• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.225-237
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• 2000

Vibrio vulnificus, a halophilic vibrio is an estuarine gram-negative bacteria that is associated with severe and frequently fatal wound infections and life-threatening septicemia. Bacteriocins are defined as antibacterial substance produced by various species of bacteria which are usually active against closely related organisms. Bacteriocins have found widespread application in epidemiological studies as specific markers of bacteria. It was proposed by Ha et al. (1990. J. Korean. Soc. Microbiol. 25: 586.) to give the bacteriocins produced by V. vulnificus the name "vulnificins". In the present study, a total of 72 strains of V. vulnificus isolated from patients and oysters were subjected to screen potential producers and indicators of vulnificin, applying ultraviolet induction method. Sensitivity of several strains of Serratia marcesans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhi and Yersinia enterocolitica to vulnificins were also examined out. All the tested strains of V. vulnificus produced vulnificins active against indicator strains with various different inhibitory patterns. The spectrum of vulnificin activity and sensitive spectrum of indicator strains were considerably broad. Interestingly, almost all strains of S. marcescens, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp. and Y. enterocolitica tested were sensitive to 1-7 vulnificin(s). Taken together, the present study demonstrated that all of the isolates of V. vulnificus produced vulnificins and that 8 good vulnificin producers and 10 good indicators were detected. These strains can be employed efficiently for establishing vulnificin typing scheme of V. vulnificus and for the detection of bacteriocinogeny and sensitivity in V. vulnificus. Biological role of vulnificin remains to be further elucidated.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2008

Currently, natural food colorants and preservatives are being used for their general health benefits. Monascus koji, the product of certain fungi that grow on rice grains, has been added to many foods for coloring and preservation. In this study, the antimicrobial activities of Monascus koji ethanol extracts were investigated. Six Monascus strains (M. araneosus KFRI 00371, M. kaoliang ATCC 46597, M. pilosus IFO 4520, M. purpureus IFO 4482, M. ruber IFO 32318 and M. sp. ATCC 16437) were selected based on their relative intensity of red pigment. Two Monascus extracts, M. kaoliang ATCC 46597 and M. purpureus IFO 4482, displayed antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis, B. cereus, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium in concentration-dependent manners. The two extracts showed their strongest antimicrobial activity against S. typhimurium, a cause of food poisoning. Therefore, these results suggest that Monascus koji could be used as a natural food colorant and preservative.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.118-125
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• 2013

Antibiotic susceptibility was examined for 596 Salmonella isolates from patients with acute gastroenteritis during 2000-2009 in Gwangju area in South Korea. Of 16 antibiotics tested, ampicillin resistance (43%) was the most commonly observed resistance among the 596 Salmonella sp. isolates, followed by tetracycline (35.9%), nalidixic acid (31.5%), and chloramphenicol (26.2%). Antibiotic resistance varied among serotypes: The highest resistance of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium was to ampicillin (51.1%) and tetracycline (77.9%), respectively. A total of 89 resistance patterns were observed, and 26% (155/596) of Salmonella isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics tested in this study. About 21% (127/596) and 15% (87/596) of the isolates were resistant to one and two antibiotics, respectively. The rest of Salmonella isolates (227/596, 38%) were resistant to three or more antibiotic agents. The highest multi-drug resistance (MDR) was observed in serotype S. Paratyphi B (76.5%), followed by S. Typhimurium (58.2%), and S. Enteritidis (40.2%). The most common resistance pattern of MDR isolates was ampicillin-chloramphenicol-nalidixic acid-ticarcillin (36/227, 15.8%), most of which (35/36, 97.2%) were S. Enteritidis.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.21 no.2 s.86
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• pp.195-200
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• 2005

Three different commercial Kimchi industry-made packaged, department store-made and ordinary market-made were analyzed for their pH, acidity and microbiological characteristics including certain harmful bacteria on selective media during a storage-fermentation period of 7 days at $2^{\circ}C\;or\;20^{\circ}C$ The pH of all the Kimchi samples wasdecreased from 5.85 to 3.82 and their total acidities increased from 0.2 to 1.18 as the fermentation continued during the storage-fermentation. E. coli and Salmonella sp. of $0\~1101$ cfu/mL were found in the industry-made Kimchi just after purchase time. As the storage-fermentation proceeded, the viable numbers of these bacteria had been reduced in all Kimchi samples tested and no bacteria were detected after 5 days at $2^{\circ}C$ and 2 days at $20^{\circ}C$, respectively. On the other hand, a range of $7.9102\~2.9103$ cfu/mL of Staphylococcus sp. was detected in the department store-made and ordinary market-made Kimchi samples at the purchase time, which was higher than that of the industry-made Kimchi, and this range wasn't reduced during storage-fermentation. The viable number of yeasts in the market-made Kimchi was 2.1103 cfu/mL. These results suggest that some commercial Kimchis were contaminated by some harmful bacteria and that a portion of these bacteria remained alive in the Kimchi, even with high acidity during the edible period.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2011

In order to demonstrate the usefulness of Deodeok. the functions of Deodeok and the qualities of Cheongkukjang were investigated. DPPH (1.1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of Deodeok extracted with 70% ethanol was higher than that of water extract. The direct antimutagenic effect of ethanol extract of Deodeok was examined by Ames test using Salmonella typimurium TA 98. The inhibition rates on ethanol extract at concentrations of 200, 1.000, 2.000, 3.000 and 4.000 ${\mu}g$/plate were 5.75, 31.38, 34.75, 53.50 and 83.75%, respectively. The inhibition rates of ethanol extract was higher over 2 times than that of water extract. The qualities including physicochemical and sensory properties of Deodeok Cheongkukjang were investigated over the following range of Deodeok levels; 5, 10, 15 and 20% (w/w). The strain used in Cheongkukjang manufacture was Bacillus sp. B-3 with the highest enzyme activities such as amylase and protease. During fermentation at $40^{\circ}C$ for 6 days. amino-type nitrogen content of Cheongkukjang containing 10% (w/w) Deodeok was more than others. When Deodeok content exceeded 15% (w/w), higher contents resulted in lesser amino-type nitrogen production. The results showed that Deodeok had influenced the growth of Bacillus sp. B-3. The L-value of Deodeok Cheongkukjang was decreased according to increasing the Deodeok contents. Sensory evaluation showed that Deodeok Cheongkukjang containing 10% (w/w) Deodeok was superior to other tested.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2010

The fructus of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge (CBF) has been used as medicinal and food source in worldwide. In this study, antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract and its sequential organic solvent fractions of CBF against different pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida sp., were investigated. The methanol extract of CBF was active against various gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and the ethylacetate and butanol fractions of CBF showed strong antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli and various multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with minimal inhibitory concentration of 1.0~7.5 mg/mL. Also the fractions showed anti-Candida activity against C. albicans, C. kruseis and C. geochares. The methanol extract of CBF and its solvent fractions, except n-hexane fraction, did not show any hemolytic activity against human red blood cell up to $500\;{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The hemolysis in n-hexane fraction at $500\;{\mu}g/mL$ was less than 9.9%. Our results suggest that the CBF could be developed as a potent antibacterial agent, especially for multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 1995

For understanding physiological nature of phototaxis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 PTX(S. 6803 PTX), we examined the effects of some metabolic inhibitors and cation ionophore on the phototactic movement. In the presence of DCMU, which blocks the photosynthetic electron transport just after photosystem II acceptor, there was no inhibitory effect on the phototaxis up to $100\;\mu\textrm{M}$. Instead, the respiratory electron chain inhibitor such as sodium azide dramatically impaired the phototaxis in S. 6803 PTX. These observations indicate that the phototaxis is linked not to photo-phosphorylation, but to respiratory phosphorylation. When the cells were treated with un couplers such as CCCP or DNP, which dissipate the electrochemical gradient of proton($\Delta\mu_{H}+$) across the cytoplasmic membrane, these chemicals did not affect phototaxis. In contrast, when cells were treated with DCCD or NBD which deprive cells of A TP but leave $\Delta\mu_{H}+$ intact across the membrane, the phototactic movement was severly reduced. These results imply that ATP production, not proton motive force, is involved in the phototactic movement in this organism as a driving motive force. The application of specific calcium ionophore A23187 strongly impaired positive phototaxis. Calcium fluxes should be engaged in the sensory trans-duction of phototactic orientation. Finally, when ethionine was supplimented to culture media, the photomovement of this organism was inhibited. This implies that methylation/demethylation mechanism controls the process of phototaxis in S. 6803 PTX like chemotaxis in E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium.murium.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2004

This study analyzed temperature increase, microorganism changes, and inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in pig slurry when treated with thermophilic microorganisms in Thermophilic Aerobic Oxidation(TAO) system. An amount of $6 m^3$ of pig slurry was treated in an $18 m^3(3.0\times2.5\times2.4 m)$ reactor for 5 to 7 days in two groups: the control of pig slurry only and the treatment of pig slurry with 6 liters of thermophilic microorganism(Bacillus sp.). To study the microorganism changes in the reactor, the populations of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, thermophilic microorganisms and general pathogens were analyzed. To study the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms, the levels of E. coli, Salmonella sp, Crytosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia were analyzed. The temperature inside the reactor ranged from 18 to $62^{\circ}C$ for the control while far the treatment group it ranged from 18 to $66^{\circ}C$, showing a slightly higher array. With regard to changes in microorganisms, both mesophilic and thermophilic organisms decreased from $3.1\times10^6$ to $1.2\times10^2$ CFU/ml and from $1.0\times10^4$ to $8.0\times10^1$ CFU/ml, respectively, in the control. In the treatment, on the other hand, mesophilic organisms decreased from $3.0\times10^8$ CFU/ml to $8.6\times10^5$ CFU/ml while thermophilic organisms increased sharply from $2.0\times10^6$ to $1.2\times10^8$ CFU/ml. For pathogens, Salmonella and Giardia were not detected either before or after the treatment, while E. coli and C. parvum were found to be $10^5$ CFU/ml each before treatment and negative after it. From this experiment, it was concluded that thermophilic microorganisms could effectively sanitize liquid compost by generating high temperature in the TAO system, which in turn would inhibit the growth of pathogenic organisms.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2010

Emerging of antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria is now a very serious problem in the clinics to treat the diseases, which have been easy to cure by antibiotic treatments before. Unfortunately, antibiotics developed till now are not effective any more against the resistant bacteria. Lots of efforts to discover new antibiotics having novel and unique structures and functions are really urgent and undergoing in the whole world. In this study, we tried to screen and isolate Same unique bacterial strains producing antibacterial substances from the sea water, which is the poor environment for bacteria 10 make their growing. Three bacterial strains among 916 strains isolated showed inhibition clear zone on the marine agar plate growing pathogenic bacteria including Acinetobacter baumannii, Edwardsiella tarda, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica. One of them, which was identified as Bacillus sp. DH-9 from 16S rRNA gene analysis, showed especially considerable antibacterial activity against S. aureus which is notorious for methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The growth of S. aureus was totally inhibited when the supernatant of Bacillus sp. DH-9 culture was treated on.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.507-513
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• 2004

Microbiological safety investigation of 36 commercial salt-fermented shrimps revealed presence of coliform and Gram(+) cocci, whereas pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O26, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and V. cholerae were not detected. When pathogenic bacteria were inoculated into 9, 18, and 27% salted shrimps, Salmonella so., E. coli O26, and S. aureus were not detected up to 13, 80, and 90 days of fermentation at $20^{\circ}C$, respectively, whereas up to 15 day in commercial salt-fermented shrimps.