• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.164-171
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• 2007

This experiment was conducted to investigate heavy metal speciation and bioavailability from soil to the edible parts of water dropwort near industrial complex. The soils and water dropwort were collected from the paddies cultivating water dropwort(10 sites), stream sediments(5 sites), and background soils(3 sites) near industrial complex. The total concentrations of Cd Cu, and Ni were higher than those of permissible level for soil contamination(Cd 3, Cu 100, Ni $50mg\;kg^{-1}$ in soil) suggested by Kloke(1979). Dominant chemical forms of Cd in paddies cultivating water dropwort and stream sediments were exchangeable form(49.1-56.3%), and those of Cu, Zn, and Ni were Fe and Mn oxide bound and residual forms. The mobility factor of heavy metals in paddies cultivating water dropwort and stream sediments was in the order Cd>Zn>Ni>Cu>Pb, specially, the mobility factor of Cd (62-72%) were relatively higher than that of other metals in soils. The total concentrations of Cd in soils showed significant positive correlation with the ratios of exchangeable and Fe and Mn oxide bound forms, while correlated negatively with residual form. Heavy metal contents in root parts were higher than those in top parts of water dropwort. The bioavailability of water dropwort varied considerably between the different parts and heavy metals. Cd, Cu and Ni contents in water dropwort were correlated with each fractions in soils. Specially, the exchangeable form of Cd and Ni in soils showed significant positive correlation with the those contents of water dropwort.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.550-558
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• 2021

In a radiotracer study, the bioaccumulation and efflux of metals in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to soil spiked with ZnO and Ag nanoparticles (AgNP) were compared to those exposed to soil spiked with ionic Zn and Ag. Additionally, the bioavailability and chemical mobility of nano- and ionic metals in the soil were estimated using the sequential extraction method and compared to the bioaccumulation factor(BAF). The BAF for ZnO (0.06) was 31 times lower than that for Zn ions (1.86), suggesting that ZnO was less bioavailable than the ionic form in contaminated soil. In contrast, the BAFs for two types of AgNPs coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (0.12) or citrate (0.11) were comparable to those of ionic Ag (0.17). The sequential extraction of metals from the soil suggests that the chemically mobile fractions in the Zn ion treatment were higher(35%) than those (<20%) in the Ag ion treatment, which was consistent with the greater BAFs in the former than the latter. However, the chemical mobility in the ZnO treatments did not predict bioavailability. The efflux rates of Ag (3.2-3.8% d^-1) in the worms were 2-3×those(1.2-1.7% d^-1) for Zn.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.518-524
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• 2014

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural field near at the abandoned metal mines has been a critical issue in Korea. In particular, bioaccumulation in plants can have detrimental effect on human health. Main objective of this research was to examine arsenic (As) concentration in soil with varied extraction methods and to determine bioaccumulation and biological transfer factor in different crops. Results showed that bioaccumulation ratio of As for total contents in soil was ordered leafy and stem vegetables (1.19%) > fruit bearing vegetables (0.79%) > pulses (0.40%) > root vegetables (0.36%) with different crop species. Among 6 different extraction methods, all of extraction methods showed high correlation ($R^2=0.87-0.97$) except DTPA ($R^2=0.25$) when comparing As concentration in soil extracted with different extractants and As concentration in each crops. Calculated biological transfer factor was ranged 0.002-0.018 depending on crop species. Overall, concentration of As in crops can be varied and best management practice for minimizing bioaccumulation of As should be considered depending on crop species.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.676-686
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• 2013

Background To overcome the potential drawbacks of a short half-life and dose-related adverse effects of using active transforming growth factor-beta 1 for cartilage engineering, a cell-mediated latent growth factor activation strategy was developed incorporating latent transforming growth factor-${\beta}$1 (LTGF) into an electrospun poly(L-lactide) scaffold. Methods The electrospun scaffold was surface modified with NH3 plasma and biofunctionalised with LTGF to produce both random and orientated biofunctionalised electrospun scaffolds. Scaffold surface chemical analysis and growth factor bioavailability assays were performed. In vitro biocompatibility and human nasal chondrocyte gene expression with these biofunctionalised electrospun scaffold templates were assessed. In vivo chondrogenic activity and chondrocyte gene expression were evaluated in athymic rats. Results Chemical analysis demonstrated that LTGF anchored to the scaffolds was available for enzymatic, chemical and cell activation. The biofunctionalised scaffolds were non-toxic. Gene expression suggested chondrocyte re-differentiation after 14 days in culture. By 6 weeks, the implanted biofunctionalised scaffolds had induced highly passaged chondrocytes to re-express Col2A1 and produce type II collagen. Conclusions We have demonstrated a proof of concept for cell-mediated activation of anchored growth factors using a novel biofunctionalised scaffold in cartilage engineering. This presents a platform for development of protein delivery systems and for tissue engineering.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 1999

This study was carried out to compare the bioavailability of Hanmi clarithromycin (250 mg/tablet) with that of $Klaricid^{(R)}$ The bioavailability was examined on 20 volunteers who received a single dose (500 mg) of each drug in the fasting state in a randomized balanced 2-way crossover design. After dosing, blood samples were collected for a period of 12 hours. Plasma samples were analyzed for clarithromycin and roxithromycin(internal standard) by HPLC/Coulometric BCD. The pharmaco-kinetic parameters ($AUC_{0-l2hr}$, Cmax, Tmax, $AUC_{inf}$, Ka, Kel, $t_{1/2}$, Vd/F and Cl/F) were calculated from the plasma clarithromycin concentration-time data of each volunteer. The computer program 'WinNonlin' was used for compartmental analysis. One compartment model with first-order input, from order output with lag time, weighting factor $l/y^2$ was chosen as the appropriate pharmacokinetic model. The major pharmacokinetic parameters ($AUC_{0-l2hr},\;AUC_{inf}$, Cmax and Tmax) of Hanmi clarithromycin were $10.7\pm0.5\;{\mu}g{\cdot}hr{\cdot}ml^{-1},\;12.7\pm0.7\;{\mu}g{\cdot}hr{\cdot}ml^{-1},\;1.7\pm0.1\;{\mu}g/ml\;and\;2.0\pm0.2\;hr$, respectively, and those of $Klaricid^{(R)}\;were\;9.8\pm0.5\;{\mu}g{\cdot}hr{\cdot}ml^{-1},\;11.7\pm0.6\;{\mu}g{\cdot}hr{\cdot}ml^{-1},\;1.6\pm0.1\;{\mu}g/ml\;and\;2.1\pm0.1\;hr$, respectively. The differences in mean values of $AUC_{0-l2hr},\;AUC_{inf}$ and Cmax between two products were $9.88\%,\;8.94%\;and\;6.59\%$, respectively. The least significant differences at $\alpha=0.05$ for $AUC_{0-l2hr},\;AUC_{inf}$ and Cmax were $16.08\%,\;17.81\%\;and\;18.94\%$, respectively. Though the plasma clarithromycin concentrations of Hanmi clarithromycin were higher than those of $Klaricid^{(R)}$ at all observed times, the bioavailability of Hanmi clarithromycin appeared to be bioequivalent with that of $Klaricid^{(R)}$. The Ka, Kel, $t_{1/2}$, Vd/F and Cl/F of the Hanmi clarithromycin were $2.69\pm0.53\;hr^{-1},\;0.18\pm0.01 hr^{-1},\;3.9\;hr,\;248.8\pm11.4\;L\;and\;43.7\pm2.6\;L/hr$, respectively, and those of $Klaricid^{(R)} were 2.19\pm0.51\;hr^{-1},\;0.18\pm0.02\;hr^{-1},\;3.7\;hr,\;266.7\pm22.4\;L\;and\;45.3\pm2.8L/hr$, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between two drugs in all pharmacokinetic parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1668-1676
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• 2010

The somatotropic axis plays a key role in proliferation and differentiation of avian organs during both pre- and posthatching periods. This review discusses the complexity of regulation of the endocrine system for chicken development and growth by growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and IGF binding protein (IGFBP). In addition, the thyrotropic axis, including thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid hormones ($T_4$ and $T_3$), is also involved in the GH-secreting pattern. In mammals, IGFI and -II are always sequestered in a 150 kDa non-covalent ternary complex. This complex consists of one molecule each of IGF-I or IGF-II, IGFBP-3 or IGFBP-5 and an acid labile subunit (ALS). Chick ALS is identified in different strains for the first time, and further investigation of the expression of ALS on developmental stage and ALS effect on IGF bioavailability may be addressed in the future.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.795-799
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• 2006

Peptides, although high efficacy and specificity in their physiological function, usually have low therapeutical activities due to their poor bioavailability when administrated orally. Nanoparticles have been regarded as a useful vector for targeted drug delivery system because they can protect drug from being degraded quickly and pass the gastrointestinal barriers. Here we described a novel oral N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles formulation containing thymopentin (Tp5-TMC-NP). N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC) was synthesized and then used to prepare Tp5-TMC-NP by ionotropic gelation. A three-factor, five-level CCD (Central Composite Design) design was used in the optimization procedure, with HPLC as the analyzing method. The resulting Tp5-TMC-NP had a regular spherical surface and a narrow particle size range with a mean diameter of 110.6 nm. The average entrapment efficiency was 78.8%. The lyophilized Tp5-TMC-NP formulation was stable in $4^{\circ}C\;or\;-20^{\circ}C$ after storage of 3 months without obvious changes in morphology, particle size, pH and entrapment ratio. The results of the flow cytometer determination showed that the ratio of $CD4^+/CD8^+$ of Wistar female rat given Tp5-TMC-NP (ig) was 2.59 time that of the group given Tp5 (ig).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1561-1569
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• 2019

Curcumin, the major bioactive constituent of turmeric, has been reported to have a wide range of pharmacological benefits; however, the low solubility in water has restricted its systemic bioavailability and therapeutic potential. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of turmeric fermentation on its curcumin content and anti-inflammatory activity by using several lactic acid bacteria. Fermentation with Lactobacillus fermentum significantly increased the curcumin content by 9.76% while showing no cytotoxicity in RAW 246.7 cells, as compared to the unfermented turmeric, regardless of the concentration of L. fermentum-fermented turmeric. The L. fermentum-fermented turmeric also promoted cell survival; a significantly higher number of viable cells in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells were observed as compared to those treated with unfermented turmeric. It also displayed promising DPPH scavenging ($7.88{\pm}3.36%$) and anti-inflammatory activities by significantly reducing the nitrite level and suppressing the expression of the pro-apoptotic tumor necrosis factor-alpha and Toll-like receptor-4 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Western blot analysis further revealed that the anti-inflammatory activity of the fermented turmeric was exerted through suppression of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signal pathway, but not in unfermented turmeric. Taken together, the results suggested that fermentation with lactic acid bacteria increases the curcumin content of turmeric without increasing its cytotoxicity, while strengthening the specific pharmacological activity, thus, highlighting its potential application as a functional food ingredient.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.403-410
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• 2019

Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol isolated from the Curcuma longa L. plant, has many pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemo-preventive activities. Curcumin has been shown to have potential in preventing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the low bioavailability of curcumin has proven to be a major limiting factor in its clinical adoption. Theracurmin, a highly bioavailable curcumin that utilizes micronized technology showed improved biological absorbability in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of theracurmin in modulating hepatic lipid metabolism in vivo. A fatty liver mouse model was produced by feeding mice a high fat diet (HFD; 60% fat) for 12 weeks. We found that treatment for 12 weeks with theracurmin significantly lowered plasma triacylglycerol (TG) levels and reduced HFD-induced liver fat accumulation. Theracurmin treatment lowered hepatic TG and total cholesterol (T-CHO) levels in HFD-fed mice compared to controls. In addition, theracurmin administration significantly reduced lipid peroxidation and cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species in HFD-fed mice. Overall, these results suggest that theracurmin has the ability to control lipid metabolism and can potentially serve as an effective therapeutic remedy for the prevention of fatty liver.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.156-165
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• 2024

Sprout products, such as broccoli, alfalfa, and cabbage, have positive health effects. Thus far, sprout foods have attracted attention owing to their good bioavailability. In particular, young broccoli sprouts exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects. They contain 100 times more chemoprotective substances than adult broccoli. This study examined the anti-inflammatory effects of freeze-dried young sprout broccoli (FD-YB) in vitro using RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The FD-YB powder antioxidant ability test showed that the radical-scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity increased in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, FD-YB was not cytotoxic to RAW264.7 cells, and nitric oxide production decreased after the FD-YB treatment of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, FD-YB significantly decreased the expression of inflammation-related proteins (Cyclooxygenase-2, Inducible nitric oxide synthase, and Prostaglandin E Synthase 2) and cytokines (Tumor necrosis factor-α and Interleukin-6). In conclusion, FD-YB can be a potential nutraceutical for preventing and regulating excessive immune responses during inflammation.