• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.56-64
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• 2015

Acid mine drainage occurrence is a serious environmental problem by mining industry, it usually contains high levels of metal ions, such as iron, copper, zinc, aluminum, and manganese, as well as metalloids of which arsenic is generally of the greatest concern. An indigenous plant extract was used to produce calcium carbonate from Canavalia ensiformis as effective biomaterial, and its ability to form the calcium carbonate under stable conditions was compared to that of purified urease. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to elucidate the mechanism of calcium carbonate formation from the crude plant extracts. The results revealed that urease in the plant extracts catalyzed the hydrolysis of urea in liquid state cultures and decreased heavy metal amounts in the contaminated soil. The heavy metal amounts were decreased in the leachate from the treated mine soil; 31.7% of As, 65.8% of Mn, 50.6% of Zn, 51.6% of Pb, 45.1% of Cr, and 49.7% of Cu, respectively. The procedure described herein is a simple and beneficial method of calcium carbonate biomineralization without cultivation of microorganisms or further purification of crude extracts. This study suggests that crude plant extracts of Canavalia ensiformis have the potential to be used in place of purified forms of the enzyme during remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.591-596
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• 2013

Urease activity of Helicobacter pylori was most strongly inhibited by extract of Mume Fructus among ethanol (70%, v/v) extract of 6 herbal materials selected from our previous work, database on traditional herbal materials, and literature data on Korean plant resources. Active compounds in the extract of Mume Fructus were separated by batch extraction, and further purified by chromatography in a silica gel column and an octadecyl silica gel column using solvents of different polarity. By NMR analysis of the last chromatographic fraction we identified ursolic acid as the active compound of urease inhibition. The result suggests that this component in Mume Fructus can possibly be used for the eradication of H. pylori.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.187-191
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• 2004

Among 14 medicinal plants selected for the study ethanol (70%) extract of Coptis japonica Makino showed the highest anti-microbial activity against Helicobacter pylori followed by Perilla frutescens var. acuta KUDO, Caesalpinia sappan L. and Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. However, anti-urease activity of methanol (80％) extracts was best for Forsythiae Fructus followed by Caesaipinia sappan L. and Schizonepeta tenuifolia Briq. In the second fractionation using water, ethyl acetate and butanol more than 90％ of the anti-urease activity was detected in the ethyl acetate fraction.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2015

Mine soil contamination by high levels of metal ions that prevents the successful vegetation poses a serious problem. In the study presented here, we used the microbial biocatalyst of urease producing bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BioNeutro-GEM (BNG) agent. The ability of the biocatalysts to bioremediate contaminated soil from abandoned mine was examined by solid-state composting vegetation under field conditions. Treatment of mine soil with the 2 biocatalysts for 5 months resulted in pH increase and electric conductivity reduction compared to untreated control. Further analyses revealed that the microbial catalysts also promoted the root and shoot growth to the untreated control during the vegetation treatments. After the Sporosarcina pasteurii or plant extract based BNG treatment, the microbial community change was monitored by culture-independent pyrosequencing. These results demonstrate that the microbial biocatalysts could potentially be used in the soil bioremediation from mine-impacted area.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.105-113
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• 2012

In this study, a medicinal herbal plant, Meliae fructus, was examined and screened for anti-Helicobacter (H.) pylori activity. Seventy percent ethanol was used for herbal extraction. For anti-H. pylori activity screening, inhibitory zone tests as an in vitro assay and in vivo study using a Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) model were performed. Also, the safety of herbal compounds was evaluated by animal study. As a result of inhibitory zone test, Meliae fructus extract demonstrated strong anti-H. pylori activities. Also, as results of in vivo animal studies, Meliae fructus demonstrated strong therapeutic effects against H. pylori infection according to the criteria of histological examination and rapid urease test. As results of the safety study, after 28 days treatment of the Meliae fructus extract, the animals were not detected any grossly and histological changes. These results demonstrate that it can be successfully cured against H. pylori infection and protected from H. pylori-induced pathology with Meliae fructus. It could be a promising native herbal treatment for patients with gastric complaints including gastric ulcer caused by H. pylori.