• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.43 no.1 s.133
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• pp.33-37
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• 2005

Eosinophil degranulation is considered to be a key effector function for the killing of helminthic worms and tissue inflammation at worm-infected lesion sites. However, relatively little data are available with regard to eosinophil response after stimulation with worm-secreted products which contain a large quantity of cysteine proteases. In this study, we attempted to determine whether the degranulation of human eosinophils could be induced by the direct stimulation of the excretory-secretory products (ESP) of Paragonimus westermani, which causes pulmonary paragonimiasis in human beings. Incubation of eosinophils for 3 hr with Paragonimus-secreted products resulted in marked degranulation, as evidenced by the release of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EON) in the culture supernatants. Moreover, superoxide anion was produced by eosinophils after stimulation of the ESP. The ESP-induced EDN release was found to be significantly inhibited when the ESP was pretreated with protease inhibitor cocktail or the cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64. These findings suggest that human eosinophils become degranulated in response to P. westermani-secreted proteases, which may contribute to in vivo tissue inflammation around the worms.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.357-360
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• 2022

Excretory-secretory products (ESP) of T. vaginalis have been shown to inhibit sperm motility, viability, and functional integrity, leading to a decreased fertilization rate in vitro. This study investigated whether T. vaginalis induce apoptosis and ultrastructural changes of sperm using flow cytometry and electron microscopy. Incubation of sperm with T. vaginalis ESP increased phosphatidylserine externalization and DNA fragmentation, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Transmission electron microscopy of sperm incubated with ESP revealed abnormal features such as distorted heads, broken necks, and acrosomes exocytosis. This is the first report that demonstrates a direct impact of T. vaginalis ESP on sperm apoptosis and architecture in vitro.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to establish food ingestion factors needed to assess exposure to contaminants through food ingestion. The study reclassified the raw data of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2001 into 12 subcategories including grain products, meat products, fish and shellfish, and vegetables for international comparability of exposure evaluation. The criteria for food intake calculation were unified according to the characteristics of food groups, and recommended values for food ingestion factors were calculated through moisture correction and recategorization of cooked, processed, and mixed foods for each group. The average intake rate for grain and grain products was 6.25 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was approximately 8% higher than that of the women. The average intake rate of meat and meat products was 1.62 g/kg-d per capita and the men's intake rate was 30% higher than that of the women, on average. The average intake rate of fish and shellfish was 1.53 g/kg-d per capita, and the age groups of 1 to 2 and 3 to 6 recorded higher capita intake rates than other age groups, 2.62 g/kg-d and 2.25 g/kg-d, respectively. The average intake rate of vegetables was 6.47 g/kg-d per capita, with the age group of 1 to 2 recording the highest per capita intake rate of 9.79 g/kg-d and that of 13 to 19 recording the lowest mean. The study also offers recommended values for food ingestion factors of other food groups by gender, age, and region. The food ingestion exposure factors will need future updates in consideration of ongoing changes in food consumption behavior.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.359-363
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• 1998

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was applied for discrimination according to geographical origin (Korea, China) of herb drugs. Herbal medicine has an important role in clinical therapy in Asian countries such as Korea and China. The objective of this study is to provide a convenient and accurate method to determinate geographical origin (Korea, China) of herbal medicine for quality control whose quality is generally different according to geographical origin. A rapid, nondestructive and accurate discrimination was achieved by NIRS. Second derivative spectra of herb drugs were subjected to discriminant analysis. Herbal medicine drugs such as Cassia Semen, Ganoderma and Smilacis Rhizoma was discriminated accurately according to geographical origin using PLS regression method.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.569-574
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• 2008

The GUE6 was isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and confirmed as liquiritin. Liquiritin(LQ) treated with ${\beta}$-glucosidase from plant(Prunus dulcis) and bacteria(Lactobacillus pentosus) crude enzymes. The ${\beta}$-glucosidase activities of crude enzymes were 229.8 U/g(Prunus dulcis) and 19.17 U/ml(Lactobacillus pentosus), respectively. Liquiritin(LQ) biotransformed into liquiritigenin(LQG) by ${\beta}$-glucosidase from crude enzymes. The EtOAc fraction(GUE6) and the converted product were identified as liquiritin and liquiritigenin, by TLC chromatogram, $^{1}H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2015

Objectives: The seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) among high-risk groups overseas is high, but studies in these groups are rare in South Korea. We conducted the present study from April to November 2012 to obtain data on the seroprevalence and associated risk factors for HEV among slaughterhouse workers in South Korea. Methods: Slaughterhouse workers from 80 workplaces nationwide were surveyed in South Korea in 2012. The subjects comprised 1848 cases: 1434 slaughter workers and 414 residual products handlers. By visiting 80 slaughterhouses, which were mixed with 75 of which also performed residual products handling, we conducted a questionnaire survey for risk factors and obtained blood samples in order to determine the seropositivity and seroprevalence of HEV. Anti-HEV IgG and IgM were measured using HEV IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunospecific assay kits and HEV antigen was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: The seropositivity of anti-HEV IgG was 33.5% (slaughter workers 32.8% and residual products handlers 36.2%), and among the seropositive individuals the seroprevalence of anti-HEV IgM was 0.5% (slaughter workers 0.5%, residual products handlers 0.7%). The response rate of HEV-antigen as measured by RT-PCR was 0.2%. Risk factors significantly related to anti-HEV IgG seropositivity were age, sex, and working duration (slaughter workers only). Conclusions: There were significant risk factors (sex, age, and working duration) for HEV identified in our study. All three positive cases for HEV-antigen by RT-PCR were related to pig slaughter but without statistical significance. To prevent HEV, an educational program and working guidelines may be needed for high risk groups.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2010

An examination of the kinetic properties of UDP-glucose, (1,3)-$\beta$-glucans (callose) synthase, from mung bean seedlings (Sorbus commixta cortex) shows that these enzymes have a complex relationship with UDP-glucose and various effectors. Fluorescence assay showed that deoxynojirimycin increased the inhibitory effect of (1,3)-$\beta$-glucan synthase in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect of sakuranetin (34.34%) was higher than that of deoxynojirimycin (80.63%). Disk diffusion method revealed that sakuranetin inhibited the growth of Candida albicans to a 1.5 mm inhibition zone. These results suggest that sakuranetin, isolated from Sorbus commixta cortex extract, can be used as stable antifungal material.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.270-274
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• 2007

Two acetylmartynosides, 2"-acetylmartynoside and 3"-acetylmartynoside were isolated from the $CH_2Cl_2$ fraction of Clerodendron trichotomum (Verbenaceae) by open column chromatography and MPLC. Their chemical structures were identified by the direct comparison of spectral data reported in the literature, and their antioxidant properties were evaluated. Both compounds showed antioxidant activity based on evaluations of intracellular ROS and DPPH radical scavenging activities.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.305-311
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• 2013

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been postulated to play a central role in the development of diabetic complications. A variety of different agents that inhibit AGEs have been under investigation. In this study, 54 herbal medicines from China have been investigated with an in vitro evaluation system using AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Of these, 6 herbal medicines ($IC_{50}<5{\mu}g/ml$) were found to have significant AGEs formation inhibitory activity. Particularly, herbal medicines Punica granatum (peels), Terminalia chebula (fruits), Rheum palmatum (roots), Oxyria digyna (stems and leaves), Anisodus luridus (roots) and Quercus schottkyana(stems and leaves) showed more potent inhibitory activity (approximately 9-43 fold) than the positive control aminoguanidine ($IC_{50}=77.04{\mu}g/ml$).

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.108-114
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• 2017

Background: The study was conducted to investigate the distributions of faecal bacteria in commercial oriental medicine herb products. Methods and Results: A survey was conducted on the microbial contamination levels and antimicrobial specificity of Bacillus cereus and other microbes using 106 oriental medicine herb products on sale in Seoul. Pouring and isolation methods such as standard plate counts were used to identify the bacteria. The isolated bacterias included coliforms, Bacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Listeria spp.were identified by using gram staining and an API (analytical profile index) kit. Antimicrobial drugs discs were determined by CLSI (clinical and laboratory standards institute). Conclusions: The bacterial isolates present in the herbal medicines included 98 coliforms, 45 Bacillus spp., 29 Enterococcus spp., and 2 Listeria spp. Among these, there were nine Bacillus cereus strains, one Enterococcus faecium strain, and one Enterococcus faecalis strain present. The 9 Bacillus cereus strains were tested for susceptibility to 36 types of antibiotics products by the disc diffusion method. The strains showed resistance to 13 of these antibiotic products and semi-resistance to 5 antibiotic products. On the basis of these results, any oriental medicine herb product can be assumed to be contain resistant or semi-resistant bacterial strains. Therefore, we suggest prescribing guidelines and special management for the use of antibiotics in farms producing oriental medicine herb products.