• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.266-273
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• 2014

In the present study, the chemical compositions and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of commercially available essential oils in Korea were investigated. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results demonstrated that they exhibit a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities against gram positive, gram negative, and multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. The antimicrobial activity of five of the essential oils against 40 organisms was assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The MIC values were in the ranges of 0.0625-0.5% (v/w) for lemongrass and manuka, 0.03125-1.0% (v/w) for tea tree, 0.0625-1.0% (v/w) for thyme, and 1-4% (v/w) for ravensara, depending on the pathogens studied. This study revealed that, among the essential oils tested, lemongrass and thyme oil showed broad antimicrobial activity against infectious bacteria. The antioxidant activities and the reducing power of the essential oils were determined with a 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Thyme oil exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity comparing with ascorbic acid. This is the first report on the chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of commercially available essential oils against infectious bacteria and MDR strains acquired from Korean hospitals.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.430-434
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• 2017

Essential oils are fragrant oils extracted from the leaves, stems, peels, petals and roots of aromatic plants cultivated by natural means or using organic agricultural techniques. Essential oils have commonly been used as antibacterial and antifungal agents. In the present study, essential oil was extracted from lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum [Raf.] Shinn.) and tested for antifungal activities against three eumycetes (Penicillium pinophilum, Chaetomium glogosum and Aspergillus niger). Lisianthus essential oil showed high antifungal activities against three eumycetes, especially against Aspergillus niger, for which the resulting minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.005 mg/ml. In addition, the extracted essential oil was shown to have antimicrobial activity against ten intestinal pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) according to the disc diffusion method and was also shown to exhibit strong antibacterial activity against an additional three pathogenic bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus). These results indicate that lisianthus essential oil could be used as an antibiotic against harmful bacteria that produce intestinal illnesses. From the present study, we suggest that lisianthus extracts can be utilized as potential antifungal and antibacterial agents and for the development of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.927-932
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• 1994

A total of 34 Salmonella sp. an d25 Shigella sp. were isolated from 311 patients with diarrhea. The isolation rates of Salmonella sp. ad Shigella sp. were 10.9% and 8%, respectively. The serogroups of 34 Salmonella sp. were in order of group D(50%), group B(38.25), group E(8.8%) and group C 92, 9%0. the serogroups of 25 Shigella sp. were group D(96%) and group B(4%). Seasonal distribution of isolated Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. were shown the most high at July, 17.65% and 64%, respectively. Age group distribution of isolated Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. were shown the most high at twenties and thirties (23.5%), and teens(76%), respectively. The Salmonella isolates were resistant in order of prevalence use of streptomycin(SM) (100%), erythromycin (EM) and movobiocin (NB)(90.6%), penicillin G(PG) (65.6%) and cephalexin (CPX)(46.9%). the isolates of Shigella sp. were resistant in order of prevalence use of EM (95.8%), NB(91.7%), SM(87.5%). Eighteen kinds of resistant patterns of Salmonella ioslates were detected. The multiple resistance patterns of Shigella isolates were mostly SM, EM, NB type (79.2%). The minimum inhibitory concentration of Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. and Shigella sp. isolated from patients with diarrhea were tabulated.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.278-282
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• 2010

In this study, the antibacterial activity and component analysis of Persicaria perfoliata extracts were investigated. MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) values of ethyl acetate fraction from P. perfoliata on Escherichia coli, Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus aureus were 0.25%, equally. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of the ethyl acetate fraction was the highest in the S. aureus and P. acnes. Ethyl acetate fraction from P. perfoliata extracts showed 5 bands in TLC and 8 peaks in HPLC (320nm). In HPLC chromatogram of ethyl acetate fraction, first main peak 2 (24.99%) and peak 3 (22.65%) were identified as quercetin-3-o-glucuronide and isoquercitrin in the order of elution time. Also, in HPLC chromatogram of deglycosylated fraction, main peak 2 (76.93%) was identified as quercetin in the order of elution time. And these components are very effective as antioxidants. Thus, these results indicate that extract/fractions of P. perfoliata can be applicable to new functional cosmetics for antioxidant, antibacterial activity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1735-1743
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• 2010

The full-length genes gyrB (2,415 bp), parC (2,277 bp), and parE (1,896 bp) in Edwardsiella tarda were cloned by PCR with degenerate primers based on the sequence of the respective quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR), followed by elongation of 5' and 3' ends using cassette ligation-mediated PCR (CLMP). Analysis of the cloned genes revealed open reading frames (ORFs) encoding proteins of 804 (GyrB), 758 (ParC), and 631 (ParE) amino acids with conserved gyrase/topoisomerase features and motifs important for enzymatic function. The ORFs were preceded by putative promoters, ribosome binding sites, and inverted repeats with the potential to form cruciform structures for binding of DNA-binding proteins. When comparing the deduced amino acid sequences of E. tarda GyrB, ParC, and ParE with those of the corresponding proteins in other bacteria, they were found to be most closely related to Escherichia coli GyrB (87.6% identity), Klebsiella pneumoniae ParC (78.8% identity), and Salmonella Typhimurium ParE (89.5% identity), respectively. The two topoisomerase genes, parC and parE, were found to be contiguous on the E. tarda chromosome. All 18 quinolone-resistant isolates obtained from Korea thus far did not contain subunit alternations apart from a substitution in GyrA (Ser83$\rightarrow$Arg). However, an alteration in the QRDR of ParC (Ser84$\rightarrow$Ile) following an amino acid substitution in GyrA (Asp87$\rightarrow$Gly) was detected in E. tarda mutants selected in vitro at $8{\mu}g/ml$ ciprofloxacin (CIP). A mutant with a GyrB (Ser464$\rightarrow$Leu) and GyrA (Asp87$\rightarrow$Gly) substitution did not show a significant increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CIP. None of the in vitro mutants exhibited mutations in parE. Thus, gyrA and parC should be considered to be the primary and secondary targets, respectively, of quinolones in E. tarda.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2014

The present study was aimed at investigating the antimicrobial activities of licorice's active ingredients. Four samples of licorice ingredients (glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against six skin microorganisms. The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effects employed a disc diffusion assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration, and the challenge test. The ingredients showed antibacterial activities. Especially, isoliquiritigenin has significant antimicrobial activities against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Propionobacterium acnes) and two Gramnegative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. These samples had much higher antimicrobial activities than synthetic preservatives. Our results reveal that liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin could be useful compounds for the development of antibacterial agents for the preservation of cosmetics and foods. The two flavonoids, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, sourced from Korea, China, Uzbekistan, were quantified using HPLC. The results demonstrated that Korean licorice has two flavonoids (liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin) in much higher quantities than was observed in the licorice obtained from the two other countries. Thus, isoliquiritigenin and Korean licorice extract represent new candidates for antimicrobial agents.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.445-450
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• 2007

This studies were engaged to investigate the potential us of Curcuma aromatica Salab. as a food ingredients. The antimicrobial activity of Curcuma aromatica Salab. extract (CE) and effect on shelf life of the cooked rice were examined. The antimicrobial activity of CE showed apparently against Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis and B. megaterium. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CE was 0.15% for B. cereus md 0.2% for B. subtilis and B. megaterium. The antimicrobial activity of CE remained relatively high after heat treatments(30 min at 80 and $100^{\circ}C$, 15 min at $121^{\circ}C$). The shelf life of cooked rice containing above 0.05% CE increased more 1 or 2 days than that of control at $30^{\circ}C$, The texture of cooked rice was improved by addition of above 0.01% CE. The sensory quality of cooked rice with CE did not show significant difference between 0.00% and 0.05% in taste and overall acceptability but decreased above 0.10% in taste, color, flavor and overall acceptability.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.109-119
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• 2012

This study analyzed the antibacterial activity of the ethanol extract of Schizandra chinensis Baillon against food pathogenic microorganisms to determine its capabilities as a natural antimicrobial agent. A paper disc diffusion test, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and time-kill assay showed that the ethanol extract strongly inhibits the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Release of cytoplasmic ${\beta}$-galactosidase was detected in E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa treated with the ethanol extract. An increase of outer membrane permeability caused by the ethanol extract was also observed. An outward flow of cell constituents was detected in the Gram negative strains treated with the ethanol extract. These results imply that the inner and outer membranes of cells were partially destroyed and cell constituents were released by the treatment of the S. chinensis Baillon ethanol extract. The results of this study indicate that ethanol extract of S. chinensis Baillon evidences a fairly good antibacterial effect.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.111-120
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• 2013

Sprassis crispa was cultivated using soybean curd whey, and its antimicrobial activities were examined against those of eight microorganisms that were foodborne pathogens or food-poisoning bacteria. The culture broth of soybean curd whey was superior in mycelium content (17.76 g/L) to that of the defined culture broth, and the ${\beta}$-glucan content was about 10.64 percent (w/w). The antimicrobial activities of the culture broth were confirmed against those of B. cereus, St. aureus, L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium using the paper disk method. The antimicrobial activity was also maintained after the heat treatment and alcalase treatment. The filtrate with less than 3 kDa M.W. also showed the antimicrobial activity against four strains: B. cereus, St. aureus, L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was about 1.26 mg/mL in the B. cereus and 12.6 mg/mL in the St. aureus and L. monocytogenes. The S. typhimurium showed a MIC of 62.8 mg/mL. Thus, the culture of Sparassis crispa using soybean curd whey provides a thermally stable antimicrobial agent that can be used as a natural preservative in the biofood industry.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.145-151
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• 2014

The antibacterial effect of Quercus salicina Blume extract was investigated and then the stability of a cream containing it best performing fraction, the ethyl acetate fraction, was evaluated. The antibacterial effect was evaluated on the skin microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among the Q. salicina Blume extract fractions, the ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration against S. aureus (1,200 ${\mu}g/ml$), B. subtilis (2,500 ${\mu}g/ml$), P. acnes (1,200 ${\mu}g/ml$) and P. aeruginosa (312 ${\mu}g/ml$). Therefore, a cream containing 0.25% ethyl acetate fraction of Q. salicina Blume extract was prepared and evaluated for stability. The pH, viscosity, and absorbance of the cream were measured under various temperatures (4, 20, 37, $45^{\circ}C$) and sun light during a 12 week period. The changes in viscosity, absorbance and pH of the cream did not change significantly during the term of the experiment when compared with a placebo cream. In addition, any change in color or odor of the cream was not observed during the 12 weeks. These results indicate that the ethyl acetate fraction of Q. salicina Blume extract has a high antibacterial effect and is stable as a cream. There is therefore some potential for its use in cosmetic materials.