• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2013

In this study, euryhaline marine microorganism, Bacillus sp. strain EBW4 isolated from polychaete (Perinereis aibuhitensis) of Suncheon Bay was physiologically, biochemically and genetically characterized. Based on 16S rRNA sequence, EBW14 was found to share 98.25% similarity with Bacillus hemicentroti $JSM076093^T$, 97.96% similarity with Bacillus hwajinponensis SW-$72^T$ and 96.28% similarity with B. algicoa $KMM3737^T$, respectively. The temperature range for the growth of strain EBW4 was $4-40^{\circ}C$, NaCl concentration range 0-17% and pH range pH 5-9, revealing that EBW4 was euryhaline bacterium. Major fatty acids in strain EBW4 were composed of anteiso $C_{15:0}$ (48.2%), iso $C_{16:0}$ (12.1%), anteiso $C_{17:0}$ (11.6%) and iso $C_{14:0}$ (9.4%). EBW4 was found to have DNase, amylase, protease and lipase for the degradation of macromolecules such as DNA, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, etc. The enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase, esterase (C4), leucine arylamidase and ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin were also found in strain EBW4. Analysis of the biodegradation ability of EBW4 for organic hydrocarbons under different salinity conditions using synthetic water waste revealed that EBW4 exhibited the ability to degrade organic hydrocarbons very quickly, suggesting strain EBW4 may be a good candidate for the application to various industries.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 1976

Aconiti tuber butanol fraction has been recently known to have stimulatory effect on myocardial contractility. In the present study, the possibility that the Aconiti tuber butanol fraction acts directly on contractile proteins of myocardium has been investigated using natural actomyosin extracted from dog heart. It revealed that Aconiti tuber butanol fraction in concentrations from $10^{-2}{\sim}10^{-7}\;gm/ml$ had no stimulatory effect on either the $Mg^{++}$ or $Ca^{++}$-activated adenosinetriphosphatase activity of cardiac actomyosin. And no direct $Ca^{++}$-like action of the drug on cardiac actomyosin was also found. Aconiti tuber butanol fraction in concentrations above $10^{-4}\;gm/ml$, however, was somewhat stimulatory on superprecipitation of actomyosin and markedly inhibited the membrane bound $Na^+-K^+$-activated ATPase activity. In these connections, the positive inotropic action of Aconiti tuber butanol fraction on myocardium thus does not seem to reflect a direct interaction with contractile proteins, but the drug seem to stimulate myocardial contractility through the actions on the membrane transport of $Ca^{++}$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.713-719
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• 2011

In this study, we evaluated whether Lunasin Enriched Soybean (LES) suppressed 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) induced allergic contact dermatitis in vivo. In the group treated with DNCB alone, erythema and hemorrhage in the skin were observed, while the application of LES after DNCB treatment modulated erythema and hemorrhage similar to the untreated group. In histopathological analysis of the skin, DNCB-treated groups showed increased skin thickness compared to the untreated groups, while the treatment of LES dose-dependently modulated skin thickness. Also, hypertrophy and hyperkeratosis of the epidermis, intracellular edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed in the group treated with DNCB alone, while treatment of LES inhibited these inflammatory changes. DNCB also induced a significant up-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 expression, as compared to the untreated groups. However, the treatment of LES significantly decreased the down-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 expression, as compared to DNCB-treated groups. Also, LES reduced the IgE level in DNCB-stimulated groups. And lunasin from LES translocated the nucleus of the cells in the skin of Sprague-Dawley rats. Taken together, it is thought that LES has the potential to be used as an alternative treatment for allergic contact dermatitis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2014

Microwaves are non-ionizing electromagnetic waves of frequency between 300MHz to 300GHz and positioned between the X-ray and infrared rays in the electromagnetic spectrum. In recent years, the use of microwave for extraction of ingredient from plant material has shown remarkable research interest and potential. Scutellaria radix has been used as a traditional medicine for a variety of diseases. It has been reported to exert beneficial health effects, such as anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and free-radical scavenging. Oxidative stress or the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads neuronal cellular death and dysfunction, and it contributes to neuronal degenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke. In this study, we aimed to compare the neuroprotective and antioxidant effect of Scutellaria radix extracted by different methods using hot-water extraction (SBE-DW) or microwave extraction (SBE-DW-MW). As a result, we first examined HPLC analysis of hot-water and microwave extracts of Scutellaria radix. The hot-water and microwave extracts of Scutellaria radix showed the discernible difference patterns of HPLC analysis. Microwave-water extracts of Scutellaria radix increased DPPH radical scavenging activity more than hot-water extraction. Microwave-water extracts of Scutellaria radix also showed neuroprotective effects and ROS inhibition against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in mouse hippocampal HT22 cells, but hot-water extraction not showed. In addition, the phosphorylation of MAPKs induced by glutamate insult was prevented by microwave-water extracts of Scutellaria radix. Thus, these results suggested that microwave extraction can be utilized for improving the extraction efficiency and biological activity of Scutellaria radix.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-150
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• 2015

Thirty-two actinomycetes isolates from Korean forest soil were screened for their nematicidal and reproduction suppression activity against pine wood nematode (PWN) which is widely spread in Korea. Culture filterates of 21 isolates showed more than 90% mortality at 2-fold concentration. Among them, AM210, SG16, YD116 and YD315 were more effective than others on reproduction of PWN. The YD116 isolate was identified as Streptomyces atratus by morphological and 16S rDNA analyses. Hydrazine hydrate, similar to hydrazidomycin which has cytotoxicity among substances from S. atratus against PWN, was tested for its nematicidal activity. Ten ppm of the hydrate showed 60.8% mortality. Additional studies are needed for practical use of the S. atratus YD116 isolate.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.262-266
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• 2008

Purpose : Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a polymorphic supergene family of detoxification enzymes that are involved in the metabolism of numerous diseases. Several allelic variants of GSTs show impaired enzyme activity and are suspected to increase the susceptibility to diseases. Bilirubin is bound efficiently by GST members. The most commonly expressed gene in the liver is GSTM1, and GSTT1 is expressed predominantly in the liver and kidneys. To ascertain the relationship between GST and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, the distribution of the polymorphisms of GSTT1 and GSTM1 were investigated in this study. Methods : Genomic DNA was isolated from 88 patients and 186 healthy controls. The genotypes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results : The overall frequency of the GSTM1 null was lower in patients compared to controls (P=0.0187, Odds ratio (OR) =0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.31-0.88). Also, the GSTT1 null was lower in patients compared to controls (P=0.0014, OR=0.41, 95% CI=0.24-0.70). Moreover, the frequency of the null type of both, in the combination of GSTM1 and GSTT1, was significantly reduced in jaundiced patients (P=0.0008, OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.17-0.61). Conclusion : We hypothesized that GSTM1 and GSTT1 might be associated with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. However, the GSTT1 and GSTM1 null type was reduced in patients. Therefore the null GSTT1, null GSTM1, and null type of both in the combination of GSTM1 and GSTT1 may be not a risk factor of neonatal jaundice.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.331-340
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• 1998

We determined the incidence of activation, male pronuclear formation and apposition of pronuclei in porcine oocytes following intracy-toplasmic injection of various porcine sperm components and foreign species spermatozoa, such as mouse, human or cattle. The porcine oocytes were activated by injection of a spermatozoon or an isolated sperm head. Neither isolated sperm tail nor perinuclear material removed sperm head activated oocytes. Because injection of mouse, bovine or human spermatozoon activated porcine oocytes, the sperm born activation factors is not strict species specific. Male pronuclear formation and pronuclear apposition were observed in the porcine oocytes following injection of porcine, bovine, mouse or human spermatozoa. The electrical stimulation following sperm cell injection did not enhance the incidence of male pronuclear formation nor pronuclear apposition comparent with sperm cell injection alone (p>0.1). Mitosis and two cell division in some oocytes were observed at 20 to 24 h after injection of porcine spermatozoon. However, none of oocytes following injection of mouse, bovine or human spermatozoa developed to the mitotic metaphase or normally divided to the two cell stage. These results suggested that the oocyte activating factor(s) presented in the perinuclear material and it is not species specific for the porcine oocyte.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2008

In order to obtain yeast cells producing a bacteriocin OR-7, the 180 bp polynucleotide corresponding to the OR-7 gene including codons for start and stop was chemically synthesized and cloned into pAUR123, an yeast expression vector. Transformed yeast cells exhibited growth inhibition of Bacillus subtilis, Campylobacter jeuni, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This result indicates that yeast cells producing OR-7 possess bacteriocidal properties against both Gram positive B. subtilis and Gram negative C. jejuni, E. coli and P. aeruginosa cells. The recombinant yeast strain constructed in this study can be applied in the food preservative or animal feed.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.280-291
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• 2007

Much research has been conducted in the field of phytoremediation since the discovery of the range of plants known as hyperaccumulators. Research has focused simultaneously on elucidating the mechanism of metal(loid) accumulation and development of practical techniques to enhance accumulation efficiency. To date, it is generally understood that there are five specific mechanisms employed by hyperaccumulating plant species that are either not or under utilized by non-hyperaccumulators. These include 1) enhanced metal(loid)s uptake through the root cell, 2) enhanced translocation in plant tissue, 3) detoxification and sequestration, 4) enhanced metal availability in soil:root interface, and 5) active root foraging toward metal(loid) enriched soils. Among these mechanisms, understanding of the plant-root effect on metal(loid) dynamics and subsequent plant uptake is vital to overcome the inherit limitation of phytoremediation caused by low metal(loid) solubility in soils. Plant roots can influence the soil chemistry in the rhizosphere through changes in pH and exudation of organic compounds such as low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) which consequently change metal(loid) solubility. The decrease in soil pH by plant release of $H^+$ results in increased metal solubility. Elevated levels of organic compounds in response to high metal soil concentrations by plant exudation may also increases metal concentration in soil solution through formation of organometallic complexes.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.208-211
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• 2011

Limonoids are abundant as bitter taste in citrus fruit and other plants. Interestingly. limonoid UDP-glucosyltransferase (LUGT) effectively ameliorates the bitterness from limonoid. The high level of LUGT expression in Escherichia coli can result in the formation of insoluble aggregates known as inclusion bodies. We isolated the soluble LUGT protein when this inclusion body was renaturated with ${\beta}$-cyclidextrin treatment after protein denaturation by urea. Our present results suggest that the isolation of LUGT from inclusion body in cells leads to shed light to characterize the enzyme for food industry purposes.