Purple-corn kernels contain anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants proposed to be beneficial to human health. This study investigated the concentrations of anthocyanins and amino acids and the composition of fatty acids in the kernels of purple waxy corn (Zea mays L.) “Heukjinjuchal” during grain filling to determine when the grain nutritional value is at its highest. During grain filling, anthocyanin contents increased as the kernel color darkened. Among the anthocyanins measured, cyanidin-3-β-O-glucoside reached the highest contents, 57.0–409.1 mg kg–1 fresh weight in raw kernels and 1027.6 mg kg–1 in dry seeds. Pelargonidin-3-β-O-glucoside and malvidin-3-β-O-glucoside became detectable at 21 days after silking; they occurred in the second- and third-highest amounts, respectively, among anthocyanins in the purple-corn cultivars tested. The anthocyanin accumulation pattern was strongly associated with physicochemical properties and partly associated with amino acid content. Anthocyanin contents increased in a stepwise rather than linear fashion. This study showed that kernels undergo dramatic changes that affect the nutritional value of fresh corn.

‘Godangok1’, a sweet corn hybrid obtained by crossing the inbred KSE13 (female) and KSE37 (male), was developed by the maize breeding team at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), Rural Development Administration, Korea, in 2016. ‘Godangok1’ has the sugary enhancer ( se ) gene, and the ear is yellow-white. The number of days to silking of ‘Godangok1’ was 59, similar to ‘Danok3’ (check variety), but ear length and the ratio of kernel set length to ear length (18.7 cm and 96%, respectively) were superior to those of ‘Danok3’. The resistance to Bipolaris maydis , Exserohilum turcicum , and Ostrinia furnacalis was similar to that exhibited by ‘Danok3’, whereas the lodging tolerance was stronger than that of ‘Danok3’. The fresh ear yield of ‘Godangok1’ was 6,530 ears, with 1,139 kg per 10a, and the sugar content was 20.8 °Brix. The hundred kernel weight was 27.4 g, smaller than that of ‘Danok3’. The flavor was excellent and assigned a sensory score of 5.7. Unique properties of ‘Godangok1’ coded by the recessive se gene are eliminated due to crosspollination when growing along with other types of corn such as general corn ( sh , sh 2, bt , etc.). Therefore, it must be isolated in time or space and harvested in order to produce high-quality sweet corn (Registration No. 7506).

This study evaluated the productivity of early maturity silage corns during continuous monocropping and the possibility of expanding forage production. Continuous monocropping of three silage corns, such as Kwangpyeongok (medium maturity), Sinhwangok (early maturity), and Sinhwangok2 (early maturity) was planted twice, in April and July from 2018 to 2019 at Suwon. The number of days from the sowing date to the silking date was 78 for the preceding crop and 52 for the succeeding crop. The number of days from the silking date to the harvesting date was 26 for the preceding crop and 46 for the succeeding crop. The sums of the temperature from the sowing date to the silking date were 1,512°C for the preceding crop, 1,246°C for the succeeding crop. The sums of the temperature from the sowing date to the harvesting date were 2,198°C for the preceding crop and 1,951°C for the succeeding crop. The dry matter yield of the preceding crop (1,637 kg/10a) was similar to that of the succeeding crop (1,565 kg/10a). The dry matter yields of Sinhwangok2 (1,673 kg/10a), Sinhwangok (1,660 kg/10a) and Kwangpyeongok (1,579 kg/10a) were similar to those of the preceding crop. The dry matter yields of Sinhwangok (1,669 kg/10a) and Kwangpyeongok (1,651 kg/10a) were similar to those of the succeeding crop and Sinhwangok2 (1,374 kg/10a) was the lowest among the three corn varieties. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) yield of the preceding crop (1,135 kg/10a) was similar to that of the succeeding crop (1,037 kg/10a). The TDN yields of Sinhwangok2 (1,183 kg/10a), Sinhwangok (1,158 kg/10a), and Kwangpyeongok (1,063 kg/10a) were similar to those of the preceding crop. The TDN yields of Sinhwangok (1,150 kg/10a) and Kwangpyeongok (1,100 kg/10a) were similar for the succeeding crop and Sinhwangok2 (970 kg/10a) was the lowest among the three corn varieties. The total dry matter yields of Sinhwangok (3,329 kg/10a) and Kwangpyeongok (3,230 kg/10a) were similar, but Sinhwangok2 (3,047 kg/10a) was the lowest among the three corn varieties. The total TDN yields of Sinhwangok (2,307 kg/10a), Kwangpyeongok (2,162 kg/10a), and Sinhwangok2 (2,152 kg/10a) were similar. It was concluded that Sinhwangok and Sinhwangok2 have high TDN yields as well as early maturity, and therefore are advantageous for direct continuous monocropping.

Seong-Bum Baek, Beom-Young Son, Jung-Tae Kim, Jin-Seok Lee, Hwan-Hee Bae, Seong-Hyu Shin, Hyung-Seok Song, Sang-Gon Kim, Byung-Joo Kim, Sang-Kyu Lee, Young-Sam Go, Sun-Lim Kim. Korean J. Breed. Sci. 2019;51:99-104. https://doi.org/10.9787/KJBS.2019.51.2.99

There have been no published studies concerning the anti-inflammatory effects of corn silk on colon cancer cells. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin on inflammation and its mechanism of action in colon cancer cells. SW 480 human colon cancer cells were treated with 1 μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation, and next they were treated with different concentrations of corn silk extract (0, 5, 10 and 15 μg/mL). The concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) were determined. The mRNA expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were determined. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the protein expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases, and the latter consists of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAP kinase (p38). The concentration of NO and the mRNA expression of iNOS were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk-treated groups (P<0.05). The mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly increased in the LPS-treated group (P<0.05), but these expressions were significantly and dose-dependently decreased in the corn silk treated groups (P<0.05). The protein expressions of NF-κB (in a dose-dependent fashion), ERK (at 10 and 15 μg/mL), JNK (at 15 μg/mL) and p38 (at 10 and 15 μg/mL) were significantly decreased with corn silk treatments (P<0.05). In conclusion, corn silk extract containing high levels of maysin seems to inhibit the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in SW480 colon cancer cells via the NF-κB pathway.

Obesity is a worldwide public health concern requiring safe and effective strategies. Recent studies suggest that bioactive compounds from soybeans have beneficial effects on weight loss and reducing fat accumulation. However, despite the biochemical and nutritional changes during germination, the biological effects of germinated soy germ have not been fully investigated. In this article, germinated soy germ extract (GSGE) was evaluated as a potential treatment option for obesity using 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. In vitro studies demonstrated that GSGE suppressed the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into mature adipocytes, along with reductions in lipid accumulation and lipid droplet formation. In vivo studies also showed that a daily dose of 1 mg kg-1 of GSGE reduced weight gain, adipocyte area, serum triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol in HFD-fed mice. The GSGE treatment promoted browning, which was associated with increased UCP1 expression in vitro and in vivo. In addition, GSGE treatment induced beige fat activation by upregulation of lipolysis and beta-oxidation. Furthermore, gene and protein expression levels of endocannabinoid system-related factors such as NAPE-PLD, FAAH, DAGL-α, and CB2 were altered along with browning and beige fat activation by GSGE. The present study indicates that GSGE effectively inhibits lipid accumulation and promotes beige fat transition and activation. Therefore, we suggest that GSGE treatment could be a promising strategy for the prevention of obesity by promoting weight loss, reducing fat accumulation, and improving obesity-related metabolic disorders.

‘Hwangdaok’, a new maize F1 hybrid (Zea mays L.), was developed by the maize breeding team at the National Institute of Crop Science (NICS), RDA in 2016. The high-yielding yellow dent hybrid named ‘Hwangdaok’ was obtained by crossing between two inbred lines, ‘KS203’ and ‘KS190’. After advanced yield trial in Suwon in 2012, regional yield trial was subsequently carried out to evaluate the growth and yield of ‘Hwangdaok’ at three different locations from 2014 to 2016. The number of days to silking of ‘Hwangdaok’ is 76. The plant height is 262 cm and ear height ratio is 51%, which are similar to those of ‘Jangdaok’. It has resistance to lodging. The number of ears per 100 plants is 95. The ear length is 21.3 cm and weight of 100 seeds is 34.7 g, similar to those of ‘Jangdaok’. It has moderate resistance to southern leaf blight (Bipolaris maydis) and European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). The grain yield (10 ton/ha) of ‘Hwangdaok’ is 6% higher than that of ‘Jangdaok’. The seed production rate of ‘Hwangdaok’ is acceptable due to good synchronization of flowering period during crossing between the seed parent, KS203, and the pollen parent, KS190, in Yeongwol. F1 seed yield was 1.68 ton/ha. ‘Hwangdaok’ can be a suitable cultivar to plain areas in Korea. (Variety registration No. 7502).

Postmenopausal obesity is becoming a serious global health concern. Soyasaponin Ab (SA) inhibits adipocyte differentiation; however, the preventive and therapeutic potential of SA in postmenopausal obesity has not been clearly established. Here, we investigated the anti-obesity effects of SA in postmenopausal obesity in vitro and in vivo. SA inhibited adipocytic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells and reduced lipid accumulation and lipid droplet formation. Moreover, SA significantly decreased weight gain, adipocyte area, serum metabolic profiles in OVX mice. SA also inhibited the lipid metabolism-related factors but increased the thermoregulatory factors in both in vitro and in vivo. SA treatment further increased energy expenditure through beige fat activation. Overall, we found that SA effectively accelerated energy consumption by stimulating beige fat activation, even under estrogen-deficient conditions. Thus, SA treatment may be a promising strategy for the prevention of postmenopausal obesity by promoting weight loss, reducing fat accumulation, and improving obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Despite the relevance of drought stress, the regulation of gene expression, protein accumulation, and plant physiology under water-deficit stress is not well understood in Korean F1 maize ( Zea mays L.) hybrids. In this study, we investigated the effect of water deficit on the F1 maize hybrids, Ilmichal (Ilmi) and Gwangpyeongok (GPOK), by withholding water for 10 days during flowering. Water deficit severely reduced the relative water content, area, SPAD values, and stomatal conductance of leaves, stem length, and the dry matter content of aerial tissues in drought-stressed plants of both hybrids. However, the dry matter content of roots was reduced only in GPOK. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis identified 24 spots representing proteins accumulated to differential levels in well-watered and drought-stressed plants of both hybrids. Further analysis of protein spots using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry and protein database searches revealed that nine proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, seven in stress response, and two in photosynthesis. Among these proteins, delta 3,5-delta 2,4-dienoyl-CoA isomerase (spot 8) and bifunctional 3-phosphoadenosine 5-phosphosulfate synthetase 2 (spot 23) were present only in GPOK, whereas NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase (spot 13), NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase subunit 2 A (spot 24), and an uncharacterized protein (spot 19) were present only in Ilmi, in response to water-deficit stress. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that the transcript levels of most of the genes encoding these proteins correlated well with their protein levels, suggesting that water deficit affects gene transcription in F1 maize hybrids at the flowering stage.

Osteoporosis is frequently induced following menopause, and bone fractures result in serious problems including skeletal deformity, pain, and increased mortality. Therefore, safe and effective therapeutic agents are needed for osteoporosis. This study aimed to clarify the bone protecting effects of germinated soy germ extracts (GSGE) and their mode of action. GSGE increased expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCL) by stimulating the expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osterix (Osx) through activation of Smad signaling molecules. Furthermore, germination of soy germ increased levels of nutritional components, especially soyasaponin Ab. The anabolic activity of soyasaponin Ab in GSGE was also evaluated. GSGE and soyasaponin Ab significantly protected against ovariectomy (OVX)-induced bone loss and improved bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) level in mouse serum. These in vitro and in vivo study results demonstrated that GSGE and soyasaponin Ab have potential as therapeutic candidate agents for bone protection in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Present study was aimed to investigate the potential anti-obesity effects of maysin, a major flavonoid of corn silk, in vitro and in vivo using 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells and C57BL/6 mice. Maysin decreased the levels of intracellular lipid droplets and triglycerides (TG), and down-regulated the protein expression levels of C/EBP-β, C/EBP-α, PPAR-γ, and aP2 in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells, suggesting that maysin inhibits lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation. In addition, maysin was shown to induce the apoptotic cell death in 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells via activation of caspase cascades and mitochondrial dysfunction, which may ultimately lead to reduction of adipose tissue mass. Furthermore, oral administration of maysin (25 mg/kg body weight) decreased weight gain and epididymal fat weight in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. Administration of maysin also reduced serum levels of TG, total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and glucose. Taken collectively, these results suggest for the first time that the purified maysin exerts an anti-obesity effect in vitro and in vivo. These observations may support the applicability of maysin as a potent functional ingredient in health-beneficial foods or as a therapeutic agent to prevent or treat obesity.

Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) infects a wide range of plants. In this study, we assembled de novo two HSVd genomes from the transcriptome of an apricot species. To examine HSVd variation in a single tree, we sequenced 70 HSVd genomes from unique apricot and plum trees and identified 11 HSVd variants. In addition, we analysed all known 572 HSVd sequences and identified 382 non-redundant HSVd variants. Phylogenetic analysis identified five groups of the 382 HSVd variants. Furthermore, we generated a consensus HSVd sequence by averaging across all 382 sequences. Comparative sequence analysis identified several regions showing sequence variation, while the terminal left region of the rod-like structure was highly conserved.

The changes in phenolic and antioxidant capacities of seedlings of various barley cultivars through four different harvest times were investigated. Ten phenolics were characterised as hydroxycinnamic acid, orientin, isoorientin, and isovitexin derivatives using UPLC-PDA-ESI/MS and NMR. In particular, lutonarin (2) and saponarin (3) were the predominant constituents (71–75%) with significant differences in cultivars and harvest times. The highest average total phenolic content was found as 2671.8 mg/100 g on 23 days after the sowing, whereas the lowest was 1400.8 mg/100 g on 56 days. The radical scavenging abilities also exhibited considerable differences in 80% of methanol extracts (40 µg/mL), depending upon the phenolic contents. Interestingly, isoorientin (5) and orientin (6) possessed potent antioxidant effects with IC50 values of 20.7 ± 1.1 and 27.5 ± 7.3 µM (DPPH) and 5.7 ± 0.3 and 8.2 ± 0.3 µM (ABTS), respectively. These results may be contributed to enhancing the value of barley as a functional food ingredient and dietary supplement.

Whole grain wheat flour (WGWF) is the entire grain (bran, endosperm, and germ) milled to make flour. The WGWF of 31 Korean wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars were analyzed for the chemical compositions, and classified into groups by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCL). The average composition values showed a substantial variation among wheat varieties due to different wheat varieties. Wheat cv. Shinmichal1 (waxy wheat) had the highest ash, lipid, and total dietary fiber contents of 1.76, 3.14, and 15.49 g/100 g, respectively. Using HCL efficiently classified wheat cultivars into 7 clusters. Namhae, Sukang, Gobun, and Joeun contained higher protein values (12.88%) and dietary fiber (13.74 %). Regarding multi-trait crop breeding, the variation in chemical compositions found between the clusters might be attributed to wheat genotypes, which was an important factor in accumulating those chemicals in wheat grains. Thus, once wheat cultivars with agronomic characteristics were identified, those properties might be included in the breeding process to develop a new variety of wheat with the trait.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) belonging to the family Poaceae is an important millet that is widely cultivated in East Asia. Of the cultivated millets, the foxtail millet has the longest history and is one of the main food crops in South India and China. Moreover, foxtail millet is a model plant system for biofuel generation utilizing the C4 photosynthetic pathway. In this study, we carried out de novo transcriptome assembly for the foxtail millet variety Taejin collected from Korea using next-generation sequencing. We obtained a total of 8.676 GB raw data by paired-end sequencing. The raw data in this study can be available in NCBI SRA database with accession number of SRR3406552. The Trinity program was used to de novo assemble 145,332 transcripts. Using the TransDecoder program, we predicted 82,925 putative proteins. BLASTP was performed against the Swiss-Prot protein sequence database to annotate the functions of identified proteins, resulting in 20,555 potentially novel proteins. Taken together, this study provides transcriptome data for the foxtail millet variety Taejin by RNA-Seq.

Jin-Seok Lee*, Tae-Wook Jung, Beom-Young Son, Seong-Hyu Shin, Jung-Tae Kim, Hwan-Hee Bae,Seong-Bum Baek, Ja-Hwan Ku, Jong-Jin Hwang, Sun-Lim Kim, Sung-Kook Kim,Young-Up Kwon, and Jeom-Ho Lee. Korean J. Breed. Sci. 2015;47:306-11. https://doi.org/10.9787/KJBS.2015.47.3.306