• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.225-233
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• 2019

In this study, we investigated the in vitro anti-biofilm activities of plant extracts of chives (Allium tuberosum), garlic (Allium sativum), and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) against environment harmful bacteria (gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and, gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7). In the paper disc assay, garlic extracts exhibited the highest anti-biofilm activity. The Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of all plant extracts was generally higher for gram-negative bacteria than it was for gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria were more resistant to plant extracts. The tetrazolium dye (XTT) assay revealed that, each plant extract exhibited a different anti-biofilm activity at the MIC value depending on the pathogen involved. Among the plant extracts tested, garlic extracts (fresh juice and powder) effectively reduced the metabolic activity of the cells of food-poisoning bacteria in biofilms. These anti-biofilm activities were consistent with the results obtained through light microscopic observation. Though the garlic extract reduced biofilm formation for all pathogens tested, to elucidate whether this reduction was due to antimicrobial effects or anti-biofilm effects, we counted the colony forming units of pathogens in the presence of the garlic extract and a control antimicrobial drug. The garlic extract inhibited the E. coli O157:H7 biofilm effectively compared to the control antimicrobial drug ciprofloxacin; however, it did not inhibit S. aureus biofilm significantly compared to ciprofloxacin. In conclusion, garlic extracts could be used as natural food preservatives to prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens and elongater the shelf life of processed foods.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.58-66
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• 2019

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic-loaded cement spacers (ALCSs) for the treatment of diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis as a salvage procedure and to analyze the risk factors of treatment failure. Materials and Methods: This study reviewed retrospectively 39 cases of diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis who underwent surgical treatment from 2009 to 2017. The mean age and follow-up period were $62{\pm}13years$ and $19.2{\pm}23.3months$, respectively. Wounds were graded using the Wagner and Strauss classification. X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (or bone scan) and deep tissue cultures were taken preoperatively to diagnose osteomyelitis. The ankle-brachial index, toe-brachial index (TBI), and current perception threshold were checked. Lower extremity angiography was performed and if necessary, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was conducted preoperatively. As a surgical treatment, meticulous debridement, bone curettage, and ALCS placement were employed in all cases. Between six and eight weeks after surgery, ALCS removal and autogenous iliac bone graft were performed. The treatment was considered successful if the wounds had healed completely within three months without signs of infection and no additional amputation within six months. Results: The treatment success rate was 82.1% (n=32); 12.8% (n=5) required additional amputation and 5.1% (n=2) showed delayed wound healing. Bacterial growth was confirmed in 82.1% (n=32) with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus being the most commonly identified strain (23.1%, n=9). The lesions were divided anatomically into four groups; the largest number was the toes: (1) toes (41.0%, n=16), (2) metatarsals (35.9%, n=14), (3) midfoot (5.1%, n=2), and (4) hindfoot (17.9%, n=7). A significant difference in the Strauss wound score and TBI was observed between the treatment success group and failure group. Conclusion: The insertion of ALCSs can be a useful treatment option in diabetic foot infections with osteomyelitis. Low scores in the Strauss classification and low TBI are risk factors of treatment failure.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.821-829
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• 2019

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of the extracts from nipa palm, molokhia, and finger root in functional cosmetics as a natural active ingredient. The extracts were obtained through the processes of heating under reflux with ethanol, filtration, concentration, and freeze-drying. UV absorption and blocking effects of the extracts were examined by using the UV-vis spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere. Antioxidant activity and its stability between the extracts were compared using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Also, total polyphenol content in the extracts was determined quantitatively using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, with gallic acid as the standard. Antibacterial activity of the extracts was investigated by the disc diffusion test against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (gram-negative). Finally, collagenase inhibitor assay was performed to examine the anti-wrinkle effect of the extracts. From the results of this study, the extract of nipa palm showed the potential for use in cosmetics as an antioxidant and anti-wrinkle agent, and the extract of finger root as a sunscreen and antibacterial agent.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.372-380
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• 2020

In this study, the sterilization ability of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa was evaluated using a plasma generator with a flexible electrode structure. Both strains were prepared at a concentration of 1.5×106 CFU/mL and inoculated and spread evenly on two medium plates. The medium were kept at a distance of 3 cm and 9 cm from the plasma generator and were plasma discharged from 30 sec to 10 minutes. The growth of colonies on the media, were subsequently compared with the control group. The mean colonies of S. aureus formed at a 3 cm distance were 9.2×102 (log value 2.96) CFU/mL for the 5 min discharge period and 8.0×10 (1.90) CFU/mL for the 10 min discharge period. When the medium was exposed for 5 min and 10 min at a 9 cm distance, the mean colonies of S. aureus formed were 2.16×103 (3.33) and 2.4×102 (2.38) CFU/mL, respectively. The medium containing P. aeruginosa kept at a 3 cm distance and exposed to 3, 5, 10-minute discharge, did not form any colonies. When kept at a 9 cm distance for 3 minutes, 6.0×102 (2.78) CFU/mL mean colonies were formed but no colonies were formed at exposure periods of 5 and 10 minutes. This enhanced sterilization effect was confirmed in experiments of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa using TiO2.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.5-11
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• 2021

The phenolics of Sambucus sieboldiana var. pendula leaves for functional resources were examined on inhibitory activity against biological enzyme and anti-microbial activity. The amount of phenolic compounds were 11.60±0.18 and 12.43±0.07 mg/g by water and 50% ethanol extraction, respectively. The antioxidative activity of phenolic in extracts was higher than solids. The inhibition activities on angiotensin converting enzyme were 92.08 and 78.33% at 200 ㎍/mL phenolic concentration in water and ethanol extracts, respectively. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity were 100% at 200 ㎍/mL phenolic in water and ethanol extracts, respectively. These result was higher than 70.37% of allopurinol as positive control at 200 ㎍/mL. The inhibitory activity against hyaluronidase were each 25.35 and 43.38% in water and ethanol extracts. The water extract from S. sieboldiana var. pendula leaves showed antibacterial activity on the Propionebacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans in water extract and S. mutans in ethanol extract. This result suggests that phenolic from S. sieboldiana var. pendula leaves are suitable as functional foods with anti-hypertension, anti-gout, anti-inflammation and anti-microorganism activities.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.651-661
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• 2021

Eruca sativa, called arugula, is a perennial plant in the Brassicaceae family, an edible plant commonly used in Italian cuisine. To study as a cosmetic material application E. sativa was extracted with 70% ethanol (ES). Then ES was fractionated using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butyl alcohol and water (EHex, EEA, ECHCl₃, EBuOH and EDW). EEA showed mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity. ES, EEA and EBuOH showed inhibition of tyrosinase activity. As a result, ES is expected to have skin whitening efficacy. ES was applied to 0.05, 0.1% the toner and emulsion formulation to test the stability. The anti-microbial activity of eight bacteria and fungi including Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes which cause dermatitis and acne was evaluated. EEA showed effects in all of microorganisms. The toner and emulsion containing ES with 0.05, 0.1% were passed in the challenge test. At -20, 4, 25, 55 ℃ and daylight, there was no significant change on pH, viscosity for 4 months. However, emulsions had phase separation phenomenon at 55 ℃, so the base formulation needs improvement. In addition, through the skin penetration test, EEA penetrated 0.058% in 6 hr, predicting the clinical efficacy. This means that E. sativa can contribute whitening agent and the synergistic effect of preservatives.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.361-369
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• 2020

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common and multifactorial inflammatory skin disease that is characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, inflammation, and chronic pruritus. AD has a complex etiology that includes genetic, immunological, and environmental factors that cause skin barrier abnormalities and immune dysfunctions. Sophora flavescens (SF) has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, but little research has been conducted on its anti-AD efficacy. In this study, we evaluated the effect of SF extract (SFE) on improving skin barrier function and immune abnormalities, which are the main symptoms of AD. SFE has the capacity to enhance the formation of cornified envelope (CE) that plays an important role in the skin barrier function. In addition, it was confirmed that SFE increased the expression of hyaluronic acid related to skin moisture. The effect of SFE against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which increases specifically in AD lesions, confirmed that SFE inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by S. aureus. Furthermore, SFE was shown to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by substance P (SP), the cause of skin neurogenic inflammation. These results demonstrate that SFE could be one of potential candidate agent for the treatment of AD by improving the skin barrier function and immune responses.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2022

Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst disease outbreaks of the 21th century. Due to a lack of reliable antiviral therapeutics, wearing face masks is recommended to prevent airborne infection originating from virus-contaminated bioaerosols. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of face masks that are commercially available in South Korea for a biological aerosol of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and murine coronavirus, a well-known surrogate for human coronaviruses. Methods: We collected six different kinds of commercial masks: two Korea Filter (KF)94 (KF94-1, KF94-2) masks, one surgical (Surgical-1) mask, one anti-droplet (KF-AD-1) mask, and two dust (Dust-1, Dust-2) face masks. S. aureus (ATCC 6538), a well-performing test bacteria and murine coronavirus (ATCC VR-764) were prepared under a suitable culture condition. Then, a mask biological filtration tester was used to examine the microbial filtration efficiencies of masks. Test microorganisms were quantitatively measured via cultivation methods and microbial filtration efficiencies were calculated appropriately. Results: All face masks showed over 99.6% filtration efficiency for S. aureus or murine coronavirus. There were no significant differences among the bacterial filtration efficiencies of the face masks. KF94-1 (99.97±0.08%) and Dust-1 mask (99.97±0.07%) showed the highest (over 99.9%) filtration efficiency for murine coronavirus. KF94-1 or Dust-1 masks showed a significant virus filtration efficiency compared to Surgical-1 mask (p<0.05; Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusions: All the commercially available face masks used in this study can filter S. aureus or murine coronavirus in bioaerosols efficiently, regardless of the mask type. Therefore, our results suggest that wearing a certified face mask is a reliable means to prevent the transmission of infectious airborne diseases via biological aerosols.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.438-446
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• 2022

Some flowers have a high sensual appeal owing to their unique shape, color, smell, and taste and have been used as functional food and oriental medicine. Recently, edible dry flowers (EDFs) have attracted social attention as noble sources of functional teas. In this study, for the risk assessment of EDFs, pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals, and pesticide residues were monitored in 23 types of commercial EDF. No Enterobacteria spp. and Listeria spp. were found in all EDF products. However, common aerobic bacteria (3.24~3.85 Log CFU/g) were found in EDF, namely, Pueraria lobata, Chamaemelum nobile, Acacia decurrens, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz, Oenothera lamarckiana, Brassica napus, and Prunus serrulata. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 11 and Salmonella sp. was found in 8 of the 23 EDFs. Considering the cold extraction of EDF for tea and beverages, the regulation of pathogenic bacteria in EDFs is necessary. No heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and As were found in all EDFs, except the dry flower of Hemerocallis fulva, which contained Pb at 0.08 ppm. Different pesticides and fungicides were found in EDFs, but their concentrations were very low (0.01~0.08 ppm) and below the maximal residue level. Only the dry flower of Chrysanthemum morifolium had a high content of chlorpyrifos (0.215 ppm), which is long-lasting pesticide. Our results suggest that the establishment of EDF regulations for pesticide residue, culture separation between edible and garden flowers, and guidelines for preventing pathogenic microbial contamination are necessary.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.209-217
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• 2022

In this study, Enterococcus faecalis BMSE-HMP005 isolated from human breast milk demonstrated antimicrobial effects against multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains. The bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis BMSE-HMP005 was fractionated using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. This fraction showed antimicrobial effects against both gram-positive and gram-negative MDR bacteria. No hemolytic reactions were observed. E. faecalis BMSEHMP005 was resistant to vancomycin; however, kanamycin, ampicillin, and erythromycin showed minimum inhibitory concentrations that were lower than the acceptable range provided by the European Food Safety Authority. For artificial gastric juice and bile acid, the survival rates were 98.67% and 95.70%, respectively. These results show the potential utility of E. faecalis BMSE-HMP005 as a probiotic with remarkable antimicrobial effects against MDR bacteria.