• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.384-394
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• 2024

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), known to latently infect the host's trigeminal ganglion, can lead to severe herpes encephalitis or asymptomatic infection, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The virus generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that significantly impact viral replication and induce chronic inflammation through NF-κB activation. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an oxidative stress regulator, can prevent and treat HSV-1 infection by activating the passive defense response in the early stages of infection. Methods and results: Our study investigated the antiviral effects of ginsenoside Rg5, an Nrf2 activator, on HSV-1 replication and several host cell signaling pathways. We found that HSV-1 infection inhibited Nrf2 activity in host cells, induced ROS/NF-κB signaling, and triggered inflammatory cytokines. However, treatment with ginsenoside Rg5 inhibited ROS/NF-κB signaling and reduced inflammatory cytokines through NRF2 induction. Interestingly, the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 suppressed the expression of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) and enhanced the expression of KEAP1 in HSV-1 infected cells. This led to the reversal of VP16 expression inhibition, a protein factor associated with HSV-1 infection, thereby promoting HSV-1 replication. Conclusion: These findings suggest for the first time that ginsenoside Rg5 may serve as an antiviral against HSV-1 infection and could be a novel therapeutic agent for HSV-1-induced neuroinflammation.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2024

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by neuronal cell death and memory impairment. Corticosterone (CORT) is a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to a stressful condition. Excessive stress and high CORT levels are known to cause neurotoxicity and aggravate various diseases, whereas mild stress and low CORT levels exert beneficial actions under pathophysiological conditions. However, the effects of mild stress on AD have not been clearly elucidated yet. In this study, the effects of low (3 and 30 nM) CORT concentration on Aβ_25-35-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells and underlying molecular mechanisms have been investigated. Cytotoxicity caused by Aβ_25-35 was significantly inhibited by the low concentration of CORT treatment in the cells. Furthermore, CORT pretreatment significantly reduced Aβ_25-35-mediated pro-apoptotic signals, such as increased Bim/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 cleavage. Moreover, low concentration of CORT treatment inhibited the Aβ_25-35-induced cyclooxygenase-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. Aβ_25-35 resulted in intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, which were effectively reduced by the low CORT concentration. As a molecular mechanism, low CORT concentration activated the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2, a redox-sensitive transcription factor mediating cellular defense and upregulating the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase, glutamylcysteine synthetase, and manganese superoxide dismutase. These findings suggest that low CORT concentration exerts protective actions against Aβ_25-35-induced neurotoxicity and might be used to treat and/or prevent AD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.767-774
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• 2011

Defatted green tea seed was extracted with 100% ethanol for 4 hr and then fractionated with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and butanol. The ethanol and butanol extracts showed greater increases in antiproliferation potential against liver cancer cells than petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, $H_2O$, and hot water extracts did. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the anti-proliferative actions of defatted green tea seed ethanol extract (DGTSE) in HepG2 cancer cells. The DGTSE contained catechins including EGC ($1039.1{\pm}15.2\;g/g$), tannic acid ($683.5{\pm}17.61\;{\mu}g/g$), EC ($62.4{\pm}5.00\;{\mu}g/g$), ECG ($24.4{\pm}7.81\;{\mu}g/g$), EGCG ($20.9{\pm}0.96\;{\mu}g/g$) and gallic acid ($2.4{\pm}0.68\;{\mu}g/g$), but caffeic acid was not detected when analyzed by HPLC. The anti-proliferation effect of DGTSE toward HepG2 cells was 83.13% when treated at $10\;{\mu}g$/mL, of DGTSE, offering an $IC_{50}$ of $6.58\;{\mu}g$/mL. DGTSE decreased CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 protein expressions in a dose-dependent manner. Quinone reductase and antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase activities were increased about 2.6 and 1.94-fold at a concentration of $20\;{\mu}g$/mL compared to a control group, respectively. Enhancement of phase II enzyme activity by DGTSE was shown to be mediated via interaction with ARE sequences in genes encoding the phase enzymes. DGTSE significantly (p<0.05) suppressed prostaglandin $E_2$ level, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) protein expressions, and NF${\kappa}$B translocation, but did not affected nitric oxide production. From the above results, it is concluded that DGTSE may ameliorate tumor and inflammatory reactions through the elevation of phase II enzyme activities and suppression of NF${\kappa}$B translocation and TNF-${\alpha}$ protein expressions, which support the cancer cell anti-proliferative effects of DGTSE in HepG2 cells.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.344-351
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• 2016

A marine bacterium, designated as strain 50C-3, was isolated from a seawater sample collected from the East Sea of South Korea. The strain is a Gram-negative, aerobic, yellow colored polar-flagellated bacterium that grows at $20-50^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.5-8.5. Optimal growth occurred at $40-50^{\circ}C$, at pH 6.5-7.5, and in the presence of 2% (w/v) NaCl. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the isolate was considered to represent a member of the genus Ruegeria. The result of this analysis showed that strain 50C-3 shared 99.4% and 96.98% sequence similarity with Ruegeria intermedia CC-GIMAT-$2^T$ and Ruegeria lacuscaerulensis ITI-$1157^T$, respectively. Furthermore, strain 50C-3 showed clear differences from related strains in terms of several characteristics such as motility, carbon utilization, enzyme production, etc. The DNA G+C content was 66.7 mol%. Chemotaxonomic analysis indicated ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) as the predominant respiratory quinone. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic characteristics, the isolate represents a novel variant of the Ruegeria intermedia CC-GIMAT-$2^T$, for which we named Ruegeria sp. 50C-3 (KCTC23890=DSM25519). Strain 50C-3 did not produce cellulase and agarase, but produced alkaline phosphatase, ${\alpha}$-galactosidase, and ${\beta}$-galactosidase. The three enzymes showed stable activities even at $50^{\circ}C$ and thus regarded as thermostable enzymes. Especially, the ${\beta}$-galactosidase activity enhanced by 1.9 times at $50^{\circ}C$ than that at $37^{\circ}C$, which may be very useful for industrial application.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 1998

In an effort to reduce artifically the residual pesticides on crop and soil by accelerated photolysis,some 40 among the naturally occurring and synthetic coumpound were screened for photosensitization and/or photocatalysis and six promising chemicals were selected.The fungicides and the four selected photosensitizers and/or photocatalyst (PS) were applied to each crop.The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. The wavelengths of maximum absortion (${\lambda}$max) and the molar absorptivites (${\varepsilon}$max) of procymidone,vinclozolin,and carbendazim in acentone were all 209 nm and 853,854,and 8740 respectively. 2. Of the 40 naturally-occuring and synthetic compounds screened,six promising ones were selected and designated as PS-1 (aromatic ketone),PS-2(aromatic amine)PS-3(quinone) ,PS-4 (inorganic compound),PS-5(organic acid salt) and PS-6(semiconductor photocatalyst). 3. In the accelerated photolysis of pesticide in soil by applying PS ,procymidone was decoposed rapidly by virtue of PS-2,being 59% of the control 3 days after application. 4. The vinclozolin residue in soil was reduced to 71% and 21% of the control 1 and 15 days,respectively,after PS-2 application. 5. The photolysis of carbendazim in soil was not accelerated by any of the PS tested. 6. The pesticide residues on the crop were prominently reduced by PS application.The procymidone residue on tomato was reduced to 47% of the control 15 days after PS-1 application and that on red pepper reduced to 57% 15 days after PS-2 application. 7. Vincrozolin residus remaining on tomato 1 and 15 days after PS-2 application were 38% and 56% of the control whereas those on the red pepper were 82% and 64%,respectively. 8. PS-2 was the most effective for the accelerated photolysis of carbendazim residues remaining on tomato, whereas on red pepper, the four of PS tested were all effective, but did not make much difference between them. This might be due to the shielding of sunlight by the leaves of red pepper not to exert the photosensitizing effect of PS-2 to the full.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.47-53
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• 1999

Photosensitizing activities of some photosensitizers (PS) for the artificial diminution of pesticide residues on horticultural crops were investigated. Five fungicides, iprodione, bitertanol, chlorothalonil, myclobutanil, and dichlofluanid were sprayed on apple and cucumber, followed by the application of each selected photosensitizer, and the samples were collected 0, 1, 3, 7, 15 days after the photosensitizer application and analyzed for the residual amounts. Of the 40 photosensitizers tested, six selected on the basis of the eliminating effect of pesticide residues were PS-1 (aromatic ketone), PS-2 (aromatic amine), PS-3 (quinone), PS-4 (inorganic compound), PS-5 (organic acid salt), and PS-6 (semiconductor photocatalyst). The residual amount of iprodione after 15 days of the application of PS-1 was 74% of that of the control. For bitertanol, the residual amount after 15 days of the application of PS-1 accounted for 78% of that of the control. The residual amounts of chlorothalonil after 1 day of the application of PS-1 and PS-2 accounted for 56 and 54% of those of the control, respectively. The residual amounts of iprodione on cucumber after 3 days of the application of the photosensitizers PS-1 and PS-2 were 44 and 67% of those of the untreated control, respectively. For myclobutanil, the residual amount after 15 days of the application of PS-6 accounted for 45% of that of the control. In case of dichlofluanid, the residual amount after 3 days of the application of PS-1 accounted for 44% of that of the control. Based on the results, PS-1 turned out to be the most promising photosensitizer for the accelerated photodegradation of the above fungicides on apple and cucumber.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.112-121
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• 2016

Development of genetically-modified (GM) crops enables the introduction of new traits to the plant to confer characteristics such as disease resistance, herbicide resistance and human health-promoting bioactivity. Successful commercialization of newly developed GM crops requires stable inheritance of integrated T-DNA and newly introduced traits through the multiple generations. This study was carried out to confirm the stable inheritance of the integrated T-DNA in $T_1$ and $T_2$ transgenic Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) that was genetically modified to increase concentrations of phenylethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), which is a potential anti-carcinogenic phytochemical. For this purpose, the IGA 1-3 ($T_1$ generation) and IGA 1-3-5 ($T_2$ generation) lines were selected by PCR and a IGA 1-3 transgenic plant ($T_1$ generation) was analyzed to confirm the T-DNA insertion site in the Chinese cabbage genome by VA-TAIL PCR. The results of this study showed that the introduced T-DNA in IGA 1 line was stably inherited to the next generations without any variations in terms of the structure of the transgenes, and this line also showed the expected transgene function that resulted in increased concentration of PEITC through the multiple generations. Finally, we confirmed the increased QR activity in IGA 1 $T_1$ and $T_2$ transgenic lines, which indicates an enhanced potential anti-carcinogenic bioactivity and its stable inheritance in IGA1 $T_1$ and $T_2$ transgenic lines.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.149-176
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• 1974

Eight substituted diphenyl ether herbicides and some of their photoproducts were studied in terms of solution phase photolysis under simulated environmental conditions by using a Rayonet photochemical reactor. The test compounds absorbed sufficient light energy at the wavelength of 300 nm to undergo various photoreactions. All the photoproducts were confirmed by means of tlc, glc, ir, ms, and/or nmr spectrometry. The results obtained are summarized as follows: Solution phase photolysis of C-6989: An exceedingly large amount of p-nitrophenol formed strongly indicates the readiness of the ether linkage cleavage of this compound as the main reaction in all solvents used. Photoreduction of nitro to amino group(s) and photooxidation of trifluoromethyl to carboxyl group were recognized as minor reactions. Aqueous photolysis of p-nitrophenol: Quinone(0.28%), hydroquinone (0.66%), and p-aminophenol (0.42%) were confirmed as photoproducts, in addition to a relatively small amount of an unknown compound. The mechanisms of formation of these products were proposed to be the nitro-nitrite rearrangement via $n{\rightarrow}{\pi}^*$ excitation and the photoreduction through hydrogen abstractions by radicals, respectively. Solution phase photolysis of Nitrofen: Photochemical reduction leading to the p-amino derivative was the main reaction in n-hexane. In aqueous solution, the photoreduction of nitro to amino group and hydroxylation predominated over the ether linkage cleavage. Nucleophilic displacement of the nitro group by hydroxide ion and replacement of chlorine substituents by hydroxyl group or, to a lesser extent, hydrogen were also observed as minor reactoins. Solution phase photolysis of MO-338: Photoreduction of the nitro to amino group was marked in the n-hexane solution photolysis. In the aqueous solution, photoreduction of the nitro substituent and hydroxylation were the main reactions with replacement of chlorine substituents by the hydroxyl group and hydrogen, and cleavage of the ether linkage as minor reactions. Photolyses of MC-4379, MC-3761, MC-5127, MC-6063, and MC-7181 in n-hexane and cyclohexane: Photoreduction of the nitro group leading to the corresponding amino derivative and replacement of one of the halogen substituents by hydrogen from the solvent used were the key reactions in each compound. Aqueous photolysis of MC-4379: Cleavage of the ether linkage, replacement of the carboxymethyl by hydroxyl group, hydroxylation, and replacement of the nitro by hydroxy group were prominent with photoreduction and dechlorination as minor reactions. Aqueous photolysis of MC-3761: Cleavage of the ether linkage, replacement of the carboxymethyl by hydroxyl group, and photoreduction followed by hydroxylation were the main reactions. Aqueous photolysis of MC-5127: Replacement of carboxyethyl by hydrogen was predominant with ether linkage cleavage, photoreduction, and dechlorination as minor reactions. It was obvious that the decarboxyethylation proceeded more readily than decarboxymethylation occurring in the other compounds. Aqueous photolysis of MC-6063: Cleavage of the ether linkage and photodechlorination were the main reactions. Aqueous photolysis of MC-7181: Replacement of the carboxymethyl group by hydrogen and monodechlorination were the remarkable reactions. Cleavage of the ether linkage and hydroxylation were thought to be the minor reactions. Aqueous photolysis of 3-carboxymethyl-4-nitrophenol: The photo-induced Fries rearrangement common to aromatic esters did not appear to occur in the carboxymethyl group of this type of compound. Conversion of nitro to nitroso group was the main reaction.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.312-316
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• 2015

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp. is the most important and devastating disease in sweet persimmon production in worldwide. There is no alternative control method or resistant cultivar is available. Therefore, chemical controls are widely accepted to control the disease. Three fungicides among 16 fungicides have been selected to apply in field condition. The selected three fungicides (metconazole, dithianon and propineb) showed lower EC50 and reliable control effect in both in vitro and in vivo. According to general guide line of anthracnose disease control method recommended 8 times spay of the fungicide. In this study, we performed 8, 4, and 2 times spay of the fungicides. For 8 times application, practice spray machine has been used and for 4 and 2 time application, a recently invented spray machine was input. The fungicides have been treated from middle of June to end of August in 2014 year. Control effect of among the selected fungicides showed similar result regardless of sort of the fungicide. However, frequency of spray result showed significantly different results, 8 and 4 times fungicide application showed low and similar disease occurrence, but 2 times application showed intermediated disease occurrence between 4 times treatment and untreated control. Taken together, result showed that 4 times application with effective fungicide, mechanically advanced tool can reduced the anthracnose disease damage in sweet persimmon production.

• Clean Technology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2016

Tyrosinases catalyze the hydroxylation of a monophenol (monophenolase activity) and the conversion of an o-diphenol to o-quinone (diphenolase activity), which are mainly involved in the modification of tyrosine residues into 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (DOPA) and DOPA/DOPAquinone-derived intermolecular cross-linking. Previously, we obtained a slightly acidic and cold-active tyrosinase, tyrosinase-CNK, by our recombinant protein approach. The enzyme showed optimal activity at pH 6.0 and 20 ℃ with an abnormally high monophenolase/diphenolase activity ratio and still had approximately 50% activity compared with the highest activity even in ice water. Here, we investigated reaction stability of the recombinant tyrosinase-CNK as a psychrophilic enzyme. The enzyme showed remarkable thermal stability at 0 ℃ and the activity was well conserved in repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Although water-miscible organic solvent as reaction media caused the activity decrease of tyrosinase-CNK as expected, the enzyme activity was not additionally decreased with increased concentration in organic solvents such as ethanol and acetonitrile. Also, the enzyme showed high salt tolerance in chaotropic salts. It was remarkably considered that 2⁺ metal ions might inhibit the incorporation of Cu²⁺ into the active site. We expect that these results could be used to design tyrosinase-mediated enzymatic reaction at low temperature for the production of catechols through minimizing unwanted self-oxidation and enzyme inactivation.