• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3383-3387
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• 2015

Portulaca oleracea (Family: Portulacaceae), is well known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor activities. However, cytotoxic effects of seed oil of Portulaca oleracea against human liver cancer (HepG2) and human lung cancer (A-549) cell lines have not been studied previously. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the cytotoxic effects of Portulaca oleracea seed oil on HepG2 and A-549 cell lines. Both cell lines were exposed to various concentrations of Portulaca oleracea seed oil for 24h. After the exposure, percentage cell viability was studied by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT), neutral red uptake (NRU) assays, and cellular morphology by phase contrast inverted microscopy. The results showed a concentration-dependent significant reduction in the percentage cell viability and an alteration in the cellular morphology of HepG2 and A-549 cells. The percentage cell viability was recorded as 73%, 63%, and 54% by MTT assay and 76%, 61%, and 50% by NRU assay at 250, 500, and $1000{\mu}g/ml$, respectively in HepG2 cells. Percentage cell viability was recorded as 82%, 72%, and 64% by MTT assay and 83%, 68%, and 56% by NRU assay at 250, 500, and $1000{\mu}g/ml$, respectively in A-549 cells. The 100 $100{\mu}g/ml$ and lower concentrations were found to be non cytotoxic to A-549 cells, whereas decrease of 14% and 12% were recorded by MTT and NRU assay, respectively in HepG2 cells. Both HepG2 and A-549 cell lines exposed to 250, 500, and $1000{\mu}g/ml$ of Portulaca oleracea seed oil lost their normal morphology, cell adhesion capacity, become rounded, and appeared smaller in size. The data from this study showed that exposure to seed oil of Portulaca oleracea resulted in significant cytotoxicity and inhibition of growth of the human liver cancer (HepG2) and human lung cancer (A-549) cell lines.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.273-278
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• 2006

The noble method of hybrid agarose gel microstamp fabricated by replica molding against PDMS master to make bacteria patterns on agar surface was presented. After the fabricated hybrid agarose gel microstamp was inked with E. coli, we could obtain 2 dimensional bacterial arrays with $50{\mu}m$ circular spots. And the various shaped patterns based on experimental design were easily generated. The analysis of mean fluorescent signal was showed that bacterial pattern have high contrast between spots and background and homogeneity of pattern. Our proposed method solved the problem of wetting and handling with small soft agarose gel microstamp when bacteria were used for ink. The agarose gel stamp provides appropriate environment to inked bacteria, which is essential technology for cell patterning with high retaining viability during the patterning process. This method is reproducible, convenient, rapid, and could be applied to screening system, study of cell-surface interaction, and microbial ecology.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.239-251
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• 2009

The effects of microbiological properties and pathogenicity of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae were investigated under different culture conditions, temperature, pH, NaCl and iron concentration on culture media. Favorable conditions for bacterial growth were between 15-30${^{\circ}C}$, pH 5-9, 0-4% NaCl concentration and iron contents of over 10 mM, whereas the bacterial growth was inhibited under iron chelator existence. When P. damselae was cultured in iron-limited tryptic soy broth, total protein concentration of extracellular products, cytotoxic ability of ECPs on cell line, bacterial viability in flounder serum, phospholipase and siderophore activities of ECPs were significantly increased. On the other hand, the activities of P. damselae cultured under iron-added conditions were decreased. In this study, the iron-limited conditions were similar to the host in which iron concentration is low. During infection caused by P. damselae, the conditions could be related to the pathogenesis of the pathogen.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.16-27
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• 1973

An investigation was carried out on a basis of the examination with a view to detecting the degree of microbial contamination for the 82 samples collected from the locally-sold liquid preparations. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. Total viable Bacteria(TVB) per ml. in test sample shows min. 0 and Max. $8.0{\times}10^5$. Among the test samples, 2 items of Herb medicines have shown the highest bacterial contamination degree. 2. The number of unsuitable products are 9(11.0%) of the 82 items tested. Comparing with the study of 1971 (18 or 23.4% of 77 items), this fact suggests that the more than 50% decreasing tendency has come from the technical preventive efforts on bacterial contamination. 3. E. coli, Staph. aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa could not be detected with the test sample. 4. The number of confirmable mycotic contamination in the test samples has been revealed as 17 items (20.7%). 5. Chiefly, the causative organisms of the contamination are proved to be bacilli and fungi broadly distributed in nature. 6. Generally, the neutrality of the pH had greatly increased the number of products unsuitable on the specification of TVB. pH >7.0 No. of unsuitable items 0/4 (0.0%) pH 6.0-7.0 No. of unsuitable items 4/9 (44.4%) pH 4.0-6.0 No. of unsuitable items 5/45(11.1%) pH <4.0 No. of unsuitable items 0/24(0.0%) 7. The viability of general bacteria has shown a rather decreasing tendency in time.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.60-66
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• 1994

Among the various bacterial isolates from municipal sewages which utilized linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) as a sole source of carbon. 3 potent strains - KL-3, SH-2 and EN-1 - were selected. The strains were classified: KL-3 as a strain belong to the genus Klebsiella; SH-2 Shigella; and EN-1 Enterobacter, respectively. They were grown in a broth containing 200 ppm of LAS, using a laboratory scale fermentor: the bacterial growth reached stationary phase after 2 days with a maximum viability of $10^8cfu/mL$ of the culture; initial rates of LAS degradation were high during the first 24 hours of cultivation (KL-3 and SH-2, approx. 50%; EN-1, 20%); after 1 day a lag period of about 24 hours was observed for all the strains, and thereafter break-down proceeded rapidly; final rates after 7 days were approximately 85% by KL-3, 82% by SH-2 and 75% by EN-1. Adsorption of LAS by the bacterial cell mass was high for the strain SH-2, as Freundlich equation: Y= 0.030X + 0.95 was calculated.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 1988

This present study has been carried out to examine the correlation between the distribution of the coliform bacterial plasmids and the viability test against heavy metals in the upper stream of Han river(Gapyung; clean water) and the its basin (Anyang Cheon; polluted water). And the distribution of plasmids were examined to be used as trophic indicator for analysis between the clean and polluted waters. 1. A total of 110 isolates were analyzed for the presence of plasmids by means of the boiling method and agarose gel techniques. Plasmids were significantly more frequent in the strains which had been isolated from the clean water (14.3%). Also, there were much higher multiplicity of plasmids at the polluted water(41.0%), compared with the clean water (33.0%). By the comparision between molecular weight of bacterial plasmids in the clean water and those of polluted water, there were no significant differences of the clean water from the polluted water, to such extent as 30.0%, 28.6%, respectively, in frequency for occurrence of high molecular weight plasmids iver 35.8% Mdal. 2. Each isolate was carried out the resistance test for mercury(10-5M), nickel(10-3M) and arsenic (0.1%). At the polluted site, the survival ability of the plasmid-carrying straings(Hg, 31.0%l Ni, 5.7%; As, 65.7%) was higher than that of the non plasmid-carrying strains(Hg, 12.1%; Ni, 3.0%; As, 54.6%). This trend was more remarkable in the clean site (plasmid-carrying strains: 16.7%,-,-). As a result it is suggested that plasmids could be used as an indicator of a certain types of water pollution. In addition, heavy metals might have inflyenced, some extent, to the distribution of plasmids in the environment which has been surveyed in the present study.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.195-201
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• 2015

Objectives: The use of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) in endodontics is of interest due to their antibiofilm properties. This study was to investigate the ability of bioactive CNPs to remove the smear layer and inhibit bacterial recolonization on dentin. Materials and Methods: One hundred bovine dentin sections were divided into five groups (n = 20 per group) according to the treatment. The irrigating solutions used were 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for 20 min, 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 3 min and 1.29 mg/mL CNPs for 3 min. The samples were irrigated with either distilled water (control), NaOCl, NaOCl-EDTA, NaOCl-EDTA-CNPs or NaOCl-CNPs. After the treatment, half of the samples (n = 50) were used to assess the chelating effect of the solutions using portable scanning electronic microscopy, while the other half (n = 50) were infected intra-orally to examine the post-treatment bacterial biofilm forming capacity. The biovolume and cellular viability of the biofilms were analysed under confocal laser scanning microscopy. The Kappa test was performed for examiner calibration, and the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (p < 0.05) were used for comparisons among the groups. Results: The smear layer was significantly reduced in all of the groups except the control and NaOCl groups (p < 0.05). The CNPs-treated samples were able to resist biofilm formation significantly better than other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: CNPs could be used as a final irrigant during root canal treatment with the dual benefit of removing the smear layer and inhibiting bacterial recolonization on root dentin.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1200-1209
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• 2021

Sepsis is an acute inflammatory response that leads to life-threatening complications if not quickly and adequately treated. Cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin are toxins produced by gram-positive bacteria and are responsible for resistance to antimicrobial drugs, cause virulence and lead to sepsis. This work assessed the effects of aloe-emodin (AE) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on sepsis-associated gram-positive bacterial toxins. Standard and antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumonia bacterial strains were cultured in the dark with varying AE concentrations and later irradiated with 72 J/cm^-2 light. Colony and biofilm formation was determined. CCK-8, Griess reagent reaction, and ELISA assays were done on bacteria-infected RAW264.7 cells to determine the cell viability, NO, and IL-1β and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines responses, respectively. Hemolysis and western blot assays were done to determine the effect of treatment on hemolysis activity and sepsis-associated toxins expressions. AE-mediated PDT reduced bacterial survival in a dose-dependent manner with 32 ㎍/ml of AE almost eliminating their survival. Cell proliferation, NO, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokines production were also significantly downregulated. Further, the hemolytic activities and expressions of cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin were significantly reduced following AE-mediated PDT. In conclusion, combined use of AE and light (435 ± 10 nm) inactivates MRSA, S. aureus (ATCC 29213), S. pneumoniae (ATCC 49619), MDR-S. pneumoniae, E. faecalis (ATCC 29212), and VRE (ATCC 51299) in an AE-dose dependent manner. AE and light are also effective in reducing biofilm formations, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, hemolytic activities, and inhibiting the expressions of toxins that cause sepsis.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.443-450
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• 2005

The multi-host pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, possesses an extraordinary versatility which makes it capable of surviving the adverse conditions provided by environmental, host, and, presumably, competing microbial factors in its natural habitats. Here, we investigated the P. aeruginosa-Bacillus subtilis interaction in laboratory conditions and found that some P. aeruginosa strains can outcompete B. subtilis in mixed planktonic cultures. This is accompanied by the loss of B. subtilis viability. The bactericidal activity of P. aeruginosa is measured on B. subtilis plate cultures. The bactericidal activity is attenuated in pqsA, mvfR, lasR, pilB, gacA, dsbA, rpoS, and phnAB mutants. These results suggest that P. aeruginosa utilizes a subset of conserved virulence pathways in order to survive the conditions provided by its bacterial neighbors.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.223-233
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• 2010

The effects of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on adsorption and redox state alteration of dissolved As, Cr and U were investigated through batch experiments. Surfaces of bacterial cells were either vigorously washed or unwashed. Solutions of As(V), Cr(VI) and U(VI) were inoculated with the bacterial cells under no nutrient condition, and total aqueous concentrations and redox state alteration were monitored over time. No As adsorption occurred onto bacteria or EPS; however, unwashed bacteria reduced about 60% As(V) to As(III). Unwashed bacteria also led to removal of 45% total dissolved Cr and reduction of 64% Cr(VI). About 80% U(VI) was removed from solution with unwashed bacteria as well. Such electrochemical reduction of the elements was likely due to reducing capacity of EPS itself or detoxifying reduction of the bacteria which kept their viability under protection of EPS. The results indicated that bacterial biofilm may significantly control the redox state and subsequent mobility of As, Cr and U in natural geologic settings.