• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.444-447
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• 2015

This study was carried out to determine the antibacterial activity of $SeO_2$ against pathogenic bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Using the disc diffusion method, $SeO_2$ showed higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria used in this study. Coccus-form bacteria showed much susceptible to $SeO_2$, compared to bacillus-form bacteria. Compared to antibiotics-susceptible S. aureus, antibiotics used in this study showed lower antibacterial activity against MRSA. As $200-500{\mu}g/disc$ of $SeO_2$ was applied, diameters of clear zone for S. aureus and MRSA were 20-32.7 mm and 13.5-17.9 mm, respectively. For MRSA, minimal inhibitory concentration of $SeO_2$ was $40{\mu}g/ml$. When $SeO_2$ was added in culture broth, cell growth of MRSA was inhibited. These results will be applied to determine antibacterial mechanism of MRSA and other pathogenic microorganisms.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.3224-3226
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• 2014

A new androstane derivative, $4{\beta}$-methyl-15-oxa-$14{\beta}$-androstane-7-ene-$4{\alpha}$-carboxylic acid (1) and a known one $4{\beta}$-methyl-15-oxa-$14{\beta}$-androstane-7-ene-$4{\alpha}$-hydroxyl (2) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the cultures of the fungus Marasmiellus ramealis (Bull.) Singer. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR as well as MS spectroscopic data analysis. The inhibitory activity of two isolates against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) revealed that compound 1 exhibited definitely inhibitory activity.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.513-516
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• 2011

The occurrence of dental caries is mainly associated with oral pathogens, especially cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize lactic acid bacterium showing inhibitory activity against cariogenic Streptococcus mutans. As results, an isolate with strong inhibitory activity was obtained from Kimchi and it was identified as Lactobacillus sakei by API and 16S rRNA gene analyses. This strain secreted an inhibitory compound in cell growth medium and the activity of the compound was completely disappeared by proteinase K revealing the fact that the compound is proteinous substance, bacteriocin. Optimal culture condition for bacteriocin production by Lb. sakei K-7 was at pH 7.5 and $37^{\circ}C$ for 18 h. Oral administration of this isolate may give anticariogenic and probiotic effects on hosts.

• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 2000

A fulminant hepatitis is associated with massive liver cell necrosis and a high mortality rate. But survivors regenerate a normal liver and do not have chronic liver disease. This clinical course suggests that the acutely injured livers release a factor that allows a recovery from chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize an anti-fibrotic factor from acutely damaged rat livers. The liver cell necrosis was prepared from rat by warm ischemical perfusion and the perfusates were assessed against the growth inhibition of fat-storing cells (FSC). A liver-derived growth inhibitory factor (LDGIF) was purified from ischemically damaged rat livers by chromatographies on Sephacryl S-300, CM Sepharose, hydroxyapatite, and Superose 12. The LDGIF was isolated with an overall purification of 194-fold and 40% recovery. Although LDGIF was identified as the rat liver arginase by Nterminal sequence analysis, LDGIF exists as a monomer and the purified native arginase has a trimer form. Furthermore, LDGIF has a lower enzyme activity on the hydrolysis of L-arginine and a higher inhibitory effect on proliferation of FSC than the normal rat liver arginase. The catalytic activity of LDGIF is ascribed to the monomeric characteristics of the LDGIF. Therefore, the inhibitory action of LDGIF might not be due to the arginine depletion by the catalytic activity of arginase. In conclusion, the presence of the LDGIF could interpret the clinical course that serious fibrosis is not found in the liver of patients recovering from severe hepatic necrosis due to fulminant hepatitis, suggesting that this LDGIF may provide a novel target for the prevention and treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2018

Silver (Ag) has been widely used in commercial products and medical fields since ancient times because of its antibacterial effect. It is harmless and non-toxic to the human body. For this reason, recent research has actively evaluated antimicrobial activity using silver (Ag). In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of a silver-based compound, silver phosphate ($Ag_3PO_4$) on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and the activation of human immunity. First, the inhibitory effect of $Ag_3PO_4$ on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus was confirmed by a growth curve and a colonyounting method. As a result, the growth inhibitory effect increased as the concentration of $Ag_3PO_4$ increased. Specifically, treatment with $5{\mu}g/mL$ of $Ag_3PO_4$ resulted in no bacteria growth, and the colony-counting method showed a remarkable inhibition. In addition, the expression of cytokine IL-8 by $Ag_3PO_4$ was examined to investigate the cellular immune system activation by $Ag_3PO_4$. After pretreatment of Staphylococcus aureus for 1 hour with $50{\mu}g/mL$ $Ag_3PO_4$, an increased IL-8 mRNA expression resulted. In cells treated with $Ag_3PO_4$, we found that the expression of IL-8 was enhanced in a time-dependent fashion compared to non-treated cells. These results indicate that $Ag_3PO_4$ induces antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and activates human immunity. These results are expected to contribute to the future study of the mechanism of silver (Ag) and silver-based compounds in relation to antibacterial activity.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2015

Objective : This study investigated the inhibitory mechanism of the hypopigmentating effects on ethanol extract of Rosae rugosae Flos (ERR) that has not yet been examined. Methods : We analyzed the anti-melanogenic effects of ethanol extracts from Rosae rugosae Flos by tyrosinase activity, melanin contents. We also examined protein expression levels of tyrosinase, TRP-1, TRP-2, MITF and ERK by western blot analysis in melanoma cells. Results : In this investigation, ERR effectively reduced ${\alpha}$-MSH-stimulated melanin synthesis by suppressing expression of tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1). On the other hand, the expression of tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2) were not affected by treatment with ERR. ERR inhibited the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) as a key transcription factor for tyrosinase expression regulating melanogenesis. The upstream signaling pathway including cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and MAPKs were also inhibited by ERR. Pretreatment with PD98059, ERK inhibitor, attenuated the inhibitory effect of ERR on ${\alpha}$-MSH-induced tyrosinase activity. Conclusions : Our study suggested that the anti-melanogenic activity of ERR is correlated with the suppression of tyrosinase gene through CREB/MITF/ERK pathway.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.504-509
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• 2014

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a substantial contributor to morbidity and mortality. In search of a natural products capable of inhibiting this multidrug resistant bacteria, we have investigated the antimicrobial activity of brazilein (BRZ) isolated from Caesalpinia sappan L. (Leguminosae) against 8 different strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). New antimicrobial activity was found using the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), broth dilution as well as checkerboard method. Against the 8 strains, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of BRZ were in the range of $62.5-500{\mu}g/mL$. From those results we performed the checkerboard test to determine the synergism of BRZ in combination with Hygromycin-b (HgB) against 4 strains. The combined activity of BRZ and HgB against 4 strains resulted in a fractional inhibitory concentrations index (FICI) ranging from 0.18-0.5. The effect of BRZ with HgB was found to be synergistic. We found that BRZ reduced the MICs of HgB. BRZ and HgB could lead to the development of new combination antibiotics against MRSA infection.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 1999

We investigated the growth-inhibitory mechanism of Helicobacter pylori by omeprazole (OMP) and its activated sulfenamide (OAS). Using dithiothreitol (DTT) and 5,5'-dithio-bis[2-nitrobenzoic acid] (DTNB; Ellman's reagent), we first determined the relationship between the binding capacity of these compounds to H. pylori membrane and its significance to membrane P-type ATPase activity. After incubation of the intact H. pylori cells with either OMP or OAS, the residual quantity of free SH-groups on the cell membrane was measured, and, the resulting values were plotted as a function of time. From this experiment, we found that there was a considerable difference in the membrane-binding rates between OMP and OAS. At neutral pH, the disulfide bond formation on H. pylori membrane was completed within 2 min of incubation of the intact cells with OAS. By OMP, however, it was gradually formed, exceeding 10 min of incubation for completion, whereby, the extent of P-type ATPase inhibition appeared to be proportional to the disulfide forming rate. From this data, it was suggested that the disulfide formation might directly affect enzyme activity. Since OMP per se cannot yield a disulfide bond with cysteine, it is predicted that the enzyme inactivation must be caused by the OAS form. Accordingly, we postulated that, under the neutral pH, OMP could be converted to OAS in the course of transport. By extrapolating the inhibitory slopes, we could evaluate K₁ values, relating to their minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for H. pylori growth. In these MIC ranges, H. pylori uptake or vesicular export of nutrients such as peptides were totally prohibited, but their effect in Escherichia coli were negligible. From these observations, we strongly suggest that the P-type ATPase activity is essential for the survival of H. pylori cells in particular.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 2012

In the present study, we investigated anti-inflammatory activity of artemisinic acid in HaCaT cells and RAW264.7 cells. Artemisinic acid showed inhibitory activity on macrophage-derived chemokines (MDC) expression, a factor related with atopic dermatitis (AD), in interferon (IFN)-${\gamma}$ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$-stimulated HaCaT cells. In the study on action mechanism, pretreated artemisinic acid reduced the phosphorylation of STAT1 and p38 and the degradation of $I{\kappa}B$ by IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ stimulations. However, artemisinic acid didn't show the inhibitory activity on LPS-induced inflammatory mediators (NO, $PGE_2$, IL-6) in RAW264.7 cell. These results indicate that artemisinic acid inhibits IFN-${\gamma}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$-induced MDC expression through inhibition of signal factors, STAT1, NF-${\kappa}B$, and p38, in HaCaT keratinocytes.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2001

The inhibitory effects of xanthine oxidase by the methanol extract and the solvent fractions obtained from persimmon leaves were investigated. The inhibition ratio of xanthine oxidase was 78% by addition of 2.0mg/ml of the methanol extract. Among the solvent fractions, the ethylacetate fraction showed the strongest inhibitory effect against the xanthine oxidase, followed by the hexane fraction. The effect increased with addition of the ethylacetate fraction. At a concentration of 2.0mg/ml of the ethylacetate fraction, 65% of the enzyme activity decreased within 1.0 min of incubation with xanthine oxidase. But the activity of xanthine oxidise did not decrease significantly by the length of the incubation time.