• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2015

Polycan originating from Aureobasidium pullulans is mostly composed of β-1, 3/1, 6 glucans and possesses an anti-osteoporotic effect. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to examine the efficacy and safety of the polycan on bone biochemical markers in healthy perimenopausal women. Sixty subjects were randomly allocated to 2 groups-group 1 received 400 mg of polycan and group 2 received placebo-these were administered once daily for 28 days. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome was change in osteocalcin (OSC) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP). Changes in calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), C-telopeptide of collagen cross-links (CTx), N-telopeptide of collagen cross-links (NTx), and deoxypyridinoline (DPYR) were the secondary outcomes. A safety assessment was performed using adverse event (AE) and laboratory data. After 4 weeks of polycan treatment, OSC, DPYR, and BALP levels changed (P < 0.05) significantly from baseline in both groups. However, no significant differences were observed in any markers between the 2 groups, except for P (P < 0.05). Interestingly, group 2 showed a significant increase in CTx (65.2%, P < 0.05), while CTx in group 1 slightly increased (17.2%). Both groups showed no significant differences in AE. Although 4 weeks of polycan treatment did not have a statistically significant effect on bone metabolism biomarkers, increases in CTx were modestly inhibited by polycan. Further studies in a large population and longer treatment periods are needed to confirm the effect of polycan on bone turnover.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1983

The in vivo and in vitro buffer capacities of true plasma and tissue buffer capaciies were compared on dogs. Intracellular pH was determined on skeletal muscle by a modification of the method of Schloerb and Grantham using $C^{14}$ DMO. The in vivo curve for plasma or extracellular fluid has a much lower slope than the in vitro curve. The in vivo slope of skeletal muscle in the dog is approximately 20 sl. The slope for skeletal muscle in vivo falls between the in vitro and in vivo slopes of true plasma. It appears that intracellular hydrogen ion varies linearly with extracellular hydrogen ion when $CO_2$ tension is changed. Both hydrogen ion gradient and Hi/He ratio vary in skeletal muscle, with an increase in $CO_2$ tension. Infusion of 0.3N HCl gave two distinct patterns, the $H_i-H_e$ gradient decreased; and it would appear that very little hydrogen ion as such penetrated to the inside of the cells during the time of observation. Although lactic acid presumably enters the cell and the same of larger load was given as was used for hydrochloric acid, only very mild intracellular acidosis resulted, ostensibly due to metabolism of this substrate. Gluconic acid produced a more severe acidosis, both intracellularly and extracellularly, but with both of these acids the hydrogen ion gradient decreased and the $H_i/H_e$ ratio also decreased. The experiments on the dogs with hemorrhagic shock the hydrogen ion increase producing the acidosis originates inside the cells. Even so, the hydrogen ion gradient increased only very slightly in the acute experiments. This may suggest that even over short intervals of time skeletal muscle cells have a capacity to pump out hydrogen ions at a rate which maintains approximately the normal $H_i/H_e$ gradient when the source of the hydrogen ion is in the interior of the cell.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.377-386
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary Indongcho(L. japonica Thunb) powder on blood glucose, serum lipid levels and antioxidative enzymes in normal and streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Four groups of rats(3-week-old inbred Sprague-Dawley male rats) were normal rats fed control diet(NC), diabetic rats fed control diet(DC), normal rats fed Indongcho powder diet(NI), and diabetic rats fed Indongcho powder diet(DI). Diabetes was induced by single injection of streptozotocin(60mg/kg B.W., i.p.). The animals were fed ad libium each of the experimental diet for 5 weeks. Food and water intakes were determined everyday. Blood glucose and serum total cholesterol levels were determined every week. After 5 weeks the animals were sacrificed and activities of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation products were determined in their liver and kidney homogenates. We also determined serum concentrations of total lipid(TL), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG) and HDL-cholesterol(HDL-C). Blood sugar and water intake were higher in diabetic group(DC and DI group) than normal group(NC and NI group) and were not significantly decreased by dietary Indongcho intake. Body weight gain and FER(feed efficiency ratio) were reduced by STZ treatment. But, Final body weight was recovered by Indongcho-contained diet. LHR(LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol) of the DI g re up was significantly lower than the other experimental groups(NC, NI and DC groups). The hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase(G6Pase) activity of the groups fed Indongcho diet(NI and DI group) was lower than the groups fed control diet(NC and DC group) and the G6Pase activity of NI group was recovered to the normal levels(p<0.05). However, The glutathione peroxidase(GPx) and glutathione reductase(GR) activities in liver and G6Pase activity in kidney were not statistically different between the control and diabetic control groups. Renal GST activity of the DI group was recovered by Indongcho intake. In conclusion, these results confirm oxidative stress in the liver and kidney of rats with STZ diabetes and antioxidative effect of Indongcho.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1057-1066
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• 2007

Six male Gayal (Bos frontalis), approximately two years of age and with a mean live weight of $203{\pm}17$ kg ($mean{\pm}standard\;deviation$), were housed indoors in metabolism cages and fed bamboo (Sinarundinaria) leaves and twigs. After an adjustment period of 24 days of feeding the diet, samples of rumen liquor were obtained for analyses of bacteria in the liquor. The diversity of rumen bacteria was investigated by constructing a 16S rDNA clone library. A total of 147 clones, comprising nearly full length sequences (with a mean length of 1.5 kb) were sequenced and submitted to an on-line similarity search and phylogenetic analysis. Using the criterion of 97% or greater similarity with the sequences of known bacteria, 17 clones were identified as Ruminococcus albus, Butyrivibrio fibrosolvens, Quinella ovalis, Clostridium symbiosium, Succiniclasticum ruminis, Selenomonas ruminantium and Allisonella histaminiformans, respectively. A further 22 clones shared similarity ranging from 90-97% with known bacteria but the similarity in sequences for the remaining 109 clones was less than 90% of those of known bacteria. Using a phylogenetic analysis it was found that the majority of the clones identified (57.1%) were located in the low G+C subdivision, with most of the remainder (42.2% of clones) located in the Cytophage-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) phylum and one clone (0.7%) was identified as a Spirochaete. It was apparent that Gayal have a large and diverse range of bacteria in the rumen liquor which differ from those of cattle and other ruminants. This may explain the greater live weights of Gayal, compared to cattle, grazing in the harsh natural environments in which Gayal are located naturally.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.496-510
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• 2007

This paper describes the use of a discrete mathematical model to represent the basic mechanisms of regulation of the bacteria E. coli in batch fermentation. The specific phenomena studied were the changes in metabolism and genetic regulation when the bacteria use three different carbon substrates (glucose, glycerol, and acetate). The model correctly predicts the behavior of E. coli vis-a-vis substrate mixtures. In a mixture of glucose, glycerol, and acetate, it prefers glucose, then glycerol, and finally acetate. The model included 67 nodes; 28 were genes, 20 enzymes, and 19 regulators/biochemical compounds. The model represents both the genetic regulation and metabolic networks in an integrated form, which is how they function biologically. This is one of the first attempts to include both of these networks in one model. Previously, discrete mathematical models were used only to describe genetic regulation networks. The study of the network dynamics generated 8 $(2^3)$ fixed points, one for each nutrient configuration (substrate mixture) in the medium. The fixed points of the discrete model reflect the phenotypes described. Gene expression and the patterns of the metabolic fluxes generated are described accurately. The activation of the gene regulation network depends basically on the presence of glucose and glycerol. The model predicts the behavior when mixed carbon sources are utilized as well as when there is no carbon source present. Fictitious jokers (Joker1, Joker2, and Repressor SdhC) had to be created to control 12 genes whose regulation mechanism is unknown, since glycerol and glucose do not act directly on the genes. The approach presented in this paper is particularly useful to investigate potential unknown gene regulation mechanisms; such a novel approach can also be used to describe other gene regulation situations such as the comparison between non-recombinant and recombinant yeast strain, producing recombinant proteins, presently under investigation in our group.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.748-755
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• 2014

In the genome annotation of Escherichia coli MG1655, the orf382 (1,149 bp) is designated as a gene encoding an alcohol dehydrogenase that may be Fe-dependent. In this study, the gene was amplified from the genome by PCR and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The recombinant $6{\times}$His-tag protein was then purified and characterized. In an enzymatic assay using different hydroxyl-containing substrates (n-butanol, $\small{L}$-threonine, ethanol, isopropanol, glucose, glycerol, $\small{L}$-serine, lactic acid, citric acid, methanol, or $\small{D}$-threonine), the enzyme showed the highest activity on $\small{L}$-threonine. Characterization of the mutant constructed using gene knockout of the orf382 also implied the function of the enzyme in the metabolism of $\small{L}$-threonine into glycine. Considering the presence of tested substrates in living E. coli cel ls and previous literature, we believed that the suitable nomenclature for the enzyme should be an $\small{L}$-threonine dehydrogenase (LTDH). When using $\small{L}$-threonine as the substrate, the enzyme exhibited the best catalytic performance at $39^{\circ}C$ and pH 9.8 with $NAD^+$ as the cofactor. The determination of the Km values towards $\small{L}$-threonine (Km = $11.29{\mu}M$), ethanol ($222.5{\mu}M$), and n-butanol ($8.02{\mu}M$) also confirmed the enzyme as an LTDH. Furthermore, the LTDH was shown to be an ion-containing protein based on inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry with an isoelectronic point of pH 5.4. Moreover, a circular dichroism analysis revealed that the metal ion was structurally and enzymatically essential, as its deprivation remarkably changed the ${\alpha}$-helix percentage (from 12.6% to 6.3%).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2018

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are increasingly been recognized as the chemical mediators of mold interactions, shaping their community dynamics, growth, and metabolism. Herein, we selectively examined the time-correlated (0 D-11 D, where D = incubation days) effects of intraspecies VOC-mediated interactions (VMI) on Aspergillus oryzae KCCM 60345 (S1), following co-cultivation with partner strain A. oryzae KACC 44967 (S2), in a specially designed twin plate assembly. The comparative evaluation of $S1_{VMI}$ (S1 subjected to VMI with S2) and its control ($S1_{Con}$) showed a notable disparity in their radial growth ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, protease activity ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 3-5 D, amylase activity ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 3-5 D, and antioxidant levels ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 3 D. Furthermore, we observed a distinct clustering pattern for gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry datasets from 5 D extracts of $S1_{VMI}$ and $S1_{Con}$ in principle component analysis (PC1: 30.85%; PC2: 10.31%) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) (PLS1: 30.77; PLS2: 10.15%). Overall, 43 significantly discriminant metabolites were determined for engendering the metabolic variance based on the PLS-DA model (VIP > 0.7, p < 0.05). In general, a marked disparity in the relative abundance of amino acids ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, organic acids ($S1_{VMI}$ > $S1_{Con}$) at 5 D, and kojic acid ($S1_{VMI}$ < $S1_{Con}$) at 5-7 D were observed. Examining the headspace VOCs shared between S1 and S2 in the twin plate for 5 D incubated samples, we observed the relatively higher abundance of C-8 VOCs (1-octen-3-ol, (5Z)-octa-1,5-dien-3-ol, 3-octanone, 1-octen-3-ol acetate) having known semiochemical functions. The present study potentially illuminates the effects of VMI on commercially important A. oryzae's growth and biochemical phenotypes with subtle details of altered metabolomes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.486-494
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• 2017

Objective: An experiment was conducted to determine the nutrient intake, digestibility, microbial protein synthesis, haemato-biochemical attributes, immune response and growth performance of Gaddi kids fed with oat fodder based basal diet supplemented with either tea seed or tea seed saponin (TSS) extract. Methods: Eighteen male kids, $7.03{\pm}0.16$ months of age and $19.72{\pm}0.64kg$ body weight, were distributed into three groups, $T_0$ (control), $T_1$, and $T_2$, consisting of 6 animals each in a completely randomized design. The kids were fed a basal diet consisting of concentrate mixture and oat fodder (50:50). Animals in group III ($T_2$) were supplemented with TSS at 0.4% of dry matter intake (DMI), and group II ($T_1$) were supplemented with tea seed at 2.6% of DMI to provide equivalent dose of TSS as in $T_2$. Two metabolism trials were conducted, 1st after 21 days and 2nd after 90 days of feeding to evaluate the short term and long term effects of supplementation. Results: The tea seed ($T_1$) or TSS ($T_2$) supplementation did not affect DMI as well as the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre. Nutritive value of diet and plane of nutrition were also comparable for both the periods. However, the average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were improved (p<0.05) for $T_1$ and $T_2$ as compared to $T_0$. The microbial protein supply was also higher (p<0.05) for $T_1$ and $T_2$ for both the periods. There was no effect of supplementation on most blood parameters. However, the triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased (p<0.05) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol level increased (p<0.05) in $T_2$ as compared with $T_0$ and $T_1$. Supplementation also did not affect the cell mediated and humoral immune response in goats. Conclusion: Tea seed at 2.6% of DMI and TSS at 0.4% DMI can be fed to Gaddi goats to improve growth rate, FCR and microbial protein synthesis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.417-427
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• 2000

The substrate metabolism and bacterial population in an anaerobic digestion with the submerged separation membrane were investigated by using a laboratory-scale reactor at the hydraulic retention time(HRT) 1.0 and 0.5 day. The removal efficiencies of carbohydrate at the HRT 1.0 and 0.5 day were 99.8~99.9% and 98.0~99.6%, respectively. After the 58 days, the mixed liquor volatile suspended solids(MLVSS) concentration at the HRT 1.0 and 0.5 day were approximately 6,050 and 7,750 mg/L, respectively. According to the measurement by the most probable number(MPN) method, the numbers of acidogenic bacteria, $H_2$-utilizing and acetate-utilizing methc.nogenic bacteria were found to be $10^9$, $10^7{\sim}10^8$ and $10^6{\sim}10^8MPN/mL$, respectively. The composition of $CH_4$ in the produced gas was 46~50%. It is suggested that sulfate-reducing bacteria $10^7{\sim}10^8MPN/mL$ play an important role in producing $H_2$ and acetate in sulfate-depleted environment.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.626-636
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• 2001

To compare the effect of three kinds of n-3 fatty acids-eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA), docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) and perilla oil (PO)-on serum and liver lipid levels and fatty acid composition of liver phospholipid(PL) at low fat level(5%, w/w), 4-weeks old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with one of five different oil diets for 4 weeks. Beef tallow(BT) and corn oil(CO) was used as control for sturated or n-6 fatty acid respectively. Se겨m concentrations of cholesterol(TC) and phospholipid(PL) were lower in PO DHA and EPA groups than in BT and CO groups. HDL-cholesterol levels were higher in CO and PO groups than in EPA, DHA and BT groups. Liver PL concentrations were higher in DHA and EPA groups than in CO, PO and BT groups, but liver TC and heal PL and TC concentrations did not show any significant difference among groups. Hepatic fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), two major phospholipids in liver, reflected their dietary fatty acid composition. In PC and PE, total percentage own-6 series was higher in CO group than in any other groups, and that own-3 series was higher in DHA and PO groups than in EPA, CO and BT groups. Moreover, the ratio of 20 : 4/18 : 2 was lower in PO and DHA groups than in EPA, CO and BT groups. On the contrary, the percentage of C22 : 6 was lower in EPA, CO and BT groups than in PO and DHA groups. These results revealed that n-3 series(EPA, DHA and PO) were more effective in lowering um lipids than n-6 fatty acids or saturated fatty acid. Based on the results of fatty acid composition of hepatic phospholipid, we suggest that the dietary effect of PO and DHA on antiatherogenic characteristics seems to be similar extent. In addition, the effect of EPA might not be significantly different from that of BT or CO in the view of eicosanoids production from the precursor fatty acid. These difference of hepatic fatty acid composition might come from other characteristics of dietary oil as well as the type of unsaturation, not from the carbon chain length or the degree of unsaturation of n-3 fatty acid.