• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.309-314
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• 2015

Xylogone ganodermophthora (Xg) is an ascomycetous fungus that causes yellow rot on cultivated Ganoderma lucidum. Previously, we reported in vitro antifungal activities of a Xg culture extract against several watermelon pathogens. In 2014, we conducted greenhouse experiments to evaluate the control efficacy of a water extract of cultured Xg on watermelon powdery mildew (WPM). The test material (stock solution, ca. $4,000{\mu}g/ml$) was prepared by an autoclaved Xg culture in water at a ratio of 800 g of culture per 6 liter of water, and then filtering it through filter paper. Six foliar applications of the solutions (diluted 100- and 1,000-fold) significantly suppressed the formation of conidiophores and conidia. The inhibitory effect of aqueous potassium phosphonate solution on the disease and its phytotoxicity was tested. Phytotoxicity on watermelon plants was observed at concentrations of 1,000 and $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ as irregular brownish spots. The control efficacies against WPM were 91.9% at $2,000{\mu}g/ml$, 64.9% at $1,000{\mu}g/ml$, and 62.2% at $500{\mu}g/ml$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.279-286
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• 2020

A novel compound named 'kanakugiol' was recently isolated from Lindera erythrocarpa and showed free radical-scavenging and antifungal activities. However, the details of the anti-cancer effect of kanakugiol on breast cancer cells remain unclear. We investigated the effect of kanakugiol on the growth of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Kanakugiol affected cell cycle progression, and decreased cell viability in MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. It also enhanced PARP cleavage (50 kDa), whereas DNA laddering was not induced. FACS analysis with annexin V-FITC/PI staining showed necrosis induction in kanakugiol-treated cells. Caspase-9 cleavage was also induced. Expression of death receptors was not altered. However, Bcl-2 expression was suppressed, and mitochondrial membrane potential collapsed, indicating limited apoptosis induction by kanakugiol. Immunofluorescence analysis using α-tubulin staining revealed mitotic exit without cytokinesis (4N cells with two nuclei) due to kanakugiol treatment, suggesting that mitotic catastrophe may have been induced via microtubule destabilization. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis results also indicated mitotic catastrophe after cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells due to kanakugiol treatment. These findings suggest that kanakugiol inhibits cell proliferation and promotes cell death by inducing mitotic catastrophe after cell cycle arrest. Thus, kanakugiol shows potential for use as a drug in the treatment of human breast cancer.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2005

The development of microbial inoculant was conducted using a by-product of oriental herbal medicine. The constituent of the by-product, which was high in organic matter, was 11.3% of crude protein, 5.1% of crude lipid, 49.7% of NDF (neutral detergent fiber), and 33.8% of ADF (acid detergent fiber). Microorganisms isolated from the by-product of oriental herbal medicine were 35 species. Among them, 6 bacterial species, 4 fungal species, 2 actnomycetes species, and 1 yeast species were effective in the utilization of the by-products. The 13 strains screened were tested for the plant growth-promoting effect in soybean seedling. BL-333 strain was found to increase the soybean yield by about 23% as compared with control. The strain BL-333 was identified as Paenibacillus marcerans. P. marcerans BL-333 showed high anti-fungal activities against virulent fungi, especially Fusarium sp. and Collectotrichum sp. Yields of plants which were inoculated with microbial inoculant prepared with P. marcerans BL-333 and by-product of oriental herbal medicine were found to be higher than control by $3{\sim}24%$. The yield was especially promoted in lettuce, radish, chinese cabbage and cucumber plants.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.30-35
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• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the usefulness of the aerial part of Cnidium officinale Makino as a bioactive material source. The aerial part(leaf and stem) of Cnidium officinale Makino was extracted with three kinds of solvents and determined their antimicrobial activities against several bacteria and yeast strains using the paper disc method and the microtiter dilution method. The extracts of the Cnidium offocinale aerial part exhibited the broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against Gram (+) and Gram (-) bacteria, including food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts of Cnidium officinale also showed antifungal activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ethyl acetate extracts completely inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aerogenes, and moderately inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae at the concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. However, water extract of Cnidium officinale exhibited lower antimicrobial activity than ethyl acetate and methanol extracts. The inhibitory effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Cnidium officinale Makino was not destroyed by heating at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min or at $121^{\circ}C$... for 15 min. These results suggest that the aerial part of Cnidium officinale Makino could be a useful source for a natural antimicrobial material.

• 한국문화재보존과학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.49-58
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• 2001

The antibacterial and insecticidal properties of ethanol extracts and volatile components extracted from Eugenia caryophyllata, Boswellia carerii, Agastache rugosa, Aristolochia contorta, and Aquilaria agallocha were evaluated. The ethanol extract and volatile component of E. caryophyllata showed strong antimicrobial effect against all strains (Mucor hiemalis, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, Trichodema viride) and the volatile component of B. carterii showed antimicrobial effect against all strains except T. viride. The ethanol extract of E. caryophyllata and A. contorta showed $100\%\;and\;32\%$ mortality against Reticulitermes spertus kyushuensis Morimoto for 48 hours and 72 hours, respectively. In the case of volatile component, R. aryophyllata showed $100\%\;and\;20\%$ mortality against R. spertus and Lyctus linearis GOZE, respectively. The main constitute, eugenol $(92\%)$ among nine components from volatile component of E. aryophyllata were identified as antibacterial active substance.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.88-96
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• 2008

To obtain protoplasts of Colletotrichum acutatum JC24, conidia were inoculated onto cellophane membrane placed on PDA and incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 20 hrs under the dark condition. Cellophane membranes, where mycelia were incubated, were soaked into 2% lysing enzyme solution prepared with 0.02 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) including 1.2 M sorbitiol. After treatment in 2% enzyme solution for 2 - 3 hrs, it could be possible to harvest $2-3\;{\times}\;10^6$ protoplasts/mL. The effect of several fungicides on reversion ratio was determined by using the protoplasts obtained from C. acutatum JC24. Any protoplasts could not be reversed to mycelia on reversion PDA amended with $10\;{\mu}\;g\;mL^{-1}$ of propineb. With tebuconazole, inhibition ratio of protoplast reversion was 100 and 0.9% at 0.5 and $0.1\;{\mu}\;g\;mL^{-1}$, respectively, while inhibitory effect on mycelial growth was 85.1 and 75.7%. The inhibitory tendency of carbendazim on protoplast reversion was as same as mycelial growth. In the case of strobilurins, trifloxystrobin and kresoxim-methyl, they only could inhibit protoplast reversion of C. acutatum JC24, when salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) was amended into reversion PDA with strobilurins.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.104-110
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• 2011

Actinomycetes, Gram positive soil bacteria, are valuable microorganisms which produce useful secondary metabolites including antibiotics, antiparasitic substances, anti-cancer drugs, and immunosuppressants. Although a major family of actinomycetes, known as streptomycetes, has been intensively investigated at the molecular level for several decades, a potentially valuable and only recently isolated non-streptomycetes rare actinomycetes (NSRA) family has been poorly characterized due to lack of proper genetic manipulation systems. Here we report that a PCR-based genome screening strategy was performed with approximately 180 independently isolated actinomycetes strains to isolate potentially valuable NSRA strains. Thanks to this simple PCR-based genome screening strategy we were able to identify only seven NSRA strains, followed by 16S rRNA sequencing for confirmation. Through further bioassays, one potentially valuable NSRA strain (tentatively named Nocardiopsis species MMBL010) was identified which possessed both antifungal and antibacterial activities, along with the presence of polyketide synthase and non-ribosomal peptide synthase genes. Moreover, Nocardiopsis species MMBL010, which was intrinsically recalcitrant to genetic manipulation, was successfully transformed via E. coli-driven conjugation. These results suggest that PCR-based genome screening, followed by the establishment of an E. coli-driven conjugation system, is an efficient strategy to maximize potentially valuable compounds and their biosynthetic genes from NSRA strains isolated from various environments.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.146-152
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• 2011

In the course of a study in relation to the production of taste, and functional enhancements in root crop chips, which were prepared by soaking dried yam slices in fruit juices, we investigated the physiological characteristics and biological activities of 8 different commercially available juices including; apple, omija (fruit of Maximowiczia typica), grape, wild grape, orange, tomato, red ginseng and black garlic juice. The average water contents, pH, brix and acidity of the juices used were $85.59{\pm}5.80%$, $3.90{\pm}0.64$, $12.19{\pm}4.70%$, and $0.49{\pm}0.19%$, respectively. The polyphenol content of black garlic and grape juice were 1.50 and 1.21 mg/ml, respectively, and those were higher than the average content (0.57 mg/mL) of the juices. Evaluation of anticoagulation activity showed that only omija juice has a strong thrombin inhibition, which is comparable to that of aspirin (1.5 mg/mL). Omija, grape and orange juice all exhibited antibacterial activity, but no antifungal activity. The 8 different juices, and in particular grape and black garlic juice, showed strong antioxidant activity in DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity assays, with wild grape juice demonstrating potent nitrite scavenging activity. These results suggest that omija, grape and black garlic juice can be used as soaking solutions to produce taste, and other functional enhancements, for root crop chips.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1245-1250
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• 2009

Beimu (Fritillaria thunbergii Miquel), a bulbous plant of Liliaceae found in Korea, Japan and China, has been used as an antitussive and expectorant agent, and is also useful in alleviating stonsillitis and bronchiolitis. Most researches have been focused on micro-propagation and plant regeneration, component analysis, and dormancy relieving of beimu. Reports regarding the biological activity of beimu, such as anti-Helicobacter pyroli or platelet aggregation inhibition activity, are few and not widely available. In this study, methanol extract and its organic solvent fractions were prepared from Fritillaria thunbergii Miquel and their antimicrobial, antithrombin, and antioxidant activities were evaluated, respectively. The methanol extract contained lots of water-soluble materials (58.98%) and hexane-soluble oils (14.85%). The ethylacetate and butanol fraction at $500{\mu}g$/disc concentration showed strong antibacterial activity against tested bacteria, except Escherichia coli. Antifungal activity was not observed in methanol extract and its fractions. The hexane, ethylacetate and butanol fractions showed strong antithrombin activity at 4.8 mg/ml concentration. Especially, the ethylacetate fraction showed 95.4 sec of thrombin time at a concentration of 1.2 mg/ml, which is comparable to aspirin, a widely used antithrombosis agent. For antioxidation activity, the ethylacetate and butanol fraction showed good 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$ of $344{\sim}368{\mu}g$/ml). In superoxide dismutase-like activity and reducing power, the fractions showed $20{\sim}25%$ of vitamin C, and $51{\sim}54%$ of butyl hydroxytoluene, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5291-5298
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• 2012

Beta-asarone is one of the main bioactive constituents in traditional Chinese medicine Acorus calamu. Previous studies have shown that it has antifungal and anthelmintic activities. However, little is known about its anticancer effects. This study aimed to determine inhibitory effects on LoVo colon cancer cell proliferation and to clarify the underlying mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Dose-response and time-course anti-proliferation effects were examined by MTT assay. Our results demonstrated that LoVo cell viability showed dose- and time-dependence on ${\beta}$-asarone. We further assessed anti-proliferation effects as ${\beta}$-asarone-induced apoptosis by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assay usinga flow cytometer and observed characteristic nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation of apoptosis by microscopy. Moreover, we found the apoptosis to be induced through the mitochondrial/caspase pathway by decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reducing the Bcl-2-to-Bax ratio, in addition to activating the caspase-9 and caspase-3 cascades. Additionally, the apoptosis could be inhibited by a pan-caspase inhibitor, carbobenzoxy-valyl-alanyl-aspartyl-[O-methyl]-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK). When nude mice bearing LoVo tumor xenografts were treated with ${\beta}$-asarone, tumor volumes were reduced and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays of excised tissue also demonstrated apoptotic changes. Taken together, these findings for the first time provide evidence that ${\beta}$-asarone can suppress the growth of colon cancer and the induced apoptosis is possibly mediated through mitochondria/caspase pathways.