• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2008

Modern automated culture systems have increased the isolation rate of microorganisms and shortened the time to detection, reducing experimental errors in diagnosis of infecting agents. BacT/ALERT 3D system is based on the colorimetric detection of $CO_2$ produced by the growing microorganisms. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the detection system, sterility test were performed using 6 bacteria. With standard aerobic and anaerobic bottles containing the liquid media, both three aerobic bacteria (P. aeruginosa, M. luteus, B. subtilis) and a facultative bacterium S. aureus were detected up to 1 CFU in 31.44 hr. In addition, growth of anaerobic C. sporogenes was recognized up to 1 CFU in 15.96 hr. The slowly growing bacteria P. acnes was detected up to 10,000 CFU in 129.36 hr. In comparison with conventional culture method, BacT/ALERT 3D automated culture system was more sensitive and saved detection time up to$2\sim10$ hr. Therefore, this automated culture system enables to efficiently detect bacteria in clinical samples and biological medicines.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.544-547
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• 2014

In this study, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immuno-chromatographic technique were combined to fabricate immuno-strip sensors for the detection of Legionella pneumophila. The immuno-strip sensor was manufactured with four different membranes. A nitrocellulose membrane was used to immobilize capture antibody and generate signals due to the high affinity to antibodies, and glass fiber membranes were used as a conjugate release pad and a sample application pad. A cellulose membrane was used as an absorption pad to induce sample flow by the capillarity. Colorimetric signals produced by sandwich immuno-reaction and enzyme reaction could be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively within 30 min. Under the given experimental conditions, sensor signals with L. pneumophila samples were observed qualitatively by naked eyes and measured quantitatively in a range of $1.3{\times}10^3-1.3{\times}10^6CFU/mL$ with a digital camera and home-made image analysis software.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2008

For the detection of contaminated liquid spawn, we selected suitable medium, indicator and developed method of diagnosis. The growth of pathogenic bacteria, Pseudomonas sp., and fungi, Trichoderma sp., in YPL media was better than in PDA and NA. In addition, the changes of color and absorbance of media were obviously showed when contaminated liquid spawn by pathogenic bacteria and fungi was incubated on YPL including phenol red for 48 hour at $25^{\circ}C$. The color of YPLP after incubating of infected liquid spawn by Pseudomonas sp. and Trichoderma sp. were changed from orange to red and to scarlet, respectively. Whereas, the color of YPLP after incubation of only Pleurotus ostreatus indicated yellow at liquid spawn. Therefore, it is possible to easily distinguish contaminated liquid spawn by color of change in YPLP.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2001

New visible and fast assay system have been developed for tobacco transformant introduced with adenosine deaminase (ADA) marker gene, which converts cytotoxic adenosine analogues to non-toxic inosine analogues and ammonia. Ammonia was changed to blue color in the solution of phenol-nitoprusside and alkaline-hypochlorite. It was possible to detect activity of ADA visibly on the holes of 96 well plate using tiny explant of transgenic tobacco leaves within 1 hour incubation time. As substrates of ADA enzyme from transgenic plant on the plate, a number of adenosine analogues such as 9-D-arabinofuranosyl adenine, cordycepin, 2'-deoxyadenosine, adenosine and xylofuranosyl adenine were possible for detection of ADA activity. Optimal condition of substrate for ADA enzyme was each 10 mM and pH 7.5 in adenosine solution. Especially, transgenic plant did not convert adenosine to inosine and ammonia in the presence of ADA inhibitor deoxycoformycin, which means that ammonia produced from transgenic plant is due to expression of ADA gene. Now, we show that this detection system can be easily, sensitively, fast and cheaply as well as visibly assayed in vitro as GUS gene system with very small size of transformant explant.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.409-413
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• 2007

Polydiacetylene(PDA)-based sensors possess a number of properties that can be successfully applied for label-free detection system. PDA is one of the most attractive color-generating materials, with growing applications as sensors. Here we introduce various PDA-based devices, used as biosensor, chemosensor, thermosensor, and optoelectronics sensor. In general, PDA liposomes and films are closely packed and properly designed for polymerization via 1,4-addition reaction to form an ene-yne alternating polymer chain. PDA-based two/three dimensional structures have been used for colorimetric or fluorescent devices, sensing biological as well as chemical components. This color-generating material also present a very high charge carrier mobility, allowing its application as field-effect transistor (FET). The immobilized PDA structures or films have distinct advantages for the detection of low concentration target molecules over the aqueous solution-based detection systems. In the present review, reported detection methods by using various PDA structures are summarized with updated references.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.400-404
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• 2011

Many studies on polydiacetylene(PDA) have been investigated to apply to chemical and biological sensors due to their unique optical properties of color change from blue to red and fluorescence change from non-fluorescence to red fluorescence. Especially, high sensitivity against specific molecules is very important to apply polydiacetylenes to various sensors. In this study, we examined the effect of sensitivity enhancement of 10,12-pentacosadynoic acid(PCDA) vesicles in detection ${\alpha}$-cyclodextrin(CD) according to control of vesicle size by filters with different pore sizes and polymerization temperature. Colorimetric response(CR) was calculated using visible spectrometer. In order to investigate the effect of vesicle size on sensitivity of PDA vesicles, two PCDA vesicles were filtered without filtration and with 0.22 ${\mu}m$ filter. The two PCDA vesicles were polymerized at $25^{\circ}C$ and were incubated with ${\alpha}$-CD(5 mM) for 30 min. The CRs of the former and latter vesicles were 31.4% and 74.0%, respectively. Then, two PCDA vesicles filtered with 0.22 ${\mu}m$ filter were polymerized at $25^{\circ}C$ and $5^{\circ}C$ and were reacted with ${\alpha}$-CD(5 mM) for 30 min to examine the effect of polymerization temperature. The CRs of the former and latter vesicles were 74.0 and 99.2%, respectively. This suggests that vesicle sizes and polymerization temperature are key factors in enhancing the sensitivity of PDA vesicles. In addition, these results are expected to be useful to apply the PDA vesicles as biosensors to detect DNA, protein, and cells.

• Carbon letters
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• v.24
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• pp.103-110
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• 2017

Carbon-based magnetic nanostructures in several instances have resulted in improved physicochemical and catalytic properties when compared to multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and magnetic nanoparticles. In this study, magnetic MWCNTs with a structure of $Ni_xZn_xFe_2O_4/MWCNT$ as peroxidase mimics were fabricated by the one-pot hydrothermal method. The structure, composition and morphology of the nanocomposites were characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic properties were investigated with a vibrating sample magnetometer. The peroxidase-like catalytic activity of the nanocomposites was investigated by colorimetric and electrochemical tests with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and $H_2O_2$ as the substrates. The results show that the synthesis of the nanocomposites was successfully performed. XRD analysis confirmed the crystalline structures of the $Ni_xZn_xFe_2O_4/MWCNT$ nanohybrids and MWCNTs. The main peaks of the $Ni_xZn_xFe_2O_4/MWCNT$s crystals were presented. The $Ni_{0.25}Zn_{0.25}Fe_2O_4/MWCNT$ and $Ni_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}Fe_2O_4/MWCNT$ nanocatalysts showed nearly similar physicochemical properties, but the $Ni_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}Fe_2O_4/MWCNT$ nanocatalyst was more appropriate than the $Ni_{0.25}Zn_{0.25}Fe_2O_4/MWCNT$ nanocatalyst in terms of the magnetic properties and catalytic activity. The optimum peroxidase-like activity of the nanocatalysts was obtained at pH 3.0. The $Ni_{0.5}Zn_{0.5}Fe_2O_4/MWCNT$ nanocatalyst exhibited a good peroxidase-like activity. These magnetic nanocatalysts can be suitable candidates for future enzyme-based applications such as the detection of glucose and $H_2O_2$.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.254-262
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• 2010

Artemisia capillaris (A. capillaries) is known to play roles in many cellular events, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We investigated the antifibrogenic efficacy of A. capillaris in the immortalized human hepatic stellate cell line LX2. Cell proliferation was determined by the MTT assay. Cell cycle was analyzed by the flow cytometry. Apoptotic cells were measured using a cell death detection ELISA. Caspase activity was detected by a colorimetric assay. The mRNA level of Bcl-2 and Bax mRNA were measured by real-time PCR. MEK and ERK protein were detected by Western blot analysis. We provide evidence that A. capillaris induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and potently inhibits the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. A. capillaris inhibited cell proliferation of LX2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, increased the apoptosis fraction at cell cycle analysis with an accompanying DNA fragmentation, and resulted in a significant decrease in Bcl-2 mRNA levels and an increase in Bax expression. Exposure of LX2 cells to A. capillaris induced caspase-3 activation, but co-treatment of A. capillaris with the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK, and the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVE-FMK, blocked apoptosis. A. capillaris down-regulated Mcl-1 protein levels and inhibited phosphorylation of MEK/ERK, suggesting that it mediates cell death in LX2 cells through the down-regulation of Mcl-1 protein via a MEK/ERK-independent pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7409-7414
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• 2015

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) developed by Notomi et al. (2000) has made it possible to amplify DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal conditions. The ultimate products of LAMP are stem-loop structures with several inverted repeats of the target sequence and cauliflower-like patterns with multiple loops shaped by annealing between every other inverted repeats of the amplified target in the similar strand. Because the amplification process in LAMP is achieved by using four to six distinct primers, it is expected to amplify the target region with high selectivity. However, evaluation of reaction accuracy or quantitative inspection make it necessary to append other procedures to scrutinize the amplified products. Hitherto, various techniques such as turbidity assessment in the reaction vessel, post-reaction agarose gel electrophoresis, use of intercalating fluorescent dyes, real-time turbidimetry, addition of cationic polymers to the reaction mixture, polyacrylamide gel-based microchambers, lateral flow dipsticks, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and nanoparticle-based colorimetric tests have been utilized for this purpose. In this paper, we reviewed the best-known techniques for evaluation of LAMP amplicons and their applications in molecular biology beside their advantages and deficiencies. Regarding the properties of each technique, the development of innovative prompt, cost-effective and precise molecular detection methods for application in the broad field of cancer research may be feasible.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3289-3294
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• 2016

Naringin, a bioflavonoid found in Citrus seeds, inhibits proliferation of cancer cells. The objectives of this study were to investigate the mode and mechanism(s) of hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell death induced by naringin. The cytotoxicity of naringin towards HepG2 cells proved dose-dependent, measured by MTT assay. Naringin-treated HepG2 cells underwent apoptosis also in a concentration related manner, determined by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and propidium iodide (PI) employing flow cytometry. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP) measured using 3,3'-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide ($DiOC_6$) and flow cytometer was reduced concentration-dependently, which indicated influence on the mitochondrial signaling pathway. Caspase-3, -8 and -9 activities were enhanced as evidenced by colorimetric detection of para-nitroaniline tagged with a substrate for each caspase. Thus, the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways were linked in human naringin-treated HepG2 cell apoptosis. The expression levels of pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak proteins were increased whereas that of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL protein was decreased, confirming the involvement of the mitochondrial pathway by immunoblotting. There was an increased expression of truncated Bid (tBid), which indicated caspase-8 proteolysis activity in Bid cleavage as its substrate in the extrinsic pathway. In conclusion, naringin induces human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell apoptosis via mitochondria-mediated activation of caspase-9 and caspase-8-mediated proteolysis of Bid. Naringin anticancer activity warrants further investigation for application in medical treatment.