• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2014

Hoesaeng-san is known to be effective for treating diarrhea and vomiting. However the therapeutic mechanism of Hoesaeng-san is still not well understood. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effects of Hoesaeng-san ethanol extract (HSSEE) on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as to elucidate its mechanism of action in the human mast cell line (HMC-1). Mast Cell were stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus A23187 in the presence or absence of HSSEE. To study the possible effects of HSSEE, ELISA, RT-PCR, Western blot analysis were used in this study. HSSEE significantly inhibited the PMA plus A23187-induction of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-${\alpha}$, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. In activated HMC-1 cells, phosphorylation of extra-signal response kinase (ERK) 1/2 and c-jun n-terminal kinase (JNK)1/2 decreased after treatment with HSSEE. Moreover HSSEE inhibited PMA plus A23187-induced nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ activation and $I{\kappa}B$ degradation. HSSEE suppressed the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, IL-8 through a decrease in the ERK 1/2 and JNK 1/2, as well as activation of NF-${\kappa}B$. These results indicated that HSSEE exerted a regulatory effect on inflammatory reactions mediated by mast cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.808-811
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• 2001

Performance of pilot plant scale extraction and concentration of purple-fleshed sweet potato anthocyanin pigment was tested and the characteristics of pigment extracts and concentrates were investigated. Fifty kilograms of purple-fleshed sweet potato was extracted with 500 L of 1% citric acid in 20% ethanol. As a whole, extraction pattern of the large scale extraction was similar to that of the laboratory scale extraction. The extracted pigment solution was filtered twice with a bag filter and a winding type microfilter and the filtrate was concentrated by a large scale vacuum evaporator at $40^{\circ}C$ and 600 mmHg vac. The mean values of total optical density (TOD) of the extract and the concentrate were 6.53 and 120.45, respectively. Browning index (BI) and Degradation index (DI) of extract were 5.86 and 1.55 and those of concentrate were 5.89 and 1.56, respectively, which indicated that the pigments were not changed or degraded through the extraction and concentration process.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.893-903
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• 2010

A cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme complex-producing alkalothermoanaerobacterium strain, Tepidimicrobium xylanilyticum BT14, is described. The cell was Grampositive, rod-shaped, and endospore-forming. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis and various lines of biochemical and physiological properties, the strain BT14 is a new member of the genus Tepidimicrobium. The strain BT14 cells had the ability to bind to Avicel, xylan, and corn hull. The pH and temperature optima for growth were 9.0 and $60^{\circ}C$, respectively. The strain BT14 was able to use a variety of carbon sources. When the bacterium was grown on corn hulls under an anaerobic condition, a cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme complex was produced. Crude enzyme containing cellulase and xylanase of the strain BT14 was active in broad ranges of pH and temperature. The optimum conditions for cellulase and xylanase activities were pH 8.0 and 9.0 at $60^{\circ}C$, respectively. The crude enzyme had the ability to bind to Avicel and xylan. The analysis of native-PAGE and native-zymograms indicated the cellulosebinding protein showing both cellulase and xylanase activities, whereas SDS-PAGE zymograms showed 4 bands of cellulases and 5 bands of xylanases. Evidence of a cohesinlike amino acid sequence seemed to indicate that the protein complex shared a direct relationship with the cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum. The crude enzyme from the strain BT14 showed effective degradation of plant biomass. When grown on corn hulls at pH 9.0 and $60^{\circ}C$ under anaerobic conditions, the strain BT14 produced ethanol and acetate as the main fermentation products.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.1229-1240
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• 2021

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) seeds, called 'Baekqwa', were extracted from 70% ethanol to investigate the whitening effect and to confirm the application potential as a cosmetic material. Ginkgo seed ethanol extracts (GBE) were treated with B16F10 melanoma cells, and melanin contents and tyrosinase, which is the main enzyme concerning the synthesis process of melanin, inhibitory activity were confirmed. As a result, there were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner, and GBE also significantly reduced the protein expression and mRNA levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1, -2 (TRP-1, -2), and their upstream transcription factor, microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF). These results suggest that GBE could be used as an effective whitening agent that has an inhibitory effect on melanin production by regulating the expression and degradation of MITF in melanocytes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.220-227
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• 2022

The spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive opportunistic pathogen, has increased due to the frequent use of antibiotics. Inhibition of the quorum-sensing systems of biofilm-producing strains using plant extracts represents an efficient approach for controlling infections. Torilis japonica is a medicinal herb showing various bioactivities; however, no studies have reported the anti-biofilm effects of T. japonica extracts against drug-resistant S. aureus. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of T. japonica ethanol extract (TJE) on biofilm production in methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) KCTC 1927, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) KCCM 40510, and MRSA KCCM 40511. Biofilm assays showed that TJE could inhibit biofilm formation in all strains. Furthermore, the hemolysis of sheep blood was found to be reduced when the strains were treated with TJE. The mRNA expression of agrA, sarA, icaA, hla, and RNAIII was evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to determine the effect of TJE on the regulation of genes encoding quorum sensing-related virulence factors in MSSA and MRSA. The expression of hla reduced in a concentration-dependent manner upon treatment with TJE. Moreover, the expression levels of other genes were significantly reduced compared to those in the control group. In conclusion, TJE can suppress biofilm formation and virulence factor-related gene expression in MSSA and MRSA strains. The extract may therefore be used to develop treatments for infections caused by antibiotic-resistant S. aureus.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2015

The skin plays a key role in protecting the body from the environment and from water loss. Cornified envelope (CE) and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) are considered as the primary regulators of skin hydration and barrier function. The CE prevents loss of water from the body and is formed by cross-linking of several proteins. Among these proteins, filaggrin is an important protein because NMF is produced by the degradation of filaggrin. Proteases, including matriptase and prostasin, stimulate the generation of filaggrin from profilaggrin and caspase-14 plays a role in the degradation of filaggrin. This study elucidated the effects of an ethanol extract of Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr., known as fingerroot, and its active compound panduratin A on CE formation and filaggrin processing in HaCaT, human epidermal keratinocytes. B. pandurata extract (BPE) and panduratin A significantly stimulated not only CE formation but also the expression of CE proteins, such as loricrin, involucrin, and transglutaminase, which were associated with $PPAR{\alpha}$ expression. The mRNA and protein levels of filaggrin and filaggrin-related enzymes, such as matriptase, prostasin, and caspase-14 were also up-regulated by BPE and panduratin A treatment. These results suggest that BPE and panduratin A are potential nutraceuticals which can enhance skin hydration and barrier function based on their CE formation and filaggrin processing.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2006

The characteristic biodegradation of monomeric styrene by Phanerochaete chrysosporium KFRI 20742, Trametes versicolor KFRI 20251 and Daldinia concentrica KFRI 40-1 was carried out to examine the resistance, its degradation efficiency and metabolites analysis. The estrogenic reduction effect of styrene by the fungi was also evaluated. The mycelium growth of fungi differentiated depending on the concentration levels of styrene. Additionally P. chrysosporium KFRI 20742 showed superior mycelium growth at less than 200 mg/l, while D. concentrica KFRI 40-1 was more than 200 mg/l. The degradation efficiency reached 99 % during one day of incubation for all the fungi. Both manganese-dependent peroxidase and laccase activities in liquid medium were the highest at the initial stage of incubation, whereas the lowest was after the addition of styrene. However, both activities were gradually recovered after. The major metabolites of styrene by P. chrysosporium KFRI 20742 were 2-phenyl ethanol, benzoic acid, cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, butanol and succinic acid. From one to seven days of incubating the fungi, the expression of pS2 mRNA widely known as an estrogen response gene was decreased down to the level of baseline after one day. Also, the estrogenic effect of styrene completely disappeared after treatment with supernatant of P. chrysosporium KFRI 20742 from one week of culture down to the levels of vehicle.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.197-201
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-oxidative activity of pectin and other polysaccharides in order to develop a cosmeceutical base having anti-oxidative effects towards retinyl palmitate (RP). The anti-oxidative stabilizing effects of pectin and other polysaccharides on RP were evaluated by DPPH assay and then the stabilizing effect of pectin on RP was examined as a function of time. Among the polysaccharides we examined, pectin exhibited a considerably higher anti-oxidative activity, with an approximately 5-fold greater DPPH radical scavenging effect compared to other polysaccharides. The DPPH radical scavenging effect of pectin increased gradually with increasing concentrations of pectin. At two different RP concentrations, 0.01 and 0.1% in ethanol, addition of pectin improved the stability of RP in a concentration dependent manner. The stabilizing effect of pectin on RP was more effective for the lower concentration of RP (0.01%, v/v). Further, degradation of RP was reduced following the addition of pectin as measured over 8 hours. From the results obtained, it can be suggested that pectin may be a promising ingredient for cosmeceutical bases designed to stabilize RP or other pharmacological agents subject to degradation by oxidation.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.272-279
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• 2017

EP was obtained through 20% ethanol extraction of Pueraria lobata root, and the fermented form of EP, FEP, was prepared from the EP after incubating with Lactobacillus rhamnosus vitaP1. There was no significant toxicity by EP and FEP up to $1000{\mu}g/ml$ in NIH-3T3, HaCaT, and B16F10 cells. In addition to antioxidant potentials of EP and FEP determined by DPPH and ABST assays, we confirmed increase of procollagen type I and elastin synthesis by supplementation of the EP and FEP at the concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$ using ELISA kits. The protein expression levels of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-1, -3, and -9, those are involved in the degradation of collagen or other skin matrix proteins, were remarkably suppressed while their inhibitory protein metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) was greatly up-regulated by supplementation of the EP and FEP at a concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$. Taken together, both EP and FEP supplementation could be involved in the suppression of the skin wrinkle formation through inhibiting degradation of collagen and stimulating the synthesis of collagen and elastin. The results showed that the anti-wrinkle potential of the EP and FEP will be a promising candidate for developing cosmeceutical compounds or products.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.54-64
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• 2021

The chemical warfare agents (CWAs) have been developed for offensive or defensive purposes and used as chemical weapons in war and terrorism. The CWAs are exposed to the natural environment, transported through the water system and then eventually contaminate soil and groundwater. Therefore, effective decontamination technology to remediate CWAs are needed. The CWAs are extremely dangerous and prodution is strictly prohibited, therefore, it is difficult to use CWAs even in experimental purpose. In this study, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was chosen as a model representative CWA because it is a simulant of anti-plant CWAs and one of the major component of agent orange. The optimum degradation conditions such as oxidant:activator ratio were determined. The effects of hydroxylamine and chelating agents such as citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), malic acid (MA), and EDTA addition to increase Fe2+ activation were also investigated. Scavenger experiments using tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and ethanol confirmed that although both sulfate (SO4•-) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) existed in Fe2+-persulfate system, sulfate radical was the predominant radical. To promote the Fe2+ activator effect, the effect of hydroxylamine as a reducing agent was investigated. In chelating agents assisted Fe2+-persulfate oxidation, the addition of 2 mM of CA and MA enhanced 2,4-D degradation. In contrast, EDTA and OA inhibited the 2,4-D removal due to steric hindrance effect.