• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.47-54
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• 2020

Objective : Infectious diseases are a growing problem worldwide by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Daehwangmokdan-tang is one of the oriental medicine prescriptions contained in Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine. This study investigated the antibacterial activity of EtOH 70% extracts of Daehwangmokdan-tang (DMT) which prescription is composed of oriental medicine against MRSA. Methods : The antimicrobial activity and active concentration of MRSA were verified by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of DMT. In addition, the effects of the disease were checked by treating the existing antibiotics and large ethanol extract in parallel, and the extent of growth suppression was checked over time. In addition, cell membrane permeability experiment confirmed the effect of large DMT on the immunity mechanism of MRSA. Results : TThe minimum inhibitory concentration of DMT against MRSA is 500 ~ 2000 ㎍/㎖ by broth dilution method. In the checkerboard method, the combinations of DMT with antibiotics has partial synergistic effect or synergy effect and DMT markedly reduced the MICs of the antibiotics oxacillin (OX), gentamicin (GEN) against MRSA. In the inhibition of resistance mechanism of DMT against MRSA, the expression of resistance gene and protein about β-lactam antibiotic was reduced. Also, we observed the effect of DMT about cell membrane permeability against MRSA, and confirmed that DMT suppressed growth of strains by increasing cell membrane permeability and energy metabolism. Conclusion : Basis on the result, we speculate that DMT may be useful for the treatment of MRSA infections when used in combination with β-lactam antibiotic.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.358-361
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• 2008

Effect of extract of fermented dropwort (Oenanthe stolonifera) on growth of intestinal harmful/useful bacteria and enzyme activity were investigated in vitro. The extract showed strong inhibition on harmful microbes including Vibrio and Salmonella, but mild inhibition on Bifidobacterium longum in both agar plate and liquid cultivation. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of B. longum was the highest among tested microbes. Inhibition effect of fermented extract on harmful microbes increased according to fermentation period. Extract of fermented dropwort showed inhibitory effects on activity of microbial ${\beta}$-glucuronidase and tryptophanase. The inhibitory effects were also proportional to fermentation period. As consequence, it is assumed that the uptake of fermented dropwort might be useful for human intestinal health.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.260-266
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• 2015

To examine the changes in resistance to benomyl of Fusarium species causing bakanae disease, Fusarium isolates were collected in Korea, and pathogenicity tests were performed using rice seeds in vitro. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and effective concentration of 50% ($EC_{50}$) values of isolates were examined using the agar dilution method. High frequency distribution of MIC values to benomyl against isolates collected in 2006~2007 and 2013~2014 years were $1.5625{\sim}3.125{\mu}g/mL$ and more than $25{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. The mean $EC_{50}$ value of isolates to benomyl increased from $1.6397{\mu}g/mL$ in 2006~2007 to $2.4892{\mu}g/mL$ in 2013~2014. Based on MIC and $EC_{50}$ values of isolates, the moderate resistance of benomyl were determined as more than $25{\mu}g/mL$ of MIC and less $2.4{\mu}g/mL$ of $EC_{50}$ value, and resistant isolates to benomyl were determined as more than $2.4{\mu}g/mL$ of $EC_{50}$ value. Compared with the ratio of resistant isolates in 2006~2007, the ratio of resistance isolates in 2013~2014 increased from 12.5% to 36.4%. In addition, multiple resistant isolates to prochloraz as well as benomyl increased to 20.3% in 2013~2014.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.216-220
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• 2005

Periconicin A and B, two new fusicoccane diterpenes originally isolated from the cultures of endophytic fungus Periconia sp. OBW-15, were tested by several biological assays. Periconicin A was consistently more active than periconicin B. In an antifungal activity assay, periconicin A showed potent inhibitory activity against the agents of human mycoses, including Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and T. rubrum, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in the range of 3.12- 6.25 $\mug$ /ml. In a plant growth regulatory activity assay, periconicins inhibited hypocotyl elongation and root growth of Brassica campestris L. and Raphanus sativus L. At concentrations below 1 μg/ml, however, both compounds accelerated root growth by 110- 135%. From these results, it is apparent that a methyl group positioned in a cyclopentane ring may play an important role in plant and fungal growth inhibitory activity.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 1981

The Pseudomonas infection has been increased in incidence and suspected as a cause of opportunistic pathogen. Protease and elastase produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are reported to be closely associated with pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We examined, in this work, the relationship between production of exoenzyme of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and susceptibility to antimicrobial agents in view of possible application to the management of Pseudomonas infection. 1. In 295 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical specimens, 34.6% were from pus, 20.7% from sputum, 15.6% from wound including burn sites and 12.9% from urine. 2. Distribution of protease and elastase production by clinically isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showed that protease and elastase producing strains were 83.1%, protease producing strains were 7.5%, elastase producing strains were 2.0%, and non producing strains were 7.5%. 3. MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration) peak for tetracycline and chloramphenicol were observed at 25mcg/ml and 200mcg/ml respectively, but there were no Pseudomonas aeruginosa which correspond to MIC peak, 6.25mcg/ml. Gentamicin of aminoglycosides was highly susceptible to Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinically isolated from pus, sputum and wound sites, but susceptible to isolates from nasal discharge and urine. Regarding MIC peak of carbenicillin, 100mcg/ml, 81.8% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were from urine, 54.8% from wound including burn sites, 52.7% from pus, and 50.8% from sputum. 4. Enzyme producing strains showed no susceptibility to kanamycine and carbenicillin at low concentration, but protease producing strains tend to resistant to antimicrobial agents.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1677-1684
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• 2018

Objective: To find biological functions such as antibacterial and antioxidant activities in several tropical plants and to investigate the possibility of antibiotic substitute agents to prevent and treat diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. Methods: Plants such as Poncirus trifoliata fruit (Makrut), Zingiber officinale Rosc (Khing), Areca catechu L. (Mak), Solanum melongena L. I (Makkhuayao), and Solanum melongena L. II (Makhurapro) were extracted by methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. The free radical scavenging activities were measured using 2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl photometric assay. Antibacterial activities with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were observed by agar diffusion assay against pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli, Burkholderia sp., Haemopilus somnus, Haemopilus parasuis, Clostridium perfringens, and Pantoea agglomerans. Results: Poncirus trifoliata fruit methanol extract showed antibacterial activities against gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens. Additionally, this showed the strongest antibacterial activity against Burkholderia sp. and Haemopilus somnus with MIC $131{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Areca catechu L. water extract showed antibacterial activities against Burkholderia sp., Haemopilus somnus, and Haemopilus parasuis. The MIC value for Haemopilus parasuis was $105{\mu}g/mL$ in this. Antioxidant activity of Zingiber officinale Rosc n-hexane extract showed 2.23 mg/mL effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) value was the highest activity among tropical plants extracts. Total polyphenol content in Zingiber officinale Rosc methanol extract was $48.4{\mu}g/mL$ and flavonoid content was $22.1{\mu}g/mL$ showed the highest values among tested plants extracts. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that tropical plants used in this study may have a potential benefit as an alternative antibiotics agent through their antibacterial and antioxidant activities.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.502-506
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• 2004

Two series of 2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)- and 2-(1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-propyl, allyl and propargyl)thio-1,3,4-thiadiazoles (6a-f) and 2-(5-nitro-2-furyl)- and 2-(1-methyl-5-nitro-1 H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-(nitrobenzyl)thio-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives (8a-f) have been synthesized and evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as part of the TAACF TB screening program under direction of the US National Institute of Health, the NIAID division. Primary screening was conducted at a single concentration, 6.25 $\mu\textrm{g}$mL$^{-1}$ , against M. tuberculosis H$_{37}$ Rv in BACTEC 12B medium, using the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for the compounds that demonstrated $\geq$90% growth inhibition in the primary screening. A varying degree of antituberculosis activity (from 0-97% of growth inhibition) was observed with the alkylthio series (6a-f), and the nitroimidazole derivative with a propylthio group (6b) and the nitrofuran derivative with a propargylthio group (6e), were the most active compounds (MIC=3.13 and 1.56 /$\mu\textrm{g}$mL$^{-1}$ , respectively). Among the nitrobenzylthio derivatives (8a-f), all the ortho, meta and para nitrobenzyl isomers in the nitrofuran series exhibited good antituberculosis activity (MIC=3.13 $\mu\textrm{g}$mL$^{-1}$ ), while the corresponding nitroimidazole analogues were completely inactive (Inhibition=0%).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.395-404
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• 2017

Fungal cell walls and cell membranes are the main targets of antifungals. In this study, we report on the antifungal activity of an ethanol extract from Paeonia lactiflora against Candida albicans, showing that the antifungal activity is associated with the synergistic actions of preventing cell wall synthesis, enabling membrane depolarization, and compromising permeability. First, it was shown that the ethanol extract from P. lactiflora was involved in damaging the integrity of cell walls in C. albicans. In isotonic media, cell bursts of C. albicans by the P. lactiflora ethanol extract could be restored, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the P. lactiflora ethanol extract against C. albicans cells increased 4-fold. In addition, synthesis of $(1,3)-{\beta}-{\small{D}}-glucan$ polymer was inhibited by 87% and 83% following treatment of C. albicans microsomes with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract at their $1{\times}MIC$ and $2{\times}MIC$, respectively. Second, the ethanol extract from P. lactiflora influenced the function of C. albicans cell membranes. C. albicans cells treated with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract formed red aggregates by staining with a membrane-impermeable dye, propidium iodide. Membrane depolarization manifested as increased fluorescence intensity by staining P. lactiflora-treated C. albicans cells with a membrane-potential marker, $DiBAC_4(3)$ ((bis-1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol). Membrane permeability was assessed by crystal violet assay, and C. albicans cells treated with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract exhibited significant uptake of crystal violet in a concentration-dependent manner. The findings suggest that P. lactiflora ethanol extract is a viable and effective candidate for the development of new antifungal agents to treat Candida-associated diseases.

• Environmental Sciences Bulletin of The Korean Environmental Sciences Society
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 2000

A water treatment agent with antimicrobial activity(Ag-Os) was created by exchanging silver ion($Ag^{+}$) on calcined oyster shell powder. The desorption of the exchanged silver ion was negligible, thereby indicating a stable antimicrobial water treatment agent. The sterilization effect of Ag-Os on underwater microorganisms was then investigated. An MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) test result indicated that Ag-Os had an excellent sterilization effect on G-germs, such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most germs were annihilated with an Ag-Os concentration of 200 ppm and contact time of 60 minutes. The sterilization effect was mainly dependent on the contact time. The zeta potential of the Ag-Os powder adsorbed on sand was measured relative to the concentration of exchanged silver ion. As the concentration of the exchanged silver ion increased, the surface charge density of the anions on the surface of the Ag-Os powder adsorbed on sand also increased. Accordingly, this result indicated that a higher silver ion than ion exchange capacity was present on the particle surface due to adsorption. Consequently, this increased concentration of exchanged silver ion would appear to significantly enhance the sterilization power.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.20-25
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• 2009

Thirty-eight Vibrio spp. were isolated from the sea waters harvested from the 22 stations located on the west coast of the Korean peninsula in September 2006. The isolates consisted of V. parahaemolyticus (n=21), V. alginolyticus (n= 16) and V. cholerae non-01 (n=1), among which 35 isolates displayed resistance against two of the tested antibiotics. Among the 38 isolates, 18 isolates exhibited multi-drug resistance against more than four 4 antibiotics. In particular, minimum inhibitory concentration $(MIC)_{50}$ and $MIC_{90}$ of ampicillin-resistant isolates were as high as $2,048{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$ and $4,096{\mu}g{\cdot}mL^{-1}$ respectively. $\beta$-lactamase production was examined to analyze the ampicillin-resistance. Some Vibrio spp. isolates produced $\beta$-lactamase, however antibiotics resistance pattern and $\beta$-lactamase production were not clearly related to each other. A genetic relationship between resistance and gene expression was confirmed in the ampicillin-resistant isolates.