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Japanese Yam
''Dioscorea japonica'', known as East Asian mountain yam, yamaimo, or Japanese mountain yam, is a type of yam (''Dioscorea'') native to Japan (including Ryukyu and Bonin Islands), Korea, China, Taiwan, and Assam. ''Dioscorea japonica'' is used for food. ''Jinenjo'', also called the wild yam, is a related variety of Japanese yam that is used as an ingredient in ''soba'' noodles. Names In Japanese, it is known as . is another kind of ''Dioscorea japonica'', which is native to fields and mountains in Japan. In Chinese, ''Dioscorea japonica'' is known as ''yě shānyào'' () which translates to English as "wild Chinese yam" or simply "wild yam". Another name is ''Rìběn shǔyù'' (; literally "Japanese yam"). In Korean, it is known as ''cham ma'' (), as well as ''dang ma'' (). Chemistry ''Dioscorea japonica'' contains the antimutagenic compounds eudesmol and paeonol Paeonol is a phenolic compound found in peonies such as '' Paeonia suffruticosa'' (moutan corte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Peter Thunberg
Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Swedish naturalist and an "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus. After studying under Linnaeus at Uppsala University, he spent seven years travelling in southern Africa and Asia, collecting and describing many plants and animals new to European science, and observing local cultures. He has been called "the father of South African botany", "pioneer of Occidental Medicine in Japan", and the "Japanese Linnaeus". Early life Thunberg was born and grew up in Jönköping, Sweden. At the age of 18, he entered Uppsala University where he was taught by Carl Linnaeus, regarded as the "father of modern taxonomy". Thunberg graduated in 1767 after 6 years of studying. To deepen his knowledge in botany, medicine and natural history, he was encouraged by Linnaeus in 1770 to travel to Paris and Amsterdam. In Amsterdam and Leiden Thunberg met the Dutch botanist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soba
Soba ( or , "buckwheat") is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. The noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or hot in a noodle soup. The variety ''Nagano soba'' includes wheat flour. In Japan, soba noodles can be found in a variety of settings, from "fast food" places to expensive specialty restaurants. Markets sell dried noodles and '' men-tsuyu'', or instant noodle broth, to make home preparation easy. A wide variety of dishes, both hot for winter and cold for summer, uses these noodles. The amino acid balance of the protein in buckwheat, and therefore in soba, is well matched to the needs of humans and can complement the amino acid deficiencies of other staples such as rice and wheat (see protein combining). The tradition of eating soba arose in the Edo period. History of soba in Japan, development of eateries The tradition of eating soba originates from the Tokugawa period, also called the Edo period, from 1603 to 1868. In the Tokugawa period, eve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flora Of Eastern Asia
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. Etymology The word "flora" comes from the Latin name of Flora, the goddess of plants, flowers, and fertility in Roman mythology. The technical term "flora" is then derived from a metonymy of this goddess at the end of the sixteenth century. It was first used in poetry to denote the natural vegetation of an area, but soon also assumed the meaning of a work cataloguing such vegetation. Moreover, "Flora" was used to refer to the flowers of an artificial garden in the seventeenth century. The distinction between vegetation (the general appearance of a community) and flora (the taxonomic composition of a community) was first made by Jules Thurmann (1849). Prior to this, the two terms were used indiscriminately.Thurmann, J. (1849). ''Essai de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flora Of China
The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes.Wu, Z. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, eds. 2006. Flora of China. Vol. 22 (Poaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis More than 30,000 plant species are native to China, representing nearly one-eighth of the world's total plant species, including thousands found nowhere else on Earth. China's land, extending over 9.6 million km, contains a variety of ecosystems and climates for plants to grow in. Some of the main climates include shores, tropical and subtropical forests, deserts, elevated plateaus and mountains. The events of the continental drift and early Paleozoic Caledonian movement also play a part in creating climatic and geographical diversity resulting in high levels of endemic vascular flora. These landscapes provide different ecosystems and climates for plants to grow in, creati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Root Vegetables
Root vegetables are underground plant parts eaten by humans as food. Although botany distinguishes true roots (such as taproots and tuberous roots) from non-roots (such as bulbs, corms, rhizomes, and tubers, although some contain both hypocotyl and taproot tissue), the term "root vegetable" is applied to all these types in agricultural and culinary usage (see terminology of vegetables). Potatoes are technically tubers, not roots, and sweet potatoes are tuberous roots. Root vegetables are generally storage organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of carbohydrates. They differ in the concentration and the balance among starches, sugars, and other types of carbohydrate. Of particular economic importance are those with a high carbohydrate concentration in the form of starch; starchy root vegetables are important staple foods, particularly in tropical regions, overshadowing cereals throughout much of Central Africa, West Africa and Oceania, where they are used directly or mashed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paeonol
Paeonol is a phenolic compound found in peonies such as '' Paeonia suffruticosa'' (moutan cortex), in '' Arisaema erubescens'', and in '' Dioscorea japonica''. It is a chemical compound found in some traditional Chinese medicines. Biological effects A number of biological effects of paeonol '' in vitro'' or in animal models have been observed. Paeonol increases levels of cortical cytochrome oxidase and vascular actin and improves behavior in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Paeonol also reduced cerebral infarction involving the superoxide anion and microglia activation in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats. Paeonol shows antimutagenic activities. It also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It ... effects in carrageenan-evoked ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antimutagenic
Antimutagens are the agents that interfere with the mutagenicity of a substance. The interference can be in the form of prevention of the transformation of a promutagenic compound into actual active mutagen, inactivation, or otherwise the prevention of Mutagen- DNA reaction. Antimutagens can be classified into: Desmutagens, that inactivate the chemical interactions before the mutagen attacks the genes and Bio-antimutagens, that stop the mutation process once after the genes are damaged by mutagens. There are a number of naturally occurring anti-mutagens that show their efficient action. Examples of antimutagens Micronutrients Nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are examples of micronutrients that are necessary for the proper maintenance of metabolism homeostasis in humans and other species. Micronutrients are also pointed to perform a role in genome stability acting as potential antimutagenic agents (see the examples below): * Carotenoids: Induction of single break DNA repa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Yam
''Dioscorea polystachya'' or Chinese yam ( zh, s=山药, t=山藥), also called cinnamon-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family. It is sometimes called Chinese potato or by its Korean name ''ma''. It is a perennial climbing vine, native to East Asia. The edible tubers are cultivated largely in Asia and sometimes used in alternative medicine. This species of yam is unique as the tubers can be eaten raw. Range This plant grows throughout East Asia. It is believed to have been introduced to Japan in the 17th century or earlier. Introduced to the United States as early as the 19th century for culinary and cultural uses, it is now considered an invasive plant species. The plant was introduced to Europe in the 19th century during the European Potato Failure, where cultivation continues to this day for the Asian food market. Taxonomy The botanical names ''Dioscorea opposita'' and '' Dioscorea oppositifolia'' have been consistently misapplied to Chinese yam. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a wide strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro are the official languages of Assam, while Bengali is an additional official language in the Barak Valley. Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam silk. The state was the first site for oil drilling in Asia. Assam is home to the one-horned Indian rhinoceros, along with the wild water buffalo, pygmy hog, tiger and various species of Asiatic birds, and provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. The Assamese economy is aided by wildlife tourism to Kaziranga National Park and Manas National Park, which are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Korea National Arboretum
Korea National Arboretum () is an over-500-year-old arboretum located in Pocheon city of Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. It is widely known as "Gwangneung Forest ()" by the public. It is designated as UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, World Network of Biosphere Reserve and the country's 11th Natural monuments of South Korea, natural monument. Its history can be traced back to Joseon Dynasty. The planting of large forests started during the reign of Sejo of Joseon. He and Queen Jeonghui designated the area for a tomb which later named ''Gwangneung.'' Their tomb is one of Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the construction of the tomb, it and its surrounding areas were designated as royal forest and kept under strict protection which lasted throughout post-Joseon history. The area was devastated during the Korean war. From 1983 to 1987, the central government went under project to develop the area as an arboretum with a forest museum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
