• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2013

Candida biofilms are organized microbial communities growing on the surfaces of host tissues or indwelling medical devices, and the biofilms show enhanced resistance against the conventional antifungal agents. The roots of Coptidis chinensis have been widely used for medicinal purposes in East Asia. The present study was aimed to assess the effect of C. chinensis aqueous extract upon preformed biofilms of 10 clinical Candida albicans isolates and the antifungal activities which contribute to inhibit the C. albicans biofilm formation. Its effect on preformed biofilms was judged using XTT [2,3-Bis-(2-Methoxy-4-Nitro-5-Sulfophenyl)-2H-Tetrazolium-5-Carboxanilide)] reduction assay, and metabolic activity of all tested strains was reduced significantly ($57.3{\pm}14.7%$) at $98{\mu}g/ml$ of the C. chinensis extract. The extract damaged the cell membrane of C. albicans which was analyzed by fluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide staining. The anticandidal activity was fungicidal, and the extract obstructed the adhesion of C. albicans biofilms to polystyrene surfaces, arrested C. albicans cells at $G_o/G_1$ as well, and reduced the growth of biofilms or budding yeasts finally. The data suggest that C. chinensis has multiple antifungal effects on target fungi resulting in preventing the formation of biofilms. Therefore, C. chinensis holds great promise for exploring antifungal agents from natural products in treating and eliminating biofilm-associated Candida infection.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.133-144
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• 2014

O. diffusa, C. appendiculata and F. thunbergii are reported to possess many pharmacological activities including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertension, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. However, their anti-cancer activities in human breast cancer have not been clearly elucidated yet. Objectives: In the present study, we compared the in vitro cytotoxic effects of single and complex treatment of O. diffusa, C. appendiculata and F. thunbergii in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods: After we treated human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells with O. diffusa, C. appendiculata and F. thunbergii. we evaluated viability, growth inhibition, morphological changes, apoptotic body formation, measurement of the cell cycle and formation of DNA fragmentation of these cells. Results: We found that single treatment of O. diffusa and F. thunbergii could inhibit cell proliferation in human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. However, complex treatment of O. diffusa, C. appendiculata and F. thunbergii had weak or no effect on the cell proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells. The first, anti-proliferative effects of O. diffusa in MDA-MB-231 cells was associated with G2/M arrest of cell cycle and apoptotic cell death. The second, anti-proliferative effect of F. thunbergii in MDA-MB-231 cells was associated with apoptotic cell death. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings suggest that O. diffusa and F. thunbergii may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human breast cancer cells, further studies will be needed to identify the molecular mechanisms.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.181-188
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• 2009

Uncontrolled cell growth and increased cell proliferation are major features of cancer that are dependent on the stable structure and dynamics of the cytoskeleton. Since stable cytoskeleton structure and dynamics are partly regulated by myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), many current studies focused on MLCK inhibition as a chemotherapeutic target. As a potent and selective MLCK inhibitor, ML-7 [1-(5-iodonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)-1 H-hexahydro-1,4-diazapine hydrochloride] is a promising candidate for an anticancer agent, which would induce apoptosis as well as prevents invasion and metastasis in certain types of cancer cells. This study assessed cytotoxic effects of ML-7 against HL-60 cells and therapeutic efficacy of ML-7 as a potential antileukemia agent. Trypan-blue exclusion assays showed dose- and time- dependent decreases in ML-7 treated HL-60 cells (p<0.05). Comet assays revealed a significant increase in DNA damage in HL-60 cells after treatment with $40{\mu}M$ ML-7 for 2h. Sub-G1 fractions, analyzed by flow cytometry increased in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that ML-7 can induce apoptotic cell death in HL-60 cells. ML-7 was selectively cytotoxic towards HL-60 cells; not affecting normal human lymphocytes. That selective effect makes it a promising potential anti-leukemia agent. In addition, anticancer efficacy of ML-7 in combination with flavonoids (genistein or quercetin) or anticancer drugs (cisplatin or Ara-C) against HL-60 cells was assessed. Combination of ML-7 with flavonoids increased the anti-cancer effect of ML-7 to a greater extent than combination with the anticancer drugs. This implies that ML-7 in combination with flavonoids could increase the efficacy of anticancer treatment, while avoiding side effects cansed by conventional anticancer drug-containing combination chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.21
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• pp.9341-9346
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• 2014

Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L) Merr (AT) is commonly used as an herbal medicine and edible plant in some areas of China and other Asian countries. AT is thought to have anticancer effects, but potential mechanisms remain unknown. To assess the anticancer properties of AT, we exposed prostate cancer cells to AT extracts and assessed cell proliferation and signaling pathways. An ethanol extract of AT was suspended in water followed by sequential extraction with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. PC-3 cells were treated with different concentrations of each extract and cell viability was determined by the MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays. The ethyl acetate extract of the ethanol extract had a stronger inhibitory effect on growth and a stronger stimulatory effect on apoptosis than any of the other extracts. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract suppressed the transcriptional activity of NF-${\kappa}B$, increased the level of caspase-3, and decreased the levels of phospho-Erk1/2 and phospho-Akt. This is the first report on the anticancer activity of AT in cultured human prostate cancer cells. The results suggest that AT can provide a plant-based medicine for the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer.

• Asian Journal of Turfgrass Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2012

Large patch caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 (IV) is one of the most serious diseases in zoysiagrass. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the in vitro fungicidal effect and in field control of large patch disease of Paraffin oil. In the field experiments, paraffin oil was applied with 1 L/$m^2$ after diluted at 5 ml to 20 ml of oil/1 L of water for the control of large patch on Zoysia japonica in golf course. The same material was tested for inhibition of mycelial growth in vitro. Paraffin oil at 0.5% and 2.0% had a fungicidal effect by 43 to 67% on R. solani AG2-2 (IV) in vitro. In two locations of the field experiments, the paraffin oil provided moderate protection of large patch. It was effective in suppressing large patch development by 48.0% in comparison with a water check after one time application on mid-September in golf course. Paraffin oil may be used as an alternative control agent for environment friendly management of large patch on Zoysiagrass in golf course.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.96-112
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• 1991

Attempts were made to see the antitumor effects of Sigbunhwan widely used in Oh-jug(五積) employing tumor cells Lines such as K562 derived from erythroleukemia, Raji from lympoma and MO-4 from blastogenic tumor. Different concentrations of Sigbunhwan and combined therapy of Sigbunhwan and Bigihwan were treated to those tumor cells lines and then live cells were counted by Trypan blue assay and $^{3}H-Thymidine$ uptake assay. The results obtained were as follows. 1. $^{3}H-Thymidine$ uptake of various tumor cells lines when treated with high concentrations of Sigbunhwan for 48hours showed that the rate of DNA synthesis decreased 76% to 90% by the treatment of 1% Sigbunhwan but this inhibition was rather decreased when Sigbunhwan concentration was increased to 10, 15 and 20%.(Fig 3) 2. When Sigbunhwan was combined with Bigihwan which was also an antitumor drug, the effectiveness of tumor cells dealth was somewhat inceased showing a generally similar pattern to that of Bigihwan alone used.(Fig 4) This combination therapy also showed that higher concentrations of antitumor agent were no more·effective or rather harmful according to the tumor cells lines having different growth rate.(Fig 5,6) 3. The antitumor effects of combined Sigbunhwan and Bigihwan was decreased if the concentrations of this combination therapy was increased to 10 times showing relatively sluggish decrease in K562 and MO-4 but a sharp inhibitory effect in Raji which grows slowly.(Fig 7). 4. When Sigbunhwan was treated at low concentrations, K562 was more inhibited by 0.75% to 1.0% of Sigbunhwan while Raji was more inhibited by 0.25% to 0.5% of that.(Fig 8) 5. When Sigbunhwan was treated together with Bigihwan at low concentrations, the tumor cells death rate was 75% to 89% in Baji, 31% to 95% in MO-4 and 41 to 89% in K562, showing this combination therapy was more effect to Raji derived from lymphoma.(Fig 9) 6. The number of live tumor cells was correlated with optical density of MTT assay when measured with 2% Sigbunhwan treatment to tumor cells lines for 24 hours.(Fig 10) 7. 7 days treatment of 0.25% Sigbunhwan was compared with one day treatment of 1% suggesting long term treatment more effective.(Fig 11)

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.547-553
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• 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common brain malignancies and has a very poor prognosis. Recent evidence suggests that the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) in GBM and the rare CSC subpopulation that is resistant to chemotherapy may be responsible for the treatment failure and unfavorable prognosis of GBM. A garlic-derived compound, Z-ajoene, has shown a range of biological activities, including anti-proliferative effects on several cancers. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that Z-ajoene specifically inhibits the growth of the GBM CSC population. CSC sphere-forming inhibition was achieved at a concentration that did not exhibit a cytotoxic effect in regular cell culture conditions. The specificity of this inhibitory effect on the CSC population was confirmed by detecting CSC cell surface marker CD133 expression and biochemical marker ALDH activity. In addition, stem cell-related mRNA profiling and real-time PCR revealed the differential expression of CSC-specific genes, including Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog, upon treatment with Z-ajoene. A proteomic approach, i.e., reverse-phase protein array (RPPA) and Western blot analysis, showed decreased SMAD4, p-AKT, 14.3.3 and FOXO3A expression. The protein interaction map (http://string-db.org/) of the identified molecules suggested that the AKT, ERK/p38 and $TGF{\beta}$ signaling pathways are key mediators of Z-ajoene's action, which affects the transcriptional network that includes FOXO3A. These biological and bioinformatic analyses collectively demonstrate that Z-ajoene is a potential candidate for the treatment of GBM by specifically targeting GBM CSCs. We also show how this systemic approach strengthens the identification of new therapeutic agents that target CSCs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2016

The endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is known to be involved in the transformation of vascular endothelial cells to mesenchymal cells. EndMT has been confirmed that occur in various pathologic conditions. Transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) is a potent stimulator of the vascular endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 (AT-RvD1) has been known to be involved in the resolution of inflammation, but whether it has effects on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EndMT is not yet clear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of AT-RvD1 on the EndMT of human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells line (HUVECs). Treatment with TGF-${\beta}1$ reduced the expression of Nrf2 and enhanced the level of F-actin, which is associated with paracellular permeability. The expression of endothelial marker VE-cadherin in HUVEC cells was reduced, and the expression of mesenchymal marker vimentin was enhanced. AT-RvD1 restored the expression of Nrf2 and vimentin and enhanced the expression of VE-cadherin. AT-RvD1 did also affect the migration of HUVEC cells. Inhibitory ${\kappa}B$ kinase 16 (IKK 16), which is known to inhibit the NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway, had an ability to increase the expression of Nrf2 and was associated with the inhibition effect of AT-RvD1 on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EndMT, but it had no effect on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EndMT alone. Smad7, which is a key regulator of TGF-${\beta}$/Smads signaling by negative feedback loops, was significantly increased with the treatment of AT-RvD1. These results suggest the possibility that AT-RvD1 suppresses the TGF-${\beta}1$-induced EndMT through increasing the expression of Smad7 and is closely related to oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.286-294
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• 1987

This experiment was carried out to investigate the bacteriolytic action of the egg white lysozyme isolated from Korean native Ogol fowl and to obtain the data for utilization of the enzyme as a food preservative. Staphyococcus aureus phage type 29 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 among the microorganisms tested were lyzed by the treatment with 0.05% lysozyme, but Staphylococcus aureus phage type 57 in addition to E. coli etc. was found to be a lysozyme- insensitive species. The lysis of S. aureus phage type 29 was maximized when incubated in nutrient broth (pH 7.0) at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours and suspended it to absorbance 0.6 at 540nm in 0.05M sodium acetate but fer (pH 4.5) and then treated it with the 0.05% lysozyme for 30 min. at $30^{\circ}C$. It was found that the effect of 0.05% lysozyme in combination with 1% glycine on the growth inhibition of S. aurecus phage type 29 increased more 50% than that in the absence of glycine, but not effect with other any additeves and metal ions tested.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.125-131
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• 2015

Phenyllactic acid (PLA) which is known as antimicrobial compound can be synthesized through the reduction of phenylpyruvic acid (PPA) by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). LAB producing PLA was isolated from Korea Kimchi and identified to Lactobacillus plantarum SJ21 by 16 rRNA gene sequence analysis. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) from L. plantarum SJ21 was assessed for both the capability to produce the antimicrobial compound PLA and the antifungal activity against four fungal pathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Aspergillus oryzae, Botrytis cinerea, and Collectotricum aculatum). PLA concentration was investigated to be 3.23mM in CFS when L. plantarum SJ21 was grown in MRS broth containing 5mM PPA for 16 h. PLA production also could be promoted by the supplement of PPA and phenylalanine in MRS broth, but inhibited by the supplement of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid and tyrosine as precursors. Antifungal activity demonstrated that all fungal pathogens were sensitive to 5% CFS (v/v) of L. plantarum SJ21 with average growth inhibitions ranging from 27.32% to 69.05% (p<0.005), in which R. solani was the most sensitive to 69.05% and followed by B. cinerea, C. aculatum, and A. oryzae. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for commercial PLA was also investigated to show the same trend in the range from $0.35mg\;mL^{-1}$ (2.11 mM) to $0.7mg\;mL^{-1}$ (4.21 mM) at pH 4.0. The inhibition ability of CFS against the pathogens was not affected by heating or protease treatment. However, pH modification in CFS to 6.5 caused an extreme reduction in their antifungal activity. These results may indicate that antifungal activities in CFS were caused by acidic compounds like PLA or organic acids rather than proteins or peptides molecules.