• Title/Summary/Keyword: natural chemicals

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Chemicals from Cimicifuga dahurica and Their Inhibitory Effects on Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production by LPS-stimulated Bone Marrow-derived Dendritic Cells

  • Thao, Nguyen Phuong;Lee, Young Suk;Luyen, Bui Thi Thuy;Van Oanh, Ha;Ali, Irshad;Arooj, Madeeha;Koh, Young Sang;Yang, Seo Young;Kim, Young Ho
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.194-198
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    • 2018
  • Inflammation is a biological response caused by overactivation of the immune system and is controlled by immune cells via a variety of cytokines. The overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines enhances abnormal host immunity, resulting in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. Inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-12p40, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ might be one way to treat these conditions. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of compounds isolated from Cimicifuga dahurica (Turcz.) Maxim., which is traditionally used as an antipyretic and analgesic in Korea. In primary cell culture assays, 12 compounds were found to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-12p40, IL-6, and $TNF-{\alpha}$) in vitro in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells stimulated with LPS.

Effects of Various Field Coccidiosis Control Programs on Host Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Commercial Broiler Chickens

  • Lee, Kyung-Woo;Lillehoj, Hyun S.;Jang, Seung-I.;Lee, Sung-Hyen
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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    • v.39 no.1
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    • pp.17-25
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    • 2012
  • Coccidiosis control programs such as vaccines or in-feed anticoccidials are commonly practiced in the poultry industry to improve growth performance and health of commercial broiler chickens. In this study, we assessed the effects of various coccidiosis control programs (e.g., in ovo vaccination, synthetic chemicals, and antibiotic ionophores) on immune status of broiler chickens vaccinated against infectious bronchitis virus and Newcastle disease virus (ND) and raised on an Eimeria-contaminated used litter. In general, the levels of ${\alpha}$-1-acid glycoprotein, an acute phase protein, were altered by the treatments when measured at 34 days of age. Splenocyte subpopulations and serum antibody titers against ND were altered by various coccidiosis control programs. In-ovo-vaccinated chickens exhibited highest mitogenic response when their spleen cells were stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A) at 7 days of age. It is clear from this study that the type of coccidiosis control program influenced various aspects of innate and adaptive immune parameters of broiler chickens. Further studies will be necessary to delineate the underlying relationship between the type of coccidiosis control program and host immune system and to understand the role of other external environmental factors such as gut microbiota on host-pathogen interaction in various disease control programs.

Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Glycerol Dehydrogenase from Klebsiella pneumoniae

  • Ko, Gyeong Soo;Nguyen, Quyet Thang;Kim, Do Hyeon;Yang, Jin Kuk
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.271-278
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    • 2020
  • Glycerol dehydrogenase (GlyDH) catalyzes the oxidation of glycerol to dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is the first step in the glycerol metabolism pathway. GlyDH has attracted great interest for its potential industrial applications, since DHA is a precursor for the synthesis of many commercially valuable chemicals and various drugs. In this study, GlyDH from Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpGlyDH) was overexpressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity for biochemical and molecular characterization. KpGlyDH exhibits an exclusive preference for NAD+ over NADP+. The enzymatic activity of KpGlyDH is maximal at pH 8.6 and pH 10.0. Of the three common polyol substrates, KpGlyDH showed the highest kcat/Km value for glycerol, which is three times higher than for racemic 2,3-butanediol and 32 times higher than for ethylene glycol. The kcat value for glycerol oxidation is notably high at 87.1 ± 11.3 sec-1. KpGlyDH was shown to exist in an equilibrium between two different oligomeric states, octamer and hexadecamer, by size-exclusion chromatography analysis. KpGlyDH is structurally thermostable, with a Tm of 83.4℃, in thermal denaturation experiment using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The biochemical and biophysical characteristics of KpGlyDH revealed in this study should provide the basis for future research on its glycerol metabolism and possible use in industrial applications.

Immunological Assessment of Respiratory Allergy Status for the Swine Farm Workers in Gyeonggi Province of Korea (경기 일부지역 양돈 축산인들의 호흡기 알레르기 관련 면역학적 지표 분석)

  • Kim, Ji Youn;Kim, Kwang Ho;Hwang, So Ryeon;Yeo, Kyeong Uk;Kim, Hyoung Ah;Heo, Yong
    • Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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    • v.22 no.4
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    • pp.309-315
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    • 2012
  • Objectives: Animal husbandry workers could be exposed to various work hazards including toxic gases, chemicals such as pesticides or organic dust. Immunological evaluation focusing on respiratory allergic hypersensitivity occurrence was under-taken for swine farm workers as a part of the study on immunologic status of dairy barn, swine confinement, and poultry farm workers. Materials and Methods: Peripheral bloods were collected from 25 workers at the year of 2001 and 12 workers at the year of 2012 from swine farms located at Gyeonggi province, Korea. Seven adults not involved with animal husbandry were recruited at the year of 2001 from the same residential area as the swine farm workers'. Level of plasma IgE and 20 respiratory allergen-specific IgE were evaluated using commercially available ELISA kit. Results: Plasma IgE level was approximately five-fold higher in the swine farm workers regardless of the sampling year than the control subjects. Plant allergens from outdoor environments such as golden rod, pigweed, Russian thistle, or ragweed were the major allergens with positive reaction(allergen specific IgE${\geq}$0.7 IU/mL) for the swine farm workers at 2001 year. Meanwhile, house dust mite(Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus) and cockroach, typical indoor allergens in Korea, were the major respiratory allergens for the swine farm workers at 2012 year. Conclusions: Overall, even though our results are primitive, the results suggest that immunological function of swine farm workers could be modulated toward type-2 reactivity.

Removal of Chemical Softener, Organopolysiloxane by Immobilized Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum W3712 (고정화 Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum W3712에 의한 화학유연제, Organopolysiloxane의 제거)

  • Jung, Hyuck-Jun;Lee, Jung-Hun;Kim, Jung;Kim, Hyun-Soo;Yu, Tae-Shick
    • Korean Journal of Microbiology
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    • v.36 no.2
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    • pp.150-154
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    • 2000
  • In order to increase biological activities of Co~nebacteriumpseudodipI~t~~eriticum W3712 which degrades achemical softener (organopolysiloxane), the cells were immobilized on four immobilizing carriers by physicaladsorption. The cells immobilized on bentonite had higher removal efficiency than those immobilized onthe other carriers, and physical adsorption of organopolysiloxane on bentonite was 62.5%. The immobilizedcells were produced by 16 ml of culture broth with 20 g of bentonite, and 100 ml of the standard wastewatercontaining 12.000 mgll COD," with organopolysiloxane was removed 95.0% by 10.0 g of the immobilizedcells treatment at room temperature for 10 days by static culture.y static culture.

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Effects of Azole Fungicide on Amphibian: Review (Azole계열 항곰팡이 물질의 양서류 독성: 총설)

  • Park, Chan Jin;Park, Yong Ah;Ok, Seung Seok;Gye, Myung Chan
    • Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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    • v.32 no.1
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    • pp.1-15
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    • 2014
  • Amphibians play a pivotal role in the ecosystem as a mediator between aquatic and terrestrial environment. Currently they are directly exposed to a variety of chemicals in the aquatic environment throughout their life cycle. Azole fungicides have been widely used in medical applications and agricultural activities. The direct exposure of azole fungicides causes an alarming situation for various ecosystem. Recently, teratogenesis and endocrine disruption by azole fungicides have been reported in amphibians. In an effort to provide the current information for amphibian toxicity of azole fungicides and to make the guidelines for safe usage of azole-based materials, the effects of azole fungicides including imidazole, triazole, thiazole, oxazole, and pyrazoleon on early development, differentiation and reproduction of amphibians were reviewed.

Studies on the consolidants and water-repellents of stone cultural properties (석조문화재 발수경화제 시험연구(II))

  • Eom, Doo-Sung;Kim, Sa-Dug;Hong, Jung-Ki;Kang, Dai-Ill;Lee, Myeong-Hui
    • 보존과학연구
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    • s.22
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    • pp.133-154
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    • 2001
  • Stone cultural properties, exposed in natural environment, is deteriorated by many weathering reasons for a long time. It is necessary to treat of consolidation and water-repellent on the surface because of the conservation of stone cultural properties. We was treated the specimen [granite(Hwangdung-suk), sandstone, marble(in JeongSeon)] by synthesis resin of DWR-Ⅲ, SI2121 and fluoropolymer, and tested on the durability, water-repellent, color stability and luster generation etc. In the result of this study, DWR-Ⅲ and fluoropolymer is superior to the waterrepellent, durability of salt and acid rain. SI2121 is superior to the penetration because of lower viscosity, but the water-repellent is inferior to the others. After the treatment of chemicals, the color-variation make an appearance but luster-generation doesn’t. With the passage of time, the color of specimen was got better because of the ‘washing’ phenomenon for ultra-violet, salt etc.

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Pot Test and Preparation of PVA/Chitosan Blending Film Accoding to Molecular Weight of Chitosan (키토산의 분자량에 따른 PVA/Chitosan 블랜드필름의 제조와 토양분해 실험)

  • 이기창;황성규;김종완;정덕채;김판기
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.48-53
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    • 1998
  • Chitin is known as biodegradable natural polymer. But, in spite of various application of chitin from waste marine sources, commercial use of chitin has been limited due to highly resistance to chemicals and the absense of proper solvents. We made various viscosity of chitosan from chitin by change of Mima's method through the deacetylation which is various condition of NaOH concentration, reaction time and temperature. Also, Polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan blend films were prepared by different solution blends containing the ratio of 5, 10, 15 and 20% chitosan and low, medium, high molecular weight of chitosan to find a more useful biodegradable polymer. Thermal and mechanical properties of PVA/chitosan blend films such as DSC, impact strength, tensile strength and morphological changes by SEM were determined. The 10-15% PVA/chitosan(low, medium) blend films were similar to PVA. Also, PVA/chitosan blend films at the laboratory soil test(Pot Test) were completely degraded in month with four kinds of soils by microorganisms.

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Preparation and Characterization of Various Chitin from Protunus Trituberculatus Shells Such As Waste Marine Sources (수산계 폐자원인 꽃게껍질로부터의 다양한 키틴의 제조)

  • 김종완;황성규;이기창;이한섭;박종주
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.11-17
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    • 1998
  • Chitin is known as biodegradable natural polymer. In spite of various application of chitin derivatives from waste marine sources, commercial use of chitin has been limited due to high resistance to chemicals and the absense of proper solvents. We chitin prepared through the decalcification, bleaching and deproteination from Protunus trituberculatus shells by change of Hackman's method. Also, Microcrystalline chitin made by hydrolysis that was reduce made of resistance solvents used by dilute hydrochloric acid, ultrasonic and hydrogen peroxide. Crosslinked chitin derivatives were preparaed from chitin with crosslink agents(epichlorohydrin, 1,3-dichloropropanol) follwed by crosslinkage at 6C position. The effects of these parameters on chitin dervatives were invastigated by IR, DSC, XRD, BET, PSA and SEM. SEM analysis showed that both chitin and crosslinked chitin had a particle shaped morphology.

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Marine Microalgal Transgenesis: Applications to Biotechnology and Human Functional Foods

  • Kim, Young Tae
    • Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.34-39
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    • 2006
  • Molecular biology and microalgal biotechnology have the potential to play a major role in improving the production efficiency of a vast variety of products including functional foods, industrial chemicals, compounds with therapeutic applications and bioremediation solutions from a virtually untapped source. Microalgae are a source of natural products and have been recently studied for biotechnological applications. Efficient genetic transformation systems in microalgae are necessary to enhance their potential to be used for human health. A microalga such as Chlarella is a eukaryotic organism sharing its metabolic pathways with higher plants. This microalga is capable of expressing, glycosylating, and correctly processing proteins which normally undergo post-translational modification. Moreover, it can be cultured inexpensively because it requires only limited amount of sunlight and carbon dioxide as energy sources. Because of these advantages, Chlarella may be of great potential interest in biotechnology as a good candidate for bioreactor in the production of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds for human functional foods. Here, we briefly discuss recent progress in microalgal transgenesis that has utilized molecular biology to produce functional proteins and bioactive compounds.

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