Recently, there has been a growing interest in the consumption of plant-based foods such as vegetables and grains for the purpose of disease prevention and treatment. Adlay seeds contain physiologically active substances, including coixol, coixenolide, and lactams. In this study, adlay sprouts were cultivated and harvested at various time points, specifically at 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 days after sowing. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated using assays such as DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging, reducing power, and total polyphenol contents. The toxicity of the extracts was assessed using cell culture and the WST-1 assay. The aboveground components of the sprouts demonstrated a significant increase in length, ranging from 2.75 cm to 21.87 cm, weight, ranging from 0.05 g to 0.32 g, and biomass, ranging from 161.4 g to 1319.1 g, as the number of days after sowing advanced, reaching its peak coixol content of 39.38 mg/g on the third day after sowing. Notably, the antioxidant enzyme activity was highest between the third and fifth days after sowing. Regarding anti-inflammatory activity, the inhibition of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression was most prominent in samples harvested from the ninth to eleventh days after sowing, corresponding to the later stage of growth. While the overall production mass increased with the number of days after sowing, considering factors such as yield increase index per unit area, turnover rate, and antioxidant activity, harvesting at the early growth stage, specifically between the fifth and seventh days after sowing, was found to be economically advantageous. Thus, the quality, antioxidant capacity, and anti-inflammatory activity of adlay sprouts varied depending on the harvest time, highlighting the importance of determining the appropriate harvest time based on the production objectives. This study demonstrates the changes in the growth and quality of adlay sprouts in relation to the harvest time, emphasizing the potential for developing a market for adlay sprouts as a new food product.

Background: In September 2017, wilting and rhizome rot symptoms were observed on Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. in Jecheon-si and Eumseong-gun. This study was carried out to isolate hitherto unidentified pathogenic fungi from A. macrocephala and to test the pathogenicity of isolated fungi against Atractylodes spp. genus such as A. macrocephala, A. japonica, and their interspecific hybrids. Methods and Results: The diseased plants were washed with running tap water, and the boundary between the healthy area and the diseased area was cut while the pathogens were isolated by growing cultures from the diseased areas on Phytophthora semi-selective medium. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the isolates was used in this study for identification. Test plants were cultivated in the glasshouse at 20℃ - 30℃ for 4 months and then used for pathogenicity test. The pots with plants inoculated with mycelial plugs and zoospores were placed at 25℃ for 48 h in a dew chamber where relative humidity was above 95%, and then moved into the glasshouse at 20℃ - 30℃. The presence or absence of pathogenicity of the strains was determined by evaluating the symptom of plant wilting. The inoculation test was performed in three replicates with a non-treated control. Conclusions: On the basis of results of ITS sequence analysis, the strains isolated from the diseased plants was identified as Phytophthora sansomeana. Biological assay using test plants confirmed the pathogenicity of P. sansomeana against Atractylodes macrocephala. This is the first report of rhizome rot in A. macrocephala caused by P. sansomeana.

Adlay is an annual plant known for its abundant bioactive compounds and diverse pharmacological activities. Coixol, a key component found in various parts of adlay, significantly contributes to its biological activity. This study was conducted to extract adlay sprouts and seeds using different solvents (methanol and ethanol) and extraction methods (reflux and ultrasonic extraction). The extracts were then evaluated for their total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant ability (DPPH and ABTS⁺). Additionally, the coixol content of these extracts was analyzed using HPLC/DAD analysis. The results showed that the extraction methods and solvents used impacted the bioactive compounds and their activities in the samples. Adlay sprouts exhibited a higher compound content and stronger antioxidant capacity than adlay seeds. Moreover, a substantial amount of coixol was found in the sprouts, while it was not detected in the seeds. This study emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate extraction methods to optimize the biological activities of adlay sprouts and seeds. Adlay sprouts, with their enriched phytochemical compounds and enhanced antioxidant ability, could serve as a valuable material for health product applications.

This study explored the anti-pruritic and immunomodulatory effects of Coix sprouts extract, focusing on histamine release and IL-31 cytokine production in HMC-1 cells. The extract significantly inhibited both factors, indicating its potential for pruritus relief. In a pruritus induction mouse model, Coix sprouts extract outperformed prednisolone in anti-pruritus effectiveness, also improving skin lesions and inhibiting mast cell infiltration. The extract suppressed tryptase expression, reduced release, inhibited mast cell proliferation, and lowered nitric oxide production, suggesting anti-inflammatory properties. Coix sprouts extract shows promise in suppressing inflammation and pruritus, making it a valuable candidate for clinical use. Additionally, the analysis of coixol content in Coix sprouts revealed variations in growth time, indicating their potential as functional materials with anti-pruritus and immune-enhancing applications.

Background: Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa belongs to the flowering plant family Apiaceae. Its young leaves are consumed as a vegetable, and its roots have medicinal properties. This study was conducted to analyze the seed germination characteristics of A. acutiloba according to its ripening stages. Methods and Results: The seeds were harvested from a research farm managed by the Department of Herbal Crop Research, Rural Development Administration in 2018 and were divided into six groups according to their specific gravities. In particular, we studied the effect of harvesting periods and umbel orders on seed characteristics. The results showed that the rates of germination, emergence, and early growth improved as the specific gravity of the seeds increased. In addition, the germination rates of the seeds harvested in mid July and early August were significantly higher than those harvested in the other seasons, and the seeds obtained from the first floret had the greatest mass and weight. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated that it is possible to improve the germination rate by appropriate selection of seeds and harvesting period both of which are closely related to seed maturity.

Background: Studies have suggested that the northern provinces of Gangwon-do are good sites for licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) cultivation in Korea, as they have similar temperatures to its original locations in northern China. However, poor growth and freezing injury are often reported in Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to reassess the domestic cultivation site of licorice. Methods and Results: To determine the optimum temperature for cultivating licorice, the growth, yield, and pharmacological characteristics of G. uralensis were assessed in a temperature gradient tunnel at Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea in 2017. Plant height increased until the temperature rose to 5.9℃ above the local external temperature. Yield (㎏/10a) increased by 46.9% when the growing temperature was 1.5℃ to 3.0℃ (T2) above the external temperature and by 72.6% when the growing temperature was 3.0℃ - 4.5℃ (T3) above the external temperature. However, a difference of 4.5℃ - 5.9℃ (T4) above the external temperature, decreased the yield by 9.8% compared to that at T2. The glycyrrhizin content of G. uralensis roots in each temperature band was 0.72%, 0.53%, 0.91%, and 0.84% (T1, T2, T3, T4), these differences appear to result form individual plant variation rather than growth temperature. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, we estimate that the temperature-based optimum cultivation site for G. uralensis in Korea is the south central region, rather than the northern province of Gangwon-do. Improvement in growth and yield maybe observed if the plantations in the central Jecheon (Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea) are expanded into the south central region.