• ALGAE
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.241-246
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• 2015

This research was conducted to develop effective and safe marine-derived antiviral compounds against norovirus. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-extract from Eisenia bicyclis exhibited strong antiviral activity against murine norovirus (MNV) as a norovirus surrogate. Among the phlorotannins from E. bicyclis, dieckol (DE) and phlorofucofuroeckol-A (PFF) were known to possess the strongest antibacterial activity. In this study, DE and PFF were evaluated for antiviral activity against MNV. DE and PFF exhibited strong anti-MNV activity with 50% effective concentration ($EC_{50}$) of $0.9{\mu}M$. However, PFF exhibited more effective antiviral activity against MNV with higher selective index (668.87) than that of DE (550.60), due to its lower cell toxicity against RAW 264.7. This is the first report on the anti-MNV activity of phlorotannins from seaweed. The results obtained in this study suggest that the phlorotannins could be used as a potential source of natural antiviral agents.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2010

Norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis in humans, is an important food-borne pathogen worldwide. In an effort to discover an antiviral substance against norovirus, extracts from several seaweeds were evaluated for antiviral activity against feline calicivirus (FCV), which was used as a surrogate. The methanolic extract of Undaria pinnatifida exhibited the most significant antiviral activity and virucidal efficacy against FCV. The concentrations of the extract that reduced viral replication by 50% ($EC_{50}$) and resulted in the death of 50% of the host cells ($CC_{50}$) were 0.05 mg/mL and 1.02 mg/mL, respectively. The selectivity index, calculated from the ratio of the $CC_{50}$ and $EC_{50}$ was 20.4. No FCV infection of host cells occurred following a 1-h incubation in the presence of 12.50 mg/mL U. pinnatifida extract, indicating that the virus was completely inactivated by the extract treatment. The results obtained in this study will contribute to the development of a natural antiviral substance that will prevent food-borne disease caused by norovirus.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.31-39
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• 2014

Norovirus causes acute gastroenteritis in all age groups and its food poisoning outbreaks are rapidly increasing in Korea. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is most widely used for the rapid detection of foodborne viruses due to high sensitivity. However, the false positive results of RT-PCR obtained against already inactivated viruses could be a serious drawbacks in food safety area. In this study, we investigated a method to yield true positive RT-PCR results only with alive viruses. To decompose the RNA genes from dead viruses, the enzymatic treatments composed of proteinse K and Ribonuclease A were applied to the sanitized and inactivated virus particles. Another aim of this study was to quantify the efficiencies of several major sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR. Feline calicivirus (FCV) that belongs to the same Caliciviridae family with norovirus was used as a surrogate model for norovirus. The initial level of virus in control suspension was approximately $10^4$ PFU/mL. Most of inactivated viruses treated with the enzymatic treatment for 30 min at $37^{\circ}C$ were not detected in RT-PCR, Quantification results to verify the inactivation efficiencies of sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR showed no false positive in most cases. We could successfully develope a numerical quantification process for the inactivated viruses after major sanitizing treatments using real-time RT-PCR. The results obtained in this study could provide a novel basis of rapid virus quantification in food safety area.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.71-76
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• 2007

Foodborne illness caused by Noroviruses (NVs) is increasing rapidly in Korea. This study developed an effective detection protocol for NVs found in contaminated oysters and lettuce through an investigation using the major steps of virus particle separation, concentration and RT-PCR. As a surrogate model for NVs, the cultivable feline calicivirus (FCV) that belongs to the same Caliciviridae family was used. Instead of using a time-consuming ultracentrifugation method, efficient methods based on solvent extraction and PEG precipitation procedure were applied. Direct homogenization of a 25g sample of whole oyster and lettuce in 175mL PBS provided the simplicity that would be needed in the actual field of food product examination. The overnight PEG precipitation step at $4^{\circ}C$ was reduced to 3 h by placing the reaction tube in ice and by adjusting the PEG concentrations. The application of the use of chloroform and 0.2 ${\mu}m$ syringe filtration together showed a better detection efficiency than the use of chloroform alone in removing PCR inhibitors for both oyster and lettuce samples. Also, dilution of the extracted RNA solution before PCR provided increased sensitivity. The improved detection protocol developed in this study could be efficiently applied to detect FCV and most likely NVs from oysters and lettuce.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1022-1026
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• 2009

Cross contamination of foodborne virus via food utensils can be an important route of virus propagation. Bacteriophage MS2 was used as a surrogate for norovirus. The viability loss of bacteriophage MS2 attached to 4 kinds of metal surfaces was investigated at different temperatures and relative humidities (RH). The rate of viability loss was higher at $22^{\circ}C$ than at $10^{\circ}C$ and was higher at 75% RH than at 40% RH. The viability loss of the virus attached to copper or bronze surface was faster than on stainless steel or tin surface. Also the beef juice applied with the virus inoculum on the metal surfaces lowered the rate of viability loss. Although bronze was not as effective as copper in resulting the viability loss, it has been extensively used as a traditional Korean kitchen utensil and could be used more widely to decrease the viral poisoning at food processing environment and hospitals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.928-933
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• 2009

In an effort to discover an antiviral substance against noroviruse (NV), which causes gastroenteritis illness world-wide, several plants including spices and herbs were evaluated for their antiviral activities against feline calicivirus (FCV) as a surrogate for NV. Among them, methanolic extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) exhibited significant antiviral activity against FCV. After treatment with green tea extract (3.13 mg/ml) for 1 hr, FCV was completely inactivated. The antiviral activity of green tea extract against FCV was also determined to be dose and time- dependent. The results obtained in this study suggested that green tea will be effective in the prevention of food-borne diseases caused by NV.