• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2008

Alanine racemase, a bacterial enzyme belonging to the fold-type III group of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes, has been shown to catalyze the interconversion between L- and D-alanine. The alanine racemase from the pathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecalis v583 has been overexpressed in E. coli and was shown to crystallize an enzyme at 295 K, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 as a precipitant. X-ray diffraction data to $2.5{\AA}$ has been collected using synchrotron radiation. The crystal is a member of the orthorhombic space group, $C222_1$ with unit cell parameter of a=94.634, b=156.516, $c=147.878{\AA},\;and\;{\alpha}={\beta}={\gamma}=90{\AA}$. Two or three monomers are likely to be present in the asymmetric unit, with a corresponding $V_m\; of\;3.38{\AA}^3\;Da^{-1}\;and\;2.26{\AA}^3\;Da^{-1}$ and a solvent content of 63.7% and 45.5%, respectively.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.15 no.2 s.69
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• pp.279-286
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• 2005

The Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino (Cactus) is a tropical or subtropical plant, which is cultivated or grows naturally in Jeju island. It has been widely used as folk medicine for burned wound, edema and indigestion. In addition, its extract has been claimed to have several biological activities including anti-inflammation in oriental medicine. In this study, we examined the antimicrobial activities of the methanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino. The extract showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotics resistant bacteria (MRSA, R-P. aeruginosa, VRE) and Propionibacterium acnes, yeast, and fungi. The extract retained the activity after heat treatment for 15 min at $100^{\circ}C$ and $121^{\circ}C$ and after extended storage, up to 10 weeks storage period at $4^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$, also stably retained its activity. It showed a better inhibitoring effect to the growth of E. coli than sodium benzoate did it at the same concentration. Addition of various salts or metal ions did not affect on its antimicrobial activity. Therefore, the antimicrobial characteristics of the extract can be applicable as a natural preservative and an antimicrobial agent for bacterial disease.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.258-265
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• 2012

Bacterial strains isolated from diseased red pepper fruits showed inhibitory effect on mycelial growth and spore germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The bacterium was identified as Paenibacillus sp. based on its physiological, biochemical characteristics and MicroLog analysis and named Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08. The bacterium showed the highest level of antifungal activity C. gloeosporioides when cultured at $25^{\circ}C$ for 60 hrs in LB broth with initial pH of 7.0. The butanol fraction from culture extract of Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth and spore germination of C. gloeosporioides than any other agricultural chemicals tested. Pepper fruits and seeds treated with spores of C. gloeosporioides showed symptoms, while those treated with the culture extract and C. gloeosporioides together did not show any symptoms. Therefore, the culture extract of Paenibacillus sp. IUB225-08 have a potential for biocontrol agent of red pepper anthracnose.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.165-170
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• 2008

One hundred and three isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in Korea were evaluated for their virulence on four near-isogenic lines (NILs) containing a single resistance gene, and Korean differential varieties. The resistant gene backgrounds of Cheongcheongbyeo, Pungsanbyeo, Hangangchalbyeo, Milyang42 were not completely understood and they were not suited for the classification of X. oryzae pv. oryzae. Four NILs, IRBB101, IRBB103, IRBB105, and IRBB107 were difference for characterizing races of X. oryzae pv. oryzae because they have a single resistance gene. These NILs may be useful differential set in examining pathogenic races of X. oryzae pv. oryzae in Korea. Based on the virulence of 103 isolates to new differential varieties, they were classified into 3 races.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.491-497
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• 2007

Hyeonggaeyeongyo-tang (HYT; Jingjielianqiao-tang), is known to be effective in lowering wind-heat blended as a pathogen of kidney. HYT has been traditionally used for the treatment of a syndrome in kidney meridian, due to invasion of pathogenic wind and heat. Nowadays, this prescription is used to treat diseases marked by excessive wind and heat in the kidney meridian, such as acute otitis media, empyema, hypertrophic rhinitis, nasal bleeding, nasal obstruction, acne and tonsillitis. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of HYT on the regulatory mechanism of cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) for the immunological activities in Raw 264.7 cells. After the treatment of HYT water extract, cell viability was measured by MTT assay, NO production was monitored by measuring the nitrite content in culture medium. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2_ and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined by immunoblot analysis, and levels of cytokine were analyzed by sandwich immunoassays. The production of No was significantly inhibited by pre-treatment (1h) with HYT(0.1-0.3 mg/ml) on LPS-activated Raw264.7 cells. The expression of iNOS and COX-2 protein were up-regulated by LPS, but the increased levels of iNOS and COX-2 were inhibited by pre-treatment of HYT (0.3-1.0 mg/ml), respectively. And the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6), cytokine released from macrophage, was reduced by HYT pre-treatment (0.3-1.0 mg/ml). Thus, the present data suggest that HYT may play an important role in adjunctive therapy in Gram-negative bacterial infections.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2013

To develop a live vaccine candidate using an attenuated strain of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST), biochemical properties, plasmid profile, PFGE patterns and pathogenic analysis of the ST isolate were carried out after sequential passage of the ST isolate in porcine neutrophils. By the passage, the ability of the neutrophil-adapted isolate to utilize d-xylose was lost, while the ability of the strain to ferment trehalose was delayed after 2 or more days of the culture. Also, changes including deletion of the gene fragments were observed in PFGE analysis of the neutrophil-adapted isolates. Two plasmids, 105kb and 50kb, were cured in the strain passaged over 15 times in porcine neutrophils. The 50% of lethal dose ($LD_{50}$) of the parent strain was changed from $1{\times}10^5\;LD_{50}$ to $6{\times}10^6\;LD_{50}$ by the passage in intraperitoneal injection of the strains into mice. These results suggested that bacterial genotypic and phenotypic responses might be globally altered depending on the inside environment of neutrophils.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.290-294
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• 2012

Vibrio spp. and Streptococcus spp. have caused a considerable disease of farmed fish and economic loss in fish farming and seafood industry. In this study, the efficacy of an aquatic disinfectant tablet composed to calcium hypochlorite was evaluated against V. anguillarum and S. iniae. A bactericidal efficacy test by broth dilution method was used to determine the lowest effective dilution of the disinfectant following exposure to test bacteria for 30 min at $4^{\circ}C$. An aquatic disinfectant tablet and test bacteria were diluted with distilled water (DW), hard water (HW) or organic matter suspension (OM) according to treatment condition. V. anguillarum on the DW, HW and OM condition was completely inactivated with 16,000 15,000 and 13,000 fold dilutions of the disinfectant, respectively. On the DW, HW and OM condition, S. iniae was absolutely inactivated with 17,000 16,000 and 14,000 fold dilutions of the disinfectant, respectively. As an aquatic disinfectant tablet possesses bactericidal efficacy against fish pathogenic bacteria such as V. anguillarum and S. iniae this disinfectant solution can be used to control the spread of fish infective bacterial diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.994-1000
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• 2006

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a sweet herb of the Asteraceae family originally derived from South America. Twenty three bacterial strains and ten yeast strains were isolated from fermented Stevia extract and identified by general taxonomic methods and molecular genetic method. Isolated strains from fermented Stevia extract include ten species of bacteria which belong to five genus and one species of yeast. Based on 16S and 18S rDNA sequence analysis, phylogenetic trees were constructed. Antimicrobial activity of the isolated strains was examined against various bacteria and plant-pathogenic fungi. Among them, Lactobacillus paracasei SB13 showed strong antibacterial activity towards a wide range of bacteria. These results may be useful to develop environmentally friendly microbial agent for soil improvement.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.462-468
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• 2001

To develop natural food preservative, antimicrobial activity of Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc. (PD) ethanol extract against pathogens were investigated. The growth of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29737, Bacillus subtils KCTC 1021, Bacillus megaterium KCTC 3007 and Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 was inhibited as much as 4 to 6 log cycle in tryptic soy broth containing 40mg/㎖ of PD extract but Salmonalla typhimurium ATCC 14028 and Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 21541 were not inhibited. The total, gram negative and psychrotrophic bacterial count were inhibited in minced pork containing 40mg/㎖ of PD extract for 20 days at 4$\^{C}$. The sensory quality of hamburger patty such as taste, flavor and overall acceptability were not decreased by the addition of 40mg/㎖ PD(p<0.05).

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.457-464
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• 2005

The optimal concentration of ethanol to separate a high quantity of propolis was $60\%$ but that for the best flavonoids extraction was $80\%$ We compared the yields of propolis from different countries. In this study we used $60\%$ ethanol concentration as a standard. The yield of propolis was proportional to the contents of flavonoids. Namely, Polish propolis which showed the highest yield with $56\%$ by the extraction with $60\%$ ethanol revealed also the highest flavonoids content with $3.49\%$ among all the samples tested The major constituents of propolis differed from country to country. It has been suggested that the different geographical origin influenced the efficacy and the constituents of propolis. Antibacterial activity of ethanol extracted propolis from different countries was tested against 6 microbial strains of type cultures including Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus agalactiae) and Gram- negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris and E coli) in vitro. Propolis extract showed anti-microbial activity against all the tested bacterial strains. In addition, propolis was sensitive to E coli which was resistant to broad spectrum antibiotics like ampicillin. These results showed that propolis may substituted for commercial antibiotics. The efficiency of anti-microbial activity of the propolis was slightly higher in $80\%$ than $97\%$ ethanol extract.