• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2003

Cyanides and hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) are major chemical asphyxiants. They have common mechanism of action which inhibit cellular respiration and induce histotoxic hypoxia. They do not generate ATP, and all processes dependent on ATP are stopped. No extraction of $O_2$ from blood decreases AV $O_2$ differences, and the shift to anaerobic glycolysis brings about lactic acidosis with high anion gap. The mainstay of the treatment is rapid treatment with appropriate use of antidotes. However, there are several differences between cyanides and $H_2S$. First, $H_2S$ is not metabolized by enzymes such as thiosulfate. Thus thiosulfate does not play any role in treatment of $H_2S$. Second, $H_2S$ is a more potent inhibitor of cytochrome aa3 than cyanide. Third, $H_2S$ induces more divergent neurologic sequele than cyanide. Finally, $H_2S$ is not absorbed via skin.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 1990

8-Acyl-2-hydroxyphenazine-5,10-dioxides and 8-acyl-2-aminophenazine-5,10-dioxides were synthesized by the reaction of hydroquinone and 4-aminophenol with 6-acylbenzofuroxans which had been obtained from acetanilide and n-acyl chlorides bearing butanoyl, hexanoyl and octanoyl groups. The antimicrobial activities of these phenazine dioxide derivatives were investigated in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration by the common twofold dilution technique. It was observed that the antimicrobial activity of the phenazine dioxide derivatives bearing octanoyl group was stronger than that of those bearing butanoyl and hexanoyl groups in gram positive microorgamisms, but it was observed that the antimicrobial activity and the number of the carbon atom of acyl groups did not have any relation in gram negative microorganisms. When the activity of xanthine oxidase which is the key enzyme in the generation of superoxide anion radical ($O_2^-$), was measured in the presence of phenazine dioxide derivatives, the inhibitory action of the enzyme activity of 8-acyl-2-hydroxyphenazine-5,10-dioxides was increased in accordance with the number of the carbon atom of acyl groups.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 1992

A $\alpha$-l, 4-D-glucan maltohydrolase $(\beta$-amylase), secreted by the mesophilic aerobic bacterium Bacillus polymyxa No.26, was purified and characterized. The enzyme production was increased after a logarithmic phase of bacterial growth and paralleled with the onset of bacterial sporulation. By applying anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration the enzyme was purified 16.7-fold and had a specific activity of 285.7 units/mg. Two enzyme activities were eluted on a column of DEAE-Sephadex chromatography, and they were designated as E-I for a major enzyme peak and E-II for a minor peak. Of them, E-I enzyme peak was further purified by using gel chromatography. The molecular mass of this enzyme was determined to be 64, 000 daltons and consisted of a single subunit, showing an isoelectric point of 8.9. The enzyme was able to attack specifically the $\alpha$-l, 4-glycosidic linkages in soluble starch and caused its complete hydrolysis to maltose and $\beta$-limited dextrin. This amylolytic enzyme displayed a temperature optimum at $45^\circ{C}$ and a pH optimum at 7.0. The amino acid composition of the purified enzyme was quite similar to the other bacterial $\beta$-amylases reported. Surprisingly, the purified enzyme from this aerobe only exhibited hydrolytic activity on soluble starch, not on starch granules. The degradation of from starch by $\beta$-amylase was greatly stimulated by pullulanase addition. These results differentiated from other $\beta$-amylases reported. Based on a previous result that showed the enzyme system involves in effective degradation of raw starch granules, this result strongly suggested that the purified enzyme (E-I) can be a synergistic part of starch granule-digestion and E-II plays a crucial role in digestion of starch granules.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.253-258
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• 2004

Living nature of photoinduced cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) in the presence of various combinations of diphenyliodonium halide (DPIX), a photocationic initiator and zinc halide $(ZnX_2)$ in methylene chloride has been investigated. Attainment of $100\%$ conversion and a linear relationship between $\%$conversion and number average molar mass of the resulting polymer, strongly suggests the living nature of this system. Livingness of the polymerization system was observed irrespective to the type of halide anion of the initiator and zinc salts unless the reaction temperature is not higher than $-30^{\circ}C$. The rate of polymerization decreases in the order of iodide > bromide > chloride when halide salt of DPIX and $ZnX_2$ are used. It is postulated that the cationic initiation is started by the insertion of weakly basic monomer in to the activated C-X terminal of the monomer adduct which is a reaction product of monomer and HX, a photolytic product of DPIX, formed in situ during the photo-irradiation process. It was concluded that polymerization is initiated by the insertion of weakly basic monomer into activated C- X terminal of monomer adduct due to the pulling action of$ZnX_2$, which successively producing a new polarized C-X terminal for the propagation in cationic nature. This led us to a conclusion that the living nature of this cationic polymerization is ascribable to the polarized C-X growing terminal, which is stable enough to depress the processes of chain transfer or termination process.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2021

Objectives: Accumulation of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress. Increased production of ROS, such as superoxide anion, or a deficiency in their clearance by antioxidant defences, mediates cellular pathology. Grewia Spp fruits are a source of bioactive compounds and have notable antioxidant activity. Although the antioxidant capacity of Grewia Spp has been studied, there is very limited evidence that links the antioxidant activities of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava to the inhibition of free radical formation associated with damage in biological systems. Methods: This study evaluated the protective effects of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts against free radical-induced oxidative stress and the resulting cytotoxicity effect using HeLa cells. Antioxidant properties determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total phenolic content (TPC) assays showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity in Grewia flava (ethanol extract) than Grewia flava (water extract) and Grewia bicolor (ethanol and water extracts). Results: Using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide or MTT assay, cytotoxicity results showed that extracts of Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava were less toxic to HeLa cells at tested concentrations compared to the untreated control. This confirmed the low toxicity of these edible fruits at the tested concentrations in HeLa cells. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell loss was effectively reduced by pre-incubating HeLa cells with Grewia bicolor and Grewia flava extracts, with Grewia flava (ethanol extract) revealing better protection. Conclusion: The effect was speculated to be associated with the higher antioxidant activity of Grewia flava (ethanol extract). Additional studies will warrant confirmation of the mechanism of action of such effects.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 1994

The inward tail current after a short depolarizing pulse has been known as Na-Ca exchange current activated by intracellular calcium which forms late plateau of the action potential in rabbit atrial myocytes. Chloride conductance which is also dependent upon calcium concentration has been reported as a possible tail current in many other excitable tissues. Thus, in order to investigate the exsitance of the calcium activated chloride current and its contribution to tail current, whole cell voltage clamp measurement has been made in single atrial cells of the rabbit. The current was recorded during repolarization following a brief 2 ms depolarizing pulse to +40mV from a holding potential of -70mV. When voltage-sensitive transient outward current was blocked by 2 mM 4-aminopyridine or replacement potassium with cesium, the tail current were abolished by ryanodine$(1{\mu}M)$ or diltiazem$(10{\mu}M)$ and turned out to be calcium dependent. The magnitudes of the tail currents were increased when intracellular chloride concentration was increased to 131 mM from 21 mM. The current was decreased by extracellular sodium reduction when intracellular chloride concentration was low(21 mM), but it was little affected by extracellular sodium reduction when intracellual chloride concentration was high(131 mM). The current-voltage relationship of the difference current before and after extracellular sodium reduction, shows an exponential voltage dependence with the largest magnitude of the current occurring at negative potentials, with is similar to current-voltage relationship at negative potentials, which is similar to current-voltage relationship of Na-Ca exchange current. The current was also decreased by $10{\mu}M$ niflumic acid and 1 mM bumetanide, which is well known anion channel blockers. The reversal potentials shifted according to changes in chloride concentration. The current-voltage relationships of the niflumic acid-sensitive currents in high and low concentration of chloride were well fitted to those predicted as chloride current. From the above results, it is concluded that calcium activated chloride component exists in the tail current with Na-Ca exchange current and it shows the reversal of tail current. Therefore it is thought that in the physiologic condition it leads to rapid end of action potential which inhibits calcium influx and it contributes to maintain the low intracellular calcium concentration with Na-Ca exchange mechanism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1386-1392
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• 2008

A gene (sll0158) putatively encoding a glycogen branching enzyme (GBE, E.C. 2.4.1.18) was cloned from Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, and the recombinant protein expressed and characterized. The PCR-amplified putative GBE gene was ligated into a pET-21a plasmid vector harboring a T7 promoter, and the recombinant DNA transformed into a host cell, E. coli BL21(DE3). The IPTG-induced enzymes were then extracted and purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The putative GBE gene was found to be composed of 2,310 nucleotides and encoded 770 amino acids, corresponding to approx. 90.7 kDa, as confirmed by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses. The optimal conditions for GBE activity were investigated by measuring the absorbance change in iodine affinity, and shown to be pH 8.0 and $30^{\circ}C$ in a 50 mM glycine-NaOH buffer. The action pattern of the GBE on amylose, an $\alpha$-(1,4)-linked linear glucan, was analyzed using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) after isoamylolysis. As a result, the GBE displayed $\alpha$-glucosyl transferring activity by cleaving the $\alpha$-(1,4)-linkages and transferring the cleaved maltoglycosyl moiety to form new $\alpha$-(1,6)-branch linkages. A time-course study of the GBE reaction was carried out with biosynthetic amylose (BSAM; $M_p{\cong}$8,000), and the changes in the branch-chain length distribution were evaluated. When increasing the reaction time up to 48 h, the weight- and number-average DP ($DP_w$ and $DP_n$) decreased from 19.6 to 8.7 and from 17.6 to 7.8, respectively. The molecular size ($M_p$, peak $M_w{\cong}2.45-2.75{\times}10^5$) of the GBE-reacted product from BSAM reached the size of amylose (AM) in botanical starch, yet the product was highly soluble and stable in water, unlike AM molecules. Thus, GBE-generated products can provide new food and non-food applications, owing to their unique physical properties.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 1989

The proteases of Toxoplasma gcndii were purified partially and characterisrd for some biochemical properties including various chromatographic patterns, major catalytic classes, and conditions to promote the activity of these enzymes. When Toxoplasma extract was incubated with 3H-casein at various pH, peak hydrolysis of casein was observed at pH 6.0 and at pH 8.5. Proteasfs working at pH 6.0 and at pH 8.5 were purified partially by conventional methods of chromatographies of DE52 anion rxchange, Sephadex G-200 gel permeation, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. Partially purified enzymes were tested by site-specific inhibitors and promotorf. The protease working at pH 6.0 was inactivated by iodoacetamide with LDso of 10-5 M and promoted by dithiothreitol, while the protease working at pH 8.5 was inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride with LD50 of 10-5 M and was Promoted by ATP (excess ATP beyond 2 mM inhibited the activity reversely). The protease of pH 8.5 had the activity of ATPase which might exert the energy to its action. Therefore the former was referred to as a cysteinyl acid protease and the latter, ATP-dependent neutral serine protease.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.576-587
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• 2024

In this study, diverse bacterial strains were isolated from fermented foods to screen those with antibacterial activity. Among them, one strain, identified as Bacillus vallismortis MCBL 1012 through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, was selected for its bacteriocin production. The culture supernatant of B. vallismortis MCBL 1012 showed antibacterial activity, mainly against Gram-positive bacteria. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that bacteriocin treatment led to cellular content leakages in Listeria monocytogenes KCCM 40307, Enterococcus faecium KCCM 12118, and Streptococcus mutans KCTC 3065. PCR analysis confirmed B. vallismortis MCBL 1012 harbored subtilosin A gene (sbo A). Antibacterial activity was decreased by proteolytic enzymes like proteinase K, subtilisin A, and α-chymotrypsin. The bacteriocin demonstrated stability at 40℃ and 60℃ for 120 min, and up to 80℃ for 60 min, with rapid activity loss at 100℃. It retained full antibacterial activity within a pH range of 4.0 to 8.0 and was not affected by up to 100% organic solvents like ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, and tetrahydrofuran. Nevertheless, activity decreased with more than 40% isopropanol and 80% acetone. Most tested inorganic salts and detergents had no effect on antibacterial activity except, CuSO₄ and NiSO₄ at specified concentrations. The bacteriocin exerted its antibacterial effect through bactericidal action against L. monocytogenes KCCM 40307. The bacteriocin was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE anion exchange chromatography, and RP-HPLC. The purification resulted in a final yield of 0.03% and a 283.7-fold increase in specific activity. MALDI-TOF MS analysis determined the exact molecular weight of purified bacteriocin to be 3,326.1 Da.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.327-333
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• 2009

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extract of Malus micromalus were studied in vitro. Ethanol extract of M. micromalus showed scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide (NO) radicals. In addition, ethanol extract of M. micromalus inhibited the generation of superoxide anion ($O_2^-$) radical and uric acid by xanthine oxidase. We also investigated the effect of ethanol extract of M. micromalus on NO production in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Ethanol extract of M. micromalus significantly inhibited NO production and this inhibitory action was not due to the cytotoxicity. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was markedly down-regulated by ethanol extract of M. micromalus. These results indicate that the inhibitory action of ethanol extract of M. micromalus on NO production in LPS-stimulated macropages might be due in part to abrogation of iNOS and COX-2 protein induction. Taken together, this study suggests that ethanol extract of M. micromalus could contribute to the chemoprevention and therapy of oxidative stress and inflammation.