• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.880-888
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• 2015

Foeniculum vulgare (FV) has long been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In addition, it is usually known as an important medicinal and aromatic plant widely used as a carminative, digestive, lactogogue, and diuretic, and for treating respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. The skin barrier protects against the invasion of pathogens, fends off chemical and physical assaults, and protects against extensive water loss. In this study, the effects of solvent-fractionated FV fruits on strengthening the skin barrier and maintaining moisture, as well as their antifungal activity, were investigated in human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The expression of involucrin, loricrin, filaggrin, hyaluronic acid synthase, human β defensin, and cathelicidin genes and proteins was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. The production of hyaluronic acid was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The butanol fraction increased the expression of involucrin and filaggrin. Both the ethyl acetate and the butanol fractions increased hyaluronic acid production by promoting the expression of hyaluronic acid synthase-1. Although the antimicrobial peptides were increased by FV crude extract and its fractions, the samples did not show a significant effect compared to the normal group. These results suggest that the butanol fraction of FV could be very useful in cosmetics for the treatment of dermatological diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.904-911
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• 2012

Yacon has been used in folk medicines as a medicinal tea for hypoglycemia treatment. In a recent study described herein, antioxidative, antibacterial, antifungal activities, and cell-protective functions of yacon leaves have been reported. To evaluate the effects on fibrosis on pancreatitis, the efficacy of 1% of yacon extract (YE) on dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC) (8 mg/kg)-induced pancreatitis in rats was examined. On the 21st day after the DBTC treatment, a large increase in collagen was observed in the pancreas in the DBTC-treatment group (DT). But this was noticeably decreased with YE. In relation to the expression of COX-2, there was no response or a very weak response in the pancreas of the control group (CON). However, in DT, strong expression of COX-2 was observed in the pancreas on the 14th day, and COX-2 was present in inflammatory cells in the pancreas of the DT, especially on the 21st day. The expression was decreased for YE compared with DT. A remarkable increase in TGF-${\beta}1$ expression was observed in inflammatory cells in the pancreas in DT on the 21st day, whereas the expression was not found in YE after 21 days. However, on the 21th day, TGF-${\beta}1$ expression was increased in acinar cells of YE compared with DT. VEGF expression was very similar to the expression of in the pancreas. These results suggest that YE has an inhibitory effect on DBTC-induced pancreatic fibrosis.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.331-337
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• 2012

Citrus melanose is one of important disease in citrus cultivation, reducing quality of citrus fruits and resulting in economic loss. Like other diseases in citrus, melanose was mainly protected by chemical fungicide in the field. Recently, alternative method of disease control is highly required due to the side effect of the chemicals. In this study four rhizobacterial strains TRH423-3, MRL408-3, THJ609-3, and TRH415-2 are selected by dual-culture testing its antifungal activity against Diaporthe citri causing citrus melanose. To investigate the protection efficacy of the selected rhizobacterial strains to citrus melanose, the bacteria were pre-treated on citrus leaves following inoculation with melanose pathogen. Pre-treatment with all selected rhizobacterial strains showed disease suppression in which the levels of protection rates were different by the rhizobacterial strains. Additional treatment with the rhizobacterial strains after the pathogen inoculation enhanced protection rates in all cases. The strain MRL408-3 and TRH423-3 were identified as Burkholderia gladioli, TRH415-2 as Pseudomons fluorescens and THJ609-3 as Pseudomonas pudia as a result of analyzing the internal transcript spaces of the rhizobacterial strains rDNA. The selected rhizobacterial strains may be valuable as biological control agents in the environment-friendly citrus farm in which chemical application is limited.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2013

Slightly acidic hypochlorous water (SAHW) is well known for having a powerful and broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, and is harmless to the environment and humans. SAHW (pH 5~6.5, 20~30 ppm available chlorine concentration) was generated by electrolysis of dilute solution of HCl (4%) in a chamber of a non-membrane electrolytic cell. Our objective was to determine SAHW has a potential fungicidal activity on some phytopathogenic fungi. Spores of Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum acutatum and Phytophthora capsici were not culturable on agar media at approximately 10 seconds after treatment by SAHW. However, inactivation of Penicillium hirsutum was required over 3 min. Dilution of SAHW with sterilized distilled water (SDW) at the ratio of 1:1 (SAHW:SDW) against C. acutatum showed 100% inactivation but, the efficacy in 1:2 decreased until 63.2%. Control value of SAHW was 70.4% against C. acutatum on pepper fruits when applied upto 24 h postinoculation. SAHW has a powerful and wide spectrum antifungal activity and could be applied as a potential alternative to fungicidal agent for control of plant disease.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.309-314
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• 2015

Xylogone ganodermophthora (Xg) is an ascomycetous fungus that causes yellow rot on cultivated Ganoderma lucidum. Previously, we reported in vitro antifungal activities of a Xg culture extract against several watermelon pathogens. In 2014, we conducted greenhouse experiments to evaluate the control efficacy of a water extract of cultured Xg on watermelon powdery mildew (WPM). The test material (stock solution, ca. $4,000{\mu}g/ml$) was prepared by an autoclaved Xg culture in water at a ratio of 800 g of culture per 6 liter of water, and then filtering it through filter paper. Six foliar applications of the solutions (diluted 100- and 1,000-fold) significantly suppressed the formation of conidiophores and conidia. The inhibitory effect of aqueous potassium phosphonate solution on the disease and its phytotoxicity was tested. Phytotoxicity on watermelon plants was observed at concentrations of 1,000 and $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ as irregular brownish spots. The control efficacies against WPM were 91.9% at $2,000{\mu}g/ml$, 64.9% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$, and 62.2% at $500{\mu}g/ml$.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2005

The development of microbial inoculant was conducted using a by-product of oriental herbal medicine. The constituent of the by-product, which was high in organic matter, was 11.3% of crude protein, 5.1% of crude lipid, 49.7% of NDF (neutral detergent fiber), and 33.8% of ADF (acid detergent fiber). Microorganisms isolated from the by-product of oriental herbal medicine were 35 species. Among them, 6 bacterial species, 4 fungal species, 2 actnomycetes species, and 1 yeast species were effective in the utilization of the by-products. The 13 strains screened were tested for the plant growth-promoting effect in soybean seedling. BL-333 strain was found to increase the soybean yield by about 23% as compared with control. The strain BL-333 was identified as Paenibacillus marcerans. P. marcerans BL-333 showed high anti-fungal activities against virulent fungi, especially Fusarium sp. and Collectotrichum sp. Yields of plants which were inoculated with microbial inoculant prepared with P. marcerans BL-333 and by-product of oriental herbal medicine were found to be higher than control by $3{\sim}24%$. The yield was especially promoted in lettuce, radish, chinese cabbage and cucumber plants.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the usefulness of the aerial part of Cnidium officinale Makino as a bioactive material source. The aerial part(leaf and stem) of Cnidium officinale Makino was extracted with three kinds of solvents and determined their antimicrobial activities against several bacteria and yeast strains using the paper disc method and the microtiter dilution method. The extracts of the Cnidium offocinale aerial part exhibited the broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria, including food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts of Cnidium officinale also showed antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ethyl acetate extracts completely inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aerogenes, and moderately inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae at the concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. However, water extract of Cnidium officinale exhibited lower antimicrobial activity than ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. The inhibitory effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Cnidium officinale Makino was not destroyed by heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min or at $121^{\circ}C$... for 15 min. These results suggest that the aerial part of Cnidium officinale Makino could be a useful source for a natural antimicrobial material.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.480-491
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• 2017

Fluorescent pseudomonads have been isolated from halophytes, mesophytes, and xerophytes of Pakistan. Among these, eight isolates, GS-1, GS-3, GS-4, GS-6, GS-7, FS-2 (cactus), ARS-38 (cotton), and RP-4 (para grass), showed antifungal activity and were selected for detailed study. Based on biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequences, these were identified as strains of P. chlororaphis subsp. chlororaphis and aurantiaca. Secondary metabolites of these strains were analyzed by LC-MS. Phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), 2-hydroxy-phenazine, Cyclic Lipopeptide (white line-inducing principle (WLIP)), and lahorenoic acid A were detected in variable amounts in these strains. P. aurantiaca PB-St2 was used as a reference as it is known for the production of these compounds. The phzO and PCA genes were amplified to assure that production of these compounds is not an artifact. Indole acetic acid production was confirmed and quantified by HPLC. HCN and siderophore production by all strains was observed by plate assays. These strains did not solubilize phosphate, but five strains were positive for zinc solubilization. Wheat seedlings were inoculated with these strains to observe their effect on plant growth. P. aurantiaca strains PB-St2 and GS-6 and P. chlororaphis RP-4 significantly increased both root and shoot dry weights, as compared with uninoculated plants. However, P. aurantiaca strains FS-2 and ARS-38 significantly increased root and shoot dry weights, respectively. All strains except PB-St2 and ARS-38 significantly increased the root length. This is the first report of the isolation of P. aurantiaca from cotton and cactus, P. chlororaphis from para grass, WLIP and lahorenoic acid A production by P. chlororaphis, and zinc solubilization by P. chlororaphis and P. aurantiaca.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1319-1326
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• 2014

Rapamycin, produced by the soil bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus, has the ability to suppress the immune system and is used as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and immunosuppressive agent. In an attempt to increase the productivity of rapamycin, mutagenesis of wild-type Streptomyces hygroscopicus was performed using ultraviolet radiation, and the medium composition was optimized using glycerol (which is one of the cheapest starting substrates) by applying Plackett-Burman design and response surface methodology. Plackett-Burman design was used to analyze 14 medium constituents: M100 (maltodextrin), glycerol, soybean meal, soytone, yeast extract, $(NH_4)_2SO_4$, $\small{L}$-lysine, $KH_2PO_4$, $K_2HPO_4$, NaCl, $FeSO_4{cdot}7H_2O$, $CaCO_3$, 2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid, and the initial pH level. Glycerol, soytone, yeast extract, and $CaCO_3$ were analyzed to evaluate their effect on rapamycin production. The individual and interaction effects of the four selected variables were determined by Box-Behnken design, suggesting $CaCO_3$, soytone, and yeast extract have negative effects, but glycerol was a positive factor to determine rapamycin productivity. Medium optimization using statistical design resulted in a 45% ($220.7{\pm}5.7mg/l$) increase in rapamycin production for the Streptomyces hygroscopicus mutant, compared with the unoptimized production medium ($151.9{\pm}22.6mg/l$), and nearly 588% compared with wild-type Streptomyces hygroscopicus ($37.5{\pm}2.8mg/l$). The change in pH showed that $CaCO_3$ is a critical and negative factor for rapamycin production.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.325-331
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• 2008

This study was carried to investigate the efficiency of antimicrobial plant extracts as natural preservative in the cosmetic formulations. Ethanol extracts of different plants were tested using the disc diffusion (paper disc) method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method for their antimicrobial activity against the common poultry pathogens. Terminalia chebula and Rhus japonica (gallut) extracts exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Cinnmomum cassia extract exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger while the remaining plant extracts showed no activity. A study of the preservative efficacy of the cosmetic formular containing the T. chebula, R. japonica and C. cassia extracts demonstrated sufficient preservative efficacy against bacteria and eukaryotic test microbes. Also, the cosmetic formulations containing antimicrobial plant extracts more effectively inhibited the microoranisms than the mixture of traditional chemical preservatives. These results suggest that the mixture of antimicrobial plant extracts, T. chebula, R. japonica and C. cassia is incorporated as preservative in the cosmetic formulation and the mixture have considerable effect on its efficacy.