Background: Prenatal exposure to infectious and/or inflammatory insults can increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorder such as bipolar disorder, autism, and schizophrenia later in life. We investigated whether Valeriana fauriei (VF) treatment alleviates prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and social interaction impairment induced by maternal immune activation (MIA). Methods and Results: Pregnant mice were exposed to polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidilic acid (5㎎/㎏, viral infection mimic) on gestational day 9. The adolescent offspring received daily oral treatment with VF (100㎎/㎏) and injections of clozapine (5㎎/㎏) for 30 days starting on the postnatal day 35. The effects of VF extract treatment on behavioral activity impairment and protein expression were investigated using the PPI analysis, forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), social interaction test (SIT), and immunohistochemistry. The MIA-induced offspring showed deficits in the PPI, FST, OFT, and SIT compared to their non MIAinduced counterparts. Treatment with the VF extract significantly recovered the sensorimotor gating deficits and partially recovered the aggressive behavior observed in the SIT. The VF extract also reversed the downregulation of protein expression induced by MIA in the medial prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: Our results provide initial evidence of the fact that the VF extract could reverse MIA-induced behavioral impairment and prevent neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia.

Background: The public has increasing concerns about herbal crops owing to insufficient information on biological hazards such as foodborne pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study is the development of a herbal crop quality control system through monitoring with biological hazard analysis. Today, it is estimated that millions of people become ill every year from food contamination. The public demands agricultural products of stable and consistent quality. Governments have the responsibility of establishing the standards, legislation and enforcement programs necessary to control food quality and safety. However, research on the biosafety of herbal crop products is still insufficient. Therefore, the implementation of monitoring systems with high standards is critical for public safety. Methods and Results: In this study, we collected 52 samples of herbal crop products, and conducted both quantitative and qualitative biological hazard analysis. With biological hazard analysis, aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Coliforms, and Listeria spp. could be detected. Conclusions: Herbal crops were found to be contaminated with aerobic bacteria at 3.69 ± 0.32 log CFU/g. Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Coliforms, and Listeria spp. were not detected in any of the samples. This research suggests that continuous monitoring of biological hazards is required to improve the quality of herbal crops.

Background: This study examined the hypoglycemic and kidney protective effect of black ginseng in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Methods and Results: Diabetes was induced by treating mice with streptozotocin (STZ) for four weeks. In vivo studies were performed in order to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the black ginseng prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) extract. The body weight and blood glucose level were measured. Moreover, after the mice were sacrificed, the kidneys were isolated and histological changes were observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also measured. The results showed that administration of black ginseng increased body weight. Compared to blood glucose levels in STZ mice, blood glucose levels were reduced by 48% in STZ mice supplemented with 300 ㎎/㎏ of black ginseng, and by 69% in STZ mice supplemented with 900 ㎎/㎏. Furthermore, histopathological examination of STZ mouse kidneys revealed, changes in the kidneys, epithelial cell damages, inflammatory cell infiltration and glomerulus hypertrophy. However, a significant reduction of glomerular water droplets (indicative of glomerulus hypertrophy) was observed in the kidneys of STZ mice supplemented with black ginseng extract. Conclusions: These results suggest that black prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) ginseng extract has a significant hypoglycemic effect and can be used as an anti-diabetic substance and renal protective agents as part of dietary supplements or novel drugs.

Background : Acer pictum is a deciduous tree belonging to the family Aceraceae. This study was conducted to collect basic data on mass propagation techniques by surveying the germination and growth characteristics of A. pictum seeds. Methods and Results : A. pictum seeds were harvested in 2014 on August 19, September 5, September 29 and October 31. The seeds were then sown on the same dates they were harvested. A portion of seeds harvested in August 2014 were stored at low temperatures and subsequently sown on March 11, 2015. The germination rate of A. pictum seeds was highest in seeds that were stored harvested on October 31. Mean germination time (MGT) was shortest and germination velocity (Rs) was fastest in seeds harvested on October 31. Root collar diameter, total root length, and dry weight were also highest from seeds collected October 31. Conclusions : A. pictum seeds harvested on October 31 had highest germination and growth rates compared with seeds harvested on earlier dates. It is expected that these results demonstrating optimum harvesting and sowing dates will be applicable to future seedling production for this tree species.

In this study, we tried to offer the possibility of White Hibiscus syriacus L. (WHS) flower extracts as a preventive and improving agent of osteoporosis that bone mass reduction is induced by an decrease of osteoblast involved in bone formation and increase of bone resorption by osteoclast activity. As a results, it was found to have antioxidant activity and contain a flavonoid contents (47.74 ㎎/g) of the WHS flower. There was cytotoxicity at more than 250 ㎍/㎖ concentration of WHS flower extract of RANKL-induced osteoclast in RAW264.7. There were no significant inhibited TRAP activity in the WHS leaf and stem. However, it was confirmed that it is significantly inhibited the differentiation activity of osteoclasts in 50 and 100 ㎍/㎖ concentration of cells of stability levels of only WHS flower extracts (p 0.01). The WHS flower prominently inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation activity by decreased calcitonin receptor and TRAP mRNA (p 0.01). These results indicate that of osteoclasts differentiation activity is inhibited by protection of oxidative stress due to the antioxidant activity of the WHS flower. Therefore, suggesting the WHS flower may be a presents the possibility as a preventive and therapeutic agents for osteoporosis.

The HWND_G02 (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Crataegus pinnatifida, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg, Cnidium officinale Makino) and HWND_G03 (Cinnamonum cassia Blume, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Crataegus pinnatifida, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg, Cnidium officinale Makino, Allium macrostemon Bunge) are new natural mixture composed with several oriental herbs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of HWND extracts on high cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: control, HCD, atorvastatin (5 mg/kg, po), ethanolic extracts of HWND_G02 (1,000 mg/kg, po) and HWND_G03 (1,000 mg/kg, po) were administered to the HCD-induced hyperlipidemic rats for 4 weeks to evaluate their anti-hyperlipidemic activities. HWND extracts markedly decreased body and liver wight gain, and recovered serum lipid levels, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in the HCD-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Furthermore, the lipid levels (TC and TG) and the lipid accumulation were significantly lowered in the liver tissue of HWND-administrated rats. After a HCD, each group had a lower atherogenic index (AI) compared to the HCD group. In conclusion, these data suggest that HWND extracts could be the candidate for the material to prevent hyperlipidemia.

*Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.**Department of Food Science and Engineering, Seowon University, Cheongju 361-742, Korea.ABSTRACT : This research evaluate antioxidant and skin-whitening effect of Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai by extractionprocesses. First, antioxidant effects were follows: EE (70% ethanol extract) showed higher DPPH scavenging activity of69.66% than WE (hot water exract) 59.13% at 0.3 ㎎/㎖, also UE's (70% ethanol extract by sonication process) higher thanEE. Reducing power was that also EE showed higher than WE, and it was the highest value with UE's because of ultrasonicpretreatment. Next, the whitening effect tyrosinase inhibition activity was measured that EE was 23.88%, WE's was16.69%, and UE was 23.34%. Ultrasonic pretreatment did not influence to tyrosinase inhibition activity. Cell viabilityshowed low cell toxicity in all groups. UE's inhibited melanin synthesis, 55.1%, that is higher than EE and WE, 52.7% and39.5%, respectively. As a result, we confirmed that antioxidant activities and skin-whitening effect by extraction process.Also, this results confirmed that the Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai extracts worth as cosmetic materials. Key Words : Antioxidant, Skin-Whitening, Abeliophyllum distichum , Melanin

*Department of Medical Biomaterials Engineering, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.**Department of Food Science and Engineering, Seowon University, Cheongju 361-742, Korea.ABSTRACT : This study was to investigate anti-skin wrinkle effect of Agastache rugosa Kentz extracts by extraction processes.In the comparison of the effect of the solvent extraction, the extracts by 70% ethanol (EE) showed better biological activitiesthat those by hot water. Therefore, further fermented Agastache rugosa was applied to 70% ethanol extraction process(FEE). FEE showed higher DPPH scavenging activity of 62.98% than EE’s 62.71% at 1.0 ㎎/㎖, but there was no significant.Elastase inhibition was measured 23.0% from FEE at 1.0㎎/㎖. Cytotoxicity showed the highest 16.26% from FEE, thisvalue is safe in the cell experiment. Collagen production showed 113.1 ng/ ㎖ from FEE, on the other hand EE was measured77.4 ng/㎖ in adding 1.0㎎/㎖. MMP-1 production was observed 1398 pg/㎖ from FEE and EE was measured1632 pg/㎖. These results were found the highest antioxidant and anti-wrinkle effect. As a result, it was also confirmed thatanti-skin wrinkle activities of the Agastache rugosa Kentz extract was correlated with anti-oxidant activities.Key Words : Anti-Skin Wrinkle Effect , Antioxidant, Agastache rugosa Kuntz, Collagen, Lactic Acid, MMP-1