• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.119-135
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• 2021

Korea has stepped up efforts to investigate and catalog its flora and fauna to conserve the biodiversity of the Korean Peninsula and secure biological resources since the ratification of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits (ABS) in 2010. Thus, after its establishment in 2007, the National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) of the Ministry of Environment of Korea initiated a project called the Korean Indigenous Species Investigation Project to investigate indigenous species on the Korean Peninsula. For 15 years since its beginning in 2006, this project has been carried out in five phases, Phase 1 from 2006-2008, Phase 2 from 2009-2011, Phase 3 from 2012-2014, Phase 4 from 2015-2017, and Phase 5 from 2018-2020. Before this project, in 2006, the number of indigenous species surveyed was 29,916. The figure was cumulatively aggregated at the end of each phase as 33,253 species for Phase 1 (2008), 38,011 species for Phase 2 (2011), 42,756 species for Phase 3 (2014), 49,027 species for Phase 4 (2017), and 54,428 species for Phase 5(2020). The number of indigenous species surveyed grew rapidly, showing an approximately 1.8-fold increase as the project progressed. These statistics showed an annual average of 2,320 newly recorded species during the project period. Among the recorded species, a total of 5,242 new species were reported in scientific publications, a great scientific achievement. During this project period, newly recorded species on the Korean Peninsula were identified using the recent taxonomic classifications as follows: 4,440 insect species (including 988 new species), 4,333 invertebrate species except for insects (including 1,492 new species), 98 vertebrate species (fish) (including nine new species), 309 plant species (including 176 vascular plant species, 133 bryophyte species, and 39 new species), 1,916 algae species (including 178 new species), 1,716 fungi and lichen species(including 309 new species), and 4,812 prokaryotic species (including 2,226 new species). The number of collected biological specimens in each phase was aggregated as follows: 247,226 for Phase 1 (2008), 207,827 for Phase 2 (2011), 287,133 for Phase 3 (2014), 244,920 for Phase 4(2017), and 144,333 for Phase 5(2020). A total of 1,131,439 specimens were obtained with an annual average of 75,429. More specifically, 281,054 insect specimens, 194,667 invertebrate specimens (except for insects), 40,100 fish specimens, 378,251 plant specimens, 140,490 algae specimens, 61,695 fungi specimens, and 35,182 prokaryotic specimens were collected. The cumulative number of researchers, which were nearly all professional taxonomists and graduate students majoring in taxonomy across the country, involved in this project was around 5,000, with an annual average of 395. The number of researchers/assistant researchers or mainly graduate students participating in Phase 1 was 597/268; 522/191 in Phase 2; 939/292 in Phase 3; 575/852 in Phase 4; and 601/1,097 in Phase 5. During this project period, 3,488 papers were published in major scientific journals. Of these, 2,320 papers were published in domestic journals and 1,168 papers were published in Science Citation Index(SCI) journals. During the project period, a total of 83.3 billion won (annual average of 5.5 billion won) or approximately US $75 million (annual average of US $5 million) was invested in investigating indigenous species and collecting specimens. This project was a large-scale research study led by the Korean government. It is considered to be a successful example of Korea's compressed development as it attracted almost all of the taxonomists in Korea and made remarkable achievements with a massive budget in a short time. The results from this project led to the National List of Species of Korea, where all species were organized by taxonomic classification. Information regarding the National List of Species of Korea is available to experts, students, and the general public (https://species.nibr.go.kr/index.do). The information, including descriptions, DNA sequences, habitats, distributions, ecological aspects, images, and multimedia, has been digitized, making contributions to scientific advancement in research fields such as phylogenetics and evolution. The species information also serves as a basis for projects aimed at species distribution and biological monitoring such as climate-sensitive biological indicator species. Moreover, the species information helps bio-industries search for useful biological resources. The most meaningful achievement of this project can be in providing support for nurturing young taxonomists like graduate students. This project has continued for the past 15 years and is still ongoing. Efforts to address issues, including species misidentification and invalid synonyms, still have to be made to enhance taxonomic research. Research needs to be conducted to investigate another 50,000 species out of the estimated 100,000 indigenous species on the Korean Peninsula.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.163-174
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• 2002

Background : To delineate the changes in the causative agents of neonatal sepsis and their antimicrobial susceptibilities in the neonatal intensive care unit and nursery of Hanyang University Hospital during the past 10 years. Methods : Hospital records of 15,144 patients hospitalized at the NICU and nursery of Hanyang University Hospital from 1989 to 1998 were reviewed and neonates diagnosed of neonatal sepsis were sorted and included in the study. The study period was divided into Period A(the first 5 years) and Period B(the second 5 years) to analyse causative agents and their antimicrobial susceptibilities. Results : Neonatal sepsis was diagnosed in 170 patients(1.1%{Period A 1.2%, Period B 1.0%}) among the total of 15,144 inpatients. Two hundred isolates(Period A 109 isolates, Period B 91 isolates) were identified in 186 blood cultures(Period A 99 cultures, Period B 87 cultures) from 170 patients(Period A 91 patients, Period B 79 patients). The average age at the onset of the disease, when the initial blood culture was drawn, was 12.3 days old(Period A 8.8 days, Period B 16.3 days), and the proportion of the early onset disease was 34.7% in Period A and 23.0% in Period B, indicating that neonatal sepsis developed earlier during Period A. Among the isolated organisms including Gram positive bacteria[132(66.0%)], Gram negative bacteria [60(30.0%)], and fungi[8(4.0%)], coagulase negative Staphylococcus(CNS) was the most common organism(69/34.5%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus(36/18.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae(17/8.5%), Enterococcus(12/6.0%), Enterobacter cloacae(8/4.0%), Escherichia coli(6/3.0%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosae(5/2.5%). The isolated fungi were Candida parapsilosis, Candida albicans, and Trichosporon pullulans. CNS, S. aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii were isolated more frequently in Period A compared to Period B. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of CNS and S. aureus to methicillin and the first generation cephalo sporins were decreased in Period B compare to Period A, those to aminoglycosides were increased in Period B, and vancomycin resistant strains were not identified. K. pneumoniae, Enterococcus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa were isolated less frequently in Period B, compared to Period A. For K. pneumoniae, antimicrobial susceptibilities to the first generation cephalosporins were low in both Periods A and B, those to tobramycin and gentamicin were increased in Period B, and those to amikacin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were high in both Periods A and B. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Enterococcous to ampicillin, penicillin, and the first generation cephalosporins were decreased in Period B, but vancomycin resistant strains were not identified. Conclusion : The occurrence rate of neonatal sepsis during the past 10 years in the NICU and nursery of the Hanyang University hospital was 1.1%, and the most common causitive agents were CNS and S. aureus, to which the antimicrobial susceptibilities to the first line drugs decreased in the later half of the study period with no vancomycin resistant isolates identified. Group B Streptococcus known to be the most common agent causing neonatal sepsis was not identified, and K. pneumoniae was isolated more commonly during the later half of the study period without decreased antimicrobial susceptibilities.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.451-459
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• 2015

Raw-red bean (RR) should be boiled in hot water, and only boiled-red bean (BR) has been used in the food industry. In the course of development of functional food using red- bean (Phaseolus radiatus L), hot- water extracts (HWEs) of RR and BR were prepared, respectively and their components and various biological activities were compared. The extraction yield at $100^{\circ}C$ of RR (16.2%) was higher than that of BR (14.8%), and contents of total polyphenols, total flavonoids and reducing sugars of HWE of RR were 2.5-fold, 2.1-fold and 1.5-fold higher than those of HWE of BR. In anti-oxidation activity assay, scavenging activities against DPPH anion and ABTS cation as well as reducing power of RR was higher than those of BR. The results suggest that the anti-oxidant compounds in red bean might be heat-liable or discarded during boiling in hot-water as a cooking drip. Unexpectedly, nitrite scavenging activity was stronger in HWE of BR than RR. In anti-microbial activity assay, HWE of RR ($500{\mu}g/disc$) showed growth inhibition activity against gram-positive bacteria, whereas HWE of BR did not show any activity against any tested bacteria and fungi. Assay of in-vitro anti-diabetes and anti-thrombosis activities, which were previously reported in ethanol extract of red-bean, revealed that HWEs of RR and BR did not show significant activities against ${\alpha}$-amylase, ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, thrombin, prothrombin, or blood coagulation factors. Our results suggest that the anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes and anti-thrombosis activities of HWEs of RR and BR were lower than those of ethanol extracts of red bean, and bioactive substances in RR were destroyed during boiling or discarded after boiling. Further research on suitable boiling and re-use of cooking drip of red bean is necessary.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.64-69
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• 2011

Steamed rice is usually used as an essential ingredient when Takju or Yakju is brewed in Korea. Alternatively, non-steamed rice can be used to keep thermolabile nutrients and fresh tastes richer in Takju or Yakju. In this study, therefore, the physicochemical properties (ethanol and sugar contents, pH, total acidities, and turbidities) and the fermentative microbial profiles (aerobic mesophillic bacteria (AMB), fungi, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), acetic acid bacteria (AAB), and Escherichia coli and coliforms) have been compared among 4 Takju and 1 Yakju samples brewed using steamed or non-steamed rice. Yakju brewed using non-steamed rice has approximately 2-3 times higher ethanol and sugar contents than other 4 Takjus brewed using steamed or non-steamed rice. The pH and total acidity values of all the 5 samples ranged 3.77-4.30 and 0.12-0.35, respectively. As for turbidities, Yakju brewed using nons-teamed rice was transparent, but other 4 Takjus were not. The AMB and fungal counts for Yakju brewed using nons-teamed rice were approximately $10^4$-fold less than those for 4 Takjus. The LAB counts for Takju and Yakju brewed using non-steamed rice were $10^3$-fold less than those for Takjus brewed using steamed rice. The AAB counts ranged $2-6\;log_{10}\;CFU/mL$ for all the 5 samples. E.coli and coliforms were not detected. Overall, there was no significant difference in microbial counts among 4 Takjus brewed using steamed or non-steamed rice, but Takju has higher microbial counts than Yakju. All the 5 samples were conclusively considered to be hygienically brewed and processed containing plenty of beneficial microorganisms.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 1989

To evaluate the effect of soil improvement on the chemical properties and corn silage yield, this experiment was carried out in the newly-reclaimed sloped land. Corn (Suwon 19) was cultivated under the six different treatments including integrated improvement plot at Songjeong loam, 20 percent slope, from 1985 to 1987 and various soil chemical properties and silage yield were investigated. pH of topsoil was above 5.0 except for control and phosphate plot, but lime and integrated improvement plots were above 5.0 in subsoil. The contents of organic matter of topsoil were above 2.0% except control and subsoiling plot. Except control, the range of cation exchange capacity was 7.4-7.8 me/100g in topsoil, 7.0-7.7 me/100g in subsoil. Soil bacteria density of root zone was the highest in integrated improvement than the other treatments, and it was higher at the harvesting stage than the heading stage. Mean density of microorganism was $61.3{\times}10^5$ in bacteria, $21.5{\times}10^4$ in fungi and actinomycetes was B/F ratio was 28.5 and B/A ratio was 2.9. Vertical root distribution of total and 10cm depth below was more in the integrated improvement and subsoi ling plot than the other plots. Total nitrogen (T-N) content was higher in integrated improvement plot, and phosphate content of leaves was higher in compost and integrated improvement plot, but stem and grain were not different. Potassium content of the plant was higher in integra ted improvement plot. Correlation between dry matter yield and T-N was more significant than the other elements. And the contents of phosphate, calcium and magnesium were significant at 5%, but potassium was not.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.593-606
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• 2003

This study was conducted to develop effective manufacturing methods of a total mixed ration(TMR) composed of broiler litter(BL) and bakery by-product(BB) for ruminants. Five experiments included a small-scaled manufacture of TMR using a deepstacking method(Exp. 1), its pelletization(Exp. 2), its field-scaled manufacture(Exp. 3), a field-scaled manufacture using an ensiling method(Exp. 4), and a mixing process of deepstacked BL and BB prior to feeding(Exp. 5). BL and BB were mixed at a ratio which makes total digestible nutrients of the TMR 69%. For each experiment, temperature, appearance and physico-chemical properties were recorded and analyzed. The chemical composition data revealed that the mixture of BL and BB showed nutritionally additive balance which resulted from a considerable increase(P<0.05) of organic matter and a desirable decrease(P<0.05) of protein and fiber up to the requirement level for growing ‘Hanwoo’ steers. Deepstacking of BL and BB in Exp. 1 and 3 resulted in a sufficient increase of stack temperature for pasteurization, little chemical losses, appearance of white fungi on the surface, and partial charring due to excess stack temperature. For Exp. 2, its pelleting, which was successful using a simple, small-scaled pelletizer, resulted in a little loss(P<0.05) of organic matter and an increase(P<0.05) of indigestible protein(ADF-CP). Ensiling the mixture in Exp. 4 made little effect on chemical composition; however, one month of the ensiling period was not enough for favorable silage parameters. Deepstacking BL alone in Exp. 5 tended(P<0.1) to decrease true protein : NPN ratio and hemicellulose content and increase ADF-CP content due to the heat damage occurred. Deepstacking or ensiling of BL-BB mixtures and simple incorporating of BB into deepstacked BL prior to feeding could be practical and nutrients-preservative methods in TMR manufacture for beef cattle, although ensiling needed further hygienic evaluation.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.152-160
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to analyze hazards for the growing stage of 6 tomato farms (A, B, C; soli farms, D, E, F; Nutriculture farms) located in Gyeongsangnam-do to establish the good agricultural practices (GAP). A total of 144 samples for analyzing hazards collected from cultivation environments (irrigation water, soil, nutrient solution, and air) and personal hygiene (hands, gloves, and cloths) were assessed for biological (sanitary indications and major food borne pathogens) and chemical hazards (heavy metals). Total bacteria, coliform, and fungi were detected at levels of 0.2-7.2, 0.0-6.1, and 0.0-5.4 log CFU/g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$, respectively. Escherichia coli were only detected in the soil sample from B farm. In case of pathogens, Bacillus cereus was detected at levels of 0.0-4.4 log CFU/(g, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$), whereas Staphylococuus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157, and Salmonella spp. were not detected in all samples. Heavy metals as a chemical hazard were detected in soil and irrigation water, but levels of them were lower than the permit limit. In conclusion, chemical hazard levels complied with GAP criteria, but biological hazards at the growing stage of tomato farms were confirmed. Therefore a proper management to prevent microbial contamination is needed.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.320-326
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidative activities of water and ethanol extracts from a mixture of roasted coffee and red ginseng. The antibacterial effects of each extract were determined by the classical paper disc method. A water extract of mixture samples inhibited growth of all strains, but antibacterial effects were mostly weakened. Ethanol extracts showed stronger antibacterial effects than water extracts in all strains except Gram negative Escherichia coli and the fungi strain Candida albicans. Also, the antibacterial effect of the Bacillus cereus strain appeared in all samples, and the ES2 sample formed a clear zone of 19 and 20 mm against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and S. Typhimurium respectively (MIC=0.25 and 0.125 mg/mL). Determinations of free radical elimination for the different mixture extracts using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) were compared with ascorbic acid and butylated hyderoxytoluene as positive controls. The water and ethanol extracts of mixture samples (100 ${\mu}g/mL$) showed 55.38~60.01% and 59.37~70.50% DPPH scavenging activities, respectively. DPPH scavenging activities of all mixture samples were slightly higher than roasted coffee and red ginseng samples. However, DPPH scavenging activity decreased when red ginseng extract composed more than 70% of the total extract. The total polyphenol in the mixture samples measured by the Folin-Denis method revealed the highest level of polyphenol content in ethanol extract of sample 3, whereas polyphenol content differed with different mixture ratios, ranging from 105.16~119.79 mg/g in ethanol extract. In the water extract, the polyphenol content was greatest with water extract of sample 1, whereas in other samples the content varied from 93.75~109.18 mg/g.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological contamination on commonly used hand towels in the child care centers and to investigate the toxin gene and toxin production ability of food-borne pathogens. A total of 22 commonly used hand towels including 7 for before use and 15 for during use were tested. The average number of total aerobic bacteria and fungi were 6.2 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ and 4.1 log CFU/100 $cm^2$. Coliform bacteria were detected in 4 out of 7 before used towels (57.1%) and all of during used towels (100%). These results showed that the sanitary conditions of hand towels in the child care centers should be improved promptly. Among the pathogenic bacteria, Staph. aureus and B. cereus without Salmonella spp. were detected in 5 (22.7%) and 11 (50.0%) out of 22 hand towels. All of Staphy. aureus isolated in this study did not possess any toxin genes and did not produce enterotoxin. The detection rate of hblC, hblD, and hblA toxin genes in B. cereus was 72.7, 72.7, and 54.5% respectively. The possession rate of nheA, nheB, and nheC toxin genes showed 81.8, 72.7, and 54.5% respectively. The cytK and entFM toxin genes were presented at 45.5 and 90.0% in B. cereus. The HBL was detected in 8 out of 11 B. cereus isolates (72.7%) and 5 B. cereus isolates produced NHE (45.5%). Ten out of eleven B. cereus isolates (90.9%) produced one or more enterotoxin such as HBL and NHE. From the results, using a private hand towel or paper towel is required to prevent the cross-contamination between commonly used hand towel and children's hands in the child care center.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.438-446
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• 2020

Meju and nuruk (respectively soybean and malt) are traditional Korean fermentation starters that are vulnerable to contamination by harmful microorganisms such as aflatoxigenic fungi and their associated aflatoxins (AFs). In this study, Aspergillus spp. were isolated and identified from a total of 57 meju and 18 nuruk samples collected from Korean markets. Their potential aflatoxigenicity was investigated by examining the presence of three aflatoxin biosynthetic genes (aflO, aflP, and aflR) using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) assays. Thereafter, aflatoxin production of isolates and the natural occurrence of AFs in meju and nuruk samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 177 Aspergillus isolates were identified and 130 isolates were obtained from meju samples. Of these, 25 isolates (19.2%) contained all three aflatoxin biosynthetic genes, and five (20%) of these isolates produced aflatoxins. Forty-seven of the Aspergillus isolates were obtained from nuruk samples, five of which (10.6%) expressed all three AF biosynthetic genes; however, none of these strains produced AFs. HPLC analysis showed that 88% (51/58) of the meju samples and 39% (7/18) of nuruk samples were not contaminated with AFs (below limit of detection). Among the isolates isolated from meju and nuruk, there were aflatoxigenic strains containing all three aflatoxin biosynthetic genes or producing aflatoxin in medium, but the frequency of aflatoxin contamination was low in the meju and nuruk samples.