• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1055-1060
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• 2012

In order to produce Hongkuk-ju, the production and characterization of Hongkuk (Monascus red koji) by Monascus anka KCTC 6121 were investigated. The optimum cultural conditions for the production of enzyme (${\alpha}$-amylase and glucoamylase) and pigment (yellow and red) from this strain on solid culture (steamed rice) were examined. The results showed that the production of ${\alpha}$-amylase and glucoamylase reached the highest for 9 days and 8 days, respectively. Since then, the productions decreased slightly. The production of yellow and red pigments reached the highest for 8 days, decreasing slightly soon after. The optimal content of the initial moisture equally presented 30% in the enzyme and pigment production. After that, the enzyme production decreased slowly, whereas pigment production decreased sharply. The optimal temperature of the culture also showed $30^{\circ}C$ in the production of enzyme and pigment. It was found that the initial inoculum size in enzyme and pigment production was 10% and 20%, respectively. Under these optimal conditions, the production of monacolin K and citrinin was 74.35 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg for 12 days, respectively.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the dietary effects of Monascus pilosus mycelial extract on obesity in high-fat with cholesterol-induced obese rat models. It was observed that M. pilosus mycelial extract contains $25.85{\pm}1.98mg%$ of total monacolin K without citrinin by highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The rats were randomly divided into 2 groups; normal control and a high-fat with cholesterol diet group. The high-fat with cholesterol diet group was fed a 5L79 diet with an added 15% lard and 1% cholesterol supplemented diet for 3 weeks for induction of obesity. After induction, obesity was confirmed by checking obesity indexes, the animals were divided into 4 groups (n=5); first, the normal control (NC), and then taken from the obese model of rats, a high-fat with cholesterol diet obesity control group (HF), 0.5% M. pilosus mycelial extract supplemented high-fat with cholesterol diet group (MPMs), 2% conjugated linoleic acid supplemented high-fat with cholesterol diet group (CLA) for 7 weeks. Body weight gains, obesity indexes, and body fat contents in the experimental groups (MPMs and CLA) were decreased compared with HF group. Feed Efficiency Ratio (FER) in MPMs was significantly lower than that of HF without change of feed intake. These results suggested that the anti-obesity effects of the M. pilosus mycelial extracts (MPMs) could prevent obesity induced by high-fat with cholesterol diet possibly via inhibition of lipid absorption.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1078-1089
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• 2017

Biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus is one of its mechanisms of drug resistance. Anti-biofilm screening of 106 compounds from marine-derived fungi displayed that 12 compounds inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation by >50% at the concentration of $100{\mu}g/ml$, and only secalonic acid D (SAD) and B inhibited by >90% at $6.25{\mu}g/ml$ without inhibiting cell growth after 24-h incubation. Meanwhile, it was found that the double bond between C-1 and C-10 of citrinin derivatives and the C-C connection position of two chromone monomers may be important for their anti-biofilm activities. Moreover, SAD slightly facilitated biofilm eradication and influenced its architecture. Furthermore, SAD slowed the cell growth rate in the preceding 18-h incubation and differentially regulated transcriptional expression of several genes, such as agr, isaA, icaA, and icaD, associated with biofilm formation in planktonic and biofilm cells, which may be the reason for the anti-biofilm activity of SAD. Finally, SAD acted synergistically against S. aureus growth and biofilm formation with other antibiotics. These findings indicated that various natural products from marine-derived fungi, such as SAD, could be used as a potential biofilm inhibitor against S. aureus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.668-680
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• 2020

Bacillus velezensis is an important plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium with immense potential in agriculture development. In the present study, Bacillus velezensis Lle-9 was isolated from the bulbs of Lilium leucanthum. The isolated strain showed antifungal activities against plant pathogens like Botryosphaeria dothidea, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium fujikuroi. The highest percentage of growth inhibition i.e., 68.56±2.35% was observed against Fusarium oxysporum followed by 63.12 ± 2.83%, 61.67 ± 3.39% and 55.82 ± 2.76% against Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium fujikuroi, respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction revealed a number of bioactive compounds and several were identified as antimicrobial agents such as diketopiperazines, cyclo-peptides, linear peptides, latrunculin A, 5α-hydroxy-6-ketocholesterol, (R)-S-lactoylglutathione, triamterene, rubiadin, moxifloxacin, 9-hydroxy-5Z,7E,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid, D-erythro-C18-Sphingosine, citrinin, and 2-arachidonoyllysophosphatidylcholine. The presence of these antimicrobial compounds in the bacterial culture might have contributed to the antifungal activities of the isolated B. velezensis Lle-9. The strain showed plant growth-promoting traits such as production of organic acids, ACC deaminase, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization. IAA production was accelerated with application of exogenous tryptophan concentrations in the medium. Further, the lily plants upon inoculation with Lle-9 exhibited improved vegetative growth, more flowering shoots and longer roots than control plants under greenhouse condition. The isolated B. velezensis strain Lle-9 possessed broad-spectrum antifungal activities and multiple plant growth-promoting traits and thus may play an important role in promoting sustainable agriculture. This strain could be developed and applied in field experiments in order to promote plant growth and control disease pathogens.