• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.197-204
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• 2019

BACKGROUND: Living modified microorganisms (LMMs) have been focused in two very different aspects of positive and negative effects on ecology and human health. As a model experiment, wild type and a foreign origin gene-harboring modified E. coli strains were subjected to comparison of their metabolomes and potential effects on soil microbiota in the laboratory sets. This study assumes the unintentional release of LMMs and tries to suggest potential effects on the soil microbiota even at minimal settings. METHODS AND RESULTS: Metabolomes from the wild type and LM E. coli were analyzed by NMR and the profiles were compared. In the laboratory soil experiments, the two types of E. coli were added to the soils and monitored for the bacterial community compositions. Those metabolomic profiles did not show significant differences. The microbial community structures from the time series soil DNAs for both the sets using wild type and LMO also did not indicate significant changes, but minor by the addition of foreign organisms regardless of wild or LMO. CONCLUSION: Even if the recombinant microorganism (LMO) is released into the soil environment, the survival of microorganisms in the environment would be one of the major factors for the transfers of foreign genes to other organisms and diffusion into the soil environment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.110-121
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• 2022

The effluents from industries processing vegetable oils are extremely rich in sulfates, often exceeding the maximum concentration allowed to release them to the environment. Biological sulfate reduction is a promising alternative for the removal of sulfates in this type of wastewater, which has other particularities such as an acidic pH. The ability to reduce sulfates has been widely described for a particular bacterial group (SRB: sulfate-reducing bacteria), although the reports describing its application for the treatment of sulfate-rich industrial wastewaters are scarce. In this work, we describe the use of a natural SRB-based consortium able to remove above 30% of sulfates in the wastewater from one of the largest edible oil industries in Peru. Metataxonomic analysis was used to analyse the interdependencies established between SRB and the native microbiota present in the wastewater samples, and the performance of the consortium was quantified for different sulfate concentrations in laboratory-scale reactors. Our results pave the way towards the use of this consortium as a low-cost, sustainable alternative for the treatment of larger volumes of wastewater coming from this type of industries.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.80-91
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• 2003

Mutans streptococci, especially S. mutans and S. sobrinus strongly implicated in pathogenesis of dental caries, the major cause of tooth loss in children. Use of an antibacterial agent controlling dental caries has been rationalized. The present study was performed to observe the antibacterial effect of inorganic polyphosphates (polyP) on S. mutans and S. sobrinus. S. mutans GS5 and S. sobrinus 6715 were grown in brain-heart infusion broth with or without polyP. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of polyP for S. mutans GS5 was determined to be 0.08% and that for S. sobrius 6715 was 0.17%. PolyP 15 added to the growing culture of S. mutans GS5 and S. sobrinus 6715 at their exponential phase was as effective in inhibiting the growth of S. mutans GS5 and S. sobrinus 6715 as polyP added at the very beginning of the culture. More than 85% of the cells lost their viability determined by viable cell count when polyP 15 was added to the culture of growing S. mutans GS5 at MIC, suggesting that polyP 15 has bacterial effect on the bacterium. And more than 99.9% of the cells lost their viability determined by viable cell count when polyP 15 was added to the culture of growing S. sobrinus 6715 at MIC, suggesting that polyP 15 has bacterial effect on the bacterium. Intracellular nucleotide release from S. mutans CS5 and S. sobrinus 6715 was increased in the presence of polyP 15 for 5h but was not really reversed by the addition of divalent cations like $Ca^{++}\;and\;Mg^{++}$. The majority of the cells appeared to be atypical in their shape, demonstrating accumulation of highly electron-dense granules and ghost cells. The overall results suggest that polyP have a strong bactericidal activity against S. mutans and S. sobrinus in which lysis in relation to chelation may not play the major role but unknown mechanism that possibly affects the viability of the bacterium may be involved. PolyP may be used as an agent for prevention of dental caries.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2004

Background : Bacterial infections in diabetic patients are an important cause of increased morbidity and mortality. It has been reported that bacterial infections in diabetics showed more impaired PMN functions such as reduced PMN respiratory burst and decreased microbicidal activity in inflammed tissues. Also, apoptosis(programmed cell death) is postulated to be a key mechanism for neutrophil elimination. It is very important that PMN apoptosis keeps the balance from an area of inflammation. Actuallly, as little was known about PMN apoptosis and respiratory burst in diabetes, we investigated PMN apoptosis and hydrogen peroxide production after endotoxin exposure. Methods : Peripheral venous blood samples were collected by routine venipuncture from healthy volunteers and diabetics to harvest neutrophils. We respectively measured the PMN apoptosis, the production of hydrogen peroxide, and the cell viability. Results : Normal neutrophils showed a tendency to decreased apoptosis after endotoxin treatment. In patients with diabetes, PMN apoptosis was significantly decreased compared with healthy controls. In addition, the LPS-induced neutrophils in diabetics demonstrated more decreased apoptosis. However, the production of hydrogen peroxide was not different between groups. Conclusion : These observations suggest that the decreased PMN apoptosis in diabetics with endotoxin exposure may also affect the increased susceptibility and severity of infections.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.67-73
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• 2011

Dental bacteria can cause gum diseases, i.e. gingivitis and periodontitis, by inducing inflammation in human gingiva. Therefore, the most effective way to prevent and treat gum diseases is the control of the inflammatory reactions induced by dental bacteria. Almost all present dental care products contain anti-bacterial agents to eliminate dental bacteria. However, recent studies report that even heat-killed dental bacteria can induce the inflammation responses in oral cells. Therefore, the method using anti-bacterial agents should be improved for better anti-inflammatory effect and the effective natural anti-inflammatory substances need to be found. In addition, the mechanisms of gingival inflammation should be elucidated. In this study, we tried to find out the mechanism of the gingival inflammation and effective natural anti-inflammatory substances with human gingival epithelial cells and Prevotella intermedia which is well known as a typical dental bacteria inducing gingivitis and periodontitis. In results, Prevotell intermedia initiated the gingival inflammation response by stimulating gingival epithelial cells to release an inflammatory cytokine, IL-8. Furthermore, the inflammation by Prevotella intermedia is related to COX-2, AP-1, and TNF-${\alpha}$ pathways. Green tea extract could effectively suppress the inflammatory responses induced by Prevotella intermedia. We find out the effective natural substance for the improvement of gum diseases by studying the mechanism of the gingival inflammation induced by dental bacteria.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.163-177
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• 2008

Periodontal disease, a form of chronic inflammatory bacterial infectious disease, is known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Porphyromonas gingivalis has been implicated in periodontal disease and widely studied for its role in the pathogenesis of CVD. A previous study demonstrating that periodontopathic P. gingivalis is involved in CVD showed that invasion of endothelial cells by the bacterium is accompanied by an increase in cytokine production, which may result in vascular atherosclerotic changes. The present study was performed in order to further elucidate the role of P. gingivalis in the process of atherosclerosis and CVD. For this purpose, invasion of human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) by P. gingivalis 381 and its isogenic mutants of KDP150 ($fimA^-$), CW120 ($ppk^-$) and KS7 ($relA^-$) was assessed using a metronidazole protection assay. Wild type P. gingivalis invaded HASMCs with an efficiency of 0.12%. In contrast, KDP150 failed to demonstrate any invasive ability. CW120 and KS7 showed relatively higher invasion efficiencies, but results for these variants were still negligible when compared to the wild type invasiveness. These results suggest that fimbriae are required for invasion and that energy metabolism in association with regulatory genes involved in stress and stringent response may also be important for this process. ELISA assays revealed that the invasive P. gingivalis 381 increased production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-$1{\beta}$ and the chemotactic cytokines (chemokine) IL (interleukin)-8 and monocyte chemotactic (MCP) protein-1 during the 30-90 min incubation periods (P<0.05). Expression of RANTES (regulation upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, a pattern recognition receptor (PRR), was increased in HASMCs infected with P. gingivalis 381 by RT-PCR analysis. P. gingivalis infection did not alter interferon-$\gamma$-inducible protein-10 expression in HASMCs. HASMC nonspecific necrosis and apoptotic cell death were measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and caspase activity assays, respectively. LDH release from HASMCs and HAMC caspase activity were significantly higher after a 90 min incubation with P. gingivalis 381. Taken together, P. gingivalis invasion of HASMCs induces inflammatory cytokine production, apoptotic cell death, and expression of TLR-4, a PRR which may react with the bacterial molecules and induce the expression of the chemokines IL-8, MCP-1 and RANTES. Overall, these results suggest that invasive P. gingivalis may participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, leading to CVD.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.spc
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• pp.21-26
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• 2008

The in situ incubation experiment was carried out using $^{13}C$ tracer to determine primary productivity and fatty acid production rate in the shallow, eutrophic Shingu reservoir on 4th July. Particulate organic matter (POM) accounted for 76% in suspended particulate matter (SPM), and average concentration of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ was $89{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ in the euphotic layer. Total amount of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ (Chl-${alpha}$), primary productivity and Chl-${alpha}$ specific productivity in euphotic layer were 112 mg Chl-${alpha}m^{-2}$, 3.53 g C $m^{-2}\;d^{-1}$, 32mg C mg Chl-${\alpha}^{-1}\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The fatty acid composition in newly produced organic matter and suspended organic matter didn't show any significant difference, demonstrating that autochthonous organic matter should be a major source of POM pool. In addition, the fatty acids of bacterial origin were increased through extracellular release of newly photosynthesized DOC, and closely coupled with bacterial assimilation. This result suggests that organic carbon should be actively cycled through the microbial loop in Shingu reservoir in summer.

• Journal of Internet of Things and Convergence
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.19-24
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• 2020

In the present study, using biological information of bacteria and biochemical information of chlorine dioxide gas, Gram-positive bacteria, e.g., Alloiococcus otitis, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, Staphylococcus caprae, Staphylococcus lentus, and gram-negative bacteria, e.g., Acinetobacter baumannii complex, Aeromonas salmonicida, Brucella melitensis, Oligella ureolytica were used whether a plastic kit to release ClO₂ gas could inhibit their growth. Overall, chlorine dioxide gas showed about 99% inhibition of bacterial growth, with less than 10 CFU. However, it was found that Gram positive Alloiococcus otitis and Gram negative Aeromonas salmonicida had more than about 50 CFU. When comparing the results of experiments with several bacteria, it suggested that the concentration of chlorine dioxide gas would be at least 10 ppm to 400 ppm for the bacterial inhibition. The results of this study could be used as basic data to evaluate the clinical usefulness of chlorine dioxide gas. If this study helps with prior knowledge to help clinicians to recognize and prevent the presence of micro-organisms that cause infections in hospitals, it would be helpful for activities such as patient care as a convergence field. In the future, it is considered that the research results will be the basis for rapidly inhibiting the microbes infected with patients by utilizing data of the information of the microbes that are inhibited for chlorine dioxide gas.

• Biomaterials Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.328-336
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• 2018

Background: Biogenic fabrication of silver nanoparticles from naturally occurring biomaterials provides an alternative, eco-friendly and cost-effective means of obtaining nanoparticles. It is a favourite pursuit of all scientists and has gained popularity because it prevents the environment from pollution. Our main objective to take up this project is to fabricate silver nanoparticles from lichen, Usnea longissima and explore their properties. In the present study, we report a benign method of biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous-ethanolic extract of Usnea longissima and their characterization by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Silver nanoparticles thus obtained were tested for antimicrobial activity against gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria. Results: Formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by the appearance of an absorption band at 400 nm in the UV-vis spectrum of the colloidal solution containing both the nanoparticles and U. longissima extract. Poly(ethylene glycol) coated silver nanoparticles showed additional absorption peaks at 424 and 450 nm. FTIR spectrum showed the involvement of amines, usnic acids, phenols, aldehydes and ketones in the reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles. Morphological studies showed three types of nanoparticles with an abundance of spherical shaped silver nanoparticles of 9.40-11.23 nm. Their average hydrodynamic diameter is 437.1 nm. Results of in vitro antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyrogenes, Streptococcus viridans, Corynebacterium xerosis, Corynebacterium diphtheriae (gram positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneuomoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram negative bacteria) showed that it was effective against tested bacterial strains. However, S. mutans, C. diphtheriae and P. aeruginosa were resistant to silver nanoparticles. Conclusion: Lichens are rarely exploited for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles. In the present work the lichen acts as reducing as well as capping agent. They can therefore, be used to synthesize metal nanoparticles and their size may be controlled by monitoring the concentration of extract and metal ions. Since they are antibacterial they may be used for the treatment of bacterial infections in man and animal. They can also be used in purification of water, in soaps and medicine. Their sustained release may be achieved by coating them with a suitable polymer. Silver nanoparticles fabricated from edible U. longissima are free from toxic chemicals and therefore they can be safely used in medicine and medical devices. These silver nanoparticles were stable for weeks therefore they can be stored for longer duration of time without decomposition.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2024

In this study, the antibacterial activity and mechanisms of bitter orange extract, a natural antibacterial agent, were investigated, with a focus on its potential application in washing water for controlling Salmonella Typhimurium contamination of salad, a ready-to-eat food. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was determined using the broth dilution method. Subsequently, S. Typhimurium was exposed to various concentrations of bitter orange extract (1/16 MIC-2 MIC) and growth curves were measured. Following treatment with bitter orange extract, we investigated its antibacterial mechanism by measuring intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, alterations in membrane potential and integrity, and nucleic acid leakage in S. Typhimurium. Additionally, salads artificially contaminated with S. Typhimurium were treated with different concentrations of bitter orange extract using the dipping method for various durations to assess the reduction effect. The MIC of bitter orange extract against S. Typhimurium was 195.313 mg/L, and bacterial growth was completely inhibited at a concentration of 1 MIC. Furthermore, an increase in bitter orange extract concentration correlated with elevated intracellular ROS levels, membrane potential disruption, membrane damage, and nucleic acid release. Importantly, salads treated with bitter orange extract exhibited a significant reduction in S. Typhimurium counts compared to the control, and prolonged treatment times resulted in further reductions in bacterial counts. Bitter orange extract was more effective than sodium hypochlorite and can be used as a safer salad wash. These findings indicate the potential treatment of salads to prevent foodborne illnesses.