• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.214-222
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• 2003

A lectin named AAL has been purified from the fruiting bodies of the edible mushroom Agrocybe aegerita. AAL consisted of two identical subunits of 15.8 kDa, its pI was about 3.8 determined by isoelectric focusing, and no carbohydrate was discerned. Being treated by pyrogultamate aminopeptidase, the blocked N-terminus of AAL was sequenced as QGVNIYNI. AAL agglutinated human and animal erythrocytes regardless of blood type or animal species. Its hemagglutinating activity was unaffected by acid or alkali treatment and demetalization or addition of divalent metals $Mg^{2+}$, $Ca^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$. AAL was toxic to mice: its LD50 was 15.85 mg per kilogram body weight by intraperitoneal injection. In this study, two novel activities of AAL were proved. It showed inhibition activity to infection of tobacco mosaic virus on Nicotiana glutinosa. The result of IEF suggested that AAL attached to TMV particles. Mycelia differentiation promotion was the other interesting activity. AAL promoted the differentiation of fruit body primordia from the mycelia of Agrocybe aegerita and Auricularia polytricha. AAL antiserum was prepared and immunologically cross-reactived with several proteins from five other kinds of mushrooms. These results suggested that AAL probably was a representative of a large protein family, which plays important physiological roles in mushroom.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 1997

the exocrine pancreatic secretion is an important factor in the maintenance of zinc homeostasis. The daily pancreatic secretion of zinc into the gastrointestinal tract may be two or more times the daily dietary zinc intake. The objective of this study was to examine the distribution of proteins and zinc in pancreatic/biliary fluid following intraperitoneal {TEX}${65}^Zn${/TEX} injection into dietary prepared Sprague-Dawly rats. Distribution of zinc-binding protein in Sephadex G-75 subfractions showed a peak corresponding to the high molecular weight protein standard(<66kDa) in the pancreatic/biliary fluid. Zinc also was associated with the 29~35kDa mole-cular weight proteins. These are similar in size with zinc-containing enzymes, carboxypeptidase A and car-boxypeptidase B. A more remarkable small molecular weight fraction eluted beyond the 6.5kDa standard pro-tein peak. These results show the presence of small molecular weight compound in pancreatic/biliary fluid associated with zinc . These small molecular weight compounds may serve as zinc-binding ligands for the secretion of enogenous zinc into the duodenum. These findings suggest that these lignads may dissociate zinc in the duodenum thus making it vulnerable to complexation with phytate in the upper gastrointestinal tract rendering the zinc unavailable for reabsorption.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.393-400
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• 1997

The effects of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase on the toxicity of paraquat(PQ) were studied using diethyldithiocarbamate(DDC), 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole(AT) which are inhibitors of Cu, Zn-SOD and catalase in rats. Sprague Dawley rats were divide into 6 groups: control, DDC, PQ, AT, DDC+PQ, and AT+PQ group. The PQ (50 mg/kg body weight(BW); about half dose of $LD_{50}$) was administered with orally, otherwise AT(1.0g/kg BW) and DDC(1.0g/kg BW) were administered by intrperitoneal(iP) injection. The survival rate of rats in PQ+AT group was significantly decreased compared with PQ group while the difference of survival rate between DDC group and DDC+PQ group was not significant. The SOD activity after administration of DDC was decreased in liver, lung and kidney, but catalase activity was not changed. The catalase activity in liver, lung and kidney of AT treated rats was decreased, while SOD activity was not changed in this group. The effects of DDC and AT to the PQ toxicity was also observed in primary cultured rat Skin fibroblasts. The viable cells that was measured with MTT method, was decreased in AT+PQ treated group compared to PQ treated group, but the difference of cell viability between DDC treat group and DDC+PQ treated group was not observed. This result, AT potentlate PQ toxicity while DDC were not affect, suggested that the decreased catalase activity lead to elevation of hydrogen peroxide levels and PQ toxicity may be correlate with the hydrogen peroxide rather than the superoxides.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.271-282
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• 2020

Sewage treatment plants are social infrastructure of cities. The sewage distribution rate in Korea is reaching 94% based on the sewage statistics based in the year of 2017. In Korean sewage treatment plants, use of PAC (Poly Aluminum Chloride) accounts for 58%. It contains a large amount of impurities (heavy metal) according to the quality standards, however, there have been insufficient efforts to reinforce the standards or technically improve the quality, which resulted in secondary pollution problems from injecting excessive coagulant. Also, the increase in the use of chemicals is leading to the increases in the annual amount of sewage sludge generated in 2017 and the need to reuse sludge. As such, this study aims to verify the possibility of reusing sludge by evaluating the stability of heavy metals based on the injection of coagulant mixture during water treatment which uses the torrefield wood powder and natural materials, and evaluating the sedimentation and heating value of sewage sludge. As a result of analyzing heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, As, Pb, and Ni) from the coagulant mixture and PAC (10%), Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Hg were not detected. As for Zn, while its concentration notified in the quality standards for drinking water is 3 mg/L, only a small amount of 0.007 mg/L was detected in the coagulant mixture. Maximum amounts of over double amounts of Fe, Cu, and As were found with PAC (10%) compared to the coagulant mixture. Also, an analysis of sludge sedimentation found that the coagulant mixture showed a better performance of up to double the speed of the conventional coagulant, PAC (10%). The dry-basis lower heating value of sewage sludge produced by injecting the coagulant mixture was 3,378 kcal/kg, while that of sewage sludge generated due to PAC (10%) was 3,171 kcal/kg; although both coagulants met the requirements to be used as auxiliary fuel at thermal power plants, the coagulant mixture developed in this study could secure heating values 200 kal/kg higher than the counterpart. Therefore, utilization of the coagulant mixture for water treatment rather than PAC (10%) is expected to be more environmentally stable and effective, as it helps generating sludge with better stability against heavy metals, having a faster sludge sedimentation, and higher heating value.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.413-426
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• 2009

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of indigenous bacteria on geochemical behavior of toxic heavy metals in contaminated paddy soil near an abandoned mine. The effects of sulfate amendment to stimulate microbial sulfate reduction on heavy metal behaviors were also investigated. Batch-type experiments were performed with lactate or glucose as a carbon source to activate indigenous bacteria in the soil under anaerobic condition for 100 days. Sulfate (250 mg/L) was artificially injected at 60 days after the onset of the experiments. In the case of glucose supply, solution pH increased from 4.8 to 7.6 while pH was maintained at 7~8 in the lactate solution. The initial low pH in the case of glucose supply likely resulted in the enhanced extraction of Fe and most heavy metals at the initial experimental period. Lactate supply exerted no significant difference on the amounts of dissolved Zn, Pb, Ni and Cu between microbial and abiotic control slurries; however, lower Zn, Pb and Ni and higher Cu concentrations were observed in the microbial slurries than in the controls when glucose supplied. Sulfate amendment led to dramatic decrease in dissolved Cr and maintenance of dissolved As, both of which had gradually increased over time till the sulfate injection. Black precipitates formed in solution after sulfate amendment, and violarite($Fe^{+2}{Ni^{+3}}_2S_4$) was found with XRD analysis in the microbial precipitates. Conceivably the mineral might be formed after Fe(III) reduction and microbial sulfate reduction with coprecipitation of heavy metal. The results suggested that heavy metals which can be readily extracted from contaminated paddy soils may be stabilized in soil formation by microbial sulfate reduction.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.511-517
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• 1992

The hypoglycemic effects of Korean wild vegetables : Capsella bursa-pastoris Medicus(CBM) Commelina communis L. (CCL) Calystegics japonica Choisy(CJC) Discorea japonica Thunb(DJT) and Persicaria perfolidata Gross(PPG) in diabetic rats were determined. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley diabetic rats(130~180g) induced by the streptozotocin (45mg/kg) injection into the tail vein were fed either a control or experimental diets for four weeks. The plasma levels of glucose and cholesterol were measured. The urinary glucose levels were monitored. Crude fiber mineral(Ca, Fe, Zn and Cr) and ascorbic acid contents of the wild vegetables were analyzed. The extents of blood glucose decrement in CCL. DJT or PPG fed rats were greater than that in the control group. This extents of decrement in CBM or CJC fed rats were not significan-tly different from that in the control group. The urinary glucose was shown to be negative to Band reagent strip in CCL or DJT group at the 4th week. The plasma cholesterol levels of all the groups including control group were not essentially different. It is suggested that the intakes of CCL or DJT could be useful for prevetive and therapeutic approches to alleviate the hyperglycemic status in diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 2004

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the acute phase response on the performance and superoxide dismutase(SOD) activities in liver and erythrocyte of broiler chicks fed dietary krill meals A and B in experiment 1 and krill meal A in experiment 2. The experimental diets are basal diet based on yellow corn and soybean meal and diets substituted 2.0% of krill meal A or B with soybean meal of the basal diet, respectively. Day-old birds fed on the experimental diets and the acute phase response(immunological stress) was activated in the birds on 8-day of age by alternate day injection i.p. with 3 doses the Salmonella typhymurium lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in saline. The values during the acute phase response were compared with those controls injected with saline. The performance; daily gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency were different between dietary krill meal A and B in birds during the acute phase response and in the control. The acute phase response increased relative liver and spleen weights. Recovery of birds from the immunological stress was different between krill meals. Dietary krill meals increased activities of MnSOD and Cu/ZnSOD in erythrocyte cytosols during the actute phase response. Dietary krill meals did not affect the PHA-p response. The results indicated that the dietary krill meals may accentuate oxidative stress during the acute phase response.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.344-350
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• 1997

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of zinc and vitamin E on the antioxidative defense mechanism in the liver of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Levels of blood glucose of STZ-diabetic rats were higher than that of control, but ZDM($ZnSO_{4}$ 10mg/kg injection+STZ) group was lower than those of DM(STZ injection) and EDM(vitamin E 400mg/kg diet+STZ) group. Levels of plasma insulin were lower in all three STZ-diabetic groups than those of control. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) peroxide values(LPO) in liver were increased 2.3-fold in DM group compared with those of control, while LPG in ZDM group was lower than that of DM group, and EDM group had similar tendency compared with that of control. Reduced glutathione(GSH) contents of liver were decreased in DM group compared with those of control, but increased 2.3, 1.7-fold in ZDM and EDM groups, respectively, compared with those of DM group. Oxidized glutathione(GSSG) was increased in DM group compared with control and GSSG in ZDM and EDM group were lower than that of DM group. GSH/GSSG ratio had similar tendency compared with results of GSH. The activities of free radical scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly decreased in DM group compared to those of control, but higher in ZDM and EDM groups than those of DM group. The metallothionein contents in liver and kidney were increased in DM and EDM groups were remarkably increased 20, 5.3-fold in ZDM group, compared with those of control.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.143-150
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• 2009

Fuel oil mostly used for a ship is made from crude oil by refining process. In order to produce plenty of high-quality fuel oil, the Fluid catalytic cracking(FCC) method is widely adopted to many refinery factories during the decomposition process from high molecule into lower molecule. The major constituents in spent FCC catalysts are Si, Al, Fe, Ti, alkali metals and some others. The spent catalyst is also composed small amounts of rare metals such as Ce, Nd, Ni and V. The big problem in FCC oil is mixing the catalyst in the oil. This reason is unstable separation of FCC catalyst in separator. Such a FCC catalyst will become a reason of heavy wear down in moving parts of engine. The impurity in oil is ash and deposit compound, such as Al, Si, Ni, Fe and V, which will accelerate the wear down on fuel pump, fuel injection valve cylinder liner and piston ring. It is important to find a basic reason of an engine trouble for preventing similar troubles anymore. Insurance compensation will be different according to the reason of an engine trouble which might be natural abrasion or other external causes. In this study, types and reasons of engine troubles related to fuel oil will be covered.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.111-122
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• 2009

Cadmium (Cd) is known to exert gonadotoxic and spermiotoxic effects. The present study was performed to investigate the morphological effects and metallothionein (MT) expression by zinc pretreatment in the course of time of cadmium-induced testicular injury in rat. Fifty male Spraque-Dawley rats weighing 160~180 g were divided into two groups : saline-pretreated cadmium group and zinc-pretreated cadmium group. Rats of two groups received subcutaneous injection of saline and 100 mg/kg $ZnSO_4$ at 0, 2, 5 and 8 hrs intervals respectively. Cadmium chloride (4.5 mg/kg $CdCl_2$) was administrated intraperitoneally at 2 hrs after zinc injection and rats were killed 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hrs later. Testicular tissue damages, interstitial (Leydig) cells status and MT expression were determined using hematoxylin-eosin stained sections and a computerized image analysis system on sections immunostained with a mouse anti-metallothionein respectively. Zinc pretreatment was significantly reduced testicular damages in five pathological categories after cadmium administation. The number of surviving interstitial cells was significantly higher in the zinc-pretreated group than in the saline-preatreated group at 48 and 72 hrs after cadmium administration. Non-damaged testis showed the positivity of MT staining in spermatogenic cells, Sertoli cells and endothelium of blood vessel, but not in the Leydig cells. The positivity of MT staining in saline-pretreated group was significantly reduced at 24 hrs after cadmium administration, whereas zinc-pretreated group showed strong MT positive staining similar to the 0 hr by 42 hrs after cadmium administration. In damaged testis, MT positive staining was also observed in the Leydig cells of both groups. These results suggest that a major preventive effect of zinc against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity may be due to its ability to reduce the cytotoxicity of cadmium in spermatogenic cells and Leydig cells by inhibiting the susceptibility of the testis to cadmium but not MT production by cadmium.