• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2010

Objectives : Sophorae Radix (SR), the dried root of Sophorae Flavescens Aiton, has been used to treat atherosclerosis, arrhythma and skin diseases including scabies and eczema. The present study was examined to evaluate antimicrobial activities of SR extracts against oral microorganism. Methods : Antimicrobial properties of SR extracts were determined by agar diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus and Actinomyces viscosus. Analysis of kurarinone from SR extracts was conducted using UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography). Results : The ethanolic extracts of SR showed stronger antimicrobial effect than methanolic extracts, while the aqueous extracts of SR had no activity. In addition, the higher content of kurarinone was found in ethanolic extracts than methanolic extracts. The purified kurarinone from ethanolic extracts showed potent antimicrobial activity with the MIC value of $3.9{\sim}7.8{\mu}g/m{\ell}$. Conclusion : An ethanolic extract of SR showed antimicrobial properties against several oral microorganisms, and kuranrinone contributed to antimicrobial action of SR. Thus, ethanolic extracts of SR or purified kurarinone should be beneficial for the preparation of the useful agent for treating oral disease including anticaries.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.817-822
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• 2011

Lab scale experiment study was carried out for biological treatment process development in cruise. SBR(Sequence Batch Reactor) process with BM(Beneficial Microorganisms) was investigated for practical application on shipboard sewage treatment. From the results it was suggested that SBR process with BM might be a suitable process for cruise sewage treatment in terms of decrease in odorous compounds, maintenance of useful microorganisms and creating special environmental conditions. By adding BM to SBR system, odor unit of sulfur compounds was about 20 times reduced.

• Journal of Menopausal Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2017

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and complicated vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) are frequently occurring vaginal infections in postmenopausal women, caused by an imbalance in vaginal microflora. Postmenopausal women suffer from decreased ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone. A normal, healthy vaginal microflora mainly comprises Lactobacillus species (spp.), which act beneficially as a bacterial barrier in the vagina, interfering with uropathogens. During premenopausal period, estrogen promotes vaginal colonization by lactobacilli that metabolizing glycogen and producing lactic acid, and maintains intravaginal health by lowering the intravaginal pH level. A lower vaginal pH inhibits uropathogen growth, preventing vaginal infections. Decreased estrogen secretion in postmenopausal women depletes lactobacilli and increases intravaginal pH, resulting in increased vaginal colonization by harmful microorganisms (e.g., Enterobacter, Escherichia coli, Candida, and Gardnerella). Probiotics positively effects on vaginal microflora composition by promoting the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms, alters the intravaginal microbiota composition, prevents vaginal infections in postmenopausal. Probiotics also reduce the symptoms of vaginal infections (e.g., vaginal discharge, odor, etc.), and are thus helpful for the treatment and prevention of BV and VVC. In this review article, we provide information on the intravaginal mechanism of postmenopausal vaginal infections, and describes the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of BV and VVC.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.368-374
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: The urgency of feeding the world's growing population while combating soil pollution, salinization and desertification requires suitable biotechnology not only to improve crop productivity but also to improve soil health through interactions of soil nutrient and soil microorganism. Interest in the utilization of microbial fertilizer has increased. A principle of nature farming is to produce abundant and healthy crops without using chemical fertilizer and pesticides, and without interrupting the natural ecosystem. Beneficial microorganisms may provide supplemental nutrients in the soil, promote crop growth, and enhance plant resistance against pathogenic microorganisms. We mixed beneficial microorganisms such as Bacillus sp. Han-5 with anti-fungal activities, Trichoderma harziaum, Trichoderma longibrachiatum with organic material degrading activity, Actinomycetes bovis with antibiotic production and Pseudomonas sp. with nitrogen fixation. This study was carried out to investigate the mixtures on the soil microflora and soil chemical properties and the effect on the growth of lettuce and cucumber under greenhouse conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS: The microbial mixtures were used with each of organic fertilizer, swine manure and organic+swine manure and compared in regard to changes in soil chemical properties, soil microflora properties and crop growth. At 50 days after the treatment of microorganism mixtures, the pH improved from 5.8 to 6.3, and the EC, $NO_3$-Na and K decreased by 52.4%, 60.5% and 29.3%, respectively. The available $P_2O_5$ and $SiO_2$ increased by 25.9% and 21.2%, respectively. Otherwise, the population density of fluorescent Pseudomonas sp. was accelerated and the growth of vegetables increased. Moreover, the population density of E. coli and Fusarium sp., decreased remarkably. The ratio of bacteria to fungi (B/F) and the ratio of Actinomycetes bovis to fungi (A/F) increased 2.3 (from 272.2 to 624.4) and 1.7 times (from 38.3 to 64), respectively. Furthermore, the growth and yield of cucumber and lettuce significantly increased by the treatment of microorganism mixtures. CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest that the treatment of microorganism mixtures improved the chemical properties and the microflora of soil and the crop growth. Therefore, it is concluded that the microorganism mixtures could be good alternative soil amendments to restore soil nutrients and soil microflora.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.465-476
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• 2022

The importance of beneficial microorganisms, particularly probiotics, that coexist in the human body, is being increasingly recognized. Probiotics are representative health functional foods that provide health benefits to humans through the production of various metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids. However, the health benefits are strain-specific, and the use of each probiotic strain should follow guidelines that assure its safety. Accurate identification of the strain should be managed through genetic and phenotypic analyses of the strain. Besides, the functionality of probiotics should be disclosed in vitro and in vivo so that they can be used as legal functional ingredients (i.e., individual standards). In this review, we deal with the guidelines, including the technical factors related to probiotic strains. The common health effects of probiotic strains include proliferation of beneficial bacteria, control of harmful bacteria, and facilitation of bowel activities. Probiotics with various functionalities (e.g., body fat and cholesterol reduction, vaginal health, and improvement of skin's immune system) have been investigated as "individual standards of raw materials for health functional foods" provided by MFDS. In the future, various biotechnologies including synthetic biology can be applied to produce customized probiotics to improve human health.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.358-380
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• 2023

The intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in determining human health, rendering it a major focus of scientific investigation. Rather than eliminating all microbes, promoting the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms within the gut has been recognized as a more effective approach to improving health. Unfavorable conditions potentially alter gut microbial populations, including a reduction in microbial diversity. However, intentionally enhancing the abundance of beneficial gut microbes can restore a state of optimal health. Polysaccharides are widely acknowledged for their potential to improve the gut microbiota. This review emphasizes the findings of recent studies examining the effects of forest product-derived polysaccharides on enhancing the gut microbiota and alleviating inflammation, diabetes symptoms, and obesity. The findings of several studies reviewed in this paper strongly suggest that forest products serve as an excellent dietary source for improving the gut microbiota and potentially offer valuable dietary interventions for chronic health problems, such as inflammation, diabetes, and obesity.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.spc
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• pp.20-28
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• 2009

The sustainability of conventional agriculture which is characterized by input dependent and ecologically simplified food production system is vague. Chemicals and present practices used in agriculture are not only costly but also have widespread implications on human and animal health, food quality and safety and environmental quality. Thus there is a need for alternative farming practices to sustain food production for the escalating population and conserve environment for future generations. The present research scenario in the area of plant microbe interactions for maintaining sustainable agriculture suggests that the level of internal regulation in agro-ecosystems is largely dependent on the level of plant and microbial diversity present in the soil. In agro-ecosystems, biodiversity performs a variety of ecological services beyond the production of food, including recycling of nutrients, regulation of microclimate and local hydrological processes, suppression of undesirable organisms and detoxification of noxious chemicals. Controlling the soil microflora to enhance the predominance of beneficial and effective microorganisms can help improve and maintain soil chemical and physical properties. The role of beneficial soil microorganisms in sustainable productivity has been well construed. Some plant bacteria referred to as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can contribute to improve plant growth, nutrient uptake and microbial diversity when inoculated to plants. Term PGPR was initially used to describe strains of naturally occurring non-symbiotic soil bacteria have the ability to colonize plant roots and stimulate plant growth PGPR activity has been reported in strains belonging to several other genera, such as Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Arthrobacter Bacillus, Burkhokderia, Methylobacterium, and Pseudomonas etc. PGPR stimulate plant growth directly either by synthesizing hormones such as indole acetic acid or by promoting nutrition, for example, by phosphate solubilization or more generally by accelerating mineralization processes. They can also stimulate growth indirectly, acting as biocontrol agents by protecting the plant against soil borne fungal pathogens or deleterious bacteria. Present review focuses on some recent developments to evolve strategies for better biotechnological exploitation of PGPR's.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2014

The necessity to develop economical and eco-friendly technologies is steadily increasing. Plant growth promoting rhizomicrobial strains PGPR are a group of microorganisms that actively colonize plant roots and increase plant growth and yield. Pot experiments were used to investigate the potential of some rhizobacterial strains to enhance the Brassica rapa growth. Microbial strains were successfully isolated from the rhizosphere of Panax ginseng and characterized based on its morphological and plant growth promotion characters. Surface disinfected seeds of Wisconsin Fast B. rapa were inoculated with the selected PGPR microorganisms. The different pots treatments were inoculated by its corresponding PGPR ($10^7cfu\;mL^{-1}$) and incubated in the growth chamber at $25^{\circ}C$ and 65% RH, the light period was adjusted to 24 hours (day). NPK chemical fertilizer and trade product (EMRO, USA) of effective microorganisms as well as un-inoculated control were used for comparison. Plants harvested in 40 days were found to have significant increase in leaf chlorophyll units and plant height and also in dry weight of root and shoot in the inoculated seedlings. Root and shoot length and also leaf surface area significantly were increased by bacterial inoculation in sterile soil. The study suggests that Rhodobacter capsulatus and Azotobacter chroococcum are beneficial for B. rapa growth as they enhance growth and induced IAA production and phosphorus solubilization. This study presents some rhizomicrobial strains that significantly promoted growth of Wisconsin Fast Plant B. rapa in pot experiment under different soil conditions.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.285-292
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• 2020

Ancient cultural heritage made up of wood and organic fibers have been easily disintegrated or decomposed by various microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. Here, we demonstrate the effectiveness of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) system to sterilize the microorganisms in tangible cultural heritage. We collected several specimens from the surface of ancient documents and wooden artifacts. Finally, two bacteria and two fungi were prepared and sterilized using the APPJ treatment. The APPJ system is beneficial to its simple apparatus, quick operation time, and cost-effectiveness. Bacteria were almost sterilized within only 1 min treatment using 15 % O2 and applied bias voltage of 100 V. In case of the fungi, sterilization rate reached over 83 % but difficult to reach over 90 % even 10 min treatment. According to the plasma diagnostics using optical emission spectroscopy, it was found that the reactive oxygen species such as OH groups are critical for sterilization of microorganisms. Although further efforts should be performed, we believe that efficient sterilization could be realized by the simple, quick, and portable APPJ treatment system.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 2020

Fermented foods have been recognized as functional foods that provide health benefits, including the modulation of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the effects of coffee beans fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on healthy human gut microbiota. Fermentation increased the content of beneficial substances (i.e., flavonoids and polyphenols). The consumption of fermented coffee increased the occurrence of beneficial microorganisms such as fiber degraders and short-chain fatty acid producers, although no significant microbiota shifts were observed after the coffee consumption. The analysis of metabolic activities also showed no difference after the coffee consumption. Our study demonstrates that the consumption of the fermented coffee may increase some beneficial bacterial while remaining the gut microbiota and its activities.