• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2016

Two Bacillus strains, CJW15 and SSD8, with strong antibacterial activities were isolated from cheonggukjang. Both were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens strains after gene sequencing of rRNA and recA. CJW15 strongly inhibited the growth of B. cereus (ATCC14579), Listeria monocytogenes (ATCC19111), and Lactococcus lactis (ATCC11454). In comparison, SSD8 inhibited the growth of B. cereus (ATCC14579) and Enterococcus faecium (ATCC19953). The antibacterial activities of the two strains were not affected when exposed to a temperature of $100^{\circ}C$ for 15 min and were quite stable in acidic (pH 3) and alkaline (pH 12) pH conditions. Enzymatic treatments (trypsin, pepsin, proteinase K, and protease) had no effect on the activity of CJW15, but reduced the activity of SSD8 by half. Both isolates possess genes involved in the synthesis of lipopeptides (e.g. surfactin, fengycin, iturin, and iturin A), and genes encoding subtilin, a bacteriocin. Moreover, both isolates have fibrinolytic activities as well.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.71-78
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• 2012

Eupatilin, one of representative medical components of mugwort, can be efficiently extracted from the 'Gangwha Sajabalssuk'. The Eupatilin content may depend on environmental factors such as soil and regional climate in addition to a genetic factor and Gangwha region has a profitable environmental condition for the mugwort growth. In this study, the climatological characteristics of Gangwha was analyzed in order to find the environmental condition of mugwort containing high Eupatilin in term of atmospheric, oceanographic and land variables. The climate of Gangwha is characterized by the relatively low daily temperature and large diurnal variation with plenty of solar radiation, long sunshine duration and less cloudiness. According to our correlation analysis, the long sunshine duration and the large diurnal temperature variation are highly correlated with the Eupatilin contents. The result implies that Gangwha has the favorable conditions for the cultivation and the habitat of the high-Eupatilin concentrated mugwort. Because of the sea surrounding Gangwha Island with low salinity and moderate wind, the salt contained in sea breeze is relatively low compared to other regions. Furthermore, Gangwha has clean atmospheric environment compared to other regions because the concentrations of toxic gases harmful to crop growth such as nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$), sulfite gas ($SO_2$) and fine dust (PM-10) are lower in the air. The ozone ($O_3$) concentration is moderate and within the level of natural production. It is also found that moderately coarse texture or fine loamy soils known as good for water drainage and for the growth and cultivation of the 'Gangwha-mugwort' are distributed throughout the areas around mountainous districts in Gangwha, coinciding with those of mugwort habitat.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.445-451
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was carried out to examine the effects of onion kimchi extract supplementation on blood glucose level and serum lipid components in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats for 4 weeks. STZ was administered as a single dose (50 mg/kg BW) to induce diabetes, and the diabetic rats were divided into eight groups (normal, diabetic control, and six treatment groups). The dose of onion kimchi extract 100 (OK-100), 200 (OK-200), and 400 (OK-400) mg/kg/day or quercetin as a main compound of onion 5 (Q-5), 10 (Q-10), and 20 (Q-20) mg/kg/day were orally administered daily to STZ-induced diabetic rats for 4 weeks after STZ injection. The diabetic control rats (465.6 mg/dL) showed significantly higher blood glucose level than the normal rats (76.3 mg/dL) after 4 weeks, but was significantly reduced with onion kimchi extract and quercetin supplementation (p<0.001). Changes in body weight, kidney weight and urine volume were not significantly different in diabetic control rats, and in onion kimchi extract and quercetin treated rats. The serum total cholesterol levels of control were significantly decreased in onion kimchi extract and quercetin supplementation groups, respectively (p<0.001). The blood urea nitrogen level and urinary protein excretion in diabetic rats were not significant different among the groups. These results suggest that onion kimchi extract supplementation in STZ-induced diabetic rats may be a very important factor for the reduction of blood glucose and serum cholesterol profiles.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.98-104
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• 2001

Cultivation area of the plastic film-house has been continuously increased with the increase of consumers' income. Intensive land use without fallowing or crop rotation caused severe problem such as salt accumulation in soils and in turn retarded growth and low productivity. This study was carried out to solve them derived from longterm intensive farming practices. Seven farmers who are practicing plastic film-house cultivation were recommended for case study by municipal government and selected for their excellency of cultivation and soil management. The cultivation periods of these systems were in the range of 5 to 40 years in the regions mainly located in alluvial soil cultivated with cucumber, tomato and red pepper. The soils texture of the excellent farmers' fields were silt loam or sandy loam, ranged from 7 to 15 percents of clay contents. Soil bulk density, depth of plowing layer and soil aggregates contents of the farmers' soils were 0.89, 23.1 cm, 61.6% whereas those in neighboring soils were 1.10, 17.8 cm, 54.2 %, respectively. And pH, OM and $NO_3-N$ of the farmers' soils also were better than those of neighboring soils. There was no difference in population densities of nematode between the good farmers' and neighboring soils, but actinomyces and Fusarium densities of recommended farmers' soils were better than neighboring soils. The major farming practices by the good farmers were characterized by deep plowing with flooding, amendment of crude organic matter, and reduction of chemical fertilizer application before transplanting, and also drip irrigation and liquid manure application after planting. They also conducted solar sterilization with or without flooding, removal of plastic films during rainy days and culturing rice or corn as rotation crops to avoid the problems mentioned above.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 2019

Gul jeotgals (GJs) were prepared using solar salt aged for 3 years. One sample was fermented using starters, such as Bacillus subtilis JS2 and Tetragenococcus halophilus BS2-36 (each $10^6CFU/g$), and another sample was fermented without starters for 49 days at $10^{\circ}C$. Initial counts of bacilli and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in non-starter GJ were found to be $3.20{\times}10^2$ and $7.67{\times}10^1CFU/g$ on day 0, and increased to $1.37{\times}10^3$ and $1.64{\times}10^6CFU/g$ on day 49. Those of starter GJ were found to be $2.10{\times}10^5$ and $3.30{\times}10^7CFU/g$ on day 49, indicating the growth of starters. The pH values of GJ were $5.93{\pm}0.01$ (non-starter) and $5.92{\pm}0.01$ (starter) on day 0 and decreased to $5.78{\pm}0.01$ (non-starter) and $5.75{\pm}0.01$ (starter) on day 49. Amino-type nitrogen (ANN) production increased continuously during fermentation, and $407.19{\pm}15.85$ (non-starter) and $398.04{\pm}13.73$ (starter) mg% on day 49. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes were constructed from total DNA extracted from non-starter GJ on days 7, 21, and 42. Nucleotide sequences of Escherichia coli transformants harboring recombinant pGEM-T easy plasmid containing 16S rRNA gene inserts from different bacterial species were analyzed using BLAST. Uncultured bacterium was the most dominant group and Gram - bacteria such as Acidovorax sp., Afipia sp., and Variovorax sp. were the second dominant group. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (day 7), Bacillus velezensis (day 21 and 42), and Bacillus subtilis (day 42) were observed, but no lactic acid bacteria were detected. Acidovorax and Variovorax species might play some role in GJ fermentation. Further studies on these bacteria are necessary.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.593-604
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• 2023

The ocean accounts for over 70% of the Earth's surface and is a space of largely unexplored unknowns and opportunities. Korea is a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides, emphasizing the importance of marine research. The ocean has an extremely complex environment with immense biological diversity. In terms of microbiology, the marine environment has varying factors like extreme temperature, pressure, solar radiation, salt concentration, and pH, providing ecologically unique habitats. Due to this variety, marine organisms have very different phylogenetic classifications compared with terrestrial organisms. Although various microorganisms inhabit the ocean, studies on the diversity, isolation, and cultivation of marine microorganisms and the secondary metabolites they produce are still insufficient. Research on bioactive substances from marine microorganisms, which were rarely studied until the 1990s, has accelerated in terms of natural products from marine Actinomycetes since the 2000s. Since then, industries for bioplastic and biofuel production, carbon dioxide capture, probiotics, and pharmaceutical discovery and development of antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory drugs using bacteria, archaea, and algae have significantly grown. In this review, we introduce current research findings and the latest trends in life science and biotechnology using marine microorganisms. Through this article, we hope to create consumer awareness of the importance of basic and applied research in various natural product-related discovery fields other than conventional pharmaceutical drug discovery. The article aims to suggest pathways that may boost research on the optimization and application of future marine-derived materials.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.109-121
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• 2007

For developing standard method for diease, pest and weed control in environmental friendly 'Ssam' vegetable cultivation, this study was carried out to investigating agriculture material use in organic agriculture and no pesticide cultivation for lettuce, kale, leafy perilla and korean cabbage. The 28.6% of investigated farmer carried out seed sterilization by seed selection with salt solution and soaking in chitosan that not validated. For raising seedling periods, the 55.6% of farmer did not use environmental-friendly agriculture material for, diease control and the 50% of farmer used one time for. pest control. Therefore, the control of disease and pest could be achieved with one or two times use of environmental-friendly agriculture material. Seed sterilization was carried out by soil solar sterilization, one time per year in 71.4% of farmer. Weed was controled by black PE film for weed germination of furrow in many farmer, by man-power weeding for weed of ridge in 85% of farmer and by machine weeding and mulching in some farmer. During cultivation period, the major pest were Aphis gossypii in lettuce, Plutella xylostella in kale, Plutella xylostella and Phyllotreta striolata (Fabricius) in korean cabbage and Pyrausta panopealis (Walke) in feat perilla. The many farmers used environ-mental-friendly agriculture material for control of pest over 10 times for spring season, and more used sold materials in market than home-made materials. In result, it needs to develop standardized method and validate cultivation methods for control of disease and pest, and seed sterilization treatment environmental-friendly 'Ssam' vegetable.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.510-518
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• 2003

Protective effects of natural components including genistein (4',5,7-trihydroxyisoflavone) from Glycine max MERRILL on the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes were investigated. Genistein $(10{\sim}100\;{\mu}m)$ suppressed photohemolysis in a concentration-dependent manner, and was more effective than the lipid peroxidation chain blocker, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol (Vit. E). Glycoside of genistein, genistin, the water-soluble antioxidant, L-ascorbate, and the iron chelator, myo-inositol hexaphosphoric acid dodecasodium salt (sodium phytate) did not exhibit protective effect against photohemolysis. L-Ascorbate and sodium phytate stimulated photohemolysis at high concentration $(500\;{\mu}m)$. ${\alpha}$-Carotene 3,3'-diol (lutein), a singlet oxygen $(^1O_2)$ quencher, exhibited pronounced protective effect, an indication that $^1O_2$ is important in photohemolysis sensitized by rose-bengal. Reactive oxygen scavenging activities $(OSC_{50})$ of natural antioxidants including genistein on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay were in the order of sodium phytate > L-ascorbate > ${\alpha}$-tocopherol > genistein > genistin. $OSC_{50}$ value of genistein, genistin, ${\alpha}$-tocopherol, L-ascorbate, and sodium phytate were 41.0, 109.0, 9.0, 5.2, and $0.56{\mu}m$ respectively. The order of free radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH) scavenging activity $(FSC_{50})$ was L-ascorbate > ${\alpha}$-tocopherol > genistein > genistin. These results indicate that genistein can function as an antioxidant in biological systems, particularly skin exposed to solar UV radiation by scavenging $^1O_2$ and other ROS, and to protect cellular membranes against ROS.