• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2001

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a drug of choice for the treatment of systemic fungal diseases, but its use is considerably limited due to a high incidence of toxicity, particularly nephrotoxicity. It has been demonstrated that the toxicity of AmB is caused by self-aggregated species of the drug and that unaggregated (monomeric) drug is nontoxic but still expresses antifungal activity. Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) is a water-soluble polymer, which may impact the aggregation state of AmB. We have studied the aggregation state of AmB as a function of PEO molecular weight and concentration. At 3,000 and 8,000 g/mole, there was minimal or no change of critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of AmB regardless of the concentration of polymer. By contrast at 20,000 g/mole, the CAC of AmB strikingly increased to 24.3 and $37.5\;{\mu}M$ at 5.0% and 10 % w/v of polymer, respectively. The critical overlap concentration (COC) of PEO 20,000 g/mole was 5.5%. It appears that an interaction between monomeric AmB and polymer coil increases above the COC, competing with self-aggregation of the drug. Accordingly, the degree of aggregation of AmB stayed low and the toxicity became less. There was no such effect at 3,000 and 8,000 g/mole of PEO, owing perhaps to small dimensions in comparison to AmB. Based upon these findings, less toxic AmB formulation may be developed by a pharmaceutical technique such as solid dispersion system containing both AmB and PEO 20,000 g/mole.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.289-295
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• 1996

This study was attempted to select an antagonist against Phytophthora blight of red-pepper caused by Phytophthora capsici. The three strains, A-35, A-67 and A-183 were isolated from the rhizosphere in soil where red-pepper had been cultivated continuously for a long time, and the strain A-83 was estimated to be the strongest antagonist against P. capsici. The A-183 strain was identified as a strain of Pseudomonas sp., showing the maximum antifungal activity, when cultured at $30^{\circ}C$ for 5 days in the potato extract medium(pH 6.5) containing 2.0% mannitol and 0.3% peptone.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.63-66
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• 2004

Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is one of the most widely cultivated medicinal herbs in Korea. However, yield losses reached up to 30-60％ due to various diseases during 3 or 5 years of ginseng cultivation in the country. Therefore, successful production of ginseng roots depends primarily on the control of diseases. The objective of this study was to select potential biocontrol agents from rhizobacteria isolated from various plant internal root tissues for the control of multiple ginseng diseases as an alternative to fungicides. Among 106 Bacillus strains, two promising biocontrol agents, Bacillus pumilus strain B1141 and Paenibacillus lentimobus strain B1146, were selected by screening against root rot of ginseng caused by Cylindrocarpon destructans in a greenhouse. Pre-inoculation of selected isolates to seed or l-year-old root of ginseng resulted in stimulation of shoot and/or root growth of seedlings, and successfully controlled root rot caused by C. destructans (P<0.05). Furthermore, drenching of cell suspension of the selected isolates on seedling-growing pots reduced the incidence of Phytophthora blight after the seedlings were challenged with zoospores of Phytophthora cactorum (P<0.05). P. lentimorbus strain B1146 showed antifungal activity against various soil-borne pathogens in vitro, while B. pumilus strain B1141 did not show any. Results of this study suggest that some rhizobacteria can induce resistance against various plant diseases on ginseng.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.162-166
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• 2005

Disease progress of gray blight of tea (Camellia sinensis O. Kuntze) cv. Yabukita was investigated during the growing season of 2004 at Boseong Tea Experiment Station, Jeonnam Agriculture Research and Extension Service, Boseong, Jeonnam. The disease began to occur from late June and peaked in late July. Antagonistic bacteria against Pestalotiopsis longiseta, the causal pathogen of causing gray blight of tea plants were isolated from phylloplanes of tea plants. An isolate BD0310 which showed the strongest antifungal activity against the pathogen but nonpathogenic to tea plants was selected as a biocontrol agent for the gray blight. The isolate was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on its cultural, morphological, and biochemical characterization and 16S rDNA sequence analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2012

Background: Curcumin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, and antinociceptive activity when administered systemically. We investigated the analgesic efficacy of intrathecal curcumin in a rat model of inflammatory pain. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats were prepared for intrathecal catheterization. Pain was evoked by injection of formalin solution (5%, $50{\mu}l$) into the hind paw. Curcumin doses of 62.5, 125, 250, and $500{\mu}g$were delivered through an intrathecal catheter to examine the flinching responses. The $ED_{50}$ values (half-maximal effective dose) with 95% confidence intervals of curcumin for both phases of the formalin test were calculated from the dose-response lines fitted by least-squares linear regression on a log scale. Results: In rats with intrathecal administration of curcumin, the flinching responses were significantly decreased in both phases. The slope of the regression line was significantly different from zero only in phase 2, and the $ED_{50}$ value (95% confidence interval) of curcumin was $511.4{\mu}g$ (23.5-1126.5). There was no apparent abnormal behavior following the administration of curcumin. Conclusions: Intrathecal administration of curcumin decreased inflammatory pain in rats, and further investigation to elucidate the precise mechanism of spinal action of curcumin is warranted.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.65-73
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• 2014

Chios Gum Mastic (CGM) is a natural resin extracted from the leaves of Pistacia lentiscus, a plant endemic to the Greek island of Chios. It has been used by traditional healers, and it has antibacterial, antifungal properties, and therapeutic benefits for the skin. The CGM reduces the formation of dental plaque and bacterial growth in oral saliva, and recent studies have demonstrated the role of antioxidant activity of CGM. Although CGM has been widely investigated, its protective effect against oxidative-damage to keratinocytes, as well as the relationship between CGM and autophagy, has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess the protective effect of CGM against $H_2O_2$-induced oxidative stress and to evaluate the autophagic features induced by CGM in human keratinocytes. The pretreatment with CGM significantly reduced apoptosis in $H_2O_2$-exposed HaCaT cells. It promoted the degradation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9; and it induced the formation of the processed PARP. The treatment with CGM caused an increase in vesicle formation compared to control group. The level of p62 was reduced and the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II was increased in CGM treated HaCaT cells. Also, the treatment with CGM increased cleavage of ATG5-ATG12 complex. In summary, CGM helps the cells to survive under stressful conditions by preventing apoptosis and enhancing autophagy. Besides, the present investigation provides evidence to support the antioxidant potential of CGM in vitro and opens up a new horizon for future experiments.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.93-97
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• 2015

PURPOSE. Xerostomia can diminish the quality of life, leads to changes in normal chemical composition of saliva and oral microbiata, and increases the risk for opportunistic infections, such as Candida albicans. Various artificial salivas have been considered for patients with xerostomia. However, the knowledge on the antifungal and antiadhesive activity of artificial saliva substitutes is limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate influence of two artificial salivas on the adhesion of Candida albicans to the polymethylmethacrylate disc specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Two commercial artificial salivas (Saliva Orthana and Biotene Oral Balance Gel) were selected. 45 polymethylmethacrylate disc specimens were prepared and randomly allocated into 3 groups; Saliva Orthana, Biotene-Oral Balance gel and distilled water. Specimens were stored in the artificial saliva or in the sterile distilled water for 60 minutes at $37^{\circ}C$. Then they were exposed to yeast suspensions including Candida albicans. Yeast cells were counted using ${\times}40$ magnification under a light microscope and data were analysed. RESULTS. Analysis of data indicated statistically significant difference in adhesion of Candida albicans among all experimental groups (P=.000). Findings indicated that Saliva Orthana had higher adhesion scores than the Biotene Oral Balance gel and distilled water (P<.05). CONCLUSION. In comparison of Saliva Orthana, the use of Biotene Oral Balance Gel including lysozyme, lactoferrin and peroxidase may be an appropriate treatment method to prevent of adhesion of Candida albicans and related infections in patients with xerostomia.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.68-77
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• 2011

Fifty five species of medicinal plant materials were tested for their antifungal activity in vitro against Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-1 and Trichoderma harzianum to select plant species that can be used to improve the biocontrol efficacy of T. harzianum. Six species were effective against R. solani AG 2-1 but were also antagonistic to T. harzianum, except for Cinnamomum loureirii stem bark (CSB). CSB inhibited mycelial growth of R. solani AG 2-1 by 73.7% but showed an inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of T. harzianum by only 2.2%. Scanning electron microscophs showed that the CSB treatment resulted in deformed R. solani AG 2-1 hyphal cells, and transmission electron microscophs revealed degenerated cell structures such as degenerated cytoplasm and disentangled cell wall and the accumulation of electron-dense inclusions (asterisks) in the CSB treatment. The biocontrol efficacy of radish damping-off increased greatly following the combined treatments of T. harzianum and CSB and the combined treatment increased efficacy from 6.4-23.1% to 37.1-87.3% compared with either treatment alone. CSB did not affect T. harzianum population growth, as it was almost the same in rice-bran peat medium (culture) amended with 0.1% and 1.0% CSB powder as in non-amended medium. The formulation of T. harzianum in rice-bran peat medium amended with CSB powder reduced the severity of radish damping-off by 80.6%, suggesting that T. harzianum and CSB can be formulated as a biocontrol product for the control of R. solani AG 2-1.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2011

A bacterial strain CH-67 which exhibits antagonism towards several plant pathogenic fungi such as Botrytis cinerea, Fulvia fulva, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Colletotrichum sp. and Phytophthora sp. was isolated from forest soil by a chitin-baiting method. This strain was identified as Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) and belonging to genomovar IX (Burkholderia pyrrocinia) by colony morphology, biochemical traits and molecular method like 16S rRNA and recA gene analysis. This strain was used to develop a bio-fungicide for the control of tomato leaf mold caused by Fulvia fulva. Various formulations of B. pyrrocinia CH-67 were prepared using fermentation cultures of the bacterium in rice oil medium. The result of pot experiments led to selection of the wettable powder formulation CH67-C containing modified starch as the best formulation for the control of tomato leaf mold. CH67-C, at 100-fold dilution, showed a control value of 85% against tomato leaf mold. Its disease control efficacy was not significantly different from that of the chemical fungicide triflumidazole. B. pyrrocinia CH-67 was also effective in controlling damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani PY-1 in crisphead lettuce and tomato plants. CH67-C formulation was recognized as a cell-free formulation since B. pyrrocinia CH-67 was all lethal during formulation process. This study provides an effective biocontrol formulation of biofungicide using B. pyrrocinia CH-67 to control tomato leaf mold and damping-off crisphead lettuce and tomato.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.282-289
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• 2017

Background: To investigate the possibility of using Asarum sieboldii as an environment-friendly fumigant for protecting organic cultural heritages, the inhibitory effect of A. sieboldii extract against wood rot fungi on Hanji was examined. Methods and Results: The physical, optical, and morphological properties of Hanji inoculated with Trametes versicolor and Tyromyces palustris, and exposed to the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract, were measured. The physical properties were expressed as weight loss, zero-span tensile strength and viscosity and the optical properties were depicted by luminance and chromaticity ($L^*$, $a^*$, and $b^*$). The results showed that, the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract inhibited the growth of fungi on Hanji, and preserved its condition. At a concentration of 25 mg, the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract maintained zero-span tensile strength, increased viscosity, and restricted discoloration of Hanji. It also was confirmed that the weight of fungi infested Hanji exposed to the extract did not decrease. Scanning electron microscopic images revealed that the spores and hyphae of T. versicolor and T. palustris were not present on Hanji during treatment with > 25 mg of the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract. Conclusions: These results indicate that the n-hexane fraction of A. sieboldii extract by virtue of its antifungal effectiveness may help in preserving Korean paper cultural heritages, including Hanji.