• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.392-399
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• 2009

Recent studies indicate that green tea may have anticancer, antioxidant, and antihypertensive effects, and aids body weight control and the promotion of various desirable physiological functions. However, few studies have investigated the antimicrobial effects of green tea. We sought to determine the antimicrobial activity of green tea extract against food spoilage microorganisms. The extract showed remarkable antimicrobial effects against a wide spectrum of putrefactive and food spoilage microorganisms when used at concentrations greater than $500{\mu}g/ml$. The extract showed thermal and pH stability in the range of $40{\sim}150^{\circ}C$ and pH 3.11, respectively. Green tea extract seems to be an ideal natural antimicrobial, considering both efficacy and thermal and pH stabilities. Antimicrobial substances in green tea extract were investigated using electron microscopy and a $\beta$-galactosidase assay. The data showed that the extract contains several efficacious materials, and that their activities are not synergistic but are instead independent. Our data indicate that hydrophilic antimicrobial substances in green tea extract might control food spoilage microorganisms owing to perturbation of the microbial cell membrane.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.3267-3274
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• 2014

In order to investigate the effects of the double replacement of $\small{L}$-Pro, $\small{D}$-Pro, $\small{D}$-Leu or Nleu (the peptoid residue for Leu) in the hydrophobic face (positions 9 and 13) of amphipathic ${\alpha}$-helical non-cell-selective antimicrobial peptide $L_8K_9W_1$ on the structure, cell selectivity and mechanism of action, we synthesized a series of $L_8K_9W_1$ analogs with double replacement of $\small{L}$-Pro, $\small{D}$-Pro, $\small{D}$-Leu or Nleu in the hydrophobic face of $L_8K_9W_1$. In this study, we have confirmed that the double replacement of $\small{L}$-Pro, $\small{D}$-Pro, or Nleu in the hydrophobic face of $L_8K_9W_1$ let to a great increase in the selectivity toward bacterial cells and a complete destruction of ${\alpha}$-helical structure. Interestingly, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{L}$-Pro, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{D}$-Pro and $L_8K_9W_1$-Nleu preferentially interacted with negatively charged phospholipids, but unlike $L_8K_9W_1$ and $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{D}$-Leu, they did not disrupt the integrity of lipid bilayers and depolarize the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. These results suggested that the mode of action of $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{L}$-Pro, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{D}$-Pro and $L_8K_9W_1$-Nleu involves the intracellular target other than the bacterial membrane. In particular, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{L}$-Pro, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{D}$-Pro and $L_8K_9W_1$-Nleu had powerful antimicrobial activity (MIC range, 1 to $4{\mu}M$) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA). Taken together, our results suggested that $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{L}$-Pro, $L_8K_9W_1$-$\small{D}$-Pro and $L_8K_9W_1$-Nleu with great cell selectivity may be promising candidates for novel therapeutic agents, complementing conventional antibiotic therapies to combat pathogenic microorganisms.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.597-600
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• 2003

Silybin has a potent antibacterial activity, more potent than silymarin II, against gram-positive bacteria without hemolytic activity, whereas it has no antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria or fungi. The mode of action of silybin against the gram-positive bacterial cell was examined by investigating the change in plasma membrane dynamics of bacterial cells using 1 ,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hextriene (DPH) as a membrane probe and by assessing the inhibition of macromolecular synthesis using radiolabeled incorporation assay. The results showed that silybin inhibited RNA and protein synthesis on gram-positive bacteria.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.121-125
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of decision tree for the classification of antimicrobial peptides. The classification was based on the activities of known antimicrobial peptides against common microbes including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. A feature selection was employed to select an effective subset of features from available attribute sets. Sequential applications of decision tree with 17 nodes with 9 leaves and 13 nodes with 7 leaves provided the classification rates of $76.74\%$ and $74.66\%$ against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Angle subtended by positively charged face and the positive charge commonly gave higher accuracies in both E. coli and S. aureusdatasets. In this study, we describe a successful application of decision tree that provides the understanding of the effects of physicochemical characteristics of peptides on bacterial membrane.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1070-1075
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• 2013

Streptococcus mutans is the primary etiological agent of dental caries. The antimicrobial peptide $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 was designed by replacing the tryptophans of the Trp-rich peptide Pac-525 with $\small{D}$-${\beta}$-naphthyalanines. To assess the effect of $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 on cariogenic bacteria, the activity of $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 on the growth of S. mutans and its biofilm formation were examined. $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 showed robust antimicrobial activity against S. mutans (minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 ${\mu}g/ml$). Using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, it was shown that $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 caused morphological changes and damaged the cell membrane of S. mutans. $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 inhibited biofilm formation of S. mutans at 2 ${\mu}g/ml$. The results of this study suggest that $\small{D}$-Nal-Pac-525 has great potential for clinical application as a dental caries-preventing agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.1275-1280
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• 2015

Previously, we performed de novo RNA sequencing of Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans using high-throughput sequencing technology and identified several antimicrobial peptide candidates. Among them, a cationic antimicrobial peptide, scolopendrasin VII, was selected based on its physicochemical properties, such as length, charge, and isoelectric point. Here, we assessed the anticancer activities of scolopendrasin VII against U937 and Jurkat leukemia cell lines. The results showed that scolopendrasin VII decreased the viability of the leukemia cells in MTS assays. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining revealed that scolopendrasin VII induced necrosis in the leukemia cells. Scolopendrasin VII-induced necrosis was mediated by specific interaction with phosphatidylserine, which is enriched in the membrane of cancer cells. Taken together, these data indicated that scolopendrasin VII induced necrotic cell death in leukemia cells, probably through interaction with phosphatidylserine. The results provide a useful anticancer peptide candidate and an efficient strategy for new anticancer peptide development.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.964-968
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• 2001

It was carried out for research and development of natural antimicrobial on Scutellariae Radix extract against food-borne infection bacteria .Scutellariae Radix extract showed remarkable antimicrobial activites against Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus when examined by disk method, it was very stable on the wide rane of temperature and pH,.The growth rates of Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus were decreased at the concentration of more than 500 ppm Scutellariae Radix extract, Indicating that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)of the Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Vivro parahaemolyticus to Scutellariae Radix extract were around 500 ppm . The morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope and the microbial cells membran was destroyed by Scutellariae Radix extract. It was identified that the membrane integrity of the sensitive cells was disrupted by exposure to Scutellariae Radix extract as the $\beta$-galactosidase test on experimental substrate ONPG(o-nitrophenyl-$\beta$-D-galacto-pyranoside)

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.93-98
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• 2016

Objectives : Hwangheuk-san is a complex prescription composed of oriental traditional medicine and has been reported for antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer effects in the recent study. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of important causes of fatal infectious diseases such as septicemia, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome, pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). S. aureus is reported as being for a variety of human diseases and its epidemiological relevance is mainly due to their ability of becoming highly resistant to common antimicrobials such as tetracycline, penicillin, cphalosporin and aminoglycoside. The objective of this study is to determine the antimicrobial effect of Hwangheuk-san ethanol extracts (HHS) and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Methods : The antimicrobial activity of HHS was measured by the disc diffusion method, broth microdilution method and the checkerboard dilution test, time-kill curve assay was performed to investigate synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA.Results : HHS showed antimicrobial activity against MRSA with a MIC value of 125 ㎍/㎖. In the checkerboard test, the interaction of HHS with antibiotics oxacillin produced almost synergy or partial synergy against MRSA. This study showed that HHS reduced the MICs of oxacillin tested, and a remarkable antibacterial effect of HHS, with membrane permeability enhancers.Conclusions : These results suggest that HHS has the antimicrobial effect and synergistic effects with antibiotics oxacillin against MRSA. This study thus can be a valuable source for the development of a new drug with low MRSA resistance.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.715-723
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• 2015

Insects represent the largest class within the animal kingdom in terms of species number. Humans had been utilized insect in the broad area, including food, agriculture, industry, pharmaceuticals and so on. At present, insects are emerging as a leading group for identifying and extracting novel bioactive substances due to enormous number and a high nutritional value. Insects rely on a suite of systemic response to resist infection such as immune cells, hemocytes, activation of enzymes cascades, and antimicrobial peptide/protein. Among the substances, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are main components of potent antimircrobial innate defense system into the insect hemolymph. AMPs raise influential candidate as avenue to resolve the development of antibiotic-resistant microbial organism. Insect AMPs are classified into four main classes: cecropins, insect defensins, glycine/proline-rich peptides. Insect AMPs have been purified, over 150. In this review, AMPs derived from several insects were summarized including honey bee, dung beetle, butterfly and longicorn beetle. These peptides almost exhibited potent antimicrobial activities against human microbial pathogens without causing remarkable hemolysis to erythrocytes excluding melittin, and their mode of action(s) are based on disruption of the plasma membrane or fungal apoptosis. Therefore, study of insect AMPs is expected to be useful for designing novel therapeutic antimicrobial applications.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.218-224
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• 2000

The antimicrobial activities of chitosan oligosaccharide(chitohexaose) and two types of chitosans M.W.(10,000 and M.W. 100,000) were examined against Escherichia coli O157 : H7(ATCC 43894), Staphylococcus aureus(ATCC 144458) and Candida albicans(KFRI 432). Chitosan with molecular weight of 10,000 showed the strongest antimicrobial activities to E. coil O157 : H7 and S. aureus, whereas chitohexaose acted most strongly against C. albicans. The most effective concentration of chitosan was measured to be 0.1 mg/mL for E. coil O157 : H7 and S. aureus, and that of chitohexaose to be 1 mg/mL for C. albicans. Antimicrobial activities of chitosans and chitohexaose were maintained for 60 min after their treatment. They were found to induce leakage of intracellular proteins and nucleic acids from treated microorganisms. The efflux determined by assaying the ${\beta}-galactosidase$ leaked from the lactose-induced E. coli O157 : H7 cells was observed to reach the highest level within 60 min after treatment with the antimicrobial agents and chitosan with 10,000 molecular weight gave the highest ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity. Therefore, it is supposed that the antimicrobial activity of chitosan with its unique polycationic nature might be caused by its binding to anionic component(s) of the cell envelope and thereby inhibiting the membrane metabolism and/or leaking intracellular materials.