• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.109-117
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• 2024

This study investigated the microbial contamination of agricultural, livestock, and marine ingredients in 55 meal kits distributed across Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Of the 55 meal kits, 48 contained agricultural ingredients, 43 contained livestock ingredients, and 16 contained marine ingredients. The detection rate of the total aerobic bacteria in the agricultural, livestock, and marine products was 100%. The average numbers of the total aerobic bacteria were 6.57 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g in the agricultural products, 4.60 log CFU/g in the livestock products, and 5.47 log CFU/g in the marine products. The coliform detection rates in the agricultural, livestock, and marine products were 81.25%, 69.77%, and 43.75%, respectively. The average numbers of coliforms were 2.83 log CFU/g in the agricultural products, 1.34 log CFU/g in the livestock products, and 1.12 log CFU/g in the marine products. Escherichia coli was detected in 13 livestock products (30.23%), with levels ranging from 0.70 to 2.36 log CFU/g. Contrastingly, E. coli was detected in only one marine product (6.25%) and was not detected in any agricultural products. The detection rates of fungi in agricultural, livestock, and marine products were 97.92%, 93.02%, and 93.75%, respectively. The average numbers of fungi were 3.82 log CFU/g for the agricultural products, 2.92 log CFU/g for the livestock products, and 2.82 log CFU/g for the marine products. The isolation rates of foodborne pathogens from the agricultural, livestock, and marine products were 35.42%, 37.21%, and 31.25%, respectively. Forty-five foodborne pathogens of seven species, including Bacillus cereus and Salmonella spp., were isolated from the raw materials of the agricultural, livestock, and marine products in 55 meal kits. To prevent foodborne diseases caused by meal kits, it is necessary to focus on washing, heating, and preventing cross-contamination during cooking.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.3-7
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• 1990

The chemical Composition of Chinese red pine (Pinus massoniana) submerged in the Yellow Sea for more than 700 years has been examined. When compared to the recent wood, the marked chemical changes in the waterlogged wood is the higher amount of lignin with lesser amount of holocellulose and abnormally high ash content. In the heavily degraded samples, the degradation of cellulose is more severe than that of hemicellulose. However, hemicellulose is much more attacked than the cellulose at the initial stage of deterioration in the sea water. Chemical analysis suggests that the cellulolytic marine microorganisms, whether they are fungi or bacteria. can be regarded as the primary agents for the destruction of the archaeological woods submerged in the sea water.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.14-18
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• 2011

A chemical investigation of the marine-derived fungi Aspergillus versicolor led to the isolation of a new aromatic polyketide (1), The structure was elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and its radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, and inhibitory activity to lipid oxidation were investigated. Those activities of compound 1 were compared with standard antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiarybutylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and ascorbic acid ($V_C$). Compound 1 showed antioxidant activity comparable to that of BHA, and siginificantly higher than that of BHT.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2014

During a survey of marine fungi from the waters surrounding Jeju Island, Korea, several Penicillium strains were isolated from seawater and marine sponges. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer and RNA polymerase subunit II, four strains were identified as Penicillium antarcticum, a fungus that, to the best of our knowledge, had not been previously reported in Korea. Here, we provide detailed descriptions of the morphological characteristics and extracellular enzyme activities of the four strains.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2005

Two new cyclic peroxides were isolated from an undescribed sponge of the genus Plakortis sp. collected at Discovery Bay, Jamaica. The molecular structures were elucidated by interpreting ID and 2D NMR and HRMS data. The cyclic peroxides, Compound 1 and 2, exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi with IC$_${50} values of 0.9-5.0$\mug/mL and 0.7-8.0$\mug/mL, respectively.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.259-262
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• 2016

Arthrinium (Ascomycota, Apiosporaceae) is a major marine fungal genus. Three Arthrinium species were reported previously, but not fully described. We isolated the two species A. arundinis and A. saccharicola from Sargassum sp. brown algae in Jeju Island, Korea. These species have not been previously reported in Korea. We described these species in detail and performed a phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of the EF1-${\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$-tubulin genes.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.351-362
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• 2021

Penicillium is the most common fungal genus in various terrestrial and marine environments. The number of new and unrecorded Penicillium species from various substrates and habitats are continuously increasing. As part of a project to discover indigenous fungi in South Korea, three unrecorded Penicillium species were isolated from mudflats and seaweeds. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of β-tubulin and calmodulin loci, they were identified as P. amaliae, P. infrabuccalum, and P. manginii. Here, we provide a detailed morphological description and sequence information of these previously unrecorded species.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.2 s.133
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• pp.138-141
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• 2003

In order to screen new tyrosinase inhibiting principle which is expected to be a new biofunctional skin whitening cosmetics, we have isolated 600 strains of the marine- derived fungi and investigated tyrosinase inhibiting activity for their acetone extracts. The significant activities (>70% Inhibition) were observed in the extract of 10 strains of fungi (MFA7, MFA27, MFA58, MFA317, MFA318, MFA345, MFA412, MFA552, MFA562, MFA581). These active strains were cultured in SWS medium with 1 L scale and the resulting broth and mycelium were extracted to afford mycelium extract (000M) and broth extract (000B), respectively. Tyrosinase inhibiting activity for all extracts has been tested. As the results, the broth extracts of 4 strains (27B, 58B, 552B and 581B) exhibited relatively high levels of activity of $IC_{50}$ values of $3.0-19.0\;{\mu}g/mL$. The active component of 581B was purified by assay-guided isolation to yield the known kojic acid (1), and its structure was determined by physicochemical evidence. Kojic acid showed the significant tyrosinase inhibitory activity with $IC_{50}$ values of $12.0\;{\mu}M$.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.175-178
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• 2006

An acidic ent-cyclic peroxide was isolated from a sponge, Plakotis sp., and showed activity against leishmaniasis and pathogenic fungi. To improve the activity of this compound, we coupled the acidic ent-cyclic at the C1 position of ircinol A. Compound 3 exhibited significant activity against Leishmania mexican a and fungi with $IC_{50}$ values of 0.7 and $0.3-34{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The yield of compound 3 was 98%.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.281-287
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• 2023

The symbiotic association between fungus-gardening termites Macrotermes and its fungal symbiont has a moderate degree of specificity-although the symbiotic fungi (Termitomyces) form a monophyletic clade, there is not a one-to-one association between termite species and their fungus-garden associates. Here, we aim to determine the origin and phylogenetic relationships of Termitomyces in Oman. We used sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA, 25S) gene and analyzed these with sequences of Termitomyces from other geographic areas. We find no evidence for more than a single colonization of Oman by Termitomyces. Unexpectedly, we find Termitomyces in Oman is most closely related to the symbiont of M. subhyalinus in West Africa rather than to those of geographically closer populations in East Africa.