• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.87-96
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• 2014

In the present study, a yeast species isolated from CETP, Vellore, Tamilnadu was identified as Cryptococcus sp. VITGBN2 based on molecular techniques and was found to be a potent producer of acidic diacetate sophorolipid in mineral salt media containing vegetable oil as additional carbon source. The chemical structure of the purified biosurfactant was identified as acidic diacetate sophorolipid through GC-MS analysis. This sophorolipid was used as a stabilizer for synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZON). The formation of biofunctionalized ZON was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activities of naked ZON and sophorolipid functionalized ZON were tested based on the diameter of inhibition zone in agar well diffusion assay, microbial growth rate determination, protein leakage analysis, and lactate dehydrogenase assay. Bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica and fungal pathogen Candida albicans showed more sensitivity to sophorolipid biofunctionalized ZON compared with naked ZON. Among the two pathogens, S. enterica showed higher sensitivity towards sophorolipid biofunctionalized ZON. SEM analysis showed that cell damage occurred through cell elongation in the case of S. enterica, whereas cell rupture was found to occur predominantly in the case of C. albicans. This is the first report on the dual role of yeast-mediated sophorolipid used as a biostabilizer for ZON synthesis as well as a novel functionalizing agent showing antimicrobial property.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.37-45
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• 2022

Objectives: The quorum-sensing-inhibitory and anti-biofilm activities of the methanol extract of E. globulus leaves were determined against clinically isolated multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methods: The preliminary anti-quorum-sensing (AQS) activity of eucalyptus was investigated against a biosensor strain Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 (CV12472) by using the agar well diffusion method. The effect of sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) of the methanol extract of eucalyptus on different quorum-sensing-regulated virulence factors, such as swarming motility, pyocyanin pigment, exopolysaccharide (EPS), and biofilm formation, against clinical isolates (CIs 2, 3, and 4) and reference PA01 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined using the swarm diameter (mm)-measurement method, chloroform extraction method, phenol (5%)-sulphuric acid (concentrated) method, and the microtiter plate assay respectively, and the inhibition (%) in formation were calculated. Results: The preliminary AQS activity (violacein pigment inhibition) of eucalyptus was confirmed against Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 (CV12472). The eucalyptus extract also showed concentration-dependent inhibition (%) of swarming motility, pyocyanin pigment, EPS, and biofilm formation in different CIs and PA01 of P. aeruginosa. Conclusion: Our results revealed the effectiveness of the E. globulus extract for the regulation of quorum-sensing-dependent virulence factors and biofilm formation at a reduced dose (sub-MICs) and suggest that E. globulus may be a therapeutic agent for curing and controlling bacterial infection and thereby reducing the possibility of resistance development in pathogenic strains.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.18-22
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• 2017

Objectives: The current investigation was carried out to determine the cytotoxic and the antimicrobial activities of methanolic extracts of Plumbago zeylanica. Methods: The stems, leaves, and whole plants were air dried and extracted with methanol by using a Soxhlet extractor for 72 hours at $55-60^{\circ}C$. The antimicrobial activities were determined from the zones of inhibition, which were measured by using the agar well diffusion method, and the cytotoxicity assays were performed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay method. Results: The methanolic extracts of the stem and the leaves of Plumbago zeylanica were tested against six bacterial species and nine fungal species, and both extracts showed antimicrobial activity in a dose-dependent manner. The leaf extract of Plumbago zeylanica showed maximum antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus sub sp aureus and Fusarium oxysporum. The stem extract was found to be more antimicrobial against the Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the Penicillium expansum species. MTT assays were used to test the cytotoxicity of the whole plant extract in the HCT-116 and the K-562 cell lines, and that extract was shown to have weak cytotoxicity in both cell lines. Conclusion: In the present study, the methanolic stem extracts of Plumbago zeylanica were found to possess remarkable antibacterial activities against many human and agricultural pathogens. The extracts were also found to possess significant antifungal activities, but the antifungal activities were less than the antibacterial activities. Finally, the extracts were found to have weak cytotoxicities in the HCT-116 and the K-562 cell lines.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.167-176
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• 2013

A novel bioactive molecule produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Bn1 (Bt-Bn1), isolated from a common pest of hazelnut, Balaninus nucum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was determined, purified, and characterized in this study. The Bt-Bn1 strain was investigated for antibacterial activity with an agar spot assay and well diffusion assay against B. cereus, B. weinhenstephenensis, L. monocytogenes, P. savastanoi, P. syringae, P. lemoignei, and many other B. thuringiensis strains. The production of bioactive molecule was determined at the early logarithmic phase in the growth cycle of strain Bt-Bn1 and its production continued until the beginning of the stationary phase. The mode of action of this molecule displayed bacteriocidal or bacteriolytic effect depending on the concentration. The bioactive molecule was purified 78-fold from the bacteria supernatant with ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and HPLC, respectively. The molecular mass of this molecule was estimated via SDS-PAGE and confirmed by the ESI-TOFMS as 3,139 Da. The bioactive molecule was also determined to be a heat-stable, pH-stable (range 6-8), and proteinase K sensitive antibacterial peptide, similar to bacteriocins. Based on all characteristics determined in this study, the purified bacteriocin was named as thuricin Bn1 because of the similarities to the previously identified thuricin-like bacteriocin produced by the various B. thuringiensis strains. Plasmid elution studies showed that gene responsible for the production of thuricin Bn1 is located on the chromosome of Bt-Bn1. Therefore, it is a novel bacteriocin and the first recorded one produced by an insect originated bacterium. It has potential usage for the control of many different pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in the food industry, agriculture, and various other areas.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제63권6호
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• pp.1286-1300
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate in vitro antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of sodium long chain polyphosphate (SLCPP) and effect of dietary supplementation of SLCPP on growth performance, organ characteristics, blood metabolites, and intestinal microflora of broilers. Antimicrobial activities of SLCPP were observed against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica ser. Pullorum, Shigella sonnei, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in agar well diffusion assay. In addition, SLCPP demonstrated good anti-biofilm activity against K. pneumonia and P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, to investigate the dietary effect of SLCPP, a total of 480 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to three dietary treatment groups (4 replicates per group, 40 birds in each replicate): an antibiotic-free corn-soybean meal basal diet (NC); basal diet + enramycin 0.01% (PC); and basal diet + 0.1% SLCPP (SPP). The experiment lasted for 35 days. Results showed that birds fed with SLCPP had higher body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the grower phase (days 7 to 21) (p < 0.05). Except for blood urea nitrogen, all other blood biochemical parameters remained unaffected by the dietary supplementation of SLCPP. Compared to the control group, lengths of the duodenum and ileum in the SPP group were significantly shorter (p < 0.05). Moreover, counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total aerobes, and Streptococcus spp. in jejunum as well as LAB in cecum were increased in the SPP group than in the PC group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that dietary supplementation of SLCPP might promote the growth of broilers in their early growth phase.

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.211-215
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• 2015

From the previous study, Enterococcus faecium SH01 was isolated from mukeunji, an over-ripened kimchi, and it produced bacteriocin SH01. Bacteriocin SH01 showed an inhibitory effect against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111, a bacterial strain causing human listeriosis. Crude bacteriocin SH01 was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and its inhibitory activity at two concentrations (500 and 1,000 AU/g) against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111 was investigated in ground beef at increasing temperatures (5, 10, 15, and 20℃) for 8 d. The number of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111 significantly decreased (p<0.05) as the concentration of bacteriocin increased from 500 to 1,000 AU/g. Intrinsic crude protease activities in ground beef were examined and increased as the temperature increased. Experiments varying both the concentrations of added bacteriocin SH01 and temperature demonstrated a maximum inhibition (2.33 log reduction of bacteria) in samples containing 1,000 AU/g of bacteriocin SH01 incubated at 20℃. When the crude bacteriocin SH01 solution (1,280 AU/mL) was incubated with crude protease solutions at different temperatures, its activity decreased by only half (640 AU/mL), as assessed in an agar well diffusion assay. The finding that the antilisterial activity of bacteriocin SH01 increased with temperature can be explained by the fact that higher temperatures increase bacterial membrane fluidity, thereby promoting the cellular penetration of bacteriocin SH01 into L. monocytogenes. Bacteriocin SH01 may be an excellent candidate as a biopreservative for controlling L. monocytogenes growth in ground beef.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.257-264
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• 2010

Purpose: Connective tissue reattachment to periodontally damaged root surfaces is one of the most important goals of periodontal therapy. The aim of this study was to develop a root conditioning agent that can demineralize and detoxify the infected root surface. Methods: Dentin slices obtained from human teeth were treated with a novel root planing agent for 2 minutes and then washed with phosphate-buffered saline. Smear layer removal and type I collagen exposure were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and type I collagen immunostaining, respectively. Cell attachment and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) removal demonstrated the efficiency of the root conditioning agent. Results: SEM revealed that the smear layer was entirely removed and the dentinal tubules were opened by the experimental gel. Type I collagen was exposed on the surfaces of the dentin slices treated by the experimental gel, which were compared with dentin treated with other root planing agents. Dentin slices treated with the experimental gel showed the highest number of attached fibroblasts and flattened cell morphology. The agar diffusion assay demonstrated that the experimental gel also has effective antimicrobial activity. Escherichia coli LPS were effectively removed from well plates by the experimental gel. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that this experimental gel is a useful tool for root conditioning of infected root surfaces and can also be applied for detoxification of ailing implant surface threads.

• 한국축산식품학회지
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• 제32권5호
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• pp.612-617
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• 2012

The antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of ovotransferrin were investigated in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of ovotransferrin was evaluated using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, antimicrobial effects using the agar well diffusion method, and cytotoxicity using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylatetetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The DPPH radical-scavenging capacity of ovotransferrin at 1 mg/mL level reached approximately 60% after 48 h of reaction. The antimicrobial effects of ovotransferrin against common food-borne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus KCCM 32395, Bacillus cereus KCCM 40935, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895, and Helicobacter pylori HpKCTC 26695 were dose dependant. Gram-positive bacteria was more sensitive to ovotransferrin than gram-negative bacteria. Ovotransferrin showed stronger antimicrobial effect against L. monocytogenes than other gram-positive bacteria tested. The cytotoxicity of ovotransferrin was evaluated in human cancer cell lines, various tissue origins, including the larynx (Hep-2), stomach (AGS), lung (SK-MES-1), liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7), cervix (HeLa), and colon (HT-29). Ovotransferrin displayed relatively high cytotoxicity (${\leq}60%$ inhibition effects) at 40 mg/mL. At lower concentrations (${\leq}10mg/mL$), however, ovotransferrin cytotoxic effects were not significant in all cancer cell lines tested. These results indicated that ovotransferrin has potential to be used as an antioxidant or antimicrobial agent in foods or a pharmaceutical agent against cancers.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.246-252
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to obtain a natural antibiotic from Phenol-rich compounds; for the dressing and the treatment of chronic wounds. Methods: The Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was prepared by blending four natural herbal extracts, Acacia catechu (L.F.), Momia (Shilajit), Castanea sativa, and Ephedra sinica stapf, with combination of a sweet gel medium, including honey, maple saps, Phoenix dactylifera L. (date), pomegranate extract and Azadirachta indica gum as a stabilizer. The combinations were screened by using a well-diffusion assay with cloxacillin as a control. Pseudomonas spp. was tested with our novel antimicrobial compound. The zones of inhibition in agar culture were measured for each individual component and for the compound, and the results were compared with those of the control group which had been treated with cloxacillin. Data were expressed as means ${\pm}$ standard deviations. Quantitative analyses were performed using the paired t-test. Results: The antibiotic effect of the Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was statistically shown to be more significant than that of cloxacillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our novel approach to fighting the antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas proved to be successful. The Phenol-rich compound sweet gel was found to be suitable for use as an alternative medicine and bioactive dressing material, for the treatment of patients with various types of wounds, including burns, venous leg ulcers, ulcers of various etiologies, leg ulcers on the feet of diabetic, unhealed graft sampling sites, abscesses, boils, surgical wounds, necrotic process, post-operative and neonatal wound infection, and should be considered as an alternative to the usual methods of cure.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제45권5호
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• pp.583-589
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• 2013

본 연구에서는 L. plantarum에 대한 항균성을 보이는 식물추출물들을 탐색한 후, 선별된 식물추출물들의 항균력을 실험실배지(MRSB)에서 규명하였다. 이후, 우수한 항균력을 보인 식물추출물들을 김치에 직접 적용하면서 김치의 발효지연 효과를 확인하였다. 식물추출물 2,117종을 대상으로 agar well diffusion assay를 수행한 결과, L. plantarum에 대한 항균성을 보이는 15종의 식물추출물들이 선별되었다. 선별된 15종의 식물추출물의 L. plantarum에 대한 최소저해농도를 확인한 결과, 자몽종자 추출물(0.0313 mg/mL), 소목열수추출물(0.2500 mg/mL), 오레가노 에센셜 오일(1.0 mg/mL)이 L. plantarum에 가장 우수한 항균력을 나타냈다. 이들 식물추출물들의 김치 발효조절 능력을 확인하기 위하여 자몽종자 추출물(0.1, 0.3, 그리고 0.5%), 소목추출물(0.1, 0.5, 그리고 1.0%), 오레가노 에센셜 오일(0.1, 0.5, 그리고 1.0%)을 개별적으로 김치에 첨가하여 $10^{\circ}C$에 20일간 저장하면서 김치의 pH 변화와 총균 및 젖산균의 개체수 변화를 확인하였다. 대조구의 pH는 저장 5일만에 적숙기에 도달한 반면, 자몽종자 추출물(0.1, 0.3, 그리고 0.5%), 소목추출물(0.1, 0.5, 그리고 1.0%), 그리고 오레가노 에센셜 오일(0.5와 1.0%)을 첨가한 김치는 적숙기에 도달하지 않았다. 이러한 현상은 총균과 젖산균의 개체수의 변화에서도 관찰되었다. 즉, 자몽종자 추출물(0.1, 0.3, 그리고 0.5%), 소목추출물(0.1, 0.5, 그리고 1.0%), 그리고 오레가노 에센셜 오일(0.5와 1.0%)을 첨가한 김치는 총균과 젖산균의 개체수가 식물추출물을 첨가하지 않은 김치와 비교하여 저장기간 동안 유의적으로 적었다. 본 연구의 결과는 L. plantarum에 대한 항균성을 보이는 식물추출물들에 대한 기본 정보를 제공하고, 자몽종자 추출물, 소목추출물, 오레가노 에센셜 오일을 김치에 직접 첨가함으로써 김치의 발효 속도를 지연시킬 수 있다는 것을 보여준다.