• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.506-511
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• 2009

In order to improve the bacterial cellulose(BC) production yield, centrifugal and inclined centrifugal impellers were developed. A 6 flat-blade turbine impeller was used as a control system. The flow pattern in the fermenter and volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient($k_La$) of these fermentation systems were studied. Fermentations were carried out for the production of BC by G. hansenii PJK in a 2-L jar fermenter equipped with new impellers. Liquid medium was circulated from the bottom, through the cylinder of the impeller and to the wall. The volumetric oxygen transfer coefficients, $k_La$, of inclined centrifugal and centrifugal impeller systems at 100 rpm were 23 and 15% of the conventional turbine impeller system, respectively. However, the conversion of microbial cells to cellulose non-producing mutant decreased and this results in the increase in BC production at low rotating speed of impellers.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.257-265
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• 2018

Sweetener is one of the additives that makes you feel sweet. Artificial sweeteners and sugar are typical examples, and sweetness proteins with sweetness characteristics have been widely studied. These studies elucidated the transformation lettuce cells with Agrobacterium method for stable production of natural sweet proteins, brazzein, thaumatin, and miraculin. In this paper, we report use of a plant expression system for production of sweet proteins. A synthetic gene encoding sweet proteins was placed under the control of constitutive promoters and transferred to lettuce. High and genetically stable expression of sweetener was confirmed in leaves by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Sweet proteins expressed in transgenic lettuce had sweetness-inducing activity. Results demonstrate recombinant sweet proteins correctly processed in transgenic lettuce plants, and that this production system could be a viable alternative to production from the native plant.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.440-449
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of taurine supplementation on serum lipidperoxide(TBARS), a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The subjects were 22 healthy middle-aged women(33 to 54 years). Serum lipids, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS), and plasma taurine levels were measured before and after supplying 3 g of taurine per day for 4 weeks. Plasma taurine was analyzed by Dabsyl-Cl(4-dimethylamino azobenzen-4-sulfonyl-chloride) derivatization and reversed-phase HPLC. Serum TBARS was measured by the Yagi method. Daily dietary taurine intake was calculated by food frequency questionnaire method. The weight and height means of the 22 subjects were $57.9{\pm}5.2$ kg and $159.2{\pm}5.2$ cm, respectively. Their percent body fat and waist/hip ratio(WHR) were 26.8% and 0.84, respectively, which were slightly higher than the average for middle-aged Korean women. Serum TC, TG and LDL-C levels tended to decrease after taurine supplementation, but HDL-C was not changed. A positive correlation between plasma taurine and HDL-C was shown after taurine supplementation. The serum TBARS concentration was significantly decreased from $5.05{\pm}0.84nmol/d{\ell}$ to $4.17{\pm}0.64nmol/d{\ell}$ after taking taurine(p<0.01), and the plasma taurine concentration was significantly increased from $63.7{\pm}14.2{\mu}mol/{\ell}$ to $73.8{\pm}16.6{\mu}mol/{\ell}$ after taurine supplementation(p<0.05). The average dietary intake of taurine was $178.5{\pm}50.4$ mg/day, which is similar to the average daily taurine intake of Korean women. In conclusion, taurine is an effective nutrient that antagonizes TBARS levels. Therefore, this study suggests that a sufficient taurine intake may be an effective way to prevent cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to determine the dose effects of taurine supplementation and effects of taurine depletion in diabetic rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed the purified diets and supplemented with 1, 2 or 3% taurine in drinking water for 7 weeks(E1, E2 and E3, respectively). To induce taurine depletion, rats were treated with 5% $\beta$-alanine in drinkeng water (EA). Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin injection(50mg/kg B.W) after 3 weeks. Taurine-depleted diabetic rats(EA)had significantly lower body weight compared to those of nondiabetic(CO), nontaurine-supplemented diabetic(E0) and taurine-supplemented diabetic rats(E1, E2 and E3). E0 had significantly higher food intake compared to that of CO and EA. E1, E2 and E3, however, had significantly lower food intake compared to that of E0, and E3 had significantly lower food intake compared to that of E1 and E2. E0 had significantly higher water intake compare to that of CO and EA. EI had significantly lower water intake compared to that of E0. Blood glucose concentration of E0 was significantly increased compared to that of CO and EA. E2 and E3 had significantly lower blood glucose concentration compared to E0 and E1. Also there was a dose effect in blood glucose concentration between E2 and E3. The total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations of EA were significantly increased compared to those of other groups. Therefore, it may be suggested that taurine supplementation is necessary for diabetes in order to prevent diabetic complications such as cardiac vascular diseases.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.825-833
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• 2002

The effects of dietary supplementation of Eleutherococcus senticosus, taurine and carnitine on maximal endurance exercise performance along with other related parameters were evaluated in rats that underwent aerobic exercise training for 6 weeks. Thirty-two male rats (4 weeks old) were randomly divided into 4 groups, and fed experimental diets and/or aerobic exercise trained according to the protocol: SC (sedentary control group), EC (exercise-trained control group), EE (exercise-trained Eleutherococcus senticosus-supplemented group), and EETC (exercise-trained Eleutherococcus senticosus, taurine and carnitine-supplemented group). The food efficiency ratio of EC rats was significantly lower than the value for SC rats (p < 0.01). Exercise-trained control animals (92 $\pm$ 8.8 min) could run significantly longer until exhausted on the treadmill than sedentary control rats (11 $\pm$ 0.8 min) (p < 0.001). Animals fed an Eleutherococcus senticosus-supplemented diet, and an Eleuthherococcus sonticosus, taurine and carnitine- supplemented diet while undergoing aerobic exercise training for 6 weeks exhibited, respectively, 8 and 5 minutes longer running performance until exhausted than the rats fed the control diet. The gastrocnemius muscle glycogen concentration of the rats, measured at 48 hours post maximal exercise performance test, was 43% higher in EC rats than the value for SC rats (p < 0.05), but was not different among EC, EE, and EETC rats. The mitochondrial citrate synthase activity of the soleus muscle was significantly higher in EC rats compared to the value for SC rats (p < 0.01), and showed a tendency to increase, without statistical significance, in EE or EETC rats compared to the value for EC rats. These results indicate that aerobic exercise training for 6 weeks significantly improved maximal exercise performance, muscle glycogen content along with citrate synthase activity, which are important in the energy metabolism of muscle under aerobic exercise. Dietary supplementation of Eleutherococcus senticosus in rats while undergoing aerobic exercise training improved maximal endurance exercise performance without significantly affecting muscle glycogen content and enzyme activities involved in energy metabolism during exercise. Taurine and carnitine supplementation failed to show an additive effect on maximal endurance exercise performance when consumed along with Eleutherococcus senticosus.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.314-319
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• 2001

In the present study, effects of $\beta$-alanine, a known taurine antagonist for its structural similarity, on the adaptive regulation and kinetic behavior of the taurine transporter were investigated in the HT-29, human colon carcinoma cell line. Pretreatment of the cell with $\beta$-alanine(10mM) for varying periods from 3 to 30 hrs significantly reduced the taurine uptake compared to the value for control cells. This decrease in the taurine transporter activity was dependent on the incubation time with $\beta$-alanine, and the maximal down-regulation of the transporter activity was observed in cells pretreated with $\beta$-alanine for 24 hrs (25% of the control value, p<0.01). The taurine transporter appears to bind exclusively with $\beta$-alanine in the HT-29 cells since the same concentration of $\alpha$-alanine added in the culture medium for 24 hrs did not influence the taurine uptake. Kinetic analyses of the taurine transporter activity was performed in the HT-29 cell line with varying taurine concentration (5~60$\mu$M) in the uptake medium. Active taurine uptake was significantly lower in $\beta$-alanine pretreated cells compared to the value for control cells in the range of taurine concentration used in the experiment (p<0.001). The cells pretreated with $\beta$-alanine showed a 50% lower maximal velocity (Vmax, 1.7$\pm$2.0 nmole.mg $protein^{-1}$.$30min^{-1}$), and a 99% higher Michaelis constant (Km, 40.3$\pm$7.6$\mu$M) than the control values (3.3$\pm$1.9 nmole.mg $protein^{-1}$.$30min^{-1}$, and 20.3$\pm$2.1$\mu$M, respectively). These results on kinetic data suggest that $\beta$-alanine induced down-regulation of the taurine transporter activity was associated with decreases in both maximal velocity and affinity of the transporter.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 2007

Although taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) can inhibit oxidative stress in both animal and epidemiological studies, it is obscure whether taurine directly scavenges oxy-radicals or indirectly regulates oxidant production and/or antioxidant defense system. The reason for this discrepancy remains unknown but may be due, in part, to the lack of a validated assay system for evaluating oxy-radical scavenging capacity. The antioxidant activities of taurine and hypotaurine (2-aminoethanesulfinic acid), a precursor of taurine, against peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrites were determined by the total oxy-radical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay and cell-based assay using H4IIE cells. tert-Butylhydroperoxide or hydrogen peroxide-induced cell toxicity determined by MTT assay was markedly inhibited by 10mM taurine or hypotaurine. The tert-butylhydroperoxide- or hydrogen peroxide-induced changes in oxidative stress markers, such as cellular glutathione and malondialdehyde, were ameliorated by 10mM taurine or hypotaurine. However, specific TOSC values calculated from the slope of the linear regression for taurine against peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals or peroxynitrites were all less than 1 TOSC/mM. On the other hand specific TOSC values for hypotaurine against peroxyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals or peroxynitrites were 48, 2096, or 69 TOSC/mM, respectively. These results suggest that taurine protects cells against oxidative insults, which is not ascribed to directly scavenging activity of taurine against oxy-radicals. These results support the idea that the oxidation state of sulfur in antioxidants may be a determinant of oxy-radical scavenging capacity.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.194-198
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• 2000

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid is widely distributed in animal tissues and has a variety of bio-logical activities. A recent worldwide study demonstrated beneficial effects of taurine on aging and age-associated disorders. In general, taurine levels in the brain decease when an animal is subjected to pathologic conditions such as ischemia-anoxia and seizure. But the taurine levles tend to increase in the brain in hypertensive state. In the present study, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) transport of [$^3$H]taurine was compared between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats (SD) using intravenous injection technique in vivo. We also obtained pharmacokinetic parameters of plasma volume maker, [$^{14}$ C] sucrose and [$^3$H]taurine after inject to rats simulatenously. BBB permeability surface area product (PS) value of [$^3$H]taurine in SHR (16$\pm$2.9$\times$10$^{-3}$ ml/min/g) was significantly higher than that in SD (7.4$\pm$0.8$\times$10$^{-3}$ ml/min/g). There is also significant difference for brain uptake of [$^3$H]taurine between SHR (0.195$\pm$0.031%ID/g) and SD (0.058$\pm$0.003% ID/g). This is due to difference of area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and that of total clearance (Class) between SHR and SD. No significant difference was indicated from other organ uptakes such as lung, heart, liver SHR and SD. But also kidney uptake was much higher in SHR. In conclusion, [$^3$H]taurine in plasma was slowly eliminated in SHR than in SD and uptake of [$^3$H]taurine in SHR is much higher than that of SD. This results suggest increased taurine level in the brain in hypertension state have an any effect on the brain uptake of taurine.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 2005

The propose of this study was to investigate taurine intake in formula-fed and breast-fed infants and to estimate the level of taurine of blood and urine in order to determine the requirement of taurine intake in infants. These results will be useful to suggest the guideline of requirement of taurine intake and may contribute toward the proper use of breast milk substitutes. Experimental groups were breast-fed infants (n=10) and formula-fed infants (n=10) of 20 normal delivery infants in general hospital. This study was longitudinal study from birth up to 16weeks (0 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks). The items of test were anthropometry(weight, height, head circumference, chest circumference), intake of taurine, taurine level of blood and urine in breast-fed and formula-fed infants. There were no significant differences between breast-fed and formula-fed infants in weight, height, head and chest circumference. There is a need for future studies of exclusive infants with larger samples to determine which growth pattern should be considered as the norm. Taurine concentration of plasma and urine did not differ between breast-fed and formula-fed infants. Taurine intake recommendations for infants is about 30mg/day from this study. This data will be useful for production of human-like formula milk and suggestion of an index of selection of a consumer in taurine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.1038-1042
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• 2007

Stycla claca (SC, miduduk in Korean) and Stycla plicata (SP, omangdungi in Korean) have been consumed as one of the most tasty seafoods in the southern coast of Korea. Liquors were prepared by soaking SC (whole, tunic, or flesh part) and SP (whole) in soju (alcohol content 30%) for 4 months, and then the characteristics were evaluated. Alcohol contents of the liquors decreased with increasing amounts of SC and SP. Antioxidant activities revealed by a radical scavenging activity showed that SC, especially flesh part, exhibited higher activity than SP in the liquors. Increasing the amount of SC and SP in liquors tended to decrease lightness and redness while increasing yellowness. In a sensory test, there was no significant difference between the liquors.