• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.9
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• pp.1285-1292
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• 2016

Changes in surface hydrophobicity of soy protein isolate (SPI), which plays an important role in the functional characteristics of protein, were measured according to various SPI concentrations, pH levels, electrolytes concentrations, and alginate molecular weights by using 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonic acid as a fluorescent probe. SPI surface hydrophobicity decreased as SPI concentrations increased. SPI surface hydrophobicity reached a maximum at pH 7.0. SPI surface hydrophobicity rapidly increased as the NaCl concentration of SPI solution increased up to 100 mM, and showed no large increases above 100 mM. However, SPI surface hydrophobicity radically decreased until the $CaCl_2$ concentration reached 50 mM and revealed no large variations above 50 mM. A similar trend was exhibited in the case of $MgCl_2$. As both the concentration and molecular weight of sodium alginate increased, SPI surface hydrophobicity decreased. The increasing rate of SPI surface hydrophobicity decreased as the molecular weight of sodium alginate increased.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 2008

Our previous work confirmed that Sph2/LA1029 was a sphigomyelinase-like hemolyisn of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae serovar Lai. Characteristics of both hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of Sph2 were reported in this paper. Sph2 was a heat-labile neutral hemolysin and had similar hemolytic behavior as the typical sphingomyelinase C of Staphylococcus aureus upon sheep erythrocytes. The cytotoxic activity of Sph2 was shown in mammalian cells such as BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, as well as human L-02 liver cells. Transmission electron microscopic observation showed that the Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes were swollen and ruptured with membrane breakage. They also demonstrated condensed chromatin as a high-density area. Cytoskeleton changes were observed via fluorescence confocal microscope in Sph2 treated BALB/C mouse lymphocytes and macrophages, where both cytokine IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 were induced. In addition, typical apoptotic morphological features were observed in Sph2 treated L-02 cells via transmission electron microscope and the percentage of apoptotic cells did increase after the Sph2 treatment detected by flow cytometry. Therefore, Sph2 was likely an apoptosis-inducing factor of human L-02 liver cells.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.873-876
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• 2012

Ionic liquids (ILs) existing in the liquid ion form under standard conditions show a unique properties. 1-10-Alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bromide ([C10mim][Br]) is one of the ILs that shows amphiphilic characteristics under specific conditions. This property enables it to function as a surfactant, and therefore, it finds applications in a wide range of areas. In this study, we tried to predict the behavior, especially the aggregation aspect, of [C10mim][Br] in an aqueous solution using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The canonical (NVT) ensemble was used to relax the system and trace the trajectory of atoms. Several case studies were simulated and the interaction among [C10mim]+, [Br]-, and water was analyzed using the radial distribution function of each atom. The density distribution function was also used for the structural analysis of the entire system. We used the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) code for the present MD simulations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1539-1545
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• 2010

In beer, glutathione works as the main antioxidant compound, which also correlates with the stability of the beer flavor. In addition, high residual sugars in beer contribute to major nonvolatile components, which are reflected in a high caloric content. Therefore, in this study, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae GSH1 gene encoding glutamylcysteine synthetase and the Saccharomycopsis fibuligera ALP1 gene encoding ${\alpha}$-amylase were coexpressed in industrial brewing yeast strain Y31 targeting the ${\alpha}$-acetolactate synthase (AHAS) gene (ILV2) and alcohol dehydrogenase gene (ADH2), resulting in the new recombinant strain TY3. The glutathione content in the fermentation broth of TY3 increased to 43.83 mg/l as compared with 33.34 mg/l in the fermentation broth of Y31. The recombinant strain showed a high ${\alpha}$-amylase activity and utilized more than 46% of the starch as the sole carbon source after 5 days. European Brewery Convention tube fermentation tests comparing the fermentation broths of TY3 and Y31 showed that the flavor stability index for TY3 was 1.3-fold higher, whereas its residual sugar concentration was 76.8% lower. Owing to the interruption of the ILV2 gene and ADH2 gene, the contents of diacetyl and acetaldehyde as off-flavor compounds were reduced by 56.93% and 31.25%, respectively, when compared with the contents in the Y31 fermentation broth. In addition, since no drug-resistant genes were introduced to the new recombinant strain, it should be more suitable for use in the beer industry, owing to its better flavor stability and other beneficial characteristics.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 1991

As the model compounds, citral and n-octanol which possess similar characteristics and structures of low molecular weight insect pheromones and $({\pm})-5-hydroxy-4-methyl-heptan-3-one$ which shows the aggregation pheromones activity of the rice weevil and the maize weevil were microencapsulated with low molecular weight polyethylene(LMPE) and urea-formaldehyde resin as wall materials. The core materials were microencapsulated as small particles in LMPE and urea-formaldehyde resin polymers and the microencapsulated polymers were white powders. And the polymer made from urea-formaldehyde resin was better than that from LMPE as wall material. The slow releasing effect and the releasing patten of the microencapsulated core materials were examined by solvent extraction method and headspace sampling method. Citral and n-octanol and $({\pm})-5-hydroxy-4-methyl-heptan-3-one$ were release more than 40 days and 15 days, respectively. The releasing pattern of urea-formaldehyde resin microcapsules showed rather smooth decrease than that of LMPE and was maintained at steady level longer.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.68-73
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• 1996

An nprX gene of Bacillus subtilis NS15-4 encoding a neutral protease was cloned and its molecular characteristics were analyzed. The complete nucleotide sequence indicated that there is an open reading frame (0RF) possibly encoding 521 amino acid polypeptide. The ORF used all codons expected two cysteine and a proline having a codon bias index (CBI) of 0.09 in Escherichia coli. There were homologous sequences to the consensus sequence of -35 and -10 regions of E. coli promoters and to a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence located 25 bp downstream of a mojor transcription initiation site. Moreover, there were also five minor transcription initiation sites at 6. 7. 8. 14 and 15 nt downstream of the major site. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of about 1.8 kb mRNA transcript in E. coli having the nprX gene. The nucleotide sequence was identified in GenBank to be a gene for a neutral protease of B. sutilis with six nucleotide difference in the ORF region. The flanking regions of the NprX ORF showed much more differences form those of other neutral protease genes except the nprE gene of B. subtilis, which has the most homology to the nprX gene, and of which the flanking regions were identical to those of the nprX gene.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.158-172
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• 2017

Nigella sativa (N. sativa, family Ranunculaceae) is a medicinal plant that has been widely used for centuries throughout the world as a natural remedy. A wide range of chemical compounds found in N. sativa expresses its vast therapeutic effects. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main component (up to 50%) in the essential oil of N. sativa. Also, pinene (up to 15%), p-cymene (40%), thymohydroquinone (THQ), thymol (THY), and dithymoquinone (DTQ) are other pharmacologically active compounds of its oil. Other terpenoid compounds, such as carvacrol, carvone, 4-terpineol, limonenes, and citronellol, are also found in small quantities in its oil. The main pharmacological characteristics of this plant are immune system stimulatory, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-cancer, hypoglycemic, anti-tussive, milk production, uricosuric, choleretic, anti-fertility, and spasmolytic properties. In this regard, we have searched the scientific databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with keywords of N. sativa, anti-cancer, apoptotic effect, antitumor, antioxidant, and malignancy over the period from 2000 to 2017. The effectiveness of N. sativa against cancer in the blood system, kidneys, lungs, prostate, liver, and breast and on many malignant cell lines has been shown in many studies, but the molecular mechanisms behind that anti-cancer role are still not clearly understood. From among the many effects of N. sativa, including its anti-proliferative effect, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, ROS generation, anti-metastasis/anti-angiogenesis effects, Akt pathway control, modulation of multiple molecular targets, including p53, p73, STAT-3, PTEN, and $PPAR-{\gamma}$, and activation of caspases, the main suggestive anti-cancer mechanisms of N. sativa are its free radical scavenger activity and the preservation of various anti-oxidant enzyme activities, such as glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione-S-transferase. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and the anti-cancer effects of N. sativa, with a focus on its molecular targets in apoptosis pathways.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1009-1013
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• 1996

This study was carried to investigate the emulsion stability of microcrystalline chitins (MCC) prepared from chitins of different molecular sizes and different degrees of phosphorylation in a model fatty food system. Chitins of low, medium and high molecular size prepared from crabshells were phosphorylated to 30-50% to make MCC. MCC prepared from chitin of medium molecular size revealed a high emulsion stability. The best emulsion stability was observed in MCC prepared from medium size chitin with 40% phosphorylation (M-40-MCC). The fat binding capacity of MCC was not significantly different among the samples. MCC with 50% phosphorylation had more fat binding capacity, ranging from 650-690%. When 2.46% of M-40-MCC was applied to a coconutoil-water system as an emulsifier, emulsion separation was observed from 10 min after emulsification, indicating that it could not be used as a sole emulsifier. When 50% of emulsifier (Span-60 &Tween-60) in a liquid coffee creamer, selected as a model fatty foods, was replaced by M-40-MCC, emulsion stability was as good as control. Consistency of liquid creamer was decreased and L value increased as the amount of MCC repacement increased. A liquid creamer with 50% emulsifier replaced by MCC had sensory characteristics equivalent to control.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.167-176
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• 2005

Atmospheric deposition and riverine waters were sampled throughout a year, to estimate the loading fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into the Masan Bay and its vicinity, Korea. Atmospheric deposition fluxes of total PAHs in the surveyed area varied from 62.2 to 464 ${\mu}g/m^2/year$. Concentration of total PAHs in water samples from six rivers ranged from 34.6 to 239 ng/L. Contribution of the carcinogenic PAHs to the total PAHs occupied $38\%$ and $50\%$ for atmospheric deposition and river waters, respectively. Atmospheric deposition fluxes and water concentrations of PAHs were slightly low or moderate to those in locations from some countries. Correspondence analysis was used to investigate the loading characteristics of PAHs according to transport routes. Atmospheric deposition samples were corresponded to higher molecular aromatics of PAHs, while riverine water samples were associated with lower molecular weight of PAHs. The results indicate that the higher-molecular-weight PAHs can be primarily transported by atmosphere deposition and the lower-molecular-weight PAHs can be mainly contaminated by riverine discharge into the Masan Bay and its vicinity. Loadings fluxes of PAHs into the Masan Bay and its vicinity were 39.2 g/day via atmosphere and 10.3 g/day via rivers, showing that atmospheric input was about 4 times higher than riverine one. Therefore, in order to minimize the contamination burden of PAHs from terrestrial sources to the Masan Bay and its vicinity, the control and management of PAHs deriving from atmosphere will be necessary.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.606-612
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• 2013

Glycidol-poly(lactide) (Gly-PLA) were synthesized via L-lactide ring opening polymerization with glycidol as an initiator and $Al(O-i-Pr)_3$ catalyst. The structure of Gly-PLA was analyzed and successfully confirmed by 1H NMR. The OH group of glycidol in Gly-PLA was absent according to the $^1H$ NMR analysis, indicating that the terminal OH group of glycidol successfully served as an initiator in the L-lactide polymerization. The solution and bulk polymerizations of L-lactide with glycidol were performed to examine the effect of L-lactide/glycidol molar ratio, polymerization temperature and time on the molecular characteristics of Gly-PLA. The conversion and molecular weight increased with an increase in L-lactide/glycidol molar ratio. Gly-PLA showed the bimodal type DSC curve. The low $T_m$ peak of low molecular weight reduced but the high $T_m$ peak of high molecular weight increased as L-lactide/glycidol molar ratio increased.