• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.411-418
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• 2014

This study was to investigate the potential effects of fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (FAG) at 5% (w/w) levels in Sprague-Dawley strain rats, which were intoxicated with 1% (w/w) orotic acid (OA) for 10 days. The activities of several hepatic enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cholinesterase were increased when OA was treated, but these parameters were significantly decreased by FAG administration. OA treatment induced a significant increase in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, which was attenuated by FAG administration. Liver nonheme ion was decreased in the OA treatment group and was significantly increased in FAG administration, which suggests that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. The glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the OA treatment group compared with the normal group, but this concentration was significantly increased in the FAG group, and it showed the antioxidant ability of glutathione. Based on these results, fermented Angelica gigas Nakai is a material with significant potential for development into a health food that can improve fatty liver conditions.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.352-358
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• 2020

Red yeast rice has been extensively used as a food and traditional medicine for thousands of years in Korea. Monascus produces many secondary metabolites during its growth, including pigments, monacolins, and γ-aminobutyric acid. Some metabolites, specifically monacolin K, γ-aminobutyric acid, and dimerumic acid, have been reported to lower cholesterol and blood pressure because of certain antioxidant effects. This study investigated the total phenolic content of ethanol extract from red yeast rice fermented with Monascus sp. BHN-MK and its anti-inflammatory effect on LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. To assess its anti-inflammatory effect, the inhibitory activity of the ethanol extract on LPS-induced NO production and expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 proteins in macrophage cells were measured. Its total polyphenol content was higher than that of ordinary non-fermented rice. Its NO production inhibition activity was comparable to that of the negative control group treated with LPS at a concentration of 400 ㎍/ml. Western blot revealed a significant decrease in the inhibition of iNOS and COX-2 protein expression at concentrations of 400 and 800 ㎍/ml, respectively. Red yeast rice ethanol extracts exerted the strongest anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate that red yeast rice could be used as a functional cosmetic and anti-inflammatory material.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2017

This study examined the effects of polyphenols in grape pruning stem extracts (GPSE) using grape stems discarded after harvest. The inhibitory effects on allergy, proliferation, and apoptosis in UVB-induced HR-1 hairless mice were analyzed. The applicability as a material for functional food and functional cosmetics was evaluated. The contents of the active ingredients of GPSE were analyzed by HPLC. After UVB irradiation on the dermis of HR-1 hairless mice, the number of mast cells was determined by toluidine blue staining to confirm that the skin allergic reaction was caused by GPSE. The results were similar to the normal group in the group applied GPSE, and there was no allergic reaction in the GPSE application group and a significant decreased compared to the sun cream control. PCNA immunohistochemical staining of the epidermal proliferation factor had an inhibitory effect on epidermal epithelial cell proliferation in all concentrations of GPSE and serum base mixture as an average of 42% compared to the control group. The mixture of GPSE and serum base suppressed the apoptosis inhibition rate by 27% on average compared to the control. These results confirmed the inhibitory effects GPSE on the allergic, proliferation, and apoptosis activities by with a serum base on UVB-induced skin damage. GPSE is a functional ingredient with potential skin protection effects, and has a high utilization as an ingredient for functional cosmetics.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.12
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• pp.19-24
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• 1969

As a one of the new methods for soybean protein food processings, an attempt was made to decompose steamed soybean protein to amino acids, peptides, and other water soluble forms by the use of protease produced by Aspergillus sojae, and extract them to use as additives of low protein foods or weaning-foods of children. In this paper, as a one part of this subject, the optimum condition, such as optimum pH, temperature, digestion period, raw material's mixing ratio with wheat meal, amount of water added, and effect of sodium chloride addition, to decompose and extract soybean protein were studied. They were obtained when mixing raw materials with wheat meal in the ratio of 10:4 and adding six folds of water at $40-45^{\circ}C$, pH 5-8 for 18 hrs. digestion. Although sodium chloride addition exerted an unfavorable influence upon the decomposition of the aforementioned materials, it was effective to prolongation of digestion period. Under the abovementioned optimum conditions, the maximum extractability of soybean protein as forms of amino acids, peptides, and other water soluble forms, was nearly 70 percent against protein content of raw materials.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.171-177
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• 2011

This study was carried out to search for natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds from 5 medicinal plants (Carthamus tinctorius seed, Cyperus rotundus, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum, and Paeonia lactiflora). These plants were extracted with 70% ethanol. In order to measure total antioxidant activity of flavonoids, polyphenol content was measured. Radical scavenging activities of extracts were examined using a-a-Diphenyl-${\beta}$-picrylhydrazyl ($DPPH{\cdot}$), 2,2-azino-bis 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid ($ABTS{\cdot}$), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and superoxide anion radical assays. C. tinctorius seed extracts showed the highest polyphenol and flavonoid contents as well as strong $DPPH{\cdot}$, $ABTS{\cdot}$, FRAP, and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity. Also, C. tinctorius seed extracts showed the highest nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory effect. Theses results indicate that the C. tinctorius seed extracts can be used as a functional material due to their effective anti-oxidative and antiinflammatory activities.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.251-258
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• 2001

Medicinal plant extracts including Rubus coreanus, Sanguisorba officinalis, Eriobotrya japonica, Prunus mume, Crataegus pinnatifida, Rosa leavaigate Prunus persica, Prunus japonica var. nakaii and Spiraea blumei were prepared for the test of antibacterial activity. Tryptic soy broth (TSB) containing $0{\sim}10mg/ml$ of medicinal plant extracts was inoculated with $10^6$ cells/ml of Staphylococcus aureus and incubated at $35^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours. The plate counting method and clear zone test were used to test inhibitory effect of the extracts. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was derived from the survival curves of S. aureus. The order of antibacterial activities of medicinal plant extracts on the S. aureus was Rubus coreanus > Sanguisorba officinalis > Eriobotrya japonica > Prunus mume > Crataegus pinnatfida. Minimum inhibitory concentration of Sanguisorba ofEcmalis on the Staphylococcus aureus was 2.5mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration of Rubus coreanus was 1.0%. Inhibition zone of Rubus coreanus, Sanguisorba officinalis, Eriobotrya japonica, Prunus mume, and Crataegus pinnatifida was 16.5mm, 14.3mm 11.0mm, 14.0mm and 12.7mm, respectively. The morphology of S. aureus cells treated with medicinal plant extracts showed damage of cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. Severely damaged cells of S. aureus lost electron dense material and cytoplasm. This result suggests that medicinal plant extracts can be used as an effective natural antibacterial agent in food.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2020

Objectives: The aims of this study were to review the standards and key components of the standards for disposable masks in Korea, the US, EU, Japan, and China and to evaluate the appropriateness of disposable masks during a virus pandemic. Methods: We reviewed the standards in the above countries and compared their key elements for each standard. For the second purpose, systemic paper gathering using key words like 'mask', 'respirator' 'virus', and 'coronavirus' in the PubMed search engine was performed. Fifty-three papers were selected and reviewed in regard to the appropriateness of test protocols with sodium chloride(NaCl) particles for virus filtration and the effectiveness against viruses. Results: The standards for masks are largely divided into two categories: US standards and EU standards. In Korea, the Ministry of Employment and Labor adapted the EU standards for workers and the Health Masks adopted the Ministry of Employment and Labor standards by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Regarding airborne viral infections, WHO emphasizes only droplet infection, while many studies have shown that small particles enter the air through coughing or sneezing, which increases the possibility of airborne infection. Compared to other particles, various factors such as airborne viability and the ability to replicate the virus in the body are further involved in the virus's airborne infection rate. Airborne infection is classified into absolute air infection, preferential air infection, and opportunistic air infection. The NaCl-certified N95 mask showed good filtration efficiency against viruses and NaCl particles were proved to be a surrogate material for viruses. From this, KF94 is also expected to be effective in blocking viruses. Conclusion: The N95 test method could be used as a surrogate test method for virus filtration. N95-class masks have been found to effectively block viral infections in the air. However, surgical or medical masks are only partially effective against airborne virus infection though they could effectively block large droplet infection. However, most studies considered in this study targeted N95 in foreign countries and studies on masks actually used in Korea are very limited, so studies on microorganisms and reuse on domestic masks should be conducted in the future.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.154-166
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• 2017

Polymeric films for gas barrier applications such as food packaging and electronic devices have attracted great interest due to their cheap, light and easy processability among gas barrier materials. Especially in electronic devices, extremely low gas permeance is necessary for maintaining the device performance. However, current polymeric barrier films still suffer from relatively high gas permeance than other materials. Therefore, there have been strong needs to enhance the gas barrier performance of polymeric barrier films while keep their own advantages. Recently, graphene is highlighted as a 2D-layered material for gas barrier applications. However, owing to the poor workability and difficulty to produce in engineering scale, graphene oxide (GO) is on the rise. GO consists of oxygen-containing functional groups on surface with intrinsic 2D-layered structure and high aspect ratio, and it can be well-dispersed in aqueous polar solvents like water, resulting in scalable mass production. Here, we prepared GO incorporated polyimide (PI) nanocomposites. PI is widely used barrier polymer with high mechanical strength and thermal and chemical stability. We demonstrated that PI/GO nanocomposites could perform as a gas barrier. Furthermore, surfactants (Triton X-100 (TX) and Sodium deoxycholate (SDC)) are introduced to enhance the gas barrier performance by improving the degree of dispersion of GO in PI matrix. As a result, TX enhanced the gas barrier performance of PI/GO nanocomposites which is similar to predicted value. This finding will provide new insight to polymer nanocomposites for gas barrier applications.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2019

The antioxidant, whitening, and anti-wrinkle activity of Spirodela polyrhiza extracts and fractions were evaluated to determine its efficacy as a functional cosmetic material. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging activities were 44.2 and 74.3%, respectively, at 100 ㎍/mL of SE-E (the ethyl acetate fraction of 70% ethanol extract). To measure anti-wrinkle effects, procollagen biosynthesis and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) inhibition activity were determined. At 25 ㎍/mL of SE (70% ethanol extract), the biosynthesis activity was 48.5%, and SE-E showed the best activity (57.8%) at the same concentration. MMP-1 inhibition activity of SE and SE-E was 13.4 and 28.5%, respectively, at 25 ig/mL. Finally, the inhibition of cellular melanin synthesis and cellular tyrosinase were measured to determine the whitening effect; at 25 ㎍/mL, the inhibition activities of SE were 9.6 and 13.8%, respectively, and those for SE-E were 15.4 and 22.0%, respectively. Our results confirmed the possibility of SE and SE-E as effective functional materials. Further research investigating the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities of S. polyrhiza is necessary to confirm its potential use in the food, cosmetics, and drug industries.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.381-387
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate differences of antioxidant activity, the content of free amino acids including GABA(gama-amino butyric acid) among mungbean cultivars grown in Highland area (Jinbu) and to compare those between seeds and sprouts. In DPPH (diphenyl picrydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, 'Jangan' mungbean activity was more higher than that of other cultivars. The content of total phenolic compounds of mungbean ranged from 1,186 to $1,493\;{\mu}g/g$ in seed and 2,321 to $2,783\;{\mu}g/g$ in sprout. Among amino acids of seeds, the content of glutamic acid was highest in 'Soseon' mungbean, and contents of almost amino acids increased during sprouting of seeds. The content of GABA that are known as a material having high functional effects on human body was also analyzed. When the relatively high content of GABA was observed in seeds of almost mungbean grown in highland, and their contents rapidly increased after sprouting from seeds. As a result of this experiment, it is expected that mungbean will be developed to a good alternative crop having high value as functional food materials in highland area of Korea.