• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.45-55
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• 2015

This study was carried out to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effect of tuna oil (TO) using LPS-induced inflammation responses and mouse models. First, nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were suppressed up to 50% with increasing concentrations of TO without causing any cytotoxicity. Also, the expression of a variety of proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), was suppressed in a dosedependent manner by treatment with TO. Furthermore, TO also inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 protein kinase (p38). Moreover, in in vivo testing the formation of ear edema was reduced at the highest dose tested compared to that in the control, and a reduction of ear thickness and the number of mast cells was observed in histological analysis. In acute toxicity test, no mortalities occurred in mice administrated 5,000 mg/kg body weight of TO over a two-week observation period. Our results suggest that TO has a considerable anti-inflammatory property through the suppression of inflammatory mediator productions and that it could prove to be useful as a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic material.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of electrolyzed water (EW) and hot-air-drying with ultraviolet light (UV) to reduce coliform bacteria of Undaria pinnatifida (UP). The UP was washed in the order of 15% EW, tap water (TW), and distilled water (DW) under following conditions: 15% EW for 10 min (washing: 1 time), TW for 1 min, and DW for 10 min (washing: 5 times). Viable cells, coliform, and mold counts were at 10²-10³ CFU/g in untreated samples. After EW treatment, viable cells, coliform, and molds were not detected in whole samples or on the surface of UP. But, after hot-air-drying at 48°C for 48 h, the number of viable cells, coliform, and molds were 10¹-10⁵ CFU/g. After hot-air-drying at 48°C for 48 h with UV (12-48 h), viable cells, coliform, and molds were not detected in whole samples or on the surface of UP. In respect of color value, there were no significant changes. In sensory evaluation, the UP with hot-air-drying with UV (12 h) had the highest score in overall preference among UV treatment groups. These results suggest that the treatments at 15% EW for 10 min and hot-air-drying at 48°C for 48 h with UV (12 h) were effective to reduce coliform bacteria of the dried Undaria pinnatifida.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the bactericidal activity of electrolyzed water (EW) against coliform bacteria on Undaria pinnatifida (UP). The UP was washed with 15% EW, tap water (TW), and distilled water in the following order: 15% EW for 5 and 10 min (1st to 3rd washing process), TW for 1 min, and distilled water for 10 min (3rd to 5th washing process). The washing processes using 15% EW and distilled water occurred a total of 6 times. The number of viable cells, coliform bacteria, and molds in the untreated sample were in the range of 10¹ to 10³ CFU/g. In the case of the UP with 15% EW for 5 min sample, the viable cell counts were reduced by 1-2 log cycles as compared with the untreated sample. The coliform bacteria were not detected except after the 1st EW washing process. Mold counts were not detected in all treatments. In the UP with 15% EW for 10 min sample, the viable cells, coliform bacteria, and mold counts were not detected. In color, there were no significant differences among samples. In sensory evaluation, the UP treated with 15% EW for 10 min (first washing process) got higher scores for color, aroma, and taste than others. These results suggest that the treatment of 15% EW for 10 min is the most effective way to reduce coliform bacteria of the UP.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2013

In an effort to characterize the physicochemical properties and microbial risks associated with the soy sauce jangachi (Korean traditional pickle), 15 different home-made products, which were prepared from medicinal plants and wild edible vegetables, from head-families of Andong, Kyungsangbuk-do Province in Korea, and 6 different commercial products sold at supermarket, were investigated. The average pH of the mature soaking solutions and plants soaked in the 21 jangachi were $3.99{\pm}0.38$ and $3.51{\pm}0.41$, and the average acidity of the mature soaking solutions and soaked plants were $1.59{\pm}0.54$ and $1.65{\pm}0.76$, respectively. The average brix of the mature soaking solutions and plants soaked were $27.67{\pm}8.38$ and $25.61{\pm}6.60$, respectively. In salinity, which is a major factor in jangachi industry production, the average salinity of the mature soaking solutions and soaked plants were $7.55{\pm}3.26$ and $5.75{\pm}2.23$, respectively. In particular, the hot-peppers, eusuri, du-rup, kaet-ip, kuji-ppong, myeng-i and sancho jangachi were amongst the home-made products, and the salinity was above 8.8%, which was 2 folds-higher than that of the commercial sterilized products, and 1/3-lower than commercial non-sterilized products. The color difference and turbidity of jangachi were dependent on the plant parts used. In microbial risk assessment, the microorganisms related with food-borne disease, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp, and Shigella sp., were not detected. After some time, total cell count analysis revealed that the commercial products sold at supermarkets were more vulnerable than the home-made products.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2013

The thermotolerant methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha is an attractive model organism for various fundamental studies, such as the genetic control of enzymes involved in methanol metabolism, peroxisome biogenesis, nitrate assimilation, and resistance to heavy metals and oxidative stresses. In addition, H. polymorpha has been highlighted as a promising recombinant protein expression host, especially due to the availability of strong and tightly regulatable promoters. In this study, we investigated the possibility of employing human serum albumin (HSA) as the fusion tag for the secretory expression of heterologous proteins in H. polymorpha. A set of four expression cassettes, which contained the methanol oxidase (MOX) promoter, translational HSA fusion tag, and the terminator of MOX, were constructed. The expression cassettes were also designed to contain sequences for accessory elements including His8-tag, $2{\times}(Gly_4Ser_1)$ linkers, tobacco etch virus protease recognition sites (Tev), multi-cloning sites, and strep-tags. To determine the effects of the size of the HSA fusion tag on the secretory expression of the target protein, each cassette contained the HSA gene fragment truncated at a specific position based on its domain structure. By using the Green fluorescence protein gene as the reporter, the properties of each expression cassette were compared in various conditions. Our results suggest that the translational HSA fusion tag is an efficient tool for the secretory expression of recombinant proteins in H. polymorpha.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate various aspects of Vitex negundo L. leaf extract, such as the antioxidative activity, tyrosinase inhibitory effects, and inhibitory activities on ${\alpha}$-MSH induced melanogenesis, and active component analysis. The DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of the ethyl acetate fraction and aglycone fraction of V. negundo L. leaf extract were $14.51{\mu}g/ml$ and $13.96{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. A luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay revealed that the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity ($OSC_{50}$) of the aglycone fraction of V. negundo L. leaf extract on ROS generated in an $Fe^{3+}$-$EDTA/H_2O_2$ system was the most prominent at $0.22{\mu}g/ml$. The protective effects of the extracts fractions of V. negundo L. leaf against the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes were increased in a concentration dependent manner ($1{\sim}50{\mu}g/ml$). In particular, there were greater protective effects of the aglycone fraction on the cellular membrane than that of the fat-soluble antioxidant (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. The inhibitory effects ($IC_{50}$) on mushroom tyrosinase were the highest for the ethyl acetate fraction ($IC_{50}$ = $48.58{\mu}g/ml$). The inhibitory effect on ${\alpha}$-MSH induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells was 41.80% at $50{\mu}g/ml$ of ethyl acetate fraction. Active component analyses by TLC, HPLC and LC/ESI-MS revealed luteolin and isoorientin. These results indicate that V. negundo L. leaf extract can be used as an antioxidant for ROS scavenging. Particularly, the luteolin and isoorientin of the ethyl acetate fraction may be applicable to new whitening cosmetics because of its inhibitory effect on mushroom tyrosinase and ${\alpha}$-MSH induced melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.284-291
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• 2013

In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidative activities of Epimedium koreanum Nakai were investigated for applications as cosmetic ingredients. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of fraction-bacterium, that showed high antibacterial activity from disc diffusion assay on human skin pathogens, were tested. The ethyl acetate fraction on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Propionibacterium acnes and 50% ethanol extract on S. aureus exhibited higher antibacterial activities than methyl paraben, well known as a preservative. The DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activities of 3 fractions of E. koreanum Nakai were lower than (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol, known as a typical antioxidant. From the results of the scavenging activities of various ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ systems ($OSC_{50}$), 50% ethanol extract ($OSC_{50}=2.46{\pm}0.06{\mu}g/ml$) and aglycone fraction ($OSC_{50}=1.45{\pm}0.02{\mu}g/ml$) showed high activities similar to L-ascorbic acid ($OSC_{50}=1.50{\pm}0.85{\mu}g/ml$), used as reference. The cellular protective effects (${\tau}_{50}$) on photohemolysis by $^1O_2$ generated by photosensitization reaction were tested. The cellular protective effect of 50% ethanol extract (${\tau}_{50}=37.0{\pm}0.3$ min) was similar to (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol (${\tau}_{50}=38.0{\pm}1.8$ min), used as reference. In particular, the ${\tau}_{50}$ of aglycone fraction results were $165.9{\pm}7.2$ min. This is a high cellular protective effect, more than 4 times that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. These results indicate that E. koreanum Nakai extract, and its fractions, could be utilized as a cosmetic ingredient possessing antibacterial and antioxidative activities.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.358-366
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activities of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts with various countries of origin. Three samples of licorice with various origins (Korea, China, and Uzbekistan) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against six skin microflora. The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effects included the disc diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration, and challenge test. The ethyl acetate fractions of G. uralensis and G. glabra extracts showed significant antimicrobial activities against two gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Propionibacterium acnes) and two gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. These samples had much more intensive antimicrobial activities than synthetic preservatives on B. subtilis, P. acnes, and P. aeruginosa, especially. Korean licorice showed the highest antimicrobial activity amongst the samples tested. In view of the observed inhibitory features of these G. uralensis and G. glabra extracts, it is suggested that they could be used as natural antiseptics against bacterial contamination in cosmetics and foods, instead of the common synthetic preservatives currently employed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.327-334
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• 2013

For the development of hardy kiwi wine, we arranged for the post-maturity of hardy kiwi fruit, treated them with calcium carbonate and a pectinase enzyme complex, investigated the resulting physicochemical properties and conducted a sensory evaluation. The period determined for creating post-maturity in the hardy kiwi fruit was determined as 5 days storage at room temperature following maturity. During this time the yield of fruit juice was increased from 22.1% to 53.5% using 0.1% (v/v) cytolase PCL5 for 2 h at room temperature. 0.1% (w/v) calcium carbonate was also added during the process of aging, for the reduction of the sour taste. The fermentation trial of the hardy kiwi wine was prepared using water (25% or 50%), sugar ($24^{\circ}brix$), 0.1% (w/v) $CaCO_3$, 0.1% (v/v) cytolase PCL5, $K_2S_2O_5$ (200 ppm), and yeast ($1.5{\times}10^7$ cell/ml). Fermentation then occurred for 2 weeks at $20^{\circ}C$. The pH value, total acidity, alcohol, and reducing sugar content of the resulting hardy kiwi wines of 25% (v/w) and 50% (v/w) water, were in a range of pH 3.4-3.7, 1.12-1.21%, 14.3-14.4%, and 15-16 g/l, respectively. Citric acid and fructose constituted the major organic acids and the free sugar of the 25% and 50% hardy kiwi wine, respectively. Volatile flavor components, including 10 kinds of esters, 8 kinds of alcohols, 5 kinds of acids, 3 kinds of others and aldehydes, were determined by GC analysis. The results of sensory evaluation demonstrated that 50% hardy kiwi wine is more palatable than 25% hardy kiwi wine.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 1998

To study the oxygen tolerance mechanism of bifidobacteria, we have studied the growth of cells, the activities of the enzymes which were related with oxygen, such as catalase, superoxide dismutase(SOD), NADH oxidase, and NADH peroxidase, and cellular fatty acid compositions of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and B. longum under anaerobic and aerated (microaerobic and aerobic) conditions. B. longum grew relatively well under the microaerobic conditions, whereas the growth of B. adolescentis was inhibited under the same aerated conditions. B. adolescentis had extremely low level of NADH oxidative enzymes while B. longum had the relatively high level of NADH oxidative enzymes, whose activities were dramatically increased from 3.7 to 11.4 times by microaerobic condition but not in B. adolescentis. The activity of SOD was unexpectedly high in B. adolescentis compared with in B. longum under anaerobic and aerated conditions. The activities of catalase were not detected in all samples tested in this study. We also found that normal $C_{l6:0}$ and $C_{18:1}$ were the major fatty acids in B. adolescentis and B. longum under anaerobic and aerated conditions. 2.2-14.1% $C_{l9:0}$ cyclo fatty acid was detected only in B. longum and the fatty acid was increased by the addition of the aeration. The $C_{l9:0}$ cyclic fatty acid was identified as a cis 9, 10-methylene octadecanoic acid, which was different from lactobacillic acid in the cyclized site. 6.6%-24.6% of dimethyl acetals (DMA) which came from plasmalogen were observed in the B. adolescentis and B. longum grown under anaerobic condition, and the components were notably decreased in the cells grown under the aerated conditions. It is believed that NADH oxidative enzymes play an important role to detoxify oxygen metabolites of Bifidobacteriurn spp. under anaerobic and microaerobic conditions. Independently from oxidative enzymes, it seems that oxygen stress may induce the change of the level of cellular fatty acids showing an increase of $C_{l9:0}$ cyclo in B. longum and a decrease of $C_{l8:1}$ of plasmalogen in B. longum and B. adolescentis to adapt in environment.