• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.168-174
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• 2008

This study is focused on the antimicrobial activity of cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa by the reduction and oxidation reaction of copper and zinc alloy metal fiber filter. Cu/Zn ion is easily makes radicals with molecular hydroperoxide. Especially, hydroperoxide radical shows strong toxicity to the strains. Plasma membrane causes conformational change when hydroperoxide radical binds to plasma membrane. Elution of copper ion from copper and zinc alloy metal fiber is detected in the cyanobacteria solution as 0.5 ppm, and that of zinc ion is 0 ppm respectively. Zinc ion is figured to form a hydroxide in the cyanobacteria solution and precipitated to form a sludge. The concentration of chlorophyll-a in the cyanobacteria solution was proved to be the index of antimicrobial level of Microcystis aeruginosa.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 2006

A study was carried out to produce antimicrobial peptides from zein treated with pretenses of six kinds. Among the pretenses of six kinds, zein hydrolysate treated with pepsin showed the highest antimicrobial activity. The zein hydrolysate with pepsin was fractionated with membrane filter (30,000 10,000 and 3,000 molecular weight cut-off) and antimicrobial activity was measured for each fractions. Antimicrobial activity appeared greatly in the fraction below 3,000 (molecular weight cut-off) . The fraction was re-fractionated by HPLC and substances of two peaks collected as a sample to measure antimicrobial activity. All of both peaks showed the antimicrobial activity but 1st peak exhibited a consistently higher antimicrobial activity than 2nd peak. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were between 2.5 and 3.0 mg/mL. The peptide was heat-stable since antimicrobial activity was maintained after treated with heat for 20 min at $121^{\circ}C$. N-terminal amino acid sequence of peptide fractionated by HPLC was leucine, glutamic acid, proline, phenylalanine, aspartic acid and argenine. These results indicated that peptide isolated from zein hydrosate with pepsin can use as a natural preservative ingredient in food industry.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2009

Gaegurin 4(GGN 4), an antimicrobial peptide isolated from a Korean frog, is five times more potent against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria, but has little hemolytic activity. To understand the mechanism of such cell selectivity, we examined GGN4-induced $K^+$ efflux from target cells, and membrane conductances in planar lipid bilayers. The $K^+$ efflux from Gram-positive M. luteus(2.5 ${\mu}g/ml$) was faster and larger than that from Gram-negative E. coli(75 ${\mu}g/ml$), while that from RBC was negligible even at higher concentration(100 ${\mu}g/ml$). GGN4 induced larger conductances in the planar bilayers which were formed with lipids extracted from Gram-positive B. subtilis than in those from E. coli(p<0.01), however, the effects of GGN4 were not selective in the bilayers formed with lipids from E. coli and red blood cells. Addition of an acidic phospholipid, phosphatidylserine to planar bilayers increased the GGN4-induced membrane conductance(p<0.05), but addition of phosphatidylcholine or cholesterol reduced it(p<0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed that GGN4 induced pore-like damages in M. luteus and dis-layering damages on the outer wall of E. coli. Taken together, the present results indicate that the selectivity of GGN4 toward Gram-positive over Gram-negative bacteria is due to negative surface charges, and interaction of GGN4 with outer walls. The selectivity toward bacteria over RBC is due to the presence of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol, and the trans-bilayer lipid asymmetry in RBC. The results suggest that design of selective antimicrobial peptides should be based on the composition and topology of membrane lipids in the target cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.880-888
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• 2006

Pleurocidin, an $\alpha$-helical cationic antimicrobial peptide, was isolated from skin mucosa of winter flounder (Pleuronectes americamus). It had strong antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, but had very weak hemolytic activity. The Gly$^{13,17}\rightarrow$Ala analog (pleurocidin-AA) showed similar antibacterial activities, but had dramatically increased hemolytic activity. The bacterial cell selectivity of pleurocidin was confirmed through the membrane-disrupting and membrane-binding affinities using dye leakage, tryptophan fluorescence blue shift, and tryptophan quenching experiments. However, the non-cell-selective antimicrobial peptide, pleurocidin-AA, interacts strongly with both negatively charged and zwitterionic phospholipid membranes, the latter of which are the major constituents of the outer leaflet of erythrocytes. Circular dihroism spectra showed that pleurocidin-AA has much higher contents of $\alpha$-helical conformation than pleurocidin. The tertiary structure determined by NMR spectroscopy showed that pleurocidin has a flexible. structure between the long helix from $Gly^3$ to $Gly^{17}$ and the short helix from $Gly^{17}$ to $Leu^{25}$. Cell-selective antimicrobial peptide pleurocidin interacts strongly with negatively charged phospholipid membranes, which mimic bacterial membranes. Structural flexibility between the two helices may play a key role in bacterial cell selectivity of pleurocidin.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.223-233
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• 2018

Topical anesthetics are commonly used in oral & maxillofacial surgery to control pain in the oral cavity mucosa before local anesthetic injection. These anesthetic agents come in many forms, developed for different usages, to minimize adverse reactions, and for optimal anesthetic efficiency. Earlier studies have revealed that these agents may also limit the growth of microorganisms in the area of anesthetic application. Many topical anesthetic agents show different levels of antimicrobial activity against various bacterial strains and Candida. The dosage of local anesthetic agent used in some clinical preparations is too low to show a significant effect on microbial activity. Efficiency of antimicrobial activity depends on the local anesthetic agent's properties of diffusion within the bloodstream and binding efficiency with cytoplasmic membrane, which is followed by disruption of the bacterial cell membrane. The antimicrobial properties of these agents may extend their usage in patients to both control pain and infection. To develop the topical local anesthetic optimal usage and antimicrobial effect, a collaborating antiseptic agent may be used to benefit the local anesthetic. However, more research is required regarding minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of topical local anesthetic agents with drug interaction between anesthetics and antiseptic agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.1397-1402
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• 2010

Papyriflavonol A (PapA), a prenylated flavonoid [5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-6,5'-di-(${\gamma},{\gamma}$-dimethylallyl)-flavonol], was isolated from the root barks of Broussonetia papyrifera. Our previous study showed that PapA has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. In this study, the mode of action of PapA against Candida albicans was investigated to evaluate PapA as an antifungal agent. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were 10~25 ${\mu}g/ml$ for C. albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium), and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus). The kinetics of cell growth inhibition, scanning electron microscopy, and measurement of plasma membrane florescence anisotrophy revealed that the antifungal activity of PapA against C. albicans and S. cerevisiae is mediated by its ability to disrupt the cell membrane integrity. Compared with amphotericin B, a cell-membrane-disrupting polyene antibiotic, the hemolytic toxicity of PapA was negligible. At 10~25 ${\mu}g/ml$ of MIC levels for the tested strains, the hemolysis ratio of human erythrocytes was less than 5%. Our results suggest that PapA could be a therapeutic fungicidal agent having potential as a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.247-249
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• 2000

Antimicrobial activity of sophorolipid produced by Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 was investigated, Minimum inhibitory concentration of sophorolipid to Propionibacterium acne and Bacillus subtilis were 0.5 ppm and 4 ppm, respectively. However no antimicrobial activity to E. coli was detected. Indicating the antimicrobial activity of sophorolipid only toward gram positive bacteria. Antifungal activity of sophorolipid was also detected in the hyphae growth assay for Botrytis cinerea. Malate dehydrogenase, a cytoplasmic enzyme, of B. subtilis was remarkably increased with the sophorolipid treatment, indicating the leakage of membrane by sophorolipid. This result shows the potentials of sophorolipid as mild, non-toxic antimicrobial agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.317-323
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the antimicrobial effects of hetero-chitosans and their oligosaccharides against three Gram-negative bacteria and five Gram-positive bacteria. Nine classes of hetero-chitosan oligosaccharides consisted of partially deacetylated chitosans; 90％, 75％, and 50％ deacetylated chitosans. Based on molecular weight, they were prepared using an ultrafiltration membrane reactor system. Seventy-five percent deacetylated chitosan showed the highest antimicrobial acitivity as compared with the 90％ and 50％ deacetylated chitosan, and the activity was dependent on their molecular weights. It was apparent that the growth of Gram-negative bacteria is less inhibited in the presence of the heterochitosans and their oligosaccharides than Gram-positive bacteria. These results revealed that the antimicrobial effects of hetero-chitosans and their oligosaccharides depend on the degree of deacetylation, and their molecular weights.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the antimicrobial effects of hetero-chitosans and their oligosaccharides on the halophilic bacterium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Nine classes of hetero-chitosan oligosaccharides were prepared based on their molecular weights, using an ultrafiltration membrane reactor system with chitosanase and celluase, from partially different deacetylated chitosans, 90%, 75%, and 50% deacetylated chitosan, respectively. Thirty-two strains of V. parahaemolyticus were isolated from various marine organisms such as shellfish, shrimps, octopus, and seabirds. Seventy-five percent deacetylated chitosan showed the highest antimicrobial acitivity. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.5 mg/ml on 14 strains of V. parahaemolyticus, and MIC of the rest strains (18 strains) was 1.0 mg/ml. In addition, MIC of most hetero-chitosan oligosaccharides was 8.0 mg/ml. The results revealed that the antimicrobial effects of hetero-chitosans and their oligosaccharides against V. parahaemolyticus depend on the degree of deacetylation, their molecular weights, and strains tested.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.57-58
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• 2001

Biosurfactant has antibiological activities. Due to its low toxicity, biosurfactant can be applied to human health care products. Posseing the antibiological activities as well as the surfactant properties implies that biosurfactant can be widely used in the cosmetic industry. In this presentation, applications of biosurfactant have been reviewed including the antimicrobial activities of sophorolipid. Sophorolipid, a biosurfactant produced from Candida bombicola ATCC 22214, showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus xylosus, Streptococcus mutans, and Propionibacterium acne at 4, 1, 1, 0.5 ppm as MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration). Also 100 ppm of sophorolipid inhibited 50% of cell growth of plant pathogenic fungus, B. cinera. However, sophorolipid showed no effect on the Escherichia coli., indicating its selective antimicrobial activity depending on the cell wall structure. Treatment of B. subtilis with sophorolipid increased the leakage of intracellular enzyme, malate dehydrogenase, indicating the possible interaction of sophorolipid with cellular membrane. Between lactone-type and acid-type sophorolipid, the former showed higher antimicrobial activity.