• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.93-98
• /
• 2007

Acute toxicity of WK-38, a herbal preparation for the atherosclerosis, was examined using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. WK-38 is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Magonoliae Cortx, Moutan Cortex Radicis. Rats were treated with the WK-38 intragastrically at 0 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg or 2,000 mg/kg and observed for two weeks. No mortality was observed at the doses used. Abnormal clinical signs such as eye bleeding, nasal bleeding and hyperemia had been shown temporary after administration. All rats were appeared to be healthy and normal during the 2 week observation. Also there was no difference in net body weight gain, gross pathological findings, and urine analysis among the groups rats treated with different doses of the WK-38.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.169-176
• /
• 2008

The subcronic toxicity of WK-38, a herbal preparation for the atherosclerosis, was examined in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. WK-38 is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Magonoliae Cortx, Moutan Cortex Radicis. Rats were treated with the test substance at a dose of 5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg intragastrically for 13 weeks. Control rats were treated with vehicle only. No death and abnormal clinical signs were observed throughout the administration period. Also there was no difference in net body weight gain, food and water consumption, organ weight, gross pathological findings, and urine analysis among the groups of rats treated with different doses of the WK-38. Hematological findings and biochemical examination revealed no evidence of specific toxicity related to WK-38. The results suggested that under the condition employed in this study no observation effect level (NOEL) of WK-38 would be 500 mg/kg/day.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.1132-1138
• /
• 2009

Vascular inflammation is an important event in the development of vascular diseases such as tumor progression and atherosclerosis. This study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of WK-38, a new herbal prescription for the treatment of atherosclerosis, on vascular inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). WK-38 is composed of Rhei Rhizoma, Magonoliae Cortex, Moutan Cortez Radicis. Pretreatment with WK-38 was significantly blocked TNF-$\alpha$-induced expression level of cell adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endothelial cell selectin (E-selectin) in a dose-dependent manner. TNF-$\alpha$-induced cell adhesion in co-cultured U937 and HUVEC was also blocked by pretreatment with WK-38. Moreover, WK-38 significantly suppressed p65 NF-${\kappa}B$ translocation into the nucleus by TNF-$\alpha$ as well as the phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. In conclusion, the present data suggested that WK-38 could suppress TNF-$\alpha$-induced vascular inflammatory process, though inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation in HUVEC.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.187-194
• /
• 2009

The kidney toxicities of WK-38 used for improvement of the vascular diseases, was examined using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The male and female rats were divided into 4 groups for intragastrical treatment with doses of 0, 5, 50, and 500 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks, respectively. In all male and female rats treated with WK-38, no mortality and gross pathological findings were shown for 13 weeks. There was substantially no change in body weight in all rats with treatment of WK-38. Urine osmolality as renal functional parameters were not exchanged in all rats treated with WK-38. The renal functional parameters including electrolytes excretory rate, creatinine clearance, and solute-free water reabsorption were significantly augmented on account of increase in urinary volume in female rats treated with WK-38, but not male. In summary, this study demonstrates that WK-38 exhibits no toxicity on kidney in all male and female rats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.193-199
• /
• 2001

Twenty-four new born crossbred (Bos indicus$\times$Bos taurus) calves were distributed in two equal groups and assigned to two different pre-starter diets with (Group 1) and without (Group 2) fish meal to study the effect of replacement of animal protein by vegetable protein in the diet and the age of animals on ruminal metabolic development. All calves were fed colostrum for 24 h and whole milk until weaning at 8 weeks of age. Rumen fluid samples were collected on 4 d, 1 wk, and then weekly interval up to 8 wk of age. Rumen fluid samples were analysed for pH, TVFA, lactic acid and N fractions (total N, total soluble N, trichloro acetic acid (TCA) soluble N, TCA precipitable N and ammonia N). Weekly feed intake and live weight gain pattern showed an increasing trend with the advancement of age, but were similar in both groups. The pH fell steadily during 0-4 wk of age and then stabilized in later period. A close relationship (r=0.80) between starter intake and TVFA concentration was observed in both the groups. Lactic acid (meq/l) and ammonia N (mg/dl) concentration showed initial rise (0.55 and 14.97 on day 4 to 3.38 (7 wk) and 32.85 (4 wk), respectively) to fall (2.74 and 17.60) again during 8 wk of age in response to increase in dry feed consumption (10% initially to 83% of diet dry matter at 8 wk of age). The TCA precipitable fraction of N did not show any change during 0-8 wk of age. Data indicate that the metabolic changes responded rapidly to dry feed intake which did not differ in fish meal and non-fish meal groups, and a poor voluntary consumption of oat hay retards the progressive changes in live weight and rumen microbial development.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.1-4
• /
• 2011

A 35-day trial was conducted to examine the influence of floor density on the behaviour of broiler chickens. Day-old male broilers (n=756) were randomly assigned to one of four stocking densities (6 replicates of n=13, 25, 38 and 50) in 24 identical 2.6 $m^2$ pens. These stocking densities were coded very low (VL), low (L), medium (M) and high (H) and contained a floor space allowance per bird of 2,000 $cm^2$, 1,000 $cm^2$, 667 $cm^2$ and 500 $cm^2$, respectively. Scan sampling of all groups was carried out at 15-min intervals during two 1-h periods (10.00 h~11.00 h and 14.00 h~15.00 h) for five days each week. The numbers of birds engaged in different behavioural activities were recorded. It was found that the most common behaviour in all densities was lying. There was no clear effect of density during wks 1~4 of the trial, but in wk 5 birds in the L, M and H groups showed lower levels (P=0.07) of lying behaviour when compared to birds in the VL group suggesting that an increase in animal density results in decreased opportunities for undisturbed rest. This observation is supported by standing and walking behaviour, which was lower (P<0.05) in the VL group in wk 5. Foraging behaviour measured in the study by the numbers of birds pecking the ground declined as the trial progressed, but scratching increased in 2 wk then decreased. Birds in the VL group showed higher (P<0.05) level of pecking the ground behaviour compared to birds in the L, M and H groups, but scratching behaviour higher (P<0.05) and lower (P<0.05) in VL of 1 wk and 2 wk respectively. However, a peak in aggressive behaviour was observed in wk 2 and birds in the VL group showed less (P<0.05) agonistic behaviour than birds in the H and M groups. Other behaviours (dustbathing, preening, eating or drinking) were not influenced (P>0.05) by stocking density.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.40 no.2
• /
• pp.121-127
• /
• 2013

This work was carried to evaluate production efficiency factor, carcass yield and meat quality with weeks of Large-type Korean native ducks. Korean native ducks (n = 90) from National Institute of Animal Science (RDA, Korea) were used in this work. Ninety ducks were divided into 6 groups (15 birds/group) and were fed with meat-type duck diets for 8 wk old. When ducks grew at specific wk (6, 7 and 8 weeks), 2 ducks per group were slaughtered at 6, 7 and 8 wk old. Production efficiency factor, carcass yield, partial meat and meat quality were researched in this work. There was no significant difference on livability with weeks, but body weight at 7 and 8 wk old was higher than that at 6 wk old (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio at 6, 7 and 8 wk old were 2.25, 2.69 and 3.21, respectively, so there was significant difference with weeks (P<0.05). Production efficiency factor at 6, 7 and 8 wk old were 256.6, 199.8 and 153.0, respectively, so there was significant difference with weeks (P<0.05). Carcass yield at 8 wk old was higher than that at 6 and 7 wk old as 73.5% (P<0.05). Lightness at 6, 7 and 8 wk were 41.8, 39.0 and 38.1, respectively, and that at 6 wk old was the higher than other weeks (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on redness at 6, 7, and 8 wk old (P>0.05) and yellowness at 8 wk old was higher compared to other weeks (P<0.05). Cooking loss was the highest at 6 wk old as 31.6%, but water holding capacity was the highest at 8 wk old (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on shear force among weeks. pH at 6 wk old was the lower than that of other weeks as 5.84. Moisture content significantly decreased with weeks (P<0.05) and fat content at 8 wk was the highest as 1.88% (P<0.05). Protein content significantly increased with weeks until 20.9% at the age of 8 wk (P<0.05). Ash content at 7 and 8 wk old was the higher than that at 6 wk old (P<0.05). There was no significant difference on juiciness, tenderness, and flavor with weeks. Finally, these results may provide that shipping time at 7 wk old preferred to that at 6 and 7 wk old, but further research was needed because of deficiency of data.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.519-524
• /
• 1998

A simple and reliable method to diagnose cucumber green mottle mosaic virus of watermelon in Korea (CGMMV-WK) was determined by RT-PCR, and coat protein gene for CGMMV-WK was cloned. Comparing to a method reported by Lee et al. (1996), the method developed here showed a better RT-PCR reaction. RT-PCR was possible by one step in the PCR reaction mixture that contains 20 pmol of primer, reverse transcriptase (30 unit), RNasin (5 unit) using the crude RNA solution. RT-PCR condition for specifically diagnosing CGMMV-WK was that cDNA was synthesized at 42$^{\circ}C$ for 45 min followed by pre-denaturation at 95$^{\circ}C$ for 2 min, and then PCR reaction was carried out with a programmed condition that consisted of 36 sequential cycles at 96$^{\circ}C$ for 30 sec, 6$0^{\circ}C$ for 30 sec, and 72$^{\circ}C$ for 1 min. A gene encoding the coat protein of CGMMV-WK was cloned and characterized. Nucleotide sequence of coat protein gene of CGMMV-WK shared 98.77% and 99.38% of sequence identity with those of CGMMV-W and CGMMV-SH, respecitvely, however, all of amino acid sequences were same.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.83-89
• /
• 2008

Eighty-four Holstein cows were used to evaluate effects of feeding two diets that differed in dietary cation-anion difference (cationic; +28 or anionic; -138 mEq/kg DM) on prepartum and postpartum dry matter intake (DMI), body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), serum Ca concentrations and on subsequent milk production and composition. Treatments were in a $2{\times}3{\times}2$ factorial arrangement that included prepartum diet, dry period length (30 d dry, 30 d dry+estradiol cypionate (ECP), and 60 d dry), and prepartum and postpartum bST ($POSILAC^{(R)}$ 10.2 mg/d). No interaction of prepartum diet with dry period length or bST supplementation was detected for any measure evaluated either prepartum or postpartum. No significant effects of prepartum diet on prepartum DMI, BW or BCS were observed. Mean DMI during the first 28 d postpartum were similar for cows fed the cationic or anionic diets prepartum (25.5 vs. 26.1 kg/d). During postpartum wk 1 to 14, no differences in mean BW or BCS were detected due to prepartum diet fed but decreases for both groups were observed during the first 6 wk postpartum. No differences due to prepartum diet were observed for mean milk or 3.5% FCM yields or for milk composition during the first 10 wk of lactation. Similarly, mean milk yield of cows during the first 21 wk did not differ significantly due to prepartum diet fed (38.5 vs. 38.6 kg/d). Overall, cows fed the prepartum cationic or anionic diets had similar mean postpartum serum concentrations of Ca (9.34 vs. 9.35 mg/dl). Subsequent milk production, milk composition and concentrations of Ca did not differ. Importantly, the two prepartum diets were equally satisfactory in minimizing incidence of milk fever and in supporting initiation of lactation, irrespective of dry period length and supplemental ECP and bST.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.153-160
• /
• 1997

This study was carried out to estimate the heritability and genetic correlation for body weight, shank length and shank width at various wk of age in growing Korean pheasant. All the measurements were done from one day to 20 wk of age with 4 wk interval. The heritability estimates for body weight were in the range of 0.54~0.59 for male and of 0.49~0.81 for female from 4 to 20 wk of age. The heritability estimates of male and female were in the range of 0.38~0. 82 and 0.41~0.67 for shank length, and of 0.48~0.88 and 0.49~0.71 for shank width, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlation coefficients between the measurements at different ages in each trait of body weight, shank length and shank width were medium to high positive values. Because the estimates of heritabilities and genetic correlations were high, the genetic gain for body weight is expected by either a direct selection or an early selection based on the record of early growing stage.