• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1436-1442
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• 2020

Amylosucrase (ASase, E.C. 2.4.1.4) is capable of efficient glucose transfer from sucrose, acting as the sole donor molecule, to various functional acceptor compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids. An ASase variant from Deinococcus geothermalis, in which the 226^th alanine is replaced with asparagine (DgAS-A226N), shows increased polymerization activity due to changes in the flexibility of the loop near the active site. In this study, we further investigated how the mutation modulates the enzymatic activity of DgAS using molecular dynamics and docking simulations to evaluate interactions between the enzyme and phenolic compounds. The computational analysis revealed that the A226N mutation could induce and stabilize structural changes near the substrate-binding site to increase glucose transfer efficiency to phenolic compounds. Kinetic parameters of DgAS-A226N and WT DgAS were determined with sucrose and 4-methylumbelliferone (MU) as donor and acceptor molecules, respectively. The k_cat/K_m value of DgAS-A226N with MU (6.352 mM^-1min^-1) was significantly higher than that of DgAS (5.296 mM^-1min^-1). The enzymatic activity was tested with a small phenolic compound, hydroquinone, and there was a 1.4-fold increase in α-arbutin production. From the results of the study, it was concluded that DgAS-A226N has improved acceptor specificity toward small phenolic compounds by way of stabilizing the active conformation of these compounds.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1549-1553
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• 2008

A molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) using (+)catechin ((+)C) as a template and acrylamide (AM) as a functional monomer was prepared. Acetonitrile was used as the porogen with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinker and 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the initiator. The adsorption isotherms in the MIP were measured and the parameters of the equilibrium isotherms were estimated by linear and nonlinear regression analyses. The linear equation for original concentration and adsorpted concentrations was then expressed, and the adsorption equilibrium data were correlated into Langmuir, Freundlich, quadratic, and Langmuir Extension isotherm models. The mixture compounds of (+)C and epicatechin (EC) show competitive adsorption on specific binding sites of the (+)catechin-MIP. The adsorption concentrations of (+)C, epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on the (+)catechin-molecular imprinted polymer were compared. Through the analysis, the (+)catechin-molecular imprinted polymer showed higher adsorption ability than blank polymer which was synthesized molecular imprinted polymer without (+)catechin. Furthermore, the competitive Langmuir isotherms were applied to the mixture compounds of (+)C and EC.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.48
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• pp.41-48
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• 2003

The number of natural products obtained from plants has now reached over 100,000 and new chemical compounds are being discovered ever year. Medicinal and Aromatic plants and their extracts have been used for centuries to relieve pain, aid healing, kill bacteria and insects are important as the antifungal and anti-herbivore agents with further compounds being involved in the symbiotic associations. Although their functions in plants have not been fully established, it is Known that some substances have growth regulatory properties while others are involved in pollination and seed dispersal. The complex nature of these chemicals are usually produced in various types of secretory structures which is an important character of a plant family and also influenced and controlled by genetic and ecological factors. Detailed anatomical description of these structures ave relevant to the market value of the plants, the verification of authenticity of a given species and for the detection of substitution or adulteration. Volatile oils are used for their therapeutic action for flavoring of lemon, in perfumery of rose or as starting materials for the synthesis of other compounds of turpentine. For therapeutic purposes they are administered as inhalations of eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, as gargles and mouthwashes of thymol and transdermally many essential oils including those of lavender, etc. With these current trend for using volatile components in essential oil will be increasing in the future in Korea and in the world as well.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.349-353
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• 2011

The ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum is an important plant pathogen responsible for Fusarium head blight in small grains and ear rot on maize. This fungus also produces the estrogenic metabolite, zearalenone (ZEA) that causes estrogenic disorders in humans and animals. Previously, we developed a conditional gene expression system for this fungus using a ZEA-inducible promoter (Pzear). In the present study, four other estrogenic compounds, including ${\beta}$-estradiol, estriol, estrone, and secoisolariciresinol, were screened as possible substitutes for ZEA in this system. Among them, ${\beta}$-estradiol was able to successfully induce the expression of a gene controlled by Pzear, while estrone was only able to partially induce its expression but the other two compounds were not effective. In combination, these results demonstrate that ${\beta}$-estradiol can replace ZEA in this conditional gene expression system, thereby eliminating the need to use the more expensive reagent, ZEA, and facilitating high-throughput functional analyses of F. graminearum in future studies.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2016

A phenol substance was extracted from Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc leaf extracts and its biological efficacy was measured. The highest content of the phenol substance contained in Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc leaves was 13.5 mg/g, which was obtained when it was extracted with 80% ethanol. At a concentration of 200 mg/mL, the phenolic substances extracted with 80% ethanol and water showed antimicrobial activities against Helicobacter pylori, producing clear zones of 10 and 12 mm diameter, respectively. Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc. leaf extracts were separated using a Sephadex LH-20 column and 4 fractions were obtained (fractions A-D). Fractions C and D showed the greatest inhibitory activity against Helicobacter pylori producing 10.1 and 12.3 mm clear zones, respectively. These two fractions were purified using a Sephadex LH-20 and MCI-gel column ($H_2O{\rightarrow}100%$ ethanol). Purified compounds A and B were identified as syringic acid and compound C was identified as p-coumaric acid based on $^1H$-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), $^{13}C$-NMR, and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry spectra. When two or more purified compounds were mixed, a synergistic effect of anti-Helicobacter pylori activity was evident. This result indicates that extracts of Pinus koraiensis Siebold et Zucc leaves could be considered a functional food because of their high antimicrobial properties.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.478-483
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• 1999

Coagulation efficiencies of some organic compounds by aluminum based coagulants including alum, PAC, PACS were studied. The coagulation efficiency was highest at the neutral pH. It was decreased with an order of PACS, PAC, and alum at the neutral pH. The organic compounds of high molecular weights showed good coagulation efficiencies with all coagulants, while the small molecules were not coagulated. Organic compounds having more than two adjacent functional groups of OH and COOH showed coagulation efficiencies of 10~80%.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2002

Rice wine was prepared with medicinal plants or plant extracts to obtain a value added nutritious alcoholic tonics. Powders of ten medicinal plants (PTM) or aqueous extracts prepared from them (ATM) were added during the initial stage of fermentation. Aroma compounds of rice wine (control) and wines containing PTM or ATM were isolated by liquid-liquid continuous solvent extraction (LLCSE) and analyzed by gas chromatography-olfactometry and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Desirable aroma compounds: acetaldehyde (sweet, ethereal), benzaldehyde (sweet, fragrant), ethyl acetate (sweet) and ethyl octanoate (sweet, ethanolic) had the highest log$_3$-flavor dilution (FD) factors in ATM. Results of sensory evaluation demonstrated that intensities of undesirable aroma attributes, such as koji and yeasty notes in control, and raw medicinal herb notes in PTM, were lowest in wine with ATM. Wines made with ATM had the most attractive aroma attributes among the three different traditional Korean medicinal wines.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.22 no.3 s.93
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• pp.402-417
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• 2006

Research interest on functional food and phytochemicals has mainly focused on their health effects, mechanism of action and structure-activity relationship for the development of nutraceuticals. Considering the intake of phytochemicals via the normal diet, further information is required on changes in food functionality or individual phytochemicals that occur during the cooking or processing of foods, in order to increase the intake of these bioactive compounds, because many of the unit-operating procedures involved in cooking or food processing may result in physicochemical changes of food constituents. This study reviews the changes of selected phytochemicals, i.e. flavonoids, organosulfur compounds and carotenoids, or food functionality by major cooking or processing procedures such as heating, fermentation, and pH changes. In general, heating has a negative effect on food functionality, although in some cases, mild heating increases bioactive phytochemical contents. Some phytochemicals, including anthocyanins and catechins, are stabilized in lower pH conditions. The structures of phytochemicals, including isoflavones and catechins, are changed by fermentation. The loss of bioactive compounds may be decreased by recently developed cooking or processing methods such as microwave cooking or use of high hydrostatic pressure. However, the effects of cooking and processing procedures on food functionality and phytochemicals are so diverse and dependent on test conditions that further research efforts are needed to form accurate conclusions on the effects of cooking and processing of foods.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.147-152
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• 1998

Cinnamaldehydes and related compounds were synthesized from various cinnamic acids based on the $2^{I}$-hydroxycinnamaidehyde isolated from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia Blume. The cytotoxicity to human solid tumor cells such as A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, XF498 and HCT15 were measured. Cinnamic acid, cinnamates and cinnamyl alcohols did not show any cytotoxicity against the human tumor cells. Cinnamaldehydes and realted compounds were resistant to A549 cell line up to 15 .mu.g/ml. In contrast, HCT15 and SK-MEL-2 cells were much sensitive to these cinnamaidehyde analogues which showed $ED{50} values 0.63-8.1{\mu}g/ml.$Cytotoxicity of the saturated aldehydes was much weak compared to their unsaturated aldehydes. From these studies, it was found that the key functional group of the cinnamaldehyde-related compounds in the antitumor activity is the propenal group.p.

• Carbon letters
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.289-293
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• 2008

Naphtha Cracking Bottom (NCB) oil was heat reformed at various reforming temperature and time, and the volatile extracts were characterized including yields, molecular weight distributions, and representative compounds. The yield of extract increased as the increase of reforming temperature ($360{\sim}420^{\circ}C)$ and time (1~4 hr). Molecular weight of the as-received NCB oil was under 200, and those of extracts were distributed in the range of 100-250, and far smaller than those of precursor pitches of 380-550. Naphtalene-based compounds were more than 70% in the as-received NCB oil, and most of them were isomers of compounds bonding functional groups, such as methyl ($CH_{3^-}$) and ethyl ($C_2H_{5^-}$). When the as-received NCB oil was reformed at $360^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr, the most prominent compound was 1,2-Butadien, 3-phenyl- (24.57%), while naphthalene became main component again as increasing the reforming temperature.