• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.661-667
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• 2023

Five commercially available edible sweeteners are used as diet products because they can replace sucrose. In studies on the effects on animals and the human body, stability has been proven by excreting-oriented studies with characteristics of animal cells, and accumulation in small amounts has been ignored. On the other hand, plants can absorb, degrade, and accumulate foreign substances, so the effect of degradability and accumulation potential can be studied using plants. Metabolic effects in plants of commercially available saccharin and acesulfame potassium (Ace K) were tested using germinated barley and bean sprouts. In germinated barley and bean sprouts, saccharin and ace K showed inhibitory effects on plant growth in all organs from low concentrations in leaves, stems and roots. In addition, it can be observed that the symptoms of death appear clearly over time, so it can be seen that they are accumulated in the body of the plant. As the accumulated amount increases, the toxic effect increases and the plant reaches a state where it is unable to metabolize, turning black from the tip of the leaf and reaching a state of death. In order to remove the accumulated artificial sweetener, recovery was attempted by culturing in distilled water, but it acts as a substance that is not degraded and dies without avoiding toxicity. Saccharin and ace K cannot be excreted from the cell. Its toxic effects are thought to be persistent, inhibiting growth and eventually leading to cell death.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.291-304
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• 2023

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become an increasing concern in terms of human health risks as well as aesthetic impairment due to their toxicity. The reduction of water pollutants, especially nutrients from non-point sources in a reservoir watershed, is fundamental for HABs prevention. We investigated the pollutant removal efficiencies of a constructed wetland to evaluate its feasibility as a method for controlling non-point sources located in the Annaecheon stream within the Daecheong Reservoir watershed. The overall removal efficiencies of pollutants were as follows: BOD 14.3%, COD 17.9%, SS 50.0%, T-N 19.0%, and T-P 35.4%. These results indicate that constructed wetlands are effective in controlling pollutants from non-point sources. The seasonal variation in removal efficiency depended on the specific pollutants. The removal efficiencies of BOD, COD, and T-N were stable throughout the year, except during winter, which might have been influenced by lower microorganism activity. In contrast, T-P showed a consistent removal efficiency even during the winter season, suggesting that the wetland can reduce external phosphorus loading to the reservoir. Regarding the effects of pollutant loadings on removal efficiency, the effluent concentrations of all pollutants were significantly decreased compared to those in the influent in case of middle and high loadings. This demonstrates that constructed wetlands can handle high pollutant loads, including the initial runoff during rainfall, to prevent reservoir eutrophication. Despite the various strengths of wetland water purification, there are limitations as passive treatment. Therefore, more case studies should be conducted to suggest optimum operational conditions for constructed wetlands, taking into consideration reservoir-specific characteristics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.842-850
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• 2023

Pyrrolnitrin, pyrrolomycin, and pyoluteorin are functional halogenated phenylpyrrole derivatives (HPDs) derived from microorganisms with diverse antimicrobial activities. Pyrrolnitrin is a secondary metabolite produced from L-tryptophan through four-step reactions in Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, Serratia plymuthica, etc. It is currently used for the treatment of superficial dermatophytic fungal infections, has high antagonistic activities against soil-borne and foliar fungal infections, and has many industrial applications. Since pyrrolnitrin is easily decomposed by light, it is difficult to widely use it outdoors. As an alternative, fludioxonil, a synthetically produced non-systemic surface fungicide that is structurally similar and has excellent light stability, has been commercialized for seed and foliar treatment of plants. However, due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms and adverse effects in human cell lines, many countries have established maximum residue levels and strictly control its levels. Pyrrolomycin and pyoluteorin, which have antibiotic/antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive bacteria and high anti-oomycete activity against the plant pathogen Pythium ultimum, respectively, were isolated and identified from microorganisms. This review summarizes the biosynthesis and production of natural pyrrolnitrin derived from bacteria and the characteristics of synthetic fludioxonil and other natural phenylpyrrole derivatives among the HPDs. We expect that a plethora of highly effective, novel HPDs that are safe for humans and environments will be developed through the generation of an HPD library by microbial biosynthesis and chemical synthesis.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 2023

Cadusafos, an organophosphorus insecticide, has been commonly used against various pests worldwide. Organophosphorus pesticides have shorter half-lives and lower toxicities than organochlorine pesticides. However, excessive use of Cadusafos can increase pest resistance and issues with acetylcholine biomagnification, potentially resulting in human toxicity. In this study, we investigated the effect of a Cadusafos-degrading microbial agent (CDMA) prepared using Sphingobium sp. Cam5-1, which was previously reported to effectively degrade residual Cadusafos in soil. Experiments were conducted under both controlled laboratory and greenhouse field conditions. Under laboratory conditions, CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil application rate) decomposed 97% of Cadusafos in the soil in the untreated control after 21 days. Additionally, when CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) was mixed with quicklime, 99% of Cadusafos was decomposed within 3 days. Under greenhouse field conditions, the combined effect of CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) and quicklime was not observed. However, CDMA (10⁶ cfu/g soil) application alone was capable of decomposing 91% of Cadusafos after 3 days. These results indicate that CDMA can effectively decompose high residual levels of Cadusafos in soils under field conditions using a low inoculum rate.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2024

Objectives : We aimed to study the effect of Smilax China L.(SCL), which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects, on the growth of skin cancer cells. Methods : HaCaT cells, a normal human cell line, and skin cancer cells including A431, SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells were treated with Smilax China L. ethanol extract(SCL-EtOH) at concentrations of 5, 10, 20 and 40㎍/㎖. Meanwhile, JB6 Cl41, a normal mouse epithelial cell line, was treated with epidermal growth factor(EGF) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(TPA), an inflammatory factor, to induce cell transformation and treated with SCL-EtOH. In addition, we treated SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells with SCL-EtOH at various concentrations and checked the effect on the cell cycle. Results : As a result, it showed no toxicity to HaCaT cells up to the highest concentration of 40㎍/㎖, and significant cell growth inhibition to A431, SK-MEL-5 and SK-MEL-28 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. In addition, as a result of checking the shape of skin cancer cells according to SCL-EtOH treatment, it was observed that as the concentration increased, the number of normally attached and growing cells decreased and the shape of the cells changed. Colony formation was significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner in JB6 Cl41 cells treated with EGF or TPA. Flow cytometry analysis with propidium iodide(PI) staining showed that SCL-EtOH induced the G2/M phase arrest. We further confirmed the decrease in Cyclin B1 expression and increase in p27 expression associated with the G2/M phase of the cell cycle through western blot analysis. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that SCL-EtOH induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, through Western blot analysis, it was observed that the expression of cleaved-caspase-7, which is related to apoptosis, increased. Finally, it was confirmed that the expression of COX-2, an inflammatory marker protein, decreased in a concentration-dependent manner with SCL-EtOH. Conclusions : Through the above results, we have established a basis for applying SCL to the treatment of skin cancer.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.67-75
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• 2024

Skin aging progresses due to external factors such as ultraviolet rays and infections. These factors cause skin fibroblasts to secrete proteolytic enzymes, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). MMPs induce the degradation of collagen located in the extracellular matrix, directly influencing aging. The stems of Akebia quinata Decaisne have been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the anti-aging effect of Akebia quinata Decaisne stem ethanol extract (AQSEE) is not known. Therefore, we studied the TNF-α-induced MMP-1 inhibitory effect in human fibroblasts. When the cell viability of AQSEE was confirmed through MTT asaay, it showed no toxicity up to 400 ㎍/mL. The inhibition of MMP-1 mRNA and protein secretion was confirmed through RT-qPCR and ELISA, and results showed a significant decrease at concentrations of 100, 200, 400 ㎍/mL. We also confirmed by Western blotting that phosphorylation of MAPKs signaling pathway and transcription factors was reduced. As a result, phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun, p65 was significantly decreased at all concentrations. DPPH and ABTS assays were performed to confirm the radical scavenging ability of AQSEE, and the results showed a significant decrease at all concentrations. The results of this study confirmed the MMP-1 inhibitory effect and radical scavenging ability, which suggests that it can be used as an anti-aging substance.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.1454-1463
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• 2023

Evaluating the antioxidant efficacy using Potentillae Chinensis Herba extract, the anti-inflammatory efficacy was tested in respiratory mucosal epithelium, RAW264.7 cells, and zebrafish. As a result, antioxidant activity increased in a concentration-dependent manner in DPPH free radical scavenging and ABTS+ cation radical activities. As a result of MTT assay for cell experiments, the survival rate of NCI-H292 cells was reduced to less than 70% when treated at each concentration of 100 ㎍/ml, subsequent experiments were conducted at 50 ㎍/ml. Anti-inflammatory efficacy evaluation, NO production, TNF-𝛼, IL-1𝛽, and PGE₂ decreased, and COX-2 also decreased significantly at 50 ㎍/ml. The mucin protein expression of Potentillae Chinensis Herba extract and bioconverted extract, it was observed that MUC5AC expression was significantly reduced. In the zebrafish toxicity evaluation, concentrations below 50 ㎍/ml did not show embryotoxicity and showed anti-inflammatory efficacy by reducing NO production due to LPS. The above results are valid to be valuable for use as a functional material that suppresses inflammation by helping the expression of Potentillae Chinensis Herba's respiratory mucus proteins.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.100-106
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• 2006

The use of underarm and body care cosmetics with oestrogenic chemical excipients (particularly the parabens) and the hypothesized association with breast cancer incidence, particularly in women. It is noted that the type of cosmetic product is irrelevant (e.g. antiperspirant/deodorant versus body lotion, moisturizers or sprays versus creams) and attention must focus on issues of actual exposure to chemicals through continued dermal application of body care products and the endocrine/hormonal activity and toxicity of the chemicals in the formulations. To evaluate the estrogenic activities of parabens such as ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben and isopropylparaben, we used recombinant yeasts containing the human estrogen receptor [Saccharomyces cerevisiae ER+LYS 8127], human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines and human estrogen receptor ${\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$. In E-screen assays, isopropylparaben is the most estrogenic paraben, and in ER competition assay, isobutylparaben is the most estrogenic paraben. We evaluated isopropylparaben was most active in the recombinant yeast assay, followed by propylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben and butylparaben. Results from this study demonstrate that parabens are observed in human endocrine system. Therefore, we have shown that the parabens is induced the estrogenic activities similar to $17{\beta}$-estradiol and Bisphenol-A.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2014

Azadirachta indica extract (AIE) has been regarded as a promising source of environment-friendly organic materials owing to their low mammalian toxicity. However, quite a bit of research has been reported that AIE may cause clastogens in human lymphocytes. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the antimutagenic and genotoxicity of two samples of AIE. Antimutagenic test was experimented by using bacterial reverse mutation test. In the bacterial reverse mutation test, five strains Salmonella Typhimurim of two samples of AIE in order to evaluate its mutagenic potential. Bacterial reverse mutation test was also performed on positive control and negative control groups in the presence of the metabolic activation system (S-9 mix) and metabolic non-activation system. In the chromosome aberration test, Chinese hamster lung cells were exposed to AIE for 6 or 24 h with BPS, or for 6 h with S-9 mix. Negative and positive control groups were experimented for chromosome aberration test. As a result, the number of mutated colonies induced by 4-NQO were reduced by AIE treatment in all strains, indicating that AIE may have antimutagenic effects. Bacterial reverse mutation and chromosomal aberration were not shown at all concentration of AIE, regardless of activation of the metabolic system. we concluded that two AIE samples used in this study have no genotoxic effects to human, according to the genotoxicity battery system suggested by ICH (International Conference on Harmonization).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.1642-1647
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• 2011

The free radical scavenging activities of extracts from Ligustrum ovalifolium H. leaves (LOH) as well as various antioxidant activities such as ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition were evaluated by electron spin resonance (ESR). The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of the water and ethanolic extracts from LOH were $105.5{\pm}1.31$ and $102.1{\pm}1.82$ mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract, respectively, and $84{\pm}1.72$ and $82.8{\pm}1.65$ mg catechin equivalent/g extract. In addition, $IC_{50}$ values for the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryldrazyl (DPPH), alkyl, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities of the water and ethanolic extracts were $0.021{\pm}0.002$ and $0.010{\pm}0.003$ mg/mL, $0.011{\pm}0.003$ and $0.012{\pm}0.002$ mg/mL, and $0.395{\pm}0.002$ and $0.443{\pm}0.002$ mg/mL, respectively. The ABTS radical scavenging activities of the water and ethanolic extracts from LOH and BHT were $0.073{\pm}0.12$, $0.130{\pm}0.06$ and $1.461{\pm}0.02$ mM Trolox equivalent/mg extract, respectively. The FRAP values of the extracts from LOH were higher than those of BHT, which was used as a positive control. The LOH extracts showed strong inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation as measured by ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay compared to that of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol. Using MTT assay on human liver cells (Chang), extracts from LOH showed no toxicity at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL. These results indicate that the LOH extracts possessed antioxidant activity.