Effect of Roasting and Brewing on the Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Tartary Buckwheat.

We evaluated the effect of the roasting and brewing conditions of Tartary buckwheat (TB), which is widely used in infusion teas, on its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities in vitro. TB was roasted at 210 °C for 10 min and brewed at a high temperature for a short time (HTST; 85-90 °C, 3 min) or at room temperature for a long time (RTLT; 25-30 °C, 24 h). Roasted TB (RTB) tea brewed at RTLT had the highest total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) among the four TB teas for different roasting and brewing conditions. Moreover, RTB brewed at RTLT showed the greatest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)-, and alkyl-scavenging activities. The TB tea brewed at RTLT had higher Fe2+-chelating activity than that brewed at HTST, irrespective of roasting. Moreover, RTB tea brewed at RTLT inhibited the proliferation of human pancreatic and breast cancer cells. Overall, RTB-RTLT displayed the largest effect on antioxidant and antiproliferative effects. Finally, rutin was found to possess the most pronounced effect on the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of the TB teas. These results indicate that the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of RTB are enhanced by RTLT brewing

New-type of Multi-purpose Standard Radon Chamber in South Korea

Radon is an inert and a radioactive gas which is colorless, tasteless and odorless. As the radon decay proceeds, and if DNA damage continues beyond repair capacity of cells in the human body, it can cause severe health problems such as lung cancer in the long-term. There is a tendency that those countries where legal restriction on radon is strict, various studies related to radon are under way. In South Korea, radon has been regulated under recommendation level. Even though there are about 3 standard radon chambers in Korea, they have not been in an active use because of lack of demand. Also, most of them are specialized in calibration of radon detectors only. Recently, Korean government started giving some attention to radon issue and supporting radon research fields. Thus, this study was carried out to develop a new type of radon chamber for multi-purpose such as 1) radon emission rate from natural and artificial radon sources; 2) calibration of radon detectors; 3) evaluation of radon mitigation efficiency. Keywords: Radon, Radon Chamber, Indoor Air Quality, Chamber Desig

Deep Seawater flow Characteristics Around the Manganese Nodule Collecting Device

AbstractFlow field characteristics with outflow discharge from a collecting device in deep seawater while gathering manganese nodules have been analyzed by CFD. Numerical model is used for the analysis with CFD program of FLUENT. It is assumed that the collecting device is 4.5×5.4×6.7m with outflow speed = 1.75 m/s and the current speed = 0.1m/s.Overall seawater flow field characteristics are largely influenced by the outflow discharge from the collecting device and manganese nodule particle behavior. The outflow discharge effect reaches to about few times of the collecting device in back. As simulation results, flow velocity and streamline distributions are compared including turbulence kinetic energyvariation. This study will be useful for optimal design for manganese nodule collecting device system in deep sea

Enhancement on Radon Adsorption Property of GAC using Nano-size Carbon Colloids

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is well-known as an efficient adsorbent against a number of gaseous pollutants. Radon is one of those pollutants, and radon has been classified as the second leading cause of lung cancer in USA. This study was to enhance the radon removal efficiency with applying nano-technology. Nano-size carbon colloids (NCC) was produced through electrolysis which is simple and cheap. NCC was used for impregnation with activated carbon. Surface areas of both NCC-treated and non-treated activated carbon did not show a significant difference. However, the results of radon removal efficiency show that impregnated carbon with NCC could capture about 1.3 ~ 2 times of more radon gas compared to non-treated activated carbon. It is assumed that nano-size carbon colloids might have filled up meso-pores, and meso-pores turned into micro-pores eventually. Because meso-pores initially accounted for large portion of whole pores, more radon could be captured to NCC-impregnated activated carbon. Keywords: Radon, Nano-Size Carbon Collid, Activated Carbo

β-Caryophyllene attenuates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice via modulation of gene expression associated mainly with colon inflammation

AbstractWe examined the modulatory activity of β-caryophyllene (CA) and gene expression in colitic colon tissues in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model. Experimental colitis was induced by exposing male BALB/c mice to 5% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. CA (30 or 300mg/kg) was administered orally once a day together with DSS. CA administration attenuated the increases in the disease activity index, colon weight/length ratio, inflammation score, and myeloperoxidase activity in DSS-treated mice. Microarray analysis showed that CA administration regulated the expression in colon tissue of inflammation-related genes including those for cytokines and chemokines (Ccl2, Ccl7, Ccl11, Ifitm3, IL-1β, IL-28, Tnfrsf1b, Tnfrsf12a); acute-phase proteins (S100a8, Saa3, Hp); adhesion molecules (Cd14, Cd55, Cd68, Mmp3, Mmp10, Sema6b, Sema7a, Anax13); and signal regulatory proteins induced by DSS. CA significantly suppressed NF-κB activity, which mediates the expression of a different set of genes. These results suggest that CA attenuates DSS-induced colitis, possibly by modulating the expression of genes associated mainly with colon inflammation through inhibition of DSS-induced NF-κB activity

Decreased Angiotensin II -Stimulated Aldosterone Production, but Normal Inositol Phosphate Response in Adrenal Glomerulosa Cells from Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats: Role of lnsulin

Streptozotocin(SlZ)-induced diabetic rats develop hyporeninemic hypoaldosteronism during the progression of diabetes mellitus. However,the nature and mechanism of aldosterone deficiency in diabetic rats still remain unclear and acute effects of insulin on aldosterone production in-vitro are not known. We evaluated the responses of aldosterone production to angiotensin 11 (AlI), potassium (K+), AClH and insulin in adrenal glomerulosa cells prepared from SlZ-induced diabetic rats with and without insulin treatment 2 weeks after diabetes induction. We also measured inositol phosphate<IP) levels in All-stimulated glomerulosa cells labeled with [3HI myoinositol using standardized anion exchange chromatography. Plasma renin activity and aldosterone level were not different among control rats,untreated and insulin-treated diabetic rats. Basal aldosterone production was similar in cells from the three groups. Cells from untreated diabetic rats showed a significant decrease in the maximal All (to-8M)-stimuiated aldosterone production and a tendency to be low in the maximal K+(8.7 mM)-stimulated aldosterone production, compared with control rats (3.2±2.2 \IS 7.7±2.4, P (0.05 and 4.8±1.8 \IS 8.0±3.2 ng/105 cells/hr, 0.05 (P (0.1, respectively). In contrast, there were no differences in All- and K+-stimulated aldosterone production between control and insulin-treated diabetic rats. AClH (to-8M), however, caused a similar effect on aldosterone production and insulin (I mU /ml for 1 hour) did not alter either basal or agonists-stimulated aldosterone production in cells from the three groups. All (to-8M)-induced IP formation among the three groups was similar and did not change with the addition of insulin u mU / ml), These results indicate that reduced response to All in the early phase of SlZ-induced diabetes in rats may be due to the zona glomerulosa dysfunction secondary to chronic lack of insulin and the main defect responsible for altered All effects may be located at some step(s) mediating All action downstream from IP formation