Search

BACKGROUND: The sweetness of highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is related to changes in sucrose and other primary sugar metabolites. OBJECTIVE: This study compared the fruit quality and sugar metabolism in the blueberry cultivars Brigitta and Elizabeth at three ripening stages and with a postharvest chitosan treatment to determine which factors are important in sugar metabolism in the two cultivars. METHODS: Blueberries were harvested at three ripening stages. Fully ripe fruit was treated with chitosan and kept at room temperature for 5 and 10 days. GC-MS was used to measure organic acids, individual sugars, and sugar derivatives. Gene expression was analysed using qPCR. RESULTS: Elizabeth fruit was less firm than Brigitta fruit, but contained more soluble solids. The sweeter taste of Elizabeth versus Brigitta was due to down-regulated VcINV, VcSPS, and VcADR transcription and increased sucrose concentration. Chitosan inhibited VcADR and VcINV transcription in Elizabeth, but activated these genes in Brigitta after 5 days of storage. CONCLUSIONS: Aldose reductase might be an essential enzyme in blueberry sugar metabolism. These findings support research on the mechanism of sugar accumulation in fruit during maturation and after postharvest treatments in blueberries.

Several studies have previously reported that laparoscopic surgery using an energy sealing device generates hazardous surgical smoke. However, the droplets appearing on the surface of peritoneal fluid irrigated with saline, after dissection phase of laparoscopic gastrectomy were ignored for a long time. This study aimed to investigate the composition and clinical significance of these droplet particles.This study prospectively enrolled 15 patients with early gastric cancer (cT1NanyM0) who were scheduled for laparoscopic gastrectomy. Floating phases of peritoneal irrigation fluid containing droplets in dissected area were retrieved before and after surgical dissection. Using gas chromatography analysis, the areas under the peak were compared between the samples retrieved before and after surgical dissection. We also analyzed if the area value with significant change was related to the inflammatory response.In gas chromatography, the area values after laparoscopic surgical dissection were significantly increased in 10 out of 37 kinds of fatty acids, compared to those before surgical dissection. The significant increase in area value of α-linoleic and eicosadienoic acids were positively correlated with the elevated level of C-reactive protein at postoperative day 2 (Spearman's ρ = 0.843, P 0.001; Spearman's ρ = 0.785, P = 0.001).The lipid droplets, generated after laparoscopic lymphadenectomy during gastric cancer surgery, contained various types of fatty acids, and some of them have been found to be associated with inflammatory response.

This study was aimed to investigate the changes of chemical composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from red pine needles in the process of needle abscission or senescence. The VOCs in intact, senescent, and litter red pine needle samples were analyzed by headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS). And then, multivariate statistical interpretation of the processed data sets was conducted to investigate similarities and dissimilarities of the needle samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to investigate the dataset structure and discrimination between samples, respectively. From the data preview, the levels of major components of VOCs from needles were not significantly different between needle samples. By PCA investigation, the data reduction according to classification based on the chlorophyll a / chlorophyll b (Ca/Cb) ratio were found to be ideal for differentiating intact, senescent, and litter needles. The following OPLS-DA taking Ca/Cb ratio as y-variables showed that needle samples were well grouped on score plot and had the significant discriminant compounds, respectively. Several compounds had significantly correlated with Ca/Cb ratio in a bivariate correlation analysis. Notably, the litter needles had a higher content of oxidized compounds than the intact needles. In summary, we found that chemical compositions of VOCs between intact, senescent, and litter needles are different each other and several compounds reflect characteristic of needle.

In a previous study, we demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil extracted from Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis, Sieb. et Zucc.) wood. This study aims to investigate the active anti-inflammatory constituents of P. koraiensis oil. The essential oil was extracted from P. koraiensis wood by hydrodistillation and was divided into six fractions (A–F) through fractional distillation. Then, the anti-inflammatory activities of the fractions (A–F) were determined. Fractions A and F markedly downregulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. The main constituents of the active anti-inflammatory A and F fractions were (+)-α-pinene, (−)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, 3-carene, (+)-limonene, and longifolene. These six single compounds decreased the expression of inflammatory-related genes (i.e., IL-4 and IL-13) as well as the secretion of β-hexosaminidase in LPS-stimulated RBL-2H3 cells. (+)-α-Pinene, (−)-β-pinene, (+)-α-terpineol, and longifolene exhibited the strongest effects, these effects were comparable to those of the positive control (i.e., dexamethasone). The findings indicate that the interactions between these components exhibit potential for the management and/or treatment of inflammatory conditions as well as base structures for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

Abeliophyllum distichum (Oleaceae), which is the only species in the monotypic genus and is grown only on the Korean peninsula, has a high scarcity value. Its five variants (white, pink, round, blue, and ivory) have different morphological characteristics in terms of the color of petals and sepals or shape of the fruits. Despite its high value, there has been no study on variant classification except in terms of their morphological characteristics. Thus, we performed a volatile component analysis of A. distichum flowers and multivariate data analyses to reveal the relationship between fragments emitted from five variants of A. distichum flowers with their morphological characteristics. As a result, 66 volatile components of this plant were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography&ndash, mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), showing unique patterns for each set of morphological characteristics, especially the color of the petals. These results suggest that morphological characteristics of each variant are related to the volatile composition.

Extracts from the brown algae Sargassum micracanthum have documented anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities as well as potential anti-tumor efficacy against several cancer types. Here, we evaluated the inhibitory effect and molecular mechanisms of methanol extract of S. micracanthum (MESM) on the aggressiveness of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using in vitro cell culture-based models.To test the potential efficacy of MESM on the migratory and invasive properties of HNSCC cells, we used wound healing, transwell cell migration and invasion assays. Proteome profiling and functional in silico analysis were applied to investigate the possible modes of action by MESM. We also examined the metabolite profiling of MESM using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.MESM inhibited the motility of human HNSCC cell lines as well as invasiveness without influencing cell survival. Proteome profiling identified 19 oncogenic proteins significantly downregulated by MESM treatment. Protein-protein interaction network and gene ontology analyses revealed that Tie2 and associated angiogenic signaling pathway components were significantly enriched among these downregulated oncogenic proteins, which was confirmed by validating the reduced Tie2 expression in MESM treatment groups. Metabolite profiling of MESM identified six-carbon sugar alcohols such as D-sorbitol and/or D-mannitol as the main bioactive compounds. D-sorbitol and D-mannitol effectively reduced Tie2 expression and the aggressiveness of human HNSCC cell lines.These findings suggest that six-carbon sugar alcohols in MESM have promising anti-cancer efficacy for the treatment of human HNSCC and further identify Tie2 signaling components as potential treatment targets.

This study was conducted to investigate the adhesive properties of chicken feather (CF)-based adhesives for wood-based panels. CF was hydrolysed in sodium hydroxide solutions of 5%, 7.5% and 10% (CF-AK). Chicken blood (CB) hydrolysed in sulfuric acid solution of 5% (CB-AC) was used as a hardener. The adhesives were formulated by crosslinking 60% CF-AK, 10% CB-AC and 30% formaldehyde-based crosslinking agents (formalin, melamine-urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde prepolymers) on a solid weight basis. The CF-based adhesives were very viscous at room temperature, but the viscosity at 50 °C ranged from 300 to 600 mPa·s resulting in a sprayable adhesive. From the DSC analysis, the use of CF-AK-10% in the CF-based adhesives need longer curing time compared with that of CF-AK-5%. Most mechanical strength properties and dimensional stability of MDF bonded with CF-based adhesives were similar to those of commercial urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin. However, internal bonding strength of most MDF bonded w...

The herb holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is rich in essential oil, which is important in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. O. tenuiflorum grows well in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions. To induce essential oil biosynthesis, holy basil plants were exposed to cold or drought stress for 5 days. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analyses revealed that essential oil components including eugenol, methyl eugenol, and β-caryophyllene were significantly accumulated in 30-day-old juvenile and 130-day-old pre-flowering plants. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that expressional levels of OtEOMT transcript increased by almost 5-fold following the juvenile stage, and by 16.78- to 66.02-fold following the pre-flowering stage among cold-treated plants. These results suggest a biotechnological strategy to increase essential oil content by treating holy basil plants with cold or drought stress at the juvenile and pre-flowering stages.

본 연구는 주원료로 도계부산물인 닭털의 NaOH 가수분해물, 경화제로 닭털의 H2SO4 가수분해물 및 폼알데히드계가교제를 반응시켜 접착제를 제조하고, 이에 대한 물성 및 내수성 실험을 통하여 닭털의 목질계 판상재용 접착제의 원료화 가능성을 확인하기 위하여 수행하였다. 닭털은 주로 케라틴계 단백질로 구성되어 있었으며, 중금속의 함유량이 매우 낮거나 검출되지 않았다. 알칼리에 대한 닭털의 가수분해율은 수용액 내의 NaOH 농도가 증가함에 따라 계속 증가하였으나, 과도한 가수분해에 따른 단백질 고유의 접착능 손실을 최소화하고 적정한 가수분해 조건을 찾기 위하여 닭털의 가수분해제 내의 NaOH 농도를 5%, 7.5%, 10%로 결정하였다. 접착제의 조성을 보면, 고형분 함량을 기준으로 70%의 닭털 NaOH 가수분해물 또는/그리고 경화제로 닭털의 H2SO4 가수분해물 및 30%의 가교제로 조제하였는데, 이접착제의 고형분 함량은 가수분해 조건 및 가교제의 종류에 따라 28.3 - 44.8% 범위에 존재하였다. 이 접착제의 점도는 상온에서 전반적으로 높았으나, 50℃에서 측정한 결과 분사형 접착제로서 적용이 가능한 것으로 조사되었다. 접착제의 내수성을 비교하기 위하여 측정된 열수 불용해율은 5% 농도의 NaOH 수용액에서 반응시킨 닭털의 알칼리 가수분해물(CF-AK-5%)에 경화제로 5% 농도의 H2SO4 수용액에서 반응시킨 닭털의 산가수분해물(CF-AC-5%)을 고형분함량 기준 10% 이상 첨가하여 제조하고 경화시킨 접착제에서 높았다. 또한 접착제 제조시 고형분 함량을 기준으로 30%가 첨가된 가교제별 열수 불용해율은 phenol-formaldehyde (PF), melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF), formalin 순으로 조사되었다. 닭털 접착제의 열수 불용해율을 섬유판 제조에 사용되고 있는 석유화학계 합성수지와 비교한 결과, CF-AC-5%에 가교제로 PF를 그리고 경화제로 CF-AC-5%를 첨가하여 조제한 접착제는 기존 멜라민-요소수지의 열수불용해율과 통계학적으로 차이가 없었으며, 가교제로 PF를 사용한 모든 접착제와 고형분 함량을 기준으로 55%의 CF-AK-5%, 15%의 CF-AC-5% 그리고 가교제로 30%의 MUF와 함께 제조한 접착제는 기존 요소수지를 대체할 수 있는 것으로 조사되었다. 이 결과를 토대로 적정한 조건에서 가수분해한 닭털은 목질계 판상재용 접착제의 원료로 사용이 가능할 것으로 판단된다.

We evaluated the repellent activity of 12 Apiaceae plant essential oils and their components against male and female adult German cockroaches, Blattella germanica L., to find new natural repellents. Of all the plant essential oils tested, ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi Sprague) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.) essential oils showed the most potent repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches. Repellent activities of chemicals already identified in active oils were also investigated. Of the compounds identified, carvacrol, thymol, and R-(-)-carvone showed >80% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 2.5 µg/cm2. S-(+)-Carvone, (+)-dihydrocarvone, and terpinen-4-ol showed >70% repellent activity against male and female adult German cockroaches at 10 µg/cm2. Our results indicated that Apiaceae plant essential oils and their constituents have good potential as natural repellents against adult German cockroaches.

This study was carried out to better understand the characteristic modification mechanisms of monolignols by enzyme system of Abortiporus biennis and to induce the degradation of monolignols. Degradation and polymerization of monolignols were simultaneously induced by A. biennis. Whole cells of A. biennis degraded coniferyl alcohol to vanillin and coniferyl aldehyde, and degraded sinapyl alcohol to 2,6-dimethoxybenzene- 1,4-diol, with the production of dimers. The molecular weight of monolignols treated with A. biennis increased drastically. The activities of lignin degrading enzymes were monitored for 24 h to determine whether there was any correlation between monolignol biomodification and ligninolytic enzymes. We concluded that complex enzyme systems were involved in the degradation and polymerization of monolignols. To degrade monolignols, ascorbic acid was added to the culture medium as a reducing agent. In the presence of ascorbic acid, the molecular weight was less increased in the case of coniferyl alcohol, while that of sinapyl alcohol was similar to that of the control. Furthermore, the addition of ascorbic acid led to the production of various degraded compounds: syringaldehyde and acid compounds. Accordingly, these results demonstrated that ascorbic acid prevented the rapid polymerization of monolignols, thus stabilizing radicals generated by enzymes of A. biennis. Thereafter, A. biennis catalyzed the oxidation of stable monolignols. As a result, ascorbic acid facilitated predominantly monolignols degradation by A. biennis through the stabilization of radicals. These findings showed outstanding ability of A. biennis to modify the lignin compounds rapidly and usefully.

본 연구는 초임계 이산화탄소 추출법과 증류법에 의해 얻어진 편백 정유의 수율과 화학적 조성의 변화를 비교분석 하였다. 초임계 이산화탄소 추출은 $40^{\circ}C$ , 100~400 bar의 압력범위에서 수행하였다. 편백 정유의 성분 분석은 GC-MS를 이용하여 수행하였다. 초임계 이산화탄소 추출 시 300 bar 압력에서 4.4%의 최대수율을 얻었으며 이는 증류법에 의해 얻어진 1.9% 수율에 비해 높았다. 초임계 이산화탄소 추출에 의해 얻어진 추출물은 증류법에 의한 정유에 비해 sesquiterpene류의 함량이 높았다. Sesquiterpene류는 초임계 이산화탄소 추출물의 약 39%~46%를 구성하고 있으며 monoterpenes, diterpene, lignan순으로 함유되어 있다. 추출압력에 따라 각 성분의 함유율은 차이를 보였다. 따라서 초임계 이산화탄소 추출조건은 편백 정유의 수율과 함유성분에 중요한 영향을 주는 것으로 보인다. 【This study was focused on the comparison of the variations in the yield and chemical composition of Chamaecyparis obtusa leaf oil obtained under different pressure conditions of the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction (SCE), and by hydro-distillation. SCE was carried out varying the pressure in the range of 100~400 bar at $40^{\circ}C$ . The chemical composition of C. obtusa leaf oils was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis. The maximum yield of 4.4% (relative to the initial mass of oven dry mass) was obtained in the extraction under 300 bar pressure, which was higher than that of the hydro-distillation method (1.9%). The contents of sesquiterpenes in the extracts obtained by the SCE were higher than those of the essential oils of C. obtusa by the hydro-distillation. The sesquiterpenes in the SCE extracts made up approximately 39%~46% of the total, followed by monoterpenes, diterpene, and lignan. The contents of each constituent in the supercritical carbon dioxide extracts were varied on the extraction pressure. Therefore, these results showed that the extraction condition of SCE had significant effect on the yield of C. obtusa oils and its chemical composition.】

BACKGROUND An assessment was made of the repellency to female stable flies of tamanu nut oil fatty acids or their esters alone (each 0.5 mg cm−2) or in combination with cuminyl alcohol, cuminaldehyde and α-phellandrene (each 0.25 mg cm−2), using an exposed human hand bioassay. Results were compared with those of synthetic repellent DEET (0.25 mg cm−2). RESULTS Based upon protection time (PT) (time to first bite of stable fly), oleic acid, linoleic acid, methyl oleate or methyl linoleate synergised the repellency of each monoterpenoid and DEET. For example, the binary mixture of oleic acid and cuminyl alcohol (PT 2.05 h) resulted in significantly greater repellency than either oleic acid (0.55 h), cuminyl alcohol (0.70 h) or DEET alone (1.50 h). The binary mixtures of oleic acid and cuminyl alcohol or DEET (PT 2.10 h) did not differ significantly in repellency. The structure–activity relationship indicates that the degree of saturation, the side chain length and the functional group of fatty acids appear to play a role in determining the fatty acid repellency to stable flies. CONCLUSION Mixtures formulated from fatty acid and monoterpenoid could be useful as potential repellents for protecting humans and possibly domestic animals from bites caused by stable fly. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

The liquefaction of rice hull (a typical agricultural waste) has been conducted with n-butanol solvent at various reaction temperatures ranging from 260 to 320°C. As a result, it was found that biomass conversion rates were increased with increasing temperature up to 320dgC. However, it was observed that its rate of conversion to liquid was about 83% at 320°C for 30 min. The crude oil yield with rice hull increased up to 1,273 mg/g/L at 300°C, but the yield of Fraction 1 at 280°C was raised suddenly, and peaked at 2 times that of the initial input amount of feedstock. Furthermore, the calorific values of crude oil and Fraction 1 from rice hull were about 5,843 and 8,061 kcal/kg and were enhanced 163 and 225%, respectively, relative to its feedstock as rice hull, respectively. Fraction 1 may be suitable as an alternative liquid fuel of gasoline, based on an engine performance test. Sixty species of organic compounds in crude oil were categorized into 8 classes of compounds, including acids, alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, ethers, esters, ketones, phenol, and aromatics, and others. In the crude oil from rice hull, the most common chemical types were esters and ethers accounting for 32.0 and 19.2% of the total extract, respectively. Analysis of Fraction 1 revealed that the main chemical components were C5H12O, C7H14O2, C8H16O2, and C12H26O2. Therefore, for producing clean and green fuel energy with plant biomass liquefaction it is necessary to further investigate crude oil and to further refine Fraction 1 through catalytic cracking or hydro-de-oxygenation (HDO).

In this study, we isolated and identified an aggregation-sex pheromone from Monochamus saltuarius, the major insect vector of the pine wood nematode in Korea. Adult males of M. saltuarius produce 2-undecyloxy-1-ethanol, which is known as an aggregation-sex pheromone in other Monochamus species. We performed field experiments to determine the attractiveness of the pheromone and other synergists. More M. saltuarius adult beetles were attracted to traps baited with the pheromone than to unbaited traps. Ethanol and (−)-α-pinene interacted synergistically with the pheromone. Traps baited with the pheromone + (−)-α-pinene +ethanol were more attractive to M. saltuarius adults than traps baited with the pheromone, (−)-α-pinene, or ethanol alone. Ipsenol, ipsdienol, and limonene were also identified as synergists of the aggregation-sex pheromone for M. saltuarius adults. In field experiments, the proportion of females was much higher in the beetles caught in traps than among the beetles emerging from naturally-infested logs in the laboratory. Our results suggest that a combination of aggregation-sex pheromone and synergists could be very effective for monitoring and managing M. saltuarius.

Aromatherapy has been suggested as an alternative therapeutic method for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), eczema and other skin diseases. In the current study, the anti-atopic properties of the volatile organic compounds of Chamaecyparis obtusa (VOCCo) were examined to determine whether they are amenable for use as a pharmaceutical candidate. The alterations in histological features, serum IgE levels and mast cell infiltration following exposure to VOCCo were determined in a 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD-like mouse model. The results of these experiments demonstrated that VOCCo inhibited the development of AD-like skin lesions by reducing the serum IgE level and mast cell infiltration into the dermal and subcutaneous layers. This was supported by screening of immune cytokine mRNAs, including interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 from the skin of DNCB-treated mice. The expression of IL-1β and IL-6 in the skin lesions of mice was dose-dependently inhibited by treatment with VOCCo. Furthermore, treatment with VOCCo resulted in the recovery of histopathological features in AD-like skin lesions. These results suggest that VOCCo may have therapeutic and preventive effects for the development of AD.

In this study, the antibacterial activity of essential oil from Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc) leaves and twigs was investigated. The test strains were Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Legionella pneumophila, and Methicilline-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antibacterial activity was estimated by measuring bacterial growth inhibition. Histopathological examination was also performed. C. obtusa oil distinctly inhibited the growth of all test strains and exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity against L. monocytogenes. It was chromatographically divided into several fractions. The fractions were further tested against antibacterial activity and their chemical compositions were analyzed. The fraction containing terpinen-4-ol (TA) showed high antibacterial activity toward all strains tested. Tests with authentic samples showed that TA played a major role in the antibacterial activity of C. obtusa oil, and in a mice test, the oil actively minimized inflammation by S. aureus.

This study was carried out to investigate the optimum condition for sap exudation of Acer mono Max. tree in a site of Mt. Baekun, Kwangyang city, Korea. Amount of sap exudation, air temperature, relative air humidity and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) were monitored forthe period of January 5 through March 28, 2008, and correlation analysis of several factors affectingon sap exudation was carried out. As the diameter of Acer mono at breast height increased, the amount of sap was linearly proportional. Sap exudation initiated at February 18, and occurred intensively in the period of February 28 through March 10, resulting in 84% of total sap amountby volume. During sap exudation, the minimum temperature was averaged at -2.4±1.5°C and themaximum at 6.0±1.8°C, while there was no sap exudation whenever temperature was below or above 0°C all the day long. The maximum temperature, range of temperature and the maximum, minimum and mean humidities in air were significant factors affecting on amount of sap. The maximum air temperature had the highest correlation coefficient with 0.768 (P < 0.01) and was alsoconsidered as the principal factor by partial-correlation analysis. These results showed that sap exudation required daily air-temperature fluctuation from below to above 0°C, and the amount of sap was strongly dependent on the highest daily-temperature and DBH of tree.Keywords : Acer mono, sap, exudation, DBH, air tem perature, relative air humidit y

An assessment was made of the repellency to female stable flies of tamanu nut oil fatty acids or their esters alone (each 0.5 mg cm(-2) ) or in combination with cuminyl alcohol, cuminaldehyde and α-phellandrene (each 0.25 mg cm(-2) ), using an exposed human hand bioassay. Results were compared with those of synthetic repellent DEET (0.25 mg cm(-2) ).Based upon protection time (PT) (time to first bite of stable fly), oleic acid, linoleic acid, methyl oleate or methyl linoleate synergised the repellency of each monoterpenoid and DEET. For example, the binary mixture of oleic acid and cuminyl alcohol (PT 2.05 h) resulted in significantly greater repellency than either oleic acid (0.55 h), cuminyl alcohol (0.70 h) or DEET alone (1.50 h). The binary mixtures of oleic acid and cuminyl alcohol or DEET (PT 2.10 h) did not differ significantly in repellency. The structure-activity relationship indicates that the degree of saturation, the side chain length and the functional group of fatty acids appear to play a role in determining the fatty acid repellency to stable flies.Mixtures formulated from fatty acid and monoterpenoid could be useful as potential repellents for protecting humans and possibly domestic animals from bites caused by stable fly.

The sap of Acer okamotoanum has been termed 'bone-benefit-water' in Korea owing to its mineral and sugar content. In particular, the calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) concentrations of the sap of Acer okamotoanum are 40- and 20-times higher, respectively, than commercial spring water. In the present study, we examined whether Acer okamotoanum sap improves or prevents hypertension-like symptoms in a rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8-weeks-old) were provided commercial spring water supplemented with 25, 50 or 100% Acer okamotoanum sap, 3% potassium ions (K+) or captopril, and treated daily for 2 weeks with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 mg/kg/day) by subcutaneous injection, in order to induce hypertensive symptoms. Rats were euthanized 6 h following the final injection. To assess the effect of the sap on hypertension-like symptoms, we examined the mean blood pressure (BP), protein levels and localization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the descending aorta of the rats. BP levels were significantly lower in hypertensive rats received 25, 50 and 100% sap compared with rats who were administered only commercial spring water. Protein levels of eNOS were repressed in L-NAME-only-treated rats, but were elevated in the descending aorta of rats administered captopril, K+ water and Acer okamotoanum sap (25, 50 and 100%) up to the level of the sham group provided commercial spring water, and then injected with dimethyl sulfoxide for the same period of time. Localized eNOS protein was abundantly expressed in the perivascular descending aorta adipose tissue of the rats. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the sap of Acer okamotoanum ameliorated high BP induced by L-NAME treatment in a rat model.

This study was carried out in order to investigate the potential of using plant oils derived from Leptospermum petersonii Bailey and Syzygium aromaticum L. Merr. Et Perry as natural antifungal agents. The antifungal effects of essential oils at concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2 mg/ml on the dermatophytes Microsporum canis (KCTC 6591), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (KCTC 6077), Trichophyton rubrum (KCCM 60443), Epidermophyton floccosum (KCCM 11667), and Microsporum gypseum were evaluated using the agar diffusion method. The major constituents of the active fraction against the dermatophytes were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The antifungal activities of S. aromaticum oil (clove oil) against the dermatophytes tested were highest at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, with an effectiveness of more than 60%. Hyphal growth was completely inhibited in T. mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, and M. gypseum by treatment with clove oil at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml. Eugenol was the most effective antifungal constituent of clove oil against the dermatophytes T. mentagrophytes and M. canis. Morphological changes in the hyphae of T. mentagrophytes, such as damage to the cell wall and cell membrane and the expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum, after treatment with 0.11 mg/ml eugenol were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, L. petersonii oil (LPO) was more than 90% effective against all of the dermatophytes tested, with the exception of T. rubrum. Geranial was determined to be the most active antifungal constituent of L. petersonii oil. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that clove and tea tree oils exhibited significant antifungal activities against the dermatophytes tested in this study.

The insecticidal activity of phytochemicals isolated from the roots of Phryma leptostachya var. asiatica against third instar larvae of Culex pipiens pallens, Aedes aegypti, and Ocheratatos togoi was examined. The two constituents of P. leptostachya var. asiatica roots were identified as the leptostachyol acetate (I) and 8‘-acetoxy-2,2‘,6-trimethoxy-3,4,4‘,5‘-dimethylenedioxyphenyl-7,7‘-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane (II) by spectroscopic analysis. Compound I was lethal to C. pipiens pallens, A. aegypti, and O. togoi at 10 ppm. Compound II showed weak or no insecticidal activity against three mosquito species at 10 ppm. The LC50 values of I against C. pipiens pallens, A. aegypti, and O. togoi were 0.41, 2.1, and 2.3 ppm, respectively. Naturally occurring P. leptostachya var. asiatica root-derived compounds merit further study as potential mosquito larval control agents or lead compounds. Keywords: Natural insecticides; mosquito larvicides; mosquito; Phryma leptostachya var. asiatica, lignans

The toxic effects of Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil-derived monoterpenoids [1,8-cineole, l-phellandrene, (-)-alpha-pinene, 2-beta-pinene, trans-pinocarveol, gamma-terpinene, and 1-alpha-terpineol] and the known Eucalyptusleaf oil terpenoids (beta-eudesmol and geranyl acetate) on eggs and females of the human head louse, Pediculus humanus capitis, were examined using direct contact and fumigation bioassays and compared with the lethal activity of delta-phenothrin and pyrethrum, two commonly used pediculicides. In a filter paper contact bioassay with female P. h. capitis, the pediculicidal activity was more pronounced with Eucalyptus leaf oil than with either delta-phenothrin or pyrethrum on the basis of LT(50) values (0.125 vs 0.25 mg/cm(2)). 1,8-Cineole was 2.2- and 2.3-fold more toxic than either delta-phenothrin or pyrethrum, respectively. The pediculicidal activities of (-)-alpha-pinene, 2-beta-pinene, and (E)-pinocarveol were comparable to those of delta-phenothrin and pyrethrum. l-Phellandrene, gamma-terpinene, and 1-alpha-terpineol were relatively less active than delta-phenothrin and pyrethrum. beta-Eudesmol and geranyl acetate were ineffective. 1-alpha-Terpineol and (E)-pinocaveol were highly effective at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/cm(2), respectively, against P. h. capitis eggs. At 1.0 mg/cm(2), (-)-alpha-pinene, 2-beta-pinene, and gamma-terpinene exhibited moderate ovicidal activity, whereas little or no ovicidal activity was observed with the other terpenoids and with delta-phenothrin and pyrethrum. In fumigation tests with female P. h. capitis at 0.25 mg/cm(2), 1,8-cineole, (-)-alpha-pinene, (E)-pinocarveol, and 1-alpha-terpineol were more effective in closed cups than in open ones, indicating that the effect of the monoterpenoids was largely due to action in the vapor phase. Neither delta-phenothrin nor pyrethrum exhibited fumigant toxicity. Eucalyptus leaf oil, particularly 1,8-cineole, 1-alpha-terpineol, and (E)-pinocaveol, merits further study as potential pediculicides or lead compounds for the control of P. h. capitis.