• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.691-698
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• 2005

Phlorotannins, the polyphonic compounds found in brown Eisenia and Ecklonia algae, have several pharmacologically beneficial effects such as anti-inflammation. In addition, our recent data show that these compounds may improve the cognitive functions of aged humans suggesting the potential ability to enhance memory in several neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the experimental hypothesis that two effective components of Ecklonia cava, dieckol and phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF), have memory-enhancing abilities, both were administered orally to mice before a passive avoidance test. The repeated administration of either dieckol or PFF dose-dependently reduced the inhibition of latency by the administration of ethanol. To investigate the mode of memory-enhancing actions, the levels of major central neurotransmitters in three different regions (striatum, hippocampus, and frontal cortex) of the mouse brain were measured. The levels of some of the neurotransmitters were significantly changed by ethanol. Both dieckol and PFF altered the levels of some neurotransmitters modified by the ethanol treatment. It is noteworthy that both dieckol and PFF increased the level of acetylcho-line, and they exerted anticholinesterase activities. Overall, the memory-enhancing abilities of dieckol and PFF may result from, at least in part, the increment of the brain level of acetylcho-line by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2015

Surveys of easily accessible or moderately remote South Korean mountains has revealed several common exotic and early species-complexes [Amynthas corticis (Kinberg, 1867) with A. diffringens (Baird, 1869), A. gracilis (Kinberg, 1867) and Metaphire californica (Kinberg, 1867)], plus an unexpected number of new native taxa. Megascolecid Metaphire muuido sp. nov. and lumbricid Eisenia muuido sp. nov. are newly described from Muuido Island, Incheon. Montane taxa are parthenogenetic Amynthas tokioensis oculo sub-sp. nov. that lacks male pores but is yet comparable to both Amynthas tokioensis (Beddard, 1892) and Metaphire soulensis (Kobayashi, 1938) with its possible new synonym A. chiakensis Hong & James, 2013. Apparently unique sympatric taxa are Amynthas bangtaesan bangtaesan and A. b. confinius sup-spp. nov., Amynthas centurio sp. nov., Amynthas punicans sp. nov., Amynthas seoraksan and A. seoraksan iti sub-spp. nov. These are newly described and their DNA COI gene barcodes, where obtainable, are presented in a phylogram with outgroup Acanthodrilidae Microscolex dubius (Fletcher, 1887) from Lake Biwa Japan being a new exotic record for Asia.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1998.11a
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• pp.162-162
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• 1998

Various natural compounds act as antioxidants in protection against lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation yields a variety of decomposition products which have been implicated in not only decreasing the nutritional value of food, but also in developing an off-flavor and toxic substances. As a source of safer and more effective natural antioxidants of natural origin have been widely investigated. Some Indonesian plants have evaluated for their antioxidative activity, and suggested the possible existence of various antioxygenic compounds in them. We attempted to study such antioxygenic compounds with simple method evaluation. As we are interested in the natural product compounds, we examined of several sample such as edible sea-weeds, and some edible fruits. Sea-weed, Eisenia bicyclis, one of the edible brown algae, exhibited the activity. As a traditional food additive consumed by Indonesian, Garcinia parvifolia is used as taste supplement in region West Sumatra, have been studied. Our current studies on the semi-polar fractions shows the activity by the thiocyanate method test. Another sample, Garcinia mangostana, a famous fruit with sweet taste, the part kernel have also evaluated. The acidic fraction of the extract showed antioxidative activity. Some other active components were found in the neutral and BuOH fractions.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2000

The effect of earthworm on the recycling or control of organic P in environment has been investigated. The activity of phytase(myo-inositol hexaposphate phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.8) produced by isolated microoganisms from vermicomposted cow manure was usually higher than that of phytase produced by isolated microorganisms from composted cow manure. However the activity of phytase excreted by seperated earthworm(Eisenia foetida) was not detected. The concentration of total P and available P was revealed 2.88%, 0.22% in composted cow manure and 1.70% 0.14% in vermicomposted cow manure.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.885-892
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• 2011

The bacterial communities in the intestinal tracts of earthworm were investigated by culture-dependent and -independent approaches. In total, 72 and 55 pure cultures were isolated from the intestinal tracts of earthworms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Aerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (40%), Bacillus (37%), Photobacterium (10%), Pseudomonas (7%), and Shewanella (6%). Anaerobic bacteria were classified as Aeromonas (52%), Bacillus (27%), Shewanella (12%), Paenibacillus (5%), Clostridium (2%), and Cellulosimicrobium (2%). The dominant microorganisms were Aeromonas and Bacillus species under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In all, 39 DNA fragments were identified by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis. Aeromonas sp. was the dominant microorganism in feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms. The DGGE band intensity of Aeromonas from feeds, intestinal tracts, and casts of earthworms was 12.8%, 14.7%, and 15.1%, respectively. The other strains identified were Bacillus, Clostridium, Enterobacter, Photobacterium, Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Streptomyces, uncultured Chloroflexi bacterium, and uncultured bacterium. These results suggest that PCR-DGGE analysis was more efficient than the culturedependent approach for the investigation of bacterial diversity and the identification of unculturable microorganisms.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.155-158
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiviral activity of Phaeophyta extracts against feline calicivirus (FCV), used as a norovirus surrogate. A bioassay-guided cytotoxicity and virus infectivity assay revealed that methanolic extracts of Phaeophyta possessed significant antiviral activity against FCV. Among them, Eisenia bicyclis extract exhibited the highest antiviral activity against FCV. The 50% effective concentration of the extract ($EC_{50}$) inhibiting FCV viral replication by 50% was $80{\mu}g/mL$. The extract also showed the highest selectivity index, calculated from the ratio of the median cellular cytotoxicity concentration ($CC_{50}$) and $EC_{50}$, indicating antiviral efficacy against FCV. In addition, significant interruption of FCV infection was observed by pretreatment of host Crandall-Reese feline kidney cells with the E. bicyclis extract ($200{\mu}g/mL$) prior to virus infection, in a dosedependent manner.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 2006

Osteoarthritis is thought to be induced by the ageing-related loss of homeostatic balance between degeneration and repair mechanism around cartilage tissue in which inflammatory mediators such as reactive oxygen species, cytokines and prostaglandins are prone to overproduction under undesirable physiological conditions. Phlorotannins are unique polyphenolic compounds bearing dibenzo-1,4-dioxin skeleton which are not found in terrestrial plants but found only in some brown algal species such as Ecklonia and Eisenia families. Phlorotanninrich extracts of Ecklonia cava including LAD103 showed significant antioxidant activities such as DPPH radical scavenging, ferric ion reduction, peroxynitrite scavenging, and inhibition of LDL oxidation, indicating their possible antioxidative interference both in onset and downstream consequences of osteoarthritis. LAD103 also showed significant down regulation of $PGE_2$ generation in LPS-treated RAW 246.7 cells, and significant inhibition of human recombinant interleukin-$1{\alpha}$-induced proteoglycan degradation, indicating its beneficial involvement in pathophysiological consequences of osteoarthritis, the mechanism of which needs further investigation. Since LAD103 showed strong therapeutic potentials in arthritic treatment through several in vitro experiments, it is highly encouraged to perform further mechanistic and efficacy studies.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.339-345
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• 2012

The marine carotenoid fucoxanthin can be found in marine brown seaweeds, macroalgae, diatoms, and microalgae, and has remarkable biological properties. Numerous studies have shown that fucoxanthin has considerable potential and promising applications in human health, but the underlying mechanisms involved in its anti-allergic activity are not fully understood. We here investigated the mechanisms by anti-allergic activity of fucoxanthin fraction from Eisenia bicyclis in immunoglobulin E-antigen complex (IgE/DNP-BSA)-stimulated RBL-2H3 mast cells. This study we found that the fucoxanthin inhibits the release of ${\beta}$-hexosaminidase and suppressed not only transcriptional activation of NF-${\kappa}B$, but also phosphorylation of ERK and JNK in IgE/DNP-BSA-treated RBL-2H3 cells. Fucoxanthin may be useful for preventing allergic diseases, including asthma and atopic dermatitis.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.545-553
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• 2021

In 2021, seven yeast strains were isolated from earthworm (Eisenia andrei) gut samples collected from the Nanji Water Regeneration Center in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, Korea. A total of seven yeasts were isolated, of which three strains have not been previously reported in Korea. To identify the yeasts, pairwise sequence comparisons of large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences were performed using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST). Assimilation test and cell morphology analysis were performed using the API 20C AUX kit and phase contrast microscope, respectively. Five of the seven strains were assigned to the genus Candida of the order Saccharomycetales of the class Saccharomycetes, and two to the genus Apiotrichum of the order Trichosporonales of the class Tremellomycetes. The yeast strain Candida sojae E2 belongs to the family Debaryomycetaceae, and Apiotrichum laibachii E8 and A. laibachii E9 belong to the family Trichosporonaceae. All strains were cultured in yeast mold agar for three days and showed different colony forms. C. sojae E2 was round and entire shaped, while A. laibachii E8 and A. laibachii E9 was round and convex shaped. This study focuses on the description of the three yeast strains that have not been officially reported in Korea.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.230-236
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• 2020

Objectives: Trachyspermum khasianum H. Wolff is a rare medicinal plant characteristically used by the traditional healers in traditional medicine for the treatment of throat-pain, toothache, and stomach ache. The study was designed to determine the anthelmintic and analgesic properties of the aerial parts of Trachyspermum khasianum H. Wolff (Family: Apiaceae). The aqueous and ethanol extract of T. khasianum H. Wolff was prepared and subjected for evaluation to determine the possible therapeutic effects. Methods: Anthelmintic activities of the extracts were determined by observing the time taken to paralyze and the time taken for the death of earthworms (Eisenia foetida) as compared to the standard drug-Albendazole (20 mg/ml) and control. Analgesic potential of the extracts was evaluated using Eddy's hot plate method to understand the analgesic activity in rats (Wistar rats) at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight doses and compared with the standard reference (Diclofenac sodium: 10 mg/kg of animals). Results: The extracts showed a significant dose-dependent anthelmintic effect at the different concentrations (10, 20, and 40) mg/ml, compared to that of the standard drug (20 mg/ml). Also, the results suggested that the plant extracts possess significantly analgesic activity in rats. Conclusion: The studies indicate that Trachyspermum khasianum shows anthelmintic and potent analgesic activities. Further research should be carried out to identify the specific phytoconstituents responsible for both analgesic and anthelmintic activities and its possible mechanism of action.