• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.262-267
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• 2007

During a screening program, an actinomycete strain isolated from the Egyptian soil was investigated for its potential to show antimicrobial activity. The identification of this isolate was performed according to spore morphology and cell wall chemo-type, which suggested that this strain is a streptomycete. Further cultural, physiological characteristics and the analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene (1480 bp) of this isolate indicated that this strain is identical to Streptomyces violaceusniger (accession number EF063682) and then designated S. violaceusniger strain HAL64. In its culture supernatant, this organism could produce one major compound strongly inhibits the growth of Gram-positive but the inhibition of Gram-negative indicator bacteria was lower. The antibiotic was separated by silica gel column chromatography and then purified on a sephadex LH-20 column and finally the purity was checked by HPLC. The chemical structure of the purified compound was determined using spectroscopic analyses (molecular formula of $C_{33}H_{32}N_{2}O_{10}$ and molecular weight of 617.21) and found to be identical to the kosinostatin, a quinocycline antibiotic which is known to be produced by Micromonspora sp. TP-A0468 (Igarashi et al., 2002) and to quinocycline B isolated from Streptomyces aureofaciens (Celmer et al., 1958). Although the antibiotic is known, the newly isolated strain was able to produce the antibiotic as a major product providing an important biotechnological downstream advantage.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.791-795
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• 2008

In order to establish the method to prepare and use the sulfur dioxide gas generating agent in low temperature storage of grape fruits, the $SO_2$ generation capacity from various sulfite compounds was investigated, and the method to regulate $SO_2$ gas generation and to detect the gas was developed. The conidial germination and mycelium growth of Botrytis cinerea which causes gray mold disease during grape fruit storage was completely inhibited at the $SO_2$ gas concentration of 400 ppm and 3200 ppm, respectively. Sodium hydrosulfite generated the most amount of $SO_2$ gas among the investigated 5 different sulfite or bisulfite compounds. By adjusting the number of pinholes on packaging film of the compound or by adding pH adjusting agent, e.g. citric acid or phosphates, it was possible to regulate the amount and duration of $SO_2$ gas generation from the compound. Because malachite green was quantitatively discolored by $SO_2$ gas, the solution or impregnated paper with the compound could be practically utilized as a indicator detecting $SO_2$ gas. Finally, when Muscat Bailey A grape was stored at low temperature with $SO_2$ gas generating agent, the disease incidence was reduced after storage.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.209-213
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• 1995

During the screening of inhibitors of melanin biosynthesis from microbial secondary metabolites, a fungal strain MR-93 which was capable of producing high level of an inhibitor was selected from plant leaf. Based on taxonomic studies, the fungus could be classified as a strain of Trichoderma sp.. The active compound (MR-93D) was purified from the culture broth by Diaion HP-20 column chromatography, ethylacetate extraction, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and HPLC. The inhibitor was identified as 4-hydroxy-8-isocyano-l-oxaspiro[4-4]cyclonon-8-en-2- one by spectroscopic methods of UV, $^{1}$H-NMR, ESIMS and IR. MR-93D showed a strong tyrosinase inhibitory activity with 0.03 $\mu$g/m of IC$_{50}$ value. It also inhibited melanin biosynthesis with 35 mm inhibition zone at 30 $\mu$g/paper disc in Streptomyces bikiniensis, a bacterium used as an indicator organism in this work.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 1975

pKi values and sensitivity of acid-base indicators in the mixed solvent systems of water-alcohols and water-acetone at differential pH and in concentration media were determined by spectrophotometric method. When the concentration of the organic solvents were increased, the pKi values of sulfophthalein indicators, thymol blue and bromcresol purple, became larger whereas those of an axo indicator, methyl yellow, became smaller nad the pH values of the equivalent points of acids became smaller and the pH values of the equivalent points of acids became higher than those in the aqueous solution. potassium bicarbonate, a standard compound used in the organic solvent systems without a prerequisite procedure of expelling carbon dioxide by boiling.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1394-1398
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• 2007

Acaricidal activity of the active constituent derived from Pyrus ussuriensis fruits against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus was examined and compared with that of the commercial benzyl benzoate. The $LD_{50}$ value of the ethyl acetate fraction obtained from the aqueous extract of P. ussuriensis fruits was 9.51 and $8.59{\mu}g/cm^3$ against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, respectively. The active constituent was identified as quinone by spectroscopic analyses. On the basis of $LD_{50}$ values with quinone and its congeners, the compound most toxic against D. farinae was quinone ($1.19{\mu}g/cm^3$), followed by quinaldine (1.46), benzyl benzoate (9.32), 4-quinolinol (86.55), quinine (89.16), and 2-quinolinol (91.13). Against D. pteronyssinus, these were quinone ($1.02{\mu}g/cm^3$), followed by quinaldine (1.29), benzyl benzoate (8.54), 4-quinolinol (78.63), quinine (82.33), and 2-quinolinol (86.24). These results indicate that the acaricidal activity of the aqueous extracts can be mostly attributed to quinone. Quinone was about 7.8 and 8.4 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus. Additionally, quinaldine was about 6.4 and 6.6 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, respectively. Furthermore, the skin color of the dust mites was changed from colorless-transparent to dark brown-black by the treatment of quinone. These results indicate that quinone can be very useful as potential control agents, lead compounds, or the indicator of house dust mites.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.648-658
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• 2016

Preservation of fresh algae plays an important role in algae seed subculture and aquaculture. The determination and examination of the changes of cell viability, composition, and bacterial species during storage would help to take suitable preservation methods to prolong the preservation time of fresh algae. Nostoc flagelliforme is a kind of edible cyanobacterium with important herbal and dietary values. This article investigated the changes of bacterial species and biochemical characteristics of fresh N. flagelliforme concentrate during natural storage. It was found that the viability of cells decreased along with the storage time. Fourteen bacteria strains in the algae concentrate were identified by PCR-DGGE and were grouped into four phyla, including Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Among them, Enterococcus viikkiensis may be a concern in the preservation. Eleven volatile organic compounds were identified from N. flagelliforme cells, in which geosmin could be treated as an indicator of the freshness of N. flagelliforme. The occurrence of indole compound may be an indicator of the degradation of cells.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 1999

Several Streptomyces strains were tested for potent antifungal agents active against phytopathogenic fungi. Among the tested, S. hygroscopicus MJM1004 showed a potent antifungal activity when assayed using Candida albicans as indicator organism. With the strain of MJM1004, fermentation medium for the production of an antifungal agent was developed with varying carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and mineral elements, which resulted in the highest productivity in the medium containing 2% soybean meal, 1% glucose, 2% starch, 0.3% $CaCO_3$, 0.05% $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 0.05% $K_2HPO_4$. The active compound showed a broad spectrum of antifungal activity against several plant pathogenic fungi. The antifungal compound was purified and showed the physicochemical characteristics similar to azalomycin F complex in NMR and MS analysis.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.641-646
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• 1995

During the screening of inhibitors of melanin biosynthesis from microbial secondary metabolites, a fungal strain MR304 which was capable of producing high level of an inhibitor was selected. Based on taxonomic studies, this fungus could be classified as Trichoderma harzianum. The active compound (MR304-1) was purified from culture broth by Diaion HP-20 column chromatography, ethylacetate extraction, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographv and HPLC. The inhibitor was identified as 3-(1,5-dihvdroxy-3-isocyanocyclopent-(E)-3-envl)prop-2-enoate by spectroscopic methods of UV, ESIMS, $^{1}$H-NMR, $^{13}$C-NMR, NOE, HMQC and HMBC. MR304-1 showed strong mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC$_{50}$ value of 0.25 $\mu $g/ml. It inhibited melanin biosynthesis with 15 mm inhibition zone at 30 $\mu $g/paper disc in Streptomyces bikiniensis, a bacterium used as an indicator organism in this work. It also inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B16 melanoma cells with a niinimum inhibitory concentration of 0.05 $\mu $g/ml.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.2333-2336
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• 2010

$TiO_2$ thin films were synthesized on carbon fibers using chemical vapor deposition. We show that these films can exhibit extraordinarily high absorption capacities of toluene vapor. Such an absorption phenomenon of toluene at room temperature was not found for other $TiO_2$ samples. Upon toluene absorption change in the color (darkening) of the film was found, indicating that these films can be used as an indicator of the existence of volatile organic compounds in the indoor environments. By X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), a high concentration of OH species and a unique layered structure were found for the $TiO_2$ films and these could be related to their high absorption capacity of toluene.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo effect of galangin and the 70% ethanolic extract of Alpinia officinarum (AO) toward $KBrO_3$-induced DNA and chromosomal damage in mice. Galangin and AO inhibited the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH2'dG) as an indicator of DNA oxidative damage in the liver cell. Galangin and AO showed the inhibitory effect on the formation of DNA single strand break in the splenocyte by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay and also inhibited micronucleated reticulocyte (MNRET) formation of peripheral blood in tail blood of mice. Vit-E revealed antigenotoxic effects in DNA and chromosome levels, but galangin was more potent active compound compare to vit-E under our experimental conditions. The results suggest that the extract of Alpinia officinarum containing galangin can modify the oxidative DNA and chromosomal damage and may act as chemopreventive agent against oxidative stress in vivo.