• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.14-19
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• 2015

In a previous report, we identified several candidate antimicrobial peptides through de novo RNA sequencing of the centipede Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans. Here, we identify and characterize one of these peptides, Scolopendrasin I. We identified the centipede antimicrobial peptide Cecropin from the centipede transcriptome using an SVM algorithm, and subsequently analyzed the amino acid sequence for predicted secondary structure using a GOR algorithm. We identified an alpha helical region of Cecropin and named it Scolopendrasin I. We then assessed antimicrobial and hemolytic activity of Scolopendrasin I. Scolopendrasin I showed antimicrobial activity against various microbes, including antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, in a radial diffusion assay. Scolopendrasin I had potent antibacterial activity against acne-associated microbes in a colony count assay and showed no hemolytic activity in a hemolysis assay. In addition, we confirmed that Scolopendrasin I bound to the surface of bacteria via a specific interaction with lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide, two components of bacterial cell membranes. In conclusion, the results presented here provide evidence that this is an efficient strategy for antimicrobial peptide candidate identification and that Scolopendrasin I has potential for successful antibiotic development.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1706-1712
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• 2006

Because of the need for new antimicrobial substances with novel mechanisms of action, we report here the use of an Acinetobacter reporter system for high-throughput screening of active antimicrobial agents. The bioreporter Acinetobacter strain DF4/PUTK2 carrying luciferase genes luxCDABE was chosen because of its ecological importance and it is widespread in nature. This bioreporter is genetically engineered to emit light constitutively that can be measured in real time by luminometry. Hence, this reporter system was employed to determine the bacteriostatic actions of spent-culture supernatants derived from twelve bacterial isolates. Out of the results, the strongest bioluminescence inhibitory effect of the supernatants was recorded with Bacillus cereus strain BAC (S5). Subsequently, ethyl acetate extracts of extracellular products of strain BAC (S5) were separated by a thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Based on the bioluminescence inhibitory assay, three fractions were found to have antimicrobial activity. One fraction (C) having the strongest antimicrobial activity was further purified using TLC and characterized by IR, $^1H$ NMR, mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, and amino acid composition analysis. The results predicted the presence of 2-pyrrolidone-S-carboxylic acid (PCA) and the octadeconic-acid-like fatty acid. Fraction C also demonstrated a broad inhibitory activity on several Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In conclusion, the Acinetobacter reporter system shows great potential to be a reliable, sensitive, and real-time indicator of the bacteriostatic actions of the antimicrobial agents.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.612-617
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• 2012

The antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of ovotransferrin were investigated in vitro. The antioxidant capacity of ovotransferrin was evaluated using the 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, antimicrobial effects using the agar well diffusion method, and cytotoxicity using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenylatetetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The DPPH radical-scavenging capacity of ovotransferrin at 1 mg/mL level reached approximately 60% after 48 h of reaction. The antimicrobial effects of ovotransferrin against common food-borne pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus KCCM 32395, Bacillus cereus KCCM 40935, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 15313, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895, and Helicobacter pylori HpKCTC 26695 were dose dependant. Gram-positive bacteria was more sensitive to ovotransferrin than gram-negative bacteria. Ovotransferrin showed stronger antimicrobial effect against L. monocytogenes than other gram-positive bacteria tested. The cytotoxicity of ovotransferrin was evaluated in human cancer cell lines, various tissue origins, including the larynx (Hep-2), stomach (AGS), lung (SK-MES-1), liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7), cervix (HeLa), and colon (HT-29). Ovotransferrin displayed relatively high cytotoxicity (${\leq}60%$ inhibition effects) at 40 mg/mL. At lower concentrations (${\leq}10mg/mL$), however, ovotransferrin cytotoxic effects were not significant in all cancer cell lines tested. These results indicated that ovotransferrin has potential to be used as an antioxidant or antimicrobial agent in foods or a pharmaceutical agent against cancers.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.389-394
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• 2001

In order to isolate antimicrobial substances from Schizandra chinensis, the dried fruits were extracted with the methanol and the extract showed a strong antimicrobial activity. Also, the methanol exract was further fractionated with hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and buthanol. The ethyl acetate-soluble fraction showed the strongest antimicrobial activity. These fraction were further separated by using various chromatographic methods including thin layer chromatography, silicagel open column chromatography and prep. HPLC. A major component S-EA-5-T1 and S-EA-5-T3 from the ethyl acetate fraction, which showed a strong antimicrobial activity was identified by Mass and NMR spectrometry. Two compounds were isolated and identified as trimethylcitrate and the essential oil of Schizandra chinensis and was estimated as gomisin C, respectively. The growth of S. typhimurium was also inhibited about 1.65 to 2.86 log cycle in minced pork by the addition 1% of Schizandra chinensis extract for 12 days at $4^{\circ}C$. These results suggested that these compounds have a strong potential as a natual food preservatives.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.365-371
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• 2005

The antimicrobial resistance patterns to the 10 antimicrobial agents of potential pathogenic vibrios isolated from seawater and a variety of farmed fishes, including oliver flounder (Payalichthys olivaceus), black rock fish (Sebastes schlegeli), red sea bream (Pagyus major) and sea bass (Lateolabyax japonicus), were investigated from May to October, 2004. A total of 314 strains of the genus vibrios were isolated from 126 collected samples, and the number of isolated strains of Vibrio payahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus were 194 and 120, respectively. Apparently $98.5\%$ of V. parahaemolyticus and $100\%$ of V. alginolyticus isolates demonstrated antimicrobial resistance against at least one antimicrobial agent. The resistance of V. parahaernolyticus isolates to ampicillin ($97.9\%$) was highest, followed by oxolinic acid ($26.8\%$), amikacin ($19.1\%$) and tetracycline and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid ($6.7\%$). V. alginolyticus isolates were resistant to ampicillin ($100\%$), solfamethoxazoleit,imethopenem ($25\%$), amikacln ($21.7\%$), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid ($15.8\%$), ciprofloxacin ($13.3\%$), and tetracycline and doxycycline ($11.7\%$). The rate of multiple antimicrobial resistance to at least four antimicrobials was higher in the V. alginolyticus isolates ($20.8\%$) than in the V. parahaemolyticus ($6.7\%$).

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.536-539
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• 2013

In this study, mixed plant extracts including Phellodendro namurense and Eucommia ulmides Oliv were tested for antimicrobial activity and safety. Antimicrobial activity was measured by disc diffusion method using normal skin flora and opportunistic microbes such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. As safety test, single dose oral toxicity test, single dose inhalation toxicity test and repeat dose inhalation toxicity test were done. From antimicrobial test, plant extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, however, did not indicate any antibacterial effect on Escherichia coli. From 3 kinds of safety tests, toxicity of mixed plant extracts was not observed. From experimental results, mixed plant extracts including Phellodendro namurense and Eucommia ulmides Oliv showed good potential for natural antimicrobial agent.

• CELLMED
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.20.1-20.5
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• 2012

$Gynura$ $segetum$ (Lour.) Merr. ($Compositae$) is a well recognized medicinal plant in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is believed to have an anticoagulant effect and is used in treating snake-bites, inflammations and other skin afflictions. This study was carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of $Gynura$ $segetum$ leaves extracts and its fractions. The chemical compositions of the active extracts were also determined. The antimicrobial activities of different solvent extracts of leaves of $Gynura$ $segetum$ were evaluated using the agar well-diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the active subfractions was determined by the tube dilution method. Gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was carried out to identify the chemical compositions of the active extracts. The ethyl acetate fraction and its subfraction E4 performed potent antimicrobial activities and fifteen known chemical constituents were identified by GCMS analysis as 4-vinylphenol, 1-tetradecene, phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl), 1-hexadecene, E-15-heptadecenal, hexadecanoic acid, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester, 1-docosene, octadecanoic acid, 1-eicosene, cyclotetracosane, 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-ethylhexyl)ester, butanedioic acid, monomethyl ester, niacin and 4-hydroxy-benzoic acid. The results of this study suggested a connection between the antimicrobial activities and the chemical structures. The plant may be used as a potential source for antimicrobial agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1305-1309
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• 2020

Insects possess biological defense systems that can effectively combat the invasion of external microorganisms and viruses, thereby supporting their survival in diverse environments. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a fast-acting weapon against invading pathogens, including various bacterial or fungal strains. A 37-residue antimicrobial peptide, papiliocin, derived from the swallowtail butterfly Papilio xuthus larvae, showed significant antimicrobial activities against several human pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Jelleines, isolated as novel antibacterial peptides from the Royal Jelly (RJ) of bees, exhibit broad-spectrum protection against microbial infections. In this study, we developed a novel antimicrobial peptide, PAJE (RWKIFKKPFKISIHL-NH₂), which is a hybrid peptide prepared by combining 1-7 amino acid residues (RWKIFKK-NH₂) of papiliocin and 1-8 amino acid residues (PFKISIHL-NH₂) of Jelleine-1 to alter length, charge distribution, net charge, volume, amphipaticity, and improve bacterial membrane interactions. This novel peptide exhibited increased hydrophobicity and net positive charge for binding effectively to the negatively charged membrane. PAJE demonstrated antimicrobial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with very low toxicity to eukaryotic cells and an inexpensive process of synthesis. Collectively, these findings suggest that this novel peptide possesses great potential as an antimicrobial agent.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.390-402
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• 2023

Salmonella are Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria commonly found in food animals such as poultry and swine and potentially constitute risks and threats to food safety and public health through transmissible virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. Although there are previous studies in the Philippines regarding genotypic and phenotypic AMR in Salmonella, there are very few on virulence and their associations. Hence, this study collected 700 Salmonella isolates from swine samples in abattoirs and wet markets among four districts in Metro Manila and characterized their genotypic virulence and β-lactam AMR profiles. Gene frequency patterns and statistical associations between virulence and bla genes and comparisons based on location types (abattoirs and wet markets) and districts were also determined. High prevalence (>50%) of virulence genes was detected encompassing Salmonella pathogenicity islands (SPIs) 1-5 suggesting their pathogenic potential, but none possessed plasmid-borne virulence genes spvR and spvC. For bla, bla_TEM was detected with high prevalence (>45%) and revealed significant associations to four SPI genes, namely, avrA, hilA, mgtC, and spi4R, which suggest high resistance potential particularly to β-lactam antibiotics and relationships with pathogenicity that remain mechanistically unestablished until now. Lastly, comparisons of location types and districts showed variations in gene prevalence suggesting effects from environmental factors throughout the swine production chain. This study provides vital data on the genotypic virulence and AMR of Salmonella from swine in abattoirs and wet markets that suggest their pathogenicity and resistance potential for policymakers to implement enforced surveillance and regulations for the improvement of the Philippine swine industry.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.864-873
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• 2018

There has been increasing attention and research in various nanoparticle applications. Nanoparticles have been used for a variety of purposes in different departments including but not limited to cosmetics, food, machinery, and chemical. A highly sought-after field to use nanoparticles, especially natural or artificial silver nanoparticles (SNPs), is the utilization of their significant antimicrobial properties in daily items such as fabrics, indoor air filters, and, water filtration units where abundant bacterial and fungal growth are inevitable. These applications of SNPs, however, have enabled continuous human exposure and hence paved the way for potential SNP toxicity depending on exposure method and particle size. This potential toxicity has led to researches on safer antimicrobial solutions to be utilized in textile and filtration. In this context, products of natural origin have gained expanding interest due to their eco-friendly, cost-effective, and biologically safe properties along their promising antibacterial and antifungal activities. Natural product-applied fabrics and filters have been shown to be comparable to those that are SNP-treated in terms of ease production, material durability, and antimicrobial efficiency. This article summarizes and assesses the current state of in vitro and in vitro toxicity of SNPs and discusses the potential of natural products as an alternative.