• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.353-358
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• 2010

This study demonstrates the ability of magnolol, a hydroxylated biphenyl compound isolated from Magnolia officinalis, to inhibit LPS-induced expression of iNOS gene and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel in RAW 264.7 cells. Immunohisto-chemical staining of iNOS and Western blot analysis showed magnolol to inhibit iNOS gene expression. Reporter gene assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that magnolol inhibited NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel transcriptional activation and DNA binding, respectively. Since p38 is important in the regulation of iNOS gene expression, we investigated the possibility that magnolol to target p38 for its anti-inflammatory effects. A molecular modeling study proposed a binding position for magnolol that targets the ATP binding site of p38 kinase (3GC7). Direct interaction of magnolol and p38 was further confirmed by pull down assay using magnolol conjugated to Sepharose 4B beads. The specific p38 inhibitor SB203580 abrogated the LPS-induced NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel activation, whereas the selective MEK-1 inhibitor PD98059 did not affect the NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel. Collectively, the results of the series of experiments indicate that magnolol inhibits iNOS gene expression by blocking NF-${\kappa}B$/Rel and p38 kinase signaling.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2014

In the present study, red ginseng extracts were fermented by Paecilomyces tenuipes and the protopanaxdiol-type ginsenosides in the extracts were bio-transformed to F2, Rg3, Rg5, Rk1, Rh2, and CK determined by a high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis. It indicates that P. tenuipes is a microorganism to biotransform protopanaxdiol-type ginsenosides to their less glucosidic metabolites. Other biotransformed metabolites during fermentation were also analyzed using a GC-MS and identified as 2-methyl-benzaldehyde, 4-vinyl-2-methylphenol, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. Antiulcerogenic activity of the fermented red ginseng extract (FRGE) on gastric mucosal damage induced by 0.15 M HCl in ethanol in rats was evaluated. FRGE was shown to have a potent protective effect on gastritis with 60.5% of inhibition rate at the dose of 40 mg/kg when compared to 54.5% of the inhibition rate at the same dose for stillen, the currently used medicine for treating gastritis. Linoleic acid showed a strong inhibition on gastritis with 79.3% of inhibition rate at the dose of 40.0 mg/kg. FRGE exhibited a distinct anticancer activity including growth inhibition of the two human colon cancer cells HT29 and HCT116. HT29 cells were less susceptible to FRGE in comparison with HCT116 cells. Taken together, fungal fermentation of the red ginseng extract induced hydrolysis of some ginsenosides and FRGE exhibited potent antiulcerogenic and anticancer activities. These results refer to use FRGE as a new source for treating human diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1018-1026
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• 2020

Rosemary essential oil was evaluated for antifungal potentiality against six major ginseng pathogens: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotinia nivalis, Cylindrocarpon destructans, Alternaria panax, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium oxysporum. The in vitro fungicidal effects of two commonly used fungicides, namely mancozeb and fenhexamid, and the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Trichoderma koningiopsis T-403 on the mycelial growth were investigated. The results showed that rosemary essential oil is active against all of the pathogenic strains of ginseng root rot, whereas rosemary oil displayed high ability to inhibit the Sclerotinia spp. growth. The highest sensitivity was S. nivalis, with complete inhibition of growth at 0.1% v/v of rosemary oil, followed by Alternaria panax, which exhibited 100% inhibition at 0.3% v/v of the oil. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of rosemary oil ranged from 0.1 % to 0.5 % (v/v). Chemical analysis using GC-MS showed the presence of thirty-two constituents within rosemary oil from R. officinals L. Camphore type is the most frequent sesquiterpene in rosemary oil composition. Mancozeb and fenhexamid showed their highest inhibition effect (45% and 30%, respectively) against A. panax. T. koningiopsis T-403 showed its highest inhibition effect (84%) against C. destructans isolate. This study may expedite the application of antifungal natural substances from rosemary and Trichoderma in the prevention and control of phytopathogenic strains in ginseng root infections.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.2 s.49
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• pp.167-178
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• 2005

This study was carried out to evaluate the temporal, spatial, and seasonal variations of VOC, and to characterize the VOC concentrations in two large industrial complexes located in Pohang and Gumi cities. Twenty -four hours continuous sampling of selected VOC was made with STS 25 sequential tube samplers and double-bed adsorbent tubes. Air samples were collected every three hour interval for 7 consecutive days in each site during summer and winter. VOC were determined by thermal desorption coupled with GC/MS. A total of 27 VOCs of environmental concern were determined, including aliphatic, aromatic and halides. Generally. concentrations of toxic VOC were higher in Gumi than Pohang, and VOC levels in industrial areas were typically several-fold higher than those in residential areas. The most abundant VOC appeared to be toluene for both cities. However, chlorinated VOC were higher in Gumi than Pohang, while aromatic VOC were more abundant in Pohang than in Gumi. Two cities showed relatively different variations of VOC concentrations within a day. It is likely that traffic related sources are major factors affecting the VOC in Pohang, and industrial solvents usages are important sources in Gumi. These results imply that the occurrence and levels of atmospheric VOC are strongly dependent on the type of industries in each city. Therefore, in order to develop any control strategies or to establish the priority rankings for VOC in large industrial complexes, the type of industries and the occurrence of VOC in the atmosphere should be taken into consideration.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2007

249 fungal strains were isolated from the roots of 26 plants, and the production of GAs was spectrophotometric ally examined. As a result 76 fungal strains were shown to produce GAs. Bioassay of culture broth from seventy six fungal strains producing GAs was carried out with waito-c rice, that is dwarf rice. The seventy six fungi with GAs-producing activity were incubated for seven days in 40 mL of Czapek's liquid medium at $30^{\circ}C$ and 180 rpm, and the culture broth of fungi were treated on the 2-leaf rice sprout. Fifteen of these showed plant growth promoting activity and the amount of each GAs in the medium was measured by Gas chromatographymass spectrometer (GC-MS). Nine of these fungi were also identified by genetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences in the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal DNA.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1177-1184
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• 2012

In order to estimate how diverse the mating types in Pleurotus eryngii from different regions are, pairings between monokaryons derived from inter- and intra-groups were done. Sixteen and 15 alleles were identified at loci A and B from the 12 strains. In the P. eryngii KNR2312, widely used for commercial production, four mating loci, A3, A4, B3, and B4, were determined. Those loci, except A3, were found in 4 strains out of 12 strains. To improve breeding efficiency, especially in mating type determination, RAPD and BSA were performed to screen for a mating type specific marker. The SCAR marker 13-$2_{2100}$ was developed based on the RAPD-derived sequence typing B3 locus. The sequence analysis of 13-$2_{2100}$ revealed that it contained a conserved domain, the STE3 super-family, and consensus sequences like the TATA box and GC box. It seems likely that the SCAR marker region is a part of the pheromone receptor gene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1598-1609
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• 2013

Organochlorine pesticide residues continue to remain as a major environmental threat worldwide. Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide widely used as an acaricide in medicine and agriculture. In the present study, a new lindane-degrading yeast strain, Pseudozyma VITJzN01, was identified as a copious producer of glycolipid biosurfactant. The glycolipid structure and type were elucidated by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The surface activity and stability of the glycolipid was analyzed. The glycolipids, characterized as mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), exhibited excellent surface active properties and the surface tension of water was reduced to 29 mN/m. The glycolipid was stable over a wide range of pH, temperature, and salinity, showing a very low CMC of 25 mg/l. Bio-microemulsion of olive oil-in-water (O/W) was prepared using the purified biosurfactant without addition of any synthetic cosurfactants, for lindane solubilization and enhanced degradation assay in liquid and soil slurry. The O/W bio-microemulsions enhanced the solubility of lindane up to 40-folds. Degradation of lindane (700 mg/l) by VITJzN01 in liquid medium amended with bio-microemulsions was found to be enhanced by 36% in 2 days, compared with degradation in 12 days in the absence of bio-microemulsions. Lindane-spiked soil slurry incubated with bio-microemulsions also showed 20-40% enhanced degradation compared with the treatment with glycolipids or yeast alone. This is the first report on lindane degradation by Pseudozyma sp., and application of bio-microemulsions for enhanced lindane degradation. MEL-stabilized bio-microemulsions can serve as a potential tool for enhanced remediation of diverse lindane-contaminated environments.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.316-321
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• 2020

Changes in flavor compounds in pine mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) liquor added with pine tree chips were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. While three flavor compounds were detected in the control, fifteen were detected in the pine mushroom liquor added with pine tree chips. After eight-weeks of aging, the relative concentrations of β-fenchyl alcohol, 2-octanol, and methyl cinnamate, which are distinctive flavor characteristics of the pine mushroom, increased by 67.57%, 2.14%, and 0.94%, respectively, when pine tree chips were added (5%). Principal component analysis revealed that although flavor characteristics of the pine mushroom liquor were affected by the increased production of β-fenchyl alcohol due to the addition of pine tree chips, the aging time exerted a greater influence on flavor.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.253-263
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• 2016

Fungi, such as the wood-rotting Polyporus brumalis, are excellent sources of pharmaceutically interesting natural products such as sesquiterpenoids. In this study, we investigated the biosynthesis of P. brumalis sesquiterpenoids on modified medium. Ten additional species of white rot fungi were inoculated in medium containing nutrients such as $C_6H_{12}O_6$, $C_4H_{12}N_2O_6$, $KH_2PO_4$, $MgSO_4$, and $CaCl_2$ at $28^{\circ}C$ for 25 days. After 10 days of incubation, eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes, ${\beta}$-eudesmane and ${\beta}$-eudesmol, were only synthesized during the growth phase of P. brumalis. Experiments excluding one nutrient at a time were conducted to determine the effects of inorganic nutrients on sesquiterpene biosynthesis. In conclusion, GC-MS analysis showed that biosynthesis of sesquiterpenes was differentially regulated by inorganic nutrients such as $MgSO_4$, $C_4H_{12}N_2O_6$, and $KH_2PO_4$. We found $MgSO_4$ supplementation to be vital for eudesmane-type sesquiterpene biosynthesis in P. brumalis; nitrogen ($C_4H_{12}N_2O_6$) and phosphate ($KH_2PO_4$) inhibited the synthesis of P. brumalis metabolites. Magnesium is a known cofactor of sesquiterpene synthase, which promotes ${\beta}$-eudesmol synthesis. To mechanistically understand eudesmane-type sesquiterpene biosynthesis in P. brumalis, further research into the genes regulating the dynamics of such biosynthesis is warranted.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2005

Surface sediments (0$\~$4 cm) were sampled at 40 stations from Ulsan Bay and its adjacent areas of Korea, to evaluate the contamination by sewage-derived organic matters using fecal sterols. Some sterols were quantified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Total concentrations of eight sterols (co­prostanol, cholesterol, cholestanol, epicholestanol, epicoprostanol, ${\beta}-sitosterol,$ brassicasterol, and stigmasterol) in the sediments from Ulsan Bay and its vicinity varied from 929 to 23,444 ng/g dry weight. The most predom­inant sterols were cholesterol and coprostanol, accounting for $33\~72{\%}$ of total sterols. The concentration of coprostanol known as the indicator of human feces ranged from 141 to 8,257 ng/g dry weight. In particular, the coprostanol concentrations in the sediments from Jansaengpo Harbor and Taehwa River exceeded the value of 1,000 ng/g dry weight, suggesting that these areas could be considered as the hot-spot zones by municipal sewage contamination. Some molecular indices and multivariate data analysis were used to assess the origin of these sterols in the sediments. Results showed that the major routes of sewage contamination in Ulsan Bay and its vicinity were the input through Jansaengpo Harbor and Taehwa River.