• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2009

Fifty seven species of common seaweed from the coast of Korea were screened for antifungal activity against Malassezia species. Seaweeds as a source of bioactive compounds are able to produce a great variety of secondary metabolites with different activities. There are numerous reports on the biological activities of seaweeds against human pathogens, fungi, and yeasts, but only few contain data regarding inhibitory effects against Malassezia sp., a major cause of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. To help address this paucity of information, this work was carried out to examine the antifungal effects of seaweed extracts against M. furfur and M. restricta. Of the fifty seven species of marine algae screened for their potential antifungal activity, only 17 species (29.8%) exhibited inhibitory activity. In agar disc diffusion method, the ether extracts of Corallina pilulifera, Enteromorpha linza, Laminaria japonica, Symphyocladia latiuscula and Ulva sp. showed strong antifungal activity. To identify major constituents in seaweed extracts, four selected extracts were analyzed on' a GC-MS equipped with a flame ionization detector, and compared to spectral data from databases WILEY229.LIB and NIST107.LIB. Most constituents in seaweed extracts are fatty acid-related compounds. When we evaluated any acute toxicity, the ether extracts of the selected four species were not toxic in mice. According to these results, it can be suggested that these seaweed extracts are valuable for the development of therapeutic agents in treating dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis. Further investigations to determine its bioactive compound(s) are currently in progress.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1501-1510
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• 2011

In recent years novel potential pharmocological candidates have been looked for in animal, seaweed, sponge, fungi and marine bacteria resources. In this study, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that play an important role in metastasis, arthritis, chronic inflammation and wrinkle formation were used as target enzymes to screen therapeutic agents. The inhibitory effects of several marine algae including green algae (5 species), red algae (18 species) and brown algae (4 species) methanolic extracts on MMPs were investigated in human dermal fibroblasts and human fibrosarcoma cell line (HT1080 cells) using gelatin zymography. In human dermal fibroblasts, the inhibition of MMP-2 was observed in Laurencia okamurae, Polysiphonia japonica, Grateloupia lanceolate and Sinkoraena lancifolia of red algae. In contrast, MMP-2 activation was enhanced in Enteromorpha compressa and E. linza of green algae, and Peltaronia bighamiae and Sargassum thunbergii of brown algae. In human fibrosarcoma cells, MMP-9 activation was decreased in the presence of S. thunbergii of brown algae, Polysiphonia japonica in red algae and E. compressa and E. linza of green algae. The interesting finding is that E. compressa and E. linza of green algae, and S. thunbergii of brown algae exhibited a positive effect on MMP-2 in normal cells, but a negative effect on MMP-9 in cancer cell lines. These results suggest that E. compressa and E. linza of green algae, and S. thunbergii of brown algae contain potential therapeutic ingredients for cancer treatment.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.280-287
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• 2000

Three antimicrobial compounds (SL-l, SL-2 and SL-3) were isolated and identified from the marine red alga, Symphyocladia latiuscula. In addition, their biological functionalities such as cytotoxicity and desmutagenic activity were investigated. From the cryophyllized S. JatiuscuJa, SL-l, SL-2 and SL-3 were purified by solvent extractions and HPLC.SL-2 was crystallized in benzene-diethyl ether solvent. On the EI-MS spectra, it was found that they had three bromines in their structure which showed typical signal strength ratios at $M^+, [M+2]^+, [M+4]^+, [M+6]^+ (13: 38: 37: 12)$. $SL-l$ was identified as 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol ($C_8H_7Br_3O_3, MW=374$) by NMR and MS spectra. SL-2 was assigned as 2,3,6-tribromo-4,5-dihydroxybenzyl methyl ether ($C_8H_7Br_3O_3, MW=388$) and confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. SL-3 was presumed as an isomer of SL-2. Methanol extract of the S. latiuscula showed antimicrobial activities against all strains tested (bacteria, 15 strains; yeasts, 17 strains; fungi, 4 strains), much or less. The strongest inhibition activity of the methanol extract was to the Vibrio mimicus ($50 {\mu}g/ml$) and V. vulnificus ($50 {\mu}g/ml$). The mice injected intraperitoneally with 3 mg of SL-l and 5 mg of 5L-2 showed no acute toxicity response. SL-2 showed higher desmutagenic activity than SL-l against PhIP and MeIQx.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.403-409
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• 2000

Surface and bottom water samples were collected from 10 stations located in the coastal area of Tongyong in April, August and October 2000. Distribution of heterotrophic bacteria, coliform bacteria and fungi in the sea water samples was investigated by measuring the corresponding viable cell number according to the plate counting method. Heterotrophic bacteria in the surface water counted 3.1$\times$10$^2$- 4.0$\times$10$^3$cfu ml$\^$-1/, 2.7$\times$10$^3$- 1.2$\times$10$\^$5/cfu ml$\^$-1/ and 1.3$\times$10$^2$- 7.2$\times$10$^2$cfu ml$\^$-1/ in April, August and October, respectively. The cell number of coliform bacteria in the surface water amounted to 0-1.5$\times$10$^1$cfu ml$\^$-1/, 3.5$\times$10$^1$- 5.2$\times$10$^3$cfu ml$\^$-1/ and 0-1.8$\times$10$^2$cfu ml$\^$-1/ in April, August and October, respectively. As for fungi, the cell number in the surface water was 0-3.0$\times$10$^1$propagules ml$\^$-1/, 3.0$\times$10$^1$- 8.0$\times$10$^1$ propagules ml$\^$-1/ and 0-2.2$\times$10$^1$ propagules ml$\^$-1/ in April, August and October respectively. The surface water samples from the station 3 in August were added with feed stuffs for fish as much as 0.01 gl$\^$-1/, 0.1 gl$\^$-1/ and 1 gl$\^$-1/ and cultured at 5$\^{C}$, 15$\^{C}$, 25$\^{C}$ and 35$\^{C}$. Microbial cells were not isolated at all when the culturing temperature was 5$\^{C}$. However, the microbial cell number increased significantly in all the surface water samples containing 1 gl$\^$-1/ of the feed stuffs when cultured at 15$\^{C}$, 25$\^{C}$ and 35$\^{C}$

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.361-366
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• 2019

In this study, microbial contamivation semisulcospira libertine and effect of sedimentation treatment of major bacterial and fungal pathogens were investigated. The total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast and mold present in raw and water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine were enumerated using the standard plate count methods on using the standard plate method on potato dextrose agar (PDA), 3M Petrifilm for coliforms / E. coli, 3M Petrifilm for S. aureus, and plate count agar (PCA), respectively. In analysis of microbial contamination of raw Semisulcospira libertine, the total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and yeast and mold were monitored as 6.40, 2.70, and $6.79{\log}_{10}CFU/g$, respectively. Both E. coli and S. aureus were not detected (detection limit: 10 CFU/g). However, Semisulcospira libertine dipped in ground water for 3 hours had higher contamination levels of all natural indigenous microorganisms than raw Semisulcospira libertine. Especially, E. coli was detected as $2.46{\log}_{10}CFU/g$ in the ground water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine. The total aerobic bacteria in the ground water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine was not significantly reduced (p>0.05) compared to that in the raw Semisulcospira libertine. Moreover, coliforms were significantly increased (p>0.05) in all water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine. Only fungi were slightly reduced (less than 0.2 log) (p>0.05) in the tap water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine by comparison with the raw Semisulcospira libertine. The results of this study suggest that the use of chemical sterilizing agents and other physical methods in the washing stage will be necessary for the microbial reduction in raw Semisulcospira libertine because the use of sediment removal treatment by ground or tap water did not affect the microbiological safety of the raw Semisulcospira libertine.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 2012

Silkworm larvae often suffer from viral infections causing heavy losses to the economy of silk industry. Insects exhibit both humoral and cellular immune responses that are effective against various pathohens like bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc., but no insect immune responses is effective against viral infection. To obtain genes related to insect antiviral immunity from Bombyx mori, the cDNA library was constructed from B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV)-infected B. mori. From the cDNA library, we selected 411 differentially expressed clones, and the 5' ends of the inserts were sequenced to generate ESTs. In this work, 135 unigenes were generated after the assembly of 411 differentially expressed clones ESTs. Of these 135 unigenes, we selected 109 antiviral response-related candidates except 26 clones that high similarity with genes derived from BmNPV. Among 109 unigenes, a total of 80% had significant matches to genes from other organisms in the database, wheres 20% of the unigenes had not matched in the database. Functional groups of these sequences with matches in database were constructed according to their putative biological function. Three largest categories were control of cellular oraganization (52%), metabolism (20%), and protein fate (10%). The genetic information reported in this study will provide more information about antiviral-related genes in silkworms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.862-872
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• 2021

Recent studies on synthesis of metallic nanomaterials such as silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), cerium (Ce), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) using plants and microbes are attracted researchers for their wide range of applications in the field of biomedical sciences. The plant contains abundant of bioactive contents such as flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, steroids tannins and nutritionals components. Similarly, microbes produce bioactive metabolites, proteins and secretes valuable chemicals such as color pigments, antibiotics, and acids. Recently reported, biogenic synthesis of NPs in non-hazardous way and are promising candidates for biomedical applications such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-cell proliferative and anti-plasmodia activity. All those activities are dose dependent, along with their shape and size also matters on potential of NPs. Microbes and plants are great source of metabolites, those useful in biomedical field, such metabolites or chemicals involved in synthesis of NPs in an ecofriendly way. NPs synthesized using microbes or plant materials are reveals more non-toxic, facile, and cost-effective compare to chemically synthesized NPs. In present review we are focusing on NPs synthesis using biological agents such as microbes (bacteria, fungi and algae) and plant, characterization using different techniques and their antibacterial applications on pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1259-1268
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• 2016

In this study, we investigated antimicrobial peptide from the acidified muscle extract of Mytilus coruscus, which mostly inhabits China, Japan, and Korea, to develop a natural product-derived antibiotics substitution in terms of its abuse and restriction. Antimicrobial peptide was purified by $C_{18}$ reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and was detected as having a molecular mass of 6,701 Da by MALDI-TOF/MS. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified peak was obtained from edman degradation, and 20 identified residues shown 100% identity with the N-terminus region of sperm-specific protein and protamine-like PL-II/PL-IV precursor of Mytilus californianus. We also identified 60 open-reading frame (ORF) encoding amino acids with 183 bp of purified peptide based on the obtained amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of ORF showed 100% and the nucleotide sequence revealed 97.2% identity with the protamine-like PL-II/PL-IV precursor of Mytilus californianus. Synthesized antimicrobial peptide showed antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, including Bacillus cereus (minimal effective concentration [MEC], $20.8{\mu}g/ml$), Bacillus subtilis (MEC, $0.2{\mu}g/ml$), Streptococcus mutans (MEC, $0.2{\mu}g/ml$), gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MEC, $5.7{\mu}g/ml$), Escherichia coli (MEC, $2.6{\mu}g/ml$) and fungi, Candida albicans (MEC, $56.3{\mu}g/ml$). In addition, synthesized peptide showed stable activities under heat and salt conditions against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but was inhibited by salt against only C. albicans. With these results, isolated peptide from M. coruscus could be an alternative agent to antibiotics for defending against pathogenic microorganisms, and helpful information to understand the innate immune system of marine invertebrates.