• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2018

Melittin is the main component of apitoxin (bee venom) that has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Herein, we demonstrated that inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by melittin causes suppression of cancer cell migration and invasion. Melittin significantly suppressed the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced cell migration and invasion in lung cancer cells. Moreover, melittin up-regulated the expression of epithelial marker protein, E-cadherin, and down-regulated the expression of EMT related proteins, vimentin and fibronectin. Mechanistic studies revealed that melittin markedly suppressed the expression of EMT mediated transcription factors, ZEB2, Slug, and Snail. The EGF-induced phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, P70S6K, and 4EBP1 was also inhibited by melittin, but not that of ERK and JNK. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of melittin on migration and invasion of lung cancer cells may be associated with the inhibition of EMT via blocking of the AKT-mTOR-P70S6K-4EBP1 pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.223-230
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• 2019

Ozone is a gaseous molecule able to kill microorganisms, such as yeast, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa. However, ozone gas is unstable and cannot be used easily. In order to utilize ozone properly and efficiently, plant oil can be employed. Ozone reacts with C-C double bonds of fatty acids, converting to ozonized oil. In this reaction, ozonide is produced within fatty acids and the resulting ozonized oil has various biological functions. In this study, we showed that ozonized oil has antimicrobial activity against fungi and bacteria. To test the antimicrobial activity of ozonized oil, we produced ozonized olive oil. Ozonized olive oil was applied to Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Antimicrobial activity was assayed using the disk diffusion method following the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 0.25 mg for S. aureus, 0.5 mg for S. epidermidis, 3.0 mg for P. aeruginosa, and 1.0 mg for E. coli. Gram positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram negative bacteria. We compared growth inhibition zones against S. aureus and MRSA, showing that the ozonized olive oil was more effective on MRSA than S. aureus. Furthermore, the ozonized olive oil killed C. albicans within an hour. These data suggested that ozonized olive oil could be an alternative drug for MRSA infection and could be utilized as a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.836-843
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment on proliferation of human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HCT-116, PC-3 and AGS) of crude soyasaponin extracts in germinated black soybean. Black soybean was germinated and subjected to HHP, followed by preparation of crude soyasaponin extracts. Cell treatments done with extracts less than $400{\mu}g/mL$ concentrations had no significant effect on 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell viability. The inhibitory effect of crude soyasaponin extracts with germination periods and applied pressure on breast cancer cell (MCF-7), human colon cancer cell (HCT-116), human gastriccancer cell (AGS) and prostate cancer cell (PC-3) growth were investigated using MTT assay. The highest anti-proliferation of human cancer cell line of crude soyasaponin extracts was observed at 150 MPa treatment after germination for 4 days (150 MPa-Day 4). The cell viability on MCF-7, HCT-116, PC-3 and AGS cell lines of crude soyasaponin extract in 150 MPa-Day4 was 48.82%, 57.37%, 39.89% and 23.94% at $400{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. These results suggest that soyasaponin extracts from black soybean subjected to HHP after germination may mediate physiological activity.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.75-86
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary glucose oxidase (GOD), catalase (CAT), or both supplementation on reproductive performance, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in sows. Methods: A total of 104 multiparous sows were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 26) with each group given a basal diet, basal diet plus GOD at 60 U/kg, basal diet plus CAT at 75 U/kg, and basal diet plus GOD at 60 U/kg and CAT at 75 U/kg. Sows were fed the experimental diets throughout gestation and lactation. Results: Dietary GOD supplementation increased average daily feed intake of sows and litter weight at weaning (p<0.05). Dietary CAT supplementation reduced the duration of parturition, stillbirth, and piglet mortality and increased growth performance of weaned piglets (p<0.05). Dietary GOD and CAT supplementation enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and lessened oxidative stress product levels in plasma of sows and elevated antioxidant capacity of 14-day milk and plasma in weaned piglets (p<0.05). Dietary GOD supplementation increased fecal Lactobacillus counts and reduced Escherichia coli counts of sows (p<0.05). Compared with the basal diet, the GOD diet reduced fecal Escherichia coli counts of sows, but the addition of CAT did not reduce Escherichia coli counts in the GOD diet. Dietary GOD and CAT supplementation reduced the apoptosis rate of the liver, endometrium, and ovarian granulosa cells in sows (p<0.05). In the liver, uterus, and ovary of sows, the mRNA expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 was downregulated by dietary GOD and CAT supplementation (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dietary GOD and CAT supplementation could improve the antioxidant capacity of sows and weaned piglets, and alleviate hepatic, ovarian and uterine apoptosis by weakening apoptosis-related gene expression. Glucose oxidase regulated fecal microflora of sows, but supplementation of CAT to GOD could weaken the inhibitory effect of GOD on fecal Escherichia coli.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.553-561
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• 2022

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a slowly progressing hematopoietic cell disorder. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) plays established roles in tumor initiation, progression, and chemotherapy resistance in a wide range of cancers, including leukemia. However, small-molecule inhibitors targeting SPHK1 in CML still need to be developed. This study revealed the role of SPHK1 in CML and investigated the potential anti-leukemic activity of hirsuteine (HST), an indole alkaloid obtained from the oriental plant Uncaria rhynchophylla, in CML cells. These results suggest that SPHK1 is highly expressed in CML cells and that overexpression of SPHK1 represents poor clinical outcomes in CML patients. HST exposure led to G2/M phase arrest, cellular apoptosis, and downregulation of Cyclin B1 and CDC2 and cleavage of Caspase 3 and PARP in CML cells. HST shifted sphingolipid rheostat from sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) towards the ceramide coupled with a marked inhibition of SPHK1. Mechanistically, HST significantly blocked SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways. In addition, HST can be docked with residues of SPHK1 and shifts the SPHK1 melting curve, indicating the potential protein-ligand interactions between SPHK1 and HST in both CML cells. SPHK1 overexpression impaired apoptosis and proliferation of CML cells induced by HST alone. These results suggest that HST, which may serve as a novel and specific SPHK1 inhibitor, exerts anti-leukemic activity by inhibiting the SPHK1/S1P/S1PR1 and BCR-ABL/PI3K/Akt pathways in CML cells, thus conferring HST as a promising anti-leukemic drug for CML therapy in the future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.743-754
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• 2023

Background: Myocardial fibrosis post-myocardial infarction (MI) can induce maladaptive cardiac remodeling as well as heart failure. Although 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) has been applied to cardiovascular diseases, its efficacy and specific molecular mechanism in myocardial fibrosis are largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to explore whether TGFBR1 signaling was involved in Rg3's anti-fibrotic effect post-MI. Methods: Left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation-induced MI mice and TGF-β1-stimulated primary cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were adopted. Echocardiography, hematoxlin-eosin and Masson staining, Western-blot and immunohistochemistry, CCK8 and Edu were used to study the effects of Rg3 on myocardial fibrosis and TGFBR1 signaling. The combination mechanism of Rg3 and TGFBR1 was explored by surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi). Moreover, myocardial Tgfbr1-deficient mice and TGFBR1 adenovirus were adopted to confirm the pharmacological mechanism of Rg3. Results: In vivo experiments, Rg3 ameliorated myocardial fibrosis and hypertrophy and enhanced cardiac function. Rg3-TGFBR1 had the 1.78×10^-7 M equilibrium dissociation constant based on SPRi analysis, and Rg3 inhibited the activation of TGFBR1/Smads signaling dose-dependently. Cardiac-specific Tgfbr1 knockdown abolished Rg3's protection against myocardial fibrosis post-MI. In addition, Rg3 downregulated the TGF-β1-mediated CFs growth together with collagen production in vitro through TGFBR1 signaling. Moreover, TGFBR1 adenovirus partially blocked the inhibitory effect of Rg3. Conclusion: Rg3 improves myocardial fibrosis and cardiac function through suppressing CFs proliferation along with collagen deposition by inactivation of TGFBR1 pathway.

• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2011

Weed control using cover crops has advantages of agricultural and environmental aspects which prevent soil erosion, nitrogen supply, improving soil physical properties, reduction of nitrate leaching, organic supply and control of weed occurrence. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of cover crops on the weed occurrence, growth and yield of soybean in cover crop-soybean cropping system. The treatments were consisted of 4 different mulching system such as crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) residue, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) residue, rye (Secale cereale) residue and Polyethylene plastic(P.E.) mulch with no mulch treatment (control). Three cover crops were grown throughout the winter and were cut in next spring. And then 13 days old soybean seedlings were transplanted in each treatment field on $4^{th}$ June. Crimson clover, hairy vetch and rye mulch treatments reduced weeds density compared to control (73.0%, 98.0% and 85.3% respectively), on $26^{th}$ May. However, weed inhibition rate of crimson clover mulch treatment was sharply decreased to 4.17% on $6^{th}$ August, while hairy vetch and rye mulch treatments were continued high weed inhibition rate with 87.6% and 72.0% respectively. There was no inhibition effect of perennial, winter annual and broadleaf weeds inhibition in crimson clover mulch treatment. Height of soybean in crimson clover, hairy vetch and P.E. mulch treatment was 6.9%, 20.2% and 22.0% higher than that of control. But height of soybean in rye mulch treatment was lower than control on $13^{th}$ July. At harvesting, yields of soybean were in order of hairy vetch mulch treatment${\fallingdotseq}$ P.E. mulch treatment > crimson clover mulch treatment ${\fallingdotseq}$ rye mulch treatment > control.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 2008

Uncooked powered diet (Saengshik) composed of grains, vegetables, mushrooms and fruits have various physiological functions including strong antioxidant and potent anticancer effects by many kinds of bioactive phytochemicals. The objective of present study was to identify the anticancer effects of vitamin C and saengshik on colon cancer induced by CT-26 cell line in BALB/c mice. As the result, the tumor volumes of vitamin C-mixed diet group (VC) showed no significant differences compared with control group (C) after subcutaneous injection of CT-26 cell lines. However saengshik group (S) showed a significant effect, inhibiting the growth of cancer by 56.2% ($4.8{\pm}9.0\;mm^3$), 48.1% ($80.8{\pm}60.0\;mm^3$), 43.2% ($135.2{\pm}117.2\;mm^3$), 55.5% ($233.6{\pm}248.2\;mm^3$), 69.2% ($304.6{\pm}442.5\;mm^3$) and 70.7% ($464.9{\pm}705.9\;mm^3$) respectively as compared with C group at an interval of 5 days after injection of the CT-26 cells into mice. Also the final tumor volume of S group exerted a significant differences as compared with one of C group (p<0.05). Especially in the case of S group (n=10), the tumors in 2 of 10 mice entirely disappeared at 25th day. Our results suggest that saengshik possess a strong inhibitory action against tumor growth induced by CT-26 colon cancer cell line in the mice. Further studies of saengshik are required to confirm the cancer prevention effect and possibility of adjuvant cancer therapy.

• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2024

This study was conducted to selection and investigate appropriate conditions for mass production of antagonistic microbes to control cobweb disease caused by Cladobotryum mycophilum. A grampositive bacterium was isolated from spent substrate of Agaricus bisporus and showed significant antagonistic activity against Cladobotryum mycophilum. The bacterium was identified as Bacillus altitudinis. based on the cultural, biochemical and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA sequence. The isolate is saprophytic, but not parasitic nor pathogenic to cultivated mushroom whereas it showed strong inhibitory effects against C. mycophilum cells in vitro. The control efficacy of B. altitudinis HC7 against cobweb disease of C. mycophilum was up to 78.2% on Agaricus bisporus. The suppressive bacterium may be useful for the development of biocontrol system. To define the appropriate conditions for the mass production of the Bacillus altitudinis HC7, we have investigated appropriate culture conditions and effects of various nutrient source on the bacterial growth. The appropriate initial pH and temperature were determined as pH 6.0 and 30℃, respectively. The appropriate concentration of medium elements for the growth of pathogen inhibitor bacterium(Bacillus altitudinis HC7) was determined as follows: 3.0% soluble startch, 10% soytone, 1.0% (NH₄)₂HPO₄, 1.0 mmol KCl, and 0.5% L-asparagine.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 1983

This study was conducted to obtain basic informations for growth regulators on occurrence of sucker in tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Varieties used were "hicks" and "kusaga mammoth" and growth regulators such as MH(maleic hydrazide), GA(Gibberellic acid) and BA(Benzyl adenine) were used. Immediately after topping, an application of maleic hydrazide at 900g a.i./ha completely inhibited sucker development, but sucker were developed as the rates of MH decreased, in both varieties. In nontopped tobacco plants, the similar trend as in the topped plant was observed except for no sucker development in the untreated control. Any combination of GA and BA under presence of MH had no effects on sucker development in the topped tobacco plants. However, in the nontopped plants, sucker were observed when the combined ratio of BA and GA was 10 to 1 under the presence of MH standard level. The highest no. of sucker was obtained when combined BA $10^{-5}M$ with GA $10^{-6}M$ under the presence of MH, showing higher response of hicks than that of kusaga mammoth. A single application of GA and BA in the topped plants markedly increased sucker number as GA concentrations increased showing varietal difference. GA $10^{-4}M$ increased sucker number as high as as 42% for hicks, but inhibitory effect on kusaga mammoth in comparision with the untreated control, showing very effective on hicks. BA showed the similar effect like GA. Combinations of GA and BA showed antagonistic effect on sucker development. The length of sucker was markedly promoted as the GA rates increased, and the promotive effect of sucker length by GA was not nullified by the addition of BA. But combination treatment of GA and BA mostly resulted in less dry weight than the untreated control, indicating that sucker developed from the combined treatments of GA and BA were not normal and kusaga mammoth was more affected by them.