• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.74-80
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• 2012

Candida albicans is a common opportunistic pathogen and is frequently associated with biofilm formation occurring on the surfaces of host tissues and medical devices. On account of the distinct resistance of C. albicans biofilms to the conventional antifungal agents, new strategies are required to cope with these infections. The root of Polygonum cuspidatum has been used for medicinal purposes in East Asia. The aim of this study was to assess the anticandidal potential of the P. cuspidatum ethanol extract by evaluating biofilm formation, integrity of the cell membranes of C. albicans and adhesion of C. albicans cells to polystyrene surfaces. The growth and development of the biofilm was assessed using an XTT reduction assay, and the extract (0.39 mg/ml) significantly reduced ($41.1{\pm}17.8%$) biofilm formation of 11 C. albicans strains. The extract damaged the cell membranes of C. albicans and remarkably inhibited cell adhesion to polystyrene surfaces. The plant extract displayed fungistatic activity without significant hemolytic activity. Based on the results of this study, the P. cuspidatum extract has promising potential for use in treating biofilm-associated Candida infection.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 1983

It was reported from our laboratory that the rate of deterioration of the force of contraction was slower in heart from Panax ginseng extract treated rats. Present investigation was designed to elucidate the mechanism of the slow deterioration of contractility of ginseng treated hearts. Therefore, $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ Uptake by sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) isolated from ginseng treated rate and control rats was studied. Rate weighing 150-250g were administered orally with ginseng ethanol extract (100mg/kg) for 10 days. Cardiac SR was isolated by differential centrifugation and $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake was assessed by the Millipore method. Freshly isolated SR from treated as well as control animals did not show any differences, but after incubation for 30 and 60 min at 37.deg.C, $^{45}Ca^{2+}$ uptake of control animal SR was found to be greatly depressed. The SR of treated animal possessed a greater degree of resistance to incubation. Thus it can be concluded that ginseng may have an ability to sustain the normal function of the heart by sustaining Ca accumulation by SR involved with the excitationcontraction coupling processes.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection often complicates burn wounds. Mupirocin is the antibiotic of choice for superficial MRSA infection, and its resistance is on the rise due to its frequent and widespread use. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Curcuma xanthorriza extract (CXE)-containing gel as a topical agent against MRSA-infected second-degree burn wound in rats. CXE was obtained using maceration with 96% ethanol. Xanthorrhizol level, antibacterial, and antioxidant activity were evaluated using a standardized method. In vivo, the wound's healing and bacterial load were evaluated every three days, whereas the histopathology of the wound was examined on day 12 of treatment. One-Way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze the data. In this study, 27.0% and 7.10% of the obtained CXE were xanthorrhizol and curcumin, respectively. Additionally, an IC50 of 64.27 ppm was shown in antioxidant activity measurement, and MIC against MRSA was 5 mg/ml. Treatment with CXE-containing gels showed a significant reduction in bacterial load and proliferation of connective tissue in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, CXE-containing gel showed a greater reduction of bacterial load and more advanced wound healing phase than mupirocin.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.606-611
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• 2012

This study examined the effects of dietary glycoprotein extracted from Porphyra yezoensi on growth performance and resistance against the pathogenic bacteria Edwardsiella tarda in olive flounder. A porphyra-originated glycoprotein (P) was extracted using sequential processes of water and ethanol treatment. P extracts were added to a fish-meal-based diet at concentrations of 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0% (designated as Con, $P_{0.5}$, and $P_{1.0}$, respectively). Fish were fed one of the three experimental diets for 10 weeks. All fish groups exhibited over 96.7% survival during the experimental period. Results indicated that the fish fed diets containing P showed an increase in growth performance, including enhanced weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed efficiency. An increase in insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) was observed in the fish fed the $P_{1.0}$ diet, as compared to those fed Con. At the end of the 10-week feeding trial, all fish were infected with E. tarda, and accumulated mortality was monitored for 8 days. Fish fed the Con diet exhibited increasing mortality from day 3 to the end of the challenge test, whereas the mortality of P-fed fish ceased at day 5. We suggest that supplementation with P-originated glycoprotein in aquafeed may increase growth performance and resistance against pathogenic bacteria in olive flounder juveniles.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.302-311
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of castor oil (CSO) as a natural wood preservative. CSO was treated into wood blocks prepared with domestic and imported wood species using a vacuum-pressure method, and then treatability, leachability and decay resistance of the CSO-treated wood blocks were examined. Although CSO was penetrated effectively into wood blocks of all wood species, the CSO-treatability was the highest in Western hemlock, followed by Japanese larch (LA), soft maple and Mongolian oak due to the difference of its anatomical structure. Except for LA, the more retained, the more leached during a saline water-immersing process for 48h. The use of ethanol added to reduce the viscosity of CSO affected negatively the treatability and leachability of wood blocks. Decay resistance, which was evaluated by the weight loss of wood blocks exposed against Fomitopsis palustris (FOP) and Trametes versicolor, of the CSO-treated/leached wood blocks was superior to that of control. Especially, most of wood blocks treated with preserving solution composed of only CSO (CSO-2) did not decayed and showed a very low weight loss against FOP. The decay resistance results from CSO retained in wood blocks after leaching. The retention of CSO could identify using the observation of X-ray microscope. Length of wood strips, which were treated with CSO-2 and then immersed in saline water for 2 weeks, hardly changed in all cutting directions. In addition, weight gain and length-swelling rate of the wood strips were extremely low compared to those of control. These results indicate that moisture resistance of the wood strips was improved by the CSO treatment. It is concluded that the treatment of CSO using a vacuum-pressure method provides the decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood, and thus CSO can be used as a natural wood preservative on various indoor and outdoor circumstances.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.910-916
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• 2015

Scientists have recently shown an interest in the characteristics of Bacillus mojavensis strains because of their increasing use in plants as a defense against diseases and mycotoxins. We have shown here that B. mojavensis KJS-3 possesses the typical characteristics of B. mojavensis strains including a strong resistance to high temperatures (≤50℃), tolerance to high salt concentrations (7% NaCl), ethanol tolerance (40% ethanol), and pH range for growth (pH 5-9). B. mojavensis KJS-3 has been used for the production of cyclic lipopeptides including important antifungal substances such as surfactin, iturin, and fengycin. Polymerase chain reaction analysis in this study showed that B. mojavensis KJS-3 can be used for the production of fengycin and the findings of LC-MS/MS analyses suggest that B. mojavensis KJS-3 can be used to produce iturin and surfactin. Antifungal activity analys is confirmed that B. mojavensis KJS-3 has antifungal effects on Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani AG-4, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Colletotricum goeosporioides. A microscopy assessment of the roots of wild ginseng plants planted together with B. mojavensis KJS-3 revealed that the roots contained B. mojavensis KJS-3, confirming the bacteria to be a plant growth promoting endophyte (PGPE) which acts against plant diseases and mycotoxins. Our findings lead us to conclude that B. mojavensis KJS-3 can be produced at an industrial level as a microbial pesticide or microbial fertilizer.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.271-280
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• 1995

These studies examined the production of oligosaccharides by ${\beta}-galactosidase$originated from Aspergillus oryzae and Kluyveromyces fragilis mixed. In addition, heat resistance and acid stability of transgalactosylated oligosaccharides were measured. When ${\beta}-galactosidase$ from A. oryzae, K. fragilis and mixed ${\beta}-galactosidase$ were added to 30%(w/v) lactose solution, maximum production of transgalactosylated oligosaccharides were 26.9%, 37.05 and 27.2%, respectively. The ratios of disacchride, trisacchride and tetrasaccharide in transgalactosylated oligosaccharides were 20.5 : 5.4 : 0.6, 20.4 : 10.5 : 4.2 and 21.0 : 4.1 : 1.9, respectively. Nine different oligosaccharides were recovered with 30% and 40% ethanol fractions. When the 30% ethanol fraction was treated at $150^{\circ}C$ for 10 min more than 90% of oligosaccharides remained stable. More than 90% of the oligosaccharides were stable at $130^{\circ}C$ for 3 min with pH 3.0, whereas there of Kluyveromyces was more than 90% with pH 3.5.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2013

In this study, the catalytic performance and characterization of $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ were investigated using an autothermal reforming (ATR) process for hydrogen production. The $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ catalysts were prepared using the following methods: the water method (CZ-W), urea water method (CZ-UW) and urea, water and ethanol method (CZ-UWA). The performance of $Ni/Ce_xZr_{1-x}O_2$ catalysts in autothermal reforming of propane for hydrogen production was studied in a fixed-bed flow reactor. Reaction tests were conducted by using a feed of $H_2O/C_3H_8/O_2$=3/1/0.37 and $300{\sim}700^{\circ}C$. The CZ-UW and CZ-UWA catalysts showed higher propane conversion and hydrogen yield than the CZ-W catalyst. The activity test confirmed that the improvement in the water-ethanol catalyst was due to the low level of carbon deposition. SEM showed that the surface carbon consisted of clusters on the used CZ-UW catalyst, which is incontrast to the nano-fiber morphology observed on the used CZ-UWA catalyst. It was found that the amount of carbon deposition depends on the preparation method. Especially the $Ni/Ce_{0.75}Zr_{0.25}O_2$ was showed higher propane conversion and hydrogen yield than the other catalysts. Also TGA showed that the resistance of carbon deposition increase to Co addition.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.659-667
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• 2006

In order to standardize the manufacturing processes of Hahyangju, a traditional Korean liquor, 29 yeast strains were isolated from traditional Nuruk. Strain N8 exhibited a particularly strong resistance to sugar. Strains HA2, HA3 and HA4 grew successfully in medium containing 10% ethanol. In comparison with the growth exhibited by these strains when grown in a yeast malt extract medium, the ethanol production rates for the three strains were 10.8%, 10.45%, and 10%, respectively in a yeast malt extract medium containing 25% glucose. Based on these results, HA3 was the strain selected for use in the manufacturing processes of Hahyangju and it was identified as a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with 97% ITS sequence similarity. The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HA3 causcd a decrease in the lactic acid content, acidity and growth of lactic acid bacteria in the fermentation mash. Following thc addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae HA3 to the manufacturing process of Hahyangju, the second fermentation mash showed a 22% increase in the alcohol production rate associated with traditional fermentation; however, the amino acidity, pH and reducing sugar content showed little change. Sensory evaluation of Hahyangju fermented with S. cerevisiae HA3 also showed better scores than Hahyangju mashed by the traditional method.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2015

The malolactic fermentation (MLF), which is widely used in winemaking, is the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid conducted by the malolactic enzyme (Mle) of lactic acid bacteria. In order to select the strains with MLF among 54 lactic acid bacteria isolated from the traditionally fermented foods, we designed a primer set that specifically targets the conserved regions of the mle gene and then selected four strains that harbor the mle gene of Lactobacillus plantarum. All strains were identified as L. plantarum by analyzing the 16S rRNA sequences, biochemical properties, and the PCR products of the recA gene. From comparison of the mle gene sequences consisting of 1,644 bp, the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of strain JBE60 correspond to 96.7% and 99.5% with those of other three strains, respectively. The strain JBE60 showed the highest resistant against 10% (v/v) ethanol among the strains. The strains lowered the concentration of malic acid to average 43%. Considering the ethanol resistance and conversion of malic acid, the strain JBE60 is considered as a potential starter for the malolactic fermentation.