• Journal of Chitin and Chitosan
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.220-227
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• 2018

Amyloid plaque is a product of aggregation of ${\beta}$-amyloid peptide ($A{\beta}$) and is an important factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). $A{\beta}$ is a major component of amyloid plaque and vascular deposits in the AD brain. The enzyme ${\beta}$-secretase is required for the production of $A{\beta}$; thus, prevention of the formation of $A{\beta}$ through the inhibition of ${\beta}$-secretase is a major focus in the study of the treatment of AD. In this study, we investigated ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity of an Arctoscopus japonicus peptide. An Alcalase hydrolysate had the highest ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity. A ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory activity peptide was separated using ion exchange column chromatography (carboxy-methyl: CM, quaternary methyl ammonium: QMA) and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C18 column. The $IC_{50}$ value of the purified peptide was $248.2{\pm}1.73{\mu}g/mL$. The ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitory peptide was identified as a six amino acid residue of Gly-Pro-Val-Gly-Ala-Pro (MW: 497.27 Da). In cell viability experiments, the final purified fraction, the carboxy-methyl ion exchange column fraction (CM-F1) showed no significant cytotoxic effect in SH-SY5Y cells at concentrations below $100{\mu}g/mL$ in 24 h. The results of this study suggest that peptides separated from Arctoscopus japonicus may be beneficial as ${\beta}$-secretase inhibitor compounds in functional foods.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.274-282
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• 2019

Mercury-resistant ($Hg^R$) bacteria were isolated from heavy metal polluted wastewater and soil collected near to tanneries of district Kasur, Pakistan. Bacterial isolates AZ-1, AZ-2 and AZ-3 showed resistance up to $40{\mu}g/ml$ against mercuric chloride ($HgCl_2$). 16S rDNA ribotyping and phylogenetic analysis were performed for the characterization of selected isolates as Bacillus sp. AZ-1 (KT270477), Bacillus cereus AZ-2 (KT270478) and Bacillus cereus AZ-3 (KT270479). Phylogenetic relationship on the basis of merA nucleotide sequence confirmed 51-100% homology with the corresponding region of the merA gene of already reported mercury-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. The merE gene involved in the transportation of elemental mercury ($Hg^0$) via cell membrane was cloned for the first time into pHLV vector and transformed in overexpressed C43(DE3) E. coli cells. The recombinant plasmid (pHLMerE) was expressed and the native MerE protein was obtained after thrombin cleavage by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The purification of fusion/recombinant and native protein MerE by Ni-NTA column, dialysis and fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC/SEC) involved unfolding/refolding techniques. A small-scale reservoir of wastewater containing $30{\mu}g/ml$ of $HgCl_2$ was designed to check the detoxification ability of selected strains. It resulted in 83% detoxification of mercury by B. cereus AZ-2 and B. cereus AZ-3, and 76% detoxification by Bacillus sp. AZ-1 respectively (p < 0.05).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 2019

Di- and tri-methylation of lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4me2 and H3K4me3, respectively) are epigenetic markers of active genes. Complex associated with Set1 (COMPASS) mediates these H3K4 methylations. The involvement of COMPASS activity in secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthesis was first demonstrated with an Aspergillus nidulans cclA knockout mutant. The cclA knockout induced the transcription of two cryptic SM biosynthetic gene clusters, leading to the production of the cognate SM. Monascus spp. are filamentous fungi that have been used for food fermentation in eastern Asia, and the pigment Monascus azaphione (MAz) is their main SM. Monascus highly produces MAz, implying that the cognate biosynthetic genes are highly active in transcription. In the present study, we examined how COMPASS activity modulates MAz biosynthesis by inactivating Monascus purpureus cclA (Mp-cclA) and swd1 (Mp-swd1). For both ${\Delta}Mp-cclA$ and ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$, a reduction in MAz production, accompanied by an abated cell growth, was observed. Suppression of MAz production was more effective in an agar culture than in the submerged liquid culture. The fidelity of the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ phenotypes was verified by restoring the WT-like phenotypes in a reversion recombinant mutant, namely, trpCp: Mp-swd1, that was generated from the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ mutant. Real-time quantitative Polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the transcription of MAz biosynthetic genes was repressed in the ${\Delta}Mp-swd1$ mutant. This study demonstrated that MAz biosynthesis is under the control of COMPASS activity and that the extent of this regulation is dependent on growth conditions.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.235-240
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• 2018

Betula platyphylla var. japonica (Betulaceae), also known as Asian white birch, is an endemic medicinal tree, the bark of which has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. In our continuing search for bioactive compounds from Korean natural resources, a phytochemical investigation of the bark of B. platyphylla var. japonica led to the isolation of 7-oxo-${\beta}$-sitosterol (1) and soyacerebroside I (2) from its ethanol extract as main components by liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS)-based analysis. The structures of isolates were identified by comparison of $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic data and physical data with the previously reported values and LC/MS analyses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the isolated compounds, 7-oxo-${\beta}$-sitosterol and soyacerebroside I, were isolated in B. platyphylla var. japonica. We examined the effects of the isolates on the regulation of adipocytes and osteoblast differentiation. These isolates (1 and 2) produced fewer lipid droplets compared to the untreated negative control in Oil Red O staining of the mouse mesenchymal stem cell line without altering the amount of alkaline phosphatase staining. The results demonstrated that both compounds showed marginal inhibitory effects on adipocyte differentiation but did not affect osteoblast differentiation.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.164-172
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• 2019

In this work, we demonstrate a facile process to prepare an electrolyte membrane for the supercapacitor based on a graft copolymer consisting of starch and poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN). The graft copolymer (starch-g-PAN) was synthesized via free radical polymerization initiated by ceric ions. The starch-g-PAN was dissolved in ionic liquid, i.e. 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMIM DCA) without any organic solvents at room temperature. The gelation of polymer electrolyte membranes occurred by applying high temperature, i.e. $100^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. The resultant electrolyte membrane was flexible and thus applied to flexible solid supercapacitors. The performance of the supercapacitor based on starch-g-PAN graft copolymer electrolyte reached 21 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g. The cell also showed high cyclic stability with 86% of retention rate within 10,000 cycles. The preparation of starch-g-PAN based polymer electrolyte membrane provides opportunities for facile fabrication of flexible solid supercapacitors with good performance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.213-220
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• 2020

Background: The leaves of Perilla frutescens, commonly called perilla and used for food in Korea, contain components with a variety of biological effects and potential therapeutic applications. The purpose of this study was to identify the components of 70% ethanol extracted Perilla frutescens (EEPF) and determine its inhibitory effects on oral microbial activity and production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages, consequently, to confirm the possibility of using EEPF as a functional component for improving the oral environment and preventing inflammation. Methods: One kg of P. frutescens leaves was extracted with 70% ethanol and dried at -70℃. EEPF was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, and antimicrobial activity against oral microorganisms was revealed using the disk diffusion test. Cell viability was elucidated using a methylthiazolydiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay, and the effect of EEPF on LPS-induced morphological variation was confirmed through microscopic observation. The effect of EEPF on LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2 was confirmed by the NO assay and PGE2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The main component of EEPF was rosemarinic acid, and EEPF showed weak anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects against microorganisms living in the oral cavity. EEPF did not show toxicity to Raw264.7 macrophages and had inhibitory effects on the morphological variations and production of pro-inflammatory mediators, NO and PGE2 in LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 macrophages. Conclusion: EEPF can be used as a functional material for improving the oral environment through the control of oral microorganisms and for modulating inflammation by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.687-700
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• 2021

This study performed to evaluate the applicability of functional dairy food materials by comparing the calcium solubilization ability and anti-inflammatory effects of hydrolyzed casein protein. Commercial enzyme (Alcalase^®; Neutrase^®; Protamex^®; Flavourzyme^®) was added to the 10% casein solution to prepare the casein hydrolysates. Samples obtained every hour [1:200 (w/v)]. According to results of measuring the degree of hydrolysis (DH), all of four enzymatic hydrolysates increased rapidly from 30 to 40 min, and after 150 min, there were no change. Protamex^® and Neutrase^® had the highest DH compared to others enzymatic hydrolysates. After that, peptides obtained throughout a preparative liquid chromatography system. In the calcium solubility experiments, neutrase fraction (NF) 4 and NF7 showed similar activities with casein phosphopeptide (CPP). In vitro cell experiments showed that no cytotoxicity except for NF6. Also, the production of nitric oxide (NO) inhibited as the concentration of fraction samples increased. The cytokine (IL-1α, IL-6, and TNF-α) production was lower than lipopolysaccharide (+) group significantly. Therefore, the possibility of anti-inflammatory activity found in the hydrolyzed samples. According to the above experiments, NF3 and Protamex Fraction (PF) 3 selected. Amino acids selected throughout an AccQ-Tag system. As a result, 17 species of amino acids and several species of unknown amino acids identified. Both fractions had the highest content of phenylalanine. This study identified the potential of biologically active and functional peptides derived from casein that affect the food and dairy industry.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2022

Objective: This study examined whether the addition of triple antioxidants (3A)-10 µM acetyl-L-carnitine, 10 µM N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and 5 µM α-lipoic acid-in freezing-thawing medium during human sperm cryopreservation using the sucrose vitrification (SuV) and liquid nitrogen vapor (Vapor) techniques could improve post-thaw survival of spermatozoa. Methods: We analyzed 30 samples from healthy human sperm donors. Each sample was allocated into one of five groups: fresh control, SuV, SuV+3A, Vapor, and Vapor+3A. The sperm motility, morphology, viability, intracellular and extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) were evaluated. Results: The cryopreserved spermatozoa had significantly reduced percentages of motility (p<0.05) and viability (p<0.05). Antioxidant supplementation non-significantly improved these parameters (p>0.05). No significant differences were found in sperm morphology between the fresh and frozen-thawed groups (p>0.05). After freezing, the extracellular ROS levels in the frozen-thawed groups were significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the fresh group. However, we did not find any differences in intracellular ROS parameters among these groups (p>0.05). The SDF was higher in the SuV and Vapor groups than in the fresh group, but without statistical significance (p=0.075 and p=0.077, respectively). Conclusion: Cryopreservation had detrimental effects on sperm motility, viability, and extracellular ROS levels, without changing the morphology or intracellular ROS levels. Antioxidant supplementation was slightly effective in preventing SDF in frozen-thawed spermatozoa.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1195-1208
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• 2022

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have potential applications in medicine, photocatalysis, agriculture, and cosmetic fields due to their unique physicochemical properties and strong antimicrobial activity. Here, AgNPs were synthesized using actinobacterial SL19 strain, isolated from acidic forest soil in Poland, and confirmed by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy, TEM, and zeta potential analysis. The AgNPs were polydispersed, stable, spherical, and small, with an average size of 23 nm. The FTIR study revealed the presence of bonds characteristic of proteins that cover nanoparticles. These proteins were then studied by using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and identified with the highest similarity to hypothetical protein and porin with molecular masses equal to 41 and 38 kDa, respectively. Our AgNPs exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The combined, synergistic action of these synthesized AgNPs with commercial antibiotics (ampicillin, kanamycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline) enabled dose reductions in both components and increased their antimicrobial efficacy, especially in the case of streptomycin and tetracycline. Furthermore, the in vitro activity of the AgNPs on human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, A375, A549, and HepG2) showed cancer-specific sensitivity, while the genotoxic activity was evaluated by Ames assay, which revealed a lack of mutagenicity on the part of nanoparticles in Salmonella Typhimurium TA98 strain. We also studied the impact of the AgNPs on the catalytic and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO). The decomposition of MO was observed by a decrease in intensity of absorbance within time. The results of our study proved the easy, fast, and efficient synthesis of AgNPs using acidophilic actinomycete SL19 strain and demonstrated the remarkable potential of these AgNPs as anticancer and antibacterial agents. However, the properties and activity of such particles can vary by biosynthesized batch.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.67-72
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• 2018

Objectives : Natural extracts have been extensively studied to replace single agent drugs that cause a variety of side effects. However, studies of changes to the formulation of natural extracts has not been nearly proceed. We aimed to investigate whether pharmacological stability of hyeonggaeyeongyotang gagambang (HYT) is altered by formulation changes for foaming tablet. Methods : In this study, we performed freeze - drying of HYT, which is known to have antioxidant and anti - inflammatory properties, and then changed the formulation by foaming. Results : As a result, the foaming reaction appeared normally when HYT foamed tablets were put into water, and almost all of the substances were dissolved in the aqueous solution. In addition, we confirmed using high-performance liquid chromatograph that the geniposide used as an indicator material of HYT was stable in most of the formulations. It was confirmed that the change of HYT formulation did not affect the antioxidant efficacy by the 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid assay. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that the inhibitory effect of HYT on IL-$1{\beta}$ mRNA expression induced by lipopolysaccharides treatment in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells was similar in the solution of foaming tablet. Conclusions : These results suggest that the materials with various pharmacological effects can be stably maintained even when the formulation is changed by the foaming action of HYT. Our results are expected to provide important basic knowledge on formulation changes using various natural extracts.