• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.97-103
• /
• 2014

A total of 7039 strains of filamentous fungi are preserved in Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC). The 4065 strains (58%) of them, which produce many spores in cultivation on proper media, are preserved with freeze-drying method. They are also preserved with liquid nitrogen and deep-freezer storage in order to minimize loss by death. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Lichtheimia, Mucor, Rhizopus, etc. which are common in surrounding environments, are included in this category. The others which do not produce spores, or produce few spores in vitro, are preserved with liquid nitrogen, deep-freezer and mineral oil storage. Phytophthora, Pythium, Cercospora, Septoria, Rhizoctonia, etc. are included in this category. The authors also introduced various fungal preservation methods and provided detailed preservation procedures that are used in KACC.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
• /
• v.32 no.2 s.57
• /
• pp.99-103
• /
• 2006

Natural essential oils showed anti-microbial activity on relatively broad spectrum of bacterial and fungal species. These materials had much more intensive anti-microbial activities than synthetic preservatives on C. albicans, A niger, and P. acnes, especially. In the experimental group, anti-microbial activity was order of tea tree oil (from Melaleuca alternifolia) > methylparaben > phytoncide (from Chamaecyparis obtusa). Also, natural essential oils had anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest that natural essential oils can be useful as good cosmetic ingredients such as natural preservatives and anti-oxidants.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.716-728
• /
• 1999

Whole oil and ketonic fraction (KF) of Leptospermum scoparium have been tested for their antimicrobial activity and combination effect with several antibiotics against various bacterial strains and fungi by using microbiological assay methods. Antibacterial activities of KF against a number of test strains were 2-3 fold stronger than those of whole oil. MICs of the KF were $65~125{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ against seven gram positive bacterial strains, $65~250{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ against 19 methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus strains, and $65~50{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ against 14 quinolone resistance strains. However, KF showed little or no activity against gram negative bacteria. MICs of the KF were $16~250{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ against more than 50% of the anaerobic bacterial strains tested. KF showed the higher antibacterial activity than bacitracin against 10 strains of Bacteroids thetaiotaomicron, or three strains of Bacteroides ovatus, and the more active than ciprofloxacin against one strain of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and three strains of Bacteroids ovatus. The MICs of KF was 63 and $250{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$ against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, respectively. Antibacterial activities of KF in combination with 19 antibiotics against 14 strains and with four antifungal agents against one fungal strain were determined by paper strip diffusion method. While most of combination showed additivity, KF showed synergism with bacitracin, exfadroxil, cephradin, and meropenem for 29~57% of the strains tested. However, ofloxacin, enoxacin, sparfloxacin showed antagonism with KF for 43~71% of the strains. KF alone and in combination with bacitracin, gentamycin, neomycin, itraconazole, fluconazole, terfinafine and ketoconazole against five bacterial strains or one fungus strain synergistic effect was demonstrated against 33% of strains examined with FIC index value below 0.5 by checkerboard study. Synergistic effect of KF with gentamicin against Staphylococcus epidermidis 329 (QRS) was found by time-kill study.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.371-383
• /
• 2021

Plant essential oils are used in products such as fragrances and cosmetics due to their individual aromatic characteristics. Currently, essential oils are not only used in cosmetics but also in pharmaceutical products with anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, insecticidal, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, psychophysiological, or anti-aging effects. Despite their pharmaceutical properties, some studies reported cytotoxic effects in high doses. Therefore, for pharmaceutical purposes, the margin of safety of essential oils needs to be examined. Herein, we evaluated the IC₅₀ of 10 essential oil from Korean native plants: Juniperus chinensis L. var. sargentii Henry, Citrus natsudaidai Hayata, Citrus reticulata Blanco, Citrus unshiu (Yu. Tanaka ex Swingle) Marcow, Artemisia capillaris Thunb, Aster glehnii F. Schmidt, Juniperus chinensis L, Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold & Zucc, Zanthoxylum piperitum (L.) D, and Cinnamomum loureirii. In addition, gene regulation of the cell-cycle gene and apoptosis marker CASP3 was examined at the IC₅₀ level. The purpose of this study was to describe the toxic concentrations of essential oils extracted from Korean native plants, thereby providing toxic concentration guidelines for inclusion in a toxicity database and in the application of plant essential oils in various fields.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.357-364
• /
• 2009

Phospholipids are crucially important in a cell membrane function and could thereby influence antibiotic susceptibility. In order to investigate the antifungal mechanism the total lipid was extracted from C. albicans treated with citronellol or thymol in concentration of their minimum inhibiting concentration and the changes in phospholipids composition were analyzed using ketoconazole as control. The cell growth and total lipid synthesis in cell walls of C. albicans were inhibited by treatment with citronellol. The levels of total lipids were decreased by 35.85% compared to the control. They also showed a significant decrease in the contents of phospholipid, phosphatidylcholine(PC), phosphatidyl ethanolamine(PE) and phosphatidylinositol(PI). As the result of GC assay for total fatty acid methyl esters of PC, PE and PI in C. albicans treated with citronellol, it was found that the major fatty acid composed of three phospholipid were palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid. Moreover, the pattern of the fatty acid compositions of PC, PE and PI were changed by the oil. Based on the results, the anti-Candida mechanism of citronellol or thymol might be closely associated with disrupting the permeability barriers of the fungal cell wall composition or construction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.366-371
• /
• 2012

In this present study, we determined whether or not there is an immunoadjuvant effect of ochnaflavone, a biflavone isolated from Lonicera japonica. As an antigenic source, the cell wall (CACW) of Candida albicans, a fungal pathogen, was used. CACW consists of 95% carbohydrate (mannan). In the experiments, BALB/c mice were immunized with emersion forms of CACW combined with or without ochnaflavone (Och) in the presence of IFA containing mineral oil or CACW alone. Then, the amounts of antisera collected from these mice groups were measured by the ELISA method. Data from these experiments showed that CACW combined with Och (CACW/Och/IFA) provoked the production of antisera app. 2.2 or 5 times more than the corresponding CACW/IFA or CACW alone (CACW/DPBS), respectively, in mice (P<0.05). We further examined the immune response type induced by Och. Analysis of the values of the IgG1/IgG2a ratios obtained from IgG isotyping revealed that Och induced Th2-immunity more dominantly than Th1. This finding was confirmed by cytokine profile. CACW/Och/IFA formulation induced IL-4 (Th2-type cytokine) more than IFN${\gamma}$ (Th1-type cytokine) as compared with CACW/IFA and CACW/DPBS formulations (P<0.05). All data combined, Och appears to have an immunoadjuvant activity that may convert Th1 immunity into Th2 immunity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.1084-1091
• /
• 2002

Mortierella alpina, a common soil fungus, is the most efficient organism for production of production acid presently known. Since arachidonic acid are important in human brain and retina development, it was undertaken the growing effect containing diet as a food ingredient. Arachidonic acid rich oil derived from Mortierella alpina, was subjected to a program of studies to establish for use in diet supplement. This study was compared the growth and learning effect of fungal oil rich in arachidonic acid by incorporated into diets ad libitum. Sprague-Dawley rats received experimental diets 5 groups (standard AIN 93 based control with beef tallow, extract oil 8%, and 4%, and Mortierella alpina in diet 10% and 20%) over all experiment duration (pre-mating, mating, gestation, lactation, and after weaning 4 weeks). Pups born during this period consumed same diets after wean for 4 weeks. There was no statistical significance of diet effects in reproductive performance and fertility from birth to weaning. But the groups of Mortierella alpine diet were lower of weight gain and diet intake after weaning. The serum lipids were significantly different with diet groups, higher TG in LO (oil 4%) group of dams, and higher total cholesterol in LF (M. alpina 10%) of pups, although serum albumin content was not significantly different in diet group. The spent-time and memory effect within 4 weeks of T-Morris water maze pass test in dam and 7-week- age pups did not differ in diet groups. On the count of backing error in weaning period of pups was lower in HO(extracted oil 8%) group. In the group of 10% and 20% Mortierella alpina diet, DNA content was lower in brain with lower body weight, but liver DNA relative to body weight was higher than control. Further correlation analyses would be needed DNA and arachidonic acid intakes, with Mortierella alpina diet digestion rate.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.787-793
• /
• 1993

A mold producing large amounts of lipid were isolated from leaves, arable soils, rice straw, cow feces, compost heaps and fermented soybeans. Among various sources, the microbes from leaves produced the large amount lipids, which were identified as Aspergillus sydowi SW 4-1. This study was focused mainly on the optimization of cultural conditions for lipid production by A. sydowi SW 4-1 and the characterization of the produced lipids. A. sydowi SW 4-1 was cultivated in a medium containing 27% sucrose for 17 days at $27^{\circ}C$. Biomass was 4.99g/100ml of the cultural medium and lipid content was 41.4% on a dry biomass basis. The major fatty acids were palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.87-96
• /
• 2014

In the present study, a yeast species isolated from CETP, Vellore, Tamilnadu was identified as Cryptococcus sp. VITGBN2 based on molecular techniques and was found to be a potent producer of acidic diacetate sophorolipid in mineral salt media containing vegetable oil as additional carbon source. The chemical structure of the purified biosurfactant was identified as acidic diacetate sophorolipid through GC-MS analysis. This sophorolipid was used as a stabilizer for synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZON). The formation of biofunctionalized ZON was characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activities of naked ZON and sophorolipid functionalized ZON were tested based on the diameter of inhibition zone in agar well diffusion assay, microbial growth rate determination, protein leakage analysis, and lactate dehydrogenase assay. Bacterial pathogen Salmonella enterica and fungal pathogen Candida albicans showed more sensitivity to sophorolipid biofunctionalized ZON compared with naked ZON. Among the two pathogens, S. enterica showed higher sensitivity towards sophorolipid biofunctionalized ZON. SEM analysis showed that cell damage occurred through cell elongation in the case of S. enterica, whereas cell rupture was found to occur predominantly in the case of C. albicans. This is the first report on the dual role of yeast-mediated sophorolipid used as a biostabilizer for ZON synthesis as well as a novel functionalizing agent showing antimicrobial property.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 2021

Objectives : Thymus quinquecistatus var. japonica (H.Hara) is a member of the genus Thymus of perennial aromatic herb, and it's designated as a natural monument of South Korea. It has traditionally been known to have protective or therapeutic effects on various human disease including cerebrovascular and neurological disease. Recently it was suggested that essential oil extracted from thyme has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial effect. The aim of this study is to investigate anti-inflammatory effect of Thymus quinquecistatus var. japonica in Raw 264.7 macrophage cell line. Methods : The cytotoxic effects of water and 70% ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecistatus var. japonica, was tested using MTT assay. Inhibitory effects of the extracts to nitric oxide production and mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines were examined by RT-PCR. Also, MitoSOX-red assay and JC-1 assay were performed to determine if the extracts can inhibit mitochondrial ROS accumulation and maintain mitochondrial membrane potential. Results : In LPS-induced inflammatory response, the extracts efficiently reduced nitric oxide NO production through inhibiting mRNA expression of iNOS enzyme. In addition, expression of the proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1𝛽 and IL-6, was also down-regulated by the extract treatments. Excessive accumulation of mitochondrial ROS induced by LPS was inhibited in the extract treated cells, which finally protected mitochondrial membrane potential. Conclusions : These results showed that water and 70% ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecistatus var. japonica have anti-inflammatory effect through down regulation of IL-1𝛽, IL-6, and iNOS, and also have antioxidative effect against mitochondrial ROS accumulation that promote inflammatory response.