A strain ZG0656 producing a-amylase inhibitor was isolated from soil in this study. Polyphasic taxonomic studies were performed, including appearance characteristics, culture characteristics, phenotypic characteristics, cell walls chemical composition, nearly complete 16S rDNA sequence alignment with those of representative Streptomyces species. These results revealed that strain ZG0656 represents a novel variation of Streptomyces coelicoflavus, for which we propose the name S. coelicoflavus var. nankaiensis. After fermentation in a 10 L fermentor, alpha-amylase inhibitors were accumulated in the harvested broth of strain ZG0656. The alpha-amylase inhibitors we obtained were identified as aminooligosaccharides after concentration, resin-adsorption, gel-filtration, and desiccation. They could intensively inhibit alpha-amylase, depress postprandial blood glucose elevation obviously. Thus, the a-amylase inhibitors are expected to act as drugs or functional food against diabetes.
Amino Sugars ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; Fermentation ; Oligosaccharides ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; Soil Microbiology ; Streptomyces ; classification ; metabolism ; alpha-Amylases ; antagonists & inhibitors

The ginseng endophytic bacteria F1 is a potential biocontrol agent for ginseng bacterial soft rot. In this paper,the chemotactic response of ginseng endophytic bacteria F1 on 8 kinds of sugar and amino acids was detected by capillary method to explore its biocontrol mechanism. The chemotactic response of F1 strain to 4 kinds of better chemotaxis substances such as glucose,glycine,L-rhamnoseand L-glutamic acid under parameters( concentration,time,temperature and pH) was studied. The results showed that under the same experimental conditions( incubation temperature 25 ℃,incubation time 60 min,chemotaxis concentration 1 mg·L~(-1)),ginseng endophytic bacteria F1 showed different degrees of response to the eight substances tested. The phenomenon of positive chemotaxis of the measured sugars and amino acids was obvious,and the chemotactic response to total ginsenosides was low. The degree of chemotaxis response is positively correlated with the chemotaxis index within a certain range of parameters,but as the temperature,p H,time,concentration and other factors continue to increase,the chemotaxis effect decreases,and F1 optimizes the chemotaxis of the four substances. The parameters are as follows: glucose: 25 ℃,10 mg·L~(-1),45 min,pH 7; glycine: 30 ℃,10 mg·L~(-1),75 min,pH7; L-rhamnose: 30 ℃,1 mg·L~(-1),30 min,pH 6; L-glutamic acid: 25 ℃,0. 1 mg·L~(-1),45 min,pH 8. The chemotactic response is more sensitive to low concentrations of chemotactic substances.
Amino Acids/pharmacology* ; Bacteria/drug effects* ; Chemotaxis ; Endophytes/physiology* ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Panax/chemistry* ; Plant Exudates/pharmacology* ; Sugars/pharmacology*

Makgeolli is a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage. The flavor of makgeolli is primarily determined by metabolic products such as free sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and aromatic compounds, which are produced during the fermentation of raw materials by molds and yeasts present in nuruk, a Korean fermentation starter. In this study, makgeolli was brewed using the wild yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y98-5, and temporal changes in the metabolites during fermentation were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The resultant data were analyzed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Various metabolites, including amino acids, organic acids, sugar alcohols, small peptides, and nucleosides, were obviously altered by increasing the fermentation period. Changes in these metabolites allowed us to distinguish among makgeolli samples with different fermentation periods (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8 days) on a PLS-DA score plot. In the makgeolli brewed in this study, the amounts of tyrosine (463.13 microg/mL) and leucine (362.77 microg/mL) were high. Therefore, our results indicate that monitoring the changes in metabolites during makgeolli fermentation might be important for brewing makgeolli with good nutritional quality.
Alcoholic Beverages ; Amino Acids ; Amino Sugars ; Fermentation* ; Fungi ; Leucine ; Mass Spectrometry ; Nucleosides ; Nutritive Value ; Peptides ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae* ; Sugar Acids ; Tyrosine ; Yeasts*

Defatted dabai peel contains a high amount of anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are known to prevent several types of disease, including cardiovascular-related complications. This study aimed to describe the effects of different doses of defatted dabai peel extract by histopathological analyses on lesions in the liver, kidney, heart and aorta. Histopathology methods were applied to determine the protective effects of defatted dabai peel extracts against hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative damages to animal organs. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was applied for histopathology examination for liver, kidney, heart and aorta. Data showed that a high dose of defatted dabai extract (3000 mg per day) applied to hypercholesterolemic rabbits for eight weeks had mild protective effect, especially reducing the severity of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis of the renal medulla. The high dose of extract supplementation also reduced inflammation of aorta and formation of atherosclerosis plaque in the cell wall of right ventricle of the heart. The high dose of defatted dabai peel extract could be a protective agent against oxidative stress.
Anthocyanins

Drug Therapy, Amygdalin

Drugs, Amygdalin, Antitoxins

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a skin infection caused by the Leishmania species, an intracellular protozoan parasite that is transmitted by various species of female sandflies. According to the geographic distribution and vectors, leishmaniasis is classified as Old World or New World cutaneous leishmaniasis. In Korea, 24 cases of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis have been reported, but New World cutaneous leishmaniasis has not been reported as yet. A 37-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of a painful and erythematous nodule with two satellite papules on the left postauricular area and a papule on the left arm after traveling to the Amazon region in Brazil. After we performed skin biopsies of the lesions, diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis was made by the histopathological findings. After intralesional injection of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam(R), GlaxoSmithKline) twice a week for 4 weeks, the lesions improved with scarring. Herein, we discuss this case of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis that was successfully treated with intralesional injection of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam(R)) in Korea.
Antimony ; Antimony Sodium Gluconate ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Brazil ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Korea ; Leishmania ; Leishmaniasis ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Parasites ; Psychodidae ; Skin

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a skin infection caused by the Leishmania species, an intracellular protozoan parasite that is transmitted by various species of female sandflies. According to the geographic distribution and vectors, leishmaniasis is classified as Old World or New World cutaneous leishmaniasis. In Korea, 24 cases of Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis have been reported, but New World cutaneous leishmaniasis has not been reported as yet. A 37-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of a painful and erythematous nodule with two satellite papules on the left postauricular area and a papule on the left arm after traveling to the Amazon region in Brazil. After we performed skin biopsies of the lesions, diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis was made by the histopathological findings. After intralesional injection of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam(R), GlaxoSmithKline) twice a week for 4 weeks, the lesions improved with scarring. Herein, we discuss this case of New World cutaneous leishmaniasis that was successfully treated with intralesional injection of sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam(R)) in Korea.
Antimony ; Antimony Sodium Gluconate ; Arm ; Biopsy ; Brazil ; Cicatrix ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Korea ; Leishmania ; Leishmaniasis ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Parasites ; Psychodidae ; Skin

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate dietary flavonoids intake of Korean adolescents. METHODS: Using data from the 2007-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a total of 3,957 subjects aged 12-18 were included in this study. We estimated individual daily intake of total flavonoid and six flavonoid classes including flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, anthocyanidins, and isoflavones by linking food consumption data with the flavonoids in the commonly consumed food database. The distribution of sociodemographic, health-related, and dietary factors according to flavonoids intake was examined. RESULTS: Average dietary flavonoids intake of the study subjects was 195.6 mg/d in girls, and 189.4 mg/d in boys. The highest flavonoids intake group consumed significantly more fiber, vitamin C, legumes, fruits, and vegetables (p < 0.01) and less fat, grains, meats and dairy foods than other lower consumption groups (p < 0.001). Dietary flavonoid intake showed negative correlation with waist circumference and systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study provided basic data for estimation of flavonoids intake of Korean adolescents. Further research will be required for analysis of the association of flavonoids intake and health-related factors such as cardiovascular risk factors.
Adolescent* ; Anthocyanins ; Ascorbic Acid ; Blood Pressure ; Edible Grain ; Fabaceae ; Female ; Flavanones ; Flavones ; Flavonoids* ; Flavonols ; Fruit ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; Korea* ; Meat ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Risk Factors ; Vegetables ; Waist Circumference

The cases of feeling comfort during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in literature were summarized and its biological basis was explored. A simple classification of comfort was made, and the importance of obtaining comfort in acupuncture treatment was pointed out. Considering the pursuit of less pain and harmlessness in modern clinical treatment, sugar needle should be advocated and popularized in current clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Sugars ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Emotions ; Needles