• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.245-250
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• 2005

This study was carried out to find out how space allowance affect the social behavior of Korean native cattle (Bos taurus coreanae) steers. Twelve Korean native cattle (Bos taurus coreanae) steers were used as subjects, each of which was 30-month-old and observation period was from June to July 2003. Five (T1) and seven (T2) steers were allotted to two pens of $5m{\times}10m$ in a building with slate roof and open sides respectively. They were fed at 09:00 h and 16:00 h, twice a day. The behaviors of steers were recorded from 06:00 h to 17:00 h, using two color CCD cameras (Samsung SDC-411, Korea), one B/W CCD cameras (Samsung SBC-340, Korea), one multiplexer (Samsung SDM-081, Korea) and a time lapse VCR (Samsung SRV-30, Korea). The behaviors of each steer were recorded every 2 min using an instantaneous point sampling method. While the mean percentage of time budget in WA of T1 was lower than that of T2 (p<0.05), the mean percentage of time budget in SF of T1 was higher than that of T2 (p<0.05). When it gets hot, steers in T1 rested from 10:00 h to 14:00 h when it gets cool, showing 40~80% of LD rate while steers in T2 rested from 12:00 h, when it very hot to 17:00 h, showing 20~50% of LD rate, which is relatively low. Steers in T1 were fed from 06:00 h to 08:00 h when it was cool and from 16:00 h to 18:00 h, showing 20~45% of EA rate while steers in T2 were fed from 08:00 h to 14:00 h when it was hot, showing 25~50% of EA rate. In conclusion, it turned out that the number of steers affected their social behavior, and T1 was better environment than T2 in terms of welfare.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.589-595
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• 2011

This work focused on screening and characterizing antibiotic-producing actinomycetes to develop new antibiotics that can overcome the growing resistance of disease-causing microbes. One-hundred actinomycetes strains were isolated from soil samples from Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea using various kinds of actinomycetes isolation media, including a starch casein agar medium and potato dextrose agar (PDA). Among them, strain BCNU 1030 was determined to show strong antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Biochemical, physiological, and 16S rRNA sequence analyses indicated that strain BCNU 1030 belonged to the genus Streptomyces. Strain BCNU 1030 exhibited antibiotic activity against a wide range of bacteria, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of BCNU 1030 dichloromethane extract was determined to be $0.78\;{\mu}g/ml$ for MRSA CCARM 3090. Therefore, Streptomyces sp. BCNU 1030 has potential for anti-MRSA drug development.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1463-1469
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• 2012

To add functional specialty in a traditional fermentation product, Gochujang, and improve the taste and preference, an optimum fermentation condition of Gochujang supplemented with tomato puree was established in the conditions of GCJ 14, -16, -18, and -20. Varying the salinity concentration and the manufactured fermentation products, Gochujang was analyzed by the chemical nature, change in bacterial characteristics and contents of a functional chemical, lycopene, and sensory taste. As a result, the pH change of Gochujang containing tomato puree with grain syrup was diminished during the fermentation process. Its sugar contents were repeated by the increase and decrease. In addition, the water contents, salinity, and chromaticity of the Gochujang showed no significant change. Regarding the change in bacterial characteristics, total bacterial number and lactic acid bacteria number increased, with the rate of increase depending on the fermentation process. The ratio of lactic acid bacteria number against total bacterial number was confirmed to be significantly high at the conditions of GCJ 18 and -20. No significant change in the contents of lycopene was observed during the fermentation process. Notably, the change in crude proteins, crude fat, crude ash, and carbohydrates in addition to a sensory examination including taste and preference of the manufactured Gochujang suggest that the optimal fermentation product is produced in the condition of GCJ 20. Therefore, functional Gochujang satisfying a modern preference can be produced by using tomato puree with grain syrup.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1047-1054
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• 2009

Oral squamous carcinoma (OSC) cells present resistance to chemotherapeutic agents-mediated apoptosis in the late stages of malignancy. Advances in the understanding of bacterial toxins have produced new strategies for the treatment of cancers. It was demonstrated here that Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (PEA) significantly decreased the viability of chemoresistant YD-9 cells in the apoptosis mechanism. Apoptotic manifestations were evident through changes in nuclear morphology and generation of DNA fragmentation. PEA treatment induced caspase-3, -6 and -9 cleavage, and activation. These events preceded proteolysis of the caspase substrates poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), DNA fragmentation factor 45 (DFF45), and lamin A in YD-9 cells. The reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c and SmacjDlABLO from mitochondria to cytosol, andtranslocation of AlF into nucleus were shown. While p53, p21 and $14-3-3{\gamma}$ were upregulated, cyclin Band cdc2 were downregulated by PEA treatment. Taken together, PEA induces apoptosis in chemoresistant YD-9 cells via activation of caspases, mitochondrial events and regulation of cell cycle genes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.388-395
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• 2010

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is generally known as an inducible enzyme, and it produces arachidonic acid to prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$), which has been demonstrated to play a critical role in inflammation. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the extracts of fermented beans including soybean (FS), black agabean (FBA) and yellow agabean (FYA), on the expression of COXs and production of $PGE_2$ in U937 human promonocytic cells. Treatment of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) significantly induced pro-inflammatory mediators such as COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production, whereas the levels of COX-1 remained unchanged. However, pre-treatment with FS, FBA and FYA significantly decreased PMA-induced COX-2 protein as well as mRNA, which is associated with inhibition of $PGE_2$ production. Moreover, FS, FBA and FYA markedly prevented the increase of nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) p65 by PMA. Our data indicate that the extracts of fermented beans exhibits anti-inflammatory properties by suppressing the transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes through the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.403-408
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• 2008

In this study, we compared with 80% ethanol extracts from peel of Poncirus trifoliata (PTP) and peel of Citrus junos (CJP) against antioxidant and immune activities. Total phenolics and flavonoids contents in PTP extracts were $60.75{\pm}1.15$ and $33.75{\pm}0.15$ mg/l00 g, respectively, and those were lower than CJP extracts. Antioxidant activities of PTP were increased with the more concentration, and were similar to CJP. Antioxidant activities of PTP were increased with increasing of concentration, and were similar to those of CJP. The NO production in macrophage cell lines were increased in a dose-dependent manner, until 5 mg/ml of CJP and 1 mg/ml of PTP compared with control cells, but decreased at higher concentrations. The proliferation of mouse spleen cells were increased in a dose-dependent manner, until 1 mg/ml of CJP and PTP compared with control cells but decreased at higher concentrations. The NO production in macrophage cell lines treated with PTP and CJP were increased in a dose-dependent manner, compared with untreated control cells until the concentrations of $1{\sim}5$ mg/ml (CJP) and 1 mg/ml (PTP) but decreased at higher concentrations than that. The proliferation of mouse spleen cells treated with PTP and CJP were increased in a dose-dependent manner, compared with untreated control cells until the concentration of 1 mg/ml but decreased at higher concentrations than that.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.873-879
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• 2014

The constituents from the needles of the pine tree, Pinus densiflora, were purified and investigated for antithrombotic activity. The needles were initially extracted three times with 70% ethanol, and the extract was sequentially fractionated with chloroform and n-butanol. The aqueous layer formed after n-butanol fractionation was subjected to purification by medium pressure and high pressure liquid chromatography. The two neolignans, 2, 3-dihydro-7-hydroxyl-3-hydroxymethyl-2-(4'-hydroxyl -3-methoxyphenyl)-5-benzofuranpropanol-3-O-${\alpha}$-rhamnopyranoside (a neolignan glycoside) and 2, 3-dihyro-3-hydroxymethyl-7-methoxy-2-(4'-hydroxyphenyl-3'-methoxy)-5-benxofuran propanol 4'-O-${\alpha}$-rhamnopyranoside (icariside $E_4$) were identified by $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR spectra. The effect of the purified compounds, the neolignan glycoside and icariside $E_4$ on thrombin inhibition were investigated by measuring thrombin clotting time in plasma. As a result, the clotting of the neolignan glycoside was delayed four times compared to that of icariside $E_4$. In addition, an analysis of the inhibition effect by changing the concentration showed that the clotting time was delayed in accordance with an increase in the concentration of the neolignan glycoside. Furthermore, we examined the interaction of thrombin and fibrinogen to clarify the action mechanism. As a result, the delay of clotting time in the response of thrombin and pure fibrinogen may indicate that neolignan glycosides inhibit the thrombin action in a direct manner, leading to the suppression of fibrin generation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.682-688
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• 2013

We investigated a physiological function by fermenting a medicinal mushroom, (Cudrania tricuspidata fruit). A fermentation using lactic acid bacteria and the extracts isolated from 70% ethanol fractionation was included in cultured mouse spleen cells for cytokine secretion. As a result, total polyphenol content improved by 47% by organic acid fermentation. This was regarded as immune activity in fermented C. tricuspidata fruits, as the levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 secretion increased. In addition, when the extracts were treated with a stimulant lipopolysaccharide, the secretion of helper T (Th) 1 cytokines IL-2, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ was suppressed, while the secretion of Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, and IL-10 significantly increased. Therefore, this study suggests that fermentative C. tricuspidata fruit extracts can contribute to the suppression of cellular immune reactions induced by the expression of Th1 cells and activation of the expression of Th2 cells inducing humoral immune reactions associated with the antibody generation by B lymphocytes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.361-367
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• 2013

Hizikia fusiformis has been widely used in Oriental herbal medicine and health food. To identify antioxidation properties that contain natural bioactive substances, we investigated the distribution of active compounds existing in batches of organic solvent fractionation. A dried form of H. fusiformis was subjected to sequential fractionation using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-BuOH, and aqueous n-BuOH. The results showed that among the four isolated fractions, the n-BuOH fraction showed the highest antioxidation activities. The n-BuOH fraction was applied to reserve-phase silica gel column chromatography, which produced three fractions: BA, BB, and BC. Among these fractions, BB showed the highest antioxidation activities, which increased in a concentration-dependent manner. At a concentration of 1.0 mg/ml n-BuOH fraction, the activities of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and reducing power were approximately $45{\pm}0.14%$ and $1.34{\pm}0.23$, respectively. In addition, the activities of ${\beta}$-carotene-linoleic acid, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)) radical scavenging were $76{\pm}0.12%$, $82{\pm}0.06%$, and $65{\pm}0.17%$, respectively. These findings suggest that the BB fraction contains potent antioxidation properties and that it could be used in the production of natural and functional foods.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1252-1259
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• 2013

To investigate the effects of a fibrinolytic enzyme, BK-17, on the growth of human cancer cells, we performed various biochemical experiments, including cell proliferation and viability, and investigated subsequent morphological changes and apoptosis induction. BK-17 treatment of AGS human gastric and T24 human bladder carcinoma cells decreased the viability and the proliferation of the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Microscopic studies indicated that the antiproliferative effects of the BK-17 treatment were associated with morphological changes, such as membrane shrinking, cell rounding up, and the formation of apoptotic bodies, indicating that BK-17 induced apoptosis in the cell lines. Of note, RT-PCR and Western blotting data indicated that the BK-17 treatment induced the down-regulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 members, Bcl-2 and $Bcl-X_L$, and the up-regulation of proapoptotic Bax members, Bax and Bad, in the AGS cells. BK-17-induced apoptosis of AGS cells was involved in the proteolytic activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Taken together, these findings suggest that BK-17 is associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death.