• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.781-782
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• 2009

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.336-339
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• 1995

Ephedra distachya cultures have been known to accumulate two major $\rho-coumaroylamino$ acids (p-coumaroylgicine and $\rho-coumaroylamino$ -D-alanine) by D-Ala treament. When D-Ala was added together with serial concentrations of yeast-derived elicitor, the accumulation of $\rho-coumaroylamino$ -D-Ala $(\rho-CDA)$ was geatly increased in an additive manner. In feeding experiments, $[1-^14C]$-D-Ala was incorporated into $\rho-CDA$at a rate of 2.2% or 2.3% of added radioactivity, indicating that exogenous D-Ala served as a precursor of the conjugate. $[1-^14C]$-L-Ala wasalso incorporated into p-CDA (0.23%) in the elicitor treated cultures. This fact suggested that at least a part of $(\rho-CDA)$ was produced from active conversion of L-Ala by the elecitation. In order to investigate a possible role of D-Ala as an elicitor of $\rpo-coumaroylamino$ acids $(\rpo-CAA)$, cold D-Ala was added together with labeled L-Ala. Although L-Ala seemed to be incorporated into $\rho-CDA$ by this treatment, the incorporation ratio was too small (0.054%) to draw a clear conclusion. However, the amount of $\rpo-coumaroylglycine$, which did not use D-Ala as a substrate, was also sightly increased by D-Ala treatment irrespective of the presence of elicitor, suggesting that exogenous D-Ala might act as an elicitor of$\rpo-CAA$ as well as a precusor substrate of $\rho-CDA$.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.257-265
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• 1995

Free amino acids were isolated from milk and their absolute amounts were determined by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography after derivatization with dansyl chloride. The determination of D- and L-amino acids was based on achiral separation on a C18 column. It was found that milk contained totally 41.00 mg DL-amino acids in 100 mL milk. The level of D-amino acids to L-amino acids was determined by a column-switching system combining an achiral reversed phase separation and chiral chelate additive. The chiral separation was carried out with addition of the chiral Cu(N-benzyl-L-proline)2 chelate to the mobile phase in reversed phase liquid chromatography. It was found that the determination of 16 different amino acids is feasible in the milk sample with a C18 column separation and 12 D-amino acids out of the 16 amino acids can be determined via the column-switching system with chiral separation. 2.05% of D-glutamic acid and 2.93% of D-alanine were found in milk.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.546-553
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• 2012

This study was performed to evaluate the biological activity and protective effect of Cassia tora ethanol extracts against D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped into normal group, D-galactosamine treated group(control), D-galactosamine plus 0.25% Cassia tora extracts treated group and D-galactosamine plus 0.5% Cassia tora extracts treated group. Normal and control group were fed control diet and Cassia tora extracts treated groups were fed experimental diets containing 0.25% or 0.5% Cassia tora ethanol extracts for 5 weeks. Body weight gain and liver weight of rats were not significantly different between groups. Cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in serum and liver were significantly lower in rats treated only with D-galactosamine compared to normal group, and improved in Cassia tora extracts supplemented rats. D-galactosamine treatment significantly increased serum aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, gamma glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase, however, the activities of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase were significantly decreased in Cassia tora extracts supplemented rats when compared with D-galactosamine treated control group. Cassia tora extracts significantly suppressed the D-galactosamine-induced elevation of liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) contents. Superoxide dismutase activity was decreased by D-galactosamine treatment, however by the supplementation of Cassia tora ethanol extracts, significantly increased in dose-dependent manner. Glutathione peroxidase activity in rats fed diets containing Cassia tora extracts was decreased compared to control. Based on these results, we concluded that Cassia tora ethanol extracts may prevents the D-galactosamine-induced hepatotoxicity probably via an antioxidant mechanism.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2008

Alanine racemase, a bacterial enzyme belonging to the fold-type III group of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes, has been shown to catalyze the interconversion between L- and D-alanine. The alanine racemase from the pathogenic bacterium Enterococcus faecalis v583 has been overexpressed in E. coli and was shown to crystallize an enzyme at 295 K, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 as a precipitant. X-ray diffraction data to $2.5{\AA}$ has been collected using synchrotron radiation. The crystal is a member of the orthorhombic space group, $C222_1$ with unit cell parameter of a=94.634, b=156.516, $c=147.878{\AA},\;and\;{\alpha}={\beta}={\gamma}=90{\AA}$. Two or three monomers are likely to be present in the asymmetric unit, with a corresponding $V_m\; of\;3.38{\AA}^3\;Da^{-1}\;and\;2.26{\AA}^3\;Da^{-1}$ and a solvent content of 63.7% and 45.5%, respectively.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.233-241
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• 2019

Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency is a condition widespread throughout the world. Recent studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency was associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adolescents. Methods: The data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008-2014. A total of 3,878 adolescents were included in the study. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration <20 ng/mL and suspected NAFLD was defined as an alanine transaminase concentration >30 U/L. Results: Vitamin D deficiency was noted in 78.9% of the studied population. Age, body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in adolescents with suspected NAFLD than in adolescents without suspected NAFLD, while the mean vitamin D level was significantly lower in adolescents with suspected NAFLD. The multivariate-adjusted odds of suspected NAFLD were higher with increased age, male gender, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Individuals with vitamin D deficiency were at higher risk of suspected NAFLD (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-2.95) after adjusting for age, gender, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was associated with suspected NAFLD, independent of obesity and metabolic syndrome, in adolescents.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2012

The protective effect of AI-1367 (Alnus japonica extract) on liver injury was investigated. Primary rat hepatocyte intoxication was induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBH), carbon tetrachloride ($CCl_4$), or D-glactosamine (D-GalN). Liver injury was induced by $CCl_4$, D-GalN or MCD (methionine choline deficient)-diet in mouse. The cellular leakage of lactate dehyrogenase and cell viability followed by the treatment of hepatotoxicants were significantly improved by AI-1367 treatment at a concentration range of 5~50 ${\mu}g/ml$ for tBH, 5~50 ${\mu}g/ml$ for D-GalN, and 5~100 ${\mu}g/ml$ for $CCl_4$, respectively. Treatment with AI-1367 (20, 10, 5 mg/kg, p.o.) on liver injury induced by subcutaneous injection of $CCl_4$ or D-GalN reduced significantly the levels of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase in serum. Histological observations revealed that fatty acid changes, hepatocyte necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in $CCl_4$ (D-GalN)-induced liver injury was improved by administration of AI-1367. AI-1367 treatment (10, 5, 2.5 mg/kg, p.o.) also significantly recovered the body weight change and serum levels of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and triglyceride in liver injury induced by MCD diet. From these results, AI-1367 shows protective effects against tBH, $CCl_4$, D-GalN, or MCD diet-induced hepatotoxicity in vitro or in vivo.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.229-231
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• 2001

Different DL-amino acids were studied as inducers of D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) and for their influence on the growth of Trigonopsis variabilis. DL-amino acids with non-polar side groups were found to be the befit inducers of DAAO. Maximum increase in the growth of Trigonopsis variabilis (gram dry weight per liter culfure) was observed with DL-methionine (2.39 g/l) followed by DL-serine (2.22 g/l) and DL-alanine (2.21 g/l).

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 1972

The contents of free amino acids in deembryod brown rice of two varieties were investigated by amino acid autoanalizer in relation to specific gravity grade. The analytical methods of free amino acid were also discussed. 1) The lower the specific gravity of the unhulled rice the higher the content of total free amino acids in the deembryod brown rice, and the similar trend appears to hold on each amino acids. 2) Main free amino acids were serine+asparagine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and valine, and maximum values of them were 7.3, 5.1, 4.0, 3.4, 0.9mg/100g rice, respectively. They consist about 85% of total free amino acids in most cases. 3) The contents of soluble nitrogen and free amino acids appear to be lower in high protein variety (IR 667) than in low protein variety (Jinhung). The percentage of free amino acid nitrogen to soluble nitrogen, however, appears to be higher in high protein variety (IR 667). 4) Alanine was much lower than aspartic acid in IR 667 having Indica blood while alanine appears to be higher than aspartic acid in Jinhung (Japonica rice) suggesting varietal difference in amino acid metabolism. 5) Threonine peak was overlaped with glutamine, and serine was with asparagine in this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Biophysical Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.73-73
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• 2003

We report here the results on N-acetyl-N'-methylamide of alanine (Ac-Ala-NHMe) calculated using the ab initio molecular orbital method with the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) theory at the HF level with the 6-3l+G(d) basis set to investigate the conformational preference of alanine depending on the backbone torsion angles $\square$ and$\square$ in the gas phase, chloroform, and water. There are seven local minima (LM) in the gas phase and two additional LM are found in chloroform and water. These two additional LM A (an $\square$-helical structure) and F (a polyproline structure) are stabilized only in solutions. In the gas phase, the lowest LM is the conformation C with a C$\sub$7/ intramolecular hydrogen bond and the relative conformational energies range from 0.3 to 6.0 ㎉/mol. In chloroform, the lowest LM is the conformation E (an extended structure) and the relative conformational energies range from 0.7 to 4.9 ㎉/mol. In particular, we identified 14 possible transition states connecting between seven LM in the gas phase. The search for transition states probable in chloroform and water is now in progress.