• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.111-119
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• 2021

A bacterial strain isolated from a Malva verticillata leaf was identified as Bacillus velezensis MV2 based on the 16S rRNA sequencing results. Complete genome sequencing revealed that B. velezensis MV2 possessed a single 4,191,702-bp contig with 45.57% GC content. Generally, Bacillus spp. are known to produce diverse antimicrobial compounds including bacteriocins, polyketides, and non-ribosomal peptides. Antimicrobial compounds in the B. velezensis MV2 were extracted from culture supernatants using hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The crude extracts showed antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria; however, they were more effective against gram-positive bacteria. The extracts also showed antifungal activity against phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium fujikuroi and F. graminearum. In time-kill assays, these antimicrobial compounds showed bactericidal activity against Bacillus cereus, used as indicator strain. To predict the type of antimicrobial compounds produced by this strain, we used the antiSMASH algorithm. Forty-seven secondary metabolites were predicted to be synthesized in MV2, and among them, fourteen were identified with a similarity of 80% or more with those previously identified. Based on the antimicrobial properties, the antimicrobial compounds may be nonribosomal peptides or polyketides. These compounds possess the potential to be used as biopesticides in the food and agricultural industry as an alternative to antibiotics.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.511-519
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• 2021

The Perilla frutescens var. japonica HARA is widely cultivated in Korea for vegetable leaves and oil seeds. Perilla species have been used for food and medicine and are known to contain many functional compounds. In this study, we investigated the functional compound contents of Perilla during its growth stages to analyze the optimal harvest time and conditions. The contents of the Perilla sprouts were analyzed according to culture environment and days of growth. Sprouts grown in soil under natural light conditions showed high rosmarinic acid (23.19±0.16 mg/g) and GABA (0.55±0.05 mg/g) content. Therefore, the results suggest that 6 to 8 days after sowing in soil under natural light conditions was the optimum harvest condition for sprouts. Also, the functional compounds of Perilla were analyzed according to growth stage and plant part. As a result, caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid exhibited the highest content in the stage from vegetative growth to reproductive growth (0.28±0.03 ~ 0.30±0.07 mg/g rosmarinic acid and 20.60±7.02 ~ 19.37±3.18 mg/g caffeic acid), and luteolin and GABA showed the highest content in the reproductive growth stage and in the early stages of vegetative growth, respectively (31.11±2.98 ~ 22.35±1.64 ㎍/g luteolin and 0.42±0.09 ~ 0.37±0.04 mg/g GABA). It was confirmed that the content of caffeic acid (0.34±0.03 mg/g), rosmarinic acid (55.22±9.33 mg/g) and luteolin (1,044.89±6.72 ㎍/g) was the highest during the bolting stage. Overall, we identified the timing of the highest level of functional compounds in the sprouts and mature leaves of Perilla. These results suggest a suitable harvest time and conditions for sprouts and leaves for the use of Perilla as a functional material.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2021

Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves, a raw material for health functional foods and cosmetics have abundant polyphenols including oleuropein (major bioactive compound) with various biological activities: antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer activity, and inhibit platelet activation. Oleuropein has been reported as skin protectant, antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-atherogenic, anti-viral, and anti-microbial activity. Despite oleuropein is the important compound in olive leaves, there is still no quantitative approach to reveal oleuropein content in commercial products. Therefore, a validated method of analysis has to develop for oleuropein. In this study, the components and oleuropein content in 10 types of products were analyzed using a developed method with ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, charge of aerosol detector, and photodiode array. The total of 18 compounds including iridoids (1, 3, 4, 14, and 16-18), coumarin (2), phenylethanoids (5, 9, and 11), flavonoids (6-8, 10, 12, and 13), lignan (15), were tentatively identified in the leaves extract based high resolution mass spectrometry data, and the content of oleuropein in each product was almost identical between two detection methods. The oleuropein in three commercial product (A, G, H) was contained more over the suggested content, and it of five products (B, E, H, I, J) were analyzed within 5-10% error range. However, the two products (C, D) were found far lower than suggested contents. This study provides that analytical results of oleuropein could be a potential information for the quality control of leaf extract for a manufactured functional food.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.78-99
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• 2020

The Buddha triad and 16 Arhat statues carved on the rock surface at Seongbulsa temple is the only domestic remaining example of all 16 Arhats, so its academic value is very high. However, it is severely damaged and so required a stability evaluation through study of digital documentation and precise diagnosis for the purpose of comprehensive conservation. This process established that the Buddha statues were of similar scale, while the Arhats showed a wide variety of sizes, and the two kith and kin in the volume were larger than the Arhats. It was estimated that the statues of food for Buddha are similar to the Arhat statues, and most of the statues are well-formed. The rock used to carve the Buddha statues is banded gneiss with distinct foliation, alternating between white bands of quartz and feldspar and black bands composed of biotite. The Buddha statues have been damaged by physical weathering, discoloration, and biological contamination. In damage evaluations, joint (3.6 crack index), peeling (5.2%), exfoliation (1.7%), and falling off (0.1%) were observed on the rock surface of the Buddha statues. In particular, due to severe biological weathering, stage 9 and 10 biological coverage of the rock surface accounted for 57.5% of the total area, and stages 5 to 8 also accounted for a high share at 22.3%. The discoloration factors were shown to be dark brown and white with Fe, Ca, and S, and a large amount of C detected in the blackened contaminants, and the damage weight high in all areas. Discontinuities in different directions were identified in the rock surface. Analysis of potential rock failure types indicated that there is a possibility of plane and toppling failure, but wedge failure is unlikely to occur. The mean ultrasonic velocity of the main rock surface was 2,463m/sec, the lower part of the left side with a large number of joints was relatively low, and the highly weathered (HW) type to the completely weathered (CW) type concentrated distribution, showing weak properties. For the Buddha statues, conservation treatment is required for about 14.9% of micro cracks and 58.9% of exfoliation cracks. In addition, in order to improve the conservation environment of the Buddha statues, maintenance of drainage and ground preparations for the rock surface gradient and plants are necessary, and protection facilities should be reviewed for long-term conservation and management purposes.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2021

Hemistepta lyrata Bunge (HL) has been used as a folk remedy to treat cancer, inflammation, bleeding, hemorrhoids and fever, and leaves and young shoots have been used as famine food. Nevertheless, the biological activities and underlying mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory effects remain unclear. In this study, it was undertaken to explore the functions of the aerial part of HL as a suppressor of inflammation by using RAW 264.7 cells. As immune response parameters, the productions of as nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cytokines such tumor necrotic factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were evaluated. Although the release of TNF-α remained unchanged in HL-treated RAW 264.7 cells, the productions of NO, PGE2 and IL-6 were significantly increased at concentrations with no cytotoxicity. Furthermore, HL significantly attenuated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway including decreasing the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases. Collectively, this study provides evidence that HL inhibits the production of major pro-inflammatory molecules in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells via suppression of ERK and P38 MAPK signaling pathways. These findings suggest that the beneficial therapeutic effects of HL may be attributed partly to its ability to modulate immune functions in macrophages.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.559-567
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• 2021

This study compared the nutritional characteristics and antioxidant effects of sea mustards sourced from five different areas (Barammaegi, Gultongmeori, Chanmulgae, Johongtaek, and Goraedeung) in Taejongdae, Youngdo, Busan. The contents of total flavonoids and phenols and fatty acid composition were measured. To evaluate their antioxidant effects, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays were used. Acetone/methylene chloride (A+M) extracts from all the sea mustards contained higher amounts of total flavonoids and phenols than methanol (MeOH) extracts. Among the sea mustards obtained from the different areas, the total flavonoid and total phenolic content of the A+M extract of the sea mustard from Gultongmeori was 1.44±0.04 mg/g and 1.72±0.06 mg/g, respectively. In terms of the fatty acid composition, the Gultongmeori sea mustard had higher percentages of total n-6, total n-3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) than the sea mustards from the other areas. The A+M extract of the sea mustard from Gultongmeori was more effective in terms of scavenging free radicals as compared with that of the other sea mustards, as assessed by the DPPH and ABTS assays (p<0.05). In a 120-minute reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assay, all the extracts tested decreased cellular ROS production induced by H₂O₂ compared to that produced by exposure to an extract-free control (p<0.05). The extracts from Barammaegi and Gultongmeori had a greater inhibitory effect on cellular ROS production. These results indicated that the antioxidant effects of sea mustards might be associated with a higher amount of flavonoids and phenols. This study suggests that food-processed products from sea mustard can be developed as functional foods for promoting health in the local population.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2022

Petroleum-based plastics are used for various purposes and pose a significant threat to the earth's environment and ecosystem. Many efforts have been taken globally in different areas to find alternatives. As part of these efforts, this study manufactured alginate-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blended films by casting from an aqueous solution prepared by mixing 10 wt% petroleum-based PVA with biodegradable, marine biomass-derived alginate. Glutaraldehyde was used as a cross-linking agent, and cardanol, an alkyl phenol-based bio-oil extracted from cashew nut shell, was added in the range of 0.1 to 2.0 wt% to grant antibacterial activity to the films. FTIR and TGA were performed to characterize the manufactured blended films, and the tensile strength, degree of swelling, and antibacterial activity were measured. Results obtained from the FTIR, TGA, and tensile strength test showed that alginate, the main component, was well distributed in the PVA by forming a matrix phase. The brittleness of alginate, a known weakness as a single component, and the low thermal durability of PVA were improved by cross-linking and hydrogen bonding of the functional groups between alginate and PVA. Addition of cardanol to the alginate-based PVA blend significantly improved the antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli. The antibacterial performance was excellent with a death rate of 98% or higher for S. aureus and about 70% for E. coli at a contact time of 60 minutes. The optimal antibacterial activity of the alginate-PVA blended films was found with a cardanol content range between 0.1 to 0.5 wt%. These results show that cardanol-containing alginate-PVA blended films are suitable for use as various antibacterial materials, including as food packaging.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2022

Perilla is an annual plant in the family Lamiaceae and are widely cultivated in Asian countries. Perilla leaves are important sources of bioactive compounds and are reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer and antioxidant effects, drawing attention as functional food materials. We examined caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity in the leaves of 18 perilla accessions obtained from the gene bank of the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Jeonju, Korea. The caffeic acid content ranged between 9.86-27.52 mg/g with an average content of 17.75 mg/g while the level of. rosmarinic acid was in the range between 49.14 and 90.30 mg/g with an average content of 61.88 mg/g. The total polyphenol content ranged between 138.39 ㎍ GAE/mg dried extract (DE) and 378.19 ㎍ GAE/mg DE with an average content of 225.93 ㎍ GAE/mg DE. Cluster analysis based on the content of caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid. and antioxidant activity showed that the accessions collections were grouped in two distinct classes. The first group contained six genetic resources with high content of rosmarinic acid, and antioxidant activities respectively. The second group contained 12 genetic resources with high content of caffeic acid. These results could help develop new varieties of nutrient dense perilla resources.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.343-355
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• 2022

This study investigated the consumption tendency and awareness of paprika in order to expand and promote the consumption of Capsicum annuum L. The research investigated the relationship of preference and loyalty based on emotional response of paprika according to the semantic differential scale. The survey was conducted from January to February 2022 using a random sampling method targeting 155 general people, and a total of 142 questionnaires were analyzed excluding 13 wrong answers. The nine items on the awareness of paprika showed to be consisted of three factors such as 'Food taste', 'Usability', and 'Economics' by factor analysis. Regarding to the awareness of paprika the positive answer that 'I think paprika is good for health' among the nine questions was the highest at 92.3%. In the preference aspect of shape, blocky type had the highest preference for the shape of paprika, followed by mini and conical types in order of preference (p < 0.001). As for color preference, yellow paprika was the most preferred, followed by orange, red, and green, showing statistical significance. The emotional response of paprika by paprika image showed a statistically significant difference in the four colors. The words such as 'bright', 'clean', and 'spirited' appeared as representative emotional vocabulary for paprika. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the effect of paprika on the three factors of awareness, preference, and loyalty due to the quality of life. As a result, the higher the paprika preference and quality of life, and the higher the taste and availability factors, the higher the paprika awareness and loyalty. As the variable that has the most influence on the loyalty of the survey respondents, preference was found to have the highest explanatory power at 43%. From these results, it was judged as a very important factor in the survey on the shape and color preference of paprika. Therefore, the recent increase in awareness that paprika is good for health is thought to act as a positive factor in revitalizing the domestic market and increasing consumption of paprika in the future. Also, among the three types of paprika, the yellow blunt type showed the highest preference. Therefore, in order to produce and promote this type of paprika, it is also important to increase the cultivation to suit the purchasing propensity of consumers.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2022

This study aimed to determine the photosynthesis and growth characteristics of Peucedanum japonicum T. grown under aquaponics in a plant factory (AP) by comparing those grown under hydroponic cultivation system (HP). The AP system raised 30 fishes at a density of 10.6 kg·m^-3 in a 367.5 L tank, and at HP, nutrient solution was controlled with EC 1.3 dS·m^-1 and pH 6.5. The pH level ranged from 4.0 to 7.1 for the AP system and 4.0 to 7.4 for the HP system. The pH level in the AP began to decrease with an increase in nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and lasted bellower than pH 5.5 for 15-67 DAT. It was found that ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N) continued to increase even under low pH conditions. EC was maintained at 1.3 to 1.5 dS·m^-1 in both systems. The concentration of major mineral elements in the fish tank was higher than that of the hydroponics, except for K and Mg. There was no significant difference in the photosynthesis characteristics, but the PIABS parameters were 30.4% lower in the AP compared to the HP at the 34DAT and 12.0% lower at the 74DAT. There was no significant difference in the growth characteristics, but the petiole length was 56% longer in the leaf grown under the AP system. While there was no significant difference in the fresh and dry weights of leaf and root, the leaf area ratio was 36.43% higher in the AP system. All the integrated results suggest that aquaponics is a highly-sustainable farming to safely produce food by recycling agricultural by-products, and to produce Peucedanum japonicum as much as hydroponics under a proper fish density and pH level.