• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.11.1-11.8
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• 2012

Genes that are indispensable for survival are referred to as essential gene. Due to the momentous significance of these genes for cellular activity they can be selected potentially as drug targets. Here in this study, an essential gene for Streptococcus suis was predicted using coherent statistical analysis and powerful genome comparison computational method. At first the whole genome protein scatter plot was generated and subsequently, on the basis of statistical significance, a reference genome was chosen. The parameters set forth for selecting the reference genome was that the genome of the query (Streptococcus suis) and subject must fall in the same genus and yet they must vary to a good degree. Streptococcus pneumoniae was found to be suitable as the reference genome. A whole genome comparison was performed for the reference (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and the query genome (Streptococcus suis) and 14 conserved proteins from them were subjected to a screen for potential essential gene property. Among those 14 only one essential gene was found to be with impressive similarity score between reference and query. The essential gene encodes for a type of 'Clp protease'. Clp proteases play major roles in degrading misfolded proteins. Results found here should help formulating a drug against Strptococcus suis which is responsible for mild to severe clinical conditions in human. However, like many other computational studies, the study has to be validated furthermore through in vitro assays for concrete proof.

• 한국응용과학기술학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.215-224
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• 2013

Recently, many cosmetic researchers have been focused on the development of high functional cosmetics including anti-wrinkle and whitening. In these studies, they couldn't afford to pay a deep attention to stable encapsulations for unstable materials and efficient drug deliveries for them. Particularly, in order to show a degree of instant effects as cosmetics, they can't also ignore moisturizing effect enough to satisfy customers just after applying and its maintenance by improving the function of skin barrier as well as above two effects. Therefore, skin analogue systems have attracted considerable attention in the view of structural and compositional similarity to intercellular membrane in stratum corneum. And, some models for skin analogue composition were developed to improve the function of skin barrier, stably encapsulate unstable materials such as retinol, vitamin B, C, E, etc., and control their skin penetration in order to show good effects as cosmetics. In this study, we suggest the new skin analogue model having the compositional similarity as well as conventional structural ones. Our skin analogue membrane(SAM) is mainly composed of ceramide/ cholesterol/phosphatidylcholin/fatty acids and its structural defects are compensated by including cholesterol amphiphile and controlling the ratio of ceramide/cholesterol. It was possible to confirm the formation of skin analogue membrane having highly-densed multilamella structure and compare them according to the change of each ratio with a polarized microscope, X-ray diffraction. More detaily, we observed their structures with a electron microscope(TEM). Finally, we dispersed them in excess of continuous water phase, observed the formation of maltese-cross liquid crystalline and measured the efficiency of drug deliveries and moisturizing effects.

• 한국임상약학회지
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Objective: The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a national drug subsidy program. Given the similarity and comprehensiveness of the Australian PBS and the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) data, these data are increasingly used for pharmacoepidemiological investigations, as well as international comparative studies. This study aims to introduce the various sources of publicly available PBS data and provide a practical guide to researchers conducting drug utilization studies. Methods: We searched literature and websites to detail and compare the collection, structure, components, and characteristics of each PBS data format. We identified different characteristics of the PBS data from the Korean NHI claims data which are mainly owing to their unique co-payment policies and data collection processes. In addition, the utilization and expenditure of atorvastatin, a widely used treatment for hyperlipidemia, were analyzed using two different sources of PBS data and the different results were interpreted. Results: There exist differences in when data were collected or non-subsidized uses of medicine were included among sources of PBS data. Additionally, two countries have different cost sharing methods inmedicine subsidy scheme; co-payment in Australia and co-insurance in Korea. Therefore, it should be noted that prescriptions under co-payment are not included in some data sources in Australia. Conclusion: Despite several analytical challenges, open access and easy data management are the strengths of the PBS data sources. A detailed knowledge of the PBS data can ensure robust methodology and interpretation of pharmacoepidemiological investigations or international comparative studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.2291-2295
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• 2016

Small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting HER 2 receptors have emerged as an important therapeutic approach in inhibition of downstream proliferation and survival signals for the treatment of breast cancers. Recent drug discovery efforts have demonstrated that naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds like delphinidin have potential to inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of breast cancer cells by targeting HER2 receptors. While delphinidin may thus reduce tumour size, it is associated with serious side effects like dysphonia. Owing to the narrow therapeutic window of delphinidin, the present study aimed to identify high affinity compounds targeting HER2 with safer pharmacological profiles than delphinidin through virtual screening approaches. Delphinidin served as the query parent for identification of structurally similar compounds by Tanimoto-based similarity searching with a threshold of 95% against the PubChem database. The compounds retrieved were further subjected to Lipinski and Verber's filters to obtain drug like agents, then further filtered by diversity based screens with a cut off of 0.6. The compound with Pubchem ID: 91596862 was identified to have higher affinity than its parent. In addition it also proved to be non-toxic with a better ADMET profile and higher kinase activity. The compound identified in the study can be put to further in vitro drug testing to complement the present study.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.326-329
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• 2017

Background: Cultivated ginseng is often introduced as a substitute and adulterant of Russian wild ginseng due to its lower cost or misidentification caused by similarity in appearance with wild ginseng. The aim of this study is to develop a simple and reliable method to differentiate Russian wild ginseng from cultivated ginseng. Methods: The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 7 (nad7) intron 3 regions of Russian wild ginseng and Chinese cultivated ginseng were analyzed. Based on the multiple sequence alignment result, a specific primer for Russian wild ginseng was designed by introducing additional mismatch and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for identification of wild ginseng. Real-time allele-specific PCR with endpoint analysis was used for validation of the developed Russian wild ginseng single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker. Results: An SNP site specific to Russian wild ginseng was exploited by multiple alignments of mitochondrial nad7 intron 3 regions of different ginseng samples. With the SNP-based specific primer, Russian wild ginseng was successfully discriminated from Chinese and Korean cultivated ginseng samples by allele-specific PCR. The reliability and specificity of the SNP marker was validated by checking 20 individuals of Russian wild ginseng samples with real-time allele-specific PCR assay. Conclusion: An effective DNA method for molecular discrimination of Russian wild ginseng from Chinese and Korean cultivated ginseng was developed. The established real-time allele-specific PCR was simple and reliable, and the present method should be a crucial complement of chemical analysis for authentication of Russian wild ginseng.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.9-14
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• 2013

Objectives : Cnidii Fructus is prescribed as the fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson or Torilis japonica (Houtt.) DC. in Korea pharmacopoeia. Although there are differences in the composition of useful components, two species have been used without distinction. In order to discriminate them, DNA sequencing and taste pattern analysis were used in this study. Methods : Primers ITS 1 and ITS 4 were used to amplify the intergenic transcribed spacer(ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA from seven T. japonica and six C. monnieri samples. Taste pattern of samples were measured by using taste-sensing system SA402B equipped with five foodstuff sensors(CT0, C00, AAE, CA0, and AE1). The five initial taste(sourness, bitterness, astringency, umami, and saltiness) and three aftertaste(aftertaste of bitterness, astringency, and umami) of two species were compared. Results : According to the results of ITS region sequence analysis, two species showed 94 base pairs differences. The similarity of two sequences was 85%. From the taste pattern analysis, sourness, bitterness, aftertaste of bitterness(aftertaste-B), and umami showed a different pattern. Especially, bitterness and aftertaste-B of C. monnieri were significantly higher than T. japonica. In addition, two species were shown to have two markedly different clustering by these two flavors. Conclusion : T. japonica and C. monnieri were effectively discriminated using DNA sequencing and taste pattern analysis. These methods can be used to identify the origin of traditional medicine in order to maintain therapeutic efficacy.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• 제40권5호
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• pp.285-289
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• 2010

Manufacturing a multi-layered tablet such as Xatral XL$^{(R)}$ is more complex and expensive than monolayered tablets, but mono-layered tablets may have less favorable release properties depending on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the active ingredient. We therefore sought to develop a monolayer tablet with a similar dissolution profile to the commercial alfuzosin sustained-release triple layered tablet (Xatral XL$^{(R)}$). We prepared four different mono-layered alfuzosin tablets with different concentrations of hydroxypropyl methycellulose and PVP K-90. Fomulation III with alfuzosion/mg-stearate/ HPMC/ PVP K-90 (10/5/110/95 mg/tab) has a similar dissolution rate to Xatral XL$^{(R)}$, with a similarity factor score of 81.4. However, the swelling and erosion rates of the two formulations were different, and NIR analysis showed differences in the mechanisms of drug release. Thus, although formulation III and Xatral XL$^{(R)}$ show similar dissolution rates, the mechanisms of drug release are different.

• 대한본초학회지
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• 제27권6호
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• pp.37-42
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• 2012

Objectives : Angelica Gigantis Radix is prescribed as the root of different Angelica species on the pharmacopoeia in Korea, Japan and China. Chemical components and their biological activities were also different according to their species. A study for the development of simple method to compare Angelica roots was needed. In order to classify them, the methods such as DNA sequencing analysis and taste sensor were applied to three Angelica species like Angelica gigas, Angelica acutiloba and Angelica sinensis. Methods : PCR amplification of intergenic transcribed spacer (ITS) region was performed using ITS1 and ITS4 primer from nine Angelica roots, and then nucleotide sequence was determined. Taste pattern of samples were measured using the taste-sensing system SA402B equipped with a sensing unit, which consists of artificial lipid membrane sensor probes of anionic bitterness, astringency, saltiness, umami, and cationic bitterness (C00, AE1, CT0, AAE, and AN0, respectively). Results : As a result of comparing the similarity of the ITS region sequences, A. sinensis was discriminated from the others (A. gigas and A. acutiloba). Equally this genetic result, A. gigas and A. acutiloba showed similar taste pattern as compared to A. sinensis. Sourness, bitterness, aftertaste of bitterness, astringency, and aftertaste of astringency of A. sinensis were significantly high as compared with A. gigas and A. acutiloba. In contrast, richness was significantly low. Conclusions : These taste pattern can be used as a way of comparison of Angelica species and this technic could be applied to establish a taste pattern marker for standardization of herbs in various purposes.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.1604-1612
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• 2011

We developed three-dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D-QASR) models for 17 adamantyl derivatives as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors. Eighteen different partial charge calculation methods were tested to check the feasibility of the 3D-QSAR models. Best predictive comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) model was obtained with the Austin Model 1-Bond Charge Correction (AM1-BCC) atomic charge. The 3D-QSAR models were derived with CoMFA and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). The final CoMFA model ($q^2$ = 0.764, $r^2$ = 0.988) was calculated with an AM1-BCC charge and electrostatic parameter, whereas the CoMSIA model ($q^2$ = 0.655, $r^2$ = 0.964) was derived with an AM1-BCC charge and combined steric, electrostatic, hydrophobic and HB-acceptor parameters. Leave-five-out (LFO) cross-validation was also performed, which yielded good correlation coefficient for both CoMFA (0.801) and CoMSIA (0.656) models. Robustness of the developed models was checked further with 1000 run bootstrapping analyses, which gave an acceptable correlation coefficient for CoMFA (BS-$r^2$ = 0.997, BS-SD = 0.003) and CoMSIA (BS-$r^2$ = 0.996, BS-SD = 0.018).

• 한국수산과학회지
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.654-660
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• 2003

To evaluate the biological diversity of fish pathogenic streptococci, 35 strains isolated from diseased olive flounder (Paralichtys olivaceus), were analyzed using a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique with the oligonucleotide commercial primer 6 (Amersham Biosciences). Api 20 Strep test, drug resistance and artificial infection were carried out for further characterization of the isolates. RAPD fingerprints showed similar pattern in 25 strains (about $71.4\%$ of 35 isolates) and these strains were designed as RA group 1. Similarities greater than $44\%$ were obtained when the Dice coefficient was applied among the isolates of RA 1. On the other hand, the reference Streptococcus iniae showed a similar RAPD profile to the isolates with similarity levels of $40-93.3\%.$ Rh I was suggested to be the dominant group isolated from olive flounder suffering from streptococcosis. However, the isolates of Rh 1 group were not classified into the same species by the Api 20 Strep identification system. There was no peculiarity in drug resistance patterns of Rh I group isolates against 7 antibacterial agents. However, only 3 of 25 isolates $(0.12\%)$ showed oxytetracycline (OTC) resistance and OTC might be a useful chemotherapeutic agent in controlling the streptococcosis by strains of RA I group in olive flounder. Fish injected intraperitoneally with $10^5$ CFU of an isolate of Rh I and RA III group showed $60\%\;and\;50\%$ accumulative mortality for 20 days, respectively ($20\%$ in control or Rh II). However luther comparative studies about differences in virulence between isolates are needed.