• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.85-94
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• 2010

Platycodon grandiflorum, Doraji as Korean name, is one of the most widely used traditional oriental medicine for bronchial diseases and also used as a folk remedy for geriatric diseases and inflammatory diseases. In recent studies, it has been reported that some effect of P. grandiflorum is derived from its antioxidant activity, although there is still a lack of evidence to establish its oxy-radical scavenging activity. In this study, total oxy-radical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay was used to evaluate antioxidant activity of total extracts (T-PG), polysaccharide fraction (Po-PG), and saponin fraction (Sa-PG) isolated from P. grandiflorum against peroxyl radicals and peroxynitrites. And MTT assay was taken to assess cyto-protective effects of T-PG, Po-PG and Sa-PG in H4IIE cells treated with hydrogen peroxide and tert-butylhydroperoxide. In the TOSC assay, Sa-PG showed strong oxy-radical scavenging capacity compared with T-PG and Po-PG. In cell-based assay, T-PG and Po-PG protected cells from oxidative stress, but Sa-PG did not protect cells because of cytotoxicity of Sa-PG. These results suggest that the saponin components of P. grandiflorum have relatively strong antioxidant capacity and cytotoxicity in rat hepatoma cells.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.152-157
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of soybean on blood glucose and lipid concentrations, and antioxidant enzyme activity in type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) patients. We divided patients into two groups and fed them, respectively, a basal diet(control group) and a basal diet with 69 g/d of soybean(soybean group) for 4 weeks. Pills with roasted soybean powder were provided to the soybean supplementation group three times a day. Macronutrients intake except dietary fiber was similar between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in dietary intakes or body weight before and after the supplementation. Energy composition ratio of C:F:P was 65:19:16 in the control group, 64:20:16 in the soybean group. The blood parameters of subjects before supplementation, such as fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose level, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and $HbA_1C$ were not different between the two groups. After supplementation, fasting blood glucose(p<0.001), postprandial glucose level(p<0.001) and serum triglyceride level(p<0.05) were significantly reduced in the soybean group in comparison with the control group. The total cholesterol level was not significantly different between the control and the supplemented group after 4 weeks of treatment. TBARS levels of the soybean group were not significantly different from those of the control group. The activities of catalase(p<0.01) and glutathione peroxidase(p<0.05) were significantly higher in the soybean group compared to the control group. The results of this study suggest that soybean supplementation would be helpful to control blood glucose and serum lipid in diabetic patients. Also, soybean showed an antioxidant activity that may contribute to enhance the effect of antioxidant defense. This activity contributes to protection against oxidative damage in type 2 DM patients. Soybean may have potential use in the disease management of patients with DM.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1007-1014
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• 2015

Plectasin, the first defensin extracted from a fungus (the saprophytic ascomycete Pseudoplectania nigrella), is attractive as a prospective antimicrobial agent. The purpose of this study was to establish a bacterium-based production system and evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the resulting plectasin. A gene encoding plectasin, with the codon preference of Escherichia coli, was optimized based on its amino acid sequence, synthesized using genesplicing with overlap extension PCR, and inserted into the expression vector pGEX-4T-1. The fusion protein was expressed in the soluble fraction of E. coli and purified using glutathione Stransferase affinity chromatography. Plectasin was cleaved from the fusion protein with thrombin and purified by ultrafiltration. The purified plectasin showed strong, concentrationdependent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially penicillin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. This antimicrobial activity was equal to chemically synthesized plectasin and was maintained over a wide range of pH and temperatures. This soluble recombinant expression system in E. coli is effective for producing plectasin at a relatively lower cost, and higher purity and efficiency than prior systems, and might provide a foundation for developing a large-scale production system. Overall, plectasin shows potential as a novel, high-performance, and safe antibiotic for the treatment of refractory diseases caused by drug-resistant bacterial strains.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.605-611
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• 2008

Antioxidant activity of wa-song (Orostachys japonicus A. Berger) was analyzed to clarify the influence of extractive solvent and drying method such as sun, hot-air and freeze drying. The contents of total phenols and flavonoids were significantly higher in 95% ethanol extracts than water extracts. Ability of reducing power and DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical and nitrite scavenging ability were higher in the order of hot-air dried sample> freeze dried sample> sun dried sample and these abilities were also higher in 95% ethanol extracts than water extracts. In conclusion, antioxidant activities of wa-song extracts were in proportion to the contents of total phenols and flavonoids. Also, hot-air drying is the superior method for the enhancement of antioxidant activity of wa-song.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.113-120
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• 2008

Objectives: This study was evaluated to elucidate the inhibitory potential of Imyosan(IMS) and its components, Phellodendri Cortex(PC: Phellodendron amurense Rupr., Hwangbaek in Korean) and Atractylodis Rhizoma(AR: Atratylodes lancea D.C., Changchool in Korean), on human aortic smooth muscle cells(HASMC) migration and production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 by TNF-${\alpha}$ treatment. Methods: Cytotoxic activity of IMS and its components on HASMC was using 5-(3-caroboxy meth-oxyphenyl)-2H-tetra-zolium inner salt(MTS) assay. Effect of IMS, PC and AR on TNF-${\alpha}$-induced HASMC migration underside of matrigel filter was stained with hematoxylin-eosin. And total number of cells that migrated to the underside of the filter was counted. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity was evaluated by gelatin zymography assay. Results: The matrigel migration assay showed that IMS effectively inhibited the TNF-${\alpha}$-induced migration of HASMC. Moreover, IMS significantly inhibited MMP-9 activity. Our present study demonstrates that IMS and its components inhibit TNF-${\alpha}$-induced HASMC migration and MMP-9 activity. The inhibitory effect of IMS extract is more potent than that of its component herb extracts. Conclusions: These results provide evidence that IMS has multiple effects in the inhibition of HASMC migration and may offer a therapeutic approach to block HASMC migration.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.185-192
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• 2014

Recombinant proteins can be generated quickly and easily in large amounts and at low-cost in silkworm larvae by using Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV). We searched for high-permissive silkworm strains that have high production levels of heterologous proteins and are thus suitable for use as biofactories. In this study, we performed the analysis using a BmNPV vector expressing luciferase as a marker, and we confirmed protein expression by evaluating luciferase activity, determined by western blotting and luciferase ELISA, and confirmed transcription expression by semi- and quantitative real time PCR. For the selection of host silkworm strains, we first chose 52 domestic BmNPV sensitive strains and then identified 10 high-permissive and 5 low-permissive strains. In addition, to determine which hybrid of the high-permissive strains would show heterosis, nine strains derived through three-way crossing were tested for luciferase activity by western blotting, and luciferase ELISA. We found a correlation between luciferase activity and luciferase protein expression, but not transcription. There was no noticeable difference in protein expression levels between Jam313 as the high-permissive control strain and the three-way hybrid strains; however, the three-way cross strains showed lower luciferase activity compared with Jam313. In this study, luciferase protein production in the larvae of 52 domestic silkworm strains was elucidated using BmNPV.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.346-356
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Chemical fungicides not only may pollute the ecosystem but also can be environmentally hazardous, as the chemicals accumulate in soil. Biological control is a frequently-used environment-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides in phytopathogen management. However, the use of microbial products as fungicides has limitations. This study isolated and characterized a three-antifungal-enzyme (chitinase, cellulase, and ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase)-producing bacterium, and examined the conditions required to optimize the production of the antifungal enzymes. METHOD AND RESULTS: The antifungal enzymes chitinase, cellulase, and ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase were produced by bacteria isolated from an sawmill in Korea. Based on the 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis, the bacterial strain AM50 was identical to Streptomyces sp. And their antifungal activity was optimized when Streptomyces sp. AM50 was grown aerobically in a medium composed of 0.4% chitin, 0.4% starch, 0.2% ammonium sulfate, 0.11% $Na_2HPO_4$, 0.07% $KH_2PO_4$, 0.0001% $MgSO_4$, and 0.0001% $MnSO_4$ at $30^{\circ}C$. A culture broth of Streptomyces sp. AM50 showed antifungal activity towards the hyphae of plant pathogenic fungi, including hyphae swelling and lysis in P. capsici, factors that may contribute to its suppression of plant pathogenic fungi. CONCLUSION(S): This study demonstrated the multiantifungal enzyme production by Streptomyces sp. AM50 for the biological control of major plant pathogens. Further studies will investigate the synergistic effect, to the growth regulations by biogenic amines and antifungal enzyme gene promoter.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 2019

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze contents of chlorogenic acid among major ingredients and determine the optimal solvent for the antioxidant activity from Solidago virga-aurea var. gigantea(SV) aerial part. Methods : Mature aerial part of extracted SV at the first crop on June 2018 was used. SV was mixed with each at the ethanol concentrate rates of water, 10, 30, 50, 70, and 100% and extracted them for three times for eight hours at $70^{\circ}C$. The contents of chlorogenic acid and seven kinds of antioxidant activities were measured in SV extracts. Results : The highest the contents of chlorogenic acid was from 10% ethanol extracts showed. Total polyphenol and flavonoids of SV extracts were 126.16 mg/g and 105.84 mg/g, respectively. Scavenging activities of DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical significantly increased in a dose-dependent in SV extracts, while it was almost similar with control at the concentration of $500{\mu}g/mL$. $Fe^{2+}$ chelating activity significantly increase in a dose-dependent in SV extract, it was lower than control. Nitrite scavenging activity increased, dose-dependent in the sequence of pH 1.2> pH 3.0 > pH 6.0 in SV extracts, while it was almost similar with control at the concentration of $500{\mu}g/mL$, pH 1.2, and pH 3.0. Conclusions : Thus, this study found that higher contents of chlorogenic acid and excellent antioxidant activity were contained in 10% ethanol extracts in mature aerial part of SV. It is expected to be used as basic data as natural antioxidant materials.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.369-382
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• 2023

We examined the changes in the physicochemical quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of fresh-cut Fuji apples (Malus pumila) during processing and storage after treatment with browning inhibitors. The primary aim was to elucidate processing suitability and storability. We observed that in the processing stage of slicing fresh Fuji apples, there were no significant differences in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging ability and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). However, after NaClO treatment, total flavonoid and total polyphenol contents decreased. When freshcut Fuji apples were treated with browning inhibitors and stored at 4℃, the L value and hardness decreased; however, the weight loss rate increased based on the storage period of all fruit groups treated with Citrus unshiu Markovich (CuM), calcium ascorbate (CA), and ascorbic acid (AA). The pH increased after 2 days of storage in 1% CuM and after 6 days of storage in 1% CA; however, no changes in pH were observed during the storage period in 1% AA. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was generally good under storage conditions of 1% AA at 4℃ and 1% CA at 20℃. Furthermore, FRAP remained relatively constant under storage conditions of 1% CA. The quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of fresh-cut fruits during processing and storage can be used as basic data for industries. Furthermore, we can gain confidence in quality improvements by improving the production and distribution environment of fresh-cut agricultural products.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.520-525
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• 2007

The physicochemical properties of sun-dried and cyclic freeze-thaw dried Alaska pollack were analyzed to compare the 2 drying processes. The moisture content and water activity of sun-dried Alaska pollack were higher than cyclic freeze-thaw dried and 1 year-aged cyclic freeze-thaw dried Alaska pollack (hwangtae). The relatively low temperatures used in cyclic freeze-thaw drying retards lipid oxidation compared to sun drying based on the acid and peroxide values, and the levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the dried fish. The water holding capacity of cyclic freeze-thaw dried Alaska pollack aged for 1 year (hwangtae) under ambient conditions at the drying location was higher than that of sun-dried Alaska pollack. The swelling of myofibrilar filaments during cyclic freeze-thaw drying may be responsible for the softening of the dried muscle protein. Aging the cyclic freeze-thaw dried Alaska pollack for 1 year contributed to an increased yellowish color of the hwangtae.