• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.155-161
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• 2022

This study investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of seed ethanol extracts from Rubus coreanus Miquel (SERC). To investigate the antioxidant activity, total polyphenol and flavonoid content, ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity, and reducing power were measured. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents in seed ethanol extracts of R. coreanus Miq. were 4.09 ㎍ gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg and 16.25 ㎍ quercetin equivalents (QE)/mg, respectively. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activity showed concentration-dependent scavenging activity, and the RC₅₀ values of SERC were 26.68 ㎍/mL and 39.30 ㎍/mL, respectively. Moreover, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was performed to assess the reducing power, and SERC showed 0.61 ± 0.01 mM FeSO₄ E/mg. To measure the anti-inflammatory effect, the cytotoxicity and nitric oxide (NO) production inhibitory efficacy in RAW 264.7 cells was confirmed. SERC showed a NO production inhibitory effect at 500 ㎍/mL without cytotoxicity. As a result of verifying the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity using SERC, its potential as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory material was confirmed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1120-1127
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• 2021

Depression has a negative impact on social functioning due to its high prevalence and increased suicide rate, and is a disease with a high economic burden. Depression is related to diverse brain-related phenomena, such as neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive deficit. As antidepressant drugs used in clinical trials have shown poor therapeutic effects, antidepressant drugs that show rapid efficacy urgently need to be developed. Although studies on various genes, proteins, and signaling pathways related to depression have been conducted, the pathogenesis of depression has not been clearly elucidated. Sirtuin 1 is a nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide- (NAD+-) dependent histone deacetylase and is involved in cell differentiation, apoptosis, autophagy, and cancer metabolism. Recent genetic studies found that sirtuin 1 is a potential target gene for depression. In addition, preclinical studies reported that sirtuin 1 signaling affects depression-like behavior. In this review, we attempt to present up-to-date knowledge of depression and sirtuin 1. We describe the various roles of sirtuin 1 in the regulation of glial activation, circadian rhythm, neurogenesis, and cognitive function and the effects of its expression on depression. Further, we discuss the effect of sirtuin 1 on the impairment of neural plasticity, one of the key mechanisms of depression, and the associated mechanisms of sirtuin 1.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.59-67
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• 2018

Objective : Plantago asiatica L. has been used for many years in Korea, China, and Japan for the treatment of many diseases such as anti-inflammatory, anti-asthma and diuretic. But the anti-obesity effect of Plantaginis asiaticae Folium has not been studied yet. Thus, this study aimed to demonstrate the anti-obesity efficacy of Plantaginis asiaticae Folium water extract (PAF) in high fat diet-induced obesity animal model. Method : Male, five-weeks old C57BL/6 mice were divided into 5 groups; ND (normal diet + 0.9% saline), HFD (high-fat diet + 0.9% saline), PC (high-fat diet + Garcinia cambogia 500 mg/kg), PAF 100, 300 (high-fat diet + PAF 100, 300 mg/kg. Treatments were performed daily for 6 weeks per os. We evaluated the changes of body weight, white adipose tissues weight, hepatic and fecal lipids level, pancreatic lipase activity and lipid profiles in plasma. Result : Body weights, adipose tissue weights and FER were significantly lower in mice fed the high-fat diet with PAF treatment than in mice fed the high-fat diet alone. In plasma, TG, TC, LDL-C, ATS and ALT levels significantly decreased in PAF groups compared with HFD group. Also, hepatic triglyceride (TG) levels decreased and fecal TG increased in PAF groups compared to HFD group. In addition, the activity of pancreatic lipase was decreased in the PAF groups compared to that of HFD group. Conclusion: These results suggest PAF extract is effective in preventing and improvement obesity, so it might be a potential and safe material for anti-obesity agent of weight control or functional supplements.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.444-450
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• 2022

The effect of coated polyester (PET) textiles with metal oxide, chitosan, and copper ion on the antibacterial and antiviral activities was evaluated to investigate the applicability of multi-coated PET textiles as antiviral materials. Compared to coated PETs with a single agent, multi-coated PETs reduced the loading amount of coating materials as well as the contact time with bacteria for a bacterial cell number of < 10 CFU/mL, which was not detectable with the naked eyes. Metal oxides generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as free radicals by a catalytic reaction, and copper ions can promote contact killing by the generation of ROS. Chitosan not only enhanced antibacterial activities due to amine groups, but enabled it to be a template to load copper ions. We observed that multi-coated PET textiles have both antibacterial activities for E. coli and S. aureus and antiviral efficiency of more than 99.9% for influenza A (H1N1) and SARS-CoV-2. The multi-coated PET textiles could also be prepared via a roll-to-roll coating process, which showed high antiviral efficacy, demonstrating its potential use in air filtration and antiviral products such as masks and personal protective equipment.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2022

Recently, with interest in metaverse, attempts are being made to utilize the metaverse platform in various forms. In this paper, we focused on the educational application potential of metaverse, and developed and applied a metaverse STEAM program to provide an effective learning experience to learners in non-face-to-face educational situations. The developed program utilizes Minecraft and ZEPETO, familiar to students, as metaverse learning platforms, and consists of a total of 16 lessons of 5 modules in the form of modules so that alternative classes can take place in the educational field. Through this, the learner's change in STEAM attitude and learning satisfaction were measured, and through the developed STEAM program, the learner's interest, consideration, communication, usefulness, self-concept, self-efficacy, and career choice areas significantly increased. In addition, positive results were confirmed in all areas of the learner satisfaction test related to satisfaction, interest, and overall class. In the future, considering the characteristics of the metaverse, it is necessary to break free from the constraints of time and space to communicate anew, and various learner-centered educational approaches based on a high degree of freedom and immersion should be implemented.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.323-338
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• 2022

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic oral disorder of unknown etiology which presents therapeutic challenges. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has been studied as a potential treatment for BMS. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of ALA compared to that of placebo or other interventions in individuals with BMS. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) using ALA to treat BMS were identified from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to February 3, 2021. The assessment of the risk of bias in the included studies was based on the Cochrane guidelines. The primary outcome evaluated was the visual analog scale (VAS) pain intensity. ALA was compared with placebo, clonazepam, gabapentin, pregabalin, ALA plus gabapentin, capsaicin, Biotène^®, and laser therapy. Altogether, 137 records were scanned for inclusion/exclusion, and nine RCTs (two unclear and seven at high risk of bias) were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses, with a total of 594 patients with BMS included in this review. All studies reported an improvement in VAS pain scores ranging from -0.72 to -2.77. Meta-analysis results showed a non-significant reduction in pain intensity for ALA (P = 0.616) compared to that of placebo on a VAS of 0-10. Patients taking ALA were 1.923 times more likely to show an improvement in self-reported BMS symptoms (P = 0.031) than those in the placebo group. Clonazepam and pregabalin showed a significant VAS pain reduction of 4.08 and 4.68 (P < 0.001), respectively, compared to that with ALA. Although ALA intervention provided a non-significant improvement in the pain score and was more likely to produce a reduction in BMS symptoms, the evidence was of low quality. Further research is needed to establish clear guidelines for the use of ALA for BMS treatment.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2022

Retinaldehyde (RA), vitamin A derivative, is an intermediate between retinol and retinoic acid and has an excellent wrinkle improving effect. In this study, Drug-in-cyclodextrin-in-liposome (DCL) was used to enhance the stability and skin penetration of RA. The complex of RA and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was prepared by the freeze-drying method, and the presence or absence of inclusion of retinal was confirmed by UV-Vis spectrometer, FT-IR and SEM images. RA was captured in HP-β-CD about 95.6% on 1 : 15 (w/w). The retinal-HP-β-CD complex was encapsulated in liposomes using a homomixer and microfluidizer, with an average particle size of 215 ± 4.2 nm and a zeta potential of -31.2 ± 0.5 mv. In the evaluation of the degradation stability of RA, degradation rate of RA-HP-β-CD-liposomes in water was 1.8% higher than RA-liposome (5.8%), RA-HP-β-CD complex (9.7%) and RA alone (37.6%). RA cream (0.05% RA) including RA-HP-β-CD-liposomes was prepared for clinical test with wrinkle-improving efficacy and skin dermis denseness evaluated for 2 or 4 weeks. RA cream showed a significant wrinkle improving effect without skin irritation. In conclusion, it was confirmed that the double stabilization technology using the DCL system contribu tes to the effect of improving skin wrinkles by increasing the stabilization of retinal.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2022

Whole-plant corn (Zea may L.) and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are major summer crops that can be fed as direct-cut or silage. Proso millet is a short-season growing crop with distinct agronomic characteristics that can be productive in marginal lands. However, information is limited about the potential production, feed value, and ensilability of proso millet forage. We evaluated proso millet as a silage crop in comparison with conventional silage crops. Proso millet was sown on June 8 and harvested on September 5 at soft-dough stage. Corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid were planted on May 10 and harvested on September 10 at the half milk-line and soft-dough stages, respectively. The fermentation was evaluated at 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 45 days after ensiling. Although forage yield of proso millet was lower than corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, its relative feed value was greater than sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. Concentrations of dry matter (DM), crude protein, and water-soluble carbohydrate decreased commonly in the ensiling forage crops. The DM loss was greater in proso millet than those in corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid. The in vitro dry matter digestibility declined in the forage crops as fermentation progressed. In the early stages of fermentation, pH dropped rapidly, which was stabilized in the later stages. Compared to corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen was greater in proso millet. The count of lactic acid bacteria reached the maximum level on day 10, with the values of 6.96, 7.77, and 6.95 Log₁₀ CFU/g fresh weight for proso millet, corn, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, respectively. As ensiling progressed, the concentrations of lactic acid and acetic acid of the three crops increased and lactic acid proportion became higher in the order of sorghum-sudangrass hybrid, corn, and proso millet. Overall, the shorter, fast-growing proso millet comparing with corn and sorghum-sudangrass hybrid makes this forage crop an alternative option, particularly in areas where agricultural inputs are limited. However, additional research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of viable strategies such as chemical additives or microbial inoculants to minimize ammonia-nitrogen formation and DM loss during ensiling.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.712-720
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of rat corneal-derived epithelial cells as an in vitro model to evaluate the harmfulness of the cornea caused by particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5). To establish an experimental model for the effect of PM_2.5 on corneal epithelial cells, it was confirmed that primary cultured cells isolated from rat eyes were corneal epithelial cells through pan-cytokeratin staining. Our results showed that PM_2.5 treatment reduced cell viability of primary rat corneal epithelial (RCE) cells, which was associated with the induction of apoptosis. PM_2.5 treatment also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species due to mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, the production of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines was increased in PM_2.5-treated RCE cells. Furthermore, through heatmap analysis showing various expression profiling between PM_2.5-exposed and unexposed RCE cells, we proposed five genes, including BLNK, IL-1RA, Itga2b, ABCb1a and Ptgs2, as potential targets for clinical treatment of PM-related ocular diseases. These findings indicate that the primary RCE cell line is a useful in vitro model system for the study of PM_2.5-mediated pathological mechanisms and that PM2.5-induced oxidative and inflammatory responses are key factors in PM2.5-induced ocular surface disorders.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-25
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• 2023

Yogurt fermentation is known to be beneficial because it provides a low pH and harsh environment for foodborne pathogens and improves organoleptic properties. Additionally, organic acids produced through fermentation have a good effect on the viscosity and gelling properties of yogurt. Several potential health benefits of probiotic and generally recognized as safe strains have been suggested. Yogurt is the preferred vehicle for delivering probiotics to health-conscious consumers. Therefore, manufacturers of probiotic beverages must comply with the relevant regulations. The development of probiotic yogurt begins with the selection of strains with safety and functional properties of probiotics. The selected probiotic strain should be technically suitable for viability and improve organoleptic quality while maintaining the number of bacteria above the standard value during processing and storage conditions. In addition, the efficacy of probiotic strains contained in yogurt should be investigated, confirmed, and approved according to well-designed clinical trials. Although various methods are used to detect probiotic strains, the recently widely used next generation sequencing method can be actively utilized. In the future, more research should be conducted with the latest methods to identify probiotic functions and accurately detect probiotic strains.