• ALGAE
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 2010

In this study, we assessed the antioxidant properties of tidal pool microalgae, Halochlorococcum porphyrae and Oltamannsiellopsis unicellularis, from Jeju Island, Korea. Specifically, the antioxidant activity of fractions isolated from 80% methanol extract, and digests produced from five proteases and carbohydrases, were investigated. Almost all the fractions and the 80% methanol extract exhibited higher effects on 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest superoxide anion scavenging activity, while both n-hexane and chloroform fractions exhibited higher $H_2O_2$ scavenging activity. Among the enzymatic digests from H. porphyrae and O. unicellularis, all the digests exhibited remarkable DPPH scavenging activities. In nitric oxide inhibition, all the digests recorded significantly higher effects than those of the commercial antioxidants (p < 0.05). Flavozyme and Neutrase digests from H. porphyrae, and Termamyl and Alcalase digests from O. unicellularis, showed significant effects in metal chelating. Lipid peroxidation was significantly inhibited in the ethyl acetate fraction, in the Celluclast and Protamex digests from H. porphyrae, and in the chloroform fraction from O. unicellularis. These findings suggest that the two tidal pool microalgae tested in this study are rich in potential antioxidative compounds, the specific properties of which can be considered for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.169-177
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• 2009

In this study, we focused on natural water-soluble antioxidants from fresh water microalgae, Pediastrum duplex and Dactylococcopsis fascicularis from Jeju Island, Korea. They were prepared by enzymatic digestion using five carbohydrases (Viscozyme, Celluclast, AMG, Termamyl and Ultraflo) and five proteases (Protamex, Kojizyme, Neutrase, Flavourzyme and Alcalase), and the potential antioxidant activity of each was assessed. All enzymatic digests from P. duplex showed significant DPPH scavenging effects. Termamyl (60.6%) digest from P. duplex possessed the highest effects on hydrogen peroxide scavenging. Celluclast (58.1%) and Kojizyme digests (56.9%) from D. fascicularis possessed higher effects on superoxide anion radical scavenging. All enzymatic digests exhibited significant effects on both NO· scavenging and metal chelating. Lipid peroxidation was significantly in inhibited Viscozyme, Termamyl and Kojizyme digests from P. duplex and Ultraflo, Protamex, Kojizyme and Alcalase digests from D. fascicularis. These data suggest that enzymatic digests of the fresh water microalgae, P. duplex and D. fascicularis might be valuable sources of antioxidant which can be applied in food and pharmaceutical industry.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.271-281
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• 2011

The environmental education is based on the assumption that accurate knowledge and attitude could be linked to real action, but those have no effect on changing the behavior. To effect the change in behavior, we need to consider the reflective thinking which can make people change their behavior. The strategies to accelerate the reflective thinking are five steps of the reflective thinking process and the interaction through the discussion of students. And also, it is more proper if the contents are based on the real experiences of the students. Thus, this study tried to know whether the improvement of reflective thinking was able to affect to the environmental behavior. The environment education program was applied to the 60 elementary school 6th grade students in Gyeonggi-do and the survey methods were presented in the general experimental curriculum. To study 6th subjects (energy, harmful chemical material, heavy metal and agricultural chemicals, food additive, environmental friendly consumption, and recycle) was developed. This study shows the effect of the program on the environment knowledge, the environment behavior, the level of reflective-thinking and communication ability.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.377-381
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• 2009

Excessive presence of heavy metals in environment may contaminate plants and fruits grown in that area. Rapid on-site monitoring of heavy metals can provide useful information to efficiently characterize heavy metal-contaminated sites and minimize the exposure of the contaminated food crops to humans. This study reports on the evaluation of a bismuth-coated glassy carbon electrode for simultaneous determination of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in a NIST-SRM 1568a rice flour by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The use of a supporting electrolyte 0.1 M $HNO_3$ at a dilution ratio (sample pretreated with acid digestion in a microwave oven: supporting electrolyte) of 1:1 provided well-defined, sharp and separate peaks for Cd and Pb ions, thereby resulting in strongly linear relationships between Cd and Pb concentrations and peak currents measured with the electrode ($R^2\;=\;0.97$, 0.99 for Cd and Pb, respectively). The validation test results for spiked standard solutions with different concentrations of Cd and Pb gave acceptable predictability for both spiked Cd and Pb ions with mean prediction errors of 6 to 30%. However, the applicability of the electrode to the real rice flour sample was limited by the fact that Cd concentrations spiked in the rice flour sample were overly estimated with relatively high variations even though Pb ion could be quantitatively measured with the electrode.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1018-1021
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• 2010

Metallic and non-metallic isomerases can be used to produce commercially important monosaccharides. To determine which category of isomerase is more suitable as a template for directed evolution to improve enzymes for galactose isomerization, L-arabinose isomerase from Escherichia coli (ECAI; E.C. 5.3.1.4) and tagatose-6-phosphate isomerase from Staphylococcus aureus (SATI; E.C. 5.3.1.26) were chosen as models of a metallic and non-metallic isomerase, respectively. Random mutations were introduced into the genes encoding ECAI and SATI at the same rate, resulting in the generation of 515 mutants of each isomerase. The isomerization activity of each of the mutants toward a non-natural substrate (galactose) was then measured. With an average mutation rate of 0.2 mutations/kb, 47.5% of the mutated ECAIs showed an increase in activity compared with wild-type ECAI, and the remaining 52.5% showed a decrease in activity. Among the mutated SATIs, 58.6% showed an increase in activity, whereas 41.4% showed a decrease in activity. Mutant clones showing a significant change in relative activity were sequenced and specific increases in activity were measured. The maximum increase in activity achieved by mutation of ECAI was 130%, and that for SATI was 190%. Based on these results, the characteristics of the different isomerases are discussed in terms of their usefulness for directed evolution of non-natural substrate isomerization.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2017

Crabs are a popular seafood item. However, they can harbor many microorganisms, heavy metals, radioactivity, and benzo(a)pyrene, which are potential health risks to humans. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of swimming crabs for use in foods such as Ganjang-gejang, by measuring their sanitary biological and chemical properties. Viable microbial cell counts in swimming crab samples were $3.4{\times}10^2-6.7{\times}10^4CFU/g$, but no coliform, Escherichia coli, or pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, or Salmonella spp., were detected. Heavy metal concentrations in swimming crab samples were non-detectable to 0.112 mg/kg for total mercury, non-detectable to 0.435 mg/kg for lead, and 0.115-0.836 mg/kg for cadmium. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations ranged from $0.025-0.060{\mu}g/kg$, and the volatile basic nitrogen content ranged from 8.7-15.6 mg/100 g. No radioactivity was detected in samples. These results suggest that swimming crabs are viable for use in seafood products.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.244-247
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• 2006

Neuronal cell death significantly contributes to neuronal loss in neurological injury and disease. Typically, neuronal loss or destruction upon exposure to neurotoxins, oxidative stress, or DNA damage causes neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we attempted to determine whether ginsenoside Rg3 from red ginseng has a neuroprotective effect via an anti-apoptotic role induced by S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) at the molecular level. We also investigated the antioxidant effect of Rg3 using a metal-catalyzed reaction with $Cu^{2+}/H_2O_2$. Our results showed that Rg3 ($40-100\;{\mu}g/mL$) protected SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells under cytotoxic conditions and effectively protected DNA from fragmentation. In the signal pathway, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were kept at an inactivated status when pretreated with Rg3 in all ranges. In particular, the important upstream p-Akt signal pathway was increased in a dose-dependent manner, which indicates that Rg3 may contribute to cell survival. We also found that oxidative stress can be mitigated by Rg3. Therefore, we have concluded that Rg3 plays a certain role in neurodegenerative pathogenesis via an anti apoptotic, antioxidative effect.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2017

Cotton is the major fiber crop in Pakistan that accounts for 2% of total national gross domestic product (GDP). After picking of cotton, the dry stalks are major organic waste that has no fate except burning to cook food in villages. Present research focuses use of cotton stalks as feedstock for biochar production, its characterization and effects on soil characteristics. Dry cotton stalks collected from agricultural field of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan were combusted under anaerobic conditions at $450^{\circ}C$. The physicochemical analysis of biochar and cotton stalks show higher values of % total carbon, phosphorus and potassium concentrations in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The concentration of nitrogen was decreased in biochar. Similarly biochar had greater values of fixed carbon that suggest its role for carbon sequestration and as a soil amendment. The fourier transformation infrared spectroscopic spectra (FTIR) of cotton stalks and biochar exposed more acidic groups in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The newly developed functional groups in biochar have vital role in increasing surface properties, cation exchange capacity, and water holding capacity, and are responsible for heavy metal remediation in contaminated soil. In a further test, results show increase in the water holding capacity and nutrient retention by a sandy soil amended with biochar. It is concluded that cotton stalks can be effectively used to prepare biochar.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.544-547
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• 2003

The objective of this study is to investigate the contamination levels and dispersion patterns of arsenic and heavy metals and to estimate the bioaccessible fraction of the metals in soil and plant samples in the vicinity of the abandoned Songcheon Au-Ag mine. Tailings, soils, plants (Chinese cabbage, red pepper, soybean, radish, sesame leaves, green onion, lettuce, potato leaves, angelica and groundsel) and waters were collected around the mine site. After appropriate preparation, all samples were analyzed for As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn by ICP-AES and ICP-MS. Elevated levels of As and heavy metals were found in tailings. Mean concentrations of As in agricultural soils were higher than the permissible level. Especially, maximum level of As in farmland soil was 513 mg/kg. The highest concentrations of As and Zn were found in Chinese cabbage (6.7 mg/kg and 359 mg/kg, respectively). Concentrations of As, Cd, and Zn in most stream waters which are used for drinking water around this mine area were higher than the permissible levels regulated in Korea. Maximum levels of As, Cd and Zn in stream waters were 0.78 mg/L, 0.19 mg/L and 5.4 mg/L, respectively. These results indicate that mine tailings can be the main contamination sources of As and heavy metals in the soil-water system in the mine area. The average of estimated bioaccessible fraction of As in farmland soils were $3.7\%$ (in simulated stomach) and $10.8\%$ (in simulated small intestine). The highest value of bioaccessible fraction of metal in farmland soils was $46.5\%$ for Cd.

• ALGAE
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2009

Recently, interest in plant-derived food additives has developed natural antioxidants, in order to alternate syn-thetic antioxidants with several disadvantages. In the present study, different organic fractions from solvent parti-tions of 80% methanol extract from Jeju benthic diatoms, Achnanthes longipes, Navicula sp. and Amphora coffeaeformis was assessed for their potential antioxidant effects. Among the solvent fractions tested, n-hexane (80.4%) and 80% methanol extract (76.6%) from A. longipes, chloroform (63.2%) from Navicula sp. and n-hexane (67.4%) from A. cof-feaeformis were effective in DPPH free radical scavenging. Fractions of chloroform (53.4%) and n-hexane (53.1%) from A. longipes exhibited higher activities on $H_2O_2$ scavengin. Fraction of n-Hexane from A. longipes exhibited the highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and NO. scavenging activity (56.5% and 75.6%, respectively). Aqueous residue from A. coffeaeformis (75.6%) showed the highest metal chelating effect. chloroform and ethyl acetate frac-tion of all the diatoms exhibited significant antioxidant activities in lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity. In particu-lar, both chloroform and the ethyl ecetate fraction from A. longipes and A. coffeaeformis exhibited lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity significantly higher than that of $\alpha$- tocopherol. These data suggest that the Jeju benthic diatoms tested are rich in hydrophilic and hydrophobic antioxidative compounds with different antioxidative properties that can be applied in food industry.