No abstract

There are many factors to influence the amount of terpene at the forest. However, it is poorly understood whether the amount is altered by meteorological factors. In order to study correlation analysis between terpene amount and meteorological(i.e., temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation) and environmental factors(i.e., oxygen, carbonb dioxide) at the artificial coniferous forest of Chamaecyparis obtusa (site 1) and Cryptomeria japonica (site 2) nearby the 1 st reservoir at Mt. Moodeung, the research was executed during April to November in 2011. Forest density at site 1 was 1,692 trees/ha, being occupied with 87.2% of Chamaecyparis obtusa, higher than 925 trees/ha at site 2. Carbon dioxide at site 1 was in the range of 385∼410 ppm in June, similar to at Anmyundo(395 ppm in 2010). Solar radiation has positive correlation with ambient temperature and inversely negative with relative humidity. Main species of terpene released were α -pinene, camphene, β-pinene, cymene, δ-limonene and camphor at two sites and terpene was more effluent at spring and summer than at fall. The large amount of terpene was emitted in the afternoon than in the morning under the influence of the wind speed and the topographical property. The terpene amount has positive correlation with relative humidity and oxygen, and negative with wind speed and soil temperature. Because correlations of α-pinene and other terpene materials showed statistically significant within p=0.01. α-pinene could be suggested as the basic material in explaining the amount of other terpene materials.

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Objectives: A great number of people visit forests for their bountiful healing factors. We investigated the quantity of terpene and analyzed the correlations with meteorological and environmental factors at Mt. Mudeung in order to support public health. Methods: The terpene amounts were investigated along 11 main trails using stainless steel tube packed by Tenax TA (150 mg) and Carbopack B (130 mg) during March to November 2012. Terpene amounts of 20 species (αpinene, camphene, etc.), and meteorological and environmental factors were investigated in the field. Results: Terpene of 16 species was released from the forest and total terpene amounts were 2,080 pptv at the site of Chamaecyparis obtusa, the highest among 11 sites, nearby the first reservoir on Mt. Mudeung. Terpene concentrations in the forest were nine to 23 times higher than found in urban areas. Total terpene amounts had positive correlations with temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and oxygen (p < 0.01) with R 2 of 0.345, 0.369, 0.591, 0.145, respectively, from April to July. Wind speed and solar radiation in the forest had a negative correlation with terpene amounts and showed statistical insignificance with p-values of 0.118 and 0.233, respectively. Conclusions: This study suggests that the amounts of terpene around Mt. Mudeung are indeed higher, so visitors may enjoy a therapeutic walk in the forest with a healing effect. These results showed the forest was very effective for improving human health.

Plants produce a wide variety of natural volatile organic compounds (NVOCs), many of which are unique to each species. These compounds serve many purposes, such as fending off herbivores and adapting to changes in temperature and water supply. Interestingly, although NVOCs are synthesized to deter herbivores, many of these compounds have been found to possess several therapeutic qualities, such as promoting nerve stability, enhancing sleep, and suppressing hyperresponsiveness, in addition to acting as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore, many NVOCs are promising drug candidates for disease treatment and prevention. Given their volatile nature, these compounds can be administered to patients through inhalation, which is often more comfortable and convenient than other administration routes. However, the development of NVOC-based drug candidates requires a careful evaluation of the molecular mechanisms that drive their therapeutic properties to avoid potential adverse effects. Furthermore, even compounds that appear generally safe might have toxic effects depending on their dose, and therefore their toxicological assessment is also critical. In order to enhance the usage of NVOCs this short review focuses not only on the biological activities and therapeutic mode of action of representative NVOCs but also their toxic effects.