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Curcumin has diverse anticancer activities that lead to tumor growth inhibition of cancer cells and induction of apoptosis. Curcumin is involved in the regulation of multiple genes via transcription factors including NF-kB, STATs, AP1, and SP. Notch signaling plays critical roles in maintaining the balance between cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and thereby may contribute to the development of various cancers involving breast cancer. This study was to investigate the effects of curcumin on Notch1 gene expression and to explore the underlying mechanism. Here, we found that curcumin decreased the levels of Notch1 mRNA and protein in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, along with the downregulation of Sp family genes (Sp1, Sp2, Sp3, and Sp4). The repressive effect of curcumin on Notch1 gene transcription was confirmed by performing Notch1 promoter- driven reporter assay and three Sp-binding sites were identified on Notch1 promoter that may act as curcumin-respose elements. Moreover, treatment with mitramycin A, a specific Sp inhibitor, decreased the levels of Notch1 mRNA and protein in human breast cancer cells. Taken together, our results indicate that Notch1 gene expression is downregulated by curcumin, at least in part, through the suppression of Sp family, which may lead to apoptosis in human breast cancer cells.

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is one of major proinflammatory mediators, plays an important role in the development of vascular inflammatory diseases. TXA2 acting through the thromboxane receptor regulates multiple pathways and genes in a variety of cells. In this study, we report that the activation of thromboxane receptor with U46619 increases the interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA in vascular endothelial cells. We also demonstrated that U46619 produces the activations of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is required for endothelial IL-8 production. And U46619 enhanced mRNA stability of IL-8 transcripts in endothelial cells. Moreover, inhibition of ERK1/2 or p38MAPK reduced monocyte adhesion to aortic endothelium stimulated by U46619. Therefore, these results suggest that activation of thromboxane receptor promotes the expression of IL-8 via ERK1/2 and p38MAPK activation in endothelial cells.

In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammation effect of Potentilla chinensis (PC) on Raw264.7 macrophage cells. Ethanol extract of PC decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Ethanol extract was fractioned by n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, water and each fraction was tested for inhibitory effects on inflammation. Among the sequential solvent fractions, PC chloroform extracts (50, 100, 300, and 500 μg/mL) significantly suppressed LPS-stimulated production of NO. During the entire experimental period, 200 and 300 μg/mL of PC chloroform extracts had no cytotoxicity. LPSinduced NO and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production were inhibited by PC chloroform extracts up to 50% and 90% of these productions, respectively. PC chloroform extracts reduced the expression of iNOS and COX-2 gene. These results suggest that PC chloroform extracts exhibit strong effects of anti-inflammation and can be a potential candidate in the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the several functional characteristics of Lactobacillus sakei JK-17 isolated from long-term fermented kimchi, Muk Eun Ji. Initially, phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing was performed to identify the isolate JK-17, and the strain could be assigned to Lactobacillus sakei and designated as L. sakei JK-17. The strain was registered in GenBank as [JX841311]. The changes of bacterial growth and residual organic acids were monitored and HPLC was used to measure quantitatively two organic acids, lactic acid and acetic acid, produced in the culture during 84 hours of incubation. During the incubation period, several functional characteristics of L. sakei JK-17 were examined. L. sakei JK-17 culture depleted nitrite concentration 94.75%. Antioxidant activity of cultural supernatants of L. sakei JK-17 was approx. 53.8%, and β-galactosidase activities were 0.243 units/mL at pH 7.0 and 0.387 units/mL at pH 4.1, respectively. The antibacterial activities against food-poisoning causing bacteria were examined with 20-fold concentrated culture supernatants from L. sakei JK-17 and the antibacterial effects were clearly observed against all bacteria tested in this work.

Dissolved oxygen, pH and cell concentration have been online monitored in cultivation processes with Escherichia coli by using a MABOOMSTM (microplate-based bioreactor with optical online monitoring systems). Fluorescent sensing membranes containing Ru (dpp)3 2+ or HPTS were prepared with GA sol-gel matrix and coated into a well of a 24-well microplate. Fluorescence intensity was measured and correlated to the dissolved oxygen or pH. Cell concentrations were also online monitored by measuring optical reflectance at 650 nm. A well of a 24-well microplate could also be divided into 4 parts, each of which was coated with fluorescent sensing membranes for the detection of dissolved oxygen or pH. The 24-well microplate coated with fluorescent sensing membranes or a 4-divided sensing membrane. was used to online monitor the dissolved oxygen, pH and cell concentration during E. coli cultivations. The online monitoring results showed the characteristics of cell growth in cultivation processes very well.

In this work a MABOOMSTM has been employed to cultivate microorganisms and investigated the effects of culture medium components on cell growth. A 24-well microplate coated with 4-divided fluorescent sensing membranes was used to monitor the dissolved oxygen, pH and cell concentration during cultivations. Fluorescence intensity for dissolved oxygen or solution pH and reflectance for cell concentration was online monitored by using the MABOOMSTM. The online monitoring results showed the effects of culture medium components on cell growth in cultivation processes very well.

Carotenoids are fat-soluble red-orange colored pigments found in plants and seafood-derived products, including algae, seaweeds, and fish muscle. In this study, we have demonstrated the molecular mechanism underlying the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of ascidian tunic carotenoids using mouse macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7). Cell viability was not affected by treatment of carotenoids < 10 μg/mL. This treatment also showed negative inhibition on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The DPPH radical scavenging activity of carotenoids was 47.2% at 100 mg/mL. It also has a potential reducing power (1.025) comparable with ascorbic acid (1.584). The ascidian tunic carotenoids would make a candidate for the commercially interesting biologically active cosmetic pigments.

This study was performed to find cellulolytic strain of enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production. Cellulolytic strains were isolated from 59 different feces of herbivores from Seoul Grand Park located in Gwacheon Gyeonggi-Do. The celluloytic strain was selected by congo red staining and DNS method. Among the isolated strains, H9-1 strain isolated from the feces of rabbit has the highest CMCase activity. H9-1 strain was identified as Bacillus sp. based on 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The optimal conditions for CMCase activity by Bacillus sp. H9-1 were at 40oC and at initial pH 8.

Pretreatment of wastepaper using aqueous glycerol was investigated to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis. The effects of four factors (solid/liquid ratio, glycerol concentration, acid concentration, and reaction time) on the dissolution yield, the removal of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and the enzymatic digestibility were examined at 150oC. The 1/8 of solid/liquid was determined to perform the reaction uniformly, and the 93% of glycerol concentration was found to be a minimum concentration to conduct the reaction under atmospheric pressure. Also, it was found that the acid concentration and reaction time were strongly related to the dissolution yield and the removal of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, but moderately to the enzymatic digestibility. At an optimum condition of 150oC, 1 h and 1% acid concentration, 56% and 49% of hemicellulose and lignin, respectively, were removed, while only 4% of cellulose was removed. The enzymatic digestibility at this condition was 86%, meaning that 83% of the glucan present in the initial substrate was converted to glucose. Compared to glycerol with ethylene glycol as a pretreatment solvent, glycerol is much cheaper than ethylene glycol, but ethylene glycol is superior to glycerol in delignification.

Three isolates, E. faecium P1, P2 and P3, from intestinal drugs of three phamaceutical companies, four clinical vancomycin resistant isolates, E. faecium V1, V2, V3 and E. faecalis V4, and three isolates, E. faecalis DW01, DW07 and DW14, from infant feces were tested for the presence of virulence genes, ace, agg, esp, efaA, gelE, sprE, vanA and vanB as well as fsrABC, regulatory genes of gelE and sprE, cylMBA, cytolysin activation genes and cpd, cob and ccf, pheromone genes by PCR and for their phenotype activities such as protease, biofilm formation, cell clumping and hemolysis. The genes encoding cell surface adherence proteins, ace, agg, esp and efaA, were predominantly amplified from the vancomycin resistant strain V4 and the fecal isolates DW01, DW07 and DW14. Both protease and biofilm formation activity were detected only from E. faecalis V4 from which the PCR products of gelE and spreE as well as fsrABC were amplified. The pheromone genes were amplified from the V4, DW01, DW07 and DW14 strains and these strains showed clumping activity. Biofilm formation was observed from the strains DW01, DW07 and DW14, all of which produced PCR products of pheromone, and V4 as well. Whole cytolysin regulator genes were amplified from DW01, DW07 and DW14 and β-hemolysis activity was detected from these strains. Any virulence genes or activities except the pheomone gene ccf were not detected from the pharmaceutical isolates, E. faecium P1, P2 and P3.

Two strains were isolated from the traditional Deep Blue Sediment Dye of Polygoum tinctoria, Niram, and temporarily named Niram A and Niram B, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain Niram A and B were closely related to the members of the genus Comamonas and Microbacterium, respectively. Strain Niram A exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to C. aquatica LMG 2370T (98.06%). Strain Niram B showed 100% homology with M. oxydans DSM 20578T and M. maritypicum DSM 12512T. The growth of the strain Niram A and B was not inhibited in Niram medium containing high calcium concentration without free sugar as carbon source. The reducing Niram is greenish. Therefore, the reducing ability on the Niram of the strains Niram A and B were determined with the color difference of the a* values of Niram fermented-fluids. The a* value indicates the level of redness (positive value) or greenness (negative value). The green color is increasing towards the negative value. In all samples fermented for 10 days, the a* values among samples were no significant difference. However, samples fermented for 15 days have an appreciable change. After fermentation for 15 days, the control Niram sample had -3.96 ± 0.02 of the a* value. On the other hand, the Niram samples fermented with the strain Niram A and B showed -4.20 ± 0.02 of the a* value and -7.86 ± 0.03 of the a* value, respectively. In the reducing ability on the Niram, the strain Niram B was significantly better than the strain Niram A.