• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.288-295
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• 2014

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the synergistic antibacterial effect of xylitol and ursolic acid (UA) against oral biofilms in vitro. Materials and Methods: S. mutans UA 159 (wild type), S. mutans KCOM 1207, KCOM 1128 and S. sobrinus ATCC 33478 were used. The susceptibility of S. mutans to UA and xylitol was evaluated using a broth microdilution method. Based on the results, combined susceptibility was evaluated using optimal inhibitory combinations (OIC), optimal bactericidal combinations (OBC), and fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC). The anti-biofilm activity of xylitol and UA on Streptococcus spp. was evaluated by growing cells in 24-well polystyrene microtiter plates for the biofilm assay. Significant mean differences among experimental groups were determined by Fisher's Least Significant Difference (p < 0.05). Results: The synergistic interactions between xylitol and UA were observed against all tested strains, showing the FICs < 1. The combined treatment of xylitol and UA inhibited the biofilm formation significantly and also prevented pH decline to critical value of 5.5 effectively. The biofilm disassembly was substantially influenced by different age of biofilm when exposed to the combined treatment of xylitol and UA. Comparing to the single strain, relatively higher concentration of xylitol and UA was needed for inhibiting and disassembling biofilm formed by a mixed culture of S. mutans 159 and S. sobrinus 33478. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that xylitol and UA, synergistic inhibitors, can be a potential agent for enhancing the antimicrobial and anti-biofilm efficacy against S. mutans and S. sobrinus in the oral environment.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.95-106
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of coniferous essential oils (EOs) blended films on insect repellence and crop productivity. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film is widely used, especially in agriculture and for food packaging. Ethylene vinyl acetate was blended with LDPE to reduce volatilization of EOs. An EO from Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) was incorporated into the blend film to conduct field research on antimicrobial and insect repellent properties. Among the various concentrations of EO, the highest concentration (2.5%) showed the highest efficiency in terms of pesticidal activity. The ability to inhibit microbial growth can be explained by the lipophilic properties of the EO component, and many studies have already demonstrated this. Agricultural films containing all types of EO have been tested on various crops such as chili, cucumber, Korean melon and have been able to verify their effectiveness in avoiding pests and increasing yields. From these results, it was found that it is reasonable to use a modified film such as a composite film containing an EO for agriculture. Thus, the modified film containing EO has undoubtedly shown impressive potential for reducing the use of pesticides in a variety of ways, not only for agricultural mulching film but also for food and agricultural product packaging. This product is an environmentally friendly chemical and is safe for agricultural and industrial and food packaging applications, among others. In particular, the use of agricultural films significantly reduces the use of pesticides, suggesting that farmers can increase their incomes by reducing working hours and costs, and increasing production.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.220-233
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• 2019

Bacterial lysates have become a common ingredient for natural health care. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could serve as potential candidates for lysate production: the lactic acids produced by LAB have been utilized for their moisturizing, antimicrobial, and rejuvenating effects, while other substances provide topical benefits and health effects for the skin. Our study aimed to obtain lysate from a LAB S. macedonicus MBF 10-2 through an optimized fermentation using the Response Surface Methodology. Strain MBF10-2 was cultivated in a 2L fermenter tank in de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium and in plant-based peptone modified MRS, i.e. Soy-peptone and Vegitone. The duration and the medium composition (dextrose and soy peptone or proteose peptone) were adjusted to obtain an optimum production of cell lysate. Central Composite Design was employed for Design Expert 7.0.0 by adjusting 3 factors: dextrose (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%), soy or proteose peptone (0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25% and 1.5%), and duration of fermentation (8, 10, 12 14, and 16 h for MRS-Soy peptone and 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 h for MRS Vegitone). Bacteriocin-Like Inhibitor Substance activity of lysate and pH were used as indicators. The optimum condition for lysate production using MRS Soy Peptone and Vegitone are as follows: dextrose concentration 2.5%, plant-based peptone 1.25%, while optimum fermentation duration were 11.18 h (MRS Soy Peptone) and 17 h (MRS Vegitone) with a starter concentration of 10% at $OD_{600nm}$ $0.2{\pm}0.05$. However, the standard MRS medium produced better quality lysate compared to MRS plant-based peptones.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.1052-1060
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• 2018

Triclosan (TCS) is a phenolic antimicrobial chemical used in consumer products and medical devices. Evidence from in vitro and in vivo animal studies has linked TCS to numerous health problems, including allergic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative disease. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system, we here show that short-term TCS treatment ($LC_{50}$: ~0.2 mM) significantly induced mortality in a dose-dependent manner. Notably, TCS-induced mortality was dramatically suppressed by co-treatment with non-ionic surfactants (NISs: e.g., Tween 20, Tween 80, NP-40, and Triton X-100), but not with anionic surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate). To identify the range of compounds susceptible to NIS inhibition, other structurally related chemical compounds were also examined. Of the compounds tested, only the toxicity of phenolic compounds (bisphenol A and benzyl 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) was significantly abrogated by NISs. Mechanistic analyses using TCS revealed that NISs appear to interfere with TCS-mediated mortality by micellar solubilization. Once internalized, the TCS-micelle complex is inefficiently exported in worms lacking PMP-3 (encoding an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter) transmembrane protein, resulting in overt toxicity. Since many EDCs and surfactants are extensively used in commercial products, findings from this study provide valuable insights to devise safer pharmaceutical and nutritional preparations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1478-1487
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• 2019

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, substantially impacts patients' health-related quality of life. In this study, an effective strategy for discovering high-efficiency probiotics has been developed. First, in order to survive in the conditions of the stomach and intestine, high bile salt-resistant and strong acid-resistant strains were screened out from the fecal flora of healthy adults. Next, the probiotic candidates were rescreened by examining the induction ability of IL-10 (anti-inflammatory factor) production in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mice, and Lactobacillus sakei 07 (L07) was identified and selected as probiotic P. In the end, fourteen bifidobacterium strains isolated from stools of healthy males were examined for their antimicrobial activity. Bifidobacterium bifidum B10 (73.75% inhibition rate) was selected as probiotic B. Moreover, the colonic IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ expression of the DSS-induced colitis mice treated with L. sakei 07 (L07) - B. bifidum B10 combination (PB) significantly decreased and the IL-10 expression was up-regulated by PB compared to the DSS group. Furthermore, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria decreased and Firmicutes increased in the DSS group mice, significantly. More interestingly, the intestinal flora biodiversity of DSS colitis mice was increased by PB. Of those, the level of B. bifidum increased significantly. The Bacteriodetes/Firmicutes (B/F) ratio increased, and the concentration of homocysteine and LPS in plasma was down-regulated by PB in the DSS-induced colitis mice. Upon administration of PB, the intestinal permeability of the the DSS-induced colitis mice was decreased by approximately 2.01-fold. This method is expected to be used in high-throughput screening of the probiotics against colitis. In addition, the L. sakei 07 - B. bifidum B10 combination holds potential in UC remission by immunomodulatory and gut microbiota modulation.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2019

The chemical compositions of the essential oil of Valeriana officinalis roots obtained by steam distillation method were analyzed by GC-MS. The 16 constituents were identified in the V. officinalis oil, and the most abundant compounds were patchouli alcohol (18.69%) and ${\beta}$-gurjunene (15.26%). Acaricidal effects of the V. officinalis oil were evaluated against Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Haemaphysalis longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph by contact bioassay. The $LD_{50}$ values against T. putrescentiae, H. longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph were 28.01, 178.26 and $207.98{\mu}g/cm^2$, respectively. Agar disc diffusion bioassay showed the antibacterial activity of the V. officinalis oil against foodborne pathogens, especially L. monocytogenes. These results showed that the essential oil of V. officinalis roots derived from USA has a potential for development as acaricide and antimicrobial.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.213-220
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• 2020

Background: The leaves of Perilla frutescens, commonly called perilla and used for food in Korea, contain components with a variety of biological effects and potential therapeutic applications. The purpose of this study was to identify the components of 70% ethanol extracted Perilla frutescens (EEPF) and determine its inhibitory effects on oral microbial activity and production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages, consequently, to confirm the possibility of using EEPF as a functional component for improving the oral environment and preventing inflammation. Methods: One kg of P. frutescens leaves was extracted with 70% ethanol and dried at -70℃. EEPF was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and antimicrobial activity against oral microorganisms was revealed using the disk diffusion test. Cell viability was elucidated using a methylthiazolydiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay, and the effect of EEPF on LPS-induced morphological variation was confirmed through microscopic observation. The effect of EEPF on LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2 was confirmed by the NO assay and PGE2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The main component of EEPF was rosemarinic acid, and EEPF showed weak anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects against microorganisms living in the oral cavity. EEPF did not show toxicity to Raw264.7 macrophages and had inhibitory effects on the morphological variations and production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2 in LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. Conclusion: EEPF can be used as a functional material for improving the oral environment through the control of oral microorganisms and for modulating inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.143-151
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• 2020

Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus play important roles in dental caries. Coptis chinensis is a natural product with antimicrobial activity against enterobacteria; however, its effects on oral streptococci are still unknown. Therefore, the effects of C. chinensis on the growth and biofilm formation of the representative cariogenic bacteria S. mutans and S. sobrinus were investigated for the possible use of C. chinensis as an anticaries agent. The C. chinensis extract was diluted with sterile distilled water, and 0.1-2.5% of the extract was used in the experiment. The effects of the C. chinensis extract on the growth and glucan formation of S. mutans and S. sobrinus were measured by viable cell counting and spectrophotometry at 650 nm absorbance, respectively. Crystal violet staining was also carried out to confirm the C. chinensis extract's inhibitory effect on biofilm formation. The C. chinensis extract significantly inhibited the growth of S. mutans and S. sobrinus at concentrations of ≥ 0.3% as compared with the control group. The viable cell count of colonies decreased by 1.7-fold and 1.2-fold at 2.5% and 1.25%, respectively, compared with the control group. The biofilm formation of S. mutans and S. sobrinus was inhibited by > 20-fold at C. chinensis extract concentrations of ≥ 1.25% as compared with the control group. In summary, the C. chinensis extract inhibited the growth and biofilm and glucan formation of S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Therefore, C. chinensis might be a potential candidate for controlling dental caries.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.543-551
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• 2021

Nocardiopsis species produce bioactive compounds, such as antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents and toxins. However, no reports have described their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects during nasal polyp (NP) formation. In this study, we investigated whether marine-derived bacterial Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced NP-derived fibroblasts (NPDFs). Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) levels were analyzed. Extract from Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 significantly inhibited the upregulation of NO and PGE₂ in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages was evaluated; smooth muscle alpha-actin (α-SMA), collagen type I (Col-1), and fibronectin also phosphorylated small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) 2 and 3 in TGF-β1-stimulated NPDFs. The Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 extract suppressed the phosphorylation of MAPKs and Akt and the DNA-binding activity of activator protein 1 (AP-1). The expression of pro-fibrotic components such as α-SMA, Col-1, fibronectin, and SMAD2/3 was inhibited in TGF-β1-exposed NPDFs. These findings suggest that Nocardiopsis sp. 13G027 has the potential to treat inflammatory disorders, such as NP formation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.275-292
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• 2023

Nanotechnology in the food industry can increase the effectiveness of food ingredients. Nanotechnology can increase the bioavailability and absorption of bioactive compounds, enhance their stability, and improve the sensory quality of the product. Processed meat products are easily damaged due to bacterial activity. Advanced nanoemulsions as a meat preservative are nanoemulsions that can be used as preservative agents in meat products, particularly essential oil nanoemulsions, due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Its application is still limited to foods made from meat products. Therefore, this literature review examines nanoemulsion and its application in meat products and functionality improvement. Also, in the future, nanoemulsions in meat products must be made safe, and the government and businesses must work together to build consumer trust. It can be concluded that essential oil-based nanoemulsion has the potential to be used as an additive in meat products because it can kill bacteria, fight free radicals, improve flavor, and keep food fresh. Nanoemulsion is challenging in the meat industry because it can be toxic due to its tiny droplets (under 200 nm).