• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The traditional Korean diet is plant-based and rich in antioxidants. Previous studies have investigated the potential health benefits of individual nutrients of Korean foods. However, the cumulative effects of a Korean diet on inflammation remain poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of a plant-based Korean diet. MATERIALS/METHODS: Using data from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 75 individual plant food items were selected which represent over 1% of the total diet intake of the Korean diet. These items were classified into ten different food groups, and the vegetable (Veg) and fruit (Fruit) groups were studied based on their high antioxidant capacity. For comparison, a mixture of all ten groups (Mix) was prepared. To produce a model of inflammation with which to test these Veg, Fruit, and Mix plant-based Korean food extracts (PKE), RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). RESULTS: Levels of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), as well as protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were found to be lower following PKE treatment. Furthermore, PKE treatment was found to suppress tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) via the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) signaling pathway. Overall, the Mix group exhibited the greatest anti-inflammatory effects compared with Veg and Fruit PKE group. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators by the PKE tested was found to involve an inhibition of NF-kB activation. Moreover, PKE tested have the potential to ameliorate various inflammation-related diseases by limiting the excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.157-161
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• 2002

A lactic acid bacteria with ${\beta}$-gal activity was isolated from Kimchi, a traditional fermented vegetable food in Korea. The isolate was identified as a Lactococcus lactis strain and named L. lactis A2. The gene encoding ${\beta}$-gal of L. lactis A2 was cloned as a 5.8 kb PstI fragment. DNA sequencing identified the complete lacA (galactoside acetyltransferase)-lacZ (${\beta}$-galactosidase) genes together with the 3' part of upstream galT (galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase), and the 5'region of downstream galE (UDP-galactose-4-epimerase) genes. L. lactis A2 had the same gal/lac operon structure as in L. lactis subsp. lactis 7962. Other genes of the Leloir pathway are most likely to be located in the 5'upstream of the 5.8 kb fragment on the A2 chromosome. Sequences downstream of galE were different from those of L. lactis subsp. lactis 7962.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.442-448
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• 2013

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a representative group of probiotics and used in many fermented foods and beverages. Several recent studies have shown that LAB are present in makgeolli which is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage. However, most LAB are intolerant of more than 6% (v/v) alcohol concentrations. For this reason, alcohol-tolerant LAB are isolated from kimchi, makgeolli and nuruk using alcohol containing selective media. After being cultured in MRS broth containing 13% (v/v) alcohol, the two strains which showed the highest increasing O.D values, were finally selected. As results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical characterization using an API kit, the two species were identified as Pediococcus acidilactici K3 and S1. In addition, the identified two strains produced bacteriocins against Staphylococcus aureus. When compared with the P. acidilactici type strain, the two selected strains possessed two to three time higher growth on 12-13% (v/v) alcohol containing MRS broth. The viability of P. acidilactici K3 and S1 when inoculated in makgeolli and stored at $10^{\circ}C$ did not decrease through a period of one month indicating that the selected strains can be used for LAB containing makgeolli.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.100-111
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• 2016

Tomato sauce were prepared with five different thickening agents including roux (TR), non-glutinous rice powder (TN), glutinous rice powder (TG), potato starch (TP) and tapioca starch (TT) to examine proximate composition (moisture, carbohydrate, crude protein, crude fat, crude ash, crude ash), calorie, color value, pH, salinity, $^{\circ}Brix$, reducing sugar, viscosity and sensory test (attribute difference, acceptance). The results were as follows: Moisture, carbohydrate content were the lowest while crude fat and calorie were the highest in TR (roux). On the other hand, moisture, carbohydrate content were the highest while crude protein, crude fat and calorie were the lowest in TP (potato starch) and TT (tapioca starch). Using potato starch and tapioca starch are supposed to be prepared low-fat, low-calorie tomato sauce. L value was the highest in TN (non-glutinous rice powder), a value was the highest in TP (potato starch), b values was the highest in TR (roux). pH of tomato sauce showed a range of 5.24 to 5.39. TG (glutinous rice powder) was the highest and TT (tapioca starch) was the lowest in pH. TP (potato starch) was the highest salinity, reducing sugar was the lowest. TG (glutinous rice powder) was the lowest salinity, $^{\circ}Brix$ was the highest. And TR (roux) was the lowest $^{\circ}Brix$, reducing sugar was the highest. In viscosity, TG (glutinous rice powder) was the highest and TT (tapioca starch) was the lowest. The attribute difference test results was the highest in gloss, color intensity, tomato odor, tomato taste, pure taste in TT (tapioca starch) and savory taste, oily taste, thickness, residue was the highest in TR (roux). The preference test results reveal that the appearance, flavor, taste, texture and overall acceptance level was the highest in TP (potato starch) and TT (tapioca starch). The results of this study, tomato sauce prepared potato starch and tapioca starch instead of the traditional roux was higher in sensory acceptability. Recently, people is avoided high-fat and high-calorie foods, and potato starch and tapioca starch are confirmed that the tomato sauce can be made of a low-fat and low-calorie.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.299-321
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate how marriage migration females understand and adjust to the culture of family life in Korea. The study was the conducted by extensively interviewing one member from each of a total of 16 women's multicultural families at a daycare center area in Seoul between June 16, 2010 and July 28, 2010. The results can be summarized as follows: All interviewees were marriage migration females, in the range 20 to 50 years of age, and with middle educational backgrounds. They all had middle-level incomes. Through the content analysis of the informants' responses, three major factors were found to influence the understanding and adjustment of to the culture of family living: personal factors, familial support, and sociocultural support systems. Among the personal factors, the intimacy of the married couples was trouble major factor. An issue that tended to arise was that Korean husbands' traditional culture in terms of their way of thinking was often different from that of the wife's culture. However, husbands supported their wives' outside activities and friendships in order to help them adjust to the culture of family living. The husbands made an effort to understand their wives' original culture and national food, often visiting restaurants that served their wives' national cuisine. In terms of familial support, the most important factors affecting marriage migration females were orienting the education of children to the mother's native language, cooking their national foods, and visiting the mother's nation with the children. Marriage migration females had the following requires: The teacher in the daycare center needed to be interested in children from multicultural families and encourage self-pride in the marriage migration females' children. In terms of sociocultural support systems, marriage migration females are conscious of the indisposition and lack of consideration in Korean life. However, the Korean government and local provinces are concentrating attention on education for marriage migration females in terms of language, because learning the language can help these women to become accustomed to the rituals of Korean life. Marriage migration females make an effort to understand and adjust to Korean family living culture that involves the food culture for ceremonial occasions, folk plays, and places of historic interest. A matter of importance is Korean people's effort to understand and adjust to multicultural family with their distinctive cultures. Welfare policy related to multicultural families involves adopting supportive laws and actions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.687-694
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• 2012

$Jeot-gal$ is a traditional Korean fermented seafood with a salt concentration of 15~20%. However, today's consumers prefer low-salted foods as they have become aware that high levels of salt cause hypertension and diabetes. In this study, the quality characteristics and shelf-life of low-salted squid $Jeot-gal$ were investigated at different fermentation temperatures and salt concentrations. The shelf-lives of 3%-salted squid $Jeot-gal$ fermented at -1, 4, and $10^{\circ}C$ were 45, 31, and 23 days, respectively, whereas those of 5%-salted squid $Jeot-gal$ were 52, 36, and 25 days. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of the ethanol extract of squid $Jeot-gal$ was stronger than that of the water extract. However, the other antioxidative activities, such as hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activities, as well as enzyme inhibitory activities were very low at 20 mg/mL of water and ethanol extracts. Based on the results of the sensory evaluation, the quality of low-salted fermented squid $Jeot-gal$ was almost similar to that of commercial squid $Jeot-gal$ with a high salt concentration.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.175-189
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• 2014

This study was intended to provide fundamental data concerning franchising companies' characteristics and performance in foodservice business by employing financial data from the firms' IDS(Information Disclosure Statements). Multiple regression analysis method was used to identify any correlations among franchising size, marketing competency, operational characteristics, and performance according to technique based upon 169 IDS data as of 2013. In terms of franchisor size and performance, the number of company-operated stores had statistically significant corelation with sales, net income, the total number of stores, and the number of franchisees. With respect to marketing competency and performance, advertising expenses showed statistically significant correlation with sales, the total number of stores, promotion expenses with sales, net income, and the total number of stores. On the other hand, there was no statistically significant correlation with current year's net income. At last, present study found significant correlations among business years, sales, current year's net income, and the total number of stores by regarding operational characteristics and performance, but there was no significant correlation between brands and performance. This study is cross-sectional study which is a limitation to be overcome in further studies. In addition, it is required to review the possibility for franchise management style to contribute to expanding the Korean traditional foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.289-294
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• 2017

Diabetes mellitus is associated with insulin resistance, which leads to down-regulation of insulin signaling and the decreased glucose uptake. Adipocytes are sensitive to insulin, and closely implicated in insulin resistance and diabetes. Insulin stimulates differentiation of preadipocytes to adipocytes, and increases glucose transport. Allium species have been used as traditional medicine and health-promoting foods. Allium hookeri (A. hookeri) is reported to improve the pancreatic ${\beta}-cell$ damage and exhibit pancreatic anti-inflammatory activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. We investigated whether A. hookeri extract (AHE) may stimulate glucose uptake in adipocytes through increasing insulin sensitivity. AHE enhanced fat accumulation, a differentiation biomarker, under the partial induction of differentiation by insulin. $PPAR{\gamma}$, a transcription factor highly expressed in adipocytes, promotes adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensitivity. AHE increased the differentiation of preadipocytes through up-regulation of $PPAR{\gamma}$. The activation of $PPAR{\gamma}$ increases the GLUT4 expression during adipocyte differentiation. GLUT4 is responsible for glucose uptake into the adipocytes. AHE increased the expression of GLUT4 in adipocytes, and subsequently enhanced the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. These results suggest that AHE promotes adipocyte differentiation through activation of $PPAR{\gamma}$, and leads to enhance glucose uptake in adipocytes along with GLUT4 up-regulation. Thus, AHE may be effective for the insulin-sensitizing and anti-diabetic activities.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.491-500
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• 2020

Lactic acid bacteria are widely known to prevent and treat intestinal health conditions, heart disease, depression, and obesity. In Korea, such bacteria are commonly consumed through various fermented foods, although most are isolated from kimchi, and research on the lactic acid bacteria in fermented seafood is insufficient. This study was therefore conducted to observe changes in bacterial flora according to the culture date of lactic acid bacteria in the fermentation of traditional Korean Gajami Sikhae produced in Pohang and to isolate the bacteria of probiotic value. The bacteria were periodically isolated and identified from date of preparation to 50 days after preparation to investigate which Lactobacillus are involved in Gajami Sikhae. As fermentation progressed, it was confirmed that Pediococcus sp. and Lactobacillus sp. participate predominantly in the early and later periods of fermentation, respectively. During the entire fermentation period, 170 isolates were screened, and the following five species were found to be involved: Pediococcus pentosaceus, Pediococcus inopinatus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus plantarum. Five strains of these species were selected through acid and bile tolerance tests, and their coaggregation, autoaggregation, hydrophobicity, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities were then evaluated. As a result, it is thought that L. brevis GS1022, which has excellent digestive fluid resistance, and P. inopinatus GS316, which has excellent cohesiveness, may be useful as probiotic strains.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.896-904
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the probiotic characteristics and immune activities of selected lactic acid bacterial (LAB) strains as feed additives in livestock. 301 LAB strains isolated from traditional fermented foods were first assessed for their antibacterial activity potential. Of the 301 isolates, five showed antibacterial activity against five livestock pathogens (Esherichia coli KCCM11234, Listeria monocytogens KCTC3710, Salmonella Typhimurium KCTC1926, Staphylococcus aureus KCCM11593, and Shigella flexneri KCTC2517). The probiotic characteristics of the five selected strains were also investigated by antioxidative activity, hemolysis, bile salt hydrolase, acid resistance and bile tolerance. The SRCM102607 strain was found to have superior probiotic properties and was selected for further experimentation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that SRCM102607 is Pediococcus acidilactici, which was labeled as P. acidilactici SRCM102607 (KCCM 12246P). The survival characteristics of P. acidilactici SRCM102607 in artificial gastrointestinal conditions were assessed under exposed acidic (pH 2.0) and bile (0.5% and 1.0%) conditions. P. acidilactici SRCM102607 was also confirmed to have resistance to various antibiotics, including amikacin, gentamicin, vancomycin, and etc. The TNF-α production by P. acidilactici SRCM102607 was 171.86±4.00 ng/ml. These results show that P. acidilactici RCM102607 has excellent potential for use as a probiotic livestock feed additive.