• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.694-705
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify marine bacterium with anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity, and to purify the anti-MRSA compound, as well as to determine its activity and synergistic effects. Among the marine bacteria isolated in this study, the YJ-1 isolate had the strongest anti-MRSA activity. The YJ-1 isolate was identified on the basis of its biochemical characteristics and an analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences. The YJ-1 isolate showed over 99.2% homology with Pseudomonas stutzeri, and was designated as a Pseudomonas sp. YJ-1. The optimal culture conditions were $25^{\circ}C$ and initial pH 7.0. For the purification of the anti-MRSA compounds, the YJ-1 was cultured in Pa PES-II medium, and the culture filtrates were extracted by ethyl acetate, hexane, and 80% MeOH. The 80% MeOH fraction was separated by a $C_{18}$ ODS column, silica gel chromatography and a reverse phase HPLC, to yield three anti-MRSA agents, the MR1, MR2, and MR3 compounds. When the MR1 compound of $250{\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ concentration was applied to the MRSA cells, over 95% of bacterial cells was killed within 48 hr. Compared with vancomycin and ampicillin, the MR1 compound showed significant anti-MRSA activity. In addition, the anti-MRSA activity was increased by dose and time dependent manners. Furthermore, the combination of an MR1 compound with vancomycin produced a more rapid decrease in the MRSA cells than did the MR1 compound alone. Taken together, our results suggest that the Pseudomonas sp. YJ-1 and its anti-MRSA compounds could be employed as a natural antibacterial agent in MRSA infections.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.39-48
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• 2010

In order to develop the high quality kanjang in which a functionality is strengthened, the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of Korean traditional kanjang and garlic-added kanjang were compared and analyzed. Of color, lightness (L) and redness (a) value were not significant difference between a sample, but yellowness (b) value was higher than garlic-added kanjang. Moisture and crude protein contents were not significantly different, content of crude lipid and ash was higher than traditional kanjang. The pH were 5.02 and 4.91 in traditional and garlic-added kanjang, respectively. The salinity was $20.97{\pm}0.15%$ in garlic-added kanjang, that was significantly lower in garlic-added kanjang. The reducing sugar and total sugar contents were significantly higher in garlic-added kanjang. Na content was occupies 87~89% of total mineral content. The contents of total amino acids were 1,564.02 mg% and 1,932.41 mg% in traditional and garlic-added kanjang, respectiveluy. Also free amino acid was higher in garlic-added kanjang (484.43 mg%) than traditional kanjang (461.13 mg%). The antioxidant activities were increased in a does-dependent manner. In $100{\mu}L/mL$ concentration, electron donating abilities were $14.43{\pm}0.25%$ and $54.6{\pm}1.48%$ in traditional and garlic-added kanjang, ABTs radical scavenging activities of garlic-added kanjang was $57.21{\pm}1.34%$ that was higher than traditional kanjang ($43.27{\pm}0.19%$).

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.407-417
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• 2018

In this study, the antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities of 50% ethanol extract of Polygoni multiflori Radix (PMR) and its ethyl acetate fraction were evaluated to confirm the applicability as a functional ingredient. The activities of the major constituent of PMR were verified and 2, 3, 5, 4′-tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (THSG) was confirmed to be the main component of extract and fraction using HPLC-DAD, LC-EIS-MS analysis. The phenolic and THSG contents of the ethyl acetate fraction were 11.1- and 3.0-folds higher than those of the ethanol extract, respectively. As a result of the DPPH assay and that of luminol dependent chemiluminescence assay in $Fe^{3+}$-EDTA/H2O2 system. the ethylacetate fraction was superior to the ethanol extract in free radical and ROS scavenging activities. Especially, the ethyl acetate fraction and THSG exhibited the similar scavenging activity like L-ascorbic acid in ROS scavenging activity. The ethyl acetate fraction perceived the most potent cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage of erythrocytes induced by photosensitization reaction, followed by the ethanol fraction, THSG and that of (+)-${\alpha}$-tocopherol, which was used as a positive control. Antimicrobial activities were evaluated by disc diffusion and broth microdilution assay against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans. In particular, the antibacterial activity of the extract and fraction against S. aureus was superior to that of methyl paraben. Taken together, our results suggest that PMR could be used as a natural ingredient for antioxidant, cytoprotective and antimicrobial activities.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.365-372
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• 2022

Cellobiose is a dissacharide constituted by two glucose units joined by a β-('1,4') glycosidic bond that is produced by the decomposition of cellulose. This product exists naturally in plants and has been utilized in different industries as a food sweetener, and as a cosmetic and pharmaceutical material. In this study, the potential of cellobiose as a whitening cosmetic product was evaluated by analyzing autophagy induction and the inhibition of melanin production. A cytotoxicity test conducted in the human melanin-producing cell line MNT-1 with increasing concentrations of cellobiose revealed that this compound did not cause cytotoxicity at 20 mg/mL or less. Based on this, autophagy was firstly evaluated by immunostaining with the autophagy marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) after treatment with 20 mg/mL of cellobiose. The subsequent confocal microscopy analysis revealed an increase in LC3 puncta, indicating induction of autophagy. In addition, autophagy was further confirmed by western blot analysis, which demonstrated that cellobiose converted LC3-I to LC3- ∏ in a concentration- and time-dependent manners. An analysis of melanin contents after cellobiose treatment at a concentration of 20 mg/mL during 7 days revealed that melanin production was reduced by more than 50%. Additionally, the expression levels of melanogenesis-related proteins TYR and TYRP1 were markedly decreased after cellobiose treatment. Based on these studies, a cosmetic cream formulation containing cellobiose was prepared and the change in formulation was tested for 4 weeks, and it was confirmed that the appearance changed to liquid form at high temperature, but the pH did not change. In conclusion, the present research demonstrated that cellobiose activates autophagy and inhibits melanin production, and showed the potential of this product as a material for whitening cosmetics.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.151-164
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• 2024

In water treatment plants supplying potable water, the management of chlorine concentration in water treatment processes involving pre-chlorination or intermediate chlorination requires process control. To address this, research has been conducted on water quality prediction techniques utilizing AI technology. This study developed an AI-based predictive model for automating the process control of chlorine disinfection, targeting the prediction of residual chlorine concentration downstream of sedimentation basins in water treatment processes. The AI-based model, which learns from past water quality observation data to predict future water quality, offers a simpler and more efficient approach compared to complex physicochemical and biological water quality models. The model was tested by predicting the residual chlorine concentration downstream of the sedimentation basins at Plant, using multiple regression models and AI-based models like Random Forest and LSTM, and the results were compared. For optimal prediction of residual chlorine concentration, the input-output structure of the AI model included the residual chlorine concentration upstream of the sedimentation basin, turbidity, pH, water temperature, electrical conductivity, inflow of raw water, alkalinity, NH₃, etc. as independent variables, and the desired residual chlorine concentration of the effluent from the sedimentation basin as the dependent variable. The independent variables were selected from observable data at the water treatment plant, which are influential on the residual chlorine concentration downstream of the sedimentation basin. The analysis showed that, for Plant, the model based on Random Forest had the lowest error compared to multiple regression models, neural network models, model trees, and other Random Forest models. The optimal predicted residual chlorine concentration downstream of the sedimentation basin presented in this study is expected to enable real-time control of chlorine dosing in previous treatment stages, thereby enhancing water treatment efficiency and reducing chemical costs.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.407-414
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• 2004

The expression of CYP3A4 gene is induced by a variety of structurally unrelated xenobiotics including the antibiotic rifampicin, pregnenolone 16-carbonitrile (PCN), and endogenous hormones, that might mediate through steroid and xenobiotic receptor (SXR) system. The molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of CYP3A4 gene expression have not been understood. In order to gain the insight of the molecular mechanism of CYP3A4 gene expression, study has been undertaken to investigate if the histone deacetylation is involved in the regulation of CYP3A4 gene expression by proximal promoter in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Also we have investigated to see if SXR is involved in the regulation of CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were transfected with a plasmid PCYP3A4-Luc containing ${\~}1kb$ of the CYP3A4 proximal promoter region (-863 to +64 bp) in front of a reporter gene, luciferase, in the presence or absence of pSAP-SXR. In HepG2 cells, CYP3A4 inducers, such as rifampicin, PCN and RU486 showed minimal stimulation of CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity in the absence of SXR and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. 4-Dimethylamino-H-[4-(2-hydroxycarbamoylvinyl)benzyl]benzamide (IN2001), a new class HDAC inhibitor significantly increased CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity over untreated control cells and rifampicin concomitant treatment with IN2001 increased further CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity that was stimulated by IN2001 The results of this study demon-strated that both HDAC inhibitors and SXR are essential to increase of CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity by CYP3A4 inducers such as PCN, rifampicin, and RU486. Especially SXR seems to be important for the dose dependent response of CYP3A4 inducing chemicals to stimulate CYP3A4 proximal promoter activity. Also this data suggested that HDAC inhibitors seemed to facilitate the CYP3A4 proximal promoter to be activated by chemicals.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2016

The extraction and purification of the anti-hyperglycemic α-glucosidase inhibitor from an edible mushroom, Pleurotus cornucopiae, were investigated. The inhibitor was maximally extracted when the P. cornucopiae fruiting body was treated with distilled water at 30℃ for 12 h. Purification was achieved using Sephadex G-100 and G-50 filtration chromatography, pepsin hydrolysis, and reverse-phase HPLC. The compound’s solid yield and inhibitory activity were 12.2% and 9.10 mg/ml of IC₅₀, respectively. The purified inhibitor contained two hexapeptides with Thr-Ile-Ala-Phe-Ile-Asp (A) and Tyr-Tyr-Ala-Ile-Gly-Asp (B) sequences and molecular weights of 678.79 Da (A) and 643.7 Da (B). The purified inhibitor showed a mixed inhibition pattern to α-glucosidase and a dose-dependent anti-hyperglycemic effect in a streptozotocininduced diabetic Sprague-Dawley rat model, exhibited by decreased blood glucose levels at doses of 50 and 300 mg/kg.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.136-142
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• 2004

Though diverse methods have been developed to characterize surface charge of soils and pure minerals, there is not still a reliable and rapid method for differentiating permanent charge from variable charge. Thus, it is needed to find out a reasonable method for measuring permanent and pH-dependent charge of soils. In this study various methods such as Cs-adsorption method, Hybrid model, $NH_4{^+}$-adsorption method and theoretical calculation of lattice charge were applied to measure permanent charge of montmorillonite and illite. Calculated lattice charge was $71.82cmol\;kg^{-1}$ and $14.20cmol\;kg^{-1}$ for montmorillonite and illite, respectively. The permanent charge measured by Cs-adsorption method were $78.23cmol\;kg^{-1}$ and $11.13cmol\;kg^{-1}$ for montmorillonite and illite, respectively. The differences between the values measured by Cs-adsorption method and the calculated lattice charge were not different significantly as $6.41cmol\;kg^{-1}$ and $3.07cmol\;kg^{-1}$. But, Hybrid model showed an underestimated values when applied to clay minerals with predominant amounts of permanent charge. The experimental results showed Cs-adsorption method was more reasonable for permanent charge measurement than the Hybrid model for illlte or montmorillonitetype clays.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1359-1366
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• 2004

Ultra high temperature treated (UHT) skim milk and colloidal calcium phosphate-free skim milk were treated with microbial transglutaminase (TGase), ultracentrifuged at various rates, lyophilized, and observed for morphological properties with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). UHT skim milk showed small holes of associated micelles at lower centrifugal rates, and became thick and irregular, and fine particles were associated regularly at higher centrifugal rates. When UHT skim milk with TGase was incubated for 1 hour, casein micelles aggregated and broadened as centrifugation rate increased. When UHT skim milk with TGase was incubated for 8 hours, casein micelles were associated irregularly to large aggregates and widened. Colloidal calcium phosphate-free skim milk with TGase incubated for 1 hour and separated by two-step centrifugation showed aggregated lump, while the milk incubated for 8 hours with TGase was associated with broadened, compact, and regular layers as the centrifugation rate increased. Such phenomena were caused by heat treatment, protein crosslinking reaction catalyzed by TGase and conformational changes of casein molecules, and could be dependent on reaction time, temperature and ultracentrifugation rate.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.556-561
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• 1997

Vibrio cholerae non-O1 FM-3 was isolated from sea water, and it showed the same bacteriological characteristics as Vibrio cholerae non-O1 ATCC 25872. V. cholerae non-O1 FM-3 presented the highest hemolytic activity at stationary phase of its growth. The hemolytic activity was decreased in accordance with increasing of pretense activity of its cultural supernatant. The characteristics of the hemolysin produced by V. cholerae non-O1 FM-3 were investigated after partial purification with a Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The hemolytic activity of purified protein was stable at $4^{\circ}C$ while it was completely lost by heating at $60^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. The activity of hemolysin was increased by addition of divalent cations such as $Ca^{2+},\;Mg^{2+},\;and\;Mn^{2+}$ while it was inhibited by additions of $Zn^{2+}$. When the hemolysin was incubated with suspensions of erythrocytes at $4^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$, respectively, hemolysis was not observed at $4^{\circ}C$ but at $37^{\circ}C$. It means that hemolysis by purified hemolysin was temperature-dependent while its binding step of hemolysin to cell membrane was temperature-independent.