• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 1995

Osmolytes accumulated in the osmotically stressed Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 9610 were investigated using natural abundance $^{13}C$ NMR spectroscopy. Glycine betaine, one of the more common and most effective osmolytes found in nature, was the dominant osmolyte in osmotically stressed Y. enterocolitica cells. Glycine betaine concentration was 41.8 times higher (801.9 nmol/mg protein) in stressed cells than in unstressed cells (19.2 nmol/mg protein). Proline was the minor osmolyte, and its concentration was 284.8 nmol/mg protein. The effects of glycine betaine and related osmolytes on growth rate of osmotically stressed Y. enterocolitica were investigated to identify their ability as osmolytes for Y. enterocolitica. When glycine betaine and proline were added in MMA medium containing 2.5% NaCl, the growth rate with glycine betaine (1 mM) was 3.6 times higher than in control (no addition of osmolyte), and that with proline was 1.3 times higher. Dimethylglycine (5 mM) also increased the growth rate 3.1 folds. On the other hand, monomethylElycine had no effect on growth of osmotically stressed and unstressed Y. enterocolitica. When carnitine was added in MMA medium containing 2.5% NaCl, carnitine (5 mM) increased the growth rate 2.4 folds, but choline had no effect on growth of osmotically stressed Y. enterocolitica. The above results indicate that glycine betaine is the dominant osmolyte in osmotically stressed Y. enterocolitica, and proline, dimethylglycine and carnitine also act as minor osmolytes.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.342-354
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• 2018

Suaeda japonica is a halophytic plant that lives in mudflat at intertidal zone of western and southern coastal areas of Korea. The seawater-living plants showed a purple color during their whole life. In contrast, freshwater-living plants displayed a green color in leaves. When seawater-living plants were transferred to potting soil, the purple color was gradually changed to green in the leaves. The extracted purple pigment compound exhibited typical characteristics of betacyanin that were represented by water solubility, pH- and temperature-dependent color changes, sensitivity to light, UV-Vis spectra, and gel electrophoretic migration pattern. The LC-MS analysis of the extracted pigment compound showed the presence of two major protonated molecular ions ($[M+H]^+$) at m/z 651.1 and m/z 827.1. Antioxidant activity of the pigment compound was determined using stable free radical DPPH assay. It was found to have an antioxidant activity that is linearly increased in proportion to the reaction time for up to 30 min, and the activity was comparable to that of control BHA at 9.0 mg/ml. The anticancer activity against several tumor cell lines was also examined following the MTT assay. The significant growth inhibitory effect was observed on two tumor cell lines, SW-156 (human kidney carcinoma) and HEC-1B (human endometrial adenocarcinoma). Probably, the pigment compound may function as an osmolyte to uphold halotolerant physiological processes in saline environment.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2021

Intertidal macroalgae are regularly exposed to hypo- or hypersaline conditions which are stressful. However, red algae in New Zealand are generally poorly studied in terms of salinity tolerance. Consequently, two native (Bostrychia arbuscula W. H. Harvey [Ceramiales], Champia novae-zelandiae [J. D. Hooker & Harvey] Harvey [Rhodymeniales]) and one introduced red algal taxon (Schizymenia spp. J. Agardh [Nemastomatales]) were exposed for 5 days in a controlled salt stress experiment to investigate photosynthetic activity and osmotic acclimation. The photosynthetic activity of B. arbuscula was not affected by salinity, as reflected in an almost unchanged maximum quantum yield (F_v/F_m). In contrast, the F_v/F_m of C. novae-zelandiae and Schizymenia spp. strongly decreased under hypo- and hypersaline conditions. Treatment with different salinities led to an increase of the total organic osmolyte concentrations with rising salt stress in B. arbuscula and Schizymenia spp. In C. novae-zelandiae the highest organic osmolyte concentrations were recorded at S_A 38, followed by declining amounts with further hypersaline exposure. In B. arbuscula, sorbitol was the main organic osmolyte, while the other taxa contained floridoside. The data presented indicate that all three red algal species conspicuously differ in their salt tolerance. The upper intertidal B. arbuscula exhibited a wide salinity tolerance as reflected by unaffected photosynthetic parameters and strong sorbitol accumulation under increasing salinities, and hence can be characterized as euryhaline. In contrast, the introduced Schizymenia spp. and native C. novae-zelandiae, which preferentially occur in the mid-intertidal, showed a narrower salinity tolerance. The species-specific responses reflect their respective vertical positions in the intertidal zone.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.390-395
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• 2006

Effects of exogenously foliar applied glycine betaine (GB) on the growth and contents of osmolyte in tomato seedling was investigated. Plants treated with exogenous glycine betaine induced better biomass production and plant height during chilling stress than the untreated plants. The total soluble sugar contents in GB foliar-applied plants lower than that of untreated plants 28 days after foliar application. Total water soluble protein contents in GB foliar-applied plants did not change 28 days after chilling stress. In untreated plant, it decreased rapidly in the beginning of chilling stress. Proline contents in untreated plants rapidly increased by the beginning of chilling stress, and then slightly decreased during the next 3 weeks. However proline contents in GB foliar-applied plants did not change during the 28 days chilling stress period. The results suggest that foliar application of GB is a effect methods to increase the chilling tolerance of tomato seedlings in protected cultivation system at low temperature season.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.49-51
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• 2001

Betaine functions as an osmoregulators in the cells and its inclusion can spare the choline, carcass fat reduction. Thus, two hundred eighty eight of seventy eight weeks old laying hens were fed with 0, 500, 1,000, 2,000 ppm betaine addition during the environmentally high temperature stress. Basal diets contained 16% CP and 2,800 ME. Egg production, feed intake, feed conversion were examined for eight weeks. Egg qualities, liver betaine, blood osmolarity, AntiDiuretic Hormone(ADH) were measured at the end experiment. Egg production of hens fed 500, 2,000 ppm dietary betaine and showed significance between control and 2,000 ppm betaine treatment(P＜0.05). ADH of blood sera tended to increase as dietary supplemental betaine increased. The results of this experiments indicated that dietary supplemental betaine was able to improve the performance, eggshell breaking strength, liver betaine in this experiment.

• ALGAE
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.123-135
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• 2021

The taxonomy of green microalgae relies traditionally on morphological traits but has been rapidly changing since the advent of molecular methods. Stichococcus Nägeli is a cosmopolitan terrestrial algal genus of the class Trebouxiophyceae that has recently been split into seven lineages, which, along with Pseudostichococcus, comprise the Stichococcuslike group; there is a need to further characterize these genera, since they are morphologically enigmatic. Here we used organic osmolytes as chemotaxonomic marker to verify the phylogenetic position of Stichococcus-like strains and were also able to exclude a strain hitherto identified as Gloeotila contorta from this group. Stichococcus-like organisms, including those recently revised, were characterized by the production of the polyol sorbitol and the disaccharide sucrose in high amounts, as is typical of Prasiola-clade algae. The results demonstrate that organic osmolyte chemotaxonomy can support green algal taxonomic designations as fundamental research.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.368-374
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• 2008

Dry formulation is a limiting step for successful development of microbial bio-pesticides with the antagonistic Gram-negative bacteria because their survival rates are too low during drying and storage. The high concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl) in culture medium that induces osmolyte in bacterial cells is known to increase of survival rate during drying in many Gram-negative bacteria. Effect of NaCl on survival of antagonistic non-pathogenic Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora 9-3 (Ecc 9-3) during drying and storage was studied. Growth rate of Ecc 9-3 was not much different up to 0.5 M NaCl in NB while it was lower significantly with 0.7 M NaCl. Survival rates were twice and 3 times higher with 0.5 M NaCl than with no additional NaCl during drying at room temperature and freeze-drying, respectively. Survival rate was also higher with high NaCl in culture medium during storage after drying. It was not much different on storage at $4^{\circ}C$ both of drying at room temperature and freeze-drying. However, the survival rate was higher on storage at $27^{\circ}C$ and $37^{\circ}C$ with high NaCl concentration. Among the additives tested, lactose affects most to survival rate both of drying at room temperature and freeze-drying, and dextrin influenced significantly to survival rate of drying at room temperature.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.109-117
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• 1999

Thirty two species of coastal plants (mainly halophytes) were investigated for their free amino acids and the total and water-soluble nitrogen contents in leaves. All plants except some species (e.g. Scutellaria and Linaria) contained proline, but only Ageratum. Tetragonia and Raphanus in rather high amounts, that it can be thought to serve as a cytoplasmic osmolyte. In some plant species (Euphorbia. Glehnia. Peucedanum. Raphanus and monocotyledonous Carex and Zoysia), however, hydroxyproline. (OH-Pro) rather than proline were accumulated to a considerable extent. The concentrations of total free amino acids were low in Aster tripolium, Linaria. Lysimachia. Plantago. Rumex, Vitex and especially in the members of the Chenopodiaceae and Crassulaceae. Marked differences also occurred in the nitrogen levels. Aizoaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cruciferae, Euphorbiaceae and Leguminosae usually showed high values of total and soluble amino nitrogen, while the opposite was true for most of the Cyperaceae, Gramineae, Lamiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Scophuriaceae, and Verbenaceae. The free amino acids in the investigated plant species contributed very little to the nitrogen content, but in plants of Euphorbia, Messerschmidia and Orostachys. their amino acid-N made up for 25∼30% of the total nitrogen. In conclusion, only a few cases did proline known as compatible solute constitute a significant proportion of the free amino acid pool in coastal plants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1461-1476
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• 2009

This review focuses on the metabolic and osmoregulatory functions of betaine and its impact on nutrient digestibility and performance in pigs and poultry. Betaine is the trimethyl derivative of the amino acid glycine, and is present in plant and animal tissue. It has been shown to play an important role in osmoregulation of plants, bacteria and marine organisms. Due to its chemical structure, betaine exerts a number of functions both at the gastrointestinal and metabolic level. As a methyl group donor, betaine is involved in transmethylation reactions and donates its labile methyl group for the synthesis of several metabolically active substances such as creatine and carnitine. Therefore, supplementation of betaine may reduce the requirement for other methyl group donors such as methionine and choline. Beneficial effects on intestinal cells and intestinal microbes have been reported following betaine supplementation to diets for pigs and poultry, which have been attributed to the osmotic properties of betaine. Furthermore, betaine potentially enhances the digestibility of specific nutrients, in particular fiber and minerals. Moreover, at the metabolic level, betaine is involved in protein and energy metabolism. Growth trials revealed positive effects of supplemental betaine on growth performance in pigs and poultry, and there is evidence that betaine acts as a carcass modifier by reducing the carcass fat content. In conclusion, due to its various metabolic and osmoregulatory functions, betaine plays an important role in the nutrition of monogastric animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1729-1737
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• 2007

A CRD experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different exogenous betaine levels (0.000, 0.075, 0.150 and 0.225 percent) on 576 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross) under water salinity stress. Different levels of water salinity were made by adding 3 levels of NaCl (0, 1,000 and 2,000 mg/L) to drinking water. Feed and water were available ad libitum. Betaine increased body weight, improved feed conversion ratio, and decreased packed cell volume (p<0.05). Water salinity promoted body weight over the whole period, increased feed intake (11 to 21 and 29 to 42-d) and also improved feed conversion ratio in grower and finisher periods (p<0.01). Breast weight, water consumption (28-d and 42-d) and excreta moisture (28-d) were increased by elevating the level of water salinity (p<0.01). Interaction between dietary betaine and water salinity was significant on plasma osmolarity as well as epithelial osmolarity of the duodenum at 28-d. Epithelial osmolarity was decreased from duodenum to ileum. The data imply that betaine is involved in the protection of intestinal epithelia against osmotic disturbance which can be caused by saline water, but further research is needed to investigate the effects of betaine with higher levels of water salinity.