• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.279-282
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• 2007

The aim of the present study was to investigate the various chemical components present in the cone volatile oil of Cupressus macrocarpa and also determine its antimicrobial activity. Totally 13 compounds were identified with 99.99% by GC-MS analysis. The major compounds identified were terpinene-4-ol (19.42%), dinopol (15.63%), ${\alpha}$-pinene (13.58%), and ${\beta}$-pinene (12.16%). The antimicrobial activity was carried out for the oil and a 2% cream formulation using cup plate method by measuring the zone of inhibition. The gram positive organisms used were Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus megaterium, and Bacillus cogulans. The gram negative organisms used were Escherichia coli, Kleibseilla pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi. In vitro antifungal studies were also carried out by using organisms, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Trichoderma lignorum and Cryptococcus neoformans. The standard drugs used were penicillin ($100{\mu}g/mL$), gentamycin ($100{\mu}g/mL$) and griseofulvin ($100{\mu}g/mL$) for gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria and fungi respectively. Both oil and cream formulation showed good activity against fungi than bacteria. This study is being reported for the first time on cone volatile oil of this plant.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1191-1196
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• 2008

The antibacterial and antioxidant potentials of extruded ginseng extract (EGE) with 60% ethanol and methanol were investigated. The inhibitory activity of the EGE in Gram-positive bacteria was significantly higher than in Gram-negative bacteria. Higher antibacterial activity was observed with methanol ginseng extract when moisture content and barrel temperature were 20% and $115^{\circ}C$, respectively, that diameter of inhibition zone at 1,500 mg/mL was $15.40{\pm}0.13\;mm$ for Bacillus subtilis and $9.31{\pm}0.05\;mm$ for Salmonella typhimurium. The amount of total phenolics was highest in extruded ginseng at 20% moisture content and $115^{\circ}C$ barrel temperature. Especially, a positive correlation was observed between the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the extracts. In the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical (DPPH) system, all tested extract of extruded ginseng at 20% moisture content exhibited very strong antioxidant properties when compared to red ginseng with percent scavenging effect of 23-35% at 20mg/mL. In conclusion, it can be said that the extracts of extruded ginseng could be used as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents in the food preservation.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.850-856
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• 2008

White, red, and extruded ginsengs were studied against 8 strains of food-borne pathogens and/or food spoilage microorganisms. The ginseng powders were extracted with different extractants and screened for antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. The results showed that the yield of extraction was higher with increase of aqueous solution content and temperature. Preliminary screening revealed that the red ginseng extracts were most active, that has been found to be highly effective against all tested microbe except Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, Bacillus subtilis has shown highly susceptible, which the diameters of inhibition zone values of 28 extracts were between 7 and 14 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) recorded for the different crude ginseng extracts against microorganism using ranged from 6.25 to 100 mg/mL, indicated that the methanol extract of ginseng were more effective than ethanol and water extracts. The 60% methanol extract of red ginseng had the greatest effects against B. subtilis with MIC and MBC values at 6.25 mg/mL.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.300-306
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• 2022

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is essential for a wide range of cellular responses in plants, including defense responses, responses to abiotic stress, hormone signaling, and developmental processes. Recent investigations have shown that the stress, ethylene, and MAPK signaling pathways negatively affect the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules by directly modulating the symbiotic signaling components. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the defense responses mediated by MAPK signaling in the organogenesis of nitrogen-fixing nodules remain unclear. In the present study, I demonstrate that the Medicago truncatula mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 5 (MtMKK5)-Medicago truncatula mitogen-activated protein kinase 3/6 (MtMPK3/6) signaling module, expressed specifically in the symbiotic nodules, promotes defense signaling, but not ethylene signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting nodule development in M. truncatula. U0126 treatment resulted in increased cell division in the nodule meristem zone due to the inhibition of MAPK signaling. The phosphorylated TEY motif in the activation domain of MtMPK3/6 was the target domain associated with specific interactions with MtMKK5. I have confirmed the physical interactions between M. truncatula nodule inception (MtNIN) and MtMPK3/6. In the presence of high expression levels of the defense-related genes FRK1 and WRKY29, MtMKK5a overexpression significantly enhanced the defense responses of Arabidopsis against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Overall, my data show that the negative regulation of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing nodule organogenesis by defense signaling pathways is mediated by the MtMKK5-MtMPK3/6 module.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.415-420
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• 2001

Eighteen kinds of medicinal edible herbs, which are nontoxic and has been widely used in traditional folk medicine, were extracted and antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated against various foodborne pathogens or food poisoning microorganisms. Among them, the ethanol extract of Quercus mongolica showed the strongest antimicrobial activities against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and followed by Quercus aliena and Quercus dentata, respectively. Thus, further study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial activity of Quercus species extracts. The plants were extracted with ethanol, methanol and water, respectively. The ethanol, methanol, and water extracts of Quercus mongolica leaf showed 10~21 mm inhibition zone against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria at two thousand $\mu\textrm{g}$ per disc, but little antimicrobial activity was observed against fungi and yeast. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the ethanol extract of Quercus mongolica leaf was 250$\mu\textrm{g}$/mL against Bacillus cereus. Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 62.5~125 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mL against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, respectively.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.104-112
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• 2008

Objective : This experimental study was preformed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Belamcandae Rhizoma (EBR) on dermal bioactive properties related to cosmeceuticals such as radical scavenging activity and depigmentation. Methods : The free radical scavenging activity of EBR was assayed in cell free systems using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Antibacterial potency was measured by the size of inhibition zone with change of volume. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and tyrosinase activity was assessed using L-DOPA. Results : EBR showed slightly radical scavenging activity and protected against UVB-induced cell cytotoxicity. Futhermore, EBR showed antibacterial activities on S. epidermidis and S. aureus. Although the proliferation of B16/F10 cells was decreased by EBR, necrosis was not revealed. EBR augmented tyrosinase activity and dendrite outgrowth in B16/F10 cells. Conclusions : These results suggest that EBR has antioxidative ＆ antibacterial activities, and stimulate melanogenesis.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.27 no.B
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• pp.161-167
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• 2007

The objetives of this study are to set up optimum extraction temperature, time and organic solvent for propolis extraction, to investigate chemical properties, and to develop health foods from propolis preparation. In this study, ethanol and ultrasonic extracts method performed to optimum extraction temperature was at 60, $20^{\circ}C$, optimum extraction time was at 12, 4 hours and optimum extraction amount of solvent was at 20, 15 times of propolis weight. When various ethanol solutions were used, whereas flavonoid content was highest in 70, 80% aqueous ethanol, respectively. So the ultrasonic extracts method used gave better results than the ethanol extracts method in this work. Extraction of propolis with etanol and ultrasonic extracts method was performed by using the water and various concentrations of aqueous ethanol as solvent. Sensitivity of propolis samples to Staphylococcus aureus was investigated and the results were shown. Samples of water extract did not inhibit microbial growth, where as 50% aqueous ethanol extract the largest inhibitory zone for Staphylococcus aureus, then decreased inhibition with increasing ethanol concentrations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.477-482
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• 2002

As a biological model system for the production of an active antibacterial peptide, we have attempted the expression and secretion of insect defensin in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucleotide sequences encoding mature defensin composed of 40 amino acids were fused in frame with promoter and signal sequence of Saccharomyces diastaticus glucoamylase, and mating factor $\alpha$ l[MF $\alpha$1] prosequence. The host strain, S. cerevisiae 2805 was transformed with the resulting plasmid, pSMFll The secretion of functional defensin was confirmed by growth inhibition zone assay using Micrococcus luteus as a test organism. Insect defensin was secreted to the culture supernatant in biologically active form by glucoamylase signal sequence and mating factor $\alpha$1 prosequence. Most of antibacterial activity was detected in the culture supernatant. Defensin was also active against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.641-646
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• 1995

During the screening of inhibitors of melanin biosynthesis from microbial secondary metabolites, a fungal strain MR304 which was capable of producing high level of an inhibitor was selected. Based on taxonomic studies, this fungus could be classified as Trichoderma harzianum. The active compound (MR304-1) was purified from culture broth by Diaion HP-20 column chromatography, ethylacetate extraction, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographv and HPLC. The inhibitor was identified as 3-(1,5-dihvdroxy-3-isocyanocyclopent-(E)-3-envl)prop-2-enoate by spectroscopic methods of UV, ESIMS, $^{1}$H-NMR, $^{13}$C-NMR, NOE, HMQC and HMBC. MR304-1 showed strong mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC$_{50}$ value of 0.25 $\mu $g/ml. It inhibited melanin biosynthesis with 15 mm inhibition zone at 30 $\mu $g/paper disc in Streptomyces bikiniensis, a bacterium used as an indicator organism in this work. It also inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B16 melanoma cells with a niinimum inhibitory concentration of 0.05 $\mu $g/ml.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.455-461
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• 2012

Amongst the various antimicrobial peptides, lysozyme plays a central role in initiating and maintaining the antibacterial defense response of insect. Here we propose the biosynthesis and refolding of recombinant lysozyme in Escherichia coli expressed in inclusion body form. The Agrius lysozyme gene was amplified using gene specific primers and then ligated into the pGEX-4T-1 vector, which contained the glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene as a fusion partner. A recombinant lysozyme was expressed in E. coli Rosetta cells using a pGEX-4T-1 expression vector, and the fusion protein was induced by ioporpyl-${\beta}$-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein produced as an inclusion body was resolubilized in solubilization buffer, and the resultant solution was dialyzed in refolding buffer. After thrombin cleavage, the recombinant lysozyme was purified by ion exchange chromatography and reverse phase chromatography. The recombinant lysozyme was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis and immunoreactivity against the anti-Agrius lysozyme was observed by western blot analysis of this protein. The recombinant lysozyme displayed antibacterial activity against Bacillus megaterium and Micrococcus luteus, which was confirmed by the inhibition zone assay.