• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.11
• /
• pp.1028-1036
• /
• 2021

Firefly luciferase (FLuc) can function as an efficient marker in the gene and viral therapies. Nonetheless, its clinical translation has been unaccomplished with the concerns on its exogenous nature and the similarity with human fatty acyl-CoA synthetase. In this study, we aimed to show safety of FLuc by conducting a set of preclinical experiments and a human use. Initially, FLuc permeability across the plasma membrane was investigated by delivering the FLuc-carrying viral vector, OTS-412, or the FLuc recombinant protein. After in vitro infection of OTS-412 into different cancer cell lines, FLuc activity was detected only in the cell lysates, but not in culture media. In addition, recombinant FLuc protein further showed the impermeability against the plasma membrane. Similar result was also observed in the in vivo experiment. After being injected into the VX2 tumor-bearing rabbit, the FLuc exclusively resided within the tumor tissue without being detected in the blood plasma or other organs. Human cancer cell lines originated from various organs were lysed and treated to the FLuc, and none of the human substrates was reactive against the FLuc. As a final step, FLuc recombinant protein was intravenously injected into a human. The luciferase was degraded with the half-life of 20 to 30 minutes in blood, and was untraceable from 1.5 hr after the injection. In addition, the blood plasma was nonresponsive against the fatty acids. Hematological analysis was also comparable between the pre- and post-injection. Altogether, our study collectively demonstrates the safety of the firefly luciferase.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.72-82
• /
• 2024

This study aimed to develop a scientifically and systematically standardized xylooligosaccharide analytical method that can be applied to products with various formulations. The analysis method was conducted using HPLC with Cadenza C₁₈ column, involving pre-column derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazoline (PMP) and UV detection at 254 nm. The xylooligosaccharide content was analyzed by converting xylooligosaccharide into xylose through acid hydrolysis. The pre-treated methods were compared and evaluated by varying sonication time, acid hydrolysis time, and concentration. Optimal equipment conditions were achieved with a mobile phase consisting of 20 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6)-acetonitrile (78:22, v/v) through isocratic elution at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min (254 nm). Furthermore, we validated the advanced standardized analysis method to support the suitability of the proposed analytical procedure such as specificity, linearity, detection limits (LOD), quantitative limits (LOQ), accuracy, and precision. The standardized analysis method is now in use for monitoring relevant health-functional food products available in the market. Our results have demonstrated that the standardized analysis method is expected to enhance the reliability of quality control for healthy functional foods containing xylooligosaccharide.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.179-200
• /
• 1989

Mucor miehei rennet(MR) was added as calf rennet(CR) substitutes in the fixed amounts of mixed rennets in making Camembert cheese. The conditions in the variations of chemical composition: water-soluble nitrogen, non-caseinic nitrogen, non-proteinic nitrogen, amino nitrogen, ammoniacal nitorgen, electrophoresis, molecular fractionation, mineral distribution, texture characterisitics, free amino acids and free fatty acids, were checked up with the sensory test and the chesse yields at each ripening period. The results obtained by investigating the utility of Mucor rennet were summarized as follows: 1. CR chesse, MR cheese and the mixed-rennet chesse failed to show any significant difference in their yields of 15%. 2. The contents of protein, fat and ash in MR cheese gave lower value than CR cheese did and with progress of ripening lactose decreased rapidly after 14 days of ripening. The difference among the rate of addition of mucor rennet was not recognized. 3. The WSN contents of 5 fresh sample chesse were from 14.7% to 17.3% and WSN increased from 39.7% to 41.0% with progress of ripening. After 21 days of ripening MR chesse had more WSN than CR cheese did. In NCN and ammoniacal nitrogen MR cheese showed higher value. 4. As the ripening progressed, MR chesse showed more cystein, phenylalanine and proline than CR chesse did but it failed to show any increase in aspartic acid, threonine and glutamic acid etc. 5. In the content of free fatty acid MR chesse showed higher value than CR cheese did and with the progress of ripening fatty acids increased from 8.36 mEq to 26.36 mEq but did not show any significant difference in the cheese types by the coagulant ratio. 6. Ca contents in the sample chesse were 0.238-0.27%, Mg 0.019-0.022%, Na 0.910-1.047%, and K 0.175-0.200%. The important non-sedimentable Ca in casein remained from 61 % to 77% without regard the ripening periods and added-rennets and Mg remained from 59.1% to 92.5% in non-sedimentable and water-soluble conditions. 7. In the fractionation of protein by ultrafilteration, MW> $5{\times}10^4$ decresed from 95% at the beginning period of ripening to 45% and MW< $10^4$ increased from 0.2% to 38% and definite caseinolysis was shown in all samples. 8. All the cheese showed to different electrophoretic patterns for the added-amounts of mucor rennet in the 14 days of ripenig. In the 28 days or ripening, MR cheese kept some bands on the patterns compared with CR cheese. 9. In vitro digestibility increased from 81.48-94.81 % to 94.47-98.61% but failed to show any significant difference in the cheese types by the coagulant ratio. 10. In hardness, MR cheese showed lower value compared with CR cheese as the ripening progressed. 11. The results of the sensory test failed to show any difference in flora rind, feelings in mouth and hands, deep structure, flavor and bitterness between CR Camembert cheese and MR Camembert chesse.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.17
• /
• pp.115-133
• /
• 1974

This study was done on the metabolism of chemical components during the seed development of ginseng. The changes of the chemical components were inspected in the following periods: from the early stage of flower organ formation to flowering time, from the early stage of fruiting to maturity, during the moisture stratification before sowing. From flower bud forming stage to meiosis stage, the changes in the fresh weight, dry weight, contents of carbohydrates, and contents of nitrogen compounds were slight while the content of TCA soluble phosphorus and especially the content of organic phosphorus increased markedly. From meiosis stage to microspore stage the fresh and dry weights increase greatly. Also, the total nitrogen content increases in this period. Insolub]e nitrogen was 62-70% of the total nitrogen content; the increase of insoluble nitrogen seems to have resulted form the synthesis of protein. The content of soluble sugar (reducing and non-reducing sugar) increases greatly but there was no observable increase in starch content. In this same period, TCA soluble phosphorus reached the maximum level of 85.4% of the total phosphorus. TCA insoluble phosphorus remained at the minimum content level of 14.6%. After the pollen maturation stage and during the flowering period the dry weight increased markedly and insolub]e nitrogen also increased to the level of 67% of the total nitrogen content. Also in this stage, the organic phosphorus content decreased and was found in lesser amounts than inorganic phosphorus. A rapid increase in the starch content was also observed at this stage. In the first three weeks after fruiting the ginseng fruit grows rapidly. Ninety percent of the fresh weight of ripened ginseng seed is obtained in this period. Also, total nitrogen content increased by seven times. As the fruits ripened, insoluble nitrogen increased from 65% of the total nitrogen to 80% while soluble nitrogen decreased from 35% to 20%. By the beginning of the red-ripening period, the total phosphoric acid content increased by eight times and was at its peak. In this same period, TCA soluble phosphorus was 90% of total phosphorus content and organic phosphorus had increased by 29 times. Lipid-phosphorus, nucleic acid-phosphorus and protein-phosphorus also increased during this stage. The rate of increase in carbohydrates was similar to the rate of increase in fresh weight and it was observed at its highest point three weeks after fruiting. Soluble sugar content was also highest at this time; it begins to decrease after the first three weeks. At the red-ripening stage, soluble sugar content increased again slightly, but never reached its previous level. The level of crude starch increased gradually reaching its height, 2.36% of total dry weight, a week before red-ripening, but compared with the content level of other soluble sugars crude starch content was always low. When the seeds ripened completely, more than 80% of the soluble sugar was non-reducing sugar, indicating that sucrose is the main reserve material of carbohydrates in ginseng seeds. Since endosperm of the ripened ginseng seeds contain more than 60% lipids, lipids can be said to be the most abundant reserve material in ginseng seeds; they are more abundant than carbohydrates, protein, or any other component. During the moisture stratification, ginseng seeds absorb quantities of water. Lipids, protein and starch stored in the seeds become soluble by hydrolysis and the contents of sugar, inorganic phosphorus, phospho-lipid, nucleic acid-phosphorus, protein phosphorus, and soluble nitrogen increase. By sowing time, the middle of November, embryo of the seeds grows to 4.2-4.7mm and the water content of the seeds amounts to 50-60% of the total seed weight. Also, by this time, much budding material has been accumulated. On the other hand, dry stored ginseng seeds undergo some changes. The water content of the seeds decreases to 5% and there is an observable change in the carbohydraes but the content of lipid and nitrogen compounds did not change as much as carbohydrates.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.16-22
• /
• 1975

This experiment was carried out to investigate the physiological characteristics of two original yeasts, 5-Y-5 and 6-Y-6, which selected from 24 Takju yeasts and three mutants, 30-24,30-81 and 40-27. induced from two original yeasts by the irradiation of UV light. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Alcohol tolerances of three mutants were decreased in some degree as compared with those of original yeasts. 2) Tolerances of lactic and citric acids of acid producing mutant 30-81, was increased than those of original yeasts. 3) In the case of using ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source, two original yeasts and three mutants required Ca-pantothenate as a essential growth factor and four strains of yeasts except the mutant, 30-81, required biotin as a stimulated growth factor, When asparagine was used as a nitrogen source, two original yeasts and three mutants showed the same as above result but the stimulated effect of biotin was far less. 4) Propagation powers of the mutants were weaken than those of original yeasts, particular that of acid producing mutant, 30-81, was the weakest in the three mutants. 5) The optimum temperature for fermentation of original yeasts were $30^{\circ}C\;to\;35^{\circ}C$ but three mutants were $25^{\circ}C\;to\;30^{\circ}C$. 6) The optimum pH for fermentation of original yeasts were pH 5 to 6, and there is no appreciable difference between original yeasts and three mutants. The fermentation power of mutant,30-81, was decreased more rapidly than those of other mutants according to approach neutral. Three mutants were more sensible to heat than original yeasts. 7) Two original yeasts and three mutants were inhibited more over 20 percent of sugar for fermentation and three mutants were more sensible to sugar concentration than original yeasts.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.407-428
• /
• 1991

The eastern coastal area having variability of climate is located within Taebaek mountain range and the east coast of Korea. It is therefore ease to cause the wind damages in paddy field during rice growing season. The wind damages to rice plant in this area were mainly caused by the Fohn wind (dry and hot wind) blowing over the Taebaek mountain range and the cold humid wind from the coast. The dry wind cause such as the white head, broken leaves, cut-leaves, dried leaves, shattering of grain, glume discolouration and lodging, On the other hand the cold humid wind derived from Ootsuku air mass in summer cause such symptom as the poor rice growth, degeneration of rachis brenches and poor ripening. To minimize the wind damages and utilize as a preparatory data for wind injury of rice in future, several experiments such as the selection of wind resistant variety to wind damage, determination of optimum transplanting date, improvement of fertilizer application methods, improvement of soils and effect of wind break net were carried out for 8 years from 1982 to 1989 in the eastern coastal area. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. According to available statisical data from Korean meteorological services (1954-1989) it is apperent that cold humid winds frequently cause damage to rice fields from August 10th to September 10th, it is therefore advisable to plan rice cultivation in such a way that the heading date should not be later than August 10th. 2. During the rice production season, two winds cause severe damage to the rice fields in eastern coastal area of Korea. One is the Fohn winds blowing over the Taebaek mountain range and the other is the cold humid wind form the coast. The frequency of occurrence of each wind was 25%. 3. To avoid damage caused by typhoon winds three different varieties of rice were planted at various areas. 4. In the eastern coastal area of Korea, the optimum ripening temperature for rice was about 22.2$^{\circ}C$ and the optimum heading date wad August 10th. The optimum transplanting time for the earily maturity variety was June 10th., medium maturity variety was May 20th and that of late maturity was May 10th by means of growing days degree (GDD) from transplanting date to heading date. 5.38% of this coastal area is sandy loamy soil while 28% is high humus soil. These soil types are very poor for rice cultivation. In this coastal area, the water table is high, the drainage is poor and the water temperature is low. The low water temperature makes it difficult for urea to dissolve, as a result rice growth was delayed, and the rice plant became sterile. But over application of urea resulted in blast disease in rice plants. It is therefore advise that Ammonium sulphate is used in this area instead of urea. 6. The low temperature of the soil inhibits activities of microorganism for phosphorus utilization so the rice plant could not easily absorb the phosphorus in the soil. Therefore phosphorus should be applied in splits from transplanting to panicle initiation rather than based application. 7. Wind damage was severe in the sandy loamy soil as compared to clay soils. With the application of silicate. compost and soil from mointain area. the sand loamy soil was improved for rice grain colour and ripening. 8. The use of wind break nets created a mocro-climate such as increased air. soil and water temperature as well as the reduction of wind velocity by 30%. This hastened rice growth, reduced white head and glume discolouration. improved rice quality and increased yield. 9. Two meter high wind break net was used around the rice experimental fields and the top of it. The material was polyethylene sheets. The optimum spacing was 0.5Cm x 0.5Cm. and that of setting up the wind break net was before panicle initiation. With this set up, the field was avoided off th cold humid wind and the Fohn. The yield in the treatment was 20% higher than the control. 10. After typhoon, paddy field was irrigated deeply and water was sprayed to reduce white head, glume discolouration, so rice yield was increased because of increasing ripening ratio and 1, 000 grain weight.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.91-116
• /
• 1979

This paper is to investigate the standing crops and microfungal flora in soil in Phyllostachys reticulata forests in both the Yesan area (A) and the Kwangsan area (B). The stand density of the bamboo revealed 17,250 shoots per ha in area A, and in area B 14,780 shoots which were 16.1% less in number than area A. In respect to the environmental factors between the two areas, the mean temperature during the growth period was $1.5{\sim}2^{\circ}C$ higher in area B than in area A, soil tempeature also was $1{\sim}2^{\circ}C$ higher in area B, and the total quantities of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and organic compounds contained in the soil of area B were also slightly higher than those of area A. In area B the quantities of dried leaf matter, humus, and vegetation in the bamboo forest were also larger than in area A. In addition, five more species of microfungi which playa role in the decomposition of the various organic materials in the bamboo forests were identified in area B: Mortierella elongata, Mucor circinelloides, Aspergillus japonicus, Penicillium waksmani and Trichoderma lignorum. The atmospheric temperature in the inner portions of the bamboo forests was lower than the outside temperature, but the humidity was higher. The rates of relative illuminance were measured in area A at 4.19%, and in area B at 2.7%. These values revealed that the photosynthetic acitivity in the lower part of the bamboo was lost but it was considered that lower illuminance increased the microfungal activities in the vicinity of the surface soil. Since the productive structure of the bamboo showed that the maximum amount of photosynthesis was located in the upper portion of the bamboo in area B, it was considered to be an effective structure in maintaining the high productivity of the bamboo. The allometric relation between $D^2H$ and dry weight of stems(Ws), branches(Wb) and leaves(Wl) of the bamboo in area A were appoximated by log Ws=0.5262 log $D^2H$+1.9546; log Wb=0.6288 log $D^2H$+1.5723; log Wl=0.5181 log $D^2H$+1.8732, and those of the bamboo in area B were approximated by log Ws=0.5433 log $D^2H$+1.8610; log Wb=0.1630 log $D^2H$+2.3475; log Wl=0.4509 log $D^2H$+2.0041. From the above, the standing crops in area A were measured thus: Ws was 1,128. 83kg; Wb, 689.05kg; Wl, 926.69kg and Wl, 2,744.57kg per 10a. In area B, Ws was 1,206. 66kg; Wb, 679.92kg; Wl, 1,112.51kg and Wt, 2.999kg per l0a. Significant differences from the result of t-test were for $D^2H$ Ws, Wl and Wt between areas A and B. But no significant difference was found for Wb. In order to record as completely as possible the microfungal flora of the areas, every possible means was tried, and 158 strains of fungi were isolated, and of these, the microfungi of 55 species were identified. The dominant species were Trichoderma viride, Penicillium janthinellum, P. commune, Aspergillus oryzae, A. niger, A. gigantus, A. fumigatus, Mortierella ramaniana, var. anguliFPora, Mucor hiemalis and Zygorhynchus moelleri. According to the above results, it was revealed that optimum soil, the increases of soil materials, more species of soil microfungi, and the atmospheric temperature during the growth period have made the bamboo flourish and bring more species and larger quantities of vegetation in the bamboo forests. The correlation between the standing crops and environmental factors in the bamboo forest is considered to be a complicated relationship of all the factors, but the stand density is thought to be the most important factor involved.