. The LC50valuesofleptostachyolacetateagainstM. domestica larvae was 0.039 mg/g. Naturally occurring medicinal plant extracts and Phryma leptostachya var. asiatica root–derived compounds merit further study as potential house fly larval control agents or lead compounds.

본 연구는 참깨 유전자원 핵심집단과 주요 품종 및 우량계통의 세사민과 세사몰린, 지방 함량변이를 분석하여 리그난 함량이 높은 참깨 품종육성을 위한 기초자료로 활용하고자 하였다. 본 시험에 이용된 참깨 유전자원 143점의 리그난 함량 범위는 2.33 mg/g에서 12.17 mg/g으로 나타났다. 그 중 터키에서 수집된 IT184615은 리그난 함량이 12.17 mg/g으로 가장 높아 리그난 함량 개량을 위한 유전자원으로 활용성이 높은 것으로 판단되었다. 참깨 유전자원을 14개의 수집원산지별, 4개의 종피색(백, 황, 갈, 흑)별, 4개의 SSR마커그룹으로 분류하고 리그난 함량과의 유의성을 검정한 결과 세사민, 세사몰린 함량은 수집원산지, 종피색 간에 유의한 차가 인정되었다. 러시아(10.0 mg/g), 네팔(9.08 mg/g)에서 수집된 유전자원은 다른 국가에서 수집된 유전자원보다 평균 리그난 함량이 높았다. 세사민 함량은 세사몰린 함량과 정의 상관관계가 있어 리그난 함량이 높은 참깨 품종 육성을 위해서는 두 성분을 동시에 높이는 방향으로 선발되어야 할 것으로 판단된다. 참깨 주요 품종과 우량계통의 리그난, 지방 함량의 지역간, 연차간 변이를 분석하여 품질특성에 미치는 환경의 영향을 분석한 결과 리그난과 지방 함량은 지역간, 연차간에 고도로 유의적인 차이가 인정되었고 지역간 변이가 계통 간 변이보다 커서 유전변이보다 환경변이의 변이의 폭이 넓었다. 따라서 리그난, 지방 함량이 높은 참깨 품종 육성을 위해서는 함량이 높은 유전자원을 육종재료로 활용함과 동시에 리그난 축적에 관계되는 재배환경에 관한 연구가 지속적으로 이루어져야 할 것이다.

We investigated antioxidant activity and lignan contents by harvesting times to expand use of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baillon. Total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of seed was higher than those of flesh but there is not much difference in harvesting times. As RC50 value, that was, the concentration of sample required for 50% reduction of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, was 13.7~24.2 μg/ml in seed thus it showed a high antioxidant activity. Among lignan components, schizandrin content was the highest and followed by gomisin N and gomisin A in all of flesh and seed. Also these components in seed were 4~9 times more contained than those of flesh. All of them were decreased by harvesting times in flesh. But the contents of schizandrin and gomisin N were high in August 3rd and September 15th in seed, respectively. As the results, the seed of S. chinensis had high antioxidant activity and lignan contents so it could be potentially developed as a resource.

This experiment was conducted to develop optimum sesame cultivation practices as succeeding cropping system of watermelon in the greenhouse condition. We also compared major components in sesame seed cultivated in the greenhouse and open field condition. The adaptable varieties under the greenhouse condition were white sesame 'Pyoungan' and black sesame 'Jinki' which showed higher yield and disease resistance. We also conducted several experiments to determine optimum sowing date, planting density and pinching time. Grain yields were statistically different according to the several sowing dates. In general, sesame sowing on June 30th showed higher grain yields than July 10th, July 20th and July 30th in the greenhouse. We also found out sesame cultivation practice with the row spacing of 40 cm and interplant spacing of 30 cm (a few branch type) or 40 cm (many branch type) showed higher yield than other treatments. Optimum pinching time was 25 days after first flowering in main stem when thousand seed weight and grain yield were highest. In the comparison of major components of sesame at the different cultivation conditions, sesame seeds cultivated in the greenhouse contained 4% much more oil content than open field condition. The lignan compounds, sesamin and sesamolin were also higher by 6% in the greenhouse than open field condition. It was concluded that sesame cultivation practices as succeeding cropping system of watermelon in the greenhouse condition guaranteed higher grain yield with less labor input which is now emerging alternative farming practice system in present aging rural society and will also give sesame cultivation farmers to increase net income in Korea.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seeds contain abundant oil and antioxidative lignans related to the seed quality. To evaluate the potential effects of drought stress on the chemical composition of sesame seeds, eighteen cultivars were imposed water-deficit condition by withholding irrigation during 15 days at podding and maturing stage, compared with well-watered plants as control in seed yield and chemical composition. Drought treatments showed great decrease of seed yield with not affecting seed weight. The contents of sesamin and sesamolin decreased while lignan glycosides inversely increased in response to drought stress. Oil content was not significantly changed by drought treatment in spite of its slight decrease. In case of fatty acid composition, there were significant differences in increase of oleic acid while inverse decrease of linoleic acid under drought stress condition. These results demonstrate that the chemical composition of sesame seed may be modified with drought stress. In particular, the increase of sesaminol glucosides with strong antioxidative activity was observed.

To obtain some information on the change of antioxidant components of seeds during grain filling stage as affected by the sowing dates, lignan compounds were investigated according to days of flowering under different sowing dates. Sesamin and sesamolin contents showed significantly different by days of flowering and varieties. Both of sesamin and sesamolin content increased after flowering and reached highest at 40 days of flowering, but they started to decrease thereafter, Sesamin and sesamolin contents of sesame seeds changed with sowing dates. Generally, late sowing date of May 30 showed relatively higher accumulation rate of sesamin and sesamolin contents rather than other sowing dates, but overall patterns were a little different by varieties and lignan compounds. In Yangbaekkae, sesamin and sesamolin contents showed relatively higher at sowing date of May 30, but Yanghuckkae showed higher sesamin and sesamolin contents till 20 days of flowering when sowing date of May 30, but it showed to change that both lignan contents were relatively higher under sowing date of May 10.

Sesame seed are one of the oldest oil-bearing crops known to man. Not only are they nutritious, they are physicologically beneficial. Because of these properties, the promotion of sesame as a crop is set to increase from now on. The lignan component of sesame, which has an antioxidative function, varies considerably. In addition, the seeds remain viable for longer than other crops. At low temperature, it has been reported that the seed remain viable for up to thirty years. This is due to the lignan content of the seeds. In the last twenty years, the mysteries of the natural chemistry of sesame seeds have been unravelled one by one. Up to now, the lignan component has been found to have an α -tocopherol synergist effect, an anti-aging effect, a cancer suppressing effect, a hypertension reduction effect, an effect on the promotion of liver function, an effect on the control of the ration of unsaturated fat, and an effect on the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. The lignan component of sesame does not simply have an anti-oxidant function, but has diverse recently discovered physiological uses which make the study of lignan highly rewarding.

수집종의 리그난 분석결과 schizandrin, gomisin A, gomisin N의 평균함량은 1996년산 실생 6년생인 24개 계통에서 각각 평균 0.78%, 0.25%, 0.63%를 나타냈고, 1997년산 실생 7년생인 59개 계통에서는 각각 0.72%, 0.22%, 0.63%를 나타냈다. 리그난 함량은 수집종 및 연차간에 통계적으로 유의하고 범위가 큰 변이를 보였으며, 조사된 23개 계통 중 충주 143, 충주 453, 충주 532 계통은 비교적 높은 0.9% 이상의 3개년(1995~1997) 평균 schizandrin 함량을 보였다. 연차별 schizandrin 함량의 변이계수가 낮으면서 0.8% 이상의 높은 함량을 나타낸 것은 충주 542, 충주 547, 충주 580 계통들이었다. 상관 분석에서 오미자 과실중과 리그난 함량과는 고도의 부의 상관을 보이고 리그난 성분들 간에는 고도의 정의 상관을 보였다.

Although lignans of sesame seed, sesamolin and sesamin have been known as possessing an antioxidant activity, it is less known about their contents of the sesame cultivated in Korea. Collections of sesame cultivated in Korea were used for studies on their lignans content of the seed and fatty acids composition of the oil. The sesamin content of sesame seed with white-coat were 370.29 mg/100g seed, while that of sesame seed with black-coat were 246.58mg/100g seed. Also, the sesamolin contents of sesame seed were 202.22 mg/100g seed in white-coat cultivars and 132.68 mg/100g seed in black-coat sesames. Hence, the lignan content of white-coat sesame cultivars was significantly hi임or than that of black-coat ones. Korean sesame cultivars also showed considerably higher sesamin content than sesamolin content in seeds. The correlation between sesamin and sesamolin contents was not recognized in Korean sesame cultivars. The stearic acid of white-coat sesame was significantly higher than that of black-coat one (p＜0.05).