• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 1999

The enzyme steroid $5{\alpha}-reductase$ is responsible for the conversion of testosterone into the most potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In man, this steroid acts on a variety of androgen-responsive target tissues to mediate such diverse endocrine processes as male sexual differentiation in the fetus and prostatic growth in men. Androgen levels in the prostate may influence carcinogenesis in this organ. The use of a $5{\alpha}-reductase$ inhibitor, finasteride, in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer is being evaluated in a clinical trial and have been used successfully for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Therefore, for the discovery of $5{\alpha}-reductase$ type 2 inhibitors, we have evaluated the inhibitory effects of solvent fractionated extracts of natural products on $5{\alpha}-reductase$ type 2 activity. We have tested approximately 80 kinds of natural products after partition into n-hexane, ethyl acetate and aqueous layers from 100% methanol extracts of plants. The ethyl acetate fractions of Perilla sikokiana $(seed,\;IC_{50}\;:\;6.2\;ug/ml)$, Sophora flavescens $(root,\;IC_{50}\;:\;8.9\;ug/ml)$, and Angelica tenuissima $(root,\;IC_{50}\;:\;11.7\;ug/ml)$ revealed inhibitory effects on $5{\alpha}-reductase$ 2 activity in LNCaP cells. The effective ethyl acetate fractions of Perilla sikokiana, Sophora flavescens, Hydnocarpus anthelmintica, and Angelica tenuissima were subfractionated by column chromatography and tested. The subfractions $F4\;(IC_{50}\;:\;1.1\;ug/ml),\;F5\;(IC_{50}\;:\;2.0\;ug/ml),\;and\;F6\;(IC_{50}\;:\;5.8\;ug/ml)$ of the ethyl acetate fraction of Perilla sikokiana and the subfraction $F8\;(IC_{50}\;:\;5.3\;ug/ml)$ of the ethyl acetate fraction of Sophora flavescens displayed greater inhibition of $5{\alpha}-reductase$ type 2 than did finasteride in LNCaP cells. These active fractions are under the process of further sequential fractionation to find the effective pure compounds against $5{\alpha}-reductase$ 2 activity.

• Clean Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.313-319
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• 2013

To produce biodiesel efficiently from fish oil containing 4% free fatty acid, esterification and trans-esterification were carried out with Vietnam catfish oil, which was kindly provided from GS-bio company. Heterogeneous solid acid catalysts such as Amberlyst-15 and Amberlyst BD-20 and sulfuric acid as homogeneous acid catalyst were used for the esterification of free fatty acids in the fish oil. Sulfuric acid showed the highest removal efficiency of free fatty acid and the shortest reaction time among three acid catalysts. The base catalysts for trans-esterification such as KOH, $NaOCH_3$ and NaOH were compared with each other and KOH was determined to be the best transesterification catalyst. Some solid material, which assumed to be saponified product from glycerol and biodiesel, were observed to form in the fish oil biodiesel when using $NaOCH_3$ and NaOH as the transesterification catalyst. The initial acid value of fish oil was proven to have a negative effect on biodiesel conversion. Of the three catalysts, KOH catalyst transesterification was shown to have high content of FAME and the optimal ratio of methanol/oil ratio was identified to be 9:1.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.135-142
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• 1989

Methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) was synthesized from vapor phase reaction of methanol with iso-butylene over HZSM-5 catalysts, and effects of SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio in the HZSM-5 catalysts and reaction conditions on products distribution have been examined. Acid strength and acid type of each catalyst with different SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio were measured using pyridine adsorption followed by temperature programmed desorption(TPD) and IR analysis. Reactants and products adsorption characteristics on different acid sites have also been examined. As the SiO$_2/Al_2O_3$ ratio of HZSM-5 catalyst was increased, selectivity to MTBE was improved as a result of decrease in dimethylether(DME) formation at the strong acid sites. Conversion and selectivity to MTBE were also greatly enhanced as $i-C_4H_8/CH_3OH$ reactant ratio was increased, and overall about 80$^{\circ}$C was adequate for the MTBE synthesis. The properties of deposited coke on spent catalysts were examined by TG, DTA and IR spectrum analysis, indicating the amount of the coke deposit in the order of HY > H-Mordenite > HZSM-5. Even if the coke deposited on H-Mordenite was little more in amount than to that on HZSM-5, the former deactivated quickly due to its non-interconnected channel structure. For HY, owing to its lange pore size, significant $i-C_4H_8$ polymerization was occured, and rapid deactivation and severe coke formation has resulted within few hours.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.109-122
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• 1979

Present study was carried out to reduce residual toxicity of BHC insecticides inherent in the organochlorine pesticides. For This end, r-isomer, the most potent insecticidal component among the BHC stereoisomers, was isolated and thus fortified by means of solvent precipitation. In parallel, 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1-methyl urea was prepared in good yield from technical BHC via 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, 1,2,4,-trichloronitrobenzene, and 2,4,5-trichloroaniline. In addition, certain merit of the compound which make it possible to use as a herbicide is discussed. The results are summarized as follows; 1. Recrystallizing technical BHC from methanol-water binary solvent system, r-isomer was enriched to 49.7% at 95% recovery of r-isomer. 2. By partitioning technical BHC in 85% of methanolic solution into chloroform, r-isomer was fortified to 89.6% at 90.5% recovery of r-isomer. 3. Yield of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene from technical BHC was greatly dependent upon concentration of alkalies and to less degree on the alkalies. 4. Surfactants, in particular cationic a quartenary ammonium salt, increased yield of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene from technical BHC by alkaline hydrolysis. 5. Conversion of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene to 2,4,5-trichloronitrobenzene was effected almost quantitatively utilizing $HNO_3-H_2SO_4$ nitrating agent at low temperature. 6. Yield of 91.4% was observed for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trichloroaniline by reducing 2,4,5-trichloronitrobenzene in the presence of iron turning and hydrochloric acid. 7. Overall yield based on BHC of 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1- methyl urea was 60.8%. 8. Inhibition effects, both germination and growth, 3-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-1-methyl urea on several crops were found comparable to or more potent than those of $linuron{\circledR}\;and\;diuron{\circledR}$. In addition, it was also noted that susceptibility to the prepared compound depended upon the crops as well as specific part (shoots, roots) of the plant exposed to the chemicals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2009

Esterase EM2L8 gene isolated from deep sea sediment was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and the esterase activity of the cell-free extract was assayed using p-nitrophenyl butyrate-spectrophotometric method. Its optimum temperature was $40-45^{\circ}C$ and 45% activity of the maximum activity was retained at $15^{\circ}C$. The activation energy at $15-45^{\circ}C$ was calculated to be 4.9 kcal/mol showing that esterase EM2L8 was a typical cold-adapted enzyme. Enzyme activity was maintained for 6 h and 4 weeks at $30^{\circ}C$ and $4^{\circ}C$, respectively. When each ethanol, methanol, and acetone was added to the reaction mixture to 15% concentration, enzyme activity was maintained. In the case of DMSO, enzyme activity was kept up to 40% concentration. (S)-4-Chloro-3-hydroxy butyric acid is a chiral intermediate for the synthesis of Atorvastatin, a hyperlipemia drug. When esterase EM2L8 (40 U) was added to buffer solution (1.2 mL, pH 9.0) containing ethyl-(R,S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate (38 mM), it was hydrolyzed into 4-chloro-3-hydroxy butyric acid with a rate of $6.8\;{\mu}mole/h$. The enzyme hydrolyzed (S)-substrate more rapidly than (R)-substrate. When conversion yield was 80%, e.e.s value was 40%. When DMSO was added, hydrolysis rate increased to $10.4\;{\mu}mole/h$. The plots of conversion yield vs e.e.s in the presence or absence of DMSO were almost same, implying that the reaction enantioselectivity was not changed by the addition of DMSO. Taken together, esterase EM2L8 had high activity and stability at low temperatures as well as in various organic solvents/aqueous solutions. These properties suggested that it could be used as a biocatalyst in the synthesis of useful pharmaceuticals.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1087-1093
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• 2010

Autotrophic denitrification is known as an effective and economical alternative for heterotrophic denitrification using external carbon sources such as methanol. In this study, we evaluated design and operation parameters for a sulfur denitrification reactor (SDR) treating high strength nitrogen wastewater. The SDR was filled with spherical sulfur media in connected to a pilot-scale nutrient removal process (daily flow rate, $Q=18\;m^3/d$) using moving spongy media. Total nitrogen (TN) concentration of the final effluent was below the 7.0 mg TN/L because nitrate was additionally removed through autotrophic denitrificationin without adding alkalinity (initial alkalinity was $169.4{\pm}20.8\;mg$ $CaCO_3$/L). During the test period, 60~80% of nitrogen in the influent was removed even in low temperature (below $15^{\circ}C$). The alkalinity consumption for nitrate removal in SDR was $4.09{\pm}1.29$ g $CaCO_3/g$ ${NO_3}^-$-N, and the residual alkalinity of influent of SDR was higher than that of theoretical requirements for full conversion of nitrate. The consumption of sulfur was 943.8 g S/d and it was 2.4 times higher than theoretical value (400.1 g S/d) due to abrasion and loss of sulfur media in backwash, etc.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.418-425
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• 2013

The catalytic conversion of ethanol to aromatic compounds ETA was studied over ZSM-5 heterogeneous catalysts. The effect of reaction temperature, weight hourly space velocity (WHSV), and addition of water and methanol, which are the potential impurities of bio-ethanol, on the catalytic performance was investigated in a fixed bed reactor. Commercial ZSM-5 catalysts having different Si/$Al_2$ ratios of 23 to 280 and modified ZSM-5 catalysts by addition of metal (Zn, La, Cu, and Ga) were used for the activity and stability tests in ETA reaction. The catalysts were characterized with ammonia temperature programmed desorption ($NH_3$-TPD) and nitrogen adsorption-desorption techniques. The results of catalytic performance revealed that the optimal Si/$Al_2$ ratio of ZSM-5 is about 50~80 and the selectivity to aromatic compounds decreases in the order of Zn/La > Zn > La > Cu > Ga for the modified ZSM-5 catalysts. Among these catalysts from the ETA reaction, Zn-La/ZSM-5 showed the best catalytic performance for the ETA reaction. The selectivity to aromatic compounds was 72% initially and 56% after 30 h over the catalysts at reaction temperature of $437^{\circ}C$ and WHSV of $0.8h^{-1}$.