• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.95-106
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of coniferous essential oils (EOs) blended films on insect repellence and crop productivity. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film is widely used, especially in agriculture and for food packaging. Ethylene vinyl acetate was blended with LDPE to reduce volatilization of EOs. An EO from Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) was incorporated into the blend film to conduct field research on antimicrobial and insect repellent properties. Among the various concentrations of EO, the highest concentration (2.5%) showed the highest efficiency in terms of pesticidal activity. The ability to inhibit microbial growth can be explained by the lipophilic properties of the EO component, and many studies have already demonstrated this. Agricultural films containing all types of EO have been tested on various crops such as chili, cucumber, Korean melon and have been able to verify their effectiveness in avoiding pests and increasing yields. From these results, it was found that it is reasonable to use a modified film such as a composite film containing an EO for agriculture. Thus, the modified film containing EO has undoubtedly shown impressive potential for reducing the use of pesticides in a variety of ways, not only for agricultural mulching film but also for food and agricultural product packaging. This product is an environmentally friendly chemical and is safe for agricultural and industrial and food packaging applications, among others. In particular, the use of agricultural films significantly reduces the use of pesticides, suggesting that farmers can increase their incomes by reducing working hours and costs, and increasing production.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.445-450
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• 2019

Recently, consumers using cosmetics have a great interest in raw material safety. Among them, interest in natural preservatives is increasing, and as the demand for cosmetics excluding paraben preservatives increases, a method of replacing synthetic preservatives with antibacterial essential oils is being considered. The antibacterial effect of essential oils depends on the components, concentrations and interactions between the main active compounds. Effective preservatives should have antimicrobial activity against a wide range of strains even at minimal concentrations. All preservatives should be considered to increase skin concentration and cause skin irritation and allergic reactions. Consumers recognize that essential oils from nature are safe, but some should be careful because they can cause contact allergies or phototoxic reactions. As such, it is important to balance natural preservatives with maximum preservative effects and low toxicity. This paper describes the characteristics of essential oils focused on antibacterial properties, efficacy and safety as cosmetic preservatives.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1200-1209
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• 2021

Sepsis is an acute inflammatory response that leads to life-threatening complications if not quickly and adequately treated. Cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin are toxins produced by gram-positive bacteria and are responsible for resistance to antimicrobial drugs, cause virulence and lead to sepsis. This work assessed the effects of aloe-emodin (AE) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on sepsis-associated gram-positive bacterial toxins. Standard and antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumonia bacterial strains were cultured in the dark with varying AE concentrations and later irradiated with 72 J/cm^-2 light. Colony and biofilm formation was determined. CCK-8, Griess reagent reaction, and ELISA assays were done on bacteria-infected RAW264.7 cells to determine the cell viability, NO, and IL-1β and IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokines responses, respectively. Hemolysis and western blot assays were done to determine the effect of treatment on hemolysis activity and sepsis-associated toxins expressions. AE-mediated PDT reduced bacterial survival in a dose-dependent manner with 32 ㎍/ml of AE almost eliminating their survival. Cell proliferation, NO, IL-1β, and IL-6 cytokines production were also significantly downregulated. Further, the hemolytic activities and expressions of cytolysin, hemolysin, and pneumolysin were significantly reduced following AE-mediated PDT. In conclusion, combined use of AE and light (435 ± 10 nm) inactivates MRSA, S. aureus (ATCC 29213), S. pneumoniae (ATCC 49619), MDR-S. pneumoniae, E. faecalis (ATCC 29212), and VRE (ATCC 51299) in an AE-dose dependent manner. AE and light are also effective in reducing biofilm formations, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, hemolytic activities, and inhibiting the expressions of toxins that cause sepsis.

• 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.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.220-233
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• 2019

Bacterial lysates have become a common ingredient for natural health care. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) could serve as potential candidates for lysate production: the lactic acids produced by LAB have been utilized for their moisturizing, antimicrobial, and rejuvenating effects, while other substances provide topical benefits and health effects for the skin. Our study aimed to obtain lysate from a LAB S. macedonicus MBF 10-2 through an optimized fermentation using the Response Surface Methodology. Strain MBF10-2 was cultivated in a 2L fermenter tank in de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium and in plant-based peptone modified MRS, i.e. Soy-peptone and Vegitone. The duration and the medium composition (dextrose and soy peptone or proteose peptone) were adjusted to obtain an optimum production of cell lysate. Central Composite Design was employed for Design Expert 7.0.0 by adjusting 3 factors: dextrose (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%), soy or proteose peptone (0.5%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25% and 1.5%), and duration of fermentation (8, 10, 12 14, and 16 h for MRS-Soy peptone and 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 h for MRS Vegitone). Bacteriocin-Like Inhibitor Substance activity of lysate and pH were used as indicators. The optimum condition for lysate production using MRS Soy Peptone and Vegitone are as follows: dextrose concentration 2.5%, plant-based peptone 1.25%, while optimum fermentation duration were 11.18 h (MRS Soy Peptone) and 17 h (MRS Vegitone) with a starter concentration of 10% at $OD_{600nm}$ $0.2{\pm}0.05$. However, the standard MRS medium produced better quality lysate compared to MRS plant-based peptones.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.157-159
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• 2019

Pseudomonas fluorescens NBC275 (Pf275) isolated from soil sample collected at riverside of Nakdonggang showed antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens of plants and insects. Here we present complete genome sequence of Pf275. The genome comprises of 6,610,362 bp with GC content of 60.9%, which includes 5,869 predicted protein-coding genes, 16 rRNAs, and 65 tRNAs. Genome analysis revealed gene clusters encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as pyoverdine, 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol, and phenazine, which are known to play essential roles in biocontrol of diseases.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.447-451
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• 2019

The study was designed to investigate the antibacterial effect of Helicobacter pylori against 32 medicinal plants commonly used as health foods. The medicinal plants used in this study were 32 kinds of medicinal plant extracts using the disk diffusion method for H. pylori activity, which can be eaten every day by everyone. Amoxicillin sodium (150 mg / ml, Ildong Pharmaceutical) and Metronidazole 50 mg / ml) was used as a control group. We measured the area of the transparent area and evaluated that the larger the area, the more effective it is for H. pylori. As a result of this study, the clear zone of inhibition was highest at $372.90mm^2$, second was $358.30mm^2$, and Chungho was $348.32mm^2$. The positive control group, Metronidazole (50 mg / ml CJ), was $503,29mm^2$. In the future, the development of antimicrobial materials of various medicinal plants is expected to be effective for the inhibition of H. pylori.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.286-288
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• 2019

Pseudomonas parafulva PpaJBCS1880 (PpaJBCS1880) isolated from rice seeds showed strong antagonistic activity against bacterial plant pathogens by producing lipopeptide. Furthermore, the strain controlled the incidence of bacterial pustule in soybean plants and promoted the growth of rice plants. Here we present complete genome sequence of PpaJBCS1880. The genome comprises of 5,208,480 bp with GC content of 63.4%, which includes 4,487 predicted protein-coding genes, 19 rRNAs, and 74 tRNAs. Genome analysis revealed genes encoding antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as lipopeptide, pyoverdine, phenazine, and hydrogen cyanide, which are known to play essential roles in biocontrol of plant diseases.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.258-267
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the growth and biogenic amines (BA) formation of Enterobacter aerogenes CIH05 in skim milk and soymilk. Lactobacillus acidophilus GK20, Lactobacillus paracasei GK74, and Lactobacillus plantarum GK81 isolated from mustard kimchi did not produce BA in the decarboxylation broth. L. paracasei GK74 exhibited the highest cell viability and antimicrobial compounds producing ability in fermented skim milk and soymilk samples, while the lowest producer was L. plantarum GK81. The production yield of lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacteriocin was dependent on the species of Lactobacillus and the type of culture medium. As LAB the number of viable cells of E. aerogenes CIH05 were higher in skim milk than in soymilk. When mixed culture with L. acidophilus GK20 and L. paracasei GK74 and treated with bacteriocin solution (300 AU/ml) obtained from these strains in milk media, the cell growth and cadaverine and histamine contents of E. aerogenes CIH05 were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the respective values in control sample.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2019

The chemical compositions of the essential oil of Valeriana officinalis roots obtained by steam distillation method were analyzed by GC-MS. The 16 constituents were identified in the V. officinalis oil, and the most abundant compounds were patchouli alcohol (18.69%) and ${\beta}$-gurjunene (15.26%). Acaricidal effects of the V. officinalis oil were evaluated against Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Haemaphysalis longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph by contact bioassay. The $LD_{50}$ values against T. putrescentiae, H. longicornis larva and H. longicornis nymph were 28.01, 178.26 and $207.98{\mu}g/cm^2$, respectively. Agar disc diffusion bioassay showed the antibacterial activity of the V. officinalis oil against foodborne pathogens, especially L. monocytogenes. These results showed that the essential oil of V. officinalis roots derived from USA has a potential for development as acaricide and antimicrobial.