• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.523-528
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• 2005

The commercial interests in functional foods containing probiotics are gaining significance in view of increasing studies on their role in digestive tract. Probiotic dairy foods containing health-promoting bacteria are important segment of functional food market. Various health benefits have been attributed to specific strains of lactic acid bacteria or food containing these probiotic cultures. Probiotic-containing foods are considered to improve general gut health and natural defenses of body, and lower blood cholesterol level. Specific probiotic microbes can alleviate or prevent diverse intestinal diarrhea-inducing disorders, cause prophylaxis of intestinal and urogenital infections, inhibit mutagenicity of intestinal contents, and reduce incidence of intestinal tumors. Recent increasing evidences on health effects of probiotics have triggered consumer interest in this category of functional foods. Rational approach needs to be applied in selection of strains for probiotic preparation to achieve required functionality. Present article focuses on some prominent probiotic candidates and criteria for their inclusion in functional food sector. Various health claims of probiotics on gastrointestinal disorders, anticarcinogenic effects, and anti-cholestrimic effects, and possible mechanistic explanations for their functionality are highlighted.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권8호
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• pp.3797-3803
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• 2016

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide and thus one of the leading causes of mortality in women. Lovastatin, a non polar, anticholesterol drug has previously been reported to exert antitumour activity in vitro. In the present study, lovastatin from Aspergillus terreus (KM017963) was purified by adsoprtion chromatography and evaluated for its anticancer and anti-oxidant properties with a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of purified lovastatin on HeLa cells were investigated by determining its influence on cell numbers, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), DNA fragmentation and antioxidant properties in terms of hydroxy radical scavenging effects as well as levels of total reduced glutathione. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry (propidium iodide staining) confirmed induction of apoptotic cell death and revealed cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. Results of the study give leads for the anticancer effects of lovastatin and its potential usefulness in the chemotherapy of cervical cancer.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• 제38권2호
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• pp.99-111
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• 2020

Probiotics are actively being studied for their efficacious anticancer, anticholesterol, and antidiabetic properties. As novel probiotic strains are being developed continuously, new strain-specific safety issues may be reported. Therefore, a procedure for the safety evaluation of probiotic strains is needed. In this study, we investigated the current status of domestic and foreign guidelines for the evaluation of safety of probiotics and suggested a general probiotic safety evaluation process. In other countries, the guidelines for probiotic evaluation are provided and managed separately. However, in Korea, general guidelines are provided regarding the use of functional ingredients, and specific guidelines for the use of probiotics are lacking. A review step based on the characteristics of the probiotics has been introduced in the procedure for safety evaluation of probiotics. Additionally, it has been suggested that the safety evaluation process should consider the results of the functional and genomic analysis for strain identification. Moreover, the factors to be evaluated are presented separately for the notified and non-notified strains. The suggested evaluation procedure may ensure the safety of probiotics, thereby promoting enhanced utilization of probiotics as functional products.

• 한국해양바이오학회지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.28-47
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• 2021

Pectin is a natural polysaccharide and biopolymer that serves as a structural component of plant tissues' primary cell walls. Pectin is primarily composed of D-galacturonic acid linked by α-1, 4-glycosidic linkage and is further classified by the ratio of esterified galacturonic acid groups known as degree of esterification (DE). Pectin that contains more than half of its carboxylate units as methyl esters is known as a high methyl (HM) ester. Conversely, pectin that has less than half of its carboxylate units as methyl esters is known as a low methyl (LM) ester. Pectin has various bioactive properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticholesterol, antitumoral, and chemopreventive properties. Moreover, pectin is a useful biopolymer in biomedical applications. Biomedical engineering, which is founded on research aimed to improve the quality of life using new materials and technologies, is typically classified according to the use of hydrogels, nanofiber mats, and nanoparticles. This paper reviews the progress of recent research into pectin-based biomedical applications and the potential future biomedical applications of marine-derived pectin.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제31권12호
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• pp.1100-1109
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• 2021

염생식물인 비쑥은 식용이 가능한 약용식물로서 살충, 항염, 항콜레스테롤, 해열, 항균 활성 등이 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는 phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)로 자극된 인간 섬유육종 HT-1080 세포에서 5가지 활성검색방법 즉 : gelatin zymography, MMPs ELISA, wound healing assay, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot을 이용하여 비쑥의 조추출물과 그 용매 분획물의 MMP-2와 MMP-9 효소 활성에 대한 저해 효과를 평가하였다. 비쑥 시료들을 메틸렌 클로라이드(MC)와 메탄올(MeOH)로 각각 2번 추출하여 합한 것을 조추출물로 사용하였으며 이 조추출물은 MMP-2와 MMP-9 효소활성에 대해 유의한 억제 효과를 나타내었다. 이 조추출물은 용매극성에 따라 다시 n-hexane, 85% aq.MeOH, n-butanol 및 물 분획층으로 분획되었으며 이렇게 얻어진 4개의 용매 분획물들중에 n-hexane과 85% aq.MeOH 분획이 gelatin zymography와 MMP ELISA assay에서 MMP-2와 MMP-9의 활성을 효과적으로 억제하였다. 또한 wound healing assay, RT-PCR 및 Western blot assay에서 H₂O 분획을 제외한 모든 용매 분획물들이 세포 이동, 그리고 MMP-2 및 MMP-9의 mRNA와 단백질 발현을 유의하게 억제하였다.