• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.95-100
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• 2014

Objectives : The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of bamboo charcoal on Streptococcus mutans which is one of the most important causative agents of dental caries. Methods : S. mutans was incubated with or without bamboo charcoal and then changes were observed in its cell viability and antibacterial effect. Oral epithelial cells viabillity(human gingival fibroblast, HGF) was performed using MTT assay. Antibacterial effect was analyzed using a dilution plating method and agar diffusion method. Results : Oral epithelial cells, human gingival fibroblast (HGF) showed a tendency to increase in bamboo charcoal treatment solution concentrations(0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10%). The bamboo charcoal had an antibacterial effect on S. mutans. Antibacterial effect of bamboo charcoal for the bacterium was 58%. Charcoal concentration of 2% and 5% in the inhibition zone showed a minimal growth, but the concentration of 10% bamboo charcoal in inhibition zone revealed a conspicuous antibacterial activity. Conclusions : Overall results suggested that the bamboo charcoal proved to be bactericidal effect on S. mutans.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.206-213
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• 2010

In this study, the antibacterial activities of essential oil from Zanthoxylum schinifolium against four Gram-positive bacteria and six Gram-negative bacteria were investigated. The antibacterial activity of the oils was determined using the agar-well diffusion assay, MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration). In particular, essential oil from Z. schinifolium showed higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than against Gram-negative bacteria. Essential oil from Z. schinifolium displayed large inhibition zones especially against Bacillus cereus (31 mm). At concentrations between 0 and $20\;{\mu}g/mL$ the oils showed an antibacterial effect against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against nine bacteria ranged from 1.25 to $5\;{\mu}g/mL$. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against eight bacterial ranged from 2.5 to $20\;{\mu}g/mL$, except Shigella sonnei. Furthermore, our finding on the antibacterial activities of essential oils from Zanthoxylum schinifolium validated the use of this plant for medical purposes.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.383-390
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• 1998

Bacillus subtilis DT134 was resistant to 50-fold higher concentration of cadmium ions (Cd2+) than cadmium-sensitive B. subtilis BD224 in Luria Broth (LB) medium. Minimal inhibition concentration test in LB agar plates also showed similar results. The elevated cadmium resistance of B. subtilis DT134 strongly suggested a possible existence of cadmium resistance gene in it. Southern blot with Staphylococcus aureus cadA gene fragment (757 bp NlaIV-XmnI cadA DNA fragment) as probe was carried out to test the existence and similarity of the gene. In high stringency condition, there was no detectable signal, but in low stringency, a strong signal specific to the cadA probe could be detected. These results strongly suggested that there was some similarity between total DNA of B. subtilis DT134 and S. aureus pl258 in terms of cadmium resistance gene and the resistance mechanism might be an efflux mechanism. The subsequent efflux experiment showed that the cadmium resistance mechanism of B. subtilis DT134 was also due to the efflux of cadmium.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.449-459
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• 1997

The main component of dental plaque is the mutan containing the a-1,3 bond. The following results were obtained by using a blue mutan to assess the factors affecting the mutan-digesting activity of Streptomyces exfoliatus isolated from soil. A clear zone was produced by mutanase-producing Streptomyces exfoliatus on the minimal essential agar containing blue mutan. Streptomyces exfoliatus digested more blue mutan in the minimal essential broth at pH 7.0 than at pH 5.5 or 8.5. Streptomyces exfoliatus digested more blue mutan at $37^{\circ}C$ than at $32^{\circ}C$ or $42^{\circ}C$ (P<0.05). When the concentration of $CaCl_2$ was increased in the minimal essential broth, the digestion of blue mutan was increased (P<0.05). The optimal concentration of KCl was 10mM to digest blue mutan, but a similar amount of blue mutan was digested at the range of 0.1mM to 6.4mM of $MgCl_2$. When the culture supernatant of Streptomyces exfoliatus was mixed with 2X brain heart infusion broth containing 0.5% yeast extract and 10% sucrose, less artificial plaque was formed by Streptococcus mutans on the orthodontic wire (P<0.05). These results indicated that the secretion of mutanase was identified in culture supernatant of mutan-digesting Streptomyces exfoliatus, suppressing the formation of artificial plaque by Streptococcus mutans.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-45
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• 2020

Objectives In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of a 70% ethanol extract of Maneung-hwan (MEH), which is prescribed by practitioners of oriental medicine for use against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods The antibacterial activity of MEH against MRSA strains was evaluated using the disc diffusion method, broth microdilution method (minimal inhibitory concentration, MIC), checkerboard dilution test, and time-kill test. The mechanism of action of MEH was investigated by bacteriolysis using detergents or ATPase inhibitors Additionally, mRNA and protein expression were investigated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot assay, respectively. Results The MIC of MEH was 25~1,600 ㎍/mL against all the tested bacterial strains. We showed that MEH extract exerts strong antibacterial activity. In the checkerboard dilution test, the fractional inhibitory concentration index of MEH in combination with antibiotics indicated synergism or partial synergism against S. aureus. The time-kill study indicated that the growth of the tested bacteria was considerably inhibited after a 24-h treatment with MEH and selected antibiotics. To measure the cell membrane permeability, MEH (3.9 ㎍/mL) was combined with Triton X-100 (TX) at various concentrations N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodimide (DCCD) was also tested as an ATPase inhibitor. TX and DCCD cooperation against S. aureus exhibited synergistic action. Accordingly, the antimicrobial activity of MEH in the context of cell membrane rupture and ATPase inhibition was assessed. Additionally, the expression of genes and proteins associated with resistance was reduced after exposing MRSA to MEH. Conclusions These results suggest that MEH possesses antibacterial activity and acts as a potential natural antibiotic against MRSA.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2010

White rot, which is caused by Sclerotium cepivorum, is a lethal disease affecting green onions. Three different types of nanosilver liquid (WA-CV-WA13B, WA-AT-WB13R, and WA-PR-WB13R) were tested in several different concentrations on three types of media to assess their antifungal activities. Results from in vitro experiments showed that all three of the nano-silver liquids had more than 90% inhibition rates at a concentration of 7 ppm. Greenhouse experiments revealed that all of the nano-silver liquids increased biomass and dry weights, and there were minimal changes in the population of various bacteria and fungi from the soil of greenhouse-cultivated green onions. In addition, a soil chemical analysis showed that there were minimal changes in soil composition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.415-420
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• 2001

Eighteen kinds of medicinal edible herbs, which are nontoxic and has been widely used in traditional folk medicine, were extracted and antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated against various foodborne pathogens or food poisoning microorganisms. Among them, the ethanol extract of Quercus mongolica showed the strongest antimicrobial activities against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and followed by Quercus aliena and Quercus dentata, respectively. Thus, further study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of Quercus species extracts. The plants were extracted with ethanol, methanol and water, respectively. The ethanol, methanol, and water extracts of Quercus mongolica leaf showed 10~21 mm inhibition zone against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at two thousand $\mu\textrm{g}$ per disc, but little antimicrobial activity was observed against fungi and yeast. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ethanol extract of Quercus mongolica leaf was 250$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL against Bacillus cereus. Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 62.5~125 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, respectively.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.515-523
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• 2015

In the study reported here, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the ethanol leaf extract of Dendropanax morbiferus Lev. from Jeju Island was investigated. Of the 14 strains of 12 species of microorganisms tested, the extract exhibited antimicrobial activity observed against seven Gram-positive bacteria of four species, but not against six Gram-negative bacteria and a yeast strain. Using the disc diffusion method, the diameter of the inhibition zone increased with application of the extract with every strain and the highest growth inhibition was exhibited with Staphylococcus aureus KCTC 1916 at 5 mg/ml. The minimal inhibitory concentration of the extract (MIC) by turbidity was 2.5 mg/ml against Bacillus cereus KACC 12672 and 15 mg/ml when with Enterococcus faecalis KCTC 3206. The minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) values defined as being $${\geq_-}99.9%$$ reduction in viable cells against the tested strains was higher than the MIC values. Time killing curves using the optimum MIC were performed on seven strains incubated for 48 hr. The growth of B. cereus KACC 12672 was detected after 12 hr and no significant growth was found in the others strains after 48 hr (p<0.05). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity of the ethanol leaf extract was similar to that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) at the same concentration. These results indicate that leaf extract of D. morbiferus Lev. can be utilized as a natural preservative and an antioxidant.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.123-126
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• 2007

We isolated a lignan, kobusin from Geranium thunbergii and studied its effect on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene in a monocyte/macrophage cell line, RAW264.7 cells. Kobusin inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated NO production and the expression of iNOS in a concentration-dependent manner. To identify the mechanistic basis for its inhibition of iNOS induction, we examined the effect of kobusin on both the luciferase reporter activity using $NF-{\kappa}B$ minimal promoter and the nuclear translocation of p65. Kobusin suppressed the reporter gene activity and the LPS-induced movement of p65 in to nucleus. $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation is controlled by the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of $I-{\kappa}B{\alpha}$, and in the present study, we found that $I-{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ phosphorylation was also inhibited by kobusin. Our findings indicate that kobusin may provide a developmental basis for an agent against inflammatory diseases.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.46-50
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• 1989

A high concentration of inorganic phosphate (above 25 mM), which was suboptimal for vegetative growth in the minimal production medium, suppressed cephalosporin C (CPC) production in Cephalosporium acremonium. Results from the determination of intracellular concentrations of ATP, ADP and AMP with phosphate-starved resting cells indicated that phosphate exerted its effect indirectly by regulating the ratio of adenylated nucleotides, the so-called adenylated energy charge. It was also found that the type of phosphate regulation of CPC biosynthesis was not a repression effect but an inhibition effect.