• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.771-775
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• 2007

Licorice has been used for cure of injuries and for detoxification in East Asia. This study investigated the protective effect of licorice water extract against cadmium (CdCl$_2$, Cd)-induced nephro-toxicity in rats. To induce acute toxicity, Cd (4 mg/kg body weight) was dissolved in normal saline and then, intravenously (i.v.) injected to animals. In experiments, animals were orally administrated with vehicle or licorice water extract (50-100 mg/kg) for 3 days, exposed to a single injection of Cd after 24 h the last licorice/vehicle treatment. Licorice protected kidney injuries by Cd treatment. The number of glomeruli showing vasodilatation and thickening of Bowman's capsule was dose-dependently decreased by licorice. These results suggest that licorice might be a potent preventive protector against Cd-induced nephro-toxicity in rats.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 2016

Chrysotile is a 1:1 sheet silicate mineral belonging to serpentine group. It has been highlighted studies because of uses, shapes and structural characteristics of the fibrous chrysotile. However, it was designated as Class 1 carcinogen, so high attentions were being placed on detoxification studies of chrysotile. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes of mineralogical characteristics of chrysotile and to suggest detoxification mechanism of chrysotile by thermal decomposition. Samples for this study were obtained from LAB Chrysotile mine in Canada. The samples were heated in air in the range of 600 to $1,300^{\circ}C$. Changes of mineralogical characteristics such as crystal structure, shape, and chemical composition of the chrysotile fibers were examined by TG-DTA, XRD, FT-IR, TEM-EDS and SEM-EDS analyses. As a result of thermal decomposition, the fibrous chrysotile having hollow tube structure was dehydroxylated at $600-650^{\circ}C$ and transformed to disordered chrysotile by removal of OH at the octahedral sheet (MgOH) (Dehydroxylation 1). Upon increasing temperature, it was transformed to forsterite ($Mg_2SiO_4$) at $820^{\circ}C$ by rearrangement of Mg, Si and O (Dehydroxylation 2). In addition, crystal structure of forsterite had begun to transform at $800^{\circ}C$, and gradually grown 3-dimensionally to enstatite ($MgSiO_3$) by recrystallization after the heating above $1,100^{\circ}C$. And then finally transformed to spherical minerals. This study showed chrysotile structure was collapsed about $600-700^{\circ}C$ by dehydroxylation. And then the fibrous chrysotile was transformed to forsterite and enstatite, as non-hazardous minerals. Therefore, this study indicates heat treatment can be used to detoxification of chrysotile.

• Mycobiology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2009

To optimally convert corn hull, a byproduct from corn processing, into bioethanol using Pachysolen tannophlius, we investigated the optimal conditions for hydrolysis and removal of toxic substances in the hydrolysate via activated carbon treatment as well as the effects of this detoxification process on the kinetic parameters of bioethanol production. Maximum monosaccharide concentrations were obtained in hydrolysates in which 20 g of corn hull was hydrolyzed in 4% (v/v) $H_2SO_4$. Activated carbon treatment removed 92.3% of phenolic compounds from the hydrolysate. When untreated hydrolysate was used, the monosaccharides were not completely consumed, even at 480 h of culture. When activated carbon.treated hydrolysate was used, the monosaccharides were mostly consumed at 192 h of culture. In particular, when activated carbon-treated hydrolysate was used, bioethanol productivity (P) and specific bioethanol production rate ($Q_p$) were 2.4 times and 3.4 times greater, respectively, compared to untreated hydrolysate. This was due to sustained bioethanol production during the period of xylose/arabinose utilization, which occurred only when activated carbon-treated hydrolysate was used.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2020

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus). AFB1 is reported to have high thermal stability and is not decomposed by heat treatment during food processing. Therefore, in this study, knowing that AFB1 is metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP), our aim was to develop a method to detoxify A. flavus-contaminated maize, under normal temperature and pressure, using Escherichia coli expressing human CYP3A4. First, the metabolic activity of AFB1 by recombinant human CYP3A4 was evaluated. As a result, we confirmed that recombinant human CYP3A4 metabolizes 98% of AFB1. Next, we found that aflatoxin Q1, a metabolite of AFB1 was no longer mutagenic. Furthermore, we revealed that about 50% of the AFB1 metabolic activity can be maintained for 3 months when E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 is freeze-dried in the presence of trehalose. Finally, we found that 80% of AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize was metabolized by E. coli expressing human CYP3A4 in the presence of surfactant triton X-405 at a final concentration of 10% (v/v). From these results, we conclude that AFB1 in A. flavus-contaminated maize can be detoxified under normal temperature and pressure by using E. coli expressing human CYP3A4.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.263-268
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• 1999

It was found that the level of alcohol concentration in both mouse and human sera can be significantly decreased up to 42% by oral administration of the mixtures of the extracts of Hovenia dulcis THUNB and Alnus japonica Steud. A single treatment of extract from Hovenia dulcis reduced the serum alcohol concentration to 32%, compared to 13% in treating the extract of Alnus japonica. Similar patterns were observed in enhancing alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and glutathion-S-transferase (GST) activity in the liver. The inhibition of cathepsin activity was also greatly reduced by administrating the mixture of both extracts : however, the extract of Alnus japonica did not affect the acitivity of cathepsin. It was concluded that the mixture of both extracts had synergic effect on reducing serum alcohol concentration and improving the detoxification process due to alcohol administration in the liver.

• Solar Energy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.10-20
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• 1992

In this experiment, photochemical reaction has been applied to destroy TCE in water phase. The main target of this work is to investigate the technical feasibility of large scale of solar detoxification reactor for water treatment. The results have revealed that solar detoxification utilizing photon energy from the sun is the most attractive process to decompose organic toxins in water phase at room temperature. The detailed results from this work are as follows; (1) The highest conversion ratio of TCE was obtained by using $TiO_2$, annatase as a photocatalyst among $TiO_2$ anatase, $TiO_2$ rutile and $V_2O_5$ under the same experimental condition. The anatase crystal structure was confirmed with XRD analysis, and its surface area was 7.748 $m^2/g$ from the BET-$N_2$ measurement (2) 0.1 wt% of $TiO_2$ anatase has been adopted as optimal quantity for batch slurry reactor at this experimental conditions. (3) The effect of hydrogen peroxide on the conversion of TCE was investigated. Its optimal quantity was 0.06 vol. % under this experimental conditions. (4) The effect of oxygen on the conversion of TCE also was studied by controlling the head space in photoreactor. Results indicated that sufficient amount of oxygen should be supplied to accomplish the highest conversion rate of TCE in water phase.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.40-42
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• 2003

Korean people use a lot of herbal agents for medical purposes, such as curing diseases, improving health state, but some of the herbal agents have toxic side effects. In terms of toxicology, herbal agents classified into 3 categories generally nontoxic, potentially toxic and toxic. But, there are few studies about the mechanisms and clinical features of intoxication of herbal agents. So detoxification or initial treatment of these agents is very difficult to clinicians in hospital. Authors experienced an uncommon case of intoxication after Arisaematis Rhizoma Ingestion. We report this case with review of Arisaematis Rhizoma.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.920-931
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• 2011

Nerve agents are irreversible inhibitors of the cholinesterase enzyme. Exposure causes a progression of toxic signs, including hypersecretions, fasciculations, tremor, convulsions, respiratory distress, epileptiform seizures, brain injuries and death. A combined regimen of prophylaxis and therapy is the most effective medical countermeasure for dealing with the threat of nerve agent poisoning to military personnel. In this paper, the author investigated the updated technologies regarding various pre- and post-treatment drugs for nerve agents detoxification which are under development in several countries including Korea. Some characteristics of active ingredients in the formulations of drugs, their action mechanisms, and effectiveness were analyzed. Additionally, part of experimental data on the transdermal patch studied in ADD using beagle dogs was introduced.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.185-188
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) on toxification/detoxification metabolic pathway in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. We measured the activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP450s) and UDP-glucuronyltransferase, sulfotransferase and glutathione-S-transferase in CSC-treated rat hepatocytes. CSC significantly increased the activities of hepatic CYP4501A1 and CYP4501A2 to 7.5 fold and 1.6 fold respectively, compared with control level. However, CSC did not affect the activities of conjugation enzymes. We a1so examined if treatment of CSC could change thc cytotoxicity of acetaminophen (AA) through modulation of metabolizing enzymes. In rat hepatocytes, pretreatment with CSC potentiated the cytotoxicity of AA. This result indicates that potentiation of AA toxicity by CSC pretreatment may be related to induction of CYP4501A1 and CYP4501A2.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.292-295
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• 2002

A chromate-resistant white rot fungus, Inonotus cuticularis, abundant in oak trees, was isolated for chromate removal and detoxification of chromate. Inonotus cuticularis was also investigated for an optimal waste treatment system. The screened cells were able to reduce an initial chromate concentration of as high as 1,300 ppm. Cell growth kinetics showed that the optimum culture conditions in flasks were at $33^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.2. Furthermore, the cells were able to remove $54\%$ of the initial chromate by a two-stage operation based on the combination of a fermentor and airlift reactor.