• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.12
• /
• pp.1903-1912
• /
• 2018

Objective: To evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria and storage temperature on the microbial, chemical and mycotoxin composition of corn silage. Methods: Corn was harvested at 32.8% dry matter, and chopped to 1 to 2 cm. The chopped material was subjected to three treatments: i) control (distilled water); ii) $1{\times}10^6$ colony forming units (cfu)/g of Lactobacillus plantarum; iii) $1{\times}10^6cfu/g$ of Pediococcus pentosaceus. Treatments in triplicate were ensiled for 55 d at $20^{\circ}C$, $28^{\circ}C$, and $37^{\circ}C$ in 1-L polythene jars following packing to a density of approximately $800kg/m^3$ of fresh matter, respectively. At silo opening, microbial populations, fermentation characteristics, nutritive value and mycotoxins of corn silage were determined. Results: L. plantarum significantly increased yeast number, water soluble carbohydrates, nitrate and deoxynivalenol content, and significantly decreased the ammonia N value in corn silage compared with the control (p<0.05). P. pentosaceus significantly increased lactic acid bacteria and yeast number and content of deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, T-2 toxin and zearalenone, while decreasing mold population and content of nitrate and 3-acetyl-deoxynivalneol in corn silage when stored at $20^{\circ}C$ compared to the control (p<0.05). Storage temperature had a significant effect on deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone level in corn silage (p<0.05). Conclusion: Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus did not decrease the contents of mycotoxins or nitrate in corn silage stored at three temperatures.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.309-318
• /
• 2020

Besides respiratory infection, COVID-19 has many neurological symptoms not only loss of smell and taste but also fatigue and brain fog. But it is a challenge to treat the neurological symptoms especially of anosmia and ageusia. In order to search for the therapeutic methods, the geographical diversity and pathological mechanisms of the COVID-19 and two symptoms were investigated from the latest clinical studies. Because the environmental conditions of the monsoon climate zone of East Asia and the Mediterranean and Oceanic climate zone of Italy, Britain, United States and tropical Brazil are different, each of diverse etiology and internal milieu should be considered differently in the treatment. SARS-CoV-2 exhibits the dampness-like characteristics and the olfactory and gustatory disorders are particularly more common than other flu or cold. and it tends to show features of damaging the lung qi of olfaction and heart-spleen qi of gustation. The mechanisms of olfactory and gustatory loss are various according to precursory, inflammatory, non-inflammatory and sequelar forms, so the therapeutic method should be designed for each period and pathology. If the process of inflammation arises from nasal and respiratory, olfactory epithelium to the central nervous structure by way of blood brain barrier, the treatment should be corresponded with the stage and depth of pathogen place. And if the olfactory loss is asymptomatic or in the initial stage, it can be applied intranasal topical scent therapy to relieve temporary locking of qi movement, but maybe also used in parallel together with herbs of relieving dampness toxin latent in the lung parenchyma.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.241-261
• /
• 2021

Amphidinium species are amongst the most abundant benthic dinoflagellates in marine intertidal sandy ecosystems. Some of them produce a variety of bioactive compounds that have both harmful effects and pharmaceutical potential. In this study, Amphidinium cells were isolated from intertidal sand collected from the East China Sea. The two strains established were subjected to detailed examination by light, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The vegetative cells had a minute, irregular, and triangular-shaped epicone deflected to the left, thus fitting the description of Amphidinium sensu stricto. These strains are distinguished from other Amphidinium species by combination characteristics: (1) longitudinal flagellum inserted in the lower third of the cell; (2) icicle-shaped scales, 276 ± 17 nm in length, on the cell body surface; (3) asymmetrical hypocone with the left side longer than the right; and (4) presence of immotile cells. Therefore, they are described here as Amphidinium stirisquamtum sp. nov. The molecular tree inferred from small subunit rRNA, large subunit rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer-5.8S sequences revealed that A. stirisquamtum is grouped together with the type species of Amphidinium, A. operculatum, in a fully supported clade, but is distantly related to other Amphidinium species bearing body scale. Live A.stirisquamtum cells greatly affected the survival of rotifers and brine shrimp, their primary grazers, making them more susceptible to predation by the higher tropic level consumers in the food web. This will increase the risk of introducing toxicity, and consequently, the bioaccumulation of toxins through marine food webs.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2024

Algal blooms occur seasonally in the eutrophicated rivers or reservoirs, and some harmful cyanobacteria species produce toxic substances, which are directly or indirectly harmful to the ecosystem and terrestrial animals. So, the monitoring and control of harmful cyanobacteria occurrence and toxins residual in the aquasystem are important to preserve the water environment and secure public health. In this study, the four harmful cyanobacteria occurrences and toxic substance concentrations of two agricultural reservoirs in the southern part of Gyeonggi Province were investigated from August to October 2022. Among four harmful cyanobacteria (Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp., Oscillatoria sp., Aphanizomenon sp.), three kinds of cyanobacteria except Oscillatoria sp. were observed, and Microcystis sp. was the dominant cyanobacteria except for Anabaena sp. dominant result of a sample collected on October at reservoir B. The cell density of cyanobacteria was influenced by season and weather due to the length of daytime and concentrations of organic carbon and nitrogen. Three kinds of microcystin and anatoxin-a were quantitatively analyzed as total (in the cell body and water) and extracellular (in water) concentrations. The maximum total concentrations of anatoxin-a, microcystin-LR, microcystin-RR, and microcystin-YR were 0.1291 ㎍/L, 0.2776 ㎍/L, 0.3721 ㎍/L, and 0.0306 ㎍/L, respectively, in reservoir A and 0.3274 ㎍/L, 0.1495 ㎍/L, 0.2037 ㎍/L, and 0.0153 ㎍/L, respectively, in reservoir B.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.81-91
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Edible insect extracts have been used as an alternative source for medicinal supplements due to their significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity. Recent studies have reported that anti-microbial peptides from insects have neuroprotective effects on dopamine toxins. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective functions of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) extract (MWE) on N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced cellular toxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Methods: Cellular toxicity induced by the MPTP toxin and the impact of MWE on cell survival were analyzed using MTT assays. DAPI staining was performed to observe apoptotic phenomena caused by MPTP. Changes in caspase-3 activity and protein expression were observed using enzyme activity assays and western blot assays, respectively. Results: MWE exerted significant antioxidant activity, which was measured by both DPPH and ABTS radical assays, with a dose-dependent relationship. Furthermore, MWE resulted in cellular proliferation in SHSY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MWE pretreatment significantly inhibited MPTP-induced cytotoxicity, with a dose-dependent relationship. The morphological characteristics of apoptosis and increased reactive oxygen species induced by MPTP were also significantly reduced by MWE pretreatment. Conclusion: MWE treatment significantly attenuated MPTP-induced changes in the levels of proteins associated with apoptosis, such as caspase-3 and PARP. These findings suggest that MWE exerts neuroprotective effects on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells subject to MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration.

• The Korean journal of internal medicine
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.659-667
• /
• 2024

Background/Aims: Sensitization to staphylococcal superantigens (SAgs) could contribute to asthma severity. However, its relevance with eosinophilic phenotype has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to investigate associations between serum specific IgE levels to SAg and eosinophilic airway inflammation in adult asthmatics. Methods: The serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs, including staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and B (SEB), and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were measured by ImmunoCAP in 230 adult asthmatic patients and 50 healthy controls (HCs). Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters, including serum total/free IgE, and 2 eosinophil-activation markers, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), were analyzed according to blood eosinophil counts (BEC; 150 cells/µL) and serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs (0.35 kU/L). Results: Asthmatic patients showed higher serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs than HCs (p < 0.05 for all). The serum total/free IgE levels were significantly higher in asthmatics with positive IgE responses to 3 SAgs than those without (p < 0.05 for all). There were no significant differences in clinical parameters including age, asthma severity, comorbidities, or smoking according to IgE responses to 3 SAgs. Patients with positive IgE responses to SEB (not to SEA/TSST-1) had higher serum specific IgE levels to house dust mites and ECP/EDN as well as higher BEC with positive correlations between serum SEB-specific IgE levels and BEC/ECP/EDN (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: These findings suggest that serum SEB-specific IgE levels could contribute to eosinophil activation as well as IgE production in adult asthma.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Pertussis can be prevented with a vaccine. Despite this, there have been an increasing number of cases worldwide, and also in Korea. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of the recent outbreak in the Changwon area. Methods: Patients who visited Changwon Fatima Hospital from July 2015 to March 2016 with respiratory symptoms, including spasmodic cough, cough induced vomiting, inspiratory 'intake' sound (whooping), and a night-time cough for >1 week were included in this study. Respiratory specimens were collected from patients and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and detected anti-pertussis immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit test were performed. Patients with underlying diseases, or those who had received a DTaP or Tdap vaccination in recent 1 year were excluded. Results: Pertussis was diagnosed in 37 of 50 patients, two patients were positive according to the PCR, and 37 patients were positive according to serologic tests. The age distribution of the patients was 1 month to 15 years. After administering antibiotics, all patients recovered without complications. Conclusions: A pertussis outbreak occurred in Changwon in 2015 and 2016. This data can provide the basis for further study on the epidemiology of pertussis in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.51 no.3
• /
• pp.300-307
• /
• 2015

For selecting Bacillus strains producing high-quality Cheonggukjang, 8 strains were isolated from the different Cheonggukjang samples. Seven of them exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity value of over 99.9% to Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis and one of them showed the similarity to B. licheniformis. All the strains showed positive activities for amylase, cellulase, protease and lipase, and 6 strains are positive for fibrinolytic activity. To confirm the safety of the strains isolated from the samples of Cheonggukjang which are manufactured by traditional method, strains were analyzed for the presence of seven toxin genes of Bacillus cereus and results were found negative. And 7 strains did not produce at all or merely produce both histamine and tyramine, the representative biogenic amines. Biogenic amine degradation analysis by HPLC revealed that, most of them exhibited tyramine degradation activity. For Cheonggukjang fermented by artificial inoculation of selected strains, fermentation property, sensory test, volatile basic nitrogen production and metabolic profiles by $^1H-NMR$ were tested. Seven strains were confirmed to make high-quality Cheonggukjang.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.430-436
• /
• 2010

The objective of the present studies was to develop and validate a system for isolation, purification and extended culture of pigment-producing cells in alpaca skin (melanocytes) responsible for coat color and to determine the effect of alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone treatment on mRNA expression for the melanocortin 1 receptor, a key gene involved in coat color regulation in other species. Skin punch biopsies were harvested from the dorsal region of 1-3 yr old alpacas and three different enzyme digestion methods were evaluated for effects on yield of viable cells and attachment in vitro. Greatest cell yields and attachment were obtained following dispersion with dispase II relative to trypsin and trypsin-EDTA treatment. Culture of cells in medium supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor, bovine pituitary extract, hydrocortisone, insulin, 12-O-tetradecanolphorbol-13-acetate and cholera toxin yielded highly pure populations of melanocytes by passage 3 as confirmed by detection of tyrosinase activity and immunocytochemical localization of melanocyte markers including tyrosinase, S-100 and micropthalmia-associated transcription factor. Abundance of mRNA for tyrosinase, a key enzyme in melanocyte pigment production, was maintained through 10 passages showing preservation of melanocyte phenotypic characteristics with extended culture. To determine hormonal responsiveness of cultured melanocytes and investigate regulation of melanocortin 1 receptor expression, cultured melanocytes were treated with increasing concentrations of ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone. Treatment with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte stimulating hormone increased melanocortin receptor 1 mRNA in a dose dependent fashion. The results demonstrated culture of pure populations of alpaca melanocytes to 10 passages and illustrate the potential utility of such cells for studies of intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of genes controlling pigmentation and coat color in fiber-producing species.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.288-291
• /
• 1988

We have veen already reported the distribution of PSP of bivalve mollusca in southern coast of Korea and also analyzed their characteristics. The purpose of this study was to develop detoxification method for PSP infested sea mussel, Mytilus edulis, by rearing methods or processing treatments. There was no significant detoxification effect when the PSP infested sea mussel was reared in a tank with water recirculation system, but the toxicity of sea mussel rapidly decreased during the rearing time in a water flow system with filtered water. The detoxification rate of PSP during the rearing for 5 days in a water flow system tank with $15-17^{\circ}C$ of sea water was $94\%$ in case of high toxic sample with more than $2,600{\mu}g/100g$ and about $40\%$ in case of low toxic sample with less than $100{\mu}g/100g$. The toxicity of PSP extracted from the sample with 0.1N/ HCl solution was about 2-5 times higher than that extracted with distilled water. When sea mussel contained $100-150{\mu}g-PSP$ per 100g of edible meat was boiled for 30 min with tap water, the toxicity was destroyed as the level of PSP undetected by mouse assay. We can suggest that boiling of sea mussel with tap water was one of the most significant detoxification methods, but it was not enough to be safe in case of extremely high intoxicated sea mussel with PSP. For example, the digestive gland of sea mussel contained more than $9593{\mu}g/100g$ was heated in a can with tap water at $116^{\circ}C$ for 65 min. the residual PSP was more than $170{\mu}g$.