• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.40-46
• /
• 2006

Galactose joined to glucose by a $\beta(1\rightarrow4)$ glycosidic bond makes lactose and this disaccharide is rich in milk. It is known that lacotse is hydrolyzed to each monomeric sugar by either lactase in human or $\beta-galactosidase$ in bacteria. Ingestion of milk by lactase-deficient persons causes a temporary diarrhea and subsequent chronic diarrhea results in colitis with chronic inflammation. We isolated a $\beta-galactosidase$ producing psycrotolerant strain AS-20 from near cattle shed and investigated the growth at various temperature conditions. Whereas Escherichia coli strains did not grow at $10^{\circ}C$, the AS-20 strain could grow well at this low temperature and showed optimal growth at $30^{\circ}C$. The isolated strain was identified as 97% Hafnia alvei by biochemical properties. This strain could ferment glucose, lacotse, maltose, mannitol, xylose, ONPG, rhamanose and L-arabinose, and decarboxylate lysin and ornithine. To confirm the identity of isolated strain we amplified 16S rDNA by PCR and searched similarity of the 1426 bp DNA sequcence with Genbank database. The strain AS-20 showed 99% similarity with Hafnia alvei. The activity of $\beta-galactosidase$ was 1.5 times higher when the cell was grown at 10 or $20^{\circ}C$ than at $30^{\circ}C$. The highest enzyme activity of AS-20 was also much higher than that of E. coli, which was grown at $30^{\circ}C$.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2001

This study was carried out to examine the recovery of forest ecosystem by changes of soil chemical properties and soil microorganism at the burned areas of coniferous (Mt. Chocdae) and broad leaved forest (Samsinbong in Mt. Chiri). In the soil chemical properties of the burned area of Samsinbong, pH was 5.8, and contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available P₂O/sub 5/, exchangeable K/sup ＋/, exchangeable Ca/sup ＋＋/ and exchangeable Mg/sup ＋＋/ were 7.42%, 0.73%, 28.5 ㎎/㎏, 1.3 me/100g, 13.3 me/100g and 2.2 me/100g, respectively. But they showed a tendency to decrease with time. In the soil chemical properties of the burned area of Mt. Chocdae, pH was 5.3, and contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, available P2O5, exchangeable K/sup ＋/, exchangeabe Ca/sup ＋＋/ and Exchangeable Mg/sup ＋＋/ were 6.42%, 0.25%, 24.4 ㎎/㎏, 0.7 me/100g, 3.7 me/100g and 2.1 me/100g, respectively, and they also showed a tendency to decrease with time. In contrast, they were not changed with time at the unburned areas. At the burned area of Samsinbong, soil microorganism showed to order of fungi (69×10⁴ CFU), actinomycetes (523×10⁴ CFU) and aerobic bacteria (291×10⁴ CFU), and at the unburned area, showed to order of actinomycetes (745×10⁴ CFU), fungi (594×10⁴ CFUU), and aerobic bacteria (160×10/sup 4/ CFU). At the burned area of Mt. Chocdae, soil microorganism showed to order of fungi (676×10⁴ CFU), actinomycetes (434×10⁴ CFU) and aerobic bacteria (350×10⁴ CFU), and at the unburned area, showed to order of fungi (461 ×10⁴ CFU), aerobic bacteria (328×10⁴ CFU) and actinomycetes (319×10⁴ CFU). Soil microorganisms of the aerobic bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi appeared at the burned areas were much more abundant than unburned areas. The aerobic bacteria appeared at the coniferous forest were also much more than the broad-leaved forest. The actinomycetes and fungi appeared at the broad-leaved forest were much more abundant than the coniferous forest.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.30 no.10
• /
• pp.886-895
• /
• 2020

The development of novel peptide antibiotics with potent antimicrobial activity and anti-inflammatory activity is urgently needed. In a previous work, we performed an in-silico analysis of the Papilio xuthus transcriptome to identify putative antimicrobial peptides and identified several candidates. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of papiliocin 3, which was selected bioinformatically based on its physicochemical properties against bacteria and mouse macrophage Raw264.7 cells. Papiliocin 3 showed antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus without inducing hemolysis and decreased the nitric oxide production of the lipopolysaccharide-induced Raw264.7 cells. Moreover, ELISA and Western blot analysis revealed that papiliocin 3 reduced the expression levels of pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂). In addition, we examined whether papiliocin 3 could inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β) in LPS-induced Raw264.7 cells. We found that papiliocin 3 markedly reduced the expression level of cytokines through the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. We also confirmed that papiliocin 3 binds to bacterial cell membranes via a specific interaction with lipopolysaccharides. Collectively, these findings suggest that papiliocin 3 could be a promising molecule for development as a novel peptide antibiotic.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.470-478
• /
• 2005

The objective of present study was to investigate the hepatoprotective and antioxidative effects of onion extracts. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were incubated with 1.5 mM tort-butyl hydroperoxide(t-BHP), potent oxidizing agent to liver, for 1 hr in the presence or absence of various concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 or 0.3 mg/ml) of onion extract. Incubation with t-BHP increased glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) acitivities and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) concentration but decreased 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide(MTT) reduction. Onion extracts at the concentration of 0.05 mg/ml decreased t-BHP-induced GOT and LDH activities. Onion extract at the concentration of 0.1 mg/ml increased t-BHP-induced MTT reduction. Onion extract at the concentration of 0.01 mg/ml decreased t-BHP-induced TBARS concentration. Taken together, onion extracts prevented t-BHP-induced hepatocyte injury and lipid peroxidation. Catalase, glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) and glutathione reductase(GSH-Rd) activities of hepatocytes were significantly decreased by t-BHP. Onion extracts at the concentration of 0.1 mg/ml prevented t-BHP-induced decrease in catalase, GSH-Px and GSH-Rd activities. Onion extracts prevented hydroxyl radical-induced single-strand breakage in dose-dependent manner when plasmid DNA was incubated with various concentrations of onion extracts in the presence of Fenton reagents producing hydroxyl radical. These results demonstrate that onion extracts suppressed t-BHP-induced cytoctoxicity, decreased viability and lipid peroxidation and increased GSH-Px, GSH-Rd and catalase activities. Thus hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of onion extract seem to be due to, at least in part, the increase in antioxidant enzyme activities as well as prevention from hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation, followed by inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.143-150
• /
• 1993

To gain the basic informations on soil management practices by determination of the differences of soil genetic characteristics and the contents of soil moisture due to slope aspects of hilly land, this study was conducted at 1992 on sweet persimmon orchard soils derived from porphyry in southern of Korea. The results obtained were summarized as follows. The soils studied were belong to fine loamy family. The degree of soil development was greater in the north than other slope aspects and the solum thickness also the same. The soil chemical properties such as pH and exchangeable cations except for potassium were low generally in the orchards studied but the content of organic matter was lack in the summit and south aspect. The contents of Fe oxide and extractable Al were higher in the subsurface than surface. Fe, Al and clay indexes which indicate relative intensity of B horizon development were higher in the side slope than summit and the highest in the north slope. The rate of solum to B horizon was higher as about 1.5 for summit and west aspect which had thiner B horizon thickness compared to other aspect. North and west aspect had certainly more amount of soil water at drought season than other slope aspects and was lower the difference of soil water between the drought and wet seasons. Therfore, the soil management such as erosion control and irrigation at drought season should be practices differently due to slope aspect and soil chararteristics in the sloped land.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.197-210
• /
• 2012

Hematite has been known to be the most stable form of various iron (oxyhydr)oxides in the surface environments. In this study, its properties as an adsorbent were examined and also adsorption of arsenic onto hematite was characterized as well. The specific surface area of hematite synthesized in our laboratory appeared to be $31.8g\;m^2/g$ and its point of zero salt effect, (PZSE) determined by potentiometric titration was observed 8.5. These features of hematite may contribute to high capacity of arsenic adsorption. From several adsorption experiments undertaken at the identical solution concentrations over pH 2~12, the adsorption of As(III) (arsenite) was greater than that of As(V) (arsenate). As of pH-dependent adsorption patterns, in addition, arsenite adsorption gradually increased until pH 9.2 and then sharply decreased with pH, whereas adsorption of arsenate was greatest at pH 2.0 and steadily decreased with the increasing pH from 2 to 12. The characteristics of these pH-dependent adsorption patterns might be caused by combined effects of the variation in the chemical speciation of arsenic and the surface charge of hematite. The experimental results on adsorption kinetics show that adsorption of both arsenic species onto hematite approached equilibrium within 20 h. Additionally, the pseudo-second-order model was evaluated to be the best fit for the adsorption kinetics of arsenic onto hematite, regardless of arsenic species, and the rate constant of As(V) adsorption was investigated to be larger than that of As(III).

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.123-136
• /
• 2010

In order to remediate heavy metal contaminated Nong island, Maehyang-ri shooting range soils through the batch reactor scale washing were evaluated. The experiment texture soil of N3 in the Nong island at north side incline was (g)mS containing 12.9% gravel, 47.0% sand, 35.1% silt and 5.0% clay. And the N3 soil area was contaminated with Cd($22.5\pm1.9$ ppm), Cu($35.5\pm4.0$ ppm), Pb($1,279.0\pm5.1$ ppm) and Zn($403.4\pm9.8$ ppm). The EDTA(ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, $C_{10}H_{16}N_2O_8$) in the N3 soil was observed as most effective extractants among the 5 extractants(citric acid, EDTA, phosphoric acid, potassium phosphate and oxalic acid) tested. And chemical partitioning of heavy metals after washing N3 soil with EDTA was evaluated. Removal efficiency of residual fractions was higher than that of non-residual fractions. To choose EDTA extractant which is the most effective in soil washing technology using batch reactor process cleaning Pb and Zn contaminated sits; Pb and Zn removal rates were investigated 92.4%, 94.0% removal(1,000 mM, soil:solution=5, $20^{\circ}C$, 24 hour shaking, pH=2, 200 RPM), respectively. The results of the batch test showed that the removal efficiency curve was logarithmic in soil was removal. Thus, EDTA washing process can be applied to remediate the Pb and Zn contaminated soil used in this study.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 1985

To clarify the soil characteristics and genesis of the clayey terrace soils distributed in Yeongcheon (inland region) and Yeongil (coastal region), 9 typifying pedons including a recent local deposits were studied. The physico-chemical properties found were summarized as follows; 1. The contents of available water of the terrace soils were ranged from 12.0 to 20.3%. They were increased with increaseing clay content up to 35%, and then decreased at clay content of 35 to 55%, but were maintained about 12 to 13% when the clay content exceeds 55%. 2. The amount of water stable aggregates in the surface soils were ranged from 55.0 to 81.1%, and were low in cultivated upland where water erosion were accelerated while high in the paddy where the double cropping were practiced. The index of aggregate in cultivated upland were higher in the surface soils but the paddy soils were higher in subsoils. 3. The colloidal reactions checked by the differences between pH in $0.01N-Na_2SO_4$ and $H_2O$ indicate exchangeable acidity to exchangeable neutrality, which means a sort of Red-yellow soil forming process had been prevailed during genesis of the terrace soils. 4. Cation exchange capacity of the clayey terrace soils were averaged about 15.8-20.2me/100g of fine earth and 35.6-52.6me/100g of clay. The rates of base saturation were 32.7 to 57.6% and the rates decreased with increasing the elevations of terraces. 5. The activities of free iron oxides were 0.061 to 0.739 and the values decreased with increasing elevation while the crystallinity index of iron oxides positively correlated with elevations the values ranged from 0.067 to 0.537.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.325-337
• /
• 2002

We examined the contamination of stream water and stream sediments by heavy metal elements with respect to distance from the abandoned Backun Au-Ag-Cu mine. High contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Fe) and aluminum in the waters connected with mining and associated deposits (dumps, tailings) reduce water quality. In the mining area, Ca and SO$_4$ are predominant cation and anion. The mining water is Ca-SO$_4$ type and is enriched in heavy metals resulted from the weathering of sulfide minerals. This mine drainage water is weakly acid or neutral (pH; 6.5-7.1) because of neutralizing effect by other alkali and alkaline earth elements. The effluent from the mine adit is also weakly acid or neutral, and contains elevated concentrations of most elements due to reactions with ore and gangue minerals in the deposit. The concentration of ions in the Backun mining water is high in the mine adit drainage water and steeply decreased award to down stream. Buffering process can be reasonably considered as a partial natural control of pollution, since the ion concentration becomes lower and the pH value becomes neutralized. In order to evaluate mobility and bioavailability of metals, sequential extraction was used for stream sediments into five operationally defined groups: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to FeMn oxide, bound to organic matter, and residual. The residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Cu(2l-92%), Zn(28-89%) and Pb(23-94%). Almost sediments are low concentrated with Cd(2.7-52.8 mg/kg) than any other elements. But Cd dominate with non stable fraction (68-97%). Upper stream sediments are contaminated with Pb, and down area sediments are enriched with Zn. It is indicate high mobility of Zn and Cd.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.43 no.1
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 2010

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned mine sites typically has low pH and contains high level of various heavy metals, aggravating ground- and surface water qualities and neighboring environments. This study investigated removal of heavy metals in a biological treatment system, mainly focusing on the removal by adsorption on a substrate material. Bench-scale batch experiments were performed with a mushroom compost to evaluate the adsorption characteristics of heavy metals leached out from a mine tailing sample and the role of SRB in the overall removal process. In addition, adsorption experiments were perform using an artificial AMD sample containing $Cd^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Pb^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ to assess adsorption capacity of the mushroom compost. The results indicated Mn leached out from mine tailing was not subject to microbial stabilization or adsorption onto mushroom compost while microbially mediated stabilization played an important role in the removal of Zn. Fe leaching significantly increased in the presence of microbes as compared to autoclaved samples, and this was attributed to dissolution of Fe minerals in the mine tailing in a response to the depletion of $Fe^{3+}$ by iron reduction bacteria. Measurement of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and pH indicated the reactive mixture maintained reducing condition and moderate pH during the reaction. The results of the adsorption experiments involving artificial AMD sample indicated adsorption removal efficiency was greater than 90% at pH 6 condition, but it decreased at pH 3 condition.