• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.440-443
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• 2015

The widespread emergence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in clinics and natural environments has attracted public concern. Especially, microorganisms inhabiting natural environment is considered as a source responsible for increasing the abundance of antibiotic resistant genes in ecosystem. In this study, the diversity of culturable bacteria resistant to ampicillin was investigated with water samples collected from seven locations in Korea. The genera belonging to Aeromonas and Acidovorax were dominant among the isolated 498 strains. The 66% of isolates showed multi-drug resistance against more than six antibiotics among tested fourteen ones and isolates resistant to seven antibiotics were the most prevalent with 19.7% abundance. Using the antibiotics susceptibility results, the intrinsic resistance profile was suggested for the most dominant genera, Aeromonas, Acidovorax, Pseudomonas, and Elizabethkingia.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2007

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.396-400
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• 2015

Enterobacteriaceae is one of the major families responsible for public health threats. Due to the emergence of pathogens with antibiotic resistance, great concern has been raised regarding the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in natural environments. Therefore, the diversity of Gram negative Enterobacteriaceae was investigated in water samples collected from five streams in Korea using the cultivation method. Profiling of multi-drug resistance was conducted with isolates via disk diffusion assay. The results indicated that the Gram negative Enterobacteriaceae consisted of the following genus; Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Kluyvera, Pantoea, Plesiomonas, Raoultella, Shigella and Enterobacter. These latter strains represented 49% of identified isolates. In addition, 78.3% of the identified genus exhibited resistance against more than seven out of thirteen tested antibiotics, suggesting a high prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria in natural environments.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.5-11
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• 2004

When settled sediments in natural condition for long time were dredged by dredging process, it is natural that bulking change between sediments and dredged soils is affected by chemical injection; coagulant. Dredged sediments used in this study were sampled in the lagoon "Young rang lake" located at the east coast Sokcho city and the bulking change of dredged soils is quantitatively analysed by changing of the clay content and the amount of the flocculant and coagulant. From the experimental results, the bulking of dredged soils increased 1.69 times on the average bulking of settled sediments in natural condition in the case of the optimum chemicals addition.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.483-487
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• 1992

Among a few number of UV-resistant isolated form various environmental sources (10), we made a comparative physio-chemoanalytical study on one of spherical bacteria isolated from air dust, presumably Deinococcus sp. (CM strain 29) with an UV resistant bacterium, Deinococcus radiophilus ATCC 27603 as the reference strain. Our isolate of UV resistant coccus, Deinococcus sp. CM 29 and D. radiophilus ATCC 27603 showed more than 75% matching coefficient in metabolic activity of various substrates. The most predominant cellular fatty acid of both strains was palmitoleic acid (C 16 :1, cis 9), but the detail fatty acid profiles were slightly dissimilar to each other. Cell-bound arange pigment seemed to be an identical chemicals on spectrophotometric analysis. L-ornithine was detected as cell-wall amino acid in both strains. Galactose was detected as cell-wall sugar in D. radiophilus ATCC 27603, whereas glucose in Deinococcus sp. CM 29. G-C molar ratio of both strains was comparable, 63-65%.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2023

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), used in a variety of products in modern society, are hormone-like substances that cause various diseases. Humans are exposed to EDCs through their inclusion in pesticides, plastics, cosmetics, detergents, and drugs. Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the representative endocrine disruptors, is an estrogen-like substance that has been widely used commercially in plastic and epoxy resins. BPA is a chemical that can disrupt the endocrine system, leading to reduced reproductive function, obesity, cancer, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since the adverse health effects of BPA began to be reported the use of BPA has been regulated worldwide. Various alternatives to BPA have been widely used worldwide; representatively, bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF) are the most commonly used in commercial contexts. BPS and BPF may cause endocrine-disrupting effects like those of BPA due to their similar chemical structures. Recent studies have reported that BPS and BPF disrupt the neurodevelopmental process and cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, future studies will be required for safety verification of BPA alternatives and the development of new alternatives to BPA for brain health. In this review, we reviewed the effects of BPA and the alternatives, BPS and BPF, on the nervous system.

• Clean Technology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.174-181
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• 2022

Biomass is a sustainable alternative resource for production of liquid fuels and organic compounds that are currently produced from fossil fuels including petroleum, natural gas, and coal. Because the use of fossil fuels can increase the production of greenhouse gases, the use of carbon-neutral biomass can contribute to the reduction of global warming. Although biological and chemical processes have been proposed to produce petroleum-replacing chemicals and fuels from biomass feedstocks, it is difficult to replace completely fossil fuels because of the high oxygen content of biomass. Production of petroleum-like fuels and chemicals from biomass requires the removal of oxygen atoms or conversion of the oxygen functionalities present in biomass derivatives, which can be achieved by catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. Hydrodeoxygenation has been used to convert raw biomass-derived materials, such as biomass pyrolysis oils and lignocellulose-derived chemicals and lipids, into deoxygenated fuels and chemicals. Multifunctional catalysts composed of noble metals and transition metals supported on high surface area metal oxides and carbons, usually selected as supports of heterogeneous catalysts, have been used as efficient hydrodeoxygenation catalysts. In this review, the catalysts proposed in the literature are surveyed and hydrodeoxygenation reaction systems using these catalysts are discussed. Based on the hydrodeoxygenation methods reported in the literature, an insight for feasible hydrodeoxygenation process development is also presented.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to compare heavy metal concentrations in uncontaminated soil with those in soil influenced by industrial activities, and to investigate the relationship between change of heavy metal content and the kind of industry at the Iksan 1st Industrial Complex that has started since 1975. Soils sampled in 0-3㎝ and 3-6㎝ soil depth, respectively were analized for content of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Change of heavy metal content in soil of the industrial complex were more accumulated 16 to 25% of Cd and Cu, 93% of Pb and Zn, respectively in samples compared with natural soil uncontaminated. But there was no different in Ni content between two soil. Distribution of Cd in soil layer of 0 to 3cm was the highest concentration of 5 ppm more at the textile industries, and then higher at the chemicals and the food processing industries. In 3 to 6㎝ soil layer Cd content was the highest concentration of 5 ppm more at the metal processing industries, and then higher at the textile industries. Cd accumulation in soil was different according to a kind of industry and soil depth. Cu content was the highest value of 400 ppm more in soil layer of 0 to 3cm at the manufacturing electric wires industry area and showed the accumulation phenomenon in soil layer 3 to 6cm at the ohmmeter, machines and electric wires industry area. Ni content was 35 ppm more in soil of the metal plating and processing industries regardless of soil sampling layer. Then it was 25 ppm more in soil of the building stones and semiconductor industries. Pb content was from 400 to 1000 ppm in soil of the chemicals and textiles industries regardless of soil sampling layer. Zn content was 1200 ppm more in soil of the chemicals and silk fabrics industries regardless of soil depth, and then lower in order to soil of leather processing${\le}$metal plating industries. In conclusion, changes of heavy metal kinds and content in soil of this industrial complex area were caused by the type or kinds of industrial activities. Changes of Pb and Zn content in soil were dominated at this area.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.461-467
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• 2010

Natural products with non-toxic and environmentally friendly properties are good resources for skin-whitening cosmetic agents when compared to artificial synthetic chemicals. Here, we investigated the effect of glyceollin produced to induce disease resistance responses of soybean to specific races of an incompatible pathogen, phytophthora sojae, on melanogenesis and discussed their mechanisms in melanin biosynthesis. We found that glyceollin inhibits melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16 melanoma cells without cytotoxicity. To elucidate the mechanism of the effect of glyceollin on melanogenesis, we conducted western blot analysis for melanogenic enzymes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and TRP-2. Glyceollin inhibited tyrosinase and TRP-1 protein expression. Additionally, glyceollin effectively inhibited intracellular cAMP levels in B16 melanoma cells stimulated by $\alpha$-melanocyte stimulating hormone ($\alpha$-MSH). These results suggest that the whitening activity of glyceollin may be due to the inhibition of cAMP involved in the signal pathway of $\alpha$-MSH in B16 melanoma cells.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.17-27
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• 2001

A cell-based assay system for monitoring NF-$textsc{k}$B activity was developed to determine the influence of activated NF-$textsc{k}$B in human HaCaT cells. The pNF-$textsc{k}$B-SEAP-NPT plasmid that permits expression of the secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reported gene in response to the NF-$textsc{k}$B activity and contains neomycin phosphotransferase (NPT) gene for the geneticin resistance in host cells was constructed and transfected into human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Human HaCaT transfectant cells secreted the SEAP enzyme into the culture medium in a time-dependent manner until 72h. NF-$textsc{k}$B activities were measured in the SEAP reporter gene assay using a fluorescent detection method. The treatment of HaCaT cell transfectants with known antioxidants [e.g., N-acetyl-L-cysteine and vitamin C] showed inhibition of NF-$textsc{k}$B activity in a time-and concentration-dependent manner. The phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) known as a stimulator of NF-$textsc{k}$B expression demonstrated that it increased NF-$textsc{k}$B activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. This assay system could be used to determine the quantitative measurement of NF-$textsc{k}$B activity in the human skin and allow the screening of anti-inflammatory agents from various synthetic chemicals and natural products for dermatological purpose. Abbrevitions used: NF-$textsc{k}$B, nuclear factor kappa B; I-$textsc{k}$B, Inhibitory kappa B; SEAP, secreted alkaline phosphatase; NPT, neomycin phosphotransferease; PCR, polymerase chain reaction: dNTP, deoxynucleoside triphosphates; DMEM, dulbecco’s modified eagle medium; FBS, fetal bovine serum; PBs, phosphate-buffered saline; MUP, 4-methylumbellifery phosphate; NAC, N-acetyl-L-cysteine; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide; PMA, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate.