• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluated the efficacy of mixture of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and bifidobacteria supplement, which are contained with Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum SPM1205, and Pediococcus pentosaceus for the management of constipation in animal model and clinical trials. 5 ICR mice and 4 female constipation subjects were orally taken mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria for 2 weeks. We investigated the number of fecal LAB and harmful enzymes activities before and after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application. As a result, fecal LAB count was increased and harmful enzymes activities of intestinal microflora were generally decreased after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application. Also, 61 female subjects were randomly assigned to receive either mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria or lactose and were taken three times a day for 2 weeks. Then, we analyzed mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria effect through the questionnaires. Daily consumption of this mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria improved the constipation in constipation group (56.3%) compared with lactose application group (26.7%). Furthermore, after mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria treatment, frequency of hard stool decreased from 0.22 to 0.03. These results indicated that mixture of LAB and bifidobacteria application is effective to improve the constipation.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2011

A tray type-infrared (IR) pasteurization system was developed for decreasing microorganisms in red pepper powder (RPP). The RPP was passed through a tray by a vibrating mode under the 4 IR lamps (total 8000 W) and by circulating water under the tray. Fungi was pasteurized by applying power higher than 2000 W to the RPP. The decrease in viable cell numbers of bacteria, however, was not observed under the same conditions. Conveying speed of RPP was optimized to 106-164 g/min on the basis of microbial reduction and retaining of moisture content of RPP. The water content of 32 mesh-RPP decreased rapidly after pasteurization. However, fungi in both RPPs could be sterilized regardless of particle sizes. The repetition of IR pasteurization was not favourable due to severe decrease of water content in RPP. The IR pasteurization of RPP did not cause significant difference in the capsaicinoid contents, ASTA colour value, and L, a, and b values under all investigated conditions.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.483-497
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• 2017

Background : Behavioral stress has been suggested as one of the significant factors that is able to disrupt physiological systems and cause depression as well as changes in various body systems. The stressful events can alter cognition, learning, memory and emotional responses, resulting in mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Results : We used a restraint stress model to evaluate the alteration of behavior and stress-related blood parameter. The animals were randomly divided into two groups of five animals each group. Furthermore, we assessed the change of body weight to evaluate the locomotor activity as well as status of emotional and anxiety in mice. After 7 days of restraint stress, the body weight had significantly decreased in the restraint stress group compared with the control group. We also observed stress-associated behavioral alterations, as there was a significant decrease in open field and forced swim test, whereas the immobilization time was significantly increased in the stress group compared to the control group. We observed the morphological changes of neuronal death and microglia by immunohistochemistry and western blot. In our study restraint stress did not cause change in neuronal cell density in the frontal cortex and CA1 hippocampus region, but there was a trend for an increased COX-2 and iNOS protein expression and microglia (CD11b) in brain, which is restraint stress. Conclusion : Our study, there were significant alterations observed in the behavioral studies. We found that mice undergoing restraint stress changed behavior, confirming the increased expression of inflammatory factors in the brain.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.552-560
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• 2010

$GA_{4+7}$+BA, a plant growth regulator for induction of feathering in young apple tree and increasing fruit size, was applied by various methods on 'Gala'/M.9 apple trees in high density orchard for 4 years to investigate its effect on fruit and shoot growth. $GA_{4+7}$+BA($80-300mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$) increased fruit length, fruit weight, and L/D ratio regardless of application methods, but it did not affect soluble solid content, acidity, leaf area, and chlorophyll. Seed number was not affected by $GA_{4+7}$+BA application, however, more immature seeds was observed in treated 'Gala' fruit. Shoot growth was increased when spraying $GA_{4+7}$+BA at tree crown but not affected when spraying at fruit directly. More significant fruit growth was observed when $GA_{4+7}$+BA was applied on the fruits between late of May and early of June when fruit cell division ended; however, high concentration of $GA_{4+7}$+BA resulted in lower fruit storability because of lower firmness. Hence, more attention should be paid when applying high concentration of $GA_{4+7}$+BA to small sized fruit cultivars like 'Gala'.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-236
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• 2000

This study was conducted to examine the effects of exogenous gonadotropins (PMSG+hCG) and an antioxidant (cysteine) on in vitro maturation of bovine follicular oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) aspirated from 2 to 5 mm ovarian follicles were cultured for 22 to 24 hours in a modified bovine embryo culture medium (mBECM) supplemented with 3 mg/mL bovine serum albumin, to which PMSG (10 IU/mL) + hCG (10 IU/mL) and/or cysteine (0.6 mM) were added. When examined the expansion of cumulus ce1ls at the end of maturation culture, greater (p<0.05) expansion was found after addition of PMSG+hCG (79 to 96%) to mBECM than after no addition (0%), regardless of the presence or absence of cysteine in the medium. The addition of cysteine did not stimulate cumulus expansion, but a high proportion (92%) of expansion was achieved when COCs were cultured after the addition of PMSG+hCG and cysteine to the medium. No difference in the proportion of oocytes underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (initiation of maturation) was found after the addition of PMSG+hCG and/or cysteine to mBECM. However, nuclear maturation (development to the metaphase-II stage) of oocytes was significantly stimulated by the combined addition of PMSG+hCG and cysteine, compared with no addition. In conclusion, both exogenous gonadotropins and an antioxidant are important for nuclear maturation of bovine immature oocytes and these factors have a cell-specific stimulatory action.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to establish an in vitro culture system for ovarian preantral follicles of B6D2F1. First, we optimized the in vitro preantral-follicle culture by culture duration, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) type, and activin A concentration. Duration of in vitro culture for 9, 11, and 13 days was sufficient for the normal development of preantral follicles to antral follicles. Formation of cumulus cell-oocyte complex (COC) was induced by treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 2.5 IU/mL) and epidermal growth factor (EGF; 5 ng/mL). In addition, metaphase II (MII) oocytes formed during this in vitro culture of preantral follicles. In vitro preantralfollicle culture for 9 days showed higher rates of growth and maturation, thus yielding a greater number of antral follicles, and there were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the number of MII oocytes (that formed from these preantral follicles via differentiation) between the 9-day culture and 11-day or 13-day culture. The follicles cultured for 9 days contained a tightly packed well-defined COC, whereas in follicles cultured for 11 days, the COC was not well defined (spreading was observed in the culture dish); the follicles cultured for 13 days disintegrated and released the oocyte. Second, we compared the growth of the preantral follicles in vitro in the presence of various FSH types. There were no significant differences in the growth and maturation rates and in differentiation into MII oocytes during in vitro culture between preantral follicles supplemented with FSH from Merck and those supplemented with FSH from Sigma. To increase the efficiency of MII oocyte formation, the preantral follicles were cultured at different activin A concentrations (0 to 200 ng/mL). The control follicles, which were not treated with activin A, showed the highest rate of differentiation into antral follicles and into MII oocytes among all the groups (0 to 200 ng/mL). Therefore, activin A (50 to 200 ng/mL) had a negative effect on oocyte maturation. Thus, in this study, we propose an in vitro system of preantral-follicle culture that can serve as a therapeutic strategy for fertility preservation of human oocytes for assisted reproductive medicine, for conservation of endangered species, and for creation of superior breeds.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.8.1-8.8
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• 2015

Background: The demand for healthy, lean and consistent meat products containing low saturated fatty acid content and high quality polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially long-chain (${\geq}C_{20}$) omega-3 PUFA, has increased in recent times. Fat deposition is altered by both the genetic background and dietary supplements, and this study aimed to assess the effect of dietary Spirulina supplementation levels on the mRNA expression patterns of genes controlling lipid metabolism in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and Longissimus dorsi (ld) muscle of Australian crossbred sheep. Methods: Twenty-four weaned lambs belonging to four breeds under the same management conditions were maintained on ryegrass pasture and fed three levels of Spirulina supplement (control, low and high). In terms of nutrient composition, Spirulina is a nutrient-rich supplement that contains all essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. It also is a rich source of carotenoids and fatty acids, especially gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) that infer health benefits. After slaughter, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and ld samples were subjected to mRNA extraction and reverse transcription using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to assess the mRNA expression levels of the Aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), Adrenergic beta-3 receptor (ADRB3), B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) and Fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes, which are associated with lipid metabolism. Results: Both low and high Spirulina supplementation levels strongly up-regulated the transcription of all the selected genes in both SAT and ld tissues (mostly in the subcutaneous adipose), but sheep breed and sex did not influence the gene expression patterns in these tissues. Conclusions: The evidence indicates that high Spirulina supplementation level resulted in a decrease in intramuscular fat content in Australian purebred and crossbred sheep due to the enhanced production of melatonin in sheep muscle tissues and strong up-regulation of mRNA expression of BTG2 in SAT which negatively affected fat deposition. In contrast, low Spirulina supplementation level strongly up-regulated the ADRB3 and FASN genes responsible for fat production. These findings are consistent with the observed phenotypic data suggesting that low Spirulina supplementation level can increase lamb production, with higher long-chain PUFA content.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.3
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• pp.92-98
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• 1985

The experiments were conducted to investigate the activity changes of peroxidase, existence of isoenzyme and the changes of reserved substances in tomato under subatmospheric pressure storage condition. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Soluble fraction showed the highest peroxidase activity and followed by cell wall fraction, mitochondria fraction and ribosome fraction in that order. 2. Peroxidase activity was decreased during the ripening and senescence period in tomato. Especially, peroxidase activity in tomato was higher at a room temperature ($25^{\circ}C$) than at a low temperature ($15^{\circ}C$). The decreasing inclination was similar in both treatment. The peroxidase activity was higher in 380 Torr, than in 570 Torr. 3. At least, two isoperoxidases(Soluble or solubilized) were identified from different extraction procedures. Three of four isoenzymes were recognized from a vertical slab of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 4. The changes of components in tomato under SAP were generally affected by temperature and pressure. Especially, quality of tomato stored at a low temperature ($15^{\circ}C$) and SAP (380 Torr.) was best during storage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1107-1112
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• 2009

The separation of X and Y chromosome-bearing sperm is of use in many aspects of livestock maintenance. In this study, we sought to determine the difference in DNA content between X- and Y-bearing sperm, separate sperm into X- and Y-enriched pools, and assess the efficacy of sorting. Sperm collected from Duroc and miniature pigs were stained with 20.8 $\mu{M}$ Hoechst 33342 and analyzed using a high-speed cell sorter. Measurement of the fluorescence intensity of stained sperm nuclei revealed that the X-bearing sperm of Duroc and miniature pigs respectively contain 2.75% and 2.88% more DNA than Y-bearing sperm. In total, 50.18% of the sperm were assigned to the X-sorted sample and 49.82% was assigned to the Y-sorted sample for Duroc pigs. For miniature pigs, the Xsorted sample represented 50.19% of the population and the Y-sorted represented 49.81% of the population. Duplex PCR was used to evaluate accuracy of sorting. A fast and reliable method for porcine sexing was developed through amplification of the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome gene (SRY). Oligonucleotide primers were designed to amplify the conserved porcine SRY high motility group (HMG) box sequence motif. We found that the primer pair designed in this study was 1.46 times more specific than previously reported primers. Thus, this study shows that the present method can be applied in porcine breeding programs to facilitate manipulation of the sex ratio of offspring and to achieve precise sexing of porcine offspring by amplification of the HMG box of the SRY gene.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.413-421
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• 2014

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is involved in the stress response and there is increasing evidence that stress influences skin disease such as hair loss. In cultured human hair follicles, CRF inhibits hair shaft elongation, induces premature regression and promotes the apoptosis of hair matrix keratinocytes. We investigated whether CRF influences the dermal papilla cells (DPC) that play pivotal roles in hair growth and cycling. Human DPCs were treated with CRF, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol, key stress hormones along the hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenal (HPA) axis for 1-24 h. Interestingly, CRF modulated the expression of cytokines related to hair growth (KGF, Wnt5a, $TGF{\beta}-2$, Nexin) and increased cAMP production in cultured DPCs. CRF receptors were down-regulated by negative feedback systems. Pretreatment of CRF receptor antagonists or protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor prevented the CRF-induced modulation. Since the CRF induces proopiomelanocortin (POMC) expression through the cAMP/PKA pathway, we analyzed POMC mRNA. CRF stimulated POMC expression in cultured human DPCs, yet we were unable to detect ACTH levels by western blot. These results indicate that CRF operates within DPCs through CRF receptors along the classical CRF signaling pathway and CRF receptor antagonists could serve as potential therapeutic and cosmetic agents for stress-induced hair loss.