• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.177-181
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• 2014

Cockroaches are abundant in Nigeria and are seen to harbour an array of pathogens. Environmental and sanitary conditions associated with demographic/socio-economic settings of an area could contribute to the prevalence of disease pathogens in cockroaches. A total of 246 cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) in urban (Benin, n=91), semi-urban (Ekpoma, n=75) and rural (Emuhi, n=70) settings in Edo State, Nigeria were collected within and around households. The external body surfaces and alimentary canal of these cockroaches were screened for bacterial, fungal, and parasitological infections. Bacillus sp. and Escherichia coli were the most common bacteria in cockroaches. However, Enterococcus faecalis could not be isolated in cockroaches trapped from Ekpoma and Emuhi. Aspergillus niger was the most prevalent fungus in Benin and Ekpoma, while Mucor sp. was predominant in Emuhi. Parasitological investigations revealed the preponderance of Ascaris lumbricoides in Benin and Emuhi, while Trichuris trichura was the most predominant in Ekpoma. The prevalence and burden of infection in cockroaches is likely to be a reflection of the sanitary conditions of these areas. Also, cockroaches in these areas making incursions in homes may increase the risk of human infections with these disease agents.

• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 1995

Alternaria spp.were predominantly isolated from the abnormal leaf spot lesions of pear cultivars Niitaka and Nijiiseiki. Alternaria isolates from the cultivar Niitaka were not pathogenic to both cultivars, but the isolates from the cultivar Nijiiseiki developed typical lesions of black leaf spots and were identified as A. kikuchiana. However, no typical abnormal leaf spot lesions were produced by the Alternaria isolates. Foliar spray of twelve different agrochemicals including lime sulfur, either alone or in combinations, with 7 times applications from April to July failed to reduced the disease development. Application of 17 different pesticides including fungicides, insecticides and herbicides currently used in pear orchards did not cause leaf injury similar to the abnormal leaf spot. Simulated acid rain of as low as pH 3.0 did not incite any leaf lesions alike the abnormal spot lesions. Mineral contents in the leaves of both cultivars did not differ significantly between the healthy leaves and those with abnormal leaf spots. When cuttings of pear tree were obtained in February from newly emerged twigs of the healthy or the diseased trees of Niitaka and planted in sand in the greenhouse, only those from the diseased trees developed typical leaf lesions of the abnormal spot. These results indicate that abnormal leaf spots are caused by unknown systemic agents in pear trees, rather than by Alternaria spp., chemical injury or acid rain.

• BMB Reports
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.590-597
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• 2016

Parasitic diseases remain an unarguable public health problem worldwide. Liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis is a high risk pathogenic parasitic helminth which is endemic predominantly in Asian countries, including Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the far eastern parts of Russia, and is still actively transmitted. According to the earlier $8^{th}$ National Survey on the Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitic Infections in 2012, C. sinensis was revealed as the parasite with highest prevalence of 1.86% in general population among all parasite species surveyed in Korea. This fluke is now classified under one of the definite Group 1 human biological agents (carcinogens) by International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC) along with two other parasites, Opisthorchis viverrini and Schistosoma haematobium. C. sinensis infestation is mainly linked to liver and biliary disorders, especially cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). For the purposes of this mini-review, we will only focus on C. sinensis and review pathogenesis and carcinogenesis of clonorchiasis, disease condition by C. sinensis infestation, and association between C. sinensis infestation and CCA. In this presentation, we briefly consider the current scientific status for progression of CCA by heavy C. sinensis infestation from the food-borne trematode and development of CCA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.99-102
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• 2000

In order to observe the cytotoxicity of Acanthamoeba spp., which were isolated from contact lens containers as ethiological agents for the probable amoebic keratitis in Korea, the crystal violet staining method and LDH release assay were carried out. In the crystal violet staining method, among eight contact lens container isolates, isolate 3 (Acanthauloeba KA/LS5) showed 83.6% and 81.8% of cytotoxicity, and isolate 7 (Acanthamoeba KA/LS37) showed 28.2% and 25.1% of cytotoxicity, in 1 mg/ml and 0.5 mg/ml Iysate treatments, respectively. Acanthamoeba cutbertsoni and A. healyi showed 84.0% and 82.8% of cytotoxicity. Similar results were observed in A. costellunii and A. hafchefti which showed 83.6% and 75.5% or cytotoxicity. Acanthamoeba roureba and A. polyphaga showed 9.0% and 1.7% of cytotoxicity. In the LDH release assay, isolate 3 (20.4%) showed higher cytotoxicity than other isolates in 1 mg/ml Iysate treatment. The results provide that at least isolate 3 has the cytotoxic effect against CHO cells and seems to be the pathogenic strain.

• Mycobiology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.210-218
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• 2020

Peach (Prunus persica L.) is one of the major fruit crops in South Korea, along with apple, persimmon, and Asian pears. Peach anthracnose is a continuing threat to growers and is accountable for enormous economic loss. In July 2018, anthracnose of peach appeared at different peach orchards in Gyeongsangbuk-do region, Korea. The typical anthracnose symptoms (brown, circular, and necrotic lesions) were observed on the fruits. Anthracnose of peach was surveyed in different peach orchards of Gyeongsangbuk-do, and 20 fungal isolates from 19 diseased fruits were collected. Multigene phylogenetic analyses coupled with morphological characteristic analysis approaches were used for identifying the fungal species isolated from diseased fruits. This study confirmed three Colletotrichum species. Based on the results, Colletotrichum siamense are reported for the first time as causal agents of peach anthracnose alongside C. fructicola and C. fioriniae, which has been reported previously. Pathogenicity assays were performed for the three isolates representing all the species identified, and Koch's postulates on detached healthy peach fruits were verified. All the identified species were pathogenic on peach fruits as the typical anthracnose symptoms were reproduced. Significant variations in the virulence were observed among fungal species on peach fruit.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.613-617
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• 1998

The Chsl, Chs2, and Chs3 activities of a pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, perform the same biochemical reactions, but exert different functions. Therefore, the determination of each enzyme activity is important. The three chitin synthases differ in their optimal pH and the effect of divalent cations as either stimulatory or inhibitory factors. The CAChsl, CAChs2, and CAChs3 activities are optimal at pH 7.5, 6.5, and 8.5, respectively. $Co^{2+} stimulates CAChsl and CAChs3, but inhibits CAChs2. $Ni^{2＋}$ inhibits CAChsl and CAChs2 with little effect on CAChs3. $Mg^{2＋}$ stimulates CAChs2 and CAChs3, but hardly affects CAChsl. These characteristics are similar to those of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzymes except in degree. The sensitivity against $Ni^{2＋}$ of CAChsl is higher than that of CAChs2, whereas the reverse is true in S. cerevisiae. Metal dependence of chitin synthases in C. albicans is less marked than that in S. cerevisiae, except for CAChs2. The activities of CAChsl and CAChs3 from EDTA-treated membranes were increased 1.5 fold, while that of CAChs2 was stimulated 7 fold in the presence of divalent cations. These results could provide new criteria for screening systems of antifungal agents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1579-1585
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• 2016

Sugar esters are valuable compounds composed of various sugars and fatty acids that can be used as antibacterial agents and emulsifiers in toothpaste and canned foods. For example, fructose fatty acid esters suppress growth of Streptococcus mutans, a typical pathogenic bacterium causing dental caries. In this study, fructose laurate ester was chosen as a target material and was synthesized by a transesterification reaction using Candida antarctica lipase B. We performed a solvent screening experiment and found that a t-butanol/dimethyl sulfoxide mixture was the best solvent to dissolve fructose and methyl laurate. Fructose laurate was synthesized by transesterification of fructose (100 mM) with methyl laurate (30 mM) in t-butanol containing 20% dimethyl sulfoxide. The conversion yield was about 90%, which was calculated based on the quantity of methyl laurate using high-performance liquid chromatography. Fructose monolaurate (M_r 361) was detected in the reaction mixture by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The inhibitory effect of fructose laurate on growth of oral or food spoilage microorganisms, including S. mutans, Bacillus coagulans, and Geobacillus stearothermophilus, was evaluated.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.746-751
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• 2006

Amentoflavone is a plant biflavonoid that was isolated from an ethyl acetate extract of the whole plant of Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) spring. 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy including DEPT, HMQC, and HMBC were used to determine its structure. Amentoflavone exhibited potent antifungal activity against several pathogenic fungal strains but had a very low hemolytic effect on human erythrocytes. In particular, amentoflavone induced the accumulation of intracellular trehalose on C. albicans as a stress response to the drug, and disrupted the dimorphic transition that forms pseudo-hyphae during pathogenesis. In conclusion, amentoflavone has great potential to be a lead compound for the development of antifungal agents.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1571-1578
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• 2013

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Recently, the demand for more effective and safer therapeutic agents for the chemoprevention of human cancer has increased. As a white rot fungus, Inonotus obliquus is valued as an edible and medicinal resource. Chemical investigations have shown that I. obliquus produces a diverse range of secondary metabolites, including phenolic compounds, melanins, and lanostane-type triterpenoids. Among these are active components for antioxidant, antitumoral, and antiviral activities and for improving human immunity against infection of pathogenic microbes. Importantly, their anticancer activities have become a hot recently, but with relatively little knowledge of their modes of action. Some compounds extracted from I. obliquus arrest cancer cells in the G0/G1 phase and then induce cell apoptosis or differentiation, whereas some examples directly participate in the cell apoptosis pathway. In other cases, polysaccharides from I. obliquus can indirectly be involved in anticancer processes mainly via stimulating the immune system. Furthermore, the antioxidative ability of I. obliquus extracts can prevent generation of cancer cells. In this review, we highlight recent findings regarding mechanisms underlying the anticancer influence of I. obliquus, to provide a comprehensive landscape view of the actions of this mushroom in preventing cancer.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2005

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the important pathogenic agents, which are related to the hygienic condition. This study performed for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus and screening staphylococcal enterotoxin a, b, c genes in strains isolated from the environment for production of non-pasteurized strawberry juice. A total of 44 samples were collected from utensils, machinery, employees, raw materials, and strawberry juices in 3 strawberry juice shops in Jinju, western Gyeongnam. The isolation rate of Staphylococcus aureus was 26%. Specially Staphylococcus aureus was frequently isolated from employee's hands, strawberry and strawberry juices. The sea, seb, and sec genes were also investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). One hundred and 55% of each isolate had found sea gene and seb gene, respectively. However, sec gene was not detected anywhere. To prevent food-borne disease associated with juice, the accomplishment of HACCP to be more efficient and systematic is necessary.