• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.604-617
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• 2003

Candida albicans is one of the most common etiological agents in fungi-associated skin infections. There is an increase of candidiosis especially in the patient of acquired or induced immunodeficiency syndromes or in the event of long-term antibiotics and immuno-suppressor or cytotoxic therapies. To screen out reliable and effective anti-candidiosis agent, in this study, we have evaluated antifungal activity of 298 plant extracts against C. albicans. Based on the results of disc-paper method and determination of minimal inhibitory concentration, fifteen extracts were finally selected as possible sources of anti-candidiosis agent. Especially, six different plant extracts, such as Rubus parvifolius, Euphorbia pekinensis, Coptis chinensis, Eugenia aromaticum, Paeonia lactiflora var. hortensis and Paeonia suffruticosa showed strong antifungal activity against C. albicans, not to S. cerevisiae. These results suggested that medicinal and wild plants could be the potential source of antifungal agent.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.170-174
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• 1997

In order to design a novel synthetic peptide with improved fungicidal activity but low hemolytic activity, a hybrid peptide, cecropin A(l-8)-magainin 2(1-12), and its analogue peptides were synthesized by the solid phase method. Antifungal and hemolytic activities of the synthetic peptides were assessed by the growth inhibition against Trichosporon beigelii and the cell membrane lysis against human red hlood cells, respectively. Analogue 2 in which Lys at position 12 in cecropin A(1-8)-magainin 2(1-12) was substituted with Ala showed most potent antifungal activity (MIC: 2.5.$\mu$g/ml) with minimal hemolytic activity (0.5% hemolysis at the (200.$\mu$g/ml peptide). This peptide (A2), therefore, could be useful as a model for further designing potent antifungal peptides without cytotoxicity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2004

We tested gentamicin - resistant bacteria isolated from hospital sewage to confirm the presence of aac(3)II encoding aminoglycoside- (3)-N- acetyltransferase by dot-blot hybridization. A probe from the internal fragment of aac(3)II was hybridized to DNA from 41 % (39/95) of gentamicin resistant isolates. PCR was performed with primers from aac(3)II and Tn3. Of 39 strains, 13 strains had Tn3-aac(3)II structure. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) test demonstrated that 18 strains containing Tn3-aac(3)II showed higher resistance to gentamicin than those of other strains. Thirteen strains were identified as 5 Escherichia coli, 3 Acinetobacter johnsonii, 2 Enterobacter agglomerans, 2 Micrococcus luteus, and 1 Pseudomonas facilis. These results suggest that gentamicin-resistant determinant of Tn3-aac(3)II structure was widely distributed in the gentamicin-resistant bacteria.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.46-55
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• 2022

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a significant cause of hospital-acquired and antibiotic-mediated intestinal diseases and is a growing global public health concern. Overuse of antibiotics and their effect on normal intestinal flora has increased the incidence and severity of infections. Thus, the development of new, effective, and safe treatment options is a high priority. Here, we report a new probiotic strain, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA PMC-80), and its in vitro/in vivo anti-C. difficile effect as a prospective novel candidate for replacing conventional antibiotics. BA PMC-80 showed a significant anti-C. difficile effect in coculture assay, and its cell-free supernatant (CFS) also exhibited a considerable anti-C. difficile effect with an 89.06 ㎍/ml 50% minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) in broth microdilution assay. The CFS was stable and equally functional under different pHs, heat, and proteinase treatments. It also exhibited a high sensitivity against current antibiotics and no toxicity in subchronic toxicity testing in hamsters. Finally, BA PMC-80 showed a moderate effect in a hamster CDI model with reduced infection severity and delayed death. However, further studies are required to optimize the treatment condition of the hamster CDI model for better efficacy and identify the antimicrobial compound produced by BA PMC-80.

• The Journal of Dong Guk Oriental Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.121-140
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• 1999

The various oriental herbal medicines, which have usually been used for treatment of reducing fever, purging intense heat and detoxication, were screened to determine the antibacterial activity and the minimal inhibitory concentration against pulmonary disease-causing Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Among the 23 oriental medicines tested, the water-soluble extracts of Coptis japonica, Scutellaria baicalensis and Picrorrhiza kurrooa showed the antibacterial activity against K.pneumoniae and that of C. japonica against S. pyogenes. The antibacterial activities of C. japonica, Prunusmume, Schizandra chinesis, Scutellaria baicalensis were also found against S.pneumoniae. When C.japonica was used, the high antibacterial activity was shown against Bacillus subtilis and other extracts showed a little activity against B. subtilis and E. coli as a control. 2. The ethanol-soluble extracts of Patrinia scabriosaefolia, P. mume, S. baicalensis, S. chinesis showed the antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae and those of S. baicalensis, C. japonica, S. chinesis, P. mume agaist S. pyogenes and S. pnuemoniae. However, those extract showed a little antibacterial activity against B. subtilis and E. coli except for that the extract of C. japonica showed comparatively high growth inhibition of B. subtilis. 3. Among the medicinal herbs tested, the water and ethanol extrats of C. japonica showed very extcellent antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacteria and controls. 4. When the water-soluble extracts of C. japonica and S. baicalensis, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against K. pneumoniae were $10mg/m{\ell}$ and $22 mg/m{\ell}$, respectively. The MICs of the ethanol-soluble extracts of P. mume and P. scabriosaefolia were $5mg/m{\ell}$ and $20mg/m{\ell}$, respectively. 5. For the MICs against S.pyogenes, C. japonica showed $15mg/m{\ell}$ with the water-soluble extract and P. mume and C. japonica with the ethanol-souble extract did $5mg/m{\ell}$ and $10mg/m{\ell}$, respectively. 6. For the MICs against S. pneumoniae, C. japonica and P. mume with the water- and ethanol-souble extract showed $5mg/m{\ell}$ and $10mg/m{\ell}$, respectively. As a result, the highest antibacterial activity was found in the water- and ethanol-soluble extracts of C. japonica against pulmonary disease-causing bacteria, K. pneumoniae, S. pyogenes. and S. pnuemoniae. Also, the water- and ethanol-soluble extracts of S.chinesis. P.mume, S.baicalensis, and P.kurrooa showed hight antibacterial activities.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.561-574
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• 2000

Poly-P has been used to prevent decomposition of foods and has been shown to have inhibitory effect on the growth of gram positive bacteria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of poly-P on the growth of Porphyromonas endodontalis, a gram negative obligate anaerobic rod, endodontopathic bacterium. P. endodontalis ATCC 35406 was in BHI broth containing hemin and vitamin K with or without poly-P. Inhibitory effect of each poly-P which was added at the beginning(lag phase) or during(exponential phase) the culture, MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration) was determined by measuring the optical density of the bacterial cell at 540nm. Viable cell counts were measured to determined whether poly-P has a bactericidal effect. Leakage of intracellular nucleotides from P. endodontalis was determined at 260nm and morphological change of P. endodontalis was observed under the TEM(transmission electron microscope). Binding of 32P-labeled poly-P to P. endodontalis was examined. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and zymography were performed to observe the changes in protein and enzyme profiles of P. endodontalis, respectively. The results from this study were as follows : 1. The minimal inhibitory concentration(MIC) of poly-P to P. endodontalis appeared to be 0.04~0.05%. 2. Poly-P added to the P. endodontalis culture during the exponential phase of P. endodontalis was as much effective as poly-P added at the begining of the culture, suggesting that the antibacterial effect of poly-P is not much dependent on the initial inoculum size of P. endodontalis. 3. Poly-P are bactericidal to P. endodontalis, demonstrating the decrease of the viable cell counts. 4. Intracellular nucleotide release from the P. endodontalis, was not increased in the presence of poly-P and was not reversed by the addition of divalent cations like $Ca^{2+}$ and $Mg^{2-}$. 5. Under the TEM, it was observed that fine electro-dense materials were prominent in the poly-P grown P. endodontalis, appearing locally in the cell, and the materials were more abundant and more dispersed in the cell as the incubation time with poly-P increased. In addition, highly electron dense granules accumulated in many poly-P grown cells, most of which were atypical in their shape. 6. Binding of 32P-labeled poly-P to P. endodontalis appeared to be 32.8 and 45.5 and 53.4% at 30 minutes, 1 hours and 2 hours, respectively. 7. In the presence of poly-P. the synthesis of proteins with apparent molecular masses of 25, 27, 35, 45 was lost or drastically decreased whereas expression of a protein with an apparent molecular mass of 75 was elevated. 8. Proteolytic activity of P. endodontalis was decreased by poly-P. The overall results suggest that use of poly-P may affect the growth of P. endodontalis, and the anti-bacterial activity of poly-P seems largely bactericidal. Changes in shape, protein expression, and proteolytic activity of P. endodontalis by poly-P may be directly and indirectly attributed to the antibacterial effect of poly-P. Further studies will be needed to confirm the effect of poly-P.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.957-963
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• 1998

Several medicinal herbs, which are nontoxic and have been used widely in traditional folk medicine, were extracted and antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated against various foodborne pathogens or food poisioning microorganisms. The ethanol extract of Sansa, Hwangryun, Cheukbaek, and Seokchangpo showed strong antimicrobial activities against Gram postive and Gram negative bacteria, whereas those of Sakunja, Sukjihwang and Baekji had little antimicrobial activities on microorganisms tested. Among medicinal herb extracts, ethanol extract of Coptis chinensis Franch (hwangryun) showed the strongest antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extract of Coptis chinensis Franch was not destroyed by heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 60 min and at $121^{\circ}C$ for 30 min, which is very stable over heat. The pH effect on minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the extract of Coptis chinensis Franch indicated that MIC was reduced with increasing the pH value of the medium. The inhibitory effect of partially purified substance from the ethanol extract of Coptis chinensis Franch on the growth of Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Growth of those strains occurred at the concentration of $100{\;}{\mu}g/mL$ and were inhibited at $500{\;}{\mu}g/mL$, whereas those strains was completely inactivated in the presence of $1000{\;}{\mu}g/mL$.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.583-589
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• 2013

We investigated the delay of kimchi fermentation by the addition of plant extracts. Fifteen plant extracts were screened for inhibitory activity aginst Lactobacillus plantarum by using an agar well diffusion assay, and determined the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal lethal concentration (MLC) were determined. The lowest MIC for grapefruit seed extract (GFSE; 0.0313 mg/mL) was determined, followed by Caesalpinia sappan L. extract (CSLE; 0.25 mg/mL), and oregano essential oil (OREO; 1.0 mg/mL). GFSE, CSLE, and OREO were individually added to kimchi, and incubated the samples at 10 for up to 20 days. Results showed that the addition of GFSE (0.3 and 0.5%), CSLE (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%), or OREO (0.5 and 1.0%) led to a significant increase in the pH of kimchi, and also a significant reduction in the numbers of lactic acid bacteria. Taken together, the addition of natural antimicrobial agents can delay kimchi fermentation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.269-274
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• 2010

An antifungal antibiotic-producing strain, BCNU 2003, was isolated from forest soil in Korea. The morphological and physiological characters, and 16S rRNA sequences analysis of strain BCNU 2003 identified this strain as Bacillus genus. The Bacillus sp. BCNU 2003 showed strong antifungal activities against Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum with inhibition ranging from 62.05 to 63.49% by using dual culture technique. Bacillus sp. BCNU 2003 produced a maximum level of antifungal substances under aerobic incubation at 28oC and pH 6.5-7.2 for 6 days in LB broth. Ethyl acetate extract of the cultured broth showed strong antifungal activity and a broad antifungal spectrum against various pathogenic fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for its active extracts ranged between 0.0625 mg/ml and 1 mg/ml. In addition, Bacillus sp. BCNU 2003 was determined to have the ability to produce enzymes such as amylase, protease, gelatinase and catalase.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.442-446
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• 1998

Chitosan has been known to have an antimicrobial activity. Chitosan samples having different molecular weights were tested for the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli in a liquid medium and on the paper sheets coated with different types of chitosan samples. In a liquid medium, Chitosan A $(Mw\;3,000{\sim}5,000)$ and B $(Mw\;200,000{\sim}500,000)$ showed minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 40 and $10\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. The MIC of chitosan C $(Mw\;500,000{\sim}1,500,000)$ was similar to that of chitosan B. The paper sheets coated with chitosan A, B, and C also showed growth inhibition against E. coli. As a typical agricultural product, strawberry was tested for the extension of shelf life by using the chitosan-coated packaging papers. Storage experiments showed that chitosan-coated packaging papers extended the shelf life of strawberry at the chilling temperature of $4^{\circ}C$.