• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• 제51권3호
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• pp.231-240
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• 2015

In this study, a total of 16 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from fermented foods. Among those strains, the S48 and P1201 strains were capable of producing higher CLA contents than other LABs. The two strains were classified as Lactobacillus plantarum based on morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic, and molecular-genetic properties. The survival rates of these strain appeared to be 59.57% and 62.22% under artificial gastric conditions after 4 h at pH 2.5, respectively. These strains produced the cis-9, trans-11, and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers from 8% skim milk medium supplemented with the different free LA concentration at $37^{\circ}C$ for 48 h and the production of two CLA isomers constantly increased in the growth until 48 h of incubation. After 48 h of fermentation, the levels of CLA appeared highest in steamed soy-powder milk than fresh and roasted soy-powder milks. In particular, the CLA contents were produced $183.57{\mu}g/ml$ and $198.72{\mu}g/ml$ from steamed soy-powder milk after fermentation (48 h) with S48 and P1201 strains, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.117-123
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare different elution and concentration methods for optimization of human rotavirus (HRV) detection method using real-time RT-PCR and cell culture techniques. The leafy vegetable samples (lettuce, Chinese cabbage) were artificially inoculated with HRV. Viruses were extracted from the vegetables by two different elution buffers, buffer A (100 mM Tris-HCl, 50 mM glycine, 3% beef extract, pH 9.5) and buffer B (250 mM Threonine, 300 mM NaCl, pH 9.5), and the extracted viruses were concentrated by filtration and PEG precipitation sequentially. To determine infectivity of the viruses, the viruses recovered from the samples were infected to the MA-104 cells, and integrated cell culture real-time RT-PCR was performed at 1, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168 h post-infection (p.i.). The elution buffer A was more efficient in extracting the virus from the produce samples tested than the buffer B, 29.54% and 18.32% of recoveries, respectively. The sensitivity of real-time RT-PCR method was markedly improved when the virus was concentrated by the filtration method. When the viruses were eluted and concentrated by buffer A and filtration, respectively, the average recovery rate was approximately 51.89%. When the viruses recovered from samples were infected to MA-104 cell, infectious HRV was detected within 48 h p.i. by ICC/real-time RT-PCR, whereas cytopathic effects were not observed until 72 h p.i. The optimized detection method evaluated in this study could be useful for rapid and reliable detection of HRV in fresh produce products and applied for detection of other food-borne viruses.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• 제45권2호
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• pp.178-183
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• 2017

This study examined a new functional cosmetic material possessing application possibility of Sambucus sieboldiana var. pendula (Nakai) (SS) extract. For this, we analyzed the toxic effect of the SS extract on macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) by performing MTT assay. Results of the MTT assay showed ${\geq}100%$ cell viability after treatment with $500{\mu}g/ml$ SS extract. To determine the anti-inflammatory activity of the SS extract, we examined its inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells by performing Griess assay. Result of the Griess assay showed that the SS extract inhibited LPS-induced NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. Next, we examined the effect of the SS extract on the production of proinflammatory factors inducible NOS (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. First, we determined the inhibitory effect of 50, 100, and $500{\mu}g/ml$ SS extract on iNOS and COX-2 protein expression by performing western blot analysis, with ${\beta}$-actin as a positive control. Results of western blotting showed that treatment with $500{\mu}g/ml$ SS extract decreased iNOS and COX-2 protein expression by 31.2% and 54.7%, respectively. Next, we determined the inhibitory effect of 50, 100, and $500{\mu}g/ml$ SS extract on iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression by performing reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), with GAPDH as a positive control. Results of reverse transcription-PCR showed that treatment with $500{\mu}g/ml$ SS extract decreased the mRNA expression of iNOS and COX-2 by 72.2% and 89%, respectively. These results suggest that the SS extract is a highly valuable natural compound because of its functional components and anti-inflammatory activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• 제34권7호
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• pp.500-508
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• 2024

Recently, there has been increasing interest in enhancing the indoor air quality, particularly in response to the growing utilization of public facilities. The focus of this study was on assessing the efficacy and safety of an air sterilizer equipped with electrolytic salt catalysts. To that end, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the vapor spraying from the air sterilizer and its cytotoxicity in condensed form on human cell lines (HaCaT, BEAS-2B, and THP-1). Against the test organisms, which comprised five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium) and one fungal strain (Candida albicans), the air sterilizer exhibited relatively high antimicrobial activities ranging from 10.89 to 73.98% following 1 and 3 hr of vapor spraying, which were notably time-dependent. Importantly, cytotoxicity assessments on human cells indicated no significant harmful effect even at a 1.0% concentration. Comprehensive safety evaluations included morphological observations, gene expression (Bcl-2, Bax) tests, and FACS analysis of intracellular ROS levels. Consistent with previous cytotoxicity findings, these estimates demonstrated no significant changes, highlighting the air sterilizer's safety and antimicrobial activities. In a simulated 20-hr operation within an indoor environment, the air sterilizer not only showed an 89.4% removal of total bacteria but also a 100.0% removal of Escherichia sp. and fungi. This research outlines the potential of the developed electrolytic salt catalyst air sterilizer to effectively remove indoor microbial pollutants without compromising human safety, underscoring the solution that it offers for improving indoor air quality.

• Journal of Marine Life Science
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.9-21
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• 2024

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) including Saxitoxin (STX) is caused by harmful algae, and poisoning occurs when the contaminated seafood is consumed. The mouse bioassay (MBA), a standard test method for detecting PSP, is being sanctioned in many countries due to its low detection limit and the animal concerns. An alternative to the MBA is the Neuro-2a cell-based assay. This study aimed to establish various test conditions for Neuro-2a assay, including cell density, culture conditions, and STX treatment conditions, to suit the domestic laboratory environment. As a result, the initial cell density was set to 40,000 cells/well and the incubation time to 24 hours. Additionally, the concentration of Ouabain and Veratridine (O/V) was set to 500/50 μM, at which most cells died. In this study, we identified eight concentrations of STX, ranging from 368 to 47,056 fg/μl, which produced an S-shaped dose-response curve when treated with O/V. Through inter-laboratory variability comparison of the Neuro-2a assay, we established five Quality Control Criteria to verify the appropriateness of the experiments and six Data Criteria (Top and Bottom OD, EC₅₀, EC₂₀, Hill slop, and R² of graph) to determine the reliability of the experimental data. The Neuro-2a assay conducted under the established conditions showed an EC₅₀ value of approximately 1,800~3,500 fg/μl. The intra- & inter-lab variability comparison results showed that the coefficients of variation (CVs) for the Quality Control and Data values ranged from 1.98% to 29.15%, confirming the reproducibility of the experiments. This study presented Quality Control Criteria and Data Criteria to assess the appropriateness of the experiments and confirmed the excellent repeatability and reproducibility of the Neuro-2a assay. To apply the Neuro-2a assay as an alternative method for detecting PSP in domestic seafood, it is essential to establish a toxin extraction method from seafood and toxin quantification methods, and perform correlation analysis with MBA and instrumental analysis methods.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• 제31권3호
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• pp.366-370
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• 2013

This experiment was carried out to establish the screening methods for the selection of Zantedeschia aethiopica cultivars resistant to calla lily soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. A center of leaf and petiole tissues of four Z. aethiopica cultivars were wounded and inoculated with three different inoculum concentrations, $1{\times}10^7cfu/mL$, $1{\times}10^8cfu/mL$, and $1{\times}10^9cfu/mL$, of EccNHRI-21 isolate. And they were evaluated at 4, 18, and 26 hours after inoculation. The lesion of maceration was developed well in the leaf tissues inoculated with $1{\times}10^9cfu/mL$ concentration. And evaluation of resistance in 18 hours after inoculation was correlated with field resistance positively. Using this method, ten Z. aethiopica commercial cultivars and four wild types were screened. 'Crowbrough' and 'White Cutie' were selected as highly resistant genotypes and 'Mont Blanc' and 'Silky White' as resistant genotypes. 'Wedding March' and 'Kiwi Blush' were evaluated as moderate resistant and the others including 'Childsiana' were susceptible. And all of four wild types were evaluated as more than moderate resistant. In spite of control through cultural, biological and chemical methods, the use of resistant cultivars is most efficient to overcome calla lily soft rot. This newly developed screening method was helpful for breeding new varieties resistant to calla lily soft rot.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• 제43권2호
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• pp.243-248
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• 2011

The prevalence and distribution of hazardous microorganisms were investigated from the major perilla cultivation area at Milyang, Gyeongnam province, Korea. Aerobic plate count (APC) and coliform count of perilla leaves were 4.82 log CFU/g and 3.85 log CFU/g, respectively. E. coli, S. aureus and B. cereus were detected in 3.0% (4/114), 7.9% (9/114) and 46.5% (53/114) of examined perilla leaves. However, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp, and L. monocytogenes were not detected. The distribution of hazardous microorganisms in perilla leaf cultivation environment were compared and the concentration of APC and coliform counts were more than 3.0 log CFU/(mL, g, $100cm^2$, hand) from most of the samples. S. aureus were detected from irrigation water, packing table, packing vinyl, hand, and clothes. Also, B. cereus was frequently detected from the examined samples. Especially, packing table and collection container were contaminated with maximum 5.5 log $CFU/100cm^2$ of B. cereus. Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) system should be introduced to farms to enhance the safety of perilla leaves.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.72-86
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mulching of easily-decomposable organic materials including rice powder and corn starch on rice paddy fields. The treatments were including seven mulching materials each consisted of rice powder [Rice], starch with black color [Starch-B] and transparent [Starch-T] and stone powder [Stone], and conventional vinyl [Conventional], no-mulching without herbicide [Control-O] and no-mulching with herbicide [Control-C]. Rice growth and yield were different among the treatments; the highest yields were observed for [Rice] ($6.51ton\;ha^{-1}$) and [Conventional] ($6.47ton\;ha^{-1}$) followed by [Starch-T] ($6.25ton\;ha^{-1}$) and [Stone] ($6.20ton\;ha^{-1}$) which is comparable to the [Control-C] ($6.15ton\;ha^{-1}$). However, [Starch-B] showed lower rice yield ($4.93ton\;ha^{-1}$) than the [Conventional] or [Control-C]. Mean soil temperature ranged form 23.6 to $24.1^{\circ}C$ with the highest temperature for [Rice] treatment, and cumulative soil temperature was also significantly higher in the [Rice] treatment. Among the soil parameters, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, and phosphorus concentration were also different among the treatments. The amount of earthworm casting was higher for [Rice] treatment ($17.7kg\;m^{-2}$) compared to the others ($5.5{\sim}9.8kg\;m^{-2}$). It was suggested that mulching of rice fields with organic materials containing rice powder is better than others in respected to rice yield and earthworm activity.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.77-85
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• 2002

In the southern sea of Korea and the areas of Tsushima warm currents the relationship between the distributions of eggs and larvae of anchovy (Engraulis japonica) and oceanic conditions was examined on July and August 1997, The south Korean coastal waters, the water temperature of below $20\~23^{\circ}$ and the salinity of above 33.0 (PSU), the mixed waters between the south Korean coastal waters and the Tsushima warm currents, $21\~25^{\circ}$ and $32.0\~32.5$ and the Tsushima warm currents, above $26^{\circ}$ and below 31.5 were distributed at the surface layer. The Tsushima warm currents were distributed at the northeast of Jeju Is. and off the southern sea of Korea. As an appearance of warm streamer, the mixed waters were intruded into the coastal areas of Komun Is.$\~$Sori Is. and Sori Is.$\~$Yokji Is.. Approximate paths of surface water by the drift card experiments were similar with the intrusions of the warm water identified from the water temperature and salinity distributions. The distributions of chlorophyll concentration were consistent with the distributions of water temperature and salinity, Anchovy eggs and larvae were mostly distributed at Komun Is., Yokji Is, and the southwest of Koie Is. where chlorophyll concentrations were high and cyclonic circulations by the warm water intrusions (warm streamers) were formed.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.61-73
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• 2004

The purposes of this study are to investigate the occurrence, the hydrochemical characteristics and the origin of the $CO_2$-rich springs from the Kangwon Province, and to reanalyze the previous studied results of other researchers. The $CO_2$-rich water samples were collected at 13 locations in the Kangwon Province. The $CO_2$-rich water shows a high $CO_2$ concentration ($P_{CO2}$ 0.787 to 4.78 atm), weak acidic pHs, electrical conductivity values ranging from 422 to 2,280 $\mu$S/cm, and high Fe and F contents. The chemical compositions of $CO_2$-rich water from this study area are classified into three types; $Ca-HCO_3$, Ca(Na)-$HCO_3$, $Na-HCO_3$ types. The chemical data of $CO_2$-rich waters and their host rocks indicate that $Na-HCO_3$ type water are mainly influenced by biotite, K-feldspar granite, and Ca(Na)-HC $O_3$, type water is chiefly influenced by gneiss and carbonate minerals in granite. F and Fe contents of $CO_2$-rich waters are abundant in $Na-HCO_3$, and $Ca-HCO_3$ types, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the chemical composition $CO_2$-rich water is mainly controlled by the mineralogical composition of aquifer host rocks. Oxygen and deuterium isotope data indicate that $CO_2$-rich water is meteoric origin. The $\delta^{13}$C values (-0.3$\textperthousand$ to -6.2$\textperthousand$ PDB) suggest that dissolved carbonates are mainly derived from a deep-seated $CO_2$ and partly from carbonate minerals.