• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.461-466
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• 2014

Three plant species, Aster sphathulifolius, Sedum oryzifolium, and Lysimachia mauritiana, native to the Dokdo Islands in South Korea, were examined for rhizosphere microorganisms by using 16S rDNA sequences. Nine species of rhizosphere microorganisms were isolated from the three native plant species, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the microorganisms could be classified into 19 species belonging to four phyla (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria), and the characteristics of the microbes were confirmed. Rhizosphere microorganisms from the six orders (Bacillales, Corynebacteriales, Flavobacteriales, Micrococcales, Oceanospirillales, and Rhodobacterales) were isolated from S. oryzifolium. From L. mauritiana, microbes belonging to the seven orders (Bacillales, Flavobacteriales, Micrococcales, Oceanospirillales, Rhizobiales, and Rhodobacterales) were isolated. From A. sphathulifolius, the six orders of rhizosphere microorganisms (Alteromonadales, Bacillales, Corynebacteriales, Flavobacteriales, Micrococcales, and Rhizobiales) were isolated. These data showed that Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla for the rhizosphere of all three plants. To confirm the bacterial diversity in rhizospheres, Shannon's diversity index (H') was used at the genus level. In these data, the rhizosphere from S. oryzifolium and L. mauritiana had more diverse bacteria compared to that from A. sphathulifolius.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1025-1031
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• 2013

From a 95% ethanolic extract of H. diffusa, four marker compounds (HD1~HD4) were isolated, which were relatively unique and exist in comparably high contents. The structures of marker compounds were identified as digitolutein (1), 2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone (2), (E/Z)-6-O-p-coumaroyl scandoside methyl ester (4:1 mixture) (3), and (E/Z)-6-O-p-methoxycinnamoyl scandoside methyl ester (4:1 mixture) (4), respectively, on the basis of $^{13}C$ and $^1H$-NMR analyses. The calibration curves of marker compounds showed high linearity, as their correlation coefficient ($R^2$) were in the range of 0.9991~0.9999. In addition, the limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were $0.03{\sim}0.07{\mu}g/ml$ and $0.099{\sim}0.231{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The intra-day/inter-day precision and accuracy were 0.23~2.00%/0.25~1.16% and 94.60~108.44%/94.73-110.23%, respectively. The optimal HPLC conditions for the simultaneous quantification of HD1~HD4 were as follows: stationary phase; Merck Chromolith RP-18e ($100{\times}4.6mm$, $5{\mu}m$), column temp.; room temperature, UV detection at 280 nm, flow rate; 2.0 ml/min, injection volume; $10{\mu}l$, mobile phase; start with the mixture of 80% solvent A ($H_2O$ containing 0.5% acetic acid) and 20% solvent B (methanol containing 0.5% acetic acid) and gradually decrease solvent A to 40% in 9 min., then retain this condition to 18 min. Under the HPLC condition, the four marker compounds 1~4 were successfully separated without any interference of other constituents. The results obtained in this study are expected to be helpful for the development of nutraceutics and natural medicines and for the quality control of this plant.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1431-1437
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• 2016

Sorghum bicolor L. is one of the important minor cereals in Asia, Africa, and the central United States, and it is considered a rich source of polyphenols, flavonoids, and dietary fiber. However, there is a lack of data on the anti-cancer activity of Sorghum in prostate cancer cells and immune activity in macrophages. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of an ethanol extract of S. bicolor L. (SE) on inducing apoptosis in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells and immunomodulatory activity in RAW 264.7 cells. SE significantly inhibited the viability of RC-58T/h/SA#4 primary prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The morphology of RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells treated with SE was shrunken and involved the formation of an apoptotic body and nuclear condensation. In addition, SE markedly activated caspase-8, -9, and -3; increased the protein levels of Bax, p53, cleaved PARP, and cytosolic cytochrome c; and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, the inhibition of caspases in RC-58T/h/SA#4 cells with z-VAD-fmk attenuated SE-induced cell growth inhibition. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was also elevated by SE treatment, as revealed by immune response parameters. These results suggest that SE inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in primary human prostate cancer cells in a caspase-dependent manner, and it modulates the immune functions in macrophages. Therefore, Sorghum bicolor L. may be used as a functional food to prevent prostate cancer and enhance immune activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2020

In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic effects and the flavonoid contents of leaf extracts from Stachys sieboldii Miq. and Lycopus lucidus Turcz. were compared. The flavonoid contents of the acetone + methylene chloride (A+M) and methanol (MeOH) extracts of L. lucidus Turcz. leaves were 55.7 and 233.2 mg/g, respectively. In a DPPH assay, A+M and MeOH extracts from L. lucidus Turcz leaves had a greater scavenging effect than those of S. sieboldii Miq. leaves (p<0.05). In an ABTS assay, MeOH extracts from S. sieboldii Miq. and L. lucidus Turcz (0.5 mg/ml concentration) leaves had scavenging effects of 85% and 91%, respectively (p<0.05), suggesting that both of the MeOH extracts had greater scavenging effects than both A+M extracts. In a 120 min ROS production assay, all tested extracts decreased the cellular ROS production induced by H₂O₂ compared to that produced by exposure to the extract-free control. The MeOH extract from L. lucidus Turcz leaves had a greater inhibitory effect on cellular ROS production (p<0.05). Treatment with A+M and MeOH extracts from both S. sieboldii Miq. and L. lucidus Turcz. leaves showed a dose-dependent increased cytotoxicity against the growth of AGS, HT-29 cancer cells, and HT-1080 (p<0.05). Both A+M extracts had a greater inhibitory effect on the growth of all cancer cells than both MeOH extracts. These results suggest that the MeOH extract of L. lucidus Turcz. leaves is effective in scavenging free radicals and inhibiting cellular oxidation, while the A+M extract inhibits proliferation of three types of cancer cell.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1371-1377
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• 2019

Oxidative stress induced by the over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain is the most common cause of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of flavonoids and their glycosides, namely kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, and quercetin-3-β-D-glucoside, against H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in the C6 glial cells. The H₂O₂-treated glial cells exhibited decreased cell viability and increased ROS production when compared with normal cells. However, cells treated with each of the four flavonoids/glycosides demonstrated significantly increased viability and suppressed ROS production when compared with the H₂O₂-treated control group. These results indicate that flavonoids/glycosides attenuate oxidative stress induced by H₂O₂ in C6 glial cells. To confirm the protective molecular mechanisms, we measured pro-inflammatory factors such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-1β. H₂O₂ treatment was seen to elevate these factors and decrease IκB-α in the C6 glial cells, while the flavonoids/glycosides induced a down-regulation of the pro-inflammatory factors and increased IκB-α, indicating a neuroprotective effects through attenuation of the inflammation. In particular, quercetin and its glycoside showed a higher neuroprotective effect than the kaempferol treatments. These results suggest that these flavonoids and their glycosides could be promising therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases via the attenuation of oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.407-412
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to shorten the time required for subculture and bacterial identification and obtain a simple and rapid identification method for new test methods for bloodstream infections. The following results were obtained using a mass spectrometer. In Vitek 2, 208 (81.8%) cases were well-identified and 45 isolates were not identified in blood cultures. Among 208 cases, 146 (57.5%) were Gram positive bacteria and 108 (42.5%) were Gram negative bacteria. In total, 233 were identified to the species level and 21 were identified to the genus level. The identification error was found to be Propionibacterium acnes as Clostridium bifermentans. The accuracy of Enterobacteriaceae, glucose non-fermentative bacilli (GNFB), and staphylococci were 81/83 (97.6%), 12/15 (80.0%), and 72/85 (84.7%), respectively. The concordance rate of Vitek 2 and Vitek MS by the direct method was 81.8% and 45 isolates were not identified. Most of the unidentified bacteria were Gram positive bacteria (N=37). The Gram positive bacteria were streptococci (14), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) (11), enterococci (3), Staphylococcus aureus (2), Micrococcus spp. (2), Bacillus spp. (2) and Actinomyces odontolyticus, Finegoldia magna, and Peptostreptococcus spp. The results reporting time was reduced to 24~72 hours compared to the conventional method. The rate of identification of the aerobic and anaerobic cultures was similar, but the use of an anaerobic culture did not require a dissolution process, which could shorten the sample preparation time. These results suggest that the method of direct identification in blood cultures is very useful for the treatment of patients. In further studies, it might be necessary to further improve the method for identifying streptococci and CNS, which were lacking in accuracy in this study.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.468-474
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• 1993

A dehydrating sheet comprises polymeric water absorber. which are packed in a semipermeable cellophane film bag allowing selective permeation of water. This sheet dehydration is quite different from conventional drying method such as sun drying, hot-air blast drying and cold air blast drying in a sense that samples are dried without heat treatment. As a part of the studies to develope a new processing method for effective utilization of dark muscle fishes, the preparation of a good quality salted and semi-dried mackerel by the dehydrating sheet was attempted. The dehydration time for preparation of a salted and semi-dried mackerels containing approximately equal moisture content were revealed $180{\sim}510min$ in conventional drying method and $90{\sim}160min$ in this sheet dehydration, respectively. The moisture and histamine contents of those salted and semi-dried mackerels were $59.4{\sim}62.4%$ and $2.5{\sim}3.6 mg/100g$, respectively. The changes in peroxide value, fatty acid composition, brown pigment formation, myofibrillar protein solubility and Ca-ATPase activity during processing of the salted and semi-dried mackerel prepared by the sheet dehydration were more lower than those of products prepared by conventional drying methods. Therefore, these result showed that the quality of a salted and semi-dried mackerel prepared by the sheet dehydration was imperial to that of those products by conventional drying method.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.619-624
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• 1999

This work was to study the potential health food use of germinated colored rice after germinating and drying using microwave under vacuum. Colored rice was soaked in water at $15^{\circ}C$ for 2 days and then germinated at $25^{\circ}C$ for $3{\sim}4\;days$. The germinated colored rice was dried by different drying methods: microwave vacuum drying 1, microwave vacuum drying $2\;(drying{\rightarrow}crushing{\rightarrow}drying)$, hot air drying, vacuum drying and freeze drying. Each drier except freeze drier was set to maintain the sample temperature at $60^{\circ}C$. During microwave vacuum drying 1 or 2, the sample reached $60^{\circ}C$ much faster (within 5 min) and was dried much faster ($2{\sim}3\;hrs$ than the other drying methods. The initial drying rate of microwave vacuum drying was ten times faster than that of hot air drying. The microwave vacuum drying 2 retained the highest ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity, followed by microwave vacuum drying 1, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and hot air drying.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1064-1071
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• 2003

An investigation of various olive oils available in Korea was carried out to assess their quality properties such as color, oxidative stability, fatty acid composition, tocopherol content, sterol content and benzo(a)pyrene content. In color measurement, by using a Lovibond color scale and Hunter color difference meter, both a and b values of extra virgin olive oil were higher than those of pure olive oil by Tintometer (Lovibond PFX995). However, extra virgin olive oil showed higher a value and lower L value than pure olive oil by the Hunter color difference meter. In the rancimat test, the induction period of extra virgin olive oil $(38.03{\sim}8.47hr)$ was longer than that of pure olive oil $(32.40{\sim}9.94hr)$. In fatty acid composition, C18:1 $(72.01{\sim}78.53wt%)$ was present in the greatest amount, with lesser amounts of C18:2 $(4.88{\sim}10.36wt%)$ and C18:3 $(0.56{\sim}1.09wt%)$. The tocopherol content ranged from ${\alpha}-Toc\;4.09{\sim}13.89mg/100g$, ${\beta}-Toc\;0.57{\sim}1.34mg/100g$, and ${\gamma}-Toc$ $3.41{\sim}8.03mg/100g$, and ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ was found to be the main isomer in all oil samples. Therefore, there was little difference in the fatty acid composition and tocopherol content among the different types of olive oils. In sterol content, ${\beta}-sitosterol$ $(124.52{\sim}19.33mg/100g)$ and campesterol $(1.10{\sim}0.62mg/100g)$ of extra virgin olive oil were higher than that of pure olive oil $({\beta}-sitosterol\;92.68{\sim}17.44mg/100g,\;campesterol\;0.59{\sim}0.35mg/100g)$. Benzo(a)pyrene was found in almost all samples, with $0.287{\sim}0.106{\mu}g/kg$ in extra virgin olive oil and $1.204{\sim}2.130{\mu}g/kg$ in pure olive oil.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.283-287
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• 1986

E.O. and gamma irradiation treatment on the sterilization of ground samples of 5 different types of spices(red and black pepper, onion, garlic and ginger) were investigated. Populations of mesophilic bacteria, mesophilic spores, acid tolerant bacteria and fungi in various samples were $10^4-10^6/g,\;10^3-10^5/g,\;10^3-10^5/g\;and\;10^3-10^4/g$, respectively. Coliforms and osmophilic molds were found only in red and black pepper as $10^3-10^4/g$. A radiation dose of 5 to 7 kGy proved sufficient to redure the viable cell count of the total bacteria and fungi to the level of $10^3/g$ and they were sterilized completely by radiation dose of 10 kGy or more. Coliforms, mesophilic spores and acid tolerant bacteria were sterilized at 5,7 and 10 kGy, respectively. In the mean time $D_{10}$ values of each spices ranged from 1.38 to 2.88 kGy. Comparison of E.O. and gamma irradiation treatment showed that E.O. treatment was less effective than radiation in controlling microbial contamination in spices.