• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.405-415
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• 2021

MMBR system has been suggested as a promising system to resolve harvesting problems induced from low settling efficiency of microalgae. And recently, a lot of research on reducing fouling at the MMBR system has investigated focused on EPS in many cases. EPS of microalgae mainly consists of polysaccharides and protein components, and is produced through photosynthesis and nitrogen-carbon metabolic pathways. Especially, P-EPS is one of major compounds which occur membrane fouling phenomenon, as its hydrophobic protein components cause floc formation and cake layer accumulation. And it is already known that almost every microalgae can metabolize P-EPS or Chl-a when nitrogen sources as a substrate is insufficient or exhausted situation. With the above backgrounds, uptake rates of P-EPS or Chl-a by Scenedesmus quadricauda according to the type of carbon source and nitrogen concentration were evaluated in order to verify correlation between carbon source vs P-EPS production, and indeed Scenedesmus quadricauda uses P-EPS or Chl-a when the amounts of nitrogen sourc es in the feed is not satisfied. As a result, it was shown that P-EPS and Chl-a production were increased proportional to nitrogen concentration under organic carbon condition. And especially, the amo unts of P-EPS and Chl-a in the cell were diminished with the nitrogen source becomes insufficient or exhausted. Because P-EPS accelerates fouling at the MMBR system, P-EPS degradation by Scenedesmus quadricauda in order to get nitrogen source may contribute to reducing fouling. About a affects of N-consumed Chl-a to the MMBR fouling, more survey is needed. On the contrary, considering the purpose of MMBR system of this study, i.e. harvesting useful high value microalgae efficiently feeding adequate industrial process wastewater, it seems like difficult to maintain satisfied metabolic activity and to harvest with high yield rate using nitrogen-poor MMBR feed.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2022

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes inflammation in the mucosal or submucosal layer of the colon. Previous studies have reported that obesity increases the prevalence of ulcerative colitis and aggravates the progression. This study was therefore undertaken to investigate whether curcumin inhibits the progression of ulcerative colitis caused by obesity. Mice were bred on a high-fat diet to induce obesity, and curcumin was administered with the high-fat diet to confirm the anti-inflammatory effect. To induce ulcerative colitis, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was administered orally, and clinical symptoms of colitis were subsequently observed. For histological evaluation of curcumin, the colon, liver and abdominal fat tissue samples were prepared and analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Our results confirm that consumption of curcumin resulted in decreasing the score of the disease activity index, and inhibited shortening of the colon length. In addition, inflammatory cell infiltration and mucosal damage were inhibited in the colon tissue of ulcerative colitis exacerbated by obesity. We further confirmed that exposure to curcumin significantly reduced the steatosis area of the liver and adipocytes of abdominal fat. In conclusion, we believe that curcumin can be applied as a therapeutic agent to treat ulcerative colitis, by inhibiting the progression of colitis caused by obesity.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2022

We examined the anti-inflammatory properties of Nostoc commune HCW0811 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of HCW0811 on viability of treated cells was assessed by measuring the level of expression of NO, prostaglandin E₂ and pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α in HCW0811 treated RAW 264.7 macrophages. HCW0811 was non-toxic to cells and inhibited the production of cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition its treatment suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in a dose-dependent manner, and concomitantly decreased the protein expressions of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Moreover, the levels of the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase family proteins such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, and nuclear factor kappa B were reduced by HCW0811. These findings suggest that the HCW0811 collected from Daejeon National Cemetery have anti-inflammatory effects, and demonstrated its efficacy in cell-based in vitro assays.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2022

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the synergistic protective effects of medicinal herbal mixture (HME) including Mori Ramulus (MR), Acanthopanacis Cortex (AC), Eucommiae Cortex (EC), and Black soybean (BS) in C2C12 cells, mouse myoblasts. Methods : Effects of HME on cell viability of C2C12 myoblasts were monitored by MTT assay. Anti-atrophic activity of HME was determined in myoblasts and myotubes under oxidative stress by H₂O₂. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes in a medium containing 2% horse serum for 6 days. After that, we measured that expression of MyoD and myogenine, the myogenic regulatory factors, to identify the mechanism of inhibiting muscle atophy after HME treatment. In addition, suppression of phosphorylation of Akt, FoxO3a and MARF-1, transcription factors of degradation proteins were analyzed via western blotting. Results : As a result of MTT, HME there was no show cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 1 mg/ml. The cytoprotective effects on oxidative stressed myoblast and myotube was better in HME extract than those of MR, AC, EU, and BS, respectively. HME treatment in Myotube induced by oxidative stress after H₂O₂ treatment increased Myo D, Myogenine activation, and Akt, FoxO3a phosphorylation and decreased expression of MuRF-1. As the results, HME has synergistic effects on protection against proteolysis of C2C12 myotubes through activation of the Akt signaling pathway under oxidative stress. Conclusions : These results suggest that HME may also be useful as a preventing and treating material for skeletal muscle atrophy caused by age-related diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.523-531
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities in ethanol extracts from herb mixture (Ephedra sinica, Atractylodes lance, Gypsum fibrosum, and Theobroma cacao). DPPH, ABTS⁺ radical and xanthine oxidase scavenging activities were measured for antioxidant activity. Extracts of the herb mixture had 75.0, 100.8, and 79.5% scavenging activities at 1,000 ㎍/ml concentration, respectively. We investigated the inhibition of adipogenesis and adipocyte differentiation with an extract of an herb mixture in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. An extract from the herb mixture at concentrations between 0 and 50 ㎍/ml did not affect 3T3-L1 cell viability. Treatment with herb mixture extracts of 25, 50, and 75 ㎍/ml in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes inhibited lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. As a result of a Western blot experiment, it was shown that the herb mixture inhibited the differentiation transcription factors, PPARγ and C/EBPa, by 44.2 and 77.6%, respectively, at a concentration of 75 ㎍/ml in MDI-induced differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. As a result of RT-PCR, the gene expression of C/EBPa, SREBP-1c, and PPARγ was significantly inhibited by 43.4%, 59.6%, and 55.3%, respectively, at the concentration of 75 ㎍/ml of the herb mixture compared with the MDI-treated group. In addition, the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS), a fatty acid synthesis regulator, was suppressed. These results can be applied to develop a functional food for anti-obesity with a herb mixture.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2022

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) play an important role in innate immunity against pathogenic infections. AMPs exterminate pathogenic bacteria by disrupting cell membranes or inhibiting intracellular molecules. NK-2, first identified in pigs and derived from NK-lysin, has antimicrobial effects against bacteria and parasites. In this study, chimeric peptides (cpNK) of chicken and pig NK-2 and cpNK-derived peptides (cpNK-a1 and cpNK-a2) were synthesized, and their antimicrobial effects against various pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were investigated. The structure of chimeric peptides from chicken and pig NK-2, cpNK, include α-helix like NK-2 and peptide net charge was +9 like porcine NK-2. The cpNK peptide showed powerful bactericidal effects against most bacterial species, including MRSA, especially against gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, cpNK-derived short peptides, cpNK-a1 and a2 also showed bactericidal activity, but the effects were weaker than those of cpNK. Therefore, we conclude that cpNK- and cpNK-derived short peptides have the potential to be used as antibiotic alternatives.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.7
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• pp.465-478
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• 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of target messenger RNA (mRNA) complementary to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) at the post-transcriptional level. Hsa-miR-422a, which is commonly known as miRNA derived from transposable element (MDTE), was derived from short interspersed nuclear element (SINE). Through expression analysis, hsa-miR-422a was found to be highly expressed in both the small intestine and liver of crab-eating monkey. AT-Rich Interaction Domain 5 B (ARID5B) was selected as the target gene of hsa-miR-422a, which has two binding sites in both the exon and 3'UTR of ARID5B. To identify the interaction between hsa-miR-422a and ARID5B, a dual luciferase assay was conducted in HepG2 cell line. The luciferase activity of cells treated with the hsa-miR-422a mimic was upregulated and inversely downregulated when both the hsa-miR-422a mimic and inhibitor were administered. Nuclear factor erythroid-2 (NF-E2) was selected as the core transcription factor (TF) via feed forward loop analysis. The luciferase expression was downregulated when both the hsa-miR-422a mimic and siRNA of NF-E2 were treated, compared to the treatment of the hsa-miR-422a mimic alone. The present study suggests that hsa-miR-422a derived from SINE could bind to the exon region as well as the 3'UTR of ARID5B. Additionally, hsa-miR-422a was found to share binding sites in ARID5B with several TFs, including NF-E2. The hsa-miR-422a might thus interact with TF to regulate the expression of ARID5B, as demonstrated experimentally. Altogether, hsa-miR-422a acts as a super enhancer miRNA of ARID5B by collaborating with TF and NF-E2.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.628-635
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• 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is the large intestine disease that results in chronic inflammation and ulcers in the colon. Rg3-enriched Korean Red Ginseng extract (Rg3-RGE) is known for its pharmacological activities. Persicaria tinctoria (PT) is also used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the attenuating effects of Rg3-RGE with PT on oxazolone (OXA)-induced UC in mice. Methods: A total of six groups of mice including control group, OXA (as model group, 1.5%) group, sulfasalazine (75 mg/kg) group, Rg3-RGE (20 mg/kg) group, PT (300 mg/kg) group, and Rg3-RGE (10 mg/kg) with PT (150 mg/kg) group. Data on the colon length, body weight, disease activity index (DAI), histological changes, nitric oxide (NO) assay, Real-time PCR of inflammatory factors, ELISA of inflammatory factors, Western blot, and flow cytometry analysis were obtained. Results: Overall, the combination treatment of Rg3-RGE and PT significantly improved the colon length and body weight and decreased the DAI in mice compared with the treatment with OXA. Additionally, the histological injury was also reduced by the combination treatment. Moreover, the NO production level and inflammatory mediators and cytokines were significantly downregulated in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the model group. Also, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-𝛋B) were suppressed in the combination treatment group compared with the OXA group. Furthermore, the number of immune cell subtypes of CD4⁺ T-helper cells, CD19⁺ B-cells, and CD4⁺ and CD25⁺ regulatory T-cells (Tregs) was improved in the Rg3-RGE with the PT group compared with the OXA group. Conclusion: Overall, the mixture of Rg3-RGE and PT is an effective therapeutic treatment for UC.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.27-35
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• 2004

Recalcitrant 4-t-Octylphenol used as a surfactant was subjected to the biodegradation with wood rot fungi, Basidioradulum molare and Schizopora paradoxa. Two fungi were grown in the culture medium containing various concentrations of 4-t-Octylphenol in order to investigate their resistance against 4-t-octylphenol Schizopora paradoxa was reached to the full growth within 14 incubation days in the concentration of more than 200 ppm of 4-t-Octylphenol, while Basidioradulum molare showed the inhibitory mycelium growth as the concentration was increased Schizopora paradoxa and Basidioradulum molare biodegraded 95% and 36% of initial concentration of 4-t-Octylphenol at first incubation day, respectively. However, the biodegradation capability reached to more than 95% after 3 incubation days. During the biodegradation of 4-t-Octylphenol, the activity of manganese dependent peroxidase was induced by the addition of 4-t-Octylphenol in the culture medium of Schizopora paradoxa, but that of laccase was maximal before the addition. The reduction of estrogenecity was assayed by MCF-7 cell proliferation test and measurement of pS2 mRNA expression. The level of pS2 mRNA was decreased down to the level of baseline at first incubation day. Also, estrogenecity of 4-t-Ocrylphenol completely disappeared after treatment with supernatant by Schizopora paradoxa and Basidioradulum molare from first incubation day of culture down to the levels of vehicle.

• Journal of Naturopathy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the antioxidant activities of water extracts from Hibiscus petals, Moringa oleifera gymnosperm, and Nipa fruticans wurmb. Also, the possibility of their use as a functional cosmetic material and food were searched. Methods: We extracted Hibiscus petals, M. oleifera gymnosperm, and N. fruticans wurmb with water. And then, we measured the content of total polyphenols and flavonoids and the ability to scavenging free groups of ABTS and DPPH to study the antioxidant function. The toxicity of samples evaluated by measuring cell viability. Results: The polyphenol content of the water extract of N. fruticans wurmb was 109 ㎍/mg, which was significantly higher than that of Hibiscus petals (13 ㎍/mg) and M. oleifera gymnosperm (19 ㎍/mg). Radical scavenging ability was also excellent in N. fruticans wurmb, and the cytotoxicity test results of the samples were similar. Conclusions: The water extracts showed antioxidant activity to use for cosmetic materials or natural healing foodstuff.