• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.899-904
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• 2009

We purified crude urushiol from natural lacquer produced in Korea, China, and Japan and then isolated several urushiol congeners known to induce allergic reactions. The 3 major kinds of urushiol congeners that were isolated and purified were RV-l (C$_{21}$H$_{34}$O$_2$, M.W. 314.462), RV-2 ((C$_{21}$H$_{32}$O$_2$, M.W. 316.240) and RV-3 ((C$_{23}$H$_{34}$O$_2$, M.W. 342.515), occupying 80% of total crude urushiol. The content of RV-l was the highest in natural lacquer from China at 70.07%, and was the lowest in that from Japan at 62.38%. However, the content of RV-2 in natural lacquer from Japan was 9.25%, 2$\sim$3 times higher than those from Korea (4.28%) and China (3.09%). As an allergy inducing character, RV-l had strong inducing power and durability in the primary stage, showing slow recovery. RV-2 had weak power in the primary stage and also showed slow recovery. Although RV-3 had comparatively weak power at the primary stage, it induced the strongest allergy contact dermatitis after 48 hr. However, it recovered to nearly the same level as control group 72 hr after sensitization time. Accordingly, we found out that RV-1 is the most influential of urushiol congeners in inducing allergic reactions, natural lacquer from China having the most inducible strength and slowest recovery compared to those from Korea and Japan.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2009

Active components of lacquer tree referred to as urushiol congeners, which are catechol derivatives with various alkyl or alkenyl substituents. The olefin side chains typically have one, two or three double bonds. In this study, the each congener's ratio analysis of extracts from korean lacquer tree are compared to the one from other asian lacquer tree. Extraction was performed using liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method with soxhlet system from tree's bark and sap. Extracts were analyzed by reverse phase liquid chromatography and on-line electro spray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.935-942
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• 2007

The stem bark of Rhus verniciflua (RVSB) has been used in herbal medicine to treat diabetes mellitus and stomach ailments for thousands of years in Korea, despite its content of the plant allergen, urushiol. A new biological approach for the removal of urushiol from RVSB using mushrooms is described. All mushroom species (11 sp.) employed in this study were able to grow on RVSB, although the growth rate (mm/day) was lower than the control (sawdust). The components of urushiol congeners [C15 triene (m/z 314), C15 diene (m/z 316), C15 monoene (m/z 318), and C15 saturated (m/z 320)] were purified by HPLC and identified by GC-MS. A C15:3 (3-pentadecatrienly catechol) was found to be most abundant in RVSB. Urushiol analogues decreased remarkably from 154.15 to 10.73 mg/100 g (approximately 93%) by Fomitella fraxinea, whereas Trametes vercicolor showed only a 1.46% degradation capacity despite its 2 fold higher growth rate. Similarly, laccase activity was found to be high for F. fraxinea and low for T. vercicolor. Moreover, approximately 98% detoxification was accomplished by F. fraxinea cultivated on RVSB supplemented with 20%(w/w) rice bran. These findings suggest that mushrooms can be used in the detoxification of RVSB.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2015

Fustin comprised >98 and 73.0-86.7% of the total flavonoid content in the bark, and the stems and lignum of Rhus verniciflua, respectively. The butein, fisetin, and sulfuretin content varied between 0.31-2.17, 0.27-3.32, and 0.15-0.80 mg/g on a dry weight basis, respectively, in different parts of Rhus verniciflua. The urushiol content was 5.09-6.29, 55.05-56.30, and 0.38-0.39 mg/100 g on a dry weight basis in the stems, bark, and lignum, respectively. This showed that the bark of the tree had the highest urushiol content. C15:3 (pentadecatrienyl catechol), C15:1 (pentadecenyl catechol), and C15:2 (pentadecadienyl catechol) comprised 63, 33-35, and 2-3% of urushiol congeners in the tree bark, respectively.