• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.124-132
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• 2016

In traditional medicine, Cannabis sativa L. has been used for variety of reasons. Old literatures delineate that Cannabis had been used as anesthetic and analgesic, or to reduce symptoms such as cough, paralysis and so on. Although Cannabis has a long history of medical use, it is illegal in many countries including South Korea. Controversy over decriminalization of Cannabis to allow cannabis for therapeutic use has been around for many years. In order to understand current knowledge on the therapeutic use of medical Cannabis, comprehension of cannabinoids and other constituents of Cannabis is important. Here we reviewed the pharmacological effect of Cannabis and current mandatory regulation over Cannabis in many countries to suggest necessity of research on medical Cannabis.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2023

In July 2021, wilting symptoms were observed in adult and seedling hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. Cherry Blossom) plants grown in a greenhouse. As the disease progressed, yellowing and wilting symptoms on the leaves developed, resulting in whole plant death. In seedling plants, typical damping-off symptoms were observed. To identify the pathogen, the roots of diseased plants were sampled, surface sterilized, and cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) media. From the culture, 4 different fungal isolates were recovered and purely cultured. Each fungal isolate showed distinct growth shapes and color development on malt extract agar, oatmeal agar, sabouraud dextrose agar, and PDA media. Microscopic observation and molecular identification using ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequencing identified them as 3 Fusarium spp. and 1 Thielaviopsis paradoxa. Additional sequencing of elongation factor 1-alpha and b-tubulin regions of 3 Fusarium spp. revealed that 2 of them are Fusarium solani, and the other one is Fusarium proliferatum. To examine which isolate can act as a causal agent of wilt disease of hemp, each isolate was tested for their pathogenicity. In the pathogenicity test, F. solani AMCF1 and AMCF2, and F. proliferatum AMCF3, but not T. paradoxa AMCF4, were able to cause wilting disease in hemp seedlings. Therefore, we report that F. solani AMCF1 and AMCF2, and F. proliferatum AMCF3 as causal agents of Fusarium wilt of hemp plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the wilt disease of C. sativa L. caused by Fusarium spp. in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.677-685
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• 2021

Cannabis sativa L. belongs to the Cannabaceae family and is an annual herbaceous flowing plant. The plants can be classified into narcotic marijuana and nonnarcotic hemp. Different parts of C. sativa L. have been used as food, medicine, cosmetics, fiber and textile. However, the use of leaf, flower, and seed of C. sativa L was forbidden in Korea in January 1977 as a result of the Cannabis Control Act due to the narcotic properties. The plant's mature stems have limited uses for the production of fiber and sheets. Recently, various cannabinoids, terpenes and essential fatty acids were identified from C. sativa L., and their safety and useful bio-activities, such as neuroprotective, anti-inflammation, antithrombosis, antiepileptic, and antimicrobial activities, and the relief of pain, have been highlighted. Furthermore, the process of reduction of tetrahydrocannabinol, a representative narcotic compound, and the isolation of cannabidiol, a nonnarcotic active compound in C. sativa L., have been determined. These findings resulted in the legalization of C. sativa L. in Korea for medical use in December 2018 and the exclusion of C. sativa L. from the narcotic list of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs (UNCND) in December 2020. Therefore, developments of various high-value added products have commenced worldwide. Additionally, in 2021, the Korean government deregulated special zones based on hemp. In this study, the current status and the prospect of the hemp industry, as well as essential techniques for developing new hemp products, are provided for the activation of the Korea Green-Rush.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.434-445
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• 2023

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds have recently been attracting attention as a new high-value-added food material owing to their excellent nutritional properties, and research on the development of functional food materials using hemp seeds is actively progressing. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of hemp seed protein hydrolysates. Protein hydrolysates were prepared from defatted hemp seed powder (HS) by enzymatic hydrolysis using five different proteases (alcalase, bromelain, flavourzyme, neutrase, and papain). 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) assay and SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that HS showed a high degree of hydrolysis after treatment with each enzyme except papain. The total polyphenol content of the protein hydrolysates (<3 kDa) and the RC50 values obtained from two different antioxidant tests showed that alcalase hydrolysate (HSA) had a relatively high level of antioxidant capacity. In addition, treatment with HSA (25-100 ㎍/mL) significantly inhibited linoleic acid peroxidation. These results suggest that hemp seed protein hydrolysates are potential sources of natural antioxidants. Future studies will focus on the identification of active peptides from HSA.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 1994

Various plastids in leaf and bracteal tissues of Cannabis sativa L. were examined by electron microscopy. Young chloroplasts without starch grain in mesophyll cells were ellipsoidal, and osmiophilic globules within them were common in stroma. During the plastid differentiation, the mature chloroplasts in mesophyll were changed in shape depending on the numbers and sizes of starch grain in stroma. Electron-dense granular substances were occurred along the outer membrane of chloroplasts in mesophyll. Typical plastids with reticulate body were present in the glandular trichomes. Electron-grey material appeared along the surface of a plastid. A light area in reticulate body is considered to represent junction point of thylakoids.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.74-76
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• 2008

Autohydrolysis at different temperature levels was applied as industrial hemp pretreatment technique for glucose generation. Main structural components removed by autohydrolysis was xylan, which is more sensitive in acidic hydrolysis condition than cellulose or lignin. Higher temperature reaction conditions promoted more biomass components (xylan) removal than lower temperature, which led to better respond to enzymatic saccharification of residual biomass after autohydrolysis. With $185^{\circ}C$ and 60 min, saccharification degree was 53.0% of cellulose in hemp woody core biomass.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.179-190
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• 2024

Cannabis sativa is a plant widely cultivated worldwide and has been used as a material for food, medicine, building materials and cosmetics. In this study, we assessed the functional effects of C. sativa stem and root extracts using network pharmacology and confirmed their novel functions. The components in stem and root ethanol extracts were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, and networks between the components and proteins were constructed using the STICHI database. Functional annotation of the proteins was performed using the KEGG pathway. The effects of the extracts were confirmed in lysophosphatidylcholine-induced THP-1 cells using real-time PCR. A total of 21 and 32 components were identified in stem and root extracts, respectively, and 147 and 184 proteins were linked to stem and root components, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis showed that 69 pathways, including the MAPK signaling pathway, were commonly affected by the extracts. Further investigation using pathway networks revealed that terpenoid backbone biosynthesis was likely affected by the extracts, and the expression of the MVK and MVD genes, key proteins in terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, was decreased in LPC-induced THP-1 cells. Therefore, this study determined the diverse function of C. sativa extracts, providing information for predicting and researching the effects of C. sativa.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.581-586
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• 2021

The high fatality of COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) is closely related to acute pneumonia and severe blood clot formation in brain, heart, kidney and lung. The use of low-molecular weight heparins has been shown to reduce the risk of thrombosis and reduce fatality rates among COVID-19 patients. In this study, we investigated the antithrombotic activity of different parts of C. sativa extracts to determine its potential in preventing blood clots in patients with thromboprophylaxis. The extracts of leaf, stem, root, immature flower and seed of C. sativa showed strong inhibitory activities on blood clot formation. In particular, the flower extract showed the strongest inhibitions against blood coagulation factors and thrombin. Strong hemolysis activities were observed in flower extract and seed extract, suggested that removal of the hemolysis active compounds in th extracts is necessary. This is a first report of anti-thrombosis activities of different parts of C. sativa extracts, and our results suggest that C. sativa extract has potential has a valuable bioresource for high-value products.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.688-696
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• 2018

Hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.; HS), an annual herbaceous plant in the Cannabis genus, has been reported to play various biological functions in immunity increase, atherosclerosis, constipation, hyperlipidemia prevention, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. In recently years, as superfood, the growing interest in the health care benefits of hemp seed has led to increased consumption. In this study, we investigated the effect of an ethanol extract of HS fermented with lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC 3107, L. plantarum KCTC 3108, L. brevis BHN-LAB128, L. paracasei BHN-LAB129). An antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were 13.99 mm and 15.17 mm, respectively. The ethanol extracts of fermented hemp seed by lactic acid bacteria that the contents of total polyphenol, total flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, SOD-like activity, and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity were increased compared to non-fermented hemp seed. Also, tyrosinase inhibitory activity of the fermented hemp seed (FHS), known to melanin increasing substance was increased. In these results, we suggested that FHS have effects of anti-oxidant, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory activity, and tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Hence, we proposed that FHS has possible to development as functional foods and cosmetics.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.124-124
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• 2022

대마(Cannabis sativa)는 카나비노이드(cannabinoids) 계열의 성분으로 인한 약리효능 뿐만 아니라 섬유, 식품 등의 분야에서도 식물소재로 활용도가 높은 것으로 알려져 있다. 최근 의료용 대마의 경우 규제완화가 예정됨에 따라 관련 산업분야에서도 안정적 원료 소재 생산에 대한 연구가 요구되고 있다. 대마는 실생번식이 가능한 종이나, 의료용 등 소재의 안정적 공급을 위해서는 균일한 cannabidiol(CBD) 성분의 확보가 가능한 영양증식 방법이 대안으로 사용될 수 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 영양증식 방법 중 조직배양 기술을 이용한 대마 품종별(Cherry Blossom, Queen Dream과 Hot Blonde) 증식법 구명을 위하여 식물생장조절제의 종류 및 농도에 따른 기내생육특성을 조사하였다. 세 품종 모두 1 mg l^-1 thidiazuron (TDZ) 단독처리 시 신초(> 2cm)가 가장 많이 유도되었다. 단 Queen Dream 품종은 0.5 mg l^-1 와 TDZ 0.2 mg l^-1 NAA 혼용처리구에서 많은 수의 신초가 유도되었으나 상대적으로 신초의 길이(< 2cm)는 짧은 것으로 확인할 수 있었다. 발생된 신초는 MS 기본배지에서 발근을 유도한 후 토양에 순화하여 정상적인 식물체로 발달되었다. 이와 같은 식물생장조절제 처리를 포함한 식물조직배양 방법은 유용 개체·품종의 증식 및 의료·산업용 원료 소재의 안정적 생산에 활용될 수 있다.