• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.498-506
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the restorative effect of Semisulcospira libertina extract, on damaged liver cells induced by D-galactosamine in rats. Treatment of damaged liver cells with S. libertina extract significantly reduced local fatty degeneration, and inflammatory cell necrosis, to levels similar with the undamaged control group. In addition, S. libertina extracts were found to reduce plasma levels of liver damage indicator enzymes, such as AST, ALT, LDH and ALP, to control levels. It also reduced lipid peroxides, and lipid contents within damaged liver tissues. This suggests that S. libertina extract has a restorative effect on liver cells, thus reducing release of damage-associated liver enzymes, and oxidative degradation of lipids. Also, S. libertina extracts were found to be involved in recovery of damaged cells from inflammatory response by suppressing expression of $TNF-{\alpha}$, which leads to tissue injury and necrosis, whereas inducing expression of HO-1 that protects cells during inflammation. Thus, S. libertina extract restores liver tissue from necrosis and fibrosis, as well modulates expression of inflammation-related genes against liver damage. Our findings suggest that S. libertina extract is an effective medicinal resource, for improving and recovering liver cells from hepatic injury.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 2019

Biological factors (e.g. microorganism activity) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) play essential roles for degradation and/or removal of organic matters. In this study, to understand the microbial functional roles in WWTP, we tried to isolate and characterize a bacterial strain from activated sludge sample. Strain S16 was isolated from the activated sludge of a municipal WWTP in Daejeon metropolitan city, the Republic of Korea. The cells were a Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, facultative anaerobe, and rod-shaped. Strain S16 grew at a temperature of $15{\sim}40^{\circ}C$ (optimum, $30^{\circ}C$), with 0~9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1.0~2.0%), and at pH 5.5~9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0~7.5). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain S16 was most closely related to the unique species Miniimonas arenae NBRC $106267^T$ (99.79%, 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) of the genus Miniimonas. The cell wall contained alanine, glutamic acid, serine, and ornithine. Although the isolation source of the type strain NBRC $106267^T$ which considered as a marine microorganism is sea sand, that of strain S16 is terrestrial environment. It might raise an ecological question for habitat transition. Therefore, comparative genome analysis will be valuable investigation for shedding light on their potential metabolic traits and genomic streamlining.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.871-878
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to determine the anticancer activities of an 80% methanol extract and various fractions of Rhododendron brachycarpum (RB). The n-hexane fraction of RB showed the highest inhibitory activity (Inhibit concentration $50%=20.2{\pm}1.2{\mu}g/ml$) in HT-29 cells. Colony- and sphereforming abilities were significantly correlated with a decrease in the cell count and size. A TOP/FOP flash reporter assay revealed that the inhibitory activity of the n-hexane fraction of RB ($0.22{\pm}0.02$ fold change) was lower than that of the 80% methanol extract and that of other fractions. The n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of RB were predominantly dependent on the expression levels of intracellular ${\beta}-catenin$. Western blotting using $p-GSK3{\beta}$ with only the n-hexane fraction of RB was conducted to examine whether these secondary metabolites reduced ${\beta}-catenin$ degradation. Intracellular ${\beta}-catenin$ regulation resulted in quantitative changes in the nucleus. In summary, these results demonstrate the potential of the n-hexane fraction of RB as a natural anticancer agent.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.11-17
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• 2019

Cassia tora L. have been used as a folk medicine in Korea. This study investigated anti-inflammatory effect of aurantio-obtusin isolated from C. tora. We isolated aurantio-obtusin from 50% ethanol extracts of C. tora L. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of aurantio-obtusin on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated inflammatory response in murine macrophage cell line (Raw 264.7). To investigate the cytotoxicity of aurantio-obtusin on RAW 264.7 cells, MTS assay was performed. RAW 264.7 cells were treated with aurantio-obtusin at different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50, $100{\mu}M$) for 30 h. The result showed that aurantio-obtusin had no cytotoxic effect in a concentration range of $12.5-100{\mu}M$. To determine the effect of aurantio-obtusin on LPS-induced NO production, the NO concentration measurement was performed. RAW 264.7 cells were treated with aurantio-obtusin at 12.5, 25, 50 and $100{\mu}M$ for 24 h, and the results showed that the NO production of aurantio-obtusin-treated cells compared to LPS alone treated group was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment of aurantio-obtusin inhibited LPS-induced NO production in a dose-dependent manner. To find out inhibitory mechanisms of aurantio-obtusin on inflammatory mediators, we examined the $PGE_2$ pathways. As a result, $PGE_2$ were decreased in a dose-dependent manner by aurantio-obtusin. The release of interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$) and IL-6 were also reduced. Moreover, aurantio-obtusin suppressed LPL-induced $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$ degradation. These results suggest that the down regulation of NO, $PGE_2$, IL-$1{\beta}$ and IL-6 expression by aurantio-obtusin are achieved by the downregulation of NF-${\kappa}B$ activity.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.343-353
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• 2018

Our previous research demonstrated the essential role of the xenB gene in stress response to RDX by using Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 xenB knockout. We have extended this work to examine the cellular responses and altered proteomic profiles of the HK-6 xenA knockout mutant under RDX stress. The xenA mutant degraded RDX about 2-fold more slowly and its growth and survival rates were several-fold lower than the wild-type HK-6 strain. SEM revealed more severe morphological damages on the surface of the xenA mutant cells under RDX stress. The wild-type cells expressed proportionally-increased two stress shock proteins, DnaK and GroEL from the initial incubation time point or the relatively low RDX concentrations, but slightly less expressed at prolonged incubation period or higher RDX. However the xenA mutant did not produced DnaK and GroEL as RDX concentrations were gradually increased. The wild-type cells well maintained transcription levels of dnaA and groEL under increased RDX stress while those in the xenA mutant were decreased and eventually disappeared. The altered proteome profiles of xenA mutant cells under RDX stress also observed so that the 27 down-regulated plus the 3 up-regulated expression proteins were detected in 2-DE PAGE. These all results indicated that the intact xenA gene is necessary for maintaining cell integrity under the xenobiotic stress as well as performing an efficient RDX degradation process.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1128-1139
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• 2020

Over recent years, it has become evident that food and agricultural products are easily contaminated by fungi of Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium due to rapid climate change, which is not only a global food quality concern but also a serious health concern. Owing to consumers' interest in health, resistance to preservatives such as propionic acid and sorbic acid (which have been used in the past) is increasing, so it is necessary to develop a substitute from natural materials. In this review, the role of lactic acid bacteria as a biological method for controlling the growth and toxin production of fungi was examined. According to recent studies, lactic acid bacteria effectively inhibit the growth of fungi through various metabolites such as organic acids with low molecular weight, reuterin, proteinaceous compounds, hydroxy fatty acids, and phenol compounds. Lactic acid bacteria effectively reduced mycotoxin production by fungi via adsorption of mycotoxin with lactic acid bacteria cell surface components, degradation of fungal mycotoxin, and inhibition of mycotoxin production. Lactic acid bacteria could be regarded as a potential anti-fungal and anti-mycotoxigenic material in the prevention of fungal contamination of food and agricultural products because lactic acid bacteria produce various kinds of potent metabolic compounds with anti-fungal activities.

• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.85-92
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• 2021

A solar water battery is a system that generates power using solar energy. It is a combination of photoelectrochemical cells and an energy storage system. It can simultaneously convert and store solar energy without additional external voltage. Solar water batteries consist of photoelectrodes, storage electrodes and counter electrodes, and their properties and combination are important for the performance and the efficiency of the system. In this study, we tried to find the effect that changing the components of solar water batteries has on its system. The effects of the counter electrode during discharge, the kinds of photoelectrode and storage electrode materials, and electrolytes on the solar energy conversion and storage capacitance were studied. The optimized composition (TiO2 : NaFe-PB : Pt foil) exhibited 72.393 mAh g-1 of discharge capacity after 15 h of photocharging. It indicates that the efficiency of solar energy conversion and storage is largely affected by the configuration of the system. Also, the addition of organic pollutants to the chamber of the photoelectrode improved the battery's photo-current and discharge capacity by efficient photoelectron-hole pair separation with simultaneous degradation of organic pollutants. Solar water batteries are a new eco-friendly solar energy conversion and storage system that does not require additional external voltages. It is also expected to be used for water treatment that utilizes solar energy.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.405-415
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• 2021

MMBR system has been suggested as a promising system to resolve harvesting problems induced from low settling efficiency of microalgae. And recently, a lot of research on reducing fouling at the MMBR system has investigated focused on EPS in many cases. EPS of microalgae mainly consists of polysaccharides and protein components, and is produced through photosynthesis and nitrogen-carbon metabolic pathways. Especially, P-EPS is one of major compounds which occur membrane fouling phenomenon, as its hydrophobic protein components cause floc formation and cake layer accumulation. And it is already known that almost every microalgae can metabolize P-EPS or Chl-a when nitrogen sources as a substrate is insufficient or exhausted situation. With the above backgrounds, uptake rates of P-EPS or Chl-a by Scenedesmus quadricauda according to the type of carbon source and nitrogen concentration were evaluated in order to verify correlation between carbon source vs P-EPS production, and indeed Scenedesmus quadricauda uses P-EPS or Chl-a when the amounts of nitrogen sourc es in the feed is not satisfied. As a result, it was shown that P-EPS and Chl-a production were increased proportional to nitrogen concentration under organic carbon condition. And especially, the amo unts of P-EPS and Chl-a in the cell were diminished with the nitrogen source becomes insufficient or exhausted. Because P-EPS accelerates fouling at the MMBR system, P-EPS degradation by Scenedesmus quadricauda in order to get nitrogen source may contribute to reducing fouling. About a affects of N-consumed Chl-a to the MMBR fouling, more survey is needed. On the contrary, considering the purpose of MMBR system of this study, i.e. harvesting useful high value microalgae efficiently feeding adequate industrial process wastewater, it seems like difficult to maintain satisfied metabolic activity and to harvest with high yield rate using nitrogen-poor MMBR feed.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.31-38
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• 2022

Objectives : In this study, we investigated the synergistic protective effects of medicinal herbal mixture (HME) including Mori Ramulus (MR), Acanthopanacis Cortex (AC), Eucommiae Cortex (EC), and Black soybean (BS) in C2C12 cells, mouse myoblasts. Methods : Effects of HME on cell viability of C2C12 myoblasts were monitored by MTT assay. Anti-atrophic activity of HME was determined in myoblasts and myotubes under oxidative stress by H₂O₂. C2C12 myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes in a medium containing 2% horse serum for 6 days. After that, we measured that expression of MyoD and myogenine, the myogenic regulatory factors, to identify the mechanism of inhibiting muscle atophy after HME treatment. In addition, suppression of phosphorylation of Akt, FoxO3a and MARF-1, transcription factors of degradation proteins were analyzed via western blotting. Results : As a result of MTT, HME there was no show cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 1 mg/ml. The cytoprotective effects on oxidative stressed myoblast and myotube was better in HME extract than those of MR, AC, EU, and BS, respectively. HME treatment in Myotube induced by oxidative stress after H₂O₂ treatment increased Myo D, Myogenine activation, and Akt, FoxO3a phosphorylation and decreased expression of MuRF-1. As the results, HME has synergistic effects on protection against proteolysis of C2C12 myotubes through activation of the Akt signaling pathway under oxidative stress. Conclusions : These results suggest that HME may also be useful as a preventing and treating material for skeletal muscle atrophy caused by age-related diseases.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.51-55
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• 2022

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymes are responsible for the degradation and formation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and overproduction of MMPs is observed in several diseases, such as cancer and asthma, that progress with metastatic characteristics. Natural products, especially phytochemicals, have been an important source of MMP inhibitors with reduced side effects. Although the majority of phytochemicals inhibit the enzymatic activity of MMPs, some suppress MMP production. In this context, the current study evaluated the potential of Corydalis heterocarpa, a halophyte with reported bioactivities, to inhibit MMP expression in PMA-stimulated HT-1080 cells. A crude C. heterocarpa extract was shown to decrease the mRNA and protein expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 while increasing the endogenous MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 which regulate MMP expression in healthy tissues. In addition, our results show that the inhibitory effects of C. heterocarpa might occur through suppression of the phosphorylation of MAPK signaling, the upstream activator of MMP overexpression. In conclusion, C. heterocarpa is a potential source of antimetastatic compounds that might serve as lead molecules to develop novel MMP inhibitors.