• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.360-367
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• 2014

Candida albicans is an opportunistic and the most prevalent fungal pathogen that can cause superficial and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. C. albicans can promote the transition from budding yeast to filamentous form, generating biofilms. Infections associated with C. albicans biofilms are frequently resistant to conventional antifungal therapy. Therefore, the development of more effective antifungal drugs related with biofilm formation is required urgently. The roots of Rheum undulatum have been used for medicinal purposes in Korea and China traditionally. The aim of present study was to evaluate the effect of R. undulatum extract upon preformed biofilms of 12 clinical C. albicans isolates and the antifungal activities. Its effect on preformed biofilms was evaluated using XTT reduction assay, and metabolic activity of all tested strains was reduced significantly ($49.4{\pm}6.0%$) at 0.098 mg/ml R. undulatum. The R. undulatum extract blocked the adhesion of C. albicans biofilms to polystyrene surfaces, and damaged the cell membrane integrity of C. albicans which was analyzed by CFDA, AM, and propidium iodide double staining. It caused cell lysis which was observed by Confocal laser scanning and phase contrast microscope after propidium iodide and neutral red staining, respectively. Membrane permeability was changed as evidenced by crystal violet uptake. The data suggest that R. undulatum inhibits biofilm formation by C. albicans, which can be associated with the damage of the cell membrane integrity, the changes in the membrane permeability and the cell lysis of C. albicans.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.421-425
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• 1998

The antifungal activity of polygodial, which was isolated from Polygonum hydropiper used as a hot spice in Japan, was investigated through measuring its MICs and against food-contaminants including 4 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 3 strains of Zygosaccharomyces species, and 5 strains of Aspergillus species. All yeast-like fungi exhibited strong antifungal susceptivilities with MICs and MFCs below 3.13${\mu}g$/ml. Strains of Aspergillu species showed moderate with MIC of 25-50${\mu}g$/ml and MFC of 50-100${\mu}g$/ml. However these strains to sorbic acid, as already known, revealed very weak with MICs of 200-800${\mu}g$/ml and MFCs above 1600${\mu}g$/ml. In addition, effects of various pHs and temperatures on the antifungal activity of polygodial were tested against S. cerevisiae. At $4^{\circ}C$, the fungicidal activity of polygodial gradually increased with incubation time and reached the maximum(MFC of 3. 13${\mu}g$/ml) in 5 hours. At temperatures in the range of 30-$45^{\circ}C$, the activity of polygodial increased in proportion to temperature rise and in particular at $45^{\circ}C$ was possible with the concentration of 0.1${\mu}g$/ml. mOn the other hand, medium pH was also identified to affect the antifungal activity of polygodial. Namely, compared to neutral (pH7), acidic(pH 3) and basic(pH 9) medium synergized its activity (MIC and MFC) to 8- and 2- fold, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.374-379
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• 2020

The white-spotted flower chafer (Protaetia brevitarsis) larva is one of the insects widely-used for edible and medicinal purposes in Eastern Asia. As a result of increasing demand for P. brevitarsis, massrearing systems in domestic farms have become necessary. However, the mass-rearing of larvae under confined rearing conditions could provide conditions unsuitable for preventing entomopathogenic diseases. Metarhizium anisopliae is the strongest fatal entomopathogenic fungus against P. brevitarsis. For inhibition of M. anisopliae, we used a Rhus verniciflua Stokes extract that has antifungal components. We investigated the inhibitory effect of the R. verniciflua extract at 1%, 5%, and 10% concentrations. The results showed that a 1% R. verniciflua extract added to sawdust produced a significantly low P. brevitarsis mortality rate. Moreover, extract-treated groups were heavier and had a shorter larval period than those of the untreated group. Consequently, we suggest that using an R. verniciflua extract can reduce the P. brevitarsis fatality rate from entomopathogenic fungi (e.g. M. anisopliae), resulting in more effective mass-rearing systems for P. brevitarsis.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.33
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• pp.5-17
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• 2012

An Ola leaf manuscript, which consists of words carved on an Ola leaf and is filled up with a mixture of herbal oils made from Vateria acuminata Hyne and charcoal, is one of the native writing media in Sri Lanka. According to historical records, Ola leaf manuscripts had been used from the 1st to the 18th century A.D. From the recent findings that Ola leaf manuscripts have been preserved well for the past 400 years and are in good state of preservation, it is supposed that herbal oils preserve Ola leaves against environmental and biological factors such as fungi and insects. To evaluate the anti-biological susceptibility of the herbal oils, the molds isolated from wooden printing blocks in Janggyeong Panjeon of Haeinsa Temple in South Korea and bacteria and fungi isolated from Ola leaves were cultured. After spreading the microorganisms suspension on an agar plate, a disk paper containing a certain volume of herbal oil was placed on the agar plate. It was found in the experiment that herbal oil exhibits a clear zone, which is optically clear and inhibits the growth of microorganisms, against some molds and bacteria. The study results indicate that the herbal oil from the plant Vateria acuminata Hyne has the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.259-268
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• 1992

Fifty-three actinomycetes antagonistic to Phytophthora capsici and Magnaporthe grisea were isolated from rhizosphere soils in six pepper-growing areas and ashore soils. Thirty-two antagonistic actinomycetes, showing inhibition zone larger than 5 mm, were classified into 20 groups according to their colony morphology and color. The antagonistic activity against P. capsici greatly varied, which showed inhibition zone sizes in the ranges from 5.7 to 17.5 mm on V-8 juice agar and from 2.5 to 17 mm on tryptic soy agar. The antagonistic activity of some actinomycetes tested was remarkably different between the two test media. The antagonists showed a relatively broad antifungal spectrum, but their antibacterial activity was negligible, except for Pseudomonas solanacearum. Butanol extracts of culture filtrates from antagonistic actinomycetes inhibited mycelial growth of P. capsici and M. grisea, thereby confirming strongly antibiotic production in culture. Culture filtrates of some antagonistic actinomycetes completely inhibited Phytophthora blight in pepper plants.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.3
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• pp.297-304
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• 2018

Coptis chinensis is used in oriental medicine for soothing, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial and antipyretic properties, and its main ingredient berberine is known to have strong antibacterial activity. In this study, we investigated the anti-microbial effect of hot water extract of Coptis chinensis (CW) on skin related microorganism and the airborne microbe, the antifungal effects of fungi, which are frequently detected in residential environments. CW showed antibacterial effect against Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, against the airborne microbe, which was collected in four different places. At the concentration of 100 mg/mL, the antimicrobial activity continued for 42 days, showed heat stability without change in the antimicrobial activity even after heat treatment. The MIC and MBC of CW against S. aureus was 0.03, 0.05 mg/mL, against S. epidermidis was 0.50, 0.75 mg/mL and against P. acne was 0.10, 0.15 mg/mL. As a result of measuring the MIC of four kinds of fungi with high detection frequency in the surrounding environment, Gliocladium virens was 65 mg/mL by determined as MIC which can inhibit one hundred percent of mycelial growth. The concentration 90 mg/mL was determined as MIC against Aureobasidium pullulans and 100 mg/mL against Penicilium pinophilum and Chaetomium globosum. CW was considered a safe extract that showed no irritation even in the ocular mucous membrane irritation evaluation test, a patch test. Therefore, these results suggest that Coptis chinensis has antimicrobial, antifungal and safety on human body and can be applied to the development of materials for cosmetic and residential environment industries.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.1 s.36
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• pp.22-27
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• 2007

Pacquer traditionally has been used to varnish. Many reports have revealed that lacquer has durability and antimicrobial activities. Therefore, we expect that lacquer will be used as a good antifouling agent to solve the environmental problem. Here we chemically synthesized urushiol, a major component in lacquer and two urushiol derivatives, urusiol regioisomer and cardanol. We also analyzed the antimicrobial activities of these molecules to examine the inhibitory effect on the formation of the biofilms. Our results showed that synthesized urushiol and its derivatives have strong antifungal activities. Urushiol also exhibited inhibitory effect on the growth of gram positive bacteria specifically. However urushiol derivatives have low antibacterial activities.

• Weed & Turfgrass Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.70-75
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• 2013

Seven medicinal plant extracts were tested for antifungal activities against six species of the major turfgrass pathogenic fungi (Colletotrichum graminicola, Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia cerealis, Rhizoctonia solani AG1-1, Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2, and Sclerotinia homoeocarpa) using paper disk diffusion method. Three medicinal plant extracts, including Pinus densiflora showed antifungal activities. In suppression of mycelium growth test, on medium adding P. densiflora extract showed that inhibition rate of mycelium growth were above 80% in 10 mg/10 ml concentration of the extract. The inhibition rate of Pythium spp. was 100% and C. graminicola was 84.3% in 10 mg/10 ml concentrations of P. densiflora extract, respectively. In particularly, the inhibition rate of Pythium spp. was 89.5% in 2 mg/10 ml concentrations of P. densiflora extract. As a result, P. densiflora extract showed high antifungal activity to Pythium spp. and C. graminicola of the turfgrass pathogen in in vitro test.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2017

Fusarium head bight (FHB) is a devastating disease on major cereal crops worldwide which causes primarily by Fusarium graminearum. Synthetic fungicides are generally used in conventional agriculture to control FHB. Their prolonged usage has led to environmental issues and human health problems. This has prompted interest in developing environmentally friendly biofungicides, including botanical fungicides. In this study, a total 100 plant extracts were tested for antifungal activity against F. graminearum. The crude extract of Pterocarpus santalinus heartwood showed the strongest antifungal activity and contained two antifungal metabolites which were identified as ${\alpha}$-cedrol and widdrol by GC-MS analysis. ${\alpha}$-Cedrol and widdrol isolated from P. santalinus heartwood extract had 31.25 mg/l and 125 mg/l of minimal inhibitory concentration against the spore germination of F. graminearum, and also showed broad spectrum antifungal activities against various plant pathogens. In addition, the wettable powder type formulation of heartwood extract of P. santalinus decreased FHB incidence in dose-dependent manner and suppressed the development of FHB with control values of 87.2% at 250-fold dilution, similar to that of chemical fungicide (92.6% at 2,000-fold dilution). This study suggests that the heartwood extract of P. santalinus could be used as an effective biofungicide for the control of FHB.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.535-542
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• 2018

The current study investigated the beneficial effects of 15 essential oils isolated from tree branches, leaves, and flowers. Among these oils, clove bud and Illicium anisatum oils showed the most potent anti-oxidant effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'azinbis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activities. Next, we evaluated the antibacterial effects of 15 essential oils on Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium, and Streptococcus mutans. Clove bud significantly decreased growth of 5 bacterial strains. In addition, clove bud, Magnolia kobus, Picea abies and Chamaecyparis obtuse significantly reduced growth of the fungi, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus ochraceus, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum. Additionally, clove bud also remarkably reduced the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible NO synthase in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 cells. These results indicate that essential oils isolated from trees, which exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, may be potentially useful in the development of cosmetic ingredients.