• Advances in nano research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.193-201
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• 2017

ZnO, ZnO: Cu, Ga, and ZnO: Cu, Ga, Ag thin films were obtained by oxidization of ZnS and ZnS: Cu, Ga films deposited onto glass substrates by electron-beam evaporation from ZnS and ZnS: Cu, Ga targets and from ZnS: Cu, Ga film additionally doped with Ag by the closed space sublimation technique at atmospheric pressure. The film thickness was about $1{\mu}m$. The oxidation was carried out at $600-650^{\circ}C$ in air or in an atmosphere containing water vapor. Structural characteristics were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the films were measured at 30-300 K using the excitation wavelengths of 337, 405 and 457.9 nm. As-deposited ZnS and ZnS: Cu, Ga films had cubic structure. The oxidation of the doped films in air or in water vapors led to complete ZnO phase transition. XRD and AFM studies showed that the grain sizes of oxidized films at wet annealing were larger than of the films after dry annealing. As-deposited doped and undoped ZnS thin films did not emit PL. Shape and intensity of the PL emission depended on doping and oxidation conditions. Emission intensity of the films annealed in water vapors was higher than of the films annealed in the air. PL of ZnO: Cu, Ga films excited by 337 nm wavelength exhibits UV (380 nm) and green emission (500 nm). PL spectra at 300 and 30 K excited by 457.9 and 405 nm wavelengths consisted of two bands - the green band at 500 nm and the red band at 650 nm. Location and intensities ratio depended on the preparation conditions.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.220-224
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• 2016

Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity guided fractionation led to the isolation of five anthraquinones, two stilbenes and one naphthoquinone from the EtOAc fraction of Polygonum cuspidatum, using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex-LH20, MPLC and recrystallization. The chemical structures were identified to be physcion (1), emodin (2), anthraglycoside B (3), trans-resveratrol (4), anthraglycoside A (5), polydatin (6), 2-methoxy-6-acetyl-7-methyljuglone (7) and citreorosein (8) by UV, $^1H$-NMR, $^{13}C$-NMR and mass spectrometry. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity including MIC values of each compound was evaluated. All of the isolates exhibited anti-H. pylori activity of which MIC values were lower than that of a positive control, quercetin. Compounds 2 and 7 showed potent growth inhibitory activity. Especially, a naphthoquinone, compound 7 displayed most potent antibacterial activity with $MIC_{50}$ value of $0.30{\mu}M$ and $MIC_{90}$ value of $0.39{\mu}M$. Although anti-H. pylori activity of this plant was previously reported, this is the first report on that of compounds isolated from this species. From these findings, P. cuspidatum roots or its isolates may be useful for H. pylori infection and further study is needed to elucidate mechanism of action.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.241-245
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• 2013

Granular bamboo-derived active carbons (AC) were impregnated (or coated) with $TiO_2$ nano crystalline powders. The photocatalytic activity of the $TiO_2$-impregnated active carbons ($TiO_2$/AC) were determined on the basis of the degradation rate of methylene-blue aqueous solution under UV irradiation. The active compounds of $TiO_2$ were impregnated onto the AC under moderate hydrothermal conditions (${\leq}200^{\circ}C$, pH 11). The mean size of $TiO_2$ particles calculated from BET surface area were found to be as 50 nm. The $TiO_2$ precipitates were coated on the cavities or pores on the surfaces of highly activated carbons. Since the hydrothermal process led to a lowering of the on-set temperature of the anatase-to-rutile transition of $TiO_2$ as low as $200^{\circ}C$, $TiO_2$ crystallites of a pure anatase or a mixed form with rutile were successfully coated on the AC depending on the synthesis temperatures.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.399-406
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• 2019

The roots of Scrophularia buergeriana were extracted with 80% aqueous Methanol and the concentrates were partitioned into EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H₂O fractions. The repeated silica gel or octadecyl SiO₂column, and medium pressure liquid chromatographies for the n-BuOH fraction led to isolation of phenylethanoid glycosides and iridoid glycosides. The chemical structures of these compounds were determined as harpagoside (1), angoroside C (2), aucubin (3) and acetoside (4) based on spectroscopic analyses including nuclear magnetic resonance and MS. A simple and efficient HPLC with UV detection method for the simultaneous determination of the four compounds (1-4) has been developed and applied to their content determination in the S. buergeriana. The roots were extracted by 80% methanol, and the contents of 1, 2, 3, and 4 were determined to 11.5, 7.6, 41.2, and 4.8 mg/g, respectively. Additionally, angoroside C (2) and acetoside (4) exhibited hepatoprotective effect against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in HepG2 cell line.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2007

It is essential that second order nonlinear optical materials have low optical propagation losses in the wavelengths of second harmonic generation for practical applications in waveguides. Three dipolar chromophores substituted with nitro, cyano, and alkyl sulfone as an electron withdrawing group were prepared. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of the cyano and alkylsulfone chromophores showed a blue-shift compared to the nitro chromophore. The introduction of oxadiazole segment in the chromophore structure led to similar spectral shift. The blue-shift can produce low optical loses at second harmonics. The chromophores were successfully attached to a polyimide, yielding side chain polymers. The nonlinear optical property of the prepared optical polymers was determined by measuring electro-optic coefficient at 1.55 mm. The polymers exhibited high glass transition temperature of over $185^{\circ}C$ and thermal stability to $300^{\circ}C$ through differential scanning calorimeter analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.892-899
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• 2018

Portulaca oleracea L. is an edible plant widely consumed in daily diet throughout Europe, Asia and America. In this study, protective effects of P. oleracea L. extracts against oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity induced by ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation were investigated using HaCaT immortal human keratinocytes. In this context, the mRNA and protein productions of MMPs (MMP-1, -2, and -9) and type I procollagen, which are major markers of photoaging induced by UVB radiation in HaCaT keratinocytes, were evaluated. Furthermore, UVB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mRNA and protein expression levels of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1), oxygenase-1 (OH-1), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf-2), all of which are associated with the antioxidant balance, were investigated. As shown by the results, UVB radiation induced ROS formation and led to increased production of MMPs and decreased collagen production in human keratinocytes, which resulted in skin photoaging or photodamage. The treatment with P. oleracea L. extracts downregulated MMP (MMP-1, -2, and -9) production and upregulated type I procollagen expression in UVB-induced HaCaT cells. Furthermore, treatment with the extracts decreased UVB-induced ROS generation and increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as SOD-1 and OH-1, through the Nrf-2 pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that P. oleracea L. extracts could be a potential cosmeceutical agent for the prevention of skin photoaging or photodamage.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.337-344
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• 2011

Integrase MJ1 from the bacteriophage ${\Phi}FC1$ carries out recombination between two DNA sequences (the phage attachment site, attP and the bacterial attachment site, attB) in NIH3T3 mouse cells. In this study, the integration vector containing attP, attB and the integrase gene MJ, was constructed. The integration mediated by integrase MJ1 in Escherichia coli led to excision of LacZ. Therefore, the frequency of integration was measured by the counting of the white colony, which is detectable on X-Gal plates. The extrachromosomal integration in NIH3T3 mouse cells was monitored by the expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter. To demonstrate integration mediated integrase MJ1 in NIH3T3 cells, vectors containing attP and attB were co-transfected into NIH3T3 cells. The integration was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy. The expression of GFP was induced in NIH3T3 cells expressing MJ1 without accessory factors. By contrast, the excision mediated by the MJ1 between attR and attL had no effect on the expression of GFP. These results suggest that integrase MJ1 may enable a variety of genomic modifications for research and therapeutic purposes in higher living cells.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2009

$Eu^{3+}$-doped $Y_2O_3$ red phosphor was synthesized in a flux method using the chemicals $Y_2O_3,\;Eu_2O_3,\;H_3BO_3$ and $BaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$. The effect of a flux addition on the preparation of $Y_2O_3:Eu_{3+}$ red phosphor used as a cold cathode fluorescence lamp was investigated. $H_3BO_3$ and $BaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ fluxes were used due to their different melting points. The crystallinity, thermal properties, morphology, and emission characteristics were measured using XRD, TG-DTA, SEM, and a photo-excited spectrometer. Under UV excitation of 254 nm, $Eu_2O_3$ 3.7 mol% doped $Y_2O_3$ exhibited a strong narrow-band red emission, peaking at 612 nm. From this result, the phosphor synthesized by firing $Y_2O_3$ with 3.7 mol% of $Eu_2O_3$, 0.25 mol% of $H_3BO_3$ and 0.5 mol% of $BaCl_2{\cdot}2H_2O$ fluxes at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours had a larger particle size of $4{\mu}m$ on average compared to the phosphor of the $H_3BO_3$ flux alone. In addition, a phosphor synthesized by the two fluxes together had a rounder corner shape, which led to the maximum emission intensity.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.21-22
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• 2019

Melanin is a mixture of pigmented biopolymers synthesized by epidermal melanocytes that determine the skin, eye, and hair colors. Melanocytes produce two different kinds of melanin, eumelanin (dark brown/black insoluble pigments found in dark skin and dark hair and pheomelanin (lighter red/yellow). The biological role of melanin is to prevent skin damage by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, the overproduction or deficiency of melanin synthesis could lead to serious dermatological problems, which include melasma, melanoderma, lentigo, and vitiligo. Therefore, regulating melanin production is important to prevent the pigmentation disorders. Myanmar has a rich in natural resources. However, the chemical constituents of these natural resources in Myanmar have not been fully investigated. In the effort to search for compounds with anti-melanin deposition activity from Myanmar natural resources, five plants were collected in Myanmar. Extracts of these collected five plants were tested for anti-melanin deposition activity against a mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10) induced with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and their anti-melanin deposition activities were compared with the positive control, arbutin. Among the tested extracts, the CHCl3 extracts of the Premna serratifolia (syn: P. integrifolia) wood showed anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of $81.3{\mu}g/mL$. Hence, this study aims to identify secondary metabolites with anti-melanin deposition activity from P. serratifolia wood of Myanmar. P. serratifolia belongs to the Verbenaceae family and is widely distributed in near western sea coast from South Asia to South East Asia, which include India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. People in Tanintharyi region located in the southern part of Myanmar utilize the P. serratifolia, Sperethusa crenulata, Naringi crenulata, and Limonia acidissima as Thanaka, traditional cosmetics in Myanmar. Thanaka is applied in the form of paste onto skins to make it smooth and clear, as well as to prevent wrinkles, skin aging, excessive facial oil, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. However, the chemical constituents responsible for their cosmetic properties are yet to be identified. Moreover, the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia was almost uncharacterized. Investigation of the P. serratifolia chemical constituents is thus an attractive endeavor to discover new anti-melanin deposition active compounds. The investigation of the chemical constituents of the active CHCl3 extract of P. serratifolia led to isolation of four new lignoids, premnan A (1), premnan B (2), taungtangyiol C (3), and 7,9-dihydroxydolichanthin B (4), together with premnan C (5) (assumed to be an artifact), one natural newlignoid,(3R,4S)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylcarbonyl)-3-[(R)-1-(1,3-benzo dioxol-5-yl)-1-hydroxy methyl]tetrahydro-2-furanone (6), and five known compounds (7-11)1,2). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with the reported literatures. The absolute configurations of 1-3 and 5 were also determined by optical rotation and circular dichroism (CD) data analyses1). The anti-melanin deposition activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated against B16-F10 cell line. 7,9-Dihydroxydolichanthin B (4) and ($2{\alpha},3{\alpha}$)-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (11) showed strong anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of 18.4 and $11.2{\mu}M$, respectively, without cytotoxicity2). On the other hand, compounds 1-3, 5, and 7 showed melanogenesis enhancing activities1). To better understand their anti-melanin deposition mechanism, the effects of 4 and 11 on tyrosinase activities were investigated. The assay indicated that compounds 4 and 11 did not inhibit tyrosinase. Furthermore, we also examined the mRNA expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2). Compounds 4 and 11 down-regulated the expression of Tyr and Mitf mRNAs, respectively. Although the P. serratifolia wood has been used as traditional cosmetics in Myanmar for centuries, there are no scientific evidences to support its effectiveness as cosmetics. Investigation of the anti-melanin deposition activity of the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia thus provided insight into the effectiveness of the P. serratifolia wood as a cosmetic agent.