The objective of this study was to determine the number of instars of Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) larvae by comparing their head capsule widths (HCW) published in previous studies, as well as additional laboratory experiments. Larvae of M. alternatus showed repeated molting in the laboratory. Most larvae ceased their development at the 10th instar stage. Frequency distributions of HCW for the first, second, and third instar larvae were clearly separated while those of the fourth through 11th instar larvae largely overlapped between successive instars in our results. The HCW values for the first, second, and third instar larvae directly measured for each instar in our study indicated that they were more precise than those of previous reports based on field-collected HCW which might have missed HCW of the first instar larvae or wrongly determined HCW for some instars. Unlike the reports of four instars of previous studies, M. alternatus larvae passed five instars in the field, which was confirmed by the discovery of five pairs of mandibles in the feeding gallery and pupal chamber. Also, the comparative study for the frequency distributions of HCW revealed that most M. alternatus larvae passed five instars. Consequently, the average sizes of HCW for their first, second, and third instar larvae are newly suggested to be 0.896 ± 0.069, 1.291 ± 0.131, and 1.707 ± 0.165 mm (mean ± SD) .

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Abstract. Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, therefore food products are being investigated for potential prevention or treatment strategies. The ingredient, barley grass extract (Hordeum vulgare L.; Bex) is used to prevent or ameliorate various types of disease. In cancer, Bex has been revealed to inhibit tumor growth. However, its effect on cancer cells is yet to be clearly defined. In the present study, the effect of Bex on cancer cell growth was investigated. Bex inhibited the viabilities of breast and prostate cancer cells according to the results of MTT assays. Accordingly, Bex caused apoptosis, which was confirmed by Annexin V staining and western blot analysis for poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspases. Furthermore, Bex increased the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and N-acetyl-L-cystein blocked Bex-induced apoptosis. Therefore, the study demonstrated that Bex causes apoptosis of breast and prostate cancer cells by increasing intracellular ROS levels. IntroductionCancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide (1,2). Despite numerous cancer studies and the development of various anti-cancer therapeutic agents, cancer remains dangerous. Anti-cancer therapeutic agents are chemically or biologically produced, and their effects are well defined (3-7). However, treatments continue to be associated with adverse effects and the majority of patients have an aversion to them (8).Herbal products have long been used to prevent or treat diseases, including cancer (9-12). Furthermore, certain anti-cancer therapeutic agents that are chemically produced originate from herbal products and their chemical characteristics are modified (7,(12)(13)(14). Typically, patients prefer to take herbal products (15-18); herbal products have historically been used as traditional medicines, such as traditional Chinese and Korean medicines, Kampo medicines and Ayurvedic medicine (13,14,19). Certain herbal products were demonstrated to treat cancer and/or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment (13,(15)(16)(17)(19)(20)(21). Therefore, herbal products are considered to be promising for cancer prevention and treatment.Barley grass extract (Hordeum vulgare L.; Bex) has long been used as a food product. Its biological effects have also been addressed by various in vitro and in vivo studies, although evidence there is limited evidence of the efficacy of Bex against specific conditions (22). The effect of Bex on the immune system was revealed in in vitro and in vivo experimental sets (23-25). Accordingly, Bex inhibited atopic dermatitis in NC/Nga mice by altering the expression levels of cytokines (26). Similarly, Bex repressed lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation (27). Furthermore, its effect in type 2 diabetes was revealed in a genetically engineered mouse model and patients (28,29). Therefore, the effects of Bex on particular diseases have been demonstrated at least in experimental systems. A previous study revealed that Bex caused apoptosis of leukemia and lymphoma cell lines...

Background/Aim: Although ginseng seed oil (GSO) appears to have various roles in the body, its anticancer effect has not been investigated. Tamoxifen is widely used to treat estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer but shows adverse effects with drug resistance. This study investigated the effect of GSO in ER+ breast cancer cell growth. Materials and Methods: Cell viability assays, western blots and Annexin V staining were conducted to examine cell viability and apoptosis. The synergistic effect of tamoxifen in combination with GSO or oleic acid (OA) was determined. Results: GSO and OA caused apoptosis of MCF-7 ER+ breast cancer cells and had synergistic effects with tamoxifen in inhibiting tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7 TAMR) ER+ breast cancer cell growth. Conclusion: GSO may block ER+ breast cancer recurrence in combination with tamoxifen.Ginseng extract and certain ginseng compounds are known to have an anti-cancer effects (1-10). Ginseng products are widely sold as functional foods for health, especially in Asian countries (11)(12)(13)(14)(15). However, farmers and industries need to consider the economic and farming environments in ginseng cultivation. Lands where ginseng grows require rest periods for about 3 years. Considering this rest due to harmful products from ginseng, ginseng seeds are wasted ( 14). Therefore, a reduction in this waste rate is very important for this culture to be profitable for farmers and industries. Oil extracted from ginseng seeds (GSO) appears to have various roles in the body (16-19). In addition, although both ginseng extract and oil have been shown to inhibit tumor growth in different experiments (5,20,21), there is no information on the anti-cancer effect of ginseng seed oil.Breast cancer is a serious disease in women. Molecular markers such as estrogen receptor-positivity (ER+), progesterone receptor-positivity (PR+) and HER2-positivity (HER2+) are used to classify subtypes of breast cancer (22)(23)(24). About 70% of breast cancer patients suffer from ER+ breast cancer (25-27). Although there are several treatments for ER+ breast cancer, cure has not been achieved (26-28). Thus, we still need novel treatments for ER+ breast cancer. Tamoxifen is widely used to treat ER+ breast cancer (26,29). However, it shows some adverse effects, and upon longterm treatment resistance develops (26-30). In case of a resistance, ER+ breast cancer cells are more aggressive and tend to metastasize to distant organs (27,30). Other chemical drugs have similar problems (30). Thus, it is important to effectively prevent ER+ breast cancer growth during the course of tamoxifen treatment.In this study, we investigated an effect of GSO in MCF-7 ER+ breast cancer cell growth. Our data show that GSO and OA cause apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Moreover, we show that GSO and OA have synergistic effects with tamoxifen in inhibiting tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7 TAMR ) ER+ breast cancer cell growth. Materials and MethodsReagents and cell culture. Ginseng seed oil (GSO) was obtained from Chungbuk Farme...

To support beneficial effects of makgeolli for human health, we investigated for the presence of 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA), a bifidogenic growth stimulator (BGS), from commercial makgeolli products. Among eleven makgeolli products (A∼K), four showed positive peaks for DHNA in high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Makgeolli product A in particular contained the highest concentration of DHNA (0.44 ppm), as confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, BGS activity of the makgeolli product A was higher than those of products in which DHNA was not detected. These results indicate that makgeolli can be a good source for DHNA and that DHNA-enriched makgeolli could be developed by modifying manufacturing procedures and controlling its microbiota.