• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.303-307
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• 2019

Sophorolipid is a biological surfactant of the glycolipid structure produced by Candida bombicola, which generally exists as a mixture of acidic and lactonic forms. In this study, we investigated physico-chemical properties, antibacterial activities, and cytotoxicity of the sophorolipid containing more than 96% of the lactonic form, produced by the gene regulation of production strains and application of a metabolic engineering technique. The lactonic sophorolipid showed a weak acidity in the range of pH 3.2~4.6 when diluted in water at the concentrations from 1 to 0.001 wt%. The $pK_a$ value of the lactonic sophorolipid was estimated to be around 4.3 from the acid-base titration curve. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the lactonic sophorolipid was $10^{-2}wt%$, at which the surface tension of aqueous solution was reduced to 36 mN/m. The lactonic sophorolipid showed the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of $1{\times}10^{-3}$ and $5{\times}10^{-3}g/mL$ against Propionibacterium acnes and Corynebacterium xerosis, respectively. The MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide] assay showed that cytotoxicity of the lactonic sophorolipid was ten times lower than that of triclosan.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2024

In this study, the antibacterial activity and mechanisms of bitter orange extract, a natural antibacterial agent, were investigated, with a focus on its potential application in washing water for controlling Salmonella Typhimurium contamination of salad, a ready-to-eat food. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was determined using the broth dilution method. Subsequently, S. Typhimurium was exposed to various concentrations of bitter orange extract (1/16 MIC-2 MIC) and growth curves were measured. Following treatment with bitter orange extract, we investigated its antibacterial mechanism by measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, alterations in membrane potential and integrity, and nucleic acid leakage in S. Typhimurium. Additionally, salads artificially contaminated with S. Typhimurium were treated with different concentrations of bitter orange extract using the dipping method for various durations to assess the reduction effect. The MIC of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was 195.313 mg/L, and bacterial growth was completely inhibited at a concentration of 1 MIC. Furthermore, an increase in bitter orange extract concentration correlated with elevated intracellular ROS levels, membrane potential disruption, membrane damage, and nucleic acid release. Importantly, salads treated with bitter orange extract exhibited a significant reduction in S. Typhimurium counts compared to the control, and prolonged treatment times resulted in further reductions in bacterial counts. Bitter orange extract was more effective than sodium hypochlorite and can be used as a safer salad wash. These findings indicate the potential treatment of salads to prevent foodborne illnesses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2008

Antimicrobial activity of Zanthoxylum piperitum was investigated against Streptococcus mutans that causes dental caries. Although the methylene chloride extract of seeds exhibited higher antimicrobial activity than other organic solvent extracts, including methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts of pericarps or seeds of Z. piperitum, essential oils prepared from both seeds and pericarps possessed more potent inhibitory activity than the methylene chloride extract of seeds. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the essential oils of seeds and pericarps were 0.3 mg/ml and 4.0 mg/ml against S. mutans, respectively. When the seed essential oil was further separated into seven fractions (CS-SD-A${\sim}$CS-SD-G) by thin layer chromatography (TLC), all fractions exhibited lower antimicrobial activity than the essential oil. To understand the antimicrobial ingredients of Z. piperitum, seeds the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data of the methylene chloride extract of seeds was compared with those of the seed essential oil (CS-SD). Whereas the methylene chloride extract of seeds contained carvacrol (0.24%), ${\beta}$-caryophyllene (1.72%), and ${\alpha}$-humulene (0.88%), which were previously known to inhibit growth of S. mutans, the seed essential oil contained sabinene (1.57%), linalool (1.55%), citronellal (13.67%), terpinene-4-ol (0.45%), citronellol (3.69%), geraniol (0.9%), linalyl acetate (1.35%), ${\beta}$-caryophyllene (1.35%), ${\alpha}$-humulene (0.78%), and ${\delta}$-cadinene (0.67%) in this regard. These results indicate that Z. piperitum seeds possess various inhibitory substances against S. mutans, and an effective method to isolate the active ingredients from the seeds is to prepare the essential oil. These results also suggest that the essential oil of Z. piperitium seeds may be applicable to preventing dental caries.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.772-781
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• 2018

In this study, we investigated antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytoprotective effects of 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction from rhizomes of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities ($FSC_{50}$) of the 50% ethanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction were 621.5 and $253.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Total antioxidant capacities ($OSC_{50}$) of the extract and fraction were 13.6 and $3.0{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ethyl acetate fraction for Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans were 156, $1,250{\mu}g/mL$, respectively, indicating similar or higher levels of those of using methyl paraben. Cytoprotective effects of the 50% ethanol extract against $^1O_2$-induced cellular damage (${\tau}_{50}$) showed in a dose dependent manner at 4 to $64{\mu}g/mL$. ${\tau}_{50}$ of the 50% ethanol extract, ethyl acetate fraction and (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol at $16{\mu}g/mL$ were 36.4, 45.0 and 45.8 min respectively, and the ethyl acetate fraction showed cytoprotective effects similar to (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol. In ultraviolet B radiation-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) up to 45.9% at $8{\mu}g/mL$. Also in $H_2O_2$-induced HaCaT cell damage, the ethyl acetate fraction significantly increased the cell viability at $0.5{\sim}8.0{\mu}g/mL$. As a result of chemical analyses of the ethyl acetate fraction, the presence of flavonoids and polyphenol such as irisflorentin, irigenin, tectorigenin, resveratrol, iridin and tectoridin were identified. In conclusion, the extract/fraction from rhizomes of B. chinensis can be applied as a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial material to cosmetics.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.505-513
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• 2009

Streptococcus mutans plays a major role in the formation of dental plaque and it is considered one of the important pathogens in the development of dental caries. Established dental plaque can be more resistant to antimicrobial agents and offers nutrient rich and relatively stable cariogenic conditions for bacteria. Thus bacteria growing in dental plaque have strong resistance to antimicrobial agents and they are not removed easily by the flow of saliva. Many researchers have been performed using natural materials, especially herbal extracts to prevent dental plaque. However, the strains of mutans streptococci used in the researches were not from Koreans. Therefore, it would be necessary to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of herbal extracts against clinical isolates of Streptococcus mutans isolated from saliva of Koreans living in Jeollabuk-do. For this study four clinical isolates were isolated from saliva samples of seventeen Korean people to investigate whether essential oils of Artemisia spp. have antimicrobial activity against them including four reference strains of Streptococcus mutans. Minimum inhibitory concentrations, Minimum bactericidal concentrations and time kill studies were performed and the results showed that Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC, Artemisia scoparia, and Artemisia capillaries have antimicrobial activity against the Streptococcus mutans clinical isolates and reference strains.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.361-366
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• 2014

In this study, Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts, with their countries of origin as Korea (Jecheon), Uzbekistan and China, were prepared under various extraction conditions. There were 8 extraction conditions which the licorice were subjected to, and all conditions had different extraction solvents, temperatures and times. Antimicrobial activity on skin flora was evaluated comparatively by a disc diffusion assay, broth macrodilution assay, and kill time curve assay. Based on the antimicrobial activity of their extract confirmed by disc diffusion assay, we established optimal extraction conditions. The Korean licorice extract (85% ethanol, $40^{\circ}C$, 12 h) showed the best activity amongst the samples examined. In particular, its antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes was the highest. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the licorice extracts revealed that the Korean licorice ($156{\mu}g/ml$ and $1,250{\mu}g/ml$) had better antimicrobial activity than that of the Uzbekistani licorice ($625{\mu}g/ml$ and $2,500{\mu}g/ml$) and the Chinese licorice ($625{\mu}g/ml$ and $5,000{\mu}g/ml$). Taken together, it was shown that Korean licorice extracted in group F (85% ethanol, $40^{\circ}C$, 12 h) had the highest antimicrobial activity amongst the licorices from the other countries of origin. These results also suggest that the optimal extraction conditions are 85% ethanol, $40^{\circ}C$, 12 h, and that licorice has a potential application as a natural preservative in cosmetics products, thereby replacing synthetic preservatives.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.589-596
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• 2010

We investigated antimicrobial activities of various pine (Pinus densiflora) needle extracts against antibiotic resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus. Hot water extract showed the highest antimicrobial activity against normal and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), however, it exhibited no antimicrobial activity against penicillin resistant S. aureus (PRSA). Hot water-hexane (HWH), hot water-ethanol (HWE), hexane, and ethanol extracts showed antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, PRSA and MRSA. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of HWH, HWE, hexane, and ethanol extracts were 0.05, 0.05, 0.5 and 5 mg/ml, respectively, and HWH and HWE extracts showed the strongest antimicrobial activity among these extracts. Antimicrobial activities of pine needle extracts were stable after heating at $121^{\circ}C$ for 20 min. These results suggested that pine needle extracts can be used as an effective natural antimicrobial agent for food and medical industries.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.194-202
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• 1999

Background : Group B ${\beta}$-hemolytic Streptococcus(GBS) has been the major pathogen of neonatal sepsis in western country. In contrast, GBS has played little role in neonatal sepsis in Korea. But recently, neonatal GBS infections are encountered more frequently. It is important to characterize the clinical and epidemiological features of GBS infection in Korean children. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of twenty-seven infants and children with GBS infection experienced at the Seoul National University Children's Hospital during 14 year-period from June, 1985 to June, 1999. Fourteen strains isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid were serotyped. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of 10 strains were determined by agar dilution method for penicillin, ampicillin, ampicillin with sulbactam, cefarolin, cefuroxime, and cefuiaxone. Results: The numbers of cases with GBS infection increased in 1990s. Among twenty seven cases, twenty-five cases were under three months of age and both of two cases with underlying disease occurred at three years of age. All neonatal infections were late-onset type and meningitis predominated. Serotypes were III(6 strain), Ib(4), Ia(l) and V(2). All of the strain were susceptible to all of the antibiotics tested. Conclusion: GBS infections in infants were increasingly recognized. GBS should be considered as an etiological agent of neonatal sepsis or meningitis in Korea. Maternal screening and prophylactic antibiotic therapy may be considered.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.608-613
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• 2016

Recently, it has been reported that some preservatives used in cosmetics lead to skin problems. Among the many cosmetic ingredients, 1, 2-hexanediol (HD) is used as both a preservative and humectant. In order to develop safer ingredients, we studied the synthesis of 1, 2-hexanediol galactoside (HD-G) by a transgalactosylation reaction using β-galactosidase (β-gal)-containing recombinant Escherichia coli cells. The transgalactosylation reaction was carried out under high-lactose conditions for 24 hr. After 12 hr had elapsed, a new spot was identified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, and we presumptively designated this new spot as HD-G. Then, we carried out the purification of the presumptive HD-G spot from the reaction mixture by using silica gel chromatography, and its mass was measured by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The purified new spot on the chromatograph was identified a sodium adduct ion ([M+Na]⁺, m/z = 303.1423) of HD-G. In addition, when purified HD-G was hydrolyzed using commercially available E. coli β-gal, it was observed that a galactose molecule was released from HD-G. That is, it was demonstrated that HD-G is a galactoside derivative of HD. Finally, we confirmed that HD-G was enzymatically synthesized by E. coli β -gal as a new molecular entity. In the future, we plan to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of HD-G against different bacterial species. The cytotoxicity of HD-G against human skin cells will also be examined. It is expected hopefully that the galactosylation of HD would improve the functionality of HD-G.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.223-227
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• 2014

This study was investigated to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from raw milk samples and to further study on the molecular characteristics of the MRSA isolates. Using Staphylococcus Medium 110, Staphylococcus spp. were isolated from raw milk samples and further identification was carried by Vitek2 system. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics were conducted by serial dilution method according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline. For the detection of resistance genes and molecular characterization, PCR reaction was performed by gene specific primers and followed by DNA sequencing. Of the 698 milk samples, 94 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were identified (94 S. aureus/286 Staphylococcus spp.). Of the 94 S. aureus, seven isolates have mecA, a methicillin resistant gene. mecA positive seven isolates were then characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (pvl) gene using PCR. All of mecA positive isolates were resistant to ampicillin and oxacillin, but sensitive to teicoplanin, vancomycin and ciprofloxacin. One of seven isolates was SCCmec type II and six isolates were type IV and all seven isolates were pvl gene negative.