Enzymatic hydrolysis increases ginsenoside content in Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng CA Meyer) and its biotransformation under hydrostatic pressure.

BACKGROUND: Enzymatic hydrolysis and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) are common processing techniques in the extraction of active compounds from food materials. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis combined with HHP treatments on ginsenoside metabolites in red ginseng. RESULTS: The yield and changes in the levels of polyphenol and ginsenoside were measured in red ginseng treated with commercial enzymes such as Ultraflo L, Viscozyme, Cytolase PCL5, Rapidase and Econase E at atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa), 50 MPa, and 100 MPa. ß-Glucosidase activity of Cytolase was the highest at 4258.2 mg-1 , whereas Viscozyme showed the lowest activity at 10.6 mg-1 . Pressure of 100 MPa did not affect the stability or the activity of the ß-glucosidase. Treatment of red ginseng with Cytolase and Econase at 100 MPa significantly increased the dry weight and polyphenol content of red ginseng, compared with treatments at 0.1 MPa and 50 MPa (P < 0.05). The amounts of ginsenoside and ginsenoside metabolites derived from red ginseng processed using Cytolase were higher than those derived from red ginseng treated with the other enzymes. Treatment with Cytolase also significantly increased the skin and intestinal permeability of red ginseng-derived polyphenols. CONCLUSION: Cytolase could be useful as an enzymatic treatment to enhance the yield of bioactive compounds from ginseng under HHP. In addition, ginsenoside metabolites obtained by Cytolase hydrolysis combined with HHP are functional substances with increased intestinal and skin permeability. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tendon Subluxation After Surgical Release of the First Dorsal Compartment in De Quervain Disease.

We aimed to determine whether dorsoulnar incision elevating radial flap and immobilization for the treatment of de Quervain disease have an advantage over simple midline incision and early mobilization, respectively, in terms of tendon subluxation and clinical outcomes. Forty-six patients with de Quervain disease were randomly divided into 2 groups (midline incision vs dorsoulnar incision) and 2 subgroups (immobilization vs early mobilization). Subluxation of intracompartmental tendons was measured in dynamic wrist positions at 12 and 24 weeks using ultrasonography. The DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand) and visual analog scale scores and grip and pinch strengths were evaluated. At 24 weeks, the tendons were displaced voloradially in wrist volar flexion (1.25 mm in midline incision vs 0.36 mm in dorsoulnar incision, P = 0.001), whereas the tendons were displaced dorsoulnarly in wrist extension (0.95 mm in midline incision vs 1.78 mm in dorsoulnar incision, P = 0.041). There were no significant differences in tendon displacement between early mobilization and immobilization groups. Clinical outcome measures showed no variation between the groups, and no significant correlation occurred with tendon subluxation. Dorsoulnar incision and postoperative immobilization do not have advantage over midline incision and early mobilization, respectively. However, tendon subluxation after release of the first dorsal compartment for de Quervain disease does not affect clinical outcomes.

Effect of isomaltulose used for osmotic extraction of Prunus mume fruit juice substituting sucrose.

This study evaluated the applicability of isomaltulose as a sucrose substitute in the osmotic extraction of Prunus mume fruit juice. Isomaltulose (20 mM) significantly reduced the uptake of a fluorescent tracer-2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diaxol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxyglucose. Juice extracted by isomaltulose had similar pH and titratable acidity values to those of the other sugars. Citric and malic acids were the main organic acids in the extracted juices. The radical-scavenging ability of the plum juice extracted by isomaltulose was significantly higher than in juices extracted by other sugars (p < 0.05) and polyphenols content of the juice was also significantly higher than those of other sugars. The blood glucose level of P. mume juice extracted by fructose or isomaltulose was increased slowly compared to the juice extracted by sucrose. Therefore, the use of isomaltulose or an isomaltulose mixture in the manufacture of P. mume juice will help maintain health by reducing sugar intake.

Portable Agrichemical Detection System for Enhancing the Safety of Agricultural Products Using Aggregation of Gold Nanoparticles.

Organophosphorus (OP) and triazole chemicals have been commonly used as insecticides and fungicides to protect agricultural foods from harmful insects and fungi. However, these agrichemicals sometimes remain after distribution and can cause serious health and environmental issues. Therefore, it is essential to detect OPs and triazole chemicals in agricultural products. Nowadays, many detection techniques for OPs and triazole chemicals are expensive and time-consuming and require highly trained technicians. Thus, particularly rapid, simple, and sensitive detection methods are in demand for on-site screening of agrichemicals. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been utilized for applications in analytical assays and real-time monitoring in the biosensor field because of their biocompatibility and outstanding size-dependent optical properties. In this study, we used AuNPs as a detection probe, which have a size of 17 nm in diameter, a red color, and the absorbance peak at 520 nm. When imidazole was added to AuNPs mixed with the agrichemicals, the AuNPs aggregated and their colors changed to purple, causing the appearance of a new peak at 660-670 nm, which could be measured within approximately 20 s. Moreover, we developed a novel device for multiple agrichemical detections using an AuNP-aggregation-based spectrometric detection system. This portable device is light, simple, fast, and highly sensitive as well as selective. With this system, agrichemical residues can be easily detected on the spot at a low cost and in a short reaction time.

Differential Control Efficacies of Vitamin Treatments against Bacterial Wilt and Grey Mould Diseases in Tomato Plants.

Bacterial wilt and grey mould in tomato plants are economically destructive bacterial and fungal diseases caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and Botrytis cinerea, respectively. Various approaches including chemical and biological controls have been attempted to arrest the tomato diseases so far. In this study, in vitro growths of bacterial R. solanacearum and fungal B. cinerea were evaluated using four different vitamins including thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and menadione (vitamin K3). In planta efficacies of the four vitamin treatments on tomato protection against both diseases were also demonstrated. All four vitamins showed different in vitro antibacterial activities against R. solanacearum in dose-dependent manners. However, treatment with 2 mM thiamine was only effective in reducing bacterial wilt of detached tomato leaves without phytotoxicity under lower disease pressure (106 colony-forming unit [cfu]/ml). Treatment with the vitamins also differentially reduced in vitro conidial germination and mycelial growth of B. cinerea. The four vitamins slightly reduced the conidial germination, and thiamine, pyridoxine and menadione inhibited the mycelial growth of B. cinerea. Menadione began to drastically suppress the conidial germination and mycelial growth by 5 and 0.5 mM, respectively. Grey mould symptoms on the inoculated tomato leaves were significantly reduced by pyridoxine and menadione pretreatments one day prior to the fungal challenge inoculation. These findings suggest that disease-specific vitamin treatment will be integrated for eco-friendly management of tomato bacterial wilt and grey mould.

Evidence for Genetic Similarity of Vegetative Compatibility Groupings in Sclerotinia homoeocarpa.

Vegetative compatibility groups (VCGs) are determined for many fungi to test for the ability of fungal isolates to undergo heterokaryon formation. In several fungal plant pathogens, isolates belonging to a VCG have been shown to share significantly higher genetic similarity than those of different VCGs. In this study we sought to examine the relationship between VCG and genetic similarity of an important cool season turfgrass pathogen, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa. Twenty-two S. homoeocarpa isolates from the Midwest and Eastern US, which were previously characterized in several studies, were all evaluated for VCG using an improved nit mutant assay. These isolates were also genotyped using 19 microsatellites developed from partial genome sequence of S. homoeocarpa. Additionally, partial sequences of mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase II and mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) rRNA, and the atp6-rns intergenic spacer, were generated for isolates from each nit mutant VCG to determine if mitochondrial haplotypes differed among VCGs. Of the 22 isolates screened, 15 were amenable to the nit mutant VCG assay and were grouped into six VCGs. The 19 microsatellites gave 57 alleles for this set. Unweighted pair group methods with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) tree of binary microsatellite data were used to produce a dendrogram of the isolate genotypes based on microsatellite alleles, which showed high genetic similarity of nit mutant VCGs. Analysis of molecular variance of microsatellite data demonstrates that the current nit mutant VCGs explain the microsatellite genotypic variation among isolates better than the previous nit mutant VCGs or the conventionally determined VCGs. Mitochondrial sequences were identical among all isolates, suggesting that this marker type may not be informative for US populations of S. homoeocarpa.

Occurrence of disinfection by-products in tap water distribution systems and their associated health risk.

The concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs), including chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform, and haloacetic acids (HAAs; monochloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, and trichloroacetic acid) were measured in tap waters passing through water distribution systems of six water treatment plants in Seoul, Korea, and their associated health risks from exposure to THMs through ingestion, dermal contact, and inhalation were estimated using a probabilistic approach. The concentration ranges for total THMs and HAA5 were 3.9-53.5 and

Production of various disinfection byproducts in indoor swimming pool waters treated with different disinfection methods.

In this study, the concentrations of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), including trihalomethanes (THMs; chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform), haloacetic acids (HAAs; dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid), haloacetonitriles (HANs; dichloroacetonitrile, trichloroacetonitrile, bromochloroacetonitrile, and dibromoacetonitrile), and chloral hydrate (CH) were measured in 86 indoor swimming pools in Seoul, Korea, treated using different disinfection methods, such as chlorine, ozone and chlorine, and a technique that uses electrochemically generated mixed oxidants (EGMOs). The correlations between DBPs and other environmental factors such as with total organic carbon (TOC), KMnO(4) consumption, free residual chlorine, pH, and nitrate (NO(3)(-)) in the pools were examined. The geometric mean concentrations of total DBPs in swimming pool waters were 183.1±2.5µg/L, 32.6±2.1µg/L, and 139.9±2.4µg/L in pools disinfected with chlorine, ozone/chlorine, and EGMO, respectively. The mean concentrations of total THMs (TTHMs), total HAAs (THAAs), total HANs (THANs), and CH differed significantly depending on the disinfection method used (P<0.01). Interestingly, THAAs concentrations were the highest, followed by TTHMs, CH, and THANs in all swimming pools regardless of disinfection method. TOC showed a good correlation with the concentrations of DBPs in all swimming pools (chlorine; r=0.82, P<0.01; ozone/chlorine; r=0.52, P<0.01, EGMO; r=0.39, P<0.05). In addition, nitrate was positively correlated with the concentrations of total DBPs in swimming pools disinfected with chlorine and ozone/chlorine (chlorine; r=0.58; ozone/chlorine; r=0.60, P<0.01), whereas was negative correlated with the concentrations of total DBPs (r=-0.53, P<0.01) in the EGMO-treated pools.

Influence of steeping solution and storage temperature on the color change of garlic.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to investigate the browning of garlic under different steeping conditions and storage temperatures. The brown indices of steeped garlics showed lowest values (7.3 and 7) in 25% and 50% EtOH at 7 d of storage. The degree of browning of steeped garlics was lowest (10.2 in 25% EtOH and 10.4 in 50% EtOH) in the samples soaked for 8 h at 13 d of storage. As the storage temperature was increased from 10 to 40 degrees C, the brown indices of garlics revealed an increasing trend relative to storage time regardless of steeping treatment. Overall, the kinetic parameters showed relatively low R(2) and irregular reaction constants, but the k(o) values showed an increasing trend with temperature under a zero-order model. The highest polyphenol content within the garlic bulbs was seen in controls (without steeping treatment, 588.9 microg/g), than 0% EtOH (water, 392.5 microg/g), than 25% EtOH (211.3 microg/g), and finally 50% EtOH (155.6 microg/g). The polyphenol oxidase activity of garlic showed a similar trend to that of polyphenol content. However, the texture properties of garlics steeped with 25% and 50% did not change. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The garlic color preferred by consumers is a creamy-white, but this is susceptible to enzymatic browning when pre-peeled and chopped. When garlic was steeped in the 25% and 50% alcohol, the browning of garlic was prevented during storage.

Effect of heat treatment of digestion-resistant fraction from soybean on retarding of bile acid transport in vitro

In this study, we investigated the heat effect of digestion-resistant fraction (RF) from soybean on retarding bile acid transport in vitro. The RFs from soybean retarded bile acid transport. A raw, unheated RF of soybean (RRF-SOY) was significantly more effective than the heated RF of soybean (HRF-SOY). The RS1 which physically trapped in milled grains and inaccessible to digestive enzyme after 18 hrs incubation level of content in RRF-SOY was found to be as high as 24.1% and after heating the RS1 of HRF-SOY was significantly reduced to 16.8%. The X-ray diffraction pattern of RF from soybean was altered after heat treatment. The RFs from soybean were characterized by peak at diffraction angles of 12.0degrees and 20.0degrees corresponding to RS content. Cellulose contents of RRF-SOY was 5% higher than that of HRF-SOY and pentosan contents of RRF-SOY was 5% higher than that of HRF-SOY, too. Whereas the hemicellulose content of RRF-SOY was 13% lower than HRF-SOY.

Rapid development of fungicide resistance by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa on turfgrass.

Dollar spot, caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, is the most prevalent and economically important turfgrass disease in North America. Increasing levels of fungicide resistance, coupled with tightening environmental scrutiny of existing fungicides, has left fewer options for managing dollar spot. More knowledge about S. homoeocarpa populations is needed to improve dollar spot management strategies, especially with respect to minimizing the development of fungicide resistance. Population diversity of S. homoeocarpa was examined using inter-simple sequence repeat markers and vegetative compatibility assays. Two subgroups were found in S. homoeocarpa field populations on both fairway and putting green turfgrass at a research field in Wisconsin. These subgroups were genetically different, vegetatively incompatible, and had different fungicide sensitivities. The frequency of the two genetic subgroups differed significantly between the fairway and putting green, but was uniform within the fairway or within the green. Population dynamics of S. homoeocarpa in response to two systemic fungicides (thiophanate-methyl and propiconazole) were assessed based on in vitro fungicide sensitivity. Dynamics of S. homoeocarpa populations depended on the presence of fungicide-resistant isolates in the initial populations before fungicide applications and changed rapidly after fungicide applications. Shifting of the population toward propiconazole resistance was gradual, whereas thiophanate-methyl resistance developed rapidly in the population. In conclusion, field populations of S. homoeocarpa containing genetically distinct, vegetatively incompatible groups were different on turfgrass that was managed differently, and they were changed rapidly after exposure to fungicides.

Selective increase in pinolenic acid (all-cis-5,9,12-18:3) in Korean pine nut oil by crystallization and its effect on LDL-receptor activity.

The aims of this study were to obtain concentrated pinolenic acid (5,9,12-18:3) from dietary Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) nut oil by urea complexation and to investigate its cholesterol-lowering effect on the LDL-receptor activity of human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Pine nut oil was hydrolyzed to provide a low-pinolenic acid-containing FA extract (LPAFAE), followed by crystallization with different ratios of urea in ethanol (EtOH) or methanol (MeOH) as a solvent to produce a high-pinolenic acid-containing FA extract (HPAFAE). The profiles of HPAFAE obtained by urea complexation showed different FA compositions compared with LPAFAE. The long-chain saturated FA palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0) were decreased with urea/FA ratios (UFR) of 1:1 (UFR1), 2:1 (UFR2), and 3:1 (UFR3). Linoleic acid (9,12-18:2) was increased 1.3 times with UFR2 in EtOH, and linolenic acid (9,12,15-18:3) was increased 1.5 times with UFR3 in MeOH after crystallization. The crystallization with UFR3 in EtOH provided the highest concentration of pinolenic acid, which was elevated by 3.2-fold from 14.1 to 45.1%, whereas that of linoleic acid (9,12-18:2) was not changed, and that of oleic acid (9-18:1) was decreased 7.2-fold. Treatment of HepG2 cells with HPAFE resulted in significantly higher internalization of 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine-LDL (47.0 +/- 0.15) as compared with treatment with LPAFAE (25.6 +/- 0.36) (P< 0.05). Thus, we demonstrate a method for the concentration of pinolenic acid and suggest that this concentrate may have LDL-lowering properties by enhancing hepatic LDL uptake.

Effects of moisture content and drying temperature on the physicochemical properties of ostrich jerky.

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of temperature (50, 60, and 70 degrees C) and moisture content (18, 21, and 24%) on the quality ofjerky products from ostrich meat. The jerky products were evaluated by physicochemical and sensory methods. The tensile strength of the samples prepared to 24% w.b. moisture content at 50 degrees C was lowest (p < 0.05; 124 N) while those prepared under other conditions were in the range of 208-268 N (p > 0.05). The water activity of the jerky products was 0.51-0.72, and significant influence of drying temperature on protein solubility was also observed, but the samples dried at the same temperature had similar levels of soluble protein (p > 0.05) regardless of moisture content of samples. The pH of the samples dried at 50 degrees C and 60 degrees C showed little change in different moisture content, but samples dried at 70 degrees C tended to affect the pH by moisture content. Hunter a-values showed a predominantly increasing trend in all moisture levels as the heating temperature increased. The jerky product prepared to 24% w.b. moisture content at 60 degrees C showed the best sensory overall acceptability.

Thermal kinetics of color degradation of mulberry fruit extract.

The effects of temperature and pH on color degradation kinetics of the mulberry fruit extract were investigated. The absorbance at 510 nm was decreased with increase of heating time, but that at 420 nm was increased with the increase of heating time at 100 degrees C. The change of the browning index (A510/A420) was increased with increase of pH and was lower at pH 2.0 than that at pH 5.0. The browning index variation was adequately described by both the first-order and the zero-order kinetic. However, the zero-order kinetic model was proposed because of the better fit. According to the Arrhenius model, the activation energies for the browning index in the range of 80-100 degrees C for the four different pH values were 30.68 kJ/mol for pH 2.0, 35.87 kJ/mol for pH 3.0, 42.67 kJ/ mol for pH 4.0, and 43.49 kJ/mol for pH 5.0.

Evaluation of Virulence to Adlays of Korean Isolates of Bipolaris coicis Using a Disease Rating Scale.

The virulence of 33 isolates of Bipolaris coicis from diverse geographic origins in Korea was evaluated on six adlay cultivars or lines under controlled environmental conditions. To evaluate infection levels of B. coicis isolates in adlay plants, a 10-class disease rating scale was developed based on the qualitative and quantitative differences of lesions on adlay leaves infected. There were significant differences in virulence among isolates of B. coicis, although the differences were quantitative rather than qualitative. Significant differences also were observed among cultivar-isolate interactions in the analysis of variance. All isolates of B. coicis, except KG-9515, were pathogenic on adlay plants. BC-20136, the most virulent isolate, was capable of causing highly susceptible reactions on the adlay cultivars or lines. Significant differences in levels of resistance were found among six adlay cultivars or lines tested. The disease rating scale may be a reliable criterion to evaluate a large number of adlays for resistance to leaf blight or B. coicis isolates for virulence to adlays.

Effects of Plant Age, Leaf Position, Inoculum Density, and Wetness Period on Bipolaris coicis Infection in Adlays of Differing Resistance.

The effects of plant age, leaf position, inoculum density, and wetness period on the development of adlay leaf blight caused by Bipolaris coicis were evaluated using six adlay cultivars or lines of differing resistance in field plots and in the greenhouse. Levels of resistance to leaf blight among the six cultivars or lines were consistent between the 1998 and 1999 field experiments. With the aging of adlay plants, leaf blight development gradually increased in all cultivars or lines tested. Leaf blight severity was significantly greater on the lower (older) leaves than on the upper (younger) leaves. As inoculum density increased from 103 to 106 conidia per ml, the development of leaf blight increased. Disease severity also increased as the time of leaf wetness duration increased from 0 to 60 h. Wetness duration above 48 h and a high inoculum density at 106 conidia per ml caused severe leaf blight symptoms in adlay seedlings. The data from the greenhouse experiments consistently revealed the same trends in relative levels of susceptibility of adlay cultivars to leaf blight as those seen at late plant growth stages under field conditions.

Relationship of Host Genotype to Bipolaris Leaf Blight Severities and Yield Components of Adlay.

Leaf blight, caused by Bipolaris coicis, is one of the most destructive and major yield-limiting diseases of adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen). Adlay is used as an ornamental, and as a medicinal and cereal food in many countries. Field studies performed from 1997 to 1999 in Korea evaluated the resistance of 30 adlay genotypes to Bipolaris coicis and determined the relationship of cultivar resistance to leaf blight development and yield. Adlay response to leaf blight was quantitative rather than qualitative, varying greatly among cultivars or lines tested. Disease severity was lowest in Tsukuba B7, Tsukuba B15, and Muzu, and highest in Huksuk 1, Limgae, and Huksuk 2. Leaf position significantly affected disease severity, with lower leaves being more severely infected than upper leaves. Yield reductions of up to 52.4% for line Huksuk 2 were observed and were primarily associated with reductions in kernel numbers per plant, thousand kernel weight, and percent kernel ripeness. Loss of yield and yield components by leaf blight were less in resistant line Tsukuba B15 than in susceptible line Huksuk 2.

Development and Standardization Process, and Factor Analysis of the Computerized Cognitive Function Test System for Korea Adults / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The authors developed computerized cognitive function test system for Korean adults for the reliable and valid assessment of the cognitive function. This study was conducted to explore the areas of the cognitive functions of the newly developed system and to provide clinical guidelines for the interpretation of the results by the test system. METHODS: The computerized cognitive function test system was developed through several steps of preliminary application and corrections. The reliability and the validity were also tested. Factor analysis was applied to explore the areas of the cognitive functions from the data of 150 Korean adults, age 20 to 50, whose educational levels were higher than high school graduate. RESULTS: The attention tests evaluated auditory and visual sustained attention, attentional control, and information processing speed. The memory tests consisted of immediate memory, working memory, and auditory and visual learning abilities. Higher cortical function tests evaluated different areas by each test. The total system mainly evaluated attention maintenance, information processing speed, working memory, learning abilities, abstract thinking abilities, and mental flexibilities. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically applicable computerized cognitive function test battery with high reliability and validity were developed. The factor analysis showed that it assessed most of the major cognitive areas, except language and sensorimotor coordination. Future effort is requested to develop tests which can evaluate the cognitive areas omitted in the currest system.

Occurrence of Gray Mold Caused by Botrytis cinerea on Cryptotaenia japonica in Korea

A gray mold disease occurred on Cryptotaenia japonica in Korea. All the isolates of Botrytis sp. from the lesions of the diseased plants were identified to be B. cinerea based on the morphological characteristics. Conidia formed on conidiogenous cells were not in chains, hyaline to pale brown, unicellular, ellipsoidal to obovate with a single hilum at the base, entirely verruculose, and 6.3-11.3~6.3-10.0 microm in size. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation on C. japonica. This is the first record of gray mold on C. japonica caused by B. cinerea in Korea.

A Case of Adeno - Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Mature Cystic Teratoma / 대한부인종양콜포스코피학회잡지

Teratoma is one of germ cell tumor, common neoplasm in women of reproductive age, but it can arise at any age. Its malignant transformation is rare, less than 2%, frequently at older age. Nearly all the cases are squamous, sarcomatous and adenomatous transformation. Here we present a case of mixed transformation, adeno-squamous cell carcinoma with brief review of the concerned literature.