• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.45-51
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• 2013

Objectives : This study was conducted to measure the antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of water- and ethanol-extracts from Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Punica granatum and Rhus javanica against various species of anaerobic bacteria. Methods : In order to evaluate the antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of water- and ethanol-extracts, DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities were measured in various species such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans and Propionibacterium acnes that induce skin inflammation. Also the total amount of phenol in each water- and ethanol-extract was measured to identify its role in the antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of water- and ethanol-extracts from Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Punica granatum and Rhus javanica. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was measured by confirming the lowest concentrations in disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. Results : It was observed that RJE (Rhus javanica-EtOH extracts) show the highest content of total phenol. In addition, for RJE the total phenol content was higher from samples taken from domestic sources than from samples taken from foreign sources. DPPH radical scavenging activity was increased by treatment with PGE (Punica granatum-EtOH extracts), RJE and RJW (Rhus javanica-water extracts). It was observed that SOD-like activity was highest in the treatment with PGE. All of the extracts showed antimicrobial activity on S. epidermidis, S. aureus, P. acnes and E. coli, including those from Punica granatum, and it was noted that the activity was higher with RJE than with RJW. Conclusions : These results provide evidence that ethanol extracts of Punica granatum and Rhus javanica may have a beneficial role as antioxidants and antibiotics. Extracts from domestic samples of Betula platyphylla var japonica appeared to have a greater efficacy than extracts from foreign samples.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of sodium hypochlorite in eliminating Escherichia coli strains from leafy green and stem vegetables, which are frequently sold at community service centers. A cocktail of non-pathogenic E. coli and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (E. coli O157:H7) was used to artificially contaminate the vegetables (initial numbers of bacteria 7-8 log CFU/g). The contaminated vegetables were soaked in sodium hypochlorite for 5 min and then washed three times with running water. After the treatment, number of viable bacterial cells on the vegetables was estimated. Sodium hypochlorite treatment reduced the E. coli population by 1-2 log CFU/g on leafy green and stem vegetables, a significant reduction from the initial number. Further, sodium hypochlorite showed better antimicrobial efficacy for leaves with a larger surface area, less roughness, and softness. There was no significant difference in the antimicrobial effect between 100 and 200 mg/kg of sodium hypochlorite. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase sodium hypochlorite concentration than the level suggested in the school meal hygiene management guidelines. However, sodium hypochlorite treatment is not sufficient to achieve a safe level of microorganisms on leafy green and stem vegetables since they generally have a high abundance of microorganisms on their surface. Thus, an alternative cooking method for fresh leafy green and stem vegetables in summer should be developed to ensure they are safe for consumption.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.593-605
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• 2018

The present study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of sapota powder (SP) as natural preservatives and its better utilization in food processing with the incorporation of various levels of SP (2, 4, and 6%) by replacing lean meat. Based on the sensory attributes, pork patties with 4% incorporation of SP was found optimum and selected for further storage studies with control under aerobic and modified atmosphere packaging at refrigeration temperature ($4{\pm}1^{\circ}C$) for 42 days for assessing its antioxidant and antimicrobial efficiency. During entire storage period, indicators of lipid oxidative parameters such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), free fatty acids (FFA) and peroxide value (PV) followed an increasing trend for control as well as treated products; however, treated product showed a significantly (p<0.05) lower value than control. A significantly lower (p<0.05) microbial count in treated patties than control was noted during entire storage. The sensory attributes are better retained in treated product as compared to control and even on $42^{nd}$ day, overall acceptability of treated patties was found to fall in moderately acceptable category (5.95 in aerobic packets and 5.91 in modified atmosphere packets). Therefore SP has potential to enhance antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of pork patties during storage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.171-177
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• 2019

Parasitic infections have remained a significant burden on human and animal health. In part, this is due to lack of clinically-approved, novel antimicrobials and a lack of interest by the pharmaceutical industry. An alternative approach is to modify existing clinically-approved drugs for efficient delivery formulations to ensure minimum inhibitory concentration is achieved at the target site. Nanotechnology offers the potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs through modification of nanoparticles with ligands. Amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole are clinically available drugs in the treatment of amoebal and fungal infections. These drugs were conjugated with gold nanoparticles. To characterize these gold-conjugated drug, atomic force microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed. These drugs and their gold nanoconjugates were examined for antimicrobial activity against the protist pathogen, Acanthamoeba castellanii of the T4 genotype. Moreover, host cell cytotoxicity assays were accomplished. Cytotoxicity of these drugs and drug-conjugated gold nanoparticles was also determined by lactate dehydrogenase assay. Gold nanoparticles conjugation resulted in enhanced bioactivity of all three drugs with amphotericin B producing the most significant effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii (p < 0.05). In contrast, bare gold nanoparticles did not exhibit antimicrobial potency. Furthermore, amoebae treated with drugs-conjugated gold nanoparticles showed reduced cytotoxicity against HeLa cells. In this report, we demonstrated the use of nanotechnology to modify existing clinically-approved drugs and enhance their efficacy against pathogenic amoebae. Given the lack of development of novel drugs, this is a viable approach in the treatment of neglected diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.33 no.1 s.60
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• pp.47-52
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• 2007

The antimicrobial properties of medium-chain ($C_{8-12}$) free fatty acids and their 1-monoglyceride derivatives against a wide range of microorganisms we well known. However, previous studies have been mainly focused on the antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and viruses causing diseases in human or domestic animals' infection. But, there have been few reports describing comprehensive surveys of antimicrobial effects against microorganisms in cosmetics. For a start of this study, we evaluated and compared the preservative activities of $C_8$ (glyceryl caprylate) and $C_{12}$(glyceryl laurate) 1-monoglyceride in cosmetic formulations. From the result, we found that both of them have very excellent preservative activity against bacteria, but less against fungi. And $C_8$ 1-monoglyceride was a little bit more effective than $C_{12}$ 1-monoglyceride. According to the test results to evaluate each antimicrobial activity of glyceryl caprylate towards 5 kinds of microorganisms used in preservation efficacy test in cosmetics, gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and yeast C. albicans were sensitive and mold A. niger was most tolerant to glyceryl caprylate. Therefore, we tried to improve the antimicrobial activity of glyceryl caprylate agianst mold such as A. niger so that we could make it used as a preservative for cosmetic products. As a result, we confirmed that the antimicrobial activity of glyceryl caprylate is much improved under acidic conditions in formulation. In addition, we found optimal combinations of glyceryl caprylate with other antimicrobial agents. Among tested 7 antimicrobial agent, methyparaben showed the highest preservative activity in combination with gglyceryl caprylate.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.366-371
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• 2003

Biological efficacy assays, including antimicrobial, tyrosinase inhibition and anticancer activities of Chlorella hydrolysate, were carried out. In tyrosinase inhibition assay of Chlorella hydrolysate, $IC_{50}$(inhibitory concentration) was measured as 12%. Chlorella hydrolysate showed high anti-lung cancer activity of 88.2% at a concentration of 0.15%.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.156-163
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• 2014

Purpose: Information regarding antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) for gastric cancer surgery is limited. The present study investigated the efficacy of single-dose AMP for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Between 2011 and 2013, 1,330 gastric carcinoma surgery patients were divided into two AMP administration groups depending on the duration of treatment. Postoperative outcomes including morbidity and SSI were compared between the two groups overall and in matched patients. Risk factors for SSI were analyzed. Results: The extended group (n=1,129) received AMP until postoperative day 1 and the single-dose group (n=201) received single-dose AMP only during an operation. Postoperatively, there were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to overall morbidity, mortality, or length of hospital stay. The SSI rate of the single-dose group was not significantly different from that of the extended group overall (4.5% vs. 5.5%, respectively, P=0.556) or in matched patients (4.5% vs. 4.0%, respectively, P=0.801). There was no increase in the SSI rate of the single-dose group compared to the extended group in subgroups based on different clinicopathological and operative factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed male gender, open surgery, and operating time (${\geq}180$ minutes) as independent risk factors for SSI. Conclusions: Single-dose AMP showed no increase in the postoperative SSI rate compared to postoperative extended use in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. The efficacy of single-dose AMP requires further investigation in randomized clinical trials specific to gastric cancer surgery.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.439-446
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• 2021

Quercus infectoria (nutgall) has been reported to possess antimicrobial activities against a wide range of pathogens. Nevertheless, the biofilm removal effect of nutgall extract has not been widely investigated. In this study, we therefore evaluated the effect of nutgall extract in combination with cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) against preformed biofilm of Salmonella Typhimurium on polypropylene (PP) and stainless steel (SS) coupons in comparison with other sanitizers. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of nutgall extract and surfactants (CTAB and sodium dodecyl sulfate; SDS) were assessed. CTAB showed a more efficient antimicrobial activity than SDS and was selected to use in combination with nutgall extract for removing biofilm. To determine the biofilm removal efficacy, the PP and SS coupons were individually submerged in 2x MBC of nutgall extract (256 mg/ml) + 2x MBC of CTAB (2.5 mg/ml), nutgall extract alone (256 mg/ml), CTAB alone (2.5 mg/ml), distilled water, and 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite for 5, 15, and 30 min. The remaining sessile cells in biofilm were determined. Overall, the greatest biofilm removal efficacy was observed with nutgall extract + CTAB; the biofilm removal efficacy of sanitizers tended to increase with the exposure time. The SEM analysis demonstrated that S. Typhimurium biofilm on PP and SS coupons after exposure to nutgall extract + CTAB for 30 min displayed morphological alterations with wrinkles. This study suggests nutgall extract + CTAB may be an alternative to commonly used sanitizers to remove biofilm from food contact surfaces in the food industry and household.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.17.1-17.12
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• 2023

Antimicrobial (AM) resistance is a growing threat in human and veterinary medicine, spreading across species and perceived as One-Health issue. Prudent use of AM products is essential in mitigating this risk in both human and veterinary medicine. Farm veterinarians, responsible for prescribing appropriate AM and offering advice to farmers on their proper usage, are regarded as key players in the livestock industry. An online survey of farm veterinarians (n = 1,531) was conducted to assess their educational experience, beliefs, current status of prescription, practical behavior, and self-efficacy regarding the prudent use of antimicrobials (PUA). The data from 170 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression and mediation analysis. Participants chose AM based on their experiences, academic resources, and peer veterinarians. Approximately 77% did not routinely conduct antibiotic-susceptibility-test. Most participants believed in the importance of PUA and the role of veterinarians to reduce AM resistance, but they reported a lack of awareness among farmers and insufficient national support interfere with their practical behavior with regard to PUA. Half of the participants had PUA-education, and 78.6% reported that education had a positive impact on their behavior with PUA. Self-efficacy partly mediates the relationship between belief and behavior for PUA, which accounted for 23.77% of the total effect that beliefs have on behavior for PUA. The findings of the study show that enhancing veterinarians' abilities to practice and their self-efficacy through education tailored to the current status of farms can contribute to the reduction of AMs in the livestock sector.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2018

Propolis has been used as a natural remedy in folk medicine worldwide. The antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoal aspects of its antimicrobial properties have been widely investigated. However, few studies focused on its applications in dentistry. Many dental diseases are related to various microorganisms in the oral cavity. In this study, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of Korean propolis extract, collected from 6 different regions, on oral pathogenic microorganisms. The propolis samples, collected from 6 different regions (P1: Uijeongbu, P2: Ansan, P3: Hongcheon, P4: Iksan, P5: Gwangju, and P6: Sangju), were dissolved in ethanol at two different concentrations (10 and 50 mg/ml). Three oral bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis) and one fungus (Candida albicans) were activated in general broth for 24 hours. Microorganisms were diluted and spread onto agar plates, onto which sterilized 6 mm filter papers with or without each propolis sample were placed. After 24 hours of incubation, clear zones of inhibition were observed. All tests were performed in triplicate. The propolis samples showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity on oral pathogenic microorganisms; in addition, low-concentration groups showed outstanding antimicrobial efficacy on the 4 different microorganisms. Among the samples, P6 had significantly higher antibacterial activity than that of the others against three different bacteria. In particular, a high concentration of P6 showed a significant antifungal effect. In conclusion, we confirmed that Korean propolis has an inhibitory effect on oral pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Therefore, we suggest the possibility of developing oral medicine and oral care products based on Korean propolis.