• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.755-759
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• 2007

In this study, we screened twenty four extracts of eight medicinal plants and three extracts of the commercial product for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts were found active where as aqueous extracts were little or no active. Extracts of Sophora flavescens, Salvia miltlorrhiza and Glycyrrhiza uralensis showed strong activity againsttested organisms and could be the potential antimicrobial agent. The increase of antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of formulations might be due to synergic effect. The results also indicated that the activity of bamboo salt and herbal products can be enhanced by making appropriate formulations.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.390-395
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• 2014

Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria. monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus are pathogenic bacteria that should not be detected in cosmetics and foodstuffs. Therefore, we first investigated the antimicrobial activities of extracts of Scutellariae Radix(SR), Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) and salicylic acid(SA) in these pathogenic microorganisms. Although SA has been known to exhibit anti-inflammation and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, a high concentration of SA may cause serious side effects such as skin redness, skin burning, peeling or tissue damage. Hence, we focused on diminishing side effects followed by treatment of a high concentration of SA and investigated whether the combinations of SA with various concentrations(25-400 mg/mL), SR and CR with a concentration(100 mg/mL) which did not show antimicrobial activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa exhibited meaningful antimicrobial effect against both strains. In our results, the combinations of SA with the lowest concentration(25 mg/mL), SR(100 mg/mL) and CR(100 mg/mL) exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against E.coli in comparison to SA alone(25 mg/mL) showing no antimicrobial activity. Moreover, the combinations of SA (100 mg/mL), SR and CR showed seven times higher antimicrobial activity against E. coli than SA alone(100 mg/mL) and exhibited a significant antimicrobial activity in comparison to ampicilin (p<0.05). The combinations of SA(100 mg/mL), SR and CR showed two times higher antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa than SA alone. Therefore, these results indicated that the combinations of SR, CR and SA with low concentration expressed the synergistic antimicrobial effect against E. coli and P. aeruginosa and showed great potential as an antimicrobial agent.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.858-864
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• 2007

This study investigated the antibacterial activities of sophoraflavanone G from Sophora flavescens in combination with two antimicrobial agents against oral bacteria. The combined effect of sophoraflavanone G and the antimicrobial agents was evaluated using the checkerboard method to obtain a fractional inhibitory concentration(FIC) index. The sophoraflavanone G+ampicillin(AM) combination was found to have a synergistic effect against S. mutans, S. sanguinis, S. sobrinus, S. gordonii, A. actinomycetemcomitans, F nucleatum, P. intermedia, and P. gingivalis, whereas the sophoraflavanone G+gentamicin(GM) combination had a synergistic effect against S. sanguinis, S. criceti, S. anginosus, A. actinomycetemcomitans, F nucleatum, P. intermedia, and P. gingivalis. Neither combination exhibited any antagonistic interactions(FIC index>4). In particular, the MICs/MBCs for all the bacteria were reduced to one-half$\sim$one-sixteenth as a result of the drug combinations. A synergistic interaction was also confirmed by time-kill studies for nine bacteria where the checkerboard suggested synergy. Thus, a strong bactericidal effect was exerted through the drug combinations, plus in vitro data suggested that sophoraflavanone G combined with other antibiotics may be microbiologically beneficial rather than antagonistic.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2021

This study was attempted to investigate natural materials with antimicrobial activity and to apply as natural preservatives in cosmetics. The disc diffusion method was used to search for nine species of natural antibacterial material for three species of skin pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Candida albicans. As a result of measuring the size of inhibition zone, Rhus Semialata gall (Gallnut) extract, Oak vinegar, and ε-polylysine were showed strongest antibacterial activities (> 10 mm). The Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) of gallnut and oak vinegar ranged from 10 to 20 mg/mL and from 20 to 40 mg/mL against five human skin pathogens. The MBC of ε-polylysine ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg/mL in fungus. The synergic effect of gallnut extract/oak vinegar mixture and gallnut extract/ε-polylysine mixture were evaluated by checkerboard test. Compared to when used alone, the MBC of gallnut extract/oak vinegar mixture were at 4 times lower concentration against E. coli, C. albicans, and A. brasiliensis. Also Furthermore, the MBC of gallnut extract/ε-polylysine mixture were at 4 times lower concentration against C. albicans and A. brasiliensis. It was confirmed that the combination of gallnut extract with oak vinegar or ε-polylysine resulted in synergistic antibacterial effect against three human skin pathogens. Thus, it is expected that gallnut extract and natural product mixture can not only demonstrate antibacterial synergies, but also be applied in cosmetics as a natural preservative system with a wide antibacterial spectrum.