• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.127-131
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• 2004

This study was to study the antibacterial effect of Lignum sappan extract on S. mutans growth. The antibacterial activities of Lignum sappan's crude extract was measured 17.3 mm at 20 mg/ml concentration. The growth of S. mutans in control medium was the highest at 8hr, while the media of Lignum sappan extract added-medium (2 mg/ml) showed maximum growth at 16hr. The pH values of the control media was 5.08 at 8hr, but the media supplemented with Lignum sappan extract was 6.69 at 8hr. The amounts of total carbohydrate of the control media was 0.81 mg/ml at 8hr, but the media supplemented with Lignum sappan extract was 2.06 mg/ml at 8hr. In the protein change of culture medium, the control culture broth and the cultures supplemented with Lignum sappan extract was 8.39 mg/ml and 12.3 mg/ml at 8hr, respectively. The S. mutans polysaccharide contents of the control media and the media supplemented with Lignum sappan extract was 300 mg/100ml and 60 mg/100ml at 8hr, respectively.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.618-623
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• 1995

Cryptococcosis is a systemic mycosis that most often involves the lungs and central nervous system and, less frequently, the skin, skeletal system, and prostate gland. Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative organism, is a yeastlike round or oval fungus, 4 to $6{\mu}m$ in diameter, which is surrounded by a polysaccharide capsule and reproduces by budding and found in soil and other environmental areas, especially those contaminated by pigeon droppings. Humans and animals acquire infection after inhalation of aerosolized spores. Condition or factors that predispose to cryptococcosis include corticosteroid therapy, lymphoreticular malignancies, HIV infection, and sarcoidosis etc. We discribed a case of cryptococcosis involving lung and CNS coincidently without specific underlying disease and the literature on subject were reviewed. A fifty-six year-old previously healthy female presented with headache of 3 months of duration. She had no history suggesting immunologic suppression and we could not find any abnormal laboratory findings including blood sugar, serum immunoglobulin and complement level, HIV antibody, and T cell subsets. Chest roentgenogram and CT scan showed a solitary soft tissue mass in LUL with distal pneumonitis. Brain MRI showed granulomatous lesion in cerebellum and parasagittal cortex of right frontal lobe. The diagnosis was made by bronchoscopic brushing cytology, transthoracic fine needle aspiration, and sputum KOH mount and culture. She was treated 6 weeks course of Amphotericin B and switched to oral fluconazole therapy for 3 months. Her symptoms and X-ray findings were improved gradually and she is now under regular clinical follow up.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1991

Fruit bodies of Ganoderma lucidum have been used for most pharmacological studies, but pharmacological effects are likely variable because the habitats and strains of Ganoderma lucidum are different. Therefore, their fermentation is required to produce constant and reliable pharmacolo­gical constituents from Ganoderma lucidum. During the studies of medium for industrial application. it was found that ginseng root residues, remaining after being extracted with ethanol, were a good carbon source for a fermentation of Genoderma lucidum and a corn steep liquor was also economical for the nitrogen source. Yield of the mycelial cultured in ginseng root residues and corn steep liquor was 2.5 times higher than that in glucose and peptone, known as a conventional medium of Ganoderma lucidum. The polysaccharide content of the extracts from the cultured mycelia was higher than that from fruit bodies, but protein content was vice versa. Extracts of the cultured mycelia were more effective and lasting than extracts of the fruit bodies in decreased hypertention of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.741-745
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• 2005

Pectin was dissolved in HCl, citric acid, and deionized distilled water (DW, 2%, v/v) and irradiated at different irradiation doses (2.5-50 kGy) by gamma ray to investigate its physicochemical characteristics and biological activity. Viscosity of pectin solution was significantly decreased by irradiation up to 10 kGy, then remained constant thereafter. Gamma-irradiation increased monosaccharide and polysaccharide levels up to 30-40 kDa. Electron donating ability of pectin solution was highest when DW was added and was increased by increasing irradiation dose (p<0.05). ${\beta}-Carotene$ bleaching assay revealed irradiation resulted in development of antioxidantive activity in pectin solution. Growth inhibition of cancer cell lines was observed in irradiated pectin solution in dose-dependent manner, with G36l showing the highest. Results suggested irradiation of pectin solution could be effective for preparation of functional pectin oligomer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1006-1011
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• 2014

Ginseng has been known to be highly effective for health as a traditional medicinal herb. Ginseng berry, or fruit of ginseng, contains ginsenoside, saponin, polyphenol, polyacetylene, alkaloid, etc. as the main compounds as does ginseng. The aim of this study is to evaluate any effect of ginseng berry water extract (GBE) on diabetic-associated molecules, such as enzymes, which are responsible for the glucose entry of the cells and the insulin receptor signaling molecules using HepG2 cells. Therefore, two enzymes, ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, were selected and assayed for their activities in the presence of GBE in vitro. These two enzymes are responsible for producing glucose from dietary starch. Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and Akt1 are key proteins in the insulin receptor signaling pathway. These two intracellular signaling molecules were investigated for their expression levels in HepG2 cells after insulin and GBE treatment. GBE, at concentrations up to $1,000{\mu}g/ml$, did not exert any inhibitory effect on ${\alpha}$-amylase and ${\alpha}$-glucosidase. It was observed that the expression level of PTP1B was increased by insulin and the $25{\mu}g/ml$ GBE treatment enhanced the PTP1B level. However, GBE at a concentration of $200{\mu}g/ml$ reduced the expression level of PTP1B. In the case of Akt1, the Akt1 level by insulin was decreased by GBE treatment. These data suggest that the water extracts of ginseng berry have an influence on intracellular signaling by insulin.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.246-255
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• 2007

Mutans streptococci have been implicated as cariogenic bacteria in dental caries because they can produce high levels of dental caries-causing lactic acid and extracellular polysaccharide. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize the mutans streptococci from the dental plaque obtained from Koreans. The dental plaque samples were collected from the anterior and molar teeth of both jaws in 155 subjects (aged 2 to 33.2 years, average age $13.7{\pm}4.7\;years$). The samples were diluted by 100-fold in $1{\times}\;PBS$ and plated on mitis-salivarius bacitracin (MSB) agar plates. The mutans streptococci grown on MSB plates were screened by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) targeting dextranase gene (dex). The mutans streptococci were identified at the species level using a 16S rDNA sequencing comparison method. The biochemical tests were carried out to biotype the mutans streptococci. Ninety-five strains of the mutans streptococci out of 358 colonies, which were derived from 141 subjects, were isolated. Of them, 77 strains and 18 strains were Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, respectively. The biotyping data showed that 62, 1, 20, 10, and 2 strains were biotypes I, II, IV, V and variant, respectively. Of the two strains of variant biotype, one strains was similar to biotype IV except that it was positive to the arginine hydrolysis test. We considered this one strain a new biotype, and classified it as biotype VII. In conclusion, S. mutans and its biotype I was most frequently isolated in Korean dental plaque. The mutans streptococci strains isolated in this study might be useful for the study of the pathogenesis and the prevention of dental caries.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.124-134
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• 2006

Statement of problem: Streptococcus produces energy and forms extracellular polysaccharides by metabolizing sucrose. Insoluble glucan, a kind of extracellular polysaccharide, is the important material of dental plaque. Fructose affects the metabolism of sucrose. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of fructose on the metabolism of sucrose in Streptococcus mutans. Materials and methods: To determine the effect of fructose on the formation of artificial plaque by Streptococcus mutans Ingbritt, S. mutans and fructose were placed in beakers containing M17 broth and sucrose. The wires were hung on frameworks inserted into cork stoppers, and then immersed in each of the beakers. After the incubation with gentle shaking, each wire was weighed. To analyze the effect of fructose on the sucrose metabolism by S. mutans or glucosyltransferase, S. mutans and fructose were placed in M17 broth containing sucrose. After the incubation. the remaining sucrose and polymers were analysed by thin layer chromatography. Results: The following results were obtained; 1. When Streptococcus mutans was cultured in the media containing 3% sucrose for 8 hours, the mean weight of formed artificial plaque on the wires was $124.3{\pm}3.0mg$, whereas being reduced to $20.7{\pm}10.2mg$ in the media added with 3% sucrose and 4% fructose(p<0.05) 2. When the control containing glucose was added with sucrose, the optical density of Streptococcus mutans solution cultured for 24 hours was not increased compared with the control, while being increased by adding with fructose. 3. When Streptococcus mutans was incubated in the media added with sucrose and fructose for 8 hours, the number of viable cells was increased compared with the media added with sucrose. 4. The amount of remained sucrose was increased in Streptococcus mutans culture supernatant of media added with sucrose and fructose than with sucrose only. but the amount of produced insoluble glucan was decreased. 5. The amounts of remained sucrose and produced soluble glucan were increased in the culture of glucosyltransferase-contained media added with sucrose and fructose than with sucrose only, but the amount of produced insoluble glucan was decreased . Conclusion: These results indicated that the sucrose metabolism and the production of insoluble glucan were inhibited in Streptococcus mutans by adding fructose in the media containing sucrose.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2006

Response surface methodology was implemented to determine an optimal extraction condition in Phellinus linteus water extract. Extraction was performed on 10 experimental conditions including independent variables such as extraction time $(1{\sim}5\;hrs)$ and water volume over sample (sample : $H_2O$ = 1 : $40{\sim}200$, W/V), color browning, reducing and total sugar, that were based on the significant levels of 10% of central composition design. Color browning, reducing and total sugar contents were found to be more affected when the water volume was increased rather than extraction time. Maximum extraction condition was acquired at extraction time of $3.0{\sim}4.5\;hrs$ and water volume of $40{\sim}58.2\;ml$. Being extracted at the optimal extraction condition two of the free sugars, sucrose (0.126%) and glucose (0.012%), were detected. Total content of the free amino acids was found to be $503.26\;{\mu}g%$. Among them, essential amino acid contents were revealed as 5.4%. One major peak from gel permeation chromatography contained polysaccharide(s) with the molecular weights of 10 KDa.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2009

$\beta$-glucan is a fiber-type complex sugar (polysaccharide) derived from the cell wall of baker's yeast, oat and barley fiber, and many medicinal mushrooms, such as maitake. The primary uses of $\beta$-glucan are to enhance the immune system, to lower blood cholesterol levels and to treat tumor. $\beta$-glucan has no systemic toxicity in mice, therefore it needed clinical trail to prove efficacy and safety for human. The subjects total 56 healty volunteers were divided into two groups including taken $\beta$-glucan tablet group and placebo group. Subjects were taken two tablets per oral for 4 weeks. They had agreed to take part in this experiment, and didn't take any other clinical trail products. After 4 weeks blood of subjects were checked. The check list are TNF-$\alpha$, INF-$\gamma$, IL-2, IL-4, total WBC, differential WBC, RBC, hemoglobin, platelet, MCV, MCH, MCHC, HCT, Na, K, Ca, Cl, AST, ALT, ALP, $\gamma$-GTP, total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, total bilirubin, albumin, uric acid, creatinine, BUN, pH, protein, glucose, ketone body, blood, bilirubin. We evaluated efficacy by cytokines that compare before and after taking. Collected data were analyzed as two sample t-test, chi-square test and ANOVA using SAS V.9.1.This study results are that in TNF-$\alpha$ of $1^{st}$ efficacy measurement item, all of two groups figure were increased significantly compare to before figure. In IL4 of $2^{nd}$ efficacy measurement item, experimental group figure were decreased significantly but placebo group figure were increased. The conclusions show that based on the above results, $\beta$-glucan has favorable effect to enhance immune system, especially IL4 results showed that it has effect to improve the allergic immune system.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.566-577
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• 2009

The modification of wood color occurs rapidly during the service period at indoor. It is crucial to investigate the characteristics of color change, chemical and microscopical modification of wood at indoor. Wood products made of Japanese cedar at different years were used for this work. The tests were performed in order to evaluate the degree of color change of wood surface, breakpoint of brightness from surface to inside of wood, chemical analysis with FT-IR, and microscopical characteristics using the LM and TEM. Surface color of cedar wood stored indoor were rapidly changed at early stage, particularly ${\Delta}a$ (yellow), and ${\Delta}b$ (red) values were steeply decreased for one year old indoor wood, ${\Delta}L$ (white) value was dropped until 5 years old indoor wood compared with control sample. Decrease of peaks related to polysaccharide and lignin was noticed, especially, lignin was severely degraded. Although degradation of cell wall limited only to surface layers of indoor wood, degradation pattern of indoor wood showed similar degradation pattern to natural weathering of wood during outdoor weathering or wood behavior under artificial UV irradiation.