• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.260-265
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• 2008

Annona reticulata belonging to the family Annonaceae is traditionally used as anthelmintic and it is reported to have anticancer activity. Free radicals are known to be involved in various types of diseases like cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders etc. The present study was aimed to evaluate free radical scavenging property of methanol extract of the leaves of Annona reticulata in some in vitro models e.g. DPPH, nitric oxide, superoxide and lipid peroxide radical model. The extract showed good dose-dependent free radical scavenging property in all the models. $IC_{50}$ values were found to be 3.22, 170.01, 25.12 and $140.12\;{\mu}g/ml$ respectively in DPPH, nitric oxide, superoxide and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. Reductive ability of the extract was also tested based on potassium ferricyanide reduction where dose dependant reducing capability was observed. Measurement of total phenolic compounds by Folin-Ciocalteu's phenol reagent indicated that 1mg of the extract contained $146.20\;{\mu}g$ equivalent of pyrocatechol. The findings ascertain promising free radical scavenging property of the extract and the antioxidant property of the extract may be due to the high content of phenolic compounds.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of yellow and white bitter yams from South Western Nigeria using methanolic extraction and simulated gastrointestinal digestion models. The phenolic compounds in the bitter yam varieties were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The total phenolic content of the bitter yams was measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, reductive potential by assessing the ability of the bitter yam to reduce $FeCl_3$ solution, and the antioxidant activities were determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical ($DPPH^{\cdot}$) scavenging activity, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation ($ABTS^{{\cdot}+}$) scavenging activity, nitric oxide radical ($NO^{\cdot}$) scavenging ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, and ability to inhibit $Fe^{2+}$-induced lipid oxidation. The HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of some phenolic compounds in the studied bitter yam varieties, with varying degree of quantitative changes after cooking. The antioxidant indices (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, reducing power, $DPPH^{\cdot}$ scavenging activity, $ABTS^{{\cdot}+}$ scavenging activity, and $NO^{\cdot}$ scavenging activity) were higher in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion model compared to the methanolic extract, with the in vitro digested cooked white bitter yam ranking higher. Similarly, the in vitro digested yams had a higher inhibitory action against lipid oxidation compared to the methanolic extracts, with the cooked white bitter yam ranking high. The methanolic extracts and in vitro enzyme digests showed no acetylcholinesterase inhibitory abilities, while methanolic extracts and the in vitro enzyme digest displayed some level of butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Therefore the studied bitter yams could be considered as possible health supplements.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2020

This study was designed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo effects of reductive acetogens isolated from ruminants on methane mitigation, and milk performance, respectively. Four acetogens, Proteiniphilum acetatigenes DA02, P. acetatigenes GA01, Alkaliphilus crotonatoxidans GA02, and P. acetatigenes GA03 strains were isolated from ruminants and used in in vitro experiment. A control (without acetogen) and a positive group (with Eubacterium limosum ATCC 8486) were also included in in vitro experiment. Based on higher acetate as well as lower methane producing ability in in vitro trial, P. acetatigenes GA03 was used as inoculum for in vivo experiment. Holstein dairy cows (n = 14) were divided into two groups viz. control (without) and GA03 group (diet supplied with P. acetatigenes GA03 at a feed rate of 1% supplementation). Milk performance and blood parameters were checked for both groups. In in vitro, the total volatile fatty acids and acetate production were higher (p < 0.05) in all 4 isolated acetogens than the control and positive treatment. Also, all acetogens significantly lowered (p < 0.05) methane production in comparison to positive and control groups however, GA03 had the lowest (p < 0.05) methane production among 4 isolates. In in vivo, the rate of milk yield reduction was higher (p < 0.05) in the control than GA03 treated group (5.07 vs 2.4 kg). Similarly, the decrease in milk fat was also higher in control (0.14% vs 0.09%) than treatment. The somatic cell counts (SCC; ×10³/mL) was decreased from 128.43 to 107.00 in acetogen treated group however, increased in control from 138.14 to 395.71. In addition, GA03 increased blood glucose and decreased non-esterified fatty acids. Our results suggest that the isolated acetogens have the potential for in vitro methane reduction and P. acetatigenes GA03 strain could be a candidate probiotic strain for improving milk yield and milk fat in lactating cows with lowering SCCs.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.737-752
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• 2000

Wood-rotting basidiomycetous fungi are the most efficient degraders of lignin on earth. The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been used as a model microorganism in the study of enzymology and its application. Because of the ability of the white-rot fungus to degrade lignin, which has an irregular structure and large molecular mass, this fungus has also been studied in relation to degrading and mineralizing many environmental pollutants. The fungus includes an array of enzymes, such as lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), cellobiose:quinone oxidoreductase, and $H_2O_2$-producing enzymes and also produces many other components of the ligninolytic system, such as veratryl alcohol (VA) and oxalate. In addition, the fungus has mechanisms for the reduction of degradation intermediates. The ligninolytic systems have been proved to provide reductive reactions as well as oxidative reactions, both of which are essential for the degradation of lignin and organopollutants. Further study on the white-rot fungus may provide many tools to both utilize lignin, the most abundant aromatic polymer, and bioremediate many recalcitrant organopollutants.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.1053-1064
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• 2023

Melatonin, which is produced from tryptophan, exerts various biological functions, including the regulation of circadian rhythm, sedative agents, and antioxidant ability. Therefore, we conducted two experiments with early-weaned rats and pigs to investigate the antioxidant and sedative effects of melatonin. In the rat experiment, a total of 42 rats (21 days old) were used, and the antioxidant capacity was determined. Next, we used 120 early-weaned piglets (21 days old) to conduct a 5-week experiment to evaluate the reductive effect of melatonin on energy-wasting movement, including roaming and fight states. Dietary melatonin supplementation significantly improved growth in both rats and pigs compared to the control groups. Additionally, rats fed a melatonin-supplemented diet showed advanced antioxidant capacity with a decrease in hepatic malondialdehyde concentration compared to rats fed a basal diet. Moreover, dietary melatonin ingestion increased resting and feeding behaviors and reduced roaming and fight behaviors during Days 8-21 compared to the control diet group. Collectively, early weaned animals given dietary melatonin supplementation showed improved growth through upregulation of hepatic antioxidant capacity and minimization of energy-wasting behavior, including roaming and fight states, after pigs' social hierarchy establishment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.667-675
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• 2016

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has been effectively applied for environmental remediation due to its ability to reduce various toxic compounds. However, quantification of nZVI reactivity has not yet been standardized. Here, we adapted colorimetric assays for determining reductive activity of nZVIs. A modified indophenol method was suggested to determine reducing activity of nZVI. The method was originally developed to determine aqueous ammonia concentration, but it was further modified to quantify phenol and aniline. The assay focused on analysis of reduction products rather than its mother compounds, which gave more accurate quantification of reductive activity. The suggested color assay showed superior selectivity toward reduction products, phenol or aniline, in the presence of mother compounds, 4-chlorophenol or nitrobenzene. Reaction conditions, such as reagent concentration and reaction time, were optimized to maximize sensitivity. Additionally, pretreatment step using $Na_2CO_3$ was suggested to eliminate the interference of residual iron ions. Monometallic nZVI and bimetallic Ni/Fe were investigated with the reaction. The substrates showed graduated reactivity, and thus, reduction potency and kinetics of different materials and reaction mechanism was distinguished. The colorimetric assay based on modified indophenol reaction can be promises to be a useful and simple tool in various nZVI related research topics.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.49-55
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• 2012

A 1.28 L-batch reactor and continuous-flow stirred tank reactor (CFSTR) fed with formate and trichloroethene (TCE) were operated for 120 days and 56 days, respectively, to study the effect of formate as electron donor on anaerobic reductive dechlorination (ARD) of TCE to cis-1,2-dichloroethylene (c-DCE), vinyl chloride (VC), and ethylene (ETH). In batch reactor, injected 60 ${\mu}mol$ TCE was completely degraded in the presence of 20% hydrogen gas ($H_2$) in less than 8 days by anaerobic dechlorination mixed-culture (300 mg-soluble protein), Evanite Culture with ability to completely degrade tetrachloroethene (PCE) and -TCE to ETH under anaerobic conditions. Once the formate was used as electron donor instead of hydrogen gas in batch or chemostat system, the TCE-dechlorination rate decreased and acetate production rate increased. It indicates that the concentration of hydrogen produced in both systems is possibly more close to threshold for homoacetogenesis process. Soluble protein concentration of Evanite culture during the batch test increased from 300 mg to 688 mg for 120 days. Through the protein monitoring, we confirmed an increase of microbial population during the reactor operation. In CFSTR test, TCE was fed continuously at 9.9 ppm (75.38 ${\mu}mol/L$) and the influent formate feed concentration increased stepwise from 1.3 mmol/L to 14.3 mmol/L. Injected TCE was accumulated at 18 days of HRT, but TCE was completely degraded at 36 days of HRT without accumulation of the injected-TCE during the left of experiment period, getting $H_2$ from fermentative hydrogen production of injected formate. Although c-DCE was also accumulated for 23 days after beginning of CFSTR operation, it reached steady-state in the presence of excessive formate. We also evaluated microbial dynamic of the culture at different chemical state in the reactor by DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.18-25
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• 2002

The pikromycin biosynthetic system in Streptomyces venezuleae is unique for its ability to produce two groups of antibiotics that include the 12-membered ring macrolides methymycin and neomethymycin, and the 14-membered ring macrolides narbomycin and pikromycin. The metabolic pathway also contains two post polyketide-modification enzymes, a glycosyltransferase and P450 hydroxylase that have unusually broad substrate specificities. In order to explore further the substrate flexibility of these enzymes a series of hybrid polyketide synthases were constructed and their metabolic products characterized. The plasmid-based replacement of the multifunctional protein subunits of the pikromycin PKS in S. venezuelae by the corresponding subunits from heterologous modular PKSs resulted in recombinant strains that produce both 12- and 14-membered ring macrolactones with predicted structural alterations. In all cases, novel macrolactones were produced and further modified by the DesVII glycosyltransferase and PikC hydroxylase leading to biologically active macrolide structures. These results demonstrate that hybrid PKSs in S. venezuelae can produce a multiplicity of new macrolactones that are modified further by the highly flexible DesVII glycosyltransferase and PikC hydroxylase tailoring enzymes. This work demonstrates the unique capacity of the S. venezuelae pikromycin pathway to expand the toolbox of combinatorial biosynthesis and to accelerate the creation of novel biologically active natural products. The polyketide backbone of rifamycin B is assembled through successive condensation and ${\beta}$-carbonyl processing of the extender units by the modular rifamycin PKS. The eighth module, in the RifD protein, contains nonfunctional DH domain and functional KR domain, which specify the reduction of the ${\beta}$-carbonyl group resulting in the C-21 bydroxyl of rifamycin B. A four amino acid substitution and one amino acid deletion were introduced in the putative NADPH binding motif in the proposed KR domain encoded by rifD. This strategy of mutation was based on the amino acid sequences of the corresponding motif of the KR domain of module 3 in the RifA protein, which is believed dysfunctional, so as to introduce a minimum alteration and retain the reading frame intact, yet ensure loss of function. The resulting strain produces linear polyketides, from tetraketide to octaketide, which are also produced by a rifD disrupted mutant as a consequence of premature termination of polyketide assembly. Much of the structural diversity within the polyketide superfamily of natural products is due to the ability of PKSs to vary the reduction level of every other alternate carbon atom in the backbone. Thus, the ability to introduce heterologous reductive segments such as ketoreductase (KR), dehydratase (DH), and enoylreductase (ER) into modules that naturally lack these activities would increase the power of the combinatorial biosynthetic toolbox. The dehydratase domain of module 7 of the rifamycin PKS, which is predicted to be nonfunctional in view of the sequence of the apparent active site, was replaced with its functional homolog from module 7 of rapamycin-producing polyketide synthase. The resulting mutant strain behaved like a rifC disrupted mutant, i.e., it accumulated the heptaketide intermediate and its precursors. This result points out a major difficulty we have encountered with all the Amycolatopsis mediterranei strain containing hybrid polyketide synthases: all the engineered strains prepared so far accumulate a plethora of products derived from the polyketide chain assembly intermediates as major products instead of just analogs of rifamycin B or its ansamycin precursors.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.241-245
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• 1998

Two oxidation states of chromium commonly occur in natural soil/water systems, Cr(III) and Cr(VI). The oxidized form, Cr(VI), exists as the chromate ion and is more mobile and toxic than Cr(III). Therefore oxidation of Cr(III) by various Mn-oxides in natural systems is a very important environmental concern. Organic substances can inhibit the Cr(III) oxidation by binding, Cr(III) strongly and also by dissolving Mn-oxides. Most of Cr(III) oxidation studies were carried out using in vitro systems without organic substances which exist in natural soil/water systems. In this study effect of organic acids - oxalate and pyruvate - on Cr(III) oxidation by $birnessite({\delta}-MnO_2)$ was examined. The two organic acids significantly inhibited Cr(III) oxidation by birnessite. Oxalate showed more significant inhibition than pyruvate. As solution pH was lowered in the range of 3.0 to 5.0, the Cr(III) oxidation was more strongly depressed. Addition of more organic acids reduced the Cr(III) oxidation mare extensively. Different inhibition effects by the organic acids could be due to their ability of reductive dissolution of Mn-oxides and/or Cr(III) binding. Organic acids dissolved Mn-oxide during the Cr(III) oxidation by the oxide, Dissolution by oxalic acid was much greater than that by pyruvate, and the dissolution was more extensive at lower pH. Inhibition of Cr(III) oxidation was parallel to the dissolution of Mn-oxide by organic acids. Although the effect of Cr(III) binding by organic acids on Cr(III) oxidation is not known yet, Mn-oxide dissolution by organic acids could be a main reason for the inhibition of Cr(III) oxidation by Mn-oxide in presence of organic acids. Thus oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) by various Mn-oxides in natural systems could be much less than the oxidation estimated by in vitro studies with only Cr(III) and Mn-oxides.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.559-564
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• 2010

A new hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, Aeromonas sp. strain JS-1, that can fix $CO_2$ via the reductive pentose phosphate cycle (Calvin-Benson cycle) under chemoautotrophic conditions but not photoautotrophic conditions was isolated from fresh water. Strain JS-1 showed considerable $CO_2$ fixation ability during continuous cultivation even at high $CO_2$ concentration. Strain JS-1 used $H_2$ and $CO_2$ fixation as energy and carbon sources, respectively. Carbon dioxide fixation is carried out through the Calvin-Benson cycle, in which ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is the key enzyme. Hydrogen-oxidizing chemoautotrophic Aeromonas sp. strain JS-1 exhibited remarkedly strong RubisCO [EC 4.1.1.39] activity. RubisCO was purified as an $L_8S_8$-type hexadecamer with molecular mass of 560 kDa by gel filtration. The enzyme consisted of two different subunits eight large (56 kDa) and eight small (15 kDa), as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was about 3.31 unit/mg and stable up to $45^{\circ}C$. The $K_m$ values for RuBP, $CO_2$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were estimated to be 0.25 mM, 5.2 mM and 0.91 mM, respectively.