• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.178-182
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• 2017

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is the world's leading quality certification for food safety. Since its introduction in Korea in 2006, its importance has been increasing every year. In particular, food safety issues are becoming increasingly important in society, and food safety is directly linked to health. The core of GAP certification is the traceability of the production, distribution, and consumption of hazardous materials, including pesticide residues, heavy metals, and microbes. In the present study, pesticides and heavy metals in button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and associated cultivation materials were analyzed. Tricyclozole (0.0144 ppm), flubendiamide (0.147 ppm), and trifloxystrobin (0.0340 ppm) were detected in rice straw and wheat straw, and carbendazim (0.0142 ppm) was detected in mixed wheat straw and rice straw medium. Lead and cadmium were detected at levels higher than the standard level in rice straw and mixed medium. However, lead and cadmium were not detected in mushrooms, and levels of arsenic and mercury were below the safety limit. Therefore, it was confirmed that the residual pesticides and heavy metals are safely managed in the investigated mushroom species. The results of the present study suggest that if these materials are adequately managed in the surroundings during cultivation, all hazardous materials can be managed during mushroom production.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2018

Despite the great potential for the versatile applications in food industry and medical area, chitosan as a biocompatible cationic polysaccharide has suffered from the limited solubility under physiological condition. Herein, we demonstrated the electrostatic formation of chitosan-based polyplex particles, counterbalanced by polyacrylate as an anionic polyelectrolyte. The resulting polyplex exhibited pH- and composition-dependent changes in their surface charges as measured by zeta potential, which can be employed to provide the interparticle repulsive forces for enhanced colloidal stability in homogeneous solution. Subsequently, amide coupling between the acrylates and glucosamine residues of chitosan inside the polyplex further generated the hydrogel particles, which showed the temperature-sensitive swelling property. This aspect can be attributed to the partial formation of acryl amide residues, which have been generally known to possess the lower critical solution temperature (LCST).

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.60-67
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• 2021

In this study we investigated pesticide residues on herbs and spices disrtibuted in the Incheon Metropolitan area. A total of 112 samples were purchased from off-line and on-line markets from January to October 2020. In accordance with the implementation of the Positive List System (PLS), the proper usage of pesticides is now being enforced. It is assumed that unregistered pesticides are being used on herbs and spices due to the low number of registered pesticides in the agricultural industry. Pesticide residue levels were not detected in 99 samples but 11 kinds of pesticides in 6 samples (13 times) exceeded the MRLs. The pesticides that were used in accordance with the PLS were Diazinon, Diethofencarb and Pyridalyl. However, unregistered pesticides were on the herbs and spices. Therefore, it is necessary to educate producers of herbs and spices on the appropriate use of pesticides. It is also necessary to establish MRLs on herbs and spices.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.410-416
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• 2008

The gene SfXyn10, which encodes a protease-resistant xylanase, was isolated using colony PCR screening from a genomic library of a feather-degrading bacterial strain Streptomyces fradiae var. k11. The full-length gene consists of 1,437bp and encodes 479 amino acids, which includes 41 residues of a putative signal peptide at its N terminus. The amino acid sequence shares the highest similarity (80%) to the endo-1,4-${\beta}$-xylanase from Streptomyces coelicolor A3, which belongs to the glycoside hydrolase family 10. The gene fragment encoding the mature xylanase was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). The recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity by acetone precipitation and anion-exchange chromatography, and subsequently characterized. The optimal pH and temperature for the purified recombinant enzyme were 7.8 and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme showed stability over a pH range of 4.0-10.0. The kinetic values on oat spelt xylan and birchwood xylan substrates were also determined. The enzyme activity was enhanced by $Fe^{2+}$ and strongly inhibited by $Hg^{2+}$ and SDS. The enzyme also showed resistance to neutral and alkaline proteases. Therefore, these characteristics suggest that SfXyn10 could be an important candidate for protease-resistant mechanistic research and has potential applications in the food industry, cotton scouring, and improving animal nutrition.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.125-134
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: It is a very important task to block distribution of the agricultural products contaminated with pesticides in advance to protect consumers from residual pesticides among the agricultural products. Therefore, this study was performed to determine residual characteristics of pesticides in time-dependent manner and present scientific evidences for pre-harvest residue limit (PHRL) setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: The tested pesticides, chromafenozide and pyridalyl were sprayed onto the kale twice (seven day intervals) and then the plant samples were collected at 0 (after 3 hours), 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after the last spraying. Residual concentration of chromafenozide in kale decreased with 74.9% (of decreased fraction, field 1) and 85.3% (field 2) and pyridalyl decreased with 81.2% (field 1) and 85.8% (field 2), calculated by comparisons of the concentrations at 0 day and 10 days. Also biological half-lives of chromafenozide in kale were 5.6 day (field 1) and 3.4 day (field 2), and those of pyridalyl were 4.3 day (field 1) and 3.5 day (field 2). CONCLUSION(S): If the residues of chromafenozide and pyridalyl in kale from 10 days before harvest are less than 37.6 mg/kg and 58.9 mg/kg, respectively, it is expected that safe kale below MRL can be supplied on the pre-harvest day.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.48-58
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• 2009

Glycosyl hydrolases (GH, EC 3.2.1.-) are key enzymes which can hydrolyze the glycosidic bonds between two or more carbohydrates, or between a carbohydrate and a non-carbohydrate moiety. The new enzyme nomenclature of glycoside hydrolases is based on their amino acid sequence similarity and structural features. Here, we examined the glycosyl hydrolase family(GHF) genes reported from earthworm species. Among overall 115 GHFs, 12 GHFs could be identified from earthworm species through CAZy database. Of 12 GHF group genes, five genes including GHF2, 5, 17, 18, 20 are thought to be potent for industrial applications. The alignment of these genes with same genes from other animal species exhibited high sequence homology and some important amino acid residues necessary for enzyme activity appeared to be conserved. These genes can be utilized as a pest control agent or applicable to the food industry, clinical therapeutics and organic wastes disposition.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.341-353
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• 2020

In accordance with the implementation of the Positive List System (PLS), the proper usage of pesticides is now being enforced. It is assumed that unregistered pesticides are being used on agroforestry products due to the low number of registered pesticides in the agricultural industry. In this study, pesticide and heavy metal residues were investigated in 13 types of products to determine the status of usage. The levels (%) of pesticides detected in Pimpinella beachscape, Platycodon grandiflorum, Codonopsis lancekolate, Artemisia dubia, Angelica gigas, Pyrus pyrifolia, and Punica granatum were 40.0, 20.0, 26.7, 13.3, 56.3, 57.1, 33.3, 26.7, 66.7, and 46.7%, respectively, while, those in Petridium aquilinum, Disoscorea batata and Senna tora were zero. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd) were detected only from P. grandisflorum and A. dubia. The pesticide usage and registration data by agroforestry product obtained in the study will be useful in the future for ensuring the safety of domestic agroforestry products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Grassland Science Conference
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• 2002.09b
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• pp.131-156
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• 2002

Although economically viable, the livestock industry is currently facing a number of challenging environmental problems and highly complex social issues, many of which are related to its size and geographically concentrated nature. Increased emphasis on environmental quality has also placed new demands on livestock producers to ensure that their production practices are in harmony with natural environment. In terms of sustainable agricultural systems, ruminants have served and will continue to serve a valuable role. They are particularly useful in converting vast renewable resources from rangeland, pasture, and crop residues or other by-product into food edible for human. With ruminants, land that is too poor or too erodable to cultivate becomes productive. Also, nutrients in by-products are utilized and do not become a waste-disposal problem. In Korea, however, native and dairy cattle production is not consistent with the advantageous roles of ruminant livestock in sustainable agricultural system because imported feed grains become the main basis for cattle raising. At present the ruminant livestock producers are heavily concentrated in and around the urban areas. About 75% of all the nation's cattle herds are kept on the outskirts of urban areas. As a result, the amount of pasture and forage land available per head of cattle is generally small. Furthermore, animals are raised in a cattle shed with high density. This situation is rather unfavorable for the national economic and environmental points of view As nation income increased, the demand for livestock products grew at an unforeseeable pace. But the pasture area involving in current utilization is tended to decrease during recent years. Based on the above figures more than 250,000 ha of pasture ought to be available for the present herd of cattle. It is obvious that these needs can scarcely be met with arable lands. Lands area for the establishment of new grassland have to be found in the hills and mountains which have not yet been used for crop framing or livestock. The development of extensive grasslands in the hill and woodland areas is now a declared aim. The starting point of the present work is the lack of knowledge of forage production and utilization in hill pasture and woodland in spite of indispensable necessity for livestock production in Korea. The importance of pastoral system in hill region and woodland is particularly emphasized in a standpoint of sustainable livestock production. Main chapter comprises the principle and techniques applicable for improving the utilization of hill pasture and woodland. We finally discussed the problems to solve and future works for a successful livestock production in hill and mountainous area in Korea.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.273-282
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• 2011

This study established hazards which may cause risk to human at farm during cultivation stage of paprika. Samples of plants (paprika, leaf, stem), cultivation environments (water, soil), personal hygiene (hand, glove, clothes), work utensils (carpet, basket, box) and airborne bacteria were collected from three paprika farms (A, B, C) located in Western Gyeongnam, Korea. The collected samples were assessed for biological (sanitary indications and major foodborne pathogens), chemical (heavy metals, pesticide residues) and physical hazards. In biological hazards, total bacteria and coliform were detected at the levels of 1.9~6.6 and 0.0~4.610g CFU/g, leaf, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, while Escherichia coli was not detected in all samples. In major pathogens, only Bacillus cereus were detected at levels of ${\leq}$ 1.5 log CFU/g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, while Staphylococuus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157 and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all samples. Heavy metal and pesticide residue as chemical hazards were detected at levels below the regulation limit, physical hazard factors, such as insects, pieces of metal and glasses, were also found in paprika farms. Proper management is needed to prevent biological hazards due to cross-contamination while physical and chemical hazards were appropriate GAP criteria.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.340-360
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• 2010

The depletion of fossil fuels, ecological problems associated with $CO_2$ emissions climate change, growing world population, and future energy supplies are forcing the development of alternative resources for energy (heat and electricity), transport fuels and chemicals: the replacement of fossil resources with $CO_2$ neutral biomass. Several options exist to cover energy supplies of the future, including solar, wind, and water power; however, chemical carbon source can get from biomass only. When used in combination with environmental friend production and processing technology, the use of biomass can be seen as a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical feedstocks. The biorefinery concept is analogous to today's petroleum refinery, which produce multiple fuels and chemical products from petroleum. A biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from biomass. Biorefinery is the co-production of a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, and chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, and heat) from biomass [definition IEA Bioenergy Task 42]. By producing multiple products, a biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates therefore maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstocks. A biorefinery could, for example, produce one or several low-volume, but high-value, chemical or nutraceutical products and a low-value, but high-volume liquid transportation fuel such as biodiesel or bioethanol. Future biorefinery may play a major role in producing chemicals and materials as a bridge between agriculture and chemistry that are traditionally produced from petroleum. Industrial biotechnology is expected to significantly complement or replace the current petroleum-based industry and to play an important role.