• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.731-738
• /
• 2017

A novel approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using leaf extract of Canna edulis Ker-Gawl. (CELE) under ambient conditions is reported here. The as-prepared AgNPs were analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission emission microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive analysis of X-ray spectroscopy, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. The AgNPs showed excellent antimicrobial activity against various pathogens, including bacteria and various fungi. The biocompatibility of the AgNPs was analyzed in the L929 cell line using NRU and MTT assays. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining was used to determine whether the AgNPs had necrotic or apoptotic effects on L929 cells. The concentration of AgNPs required for 50% inhibition of growth of mammalian cells is far more than that required for inhibition of pathogenic microorganisms. Thus, CELE is a candidate for the eco-friendly, clean, cost-effective, and nontoxic synthesis of AgNPs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.1170-1177
• /
• 2005

Terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was used to monitor inoculated oil-degrading microorganisms during bioremedial treatability tests. A pair of universal primers, fluorescently labeled 521F and 1392R, was employed to amplify small subunit rDNA in order to simultaneously detect two bacterial strains, Corynebacterium sp. IC10 and Sphingomonas sp. KH3-2, and a yeast strain, Yarrowia lipolytica 180. Digestion of the 5'-end fluorescence/labeled PCR products with HhaI produced specific terminal-restriction fragments (T-RFs) of 185 and 442 bases, corresponding to Corynebacterium sp. IC10 and Y. lipolytica 180, respectively. The enzyme NruI produced a specific T-RF of 338 bases for Sphingomonas sp. KH3-2. The detection limit for oildegrading microorganisms that were inoculated into natural environments was determined to be $0.01\%$ of the total microbial count, regardless of the background environment. When three oil-degrading microorganisms were released into oil-contaminated sand microenvironments, strains IC10 and 180 survived for 35 days after inoculation, whereas strain KH3-2 was detected at 8 days, but not at 35 days. This result implies that T-RFLP could be a useful tool for monitoring the survival and relative abundance of specific microbial strains inoculated into contaminated environments.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.300-306
• /
• 2021

Chronic ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes photoaging, which represents skin damage, disrupts skin barrier function, and promotes wrinkle formation. We investigated that the polysaccharide extract of an edible basidiomycetous white jelly mushroom, Tremella fuciformis, (TF-Glucan^®) exhibited statistically photoprotective activity by inhibiting matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) and increasing collagen synthesis, and an anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines at the concentrations of less than 1000 ㎍/ml, which is not cytotoxic (p < 0.05). Additionally, TF-Glucan^® increased the expression of involucrin and filaggrin to prevent the disruption of UVB-induced barrier function (p < 0.05). TF-Glucan^® was assessed as a safe material by the human primary skin irritation (1, 3, 5%), human repeated insult patch test (no sensitization at 5%), 3T3 NRU phototoxicity assay (no phototoxicity, PIF < 2, MPE < 0.1), eye irritation test test by BCOP (no category, IVIS ≤ 3) and local lymph node assay (negative at 10, 25, 50%) for identifying potential skin sensitizing. These results suggest that TF-Glucan^® may be useful as an anti-photoaging ingredient for developing cosmeceuticals.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to identify lily species native to Korea from formosan lily (Lilium formosanum) belonging to Longiflorum section. Due to flowering time, flower color and orientation, long shelf life and resistant to diseases, the native lily species can be valuable genetic resources for interspecific hybrids. One of the chloroplast genes, matK, was used to clone and sequence to explore any base changes. The matK was successfully amplified into 1,539 bp (94% of the gene) and phylogenetic tree demonstrated 6 clades for those 11 lily species used in this study. There were one or two base substitutions among 10 lilies native to Korea, while formosan lily native to Taiwan exhibited 6 base substitutions in matK gene, rendering it genetically distant. A restriction enzyme NruI recognized one of the six base changes, and digested the matK gene of 10 native lily species only, but not in formosan lily. The confirmed cleavage characteristic of the target region in matK gene was designed into a CAPS (cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences) marker which will be available to estimate compatibility of interspecific hybridization and to trace the pedigree when those native lilies are crossed with the formosan lily.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.10
• /
• pp.5719-5723
• /
• 2013

Pharmacological and preventive properties of Petroselinum sativum seed extracts are well known, but the anticancer activity of alcoholic extracts and oil of Petroselinum sativum seeds on human breast cancer cells have not been explored so far. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the cytotoxic activities of these extracts against MCF-7 cells. Cells were exposed to 10 to $1000{\mu}g/ml$ of alcoholic seed extract (PSA) and seed oil (PSO) of Petroselinum sativum for 24 h. Post-treatment, percent cell viability was studied by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2, 5-biphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red uptake (NRU) assays, and cellular morphology by phase contrast inverted microscopy. The results showed that PSA and PSO significantly reduced cell viability, and altered the cellular morphology of MCF-7 cells in a concentration dependent manner. Concentrations of $50{\mu}g/ml$ and above of PSA and $100{\mu}g/ml$ and above of PSO were found to be cytotoxic in MCF-7 cells. Cell viability at 50, 100, 250, 500 and $1000{\mu}g/ml$ of PSA was recorded as 81%, 57%, 33%, 8% and 5%, respectively, whereas at 100, 250, 500, and $1000{\mu}g/ml$ of PSO values were 90%, 78%, 62%, and 8%, respectively by MTT assay. MCF-7 cells exposed to 250, 500 and $1000{\mu}g/ml$ of PSA and PSO lost their typical morphology and appeared smaller in size. The data revealed that the treatment with PSA and PSO of Petroselinum sativum induced cell death in MCF-7 cells.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Tobacco Science
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.110-117
• /
• 2007

In vitro toxicity tests such as cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity assay are useful for evaluating the relative toxicity of smoke or smoke condensates obtained from different cigarette configurations. A major disadvantage of these tests is relatively time-consuming, complicated and expensive. Recently, a cell-free glutathione consumption assay (GCA) as a rapid and simple screening method for the toxicity assessment of smoke has been reported by Cahours et al. (CORESTA, 2006). This study was carried out to assess the GCA application capable of predicting the toxicity of gas/vapor phase (GVP) of cigarette smoke and to identify individual compounds responsible for the glutathione (GSH) consumption in smoke. Each GVPs from 2R4F, standard cigarette, carbon filter cigarette (ExC) and new carbon filter cigarette (ExN), test cigarettes were collected by automatic smoking machine and evaluated the relative toxicity by GCA and neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. Toxic compounds existed in smoke were also chosen, relative toxicities of these compounds were screened by using two methods and compared individually. The overall order of toxicity by GCA was 2R4F > ExC > ExN, which was consistent with the result of Neutral Red Uptake assay. The levels of carbonyl compounds of ExN were lower than those of 2R4F and ExC, indicating that GSH consumption was associated with carbonyl compound yields. A major toxicant under current study is acrolein, which contributed to more than half of the GSH consumption. Collectively, the toxicity of GVP determined by GCA method may be mainly attributed to acrolein.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2010

In this study, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition and neuronal cell protective effects of water, 100% methanol and dichlromethane extracts from garlic were investigated. We found that dichloromethane extract of garlic resulted in a dose-dependent manner on AChE inhibition ($IC_{50}$: $36.1{\mu}g/mL$). In cell viability assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromide (MTT), cell viabilities of water, 100% methanol and dichlromethane extracts were lower (almost under 40%) than amyloid ${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$)-induced neurotoxicity. Because $A{\beta}$ is also known to increase neuronal cell membrane breakdown, neuronal apoptosis was further confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. Water extract presented relative protection against $A{\beta}$-induced membrane damage in LDH assay. However all garlic extracts showed significant problem with decrease of cell viability in NRU assay, especially at dichloromethan extract. To determine active compounds in column fractions (98:2 fraction) from dichloromethane extract which showed significant AChE inhibitory effect, we performed HPLC and LC-MS analysis. It was supposed that garlic may contain allyl methyl disulfide, diallyl monosulfide, and diallyl disulfide as active compounds.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.712-716
• /
• 2009

In this study, the antioxidant and neuronal cell protective effects of methanol extract from Schizandra chinensis were evaluated. The proximate composition and total phenolics content of the extract were as follows: 64.88% nitrogen free extract, 10.56% crude fiber, 10.22% moisture, 8.33% crude protein, 5.05% ash, 0.96% crude fat, and 83.04 mg/g of total phenolics. In assays the methanol extract of Schizandra chinensis presented ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity in a dose-dependent manner. In a cell viability assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazoliumbromide (MTT), the methanol extract showed protective effect against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release into medium was also inhibited by various concentrations of extracts (68-80%). Cell viability after treatment of the methanol extract was higher than that shown for vitamin C ($100\;{\mu}M$) using a neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. Therefore, these data suggest that the methanol extract of Schizandra chinensis may be useful for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.463-472
• /
• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the chemical composition of essential oils, absolutes and oleoresins isolated from Elsholtzia ciliata and the biological activities of them. Yields of essential oils, absolutes and oleoresins were 0.34%, 11.33% and 15.24%, respectively. The major component was naginate ketone in essential oils, methyl linolenate in absolutes and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid in oleoresins. Eseential oils and oleoresins showed the inhibitory activities in enzyme-dependent, enzyme-independent and autooxidatve lipid peroxidation systems. $EC_{50}$ values in neutral red uptake assays 24 h of exposure times were $23.3\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$, $341.0\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ and $17.2\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ in essential oils, absolutes and oleoresins, respectively, and essential oils and oleoresins showed the cytotoxic effect at the only high dose. Absolutes and oleoresins did not show antibiotic and mutagenic activities. On the contrary, essential oils with over $500\;{\mu}g/plate$ showed antibiotic and mutagenic activities in Ames test. Essential oils and oleoresins have a prolongating effect the ciliostasis of rat trachea.