• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.176-186
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• 2016

For several decades, lactic acid bacterium (Lactobacillus graminis: LAB) has been generally recognized as safe. To develop the pan-environmental bio-control agent, algicidal activity of the live LAB cell and its culture filtrate (CF) was examined against Microcystis aeruginosa. LAB cells perfectly lysed M. aeruginosa within 3 days, while the CF had a less effect than the live cells, approximately 78% inhibition of algal growth during a same culture period. The concentration of microcystin in alone culture of M. aeruginosa was $7.1{\mu}gL^{-1}$, but gradually increased and leach $158.5{\mu}gL^{-1}$ on 10 days. However, LAB cells clearly decreased the microcystin by $10.3{\mu}gL^{-1}$ in the same period, approximately 93.5%. CF of LAB showed a strong algicidal activity over 75% between pH 2-7, 91.3% by the treatment of proteinase K, 87.8% by below 3 kDa in particle size, and 75.3% by heat treatment, respectively. Of five solvents, fractions of CF passed through solvents diethyl ether and ethyl acetate showed an obvious algicidal activity in the algal-lawn test. Among 5 fractions purified by silica-gel TLC plate, two spots showed a most strong removal activity on M. aeruginosa. Another analysis of GC indicate that CF contained six representative fatty acids. Even though most of these substance have been known as an anti-algal substance against M. aeruginosa, oleic acid is the most effective. These results suggested that the culture filtrate or specific substances, like a fatty acids, in comparison with live L. graminis can be a successful and eco-friendly agent to control Microcystis bloom.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.300-307
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• 2010

Photosensitized peroxidation of membrane lipids has been implicated in skin pathologies such as phototoxicity and premature aging. We have previously reported that syriacusin compounds isolated from Hibiscus Syriacus inhibited lipid peroxidation. Here, we investigated whether syriacusins could be effective inhibitor to skin aging using ultraviolet-irradiated human dermal fibroblast cells (HDFCs). Syriacusins A, B, and C inhibit the activity of human neutrophil elastase (HNE), a serine protease to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins including elastin, with $IC_{50}s$ of 8.0, 5.2, and $6.1\;{\mu}M$, respectively. No changes in cell viability were detected by syriacusins A and B in UV-B ($10\;mJ/cm^2$) irradiated HDFCs. Matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP)-1 expression in HDFCs was increased by UV-B irradiation. MMP-1 expression in UV-B irradiated HDFCs was decreased by $10\;{\mu}M$ and $20\;{\mu}M$ syriacusin A to 50% and 20% of untreated control, respectively. Syriacusin B treated with $20\;{\mu}M$ reduced MMP-1 expression in UV-B irradiated HDFCs to 60% of untreated control. Syriacusin A also inhibited MMP-2 expression accompanying the increase of type-I pro-collagen in UV-B irradiated HDFCs. These results demonstrate that syriacusin A could be a more effective compound to inhibit skin aging caused by UV irradiation. It suggests that syriacusins A and B might be developed as possible agents to treat or prevent skin aging.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-33
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• 2001

When mammalian oocytes ovulate into the oviduct, associating follicular fluid components are exposed to the oviductal environment, possibly resulting in the mutual interaction between fillicu1ar and oviductal fluids. In the Present study, we have demonstrated for the first time that components of fallicular fluid could be modified by the oviductal fluid. Gelatin zymographic analyses of human follicular fluid (hFF) obtained from IVF patients showed consistently the presence of 110 kDa gelatinase (GA110) in addition to many bands among which 62 kDa gelatinase was predominant. Addition of EDTA or phenanfhroline to the gelatinase substrate buffer during gel incubation abolished GA110 band whereas phenylmethylsulffnyl fluoride (PMSF) did not. In contrast, bovine oviductal fluid(bOF) exhibited only 62 kDa gelatinase. Surprisingly, when bOF was added to hFF in 1:1 ratio and then the mixture was incubated for 3 h at 37$^{\circ}$C, GA110 of hFF disappeared. Disappearance of GA110 by bOF was observed even within 30 min after mixing with hFF. Addition of aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) to hFF also abolished enzymatic activity of GA110 but increased the activityof 62 kDa gelatinase. However, APMA abolished many other gelatinases as well unlike bOF. Interestingly, treatment of hFF with EDTA for 3 h remarkably increased the enzymatic activity of GA110 but not that of other gelatinases. Addition of phenanthroline, PMSF or soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) did not affect overall gelatinase activities. Again, addition of bOF to the hFF pretreated with any of the above proteinase inhibitors abolished the appearance of GA110. Human serum also showed GAI 10 of which activity was greatlyenhanced by EDTA treatment. Similar to hFF, serum GA110 also disappeared by the addition of bOF. Human granulosa cell homogenate did not reveal any appreciable gelatinase activity except 92 kDa gelatinase. Anti-human gelatinase A antibody reacted with 62 kDa gelatinase of hFF. Based upon these results, it is concluded that bOF could selectively degrade an isoform of gelatinase A present in hFF and human serum.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2012

Fascioliasis is one of the public health problems in the world. Cysteine proteinases (CP) released by $Fasciola$ $gigantica$ play a key role in parasite feeding, migration through host tissues, and in immune evasion. There has been some evidence from several parasite systems that proteinases might have potential as protective antigens against parasitic infections. Cysteine proteinases were purified and tested in vaccine trials of sheep infected with the liver fluke. Multiple doses (2 mg of CP in Freund's adjuvant followed by 3 booster doses 1 mg each at 4 week intervals) were injected intramuscularly into sheep 1 week prior to infect orally with 300 $F.$ $gigantica$ metacercariae. All the sheep were humanely slaughtered 12 weeks after the first immunization. Changes in the worm burden, ova count, and humoral and cellular responses were evaluated. Significant reduction was observed in the worm burden (56.9%), bile egg count (70.7%), and fecel egg count (75.2%). Immunization with CP was also found to be associated with increases of total IgG, $IgG_1$, and $IgG_2$ ($P$<0.05). Data showed that the serum cytokine levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-12, IFN-${\gamma}$, and TNF-${\alpha}$, revealed significant decreases ($P$<0.05). However, the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels, IL-10, TGF-${\beta}$, and IL-6, showed significant increases ($P$<0.05). In conclusion, it has been found that CP released by $F.$ $gigantica$ are highly important candidates for a vaccine antigen because of their role in the fluke biology and host-parasite relationships.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2011

Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) is a popular vegetable in Asian countries. The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), an insect with worldwide distribution, is a main pest of Brassicaceae crops and causes enormous crop losses. Transfer of the anti-insect gene into the plant genome by transgenic technology and subsequent breeding of insect-resistant varieties will be an effective approach to reducing the damage caused by this pest. We have produced transgenic non-heading Chinese cabbage plants expressing the potato proteinase inhibitor II gene (pinII) and tested the pest resistance of these transgenic plants. Non-heading Chinese cabbages grown for 45 days on which buds had formed were used as experimental materials for Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration transformation. Forty-one resistant plants were selected from 1166 g of seed harvested from the infiltrated plants based on the resistance of the young seedlings to the herbicide Basta. The transgenic traits were further confirmed by the Chlorophenol red test, PCR, and genomic Southern blotting. The results showed that the bar and pinII genes were co-integrated into the resistant plant genome. A bioassay of insect resistance in the second generation of individual lines of the transgenic plants showed that DBM larvae fed on transgenic leaves were severely stunted and had a higher mortality than those fed on the wild-type leaves.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.757-766
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• 2012

The SSH100-10 bacterial strain, which exhibits strong antifungal (anti-mold and anti-yeast) activity, was isolated from traditional korean soysauce aged 100 years. The strain was identified as Bacillus velezensis based on Gram-staining, the biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequence determination. B. velezensis SSH100-10 showed strong proteinase activity and NaCl tolerance, but did not produce enterotoxin. Two-antifungal compounds from B. velezensis SSH100-10 were purified using SPE, preparative HPLC, and reverse phase-HPLC. The purified antifungal compounds were identified as $C_{14}$ and $C_{15}$ iturin through MALDI-TOF-MS and amino acid composition analysis. The stability characteristics of the antifungal compounds after temperature, pH, and enzyme treatments suggested that B. velezensis SSH100-10 produced more than two antifungal compounds; pH-stable $C_{14}$ iturin A and $C_{15}$ iturin A, and unidentified pH-unstable compounds. The results suggested that B. velezensis SSH100-10 can be used in soybean fermentation as a starter. Moreover it has potential as a biopreservative in the food and feed industry and as a biocontrol agent in the field of agriculture.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.163-186
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• 2000

We have previously screened 150 medicinal plants on the inhibition of elastase and found a significant inhibitory effects of the extracts of Areca catechu L. on the aging and inflammation against the skin tissues. To isolate and identify the compounds having biological activity, we was further purified by each of the solvent fractions, silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC and reversed-Phase HPLC. Peak in HPLC, which coincided with the inhibitory activity against elastase, was identified as Phenolic substance using various colorimetric methods, UV, and IR. $IC_{50}$/ values of phenolic substance purified from Areca catechu were 26.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) and 60.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for human neutrophil elastase (HNE). This Phenolic substance showed more potent activity than those of reference compounds, oleanolic acid (76.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for PPE, 219.2 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for HNE) and ursolic acid (31.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for PPE, 118.6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ for HNE). According to the Lineweaver-Burk Plots, the inhibition against both PPE and HNE by this phenolic substance was competitive with substrate. Phenolic substance from Areca catechu exhibited high free radical scavenging effect ($SC_{50}$/ : 6 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) and inhibited effectively hyaluronidase activity ($IC_{50}$/: 210 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$). These results suggest that the Phenolic substance Purified from Areca catechu showed anti-aging effect by protecting connective tissue proteins.