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The response surface methodology was used to optimally extract the antioxidant substances from Dendropanax morbifera leaves. The central composite design was used to optimally analyze the effects of ethanol concentration, sample to solvent ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time on the total flavonoids (TF) content, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). All three parameters were largely influenced by the ethanol concentration and extraction temperature, while TEAC was also influenced by the sample to solvent ratio. The maximum values of TF content, FRAP, and TEAC were achieved under the following extraction conditions: 70% ethanol, 1:10 sample to solvent ratio, 80 °C, and 14 h. The D. morbifera leaf extracts (DMLE) produced under these optimum extraction conditions were investigated to determine their preventive effects on alcohol-induced liver injury. The DMLE was shown to prevent liver injury by scavenging the reactive oxygen species generated by alcohol. In addition, composition analysis of DMLE found high contents of chlorogenic acid and rutin that were determined to inhibit alcoholic liver injury. The findings of this study suggest that DMLE could prove useful as a functional food product supplement to prevent liver injury caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

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Perilla frutescens var. crispa (Pfc) of the family Lamiaceae is used as a medicinal plant due to its pharmacological properties. Although Pfc is an important resource for the medical nutrition industry, the variability in phytonutrients and biological activities among genotypes of Pfc is not well understood. The effects of genotype on the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activities, antimelanogenic principles, and anti-inflammatory effects of Pfc were determined using eight Pfc genotypes. Using HPLC analysis, we identified 30 polyphenolic compounds from Pfc, although variation was observed in the polyphenolic composition of Pfc genotypes. Pfc 5 exhibited antimelanogenic activity in B16F10 melanoma cells via inhibition of tyrosinase activity. In addition, Pfc 2 strongly inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production through translational downregulation of inducible NOS in RAW264 murine macrophages. Taken together, the results of our study reveal the significant impacts of genotype on phytonutrients and biological activities. This finding will assist in the breeding and genetic engineering of Pfc in order to meet future phytonutrition and health challenges.

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Components and physiological activity of crops are strongly affected by the natural environments of the growth regions. In this study, we carried out soil analysis and determined the allicin, alliin, total pyruvate, total phenol and flavonoid, and reducing sugar contents of garlic from garlic-cultivating regions in the eastern and western portions of Jeju Province. Significantly higher contents of macronutrients were found in the soil and garlic from the eastern region of Jeju compared to western region, but micronutrients were higher in the western region than eastern region. In addition, the alliin and total phenolic contents were higher in the western region than in the eastern region. Also, allicin, total pyruvate, total flavonoid content, and ɑ-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the eastern region samples were higher than those of the western region in Jeju. This study promotes our understanding of the different components of garlic according to the cultivation regions of Jeju.

Sweet potato cDNAs that encode IbJ8, the smallest known J-domain protein, were isolated and characterized. This genome has at least two copies of Ib]8, which is expressed preferentially in the leaves, flowers, petioles, and stems. Spatial and temporal patterns were studied at different developmental stages, and expression was greater in younger leaves than in older ones. Moreover, expression in roots that arose from single-leaf cuttings was lower at 15, 20, and 30 d than at 40 d, and then the signal was undetectable at 60 d after planting. These results suggest that IbJ8 expression may be related to the organ age or developmental stage.

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