• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.392-399
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• 2007

Objective : Arsenic trioxide ($As_2O_3$) has been used as an anticancer agent in traditional Chinese medicine for thousand years and berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid present that has indicated significant antimicrobial activity. We have examined the combined anticancer effects of $As_2O_3$ and berberine against the human neuroblastoma (HNB) SH-SY5Y cells in vitro, and to elucidate underlying molecular mechanism. Methods : HNB SH-SY5Y cells were treated with $2\;{\mu}M\;As_2O_3$ and $75\;{\mu}g/ml$ berberine, and their survival, cell death mechanism as well as synergistic cytotoxic effects were estimated by using MTT assay, DAPI staining, agarose gel electrophoresis, flow cytometric analysis, and western blot analysis. Results : The combined treatment of two drugs also markedly decreased cell viability. The cytotoxic effects of two drugs were revealed as apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. The apoptotic cytotoxicity was accompanied by activation of caspase-3 protease as well as decreased the expression of Bcl-2, Bid, and Bcl-x/L. In addition, the cells treated with combination of two drugs also showed significantly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels and lipid peroxidation compared to cells $As_2O_3$or berberine only. Conclusion : Combined treatment of $As_2O_3$ with berberine induced activation of apoptotic signaling pathways in HNB SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that the possibility of the combined treatment of two chemotherapeutic agents with low concentration improving cytotoxic effect for cancer cells with minimal side effects.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2016

Colostrum, a nutrient-rich fluid produced by female mammals after giving birth, is the specific initial diet of mammalian neonates. Colostrum is important for the nutrition, growth, and development of newborn infants and contributes to the immunologic defense of neonates. It contains immunoglobulins, antimicrobial peptides, such as lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase, and other bioactive molecules, including growth factors, such as IGF (insulin-like growth factor), EGF (epithermal growth factor), $TGF-{\beta}$ (transforming growth factor), and FGF (fibroblast growth factor). Bovine colostrum is a rich source of growth factors, which play a central role in wound healing. The biological activities of colostrum emphasize the relevance of the synergistic activity of growth factors to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and migration, which are essential for tissue repair. Colostrum increases the expression of early differentiation markers, such as keratin 1 and 10 and involucrin, and late differentiation markers, including loricrin and filaggrin. Additionally, colostrum increases granulation tissue volume in the dermis, suggesting that it has a beneficial effect on wound healing. The therapeutic use of colostrum or individual peptides present in colostrum has a positive and curative influence on various gastrointestinal diseases.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2019

Objective: Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem and threatens health of societies. These problems have led to a search for alternative approaches such as combination therapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of caffeine and omeprazole in combination with gentamicin or ciprofloxacin against standard and clinically resistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Methods: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of different agents against bacterial strains were determined. The interaction of non- antibiotic drugs with gentamicin and ciprofloxacin was studied in vitro using a checkerboard method and calculating fraction inhibitory concentration index (FICI). Verapamil as efflux pump inhibitor was used to evaluate the possible mechanism of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Results: The MIC and MBC values of gentamicin against bacterial strains were in the range of $20-80{\mu}g/ml$ and $40-200{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Caffeine and omeprazole had no intrinsic inhibitory activity against tested microorganisms. However, upon combination of caffeine with antibiotics, the synergistic effects were observed. Verapamil was able to reduce the MIC values of gentamicin (4 folds) only in some bacterial strains. Conclusion: These findings indicated that caffeine was effective in removing bacterial infection caused by S. aureus and E. coli. The relevant mechanisms of antibiotic resistance were not related to the drug efflux.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2017

Objectives : Infectious diseases by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are a growing problem worldwide. Characteristic of MRSA is endlessly mutation to resist antibiotics. Daehwanggo (DHG) is one of the oriental medicine prescriptions contained in Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine. Daehwanggo was mainly used for external preparation from old times. The purpose of this study is to confirm possibility as supplementary drug of DHG about antibiotics through observation of synergy effect between DHG and commercial antibiotics and to observe restriction on growth of MRSA on any pathway through observation of mechanism. Methods : The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of DHG against MRSA is $500{\sim}2000{\mu}g/m{\ell}$ by broth dilution method. In the checkerboard method, the combinations of DHG with antibiotics has partial synergistic effect or synergy effect and DHG markedly reduced the MICs of the antibiotics oxacillin (OX), gentamicin (GT) against MRSA. In the inhibition of resistance mechanism of DHG against MRSA, the expression of resistance gene and protein about ${\beta}-lactam$ antibiotic was reduced. Also, we observed the effect of DHG about cell membrane permeability against MRSA, and confirmed that DHG suppressed growth of strains by increasing cell membrane permeability. Results : Basis on the result, we speculate that DHG increase antibacterial activity of antibiotics against MRSA by changing the structure of cell wall of MRSA. Conclusions : These data suggest that Daehwanggo possesses possibility as supplementary drug about antibiotics against MRSA.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.66
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• pp.98-104
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• 2023

Effective and alternative strategies to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are consistently needed. Previous study presented that 7,10-epoxy-octadeca-7,9-dienoic acid (EODA) was produced from 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid through one-step heat treatment. Further studies confirmed that EODA was highly active against broad range of pathogenic bacteria including MRSA, promising development of a novel antibacterial agent to control MRSA. However, there are some practical huddles for industrialization of EODA, especially high cost for fine purification. To address this problem, this study was focused on determination of any changes in the antibacterial activities of EODA when used as a crude extract. As a result, any significant changes in the antibacterial activities of EODA was not detected and additional synergistic effect for commercial antibiotics on antibacterial activity was sustained as it was.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2010

The alone and combined effects of bacteriocin produced from Enterococcus faecalis MJ-213 and potassium sorbate against the food-borne pathogenic bacteria were studied. Bacteriocin minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Salmonella enteritidis ATCC 13076 were 50 and 100 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. Bacteriocin (100 ${\mu}g$/ml) alone was active against S. aureus and S. enteritidis, but it was lower in antimicrobial effectiveness than the combination of bacteriocin (100 ${\mu}g$/ml) with potassium sorbate (100 ${\mu}g$/ml), which reduced initial counts (6 log cycle) of S. aureus and S. enteritidis by 1 and 3 log cycle, respectively. The bactericidal activity of bacteriocin of E. faecalis MJ-213 heated at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min or $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 min was markedly decreased as compared with the control. Moreover, the activity of bacteriocin was completely abolished by pepsin or protease II, but not affected by ${\alpha}$-amylase or lipase. The activity of bacteriocin adjusted to pH 6.0-8.0 showed almost the same inhibition ratio compared with the bacteriocin unadjusted pH, and though the inhibition ratio against pathogenic bacteria was reduced than the control, the bacteriocin was stable at pH 4.0 or 10.0, relatively. Furthermore, the combined treatment of bacteriocin and potassium sorbate than the alone treatment of bacteriocin significantly decreased (p<0.05) the viable cell counts of S. aureus or S. enteritidis inoculated on grind beef during storage at $4^{\circ}C$.