• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.151-158
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• 2003

In the biological world, there are a number of ecological fights for survival between each organism such as plants, animals and microorganism In such events, an organism can use its natural bioactive products as defence agent against other organisms. Furthermore, natural bioactive products can be utilized for medicine or functional food. Recently, we investigate the effect of Monascus pigment extracted from a fungus, Monascus anke, on the alcohol metabolism and blood lipid profile. In the present study, it is observed that Monascus pigment supplemented dietary may have a hepatoprotective effect on rat's liver damage induced with $CCl_4$ . By treatment with $CCl_4$(3 times, I.P), liver damage was reduced more in the rats fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet than those fed standard diet, based on the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, microsomal glucose-6-phosphatse activity and hepaic malondialdehyde content. On the other hand, oxygen free radical generating enzymes, hepatic P-450 dependent aniline hydroxylase, xanthine oxidase, and oxygen free radical scavenging enzymes, hepatic glutathione S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase activities were generally higher both in $CCl_4$ treated group and control fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet than those fed standard diet. In conclusion, the rats fed 2% Monascus pigment extract supplemented diet showed more reduced liver damage than those fed standard diet, which may be due to the acceleration of oxygen free radical metabolism.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.164-169
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• 2004

In the course of our screening for biocontrol agent (BCA) against Streptomyces scabiei and S. turgidiscabies causing potato scab using 5,000 actinomtcete isolates, 9 antagonistic strains were selected as BCA candidates through in vitro and in vivo assay. An antagonistic strain, A020645 was highly resistant to some pesticides and antibiotics such as dazomet and mancozeb and showed high control value in vivo. Two bioactive compounds (compound A, B) were purified by anion exchange chromatography, solid phase (ODS) extraction, TLC and reverse phase HPLC. Their chemical structures are now thought to be nucleoside derivative as determined by $^1H-NMR$ data analysis. Their full chemical structures would be elucidated through $^{13}C-NMR$, HMQC and HMBC analyses. Further studies will be focused on fitness in soil and formulation of the BCA candidates.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.654-661
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• 2021

In this study, in order to isolate excellent whitening agents from fungal cultural broth, various fungi were collected from wild areas in South Korea and then screened for tyrosinase inhibition activity, as tyrosinase is a precursor for the biosynthesis of melanin in regulating skin color. A fungus strain that inhibits tyrosinase activity has been identified and confirmed as Trichoderma viridescens (later renamed T. viridescens SW-1) via ITS sequencing. In T. viridescens SW-1, tyrosinase inhibitory activity was strongest on day three of culture. A 5% culture broth showed a tyrosinase inhibitory activity greater than 90% and exhibited high thermostability on day three. At 10% culture broth, the accumulations of intra- and extracellular melanin were inhibited above 27.1% and 7.5%, respectively. In summary, the physical and functional properties of the tyrosinase inhibitory substances of T. viridescens SW-1 included high levels of inhibition of melanin synthesis and antioxidative activity as well as thermostability. Therefore, we suggest that the whitening substance identified from the cultural broth of T. viridescens SW-1 has potential for application as a functional cosmetic ingredient.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.1457-1464
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• 2012

An ecofriendly catalytic route for selective synthesis of $N$-substituted azacyclopentanes, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic intermediates for many bioactive compounds, was established by carrying out $N$-heterocyclization (di $N$-alkylation) of primary amines with 1,4-dichloro butane (as dialkylating agent) using catalytic amount of hydrotalcite as solid base catalyst. The hydrotalcite was found to be efficient solid base catalyst for di $N$-alkylation of different primary amines (aniline, benzyl amine, cyclohexyl amine and n-butyl amine) giving 82 to 96% conversion (at optimized reaction condition) of 1,4-dichloro butane and > 99% selectivity of respective $N$-substituted azacyclopentanes within 30 min. under solvent free condition. The reaction parameters significantly influence the conversion of 1,4-dichloro butane to $N$-substituted azacyclopentanes. The nature of substituent present on amino group affects the reactivity of amine substrates for di $N$-alkylation reaction with 1,4-dichloro butane. The 1,4-dichloro butane was found to be highly reactive alkylating agent for di $N$-alkylation of amines as compared to 1,4-dihydroxy butane. The reusability of the catalyst and its chemical stability in the reaction was demonstrated.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.181-188
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• 2012

Dioscoreae Rhizome (DR) has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases and is reported to have anti-diabetes and anti-tumor activities. To identify a bioactive traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory activity of a water extract of DR (EDR), we determined the mRNA and protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages through RT-PCR and western blot analysis and performed a FACS analysis for measuring surface molecules. EDR dose-dependently decreased the production of NO and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, TNF-${\alpha}$, and $PGE_2$, as well as mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, as determined by western blot and RT-PCR analysis, respectively. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules such as B7-1 and B7-2 was also reduced by EDR. Furthermore, activation of the nuclear transcription factor, NF-${\kappa}B$, but not that of IL-4 and IL-10, in macrophages was inhibited by EDR. These results show that EDR decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines via inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$-dependent inflammatory protein level, suggesting that EDR could be a useful immunomodulatory agent for treating immunological diseases.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.531-535
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• 2015

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) refers to the unique ability of highly aggressive tumor cells to mimic the pattern of embryonic vasculogenesis, which was associated with invasion and metastasis. The grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) had attracted much attention as a potential bioactive anti-carcinogenic agent. However, GSPs regulation of VM and its possible mechanisms in a triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) remain not clear. Therefore, we examined the effect of GSPs on VM information in HCC1937 cell model. In this study, we identified the VM structure via the three-dimensional (3D) matrix in vitro. Cell viability was measured using the CCK8 assay. The effects of GSPs on human triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) HCC1937 in terms of related proteins of VM information were determined using western blot analysis. In vitro, the tubular networks were found in highly invasive HCC1937 cells but not in the non-invasive MCF-7 cells when plated on matrigel. The number of vascular channels was significantly reduced when cells were exposed in GSPs ($100{\mu}g$/ml) and GSPs ($200{\mu}g/mL$) groups (all p<0.001). Furthermore, we found that treatment with GSPs promoted transition of the mesenchymal state to the epithelial state in HCC1937 cells as well as reducing the expression of Twist1 protein, a master EMT regulator.GSPs has the ability to inhibit VM information by the suppression of Twist1 protein that could be related to the reversal of epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) process. It is firstly concluded that GSPs may be an p otential anti-VM botanical agent for human TNBCs.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.44 no.6 s.301
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• pp.291-296
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• 2007

Porous $Al_2O_3-(m-ZrO_2)$ composites were fabricated by pressureless sintering, using different volume percentages (40% - 60%) of poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) powders as a pore-forming agent. The pore-forming agent was successfully removed, and the pore size and shape were well-controlled during the burn-out and sintering processes. The average pore size in the porous $Al_2O_3-(m-ZrO_2)$ bodies was about $200\;{\mu}m$ in diameter. The values of relative density, bending strength, hardness, and elastic modulus decreased as the PMMA content increased; i.e., in the porous body (sintered at $1500^{\circ}C$) using 55 vol % PMMA, their values were about 50.8%, 29.8 MPa, 266.4 Hv, and 6.4 GPa, respectively. To make the $Al_2O_3-(m-ZrO_2)$/polymer hybrid composites, a bioactive polymer, such as PMMA, was infiltrated into the porous $Al_2O_3-(m-ZrO_2)$ composites. After infiltration, most of the pores in the porous $Al_2O_3-(m-ZrO_2)$ composites, which were made using 60 vol % PMMA additions, were infiltrated with PMMA, and their values of relative density, bending strength, hardness, and elastic modulus remarkably increased.

• Biomaterials Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.235-248
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• 2018

Background: Injectable hydrogels have been extensively researched for the use as scaffolds or as carriers of therapeutic agents such as drugs, cells, proteins, and bioactive molecules in the treatment of diseases and cancers and the repair and regeneration of tissues. It is because they have the injectability with minimal invasiveness and usability for irregularly shaped sites, in addition to typical advantages of conventional hydrogels such as biocompatibility, permeability to oxygen and nutrient, properties similar to the characteristics of the native extracellular matrix, and porous structure allowing therapeutic agents to be loaded. Main body: In this article, recent studies of injectable hydrogel systems applicable for therapeutic agent delivery, disease/cancer therapy, and tissue engineering have reviewed in terms of the various factors physically and chemically contributing to sol-gel transition via which gels have been formed. The various factors are as follows: several different non-covalent interactions resulting in physical crosslinking (the electrostatic interactions (e.g., the ionic and hydrogen bonds), hydrophobic interactions, ${\pi}$-interactions, and van der Waals forces), in-situ chemical reactions inducing chemical crosslinking (the Diels Alder click reactions, Michael reactions, Schiff base reactions, or enzyme-or photo-mediated reactions), and external stimuli (temperatures, pHs, lights, electric/magnetic fields, ultrasounds, or biomolecular species (e.g., enzyme)). Finally, their applications with accompanying therapeutic agents and notable properties used were reviewed as well. Conclusion: Injectable hydrogels, of which network morphology and properties could be tuned, have shown to control the load and release of therapeutic agents, consequently producing significant therapeutic efficacy. Accordingly, they are believed to be successful and promising biomaterials as scaffolds and carriers of therapeutic agents for disease and cancer therapy and tissue engineering.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.58-69
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• 2020

Meghalaya, (in India), in the region of the mega-biodiversity hotspots, is home to a plethora of wild mushrooms. The present study concerns the exploration of the order Agaricales, which includes rare gilled mushrooms considered endangered under IUCN A4c criteria, due to the declining habitat. Electron microscopy of the gill sections revealed an abundance of clamp connections, hyphal cell walls, cystidia, and basidia. This rare species which belongs to the family Cyphellaceae, exhibits morphological and molecular differences from the Cyphella spp. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that it formed a clade under the genus Campanophyllum of the order Agaricales, confirmed by both Neighbor Joining (NJ) and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. Being nutritionally potent along with its efficient antioxidant value, the fungal extract shows significant rise of two-fold in the antimicrobial activity along with the commercial antibiotics. The compound, Phenol, 2, 4-bis (1, 1-Dimethylethyl) (2, 4-DTBP) showed in ample range in the fungal extract along with aliphatic hydrocarbons, terpene, alcohol and volatile organic compounds on further characterization in GCMS. The present study indicates the endangered Campanophyllum proboscideum could be a rich source of natural antioxidants and an effective pharmaceutical agent.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2005

GLPG (Ganoderma lucidum proteoglycan) was a bioactive fraction obtained by the liquid fermentation of the mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum, EtOH precipitation, and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. GLPG was a proteoglycan with a carbohydrate: protein ratio of 10.4: 1. Its antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) were investigated using a cytopathic inhibition assay. GLPG inhibited cell death in a dose-dependent manner in HSV-infected cells. In addition, it had no cytotoxic effect even at 2 mg/ml. In order to study the mode of action of the antiviral activity of GLPG, cells were treated with GLPG before, during, and after infection, and viral titer in the supernatant of cell culture 48 h post-infection was determined using a $TCID_{50}$ assay. The antiviral effects of GLPG were more remarkable before viral treatment than after treatment. Although the precise mechanism has yet to be defined, our work suggests that GLPG inhibits viral replication by interfering with the early events of viral adsorption and entry into target cells. Thus, this proteoglycan appears to be a candidate anti-HSV agent.