• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 2007

Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem leading to chronic infection and liver cancer. Quantitation of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) is important for monitoring disease progression and for assessing the response to antiviral therapy. In this study, by using Real-Time PCR and novel Micro-PCR assay method, we measured HBV concentration in the clinical sample. A total of 120 serum samples from patients with HBV infection collected was in Dankook university hospital to compare the detection limit, sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of the two assay methods. These findings of this study suggest that Micro-PCR and Real-Time PCR assay methods are comparable to each other in there detection limit, sensitivity, and reproducibility for HBV DNA quantitation. However, Micro-PCR assay is more efficient than Real-Time PCR method, because Real-Time PCR is not so time - consuming, technically easy and need to reagent of a small quantity. It will be useful for rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis of HBV in many countries.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2008

Objective : Herb medicines are potential sources of useful edible and medicinal plants. They are used as a drug because of their various biological activities such as immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor functions. Nelumbo nucifera have been applied in Chinese herbal prescriptions to improve tissue inflammation. However, it has not been elucidated on the effect of the flower of Nelumbo nucifera in cells. Method : In the present study, to examine the effect of that on glioma cells, U87, the essential oil was extracted from the flower of Nelumbo nucifera (NN essential oil). U87 cells were exposed to different concentrations of 2-40 ug/ml of NN essential oil in ethanol. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay at 24 h. To find out the intracellular target signal molecule(s) for this antiproliferative activity of NN essential oil, phosphorylation of Akt, ERM, MAPK or p38 proteins were examined by Western blot analysis. To study long term effect of NN essential oil in U87 cells, the image of cells treated with NN essential oil for 4 days were obtained. Results and Conclusion : NN essential oil was shown to exhibit antitumor activity in glioma cells, at a broad range of concentrations of 10-40 ug/ml. The phosphorylation of Akt and Endoplasmic Reticulum Matrix (ERM) proteins which known to be involved in the cell death, were gradually decreased to 2 hours after addition 20 ug/ml of NN essential oil. However, the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAPK) and p38 was found to increase in NN essential oil treated cells. NN essential oil treated cells showed decreased glioma cell number. These results provide a possible NN essential oil-induced inhibitory signal for tumor cell proliferation that is initiated by the decrease in Akt activity. Moreover, it is likely that the activation of p38 is required for the NN essential oil-induced inhibition of tumor proliferation.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate antioxidant properties in microbial fermentation products of Lonicera japonica Thunb extract. The bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum NHP1 was isolated from conventional fermented foods. Modern pharmacological studies show that Lonicera japonica Thunb and its active principles of wide pharmacological actions. For instance, they show a strong efficacy in antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-endotoxin, blood fat reducing, antipyretic, and antioxidant activities. The extract of Lonicera japonica Thunb was obtained by extracting dried Lonicera japonica Thunb using either hot water or 70% ethanol as a solvent. Fermentation was performed in a 2L fermentor containing 1.2 L of extractat conditions of $30^{\circ}C$ and 100 rpm for 48 hr. The amount of cholorogenic acid was $2.65{\mu}g/g$ in hot water extract. The total phenolic content (GAE, gallic acid equivalent) in hot water and 70% ethanol were $56.5{\pm}4.9$ GAE mg/g and $72.7{\pm}5.3$ GAE mg/g, respectively. After fermentation, the phenolic content increased to 30.2% in hot water and 12.9% in ethanol extract. In the same manner, flavonoid content increased to more than 75% regardless of extract solvent. ABTS (2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) value noticeably increased to 50% after fermentation.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.430-441
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• 2021

Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) are terpenoids found mostly in the Asteraceae family and are known for their strong cytotoxic properties, among other notable bioactivities. Some STLs, such as artemisinin and mipsagargin, are already commercially available and are used to fight malaria and tumor growth, respectively. Although the interest in STLs was low for a time after their discovery due to their toxic nature, past decades have witnessed a soar in STL-based studies focused on developing novel pharmaceuticals via chemical diversification. These studies have reported several promising physiological effects for STLs, including lower toxicity and diverse modes of action, and have demonstrated the antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antiviral, antiprotozoal, phytotoxic, antitumor, and antiaging properties of STLs. STLs are mainly considered as valuable natural molecules for the fight against cancer since most STLs induce death of different types of cancer cells, as shown by in vitro and in vivo studies. Some STLs can also enhance the effects of drugs that are already in clinical use. Medicinal chemists use various STLs as starting molecules for the synthesis of new STLs or different bioactive compounds. All these developments warrant future research to provide more information on STLs, their bioactivities, and their mode of action. In this context, this review has summarized the bioactivities of some of the widely studied STLs, namely artemisinin, costunolide, thapsigargin, arglabin, parthenolide, alantolactone, cynaropicrin, helenalin, and santonin.

• Journal of Korean Society of Disaster and Security
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.23-40
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• 2021

In the era of the global coronal 19 pandemic, there is a risk of cross-infection in hospitals at the stage where treatments and vaccines are currently being developed and marketed, so individuals should enhance their acquired immunity and generalize their living systems by the performance of copper ions in the social environment. In order to prevent the spread of infection, the need for anti-bacterial film and its efficacy were analyzed through anti-viral performance tests based on research and development cases of worldwide and immemorial time. he Korea Construction Research Institute (KCL) has received anti-bacterial performance certification and anti-viral test scores from the "National Approval Performance Certification Agency." At the time, NCCP 43326 Human Corona virus (BetaCoV/Korea/KCDC03/2020), which was approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was introduced to ensure that the activity rate of infected cells was satisfied in the anti-viral performance test. Anti-proliferation measures for the Corona 19 virus require a quality clinical trial study comparing the experimental group within the glass space where the antiviral copper film is constructed with the comparator of the same condition without copper film.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.474-478
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• 2005

Because it possesses anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, and tissue regenerative properties, propolis has been used for thousands of years in folk medicine for multiple purposes. Although the antimicrobial activity of propolis has already been demonstrated, very few studies have been conducted on bacteria of clinical relevance in dentistry. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative activities of 0.1% and 1.0% propolis, both of water-extracted (proAQ) and ethanol-extracted (proAL) propolis, for industrial applications. In studies of antimicrobial activity, the growth of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 35556, Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 12021, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Candida parapsilosis KCCM 35428, all general food or clinical pathogens, were tested. The culture medium used was trypticase soy broth including 0.6% yeast extract; after 6 hr of incubation, the turbidities were measured at 620 nm with a spectrophotometer. The results indicate that the antimicrobial effects of both 1.0% proAQ and 1.0% proAL were greater against the growth of S. aureus ATCC 35556 and C. parapsilosis KCCM 35428 rather than those of S. enteritidis ATCC 12021 and E. coli O157:H7. Additionally, it appears that the anti-inflammatory effects of proAL are greater than those of proAQ. The anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated by measurement of the inhibition of hyaluronidase activity in vitro. At a 1% concentration, the anti-inflammatory effects of proAL were greater than those of proAQ. Finally, the anti-oxidative effects of 1% and 10% solutions of each extract sample were measured according to the TBA method at $40^{\circ}C$ for 1, 2, 3, and 5 days and were compared with 1.0% BHT. The results indicate that the anti-oxidative effects at 0.1% for both proAQ and proAL were not significantly different than the anti-oxidative effects at 1.0% BHT (p<0.05). Thus, it appeared that the alcohol-extracted propolis had greater antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects than the water-extracted propolis. This is based on the presumption that major biofunctional components were fat-soluble, rather than water-soluble.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.271-279
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• 2015

Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional, iron-binding glycoprotein found in physiological secretions of mammals. LF shows antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. In the present study, a gene encoding the N-terminal lobe of human lactoferrin (hLF) was isolated, cloned and expressed in methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. The recombinant hLF-N (rhLF-N) protein was secreted into the culture medium at the level of $458{\mu}g/ml$ in 3 L fermentor. The size of purified hLF-N was estimated as 35 kDa when analyzed by SDS-PAGE and western blotting. The rhLF-N was further confirmed by immunodiffusion using the anti-hLF polyclonal antibody. The expression profile analysis by qRT-PCR showed that the relative mRNA expression of rhLF-N was maximal after 2-3 days of methanol induction and reduced gradually at 4 days. The purified rhLF-N showed broad antibacterial activities against the pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia cepacia, and Salmonella typhimurium. However, rhLF-N showed relatively lower activity when compared to peptides derived from LF. In spite of this weak activity, the rhLF-N expressed in P. pastoris might be more advantageous for the industrial application, because rhLF-N is secreted into the culture medium and the production can also be increased by optimization of culture conditions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.10
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• pp.332-337
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• 2018

Purpose: Bell's palsy is characterized by sudden onset of unilateral facial weakness. The use of corticosteroids for childhood Bell's palsy is controversial. This study aimed to identify clinical characteristics, etiology, and laboratory findings in childhood Bell's palsy, and to evaluate the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of children under 19 years of age treated for Bell's palsy between January 2009 and June 2017, and followed up for over 1 month. Clinical characteristics, neuroimaging data, laboratory findings, treatments, and outcomes were reviewed. Patients with Bell's palsy were divided into groups with (group 1) and without (group 2) corticosteroid treatment. Differences in onset age, sex, laterality, infection and vaccination history, degree of facial nerve palsy, and prognosis after treatment between the groups were analyzed. Results: One hundred patients were included. Mean age at presentation was $7.4{\pm}5.62years$. A total of 73 patients (73%) received corticosteroids with or without intravenous antiviral agents, and 27 (27%) received only supportive treatment. There was no significant difference in the severity, laboratory findings, or neuroimaging findings between the groups. Significant improvement was observed in 68 (93.2%) and 26 patients (96.3%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively; this rate was not significantly different between the groups (P=0.48). Conclusion: Childhood Bell's palsy showed good prognosis with or without corticosteroid treatment; there was no difference in prognosis between treated and untreated groups. Steroid therapy in childhood Bell's palsy may not significantly improve outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.3 s.150
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• pp.205-216
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• 2007

South Korea is the representative consumption country of herbal medicines and most of herbal medicines circulating in Korea have been importing from the developing countries of Southeast Asia such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia and so forth. Domestic hygiene and safety are continuously proposed because herbal medicines which are circulating have the possibility could remain contaminants or residues. Physicochemical contaminants such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, radionucleosides, microbial toxins, biological contaminants such as microorganisms and animals, agrochemical residues such as pesticides, substances used for fumigation, antiviral agents, and solvent residues are classified as major contaminants and residues in herbal medicines from 2005 September WHO.$^{1)}$ Currently our administration have established a permission standard and the inspection criteria against the heavy metal, the residual pesticides and a residual sulfur dioxide. Furthermore our administration is continuously monitoring and conducting researches for the policies and their scientific ground against herbal medicines. But the appearances or discoveries of the harmful new species due to environmental and industrial developments are becoming social problems. Therefore it may be necessary to continuously consider and investigate regarding hereupon. Recently, the contamination of the mycotoxins against foods such as cereals, nuts and the powdered red pepper have developed and started became problematic issue, and possibility of contamination against the herbal medicine is proposed. And since populations who are using the herbal medicines very limited to several nations, recognition and researches about contamination of mycotoxins in herbal medicines are very insufficient. Therefore it will be need to more focus on the international regulation of quality control and safety for herbal medicines. Now on, we are going to introduce the importance, occurrence, characteristic properties, World-wide research trends and detoxification of aflatoxins, which is known as the most potent mutagen, carcinogen and teratogen mycotoxins.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.9-25
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• 2018

Plant viruses cause significant yield losses and continuously threaten crop production, representing a serious threat to global food security. Studies on plant-virus interactions have contributed to increase our knowledge on plant immunity mechanism, providing new strategies for crop improvement. The prophylactic managements consist mainly following international legislations, eradication of infected plants, and application of pesticide to decrease the population of vectors. Hence, putting together the pieces of knowledge related to molecular plant immunity to viruses is critical for the control of virus disease in fields. Over the last several decades, the outstanding outcomes of extensive research have been achieved on comprehension of plant immunity to viruses. Although most dominant R genes have been used as natural resistance genes, recessive resistance genes have been deployed in several crops as another efficient strategy to control viruses. In addition, RNA interference also regulates plant immunity and contribute a very efficient antiviral system at the nucleic acid level. This review aims at describing virus disease on crops and summarizes current resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, we will discuss the current biotechnological approaches to control viral diseases and the future questions that are to be addressed to secure crop production against viruses.