• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.1005-1012
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• 2020

Acid mine drainage (AMD) has been a serious environmental issue that threatens soil and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, an acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain S4, was isolated from the mud of an AMD storage pond in Vietnam via enrichment in anoxic mineral medium at pH 5. Comparative analyses of sequences of the 16S rRNA gene and dsrB gene involved in sulfate reduction revealed that the isolate belonged to the genus Desulfovibrio, and is most closely related to Desulfovibrio oxamicus (with 99% homology in 16S rDNA sequence and 98% homology in dsrB gene sequence). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses of dsrB gene showed that strain S4 represented one of the two most abundant groups developed in the enrichment culture. Notably, strain S4 was capable of reducing sulfate in low pH environments (from 2 and above), and resistance to extremely high concentration of heavy metals (Fe 3,000 mg/l, Zn 100 mg/l, Cu 100 mg/l). In a batch incubation experiment in synthetic AMD with pH 3.5, strain S4 showed strong effects in facilitating growth of a neutrophilic, metal sensitive Desulfovibrio sp. strain SR4H, which was not capable of growing alone in such an environment. Thus, it is postulated that under extreme conditions such as an AMD environment, acid- and metal-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)-like strain S4 would facilitate the growth of other widely distributed SRB by starting to reduce sulfate at low pH, thus increasing pH and lowering the metal concentration in the environment. Owing to such unique physiological characteristics, strain S4 shows great potential for application in sustainable remediation of AMD.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2004

The effects of different concentrations (0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9%) of fish feed additives (Hanbangchun and Olyukchun) utilizing effective microorganisms and herb medicine on activity of liver function were examined in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, Moreover, we investigated the characteristics of the additives. Total number of microorganisms (Lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Photosynthetic bacteria and Azotobactor) in the additives was 5.6${\times}$10$^{8}$ CFU/g in the Hanbangchun and 3.0${\times}$10$^{8}$ CFU/g in the Olyukchun. Levels of three typical pathological microorgamisms (Edwardsiella tarda, Vibrio anguillarum and Streptococcus sp.) in moist pellets (MP) were significantly decreased by the additives in a concentration-dependent way. Hepatosomatic index of fish in the 0.3% group was significantly increased. Total serum protein was increased in all the groups containing additives, but the protein content in liver was higher in the control group. Higher activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase which are involved in physiological defense mechanisms were found in the dietary groups containing 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively. These results suggest that the additives, Hanbangchun and Olyukchun, can increase tolerance of olive flounder against stress and hypoxic conditions by increasing activities of body antioxidant enzymes.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2016

Streptococcus mutans plays a virtal role in trigering dental caries establishment due to its ability to synthesize two significant factors. The two factors are organic acids and glucans. The former demineralized dental enamel and the latter mediates the attachment of bacteria to tooth surface. It is believed that demineralization of dental enamel and attachment of bacteria are the crucial events that indicate and develop dental caries. For this reason, we studied the effect of the ethanol extracts of Radix Pulsatillae on the growth and acid production of S. mutans. Ethanol extracts of the Radix Pulsatillae showed concentration dependent inhibitory activity against the growth and acid production of S. mutans, and produced significant inhibition compared to the control groups (p<0.05). The extracts inhibited S. mutans adherence to hydroxyapatite treated with saliva, and cell adherence was repressed by Radix Pulsatillae. the ethanol extract of Radix Pulsatillae showed remarkable inhibition of glucosyltransferase, which synthesizes water insoluble glucan form sucrose. Phytochemical analysis showed Radix Pulsatillae contained major components such as phenolic compounds, glycosides, steroids, terpenoid, and saponin. These results suggest that Radix Pulsatillae may have anti-cariogenic properties, which may be related with major components such as phenolic compounds, glycosides, steroids, terpenoid, and saponin.

• Annals of Laboratory Medicine
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.545-554
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• 2018

Background: The increasing morbidity and mortality rates associated with Acinetobacter baumannii are due to the emergence of drug resistance and the limited treatment options. We compared characteristics of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CR-AB) clinical isolates recovered from patients with and without prior colistin treatment. We assessed whether prior colistin treatment affects the resistance mechanism of CR-AB isolates, mortality rates, and clinical characteristics. Additionally, a proper method for identifying CR-AB was determined. Methods: We collected 36 non-duplicate CR-AB clinical isolates resistant to colistin. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, Sanger sequencing analysis, molecular typing, lipid A structure analysis, and in vitro synergy testing were performed. Eleven colistin-susceptible AB isolates were used as controls. Results: Despite no differences in clinical characteristics between patients with and without prior colistin treatment, resistance-causing genetic mutations were more frequent in isolates from colistin-treated patients. Distinct mutations were overlooked via the Sanger sequencing method, perhaps because of a masking effect by the colistin-susceptible AB subpopulation of CR-AB isolates lacking genetic mutations. However, modified lipid A analysis revealed colistin resistance peaks, despite the population heterogeneity, and peak levels were significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: Although prior colistin use did not induce clinical or susceptibility differences, we demonstrated that identification of CR-AB by sequencing is insufficient. We propose that population heterogeneity has a masking effect, especially in colistin non-treated patients; therefore, accurate testing methods reflecting physiological alterations of the bacteria, such as phosphoethanolamine-modified lipid A identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight, should be employed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.730-736
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• 2004

This study aims at characterizing the bacteriophages isolated from activated sludge performing enhanced biological phosphorous removal (EBPR) to understand the interactions between the phage-host system and bacterial community. Sixteen bacterial isolates (E1-E16) were isolated as host bacterial strains from EBPR activated sludge for phage isolation. Forty bacteriophages based on their plaque sizes (2 plaques on E4, 4 on E8, 11 on E10, 5 on E14, 18 on E16) were obtained from filtered supernatant of the EBPR activated sludge. Each bacteriophage did not make any plaque on bacterial strains tested in this study except on its own host bacterial strain, respectively, indicating that the bacteriophages are with narrow host specificity. However, fourteen of the forty bacteriophages obtained in this study lost their virulent ability even on their own host bacteria. All of the lytic phages showed similar one-step growth patterns and had long latent period (about 9 hours) to reproduce their phage particles in their host bacterial cells. On the other hand, their probable burst sizes (6 to 48 per host cell) were large enough to actively lyse their host bacterial cells. Therefore, it could be implied that bacteriophages are also important members of the microbial community in EBPR activated sludge, and lytic phages directly decrease the population size of their host bacterial groups in EBPR activated sludge by lysis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1641-1645
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• 2007

This study was designed to investigate about the efficiency of herb treatment at the patients with urinary tract infection. The Patient group was consisted of 33 CVA patients who were diagnosed as abnormal on urinalysis at the Oriental Medical hospital of Dong-eui University from July in 2006 to April in 2007. And we divided the patient group to 3 of small groups(Bojungikitang, Kumokpaljungsan, and the others herb). Then we treated the patients with each herbs and checked urinary nitrate, leukocyte, bacteria, WBC after 3 days, 7 days. The results are as follows: Each herbs improved the results of urinalysis inspection. The efficiency of each herbs about UTI begins to be indicated after 3days. Each herbs applied to UTI is more effective after 7 days than after 3 days. As the results, the herb treatments improve effectively the result of urinalysis inspection when precsribing to UTI patients more 7 days.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.87-93
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• 1996

To examine the effectiveness of $\beta$-glucan in non-specific defence mecanisms of Korean catfish(Silurus asotus), the activities of peripheral neutrophils and serum lysozyme were evaluated after once or twice $\beta$-glucan injections. The number of peripheral neutrophils increased after the injection. The increased number in neutrophils in twice $\beta$-glucan injections maintained longer than in single glucan injecton. But the neutrophils did not showed any remarkable changes in PAS-positive reaction. Peripheral neutrophils from fish injected glucan had enhanced phagocytic activities but there was no significant difference in phagocytic index for the glucan and control groups. An elevation of lysozome activity was also observed in the fish received twice glucan but neither single glucan or physiological saline injection could not evoked an increase of lysozyme activity. These results suggest that $\beta$-glucan can enhance the resistance of Korean catfish against to bacteria infection through the activation of peripheral neutrophils and lysozyme.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of yeast with bacteriocin and Lactobacillus cultures (mixture of Lactobacillus agilis BCRC 10436 and Lactobacillus reuteri BCRC 17476) supplements, alone or in combination, on broiler chicken performance. Methods: A total of 300, 1-d-old healthy broiler chickens were randomly divided into five treatment groups: i) basal diet (control), ii) basal diet+0.25% yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (YC), iii) basal diet+0.25% yeast with bacteriocin (BA), iv) basal diet+Lactobacillus cultures (LAB), and v) basal diet +0.25% yeast with bacteriocin+Lactobacillus cultures (BA+LAB). Growth performance, cecal microbiota, cecal fermentation products, and blood biochemistry parameters were determined when chickens were 21 and 35 d old. Results: The supplementation of YC, BA, and BA+LAB resulted in a significantly better feed conversion rate (FCR) than that of the control group during 1 to 21 d (p<0.05). The LAB supplementation had a significant effect on the presence of Lactobacillus in the ceca at 35 d. None of the supplements had an effect on relative numbers of L. agilis and L. reuter at 21 d, but the BA supplementation resulted in the decrease of both Lactobacillus strains at 35 d. The BA+LAB supplementation resulted in higher short chain fatty acid (SCFA) in the ceca, but LAB supplementation significantly decreased the SCFA at 35 d (p<0.05). All treatments tended to decrease ammonia concentration in the ceca at 21 d, especially in the LAB treatment group. The BA supplementation alone decreased the triacylglycerol (TG) concentration significantly at 21 d (p<0.05), but the synergistic effect of BA and LAB supplementation was required to reduce the TG concentration at 35 d. The YC supplementation tended to increase the plasma cholesterol at 21 d and 35 d. However, the BA supplementation significantly decreased the cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level at 35 d. In conclusion, the BA+LAB supplementation was beneficial to body weight gain and FCR of broiler chickens. Conclusion: The effect of BA and LAB supplementation may be a result of the growth of lactic acid bacteria enhancement and physiological characterization of bacteriocin, and it suggests that the BA and LAB supplementation level or Lactobacillus strain selection should be integrated in future supplementation designs.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.554-560
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate the effects of microbial augmentation on the biological treatment of paper mill wastewater. Three bacteria (KN11, KN13, KN27) capable of degrading aromatic compounds and a bacterial strain (GT21) producing an extracellular cellulase were isolated from soil and wastewater by selective enrichment culture. Through morphological, physiological, and biochemical taxonomies, isolated strains of KN11, KN13, KN27, and GT21 were identified as Acinetobacter sp., Neisseria sp., Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp. and named Acinetobacter sp. KN11, Neisseria sp. KN13, Bacillus sp. KN27, and Pseudomonas sp. GT21, respectively. For analysis of non-biodegradable and chemical oxygen demand (COD)-increasing matter in a paper mill wastewater, we utilized GC/MS to detect aromatic compounds and their derivatives containing several substituted functional groups. The microbial augmentation, J30 formulated with the mixture of bacteria including Acinetobacter sp. KN11, Neisseria sp. KN13, Bacillus sp. KN27, and Pseudomonas sp. GT21, was used for the treatment of paper mill wastewater. The optimum temperature and pH for COD removal of the microbial augmentation, J30, were $30^{\circ}C$ and 7.5, respectively. For evaluation of the industrial applicability of the microbial augmentation, J30 in the pilot test, treatment efficiency was examined using paper mill wastewater. The microbial augmentation, J30, showed a COD removal rate of 87%. On the basis of the above results, we designed the wastewater treatment process of the activated sludge system.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.189-195
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• 2003

Bacteria causing fermentation in Oriental melon were identified as three independent groups on the basis of 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The 16S rDNA sequence of the strain CM2105 showed the highest identity (99.6%) with that of Microbacterium phyllosphaerae, and also indicated high sequence identity to that of M. holiorum (99.5%). The 16S rDNA sequences of the strain CM2101 and CM2121 matched at the high sequence similarity (98.9%, 98.8, respectively), to that of Pseudomonas pavonacea, and the DNA sequence of CM2126 showed high sequence identity to that of P. costantinii (99.5%), and P. grimontii (99.0%). The 16S rDNA sequence of the strain CM2113 showed the highest identity (99.7%) with that of Enterobacter cloacae. The 16S rDNA sequences, the physiological and biochemical analysis suggested that the strain CM2105 belonged to Microbacterium phyllosphaerae, CM2101, CM2121 and CM2126 to Pseudomonas spp., CM2113 to Enterobacter cloacae.