• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 1993

P. gingivalis has been implicated as a strong pathogen in periodontal disease and known to have three serotypes of P. gingivalis. The purpose of this study is to investigate on the relationship between virulence, metabolic acids and genetic heterogeneity of P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis W50 standard strain and five strains of P. gingivalis serotype b Korean isolates were used in this study. For in vitro virulence test, lyophilized whole cell P. gingivalis were suspended, and sonicated with ultrasonic dismembranometer. Sonicated samples were applied to cultured cells derived from periodontal ligament, and cell activity was assayed with growth and survival assay. The metabolic acids were also extracted, and determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Pst I-digested bacterial genomic DNA was electrophoresed, and densitometric analysis was performed to study the genetic heterogeneity. All of the P. gingivalis serotype b produced butyric acid. In cell activity study, butyric acid inhibited the cell activity irrespective of its concentration. Densitometric analysis showed restriction fragment length polymorphism. These results suggested that there existed heterogeneity of the metabolic acids and the virulence of P. gingivalis and such heterogeneity might be related to genetic heterogeneity.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.249-256
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• 2001

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines 8ra produces a bacteriocin called glycinecinA, which specifically inhibits the growth of bacteria belonging to Xanthomonas species. GlycinecinA was produced by culturing Escherichia coli DH5 containing biosynthetic genes for glycinecinA, and was tested for its control effect against X. vesicatoria on red pepper and X. oryzae pv. oryzae on rice. The bacteriocin activity was much higher in the cell extract than in the supernatant. It reached a maximum level at the stationary phase, ws maintained up to 2 months at room temperature and approximately 10 months at $4^{\circ}$. The optimum concentration of glycinecinA for the control in the greenhouse and in the field was 12,800 AU/ml. In this study, the activity of glycinecinA on rice and red pepper leaves continued for 7-8 days, during which the pathogen populations remained at low levels. Bacterial leaf spot of red pepper and bacterial leaf blight of rice were significantly reduced by the bacteriocin treatments. The control efficacy was as high as, or even higher than, the chemical treatment of copper hydroxide. These results suggest that the bacteriocin is a potential control agent for bacterial diseases.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2010

Low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites from plants play an important role in reproductive processes and in the defense against environmental stresses or pathogens. In the present study, we isolated various volatiles and phenolic compounds from white Rosa rugosa flowers, and evaluated the pharmaceutical activities of these natural products in addition to their ability to increase survival in response to environmental stress and pathogen invasion. The DPPH and hydroxyl radical-mediated oxidation assay revealed that the white rose flower extract (WRFE) strongly scavenged free radicals in a dose dependent manner. Moreover, WRFE inhibited the growth of E. coli and fatally attacked those cells at higher concentration (>0.5 mg/mL). FITC-conjugated Annexin V stain provided further evidence that WRFE had strong antimicrobial activity, which may have resulted from a cooperative synergism between volatiles (e.g. 1-butanol, dodecyl acrylate and cyclododecane) and phenolic compounds (e.g. gallic acid) retained in WRFE. In conclusion, secondary metabolites from white rose flower hold promise as a potential natural source for antimicrobial and non-chemical based antioxidant agents.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2008

Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), one of the major catechins of tea, was isolated from the decaffeinated, crude methanolic extract of Indian green tea (Camellia sinensis L. O. Kuntze) using chromatographic techniques. EGCG was then screened for antidiarrhoeal activity against 30 strains (clinical isolates) of V. cholerae, which is a well known Gram negative bacillus functioning as the pathogen of cholera. V. cholerae strains like V. cholerae 69, 71, 83, 214, 978, 1021, 1315, 1347, 1348, 569B and ATCC 14033 were inhibited by EGCG at a concentration of $25\;{\mu}g/ml$ whereas V. cholerae 10, 522, 976 were even more sensitive, being inhibited at $10\;{\mu}g/ml$ level. However, V. cholerae DN 16, DN 26, 30, 42, 56, 58, 113, 117, 564, 593, 972 and ATCC 14035 were inhibited at $50\;{\mu}g/ml$ level of EGCG. Only four strains were inhibited at $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. In this study the isolated compound was found to be bacteriostatic in its mechanism of action. In the in vivo experiment using the rabbit ileal loop model two different dosages of EGCG ($500\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $1,000\;{\mu}g/ml$) were able to protect the animals when they were challenged with V. cholerae 569B in the ileum.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.247-251
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• 2004

We developed a polyclonal antibody (PAh) based- ELISA system to accurately and rapidly monitor inocula on plant surface before onset of anthracnose. Titer of mouse antisera against conidia of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was determined by using indirect ELISA. It was high enough to be detectable up to ${\times}$ 12,800 dilutions. Absorbance readings exceeded (1.5even at a 10$^{-5}$ dilution. Sensitivity of PAb was precise enough to detect spore concentration as low as 50 conidia/well by indirect ELISA. PAb1 and PAb2 proved to be very sensitive and highly specific to the target pathogen, C. gloeosporioides, apparently discriminating other unrelated pathogens, or epiphytes. Absorbance values for original isolate exceeded 1.0, but no reaction was detected with other isolates, except three other anthracnose fungi: C. gloeosporioides (pepper strain), Glomerella cingulata (apple strain) and C. lagenarium. Our data suggest that PAb1 and PAb2 bind with the protein epitope that partially contains residues of amino acid, arginine, and Iysine. This kit fulfills the require-ments for detecting inoculums before infection and during onset of anthracnose on sweet persimmon.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.694-699
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• 2000

Serratia marcescens IRBG500 and Herbaspirillum seropedicae Z67 grow endophytically in rice. The ability of these bacteria to colonize rice grown under increased nutrient availability was assessed in variety IR72 using strains marked with transposon-based gusA. The endophytic colonization was monitored via bacterial enumeration and histochemical visualization of GUS expression of bacteria in plant tissues. Rhizoplane and endophytic colonization by both bacteria was significantly inhibited in the rice plants grown in the presence of 10 mM $NH_4Cl$. In contrast, the addition of 10 mM $KNO_3$ showed no adverse effect on colonization. Increasing the concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ to 5 mM significantly reduced endophytic colonization by both bacterial strains, whereas the addition of 0.5 mM $Fe^{2+}$ substantially lowered the colonization of roots by S. marcescens IRBG500 but showed no effect on colonization by H. seropedicae Z67. Taken together, these finding suggest that, like in legume-rhizobial symbiosis as well as plant-pathogen interactions, nutrient status, particularly $NH_4^+$ and $Ca^{2+}$ concentrations in the surrounding medium, plays an important role in the regulation of endophytic infection and colonization processes in rice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1236-1242
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• 2011

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is the most devastating pathogen to Oryza sativa and has been shown to cause bacterial blight. Two bioactive compounds showing antimicrobial activities against Xoo strain KACC 10331 were isolated from a Streptomyces bottropensis strain. The ethyl acetate extract was fractionated on a Sephadex LH-20 column, and then purified by preparative HPLC. The purified compounds were identified as bottromycin A2 and dunaimycin D3S by HR/MS and $^1H$ NMR analyses. The MIC value against Xoo and the lowest concentration still capable of suppressing rice bacterial blight were 2 ${\mu}g$/ml and 16 ${\mu}g$/ml for bottromycin A2, and 64 ${\mu}g$/ml and 0.06 ${\mu}g$/ml for dunaimycin D3S, respectively. These two compounds were shown to exert different bioactivities in vitro and in rice leaf explants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1059-1064
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• 2014

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen, implicated in both community and hospital acquired infections. The therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is becoming more difficult because of multidrug resistance and strong biofilm-forming properties. Schiff bases have attracted attention as promising antibacterial agents. In this study, we investigated the in vitro activity of taurine-5-bromosalicylaldehyde Schiff base (TBSSB) against MRSA. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined using a microtiter broth dilution method. TBSSB effectively inhibited planktonic MRSA, with an MIC of $32{\mu}g/ml$. The time-kill curve confirmed that TBSSB exhibited bactericidal activity against MRSA. TBSSB was also found to significantly inhibit MRSA biofilm formation at 24 h, especially at $1{\times}MIC$ and sub-MIC levels. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy showed remarkable morphological and ultrastructural changes on the MRSA cell surface, due to exposure to TBSSB. This study indicated that TBSSB may be an effective bactericidal agent against MRSA.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.90-93
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• 2003

The antibacterial activity of chitosan-alginate-Fe(II) complex (CAFC) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and an opportunistic pathogen, Candida albicans, was investigated. A concentration of 1 mg/1 was needed to inhibit the growth of S. aureus and E. coli, while 100 mg/liter was sufficient for the growth inhibition of Candida albicans. The ion leakage of potassium and phosphate from E. coli cell and the penetration of ethidium bromide dye into it indicate that CAFC might be able to increase the cell permeability and consequently cellular leakage, thus leading to cell plasmolysis. Scanning electronmicroscope showed that E. coli cells treated with CAFC became irregular, swelling and expanded. In a field trial, control piglets showed average mortality of up to 60% within 3 days after the onset of diarrhea. In contrast, CAFC-treated groups without mortality was decreased to average 56% on the 1 st day after the treatment, and average 7% on the 3rd day. After then, piglets with diarrhea was not found.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.610-617
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• 2016

Candidiasis has posed a serious health risk to immunocompromised patients owing to the increase in resistant yeasts, and Candida albicans is the prominent pathogen of fungal infections. Therefore, there is a critical need for the discovery and characterization of novel antifungals to treat infections caused by C. albicans. In the present study, we report on the antifungal activity of the ethanol extract from Salvia miltiorrhiza against C. albicans and the possible mode of action against C. albicans. The increase in the membrane permeability was evidenced by changes in diphenylhexatriene binding and release of both 260-nm-absorbing intracellular materials and protein. In addition, inhibition of cell wall synthesis was demonstrated by the enhanced minimal inhibitory concentration in the presence of sorbitol and reduced (1,3)-β-D-glucan synthase activity. The above evidence supports the notion that S. miltiorrhiza has antifungal activity against C. albicans by the synergistic activity of targeting the cell membrane and cell wall. These findings indicate that S. miltiorrhiza displays effective activity against C. albicans in vitro and merits further investigation to treat C. albicans-associated infections.