• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.696-703
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• 2019

Cronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen causing serious infections in neonates. In this study, a bacteriophage ${\Phi}CS01$, which infects C. sakazakii, was isolated from swine feces and its morphology, growth parameters, and genomic analysis were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that ${\Phi}CS01$ has a spherical head and is 65.74 nm in diameter with a 98.75 nm contracted tail, suggesting that it belongs to the family Myoviridae. The major viral proteins are approximately 71 kDa and 64 kDa in size. The latent period of ${\Phi}CS01$ was shown to be 60 min, and the burst size was 90.7 pfu (plaque-forming units)/infected cell. Bacteriophage ${\Phi}CS01$ was stable at $4-60^{\circ}C$ for 1 h and lost infectivity after 1 h of heating at $70^{\circ}C$. Infectivity remained unaffected at pH 4-9 for 2 h, while the bacteriophage was inactivated at pH <3 or >10. The double-stranded ${\Phi}CS01$ DNA genome consists of 48,195 base pairs, with 75 predicted open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis is closely related to that of the previously reported C. sakazakii phage ESP2949-1. The newly isolated ${\Phi}CS01$ shows infectivity in the host bacterium C. sakazakii, indicating that it may be a promising alternative to antibacterial agents for the removal of C. sakazakii from powdered infant formulas.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.309-315
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• 2021

Pycnogenol extracted from pine bark is a component with great antibacterial activity and antioxidant effect. It is applied as a natural anti-inflammatory agent with various medical effects including anti-inflammatory effects, regulation of blood pressure, regulation of the immune system, and inhibition of cancer cell growth. However, research related to cosmetics is limited. Therefore, in this study, the effect of Pycnogenol on the skin was studied through a clinical approach. Changes in skin condition were observed after using cosmetics with Pycnogenol and without Pycnogenol for 6 weeks for 10 clinicians in each group. We observed the effect of pore reduction, wrinkle reduction around eyes, a decrease of the number and angle of loose pores, and reduction of pigmentation. Therefore, cosmetics containing Pycnogenol have the effect of improving skin problems of aging skin.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2019

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the antimicrobial effect of Platycodon grandiflorum extracts against oral microorganisms. Methods: The anti-microbial activity and minimal inhibitory concentration were measured the agar dilution method. Results: Platycodon grandiflorum extracts grew in the free agar plates all of the oral microorganisms. In the bark-free Platycodon grandiflorum extracts all the oral microorganisms grew in the free agar plates. Growth was inhibited at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. Oral microorganisms showed an absence of growth at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Conclusions: It was confirmed that the extracts of Platycodon grandiflorum having a higher saponin content than the bark - free Platycodon grandiflorum extract showed excellent antimicrobial effect.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.100-104
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• 2021

trans-Cinnamaldehyde (TCA), as one of the active ingredients in cinnamon, has been reported to have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects as well as anti-cancer effects in several cancer cell lines. However, reports of TCA in gastric cancer are rare, and its mechanism is unclear. In this study, we investigated the anti-proliferative effect of TCA and its mechanism in gastric cancer AGS cells. TCA dose-dependently inhibited the cell viability of AGS cells. Our results suggested that TCA induces apoptosis through changes in cell morphology. To elucidate its mechanism, we investigated the expression level of apoptosis-related proteins. TCA induced the expression of p53 and Bax proteins, and then increased the cleaved caspase 9 and cleaved PARP. These results indicated that TCA triggers apoptosis via p53 pathway in AGS cells. Our results suggested that TCA might be a new anticancer drug candidate for gastric cancer.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.136-144
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• 2021

Background: Zinc is known for modulating antiviral and antibacterial immunity and regulating inflammatory response. This study aimed to examine the effect of zinc supplementation on clinical outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients through systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Methods: PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library databases were searched for studies comparing zinc supplement group versus control group for clinical outcomes of COVID-19 up to November 3, 2020. The search results were updated on February 9, 2021. The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.4 software. Results: Total 4 studies were included in this systematic review. The zinc administered group had a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the control group (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.53-0.75, p<0.001), with significantly higher discharge rate (OR 1.32, 95% Cl 1.15-1.52, p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the intensive care unit admission rate (OR 1.07, 95% Cl 0.26-4.48, p=0.92), mechanical ventilation rate (OR 0.80, 95% Cl 0.45-1.41, p=0.44), and length of hospital stay (mean difference 0.75, 95% Cl -0.64 to 2.13, p=0.29) between the two groups. Conclusion: The meta-analysis of zinc administration showed positive clinical effects on the discharge rate and mortality of COVID-19 hospitalized patients. However, large-scale randomized controlled trial should be conducted for zinc to be considered as one of the adjuvant treatments.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2021

Platycodon (Platycodon grandiflorum) is used as a food and medicinal ingredient worldwide, particularly in Northeast Asia. Although a large number of studies have been conducted to determine its medicinal efficacy, there is still a paucity of literature summarizing the clinical activity of Platycodon. In this systematic review, we aimed to summarize the clinical efficacy of Platycodon. All literature describing the clinical efficacy of Platycodon was collected from international databases, and relevant papers were carefully evaluated for eligibility. Data were extracted from the selected papers and quality evaluation was conducted in accordance with the standards provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with all procedures being conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2009 checklist guidelines. After the removal of 342 papers, 644 studies were fully screened for their titles and abstracts, among which, 19 studies were finally selected for full summarization. Extraction of data indicated evidence of the effectiveness of Platycodon in the treatment of respiratory system-related diseases and cancer, and in the provision of immunity. However, we found that the quality and objectivity of evaluation, management of variable factors, sample size, and reproducibility were generally poor. Although Platycodon has shown potential antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and antidepressant effects, and promotion of immunity in clinical settings, it was not possible to integrate objective indicators to conduct a meta-analysis due to the lack of literature and insufficient studies. More investigations in the clinical setting should be conducted to confirm the functional effects of Platycodon.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.263-270
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• 2021

Allium Hookeri is a plant of the genus Allium, and prior research has been conducted on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, but studies on essential oil extraction are insufficient. Therefore, in this study, GC-MSD was performed by extracting essential oils for Allium Hookeri leaves, roots, and whole parts. The cytotoxicity, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of Allium Hookeri leaves were confirmed to confirm their potential as a cosmetic material. The yield of essential oil extraction from Allium Hookeri leaves, roots and whole parts was found to be 0.01, 0.02, 0.01%. As a result of analyzing the aroma components of GC-MSD, the main components of essential oil of Allium Hookeri leaves were Diallyl trisulfide (34.02%) and Methyl allyl trisulfide (25.14%). At a concentration of 10%, where cytotoxicity was not confirmed, 39.69% inhibition of NO production and 88.26% of DPPH radical scavenging activity were shown. Through this, the Allium Hookeri essential oil presents the possibility of being useful as a raw material with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in cosmetics.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.587-593
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• 2021

Infertility is a key issue affecting mood and behavior in men. Microorganisms are one of the primary etiological agents that may be associated with infertility. The objective of the present study was to identify bacterial causative agents from the semen of infertile subjects and determine the effect of bacterial infection on sperm quality, as well as determine the susceptibility of these bacteria to drugs. Forty semen samples from 30 infertile patients and 10 fertile individuals were collected. The pH, volume, motility, and concentration of semen were analyzed. The samples were processed and identified by biochemical testing using API identification kits. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern was determined using the disc diffusion method. Abnormal sperm quality was observed. The mean age of the individual and their sperm morphology, concentration, progressive motility, pH level, and pus cell content were 31.9 years, 2.7%, 10.4 million/ml, 27.3%, 8.3, and 5.7, respectively. Among the tested samples, oligoasthenozoospermia was found to show the highest occurrence, at 27/30 samples, followed by teratozoospermia, at 25/30 samples, and asthenozoospermia, at 22/30 samples. Of the tested infertile patients' sperm, 19, 6, and 5 isolates were identified as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, respectively. The results also revealed multi-drug resistance in the bacteria. Compared to that shown by the other tested antibiotics, amikacin showed higher activity against all isolated bacteria. However, the bacteria exhibited maximum resistance against gentamicin, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, and ampicillin. In conclusion, leukocytospermia and bacterial infections are possibly responsible for sperm abnormalities. Multi-drug resistant bacteria were detected. Gentamicin, cefotaxime, levofloxacin and ampicillin were shown the highest resistance, while amikacin was the most effective antimicrobial agent against the isolated bacteria.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.244-250
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of culture conditions on the growth and antibacterial activity of Streptococcus salivarius K12. Materials and Methods: S. salivarius K12 was cultivated in medium containing animal and plant protein or in medium of neutral and acidic conditions. The growth of S. salivarius K12 was measured every 2 hours by a spectrophotometer. The antimicrobial activity of S. salivarius K12 against Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis was investigated by the susceptibility assay using the spent culture medium. Results: the growth of S. salivarius K12 showed faster in medium containing plant protein and neutral pH condition. The antimicrobial and antifungal activity of S. salivarius K12 appeared stronger in medium containing plant protein than animal proteins. Conclusion: For application of S. salivarius K12 to bacterial oral disease, co-substances may be needed for S. salivarius K12 to colonize in the oral cavity and enhance the antimicrobial activity.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.142-152
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• 2022

The present study was aimed at examining the antibacterial effects of nonthermal decontamination processes, which are equivalent to thermal treatment, to ensure microbiological safety of raw ground chicken. Escherichia coli or Salmonella were inoculated into 25 g of raw ground chicken samples. The raw ground chicken samples were non-treated or treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 500 MPa (1-7 min), light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation at 405 nm wavelength (30-120 min), and heat at 70℃, 90℃ (1-60 min), and 121℃ (1-15 min). E. coli and Salmonella cell counts were enumerated after treatments. Moreover, the color parameters of treated raw ground chicken were analyzed. HHP treatment reduced E. coli and Salmonella cell counts by more than 5 Log CFU/g and more than 6 Log CFU/g after 7 min and 1 min, respectively; these effects were equivalent to those of thermal treatment. However, LED irradiation reduced Salmonella cell counts by only 0.9 Log CFU/g after 90 min of treatment, and it did not reduce E. coli cell counts for 90 min. Compared with those of the non-treated samples, the ΔE (total color difference) values of the samples treated with HHP were high, whereas the ΔE values of the samples treated with LED irradiation were low (1.93-2.98). These results indicate that despite color change by HHP treatment, HHP treatment at 500 MPa could be used as a non-thermal decontamination process equivalent to thermal treatment.