Red ginseng (Panax ginseng), a Korean traditional medicinal plant, contains a variety of ginsenosides as major functional components. It is necessary to remove sugar moieties from the major ginsenosides, which have a lower absorption rate into the intestine, to obtain the aglycone form. To screen for microorganisms showing bioconversion activity for ginsenosides from red ginseng, 50 yeast strains were isolated from Korean traditional meju (a starter culture made with soybean and wheat flour for the fermentation of soybean paste). Twenty strains in which a black zone formed around the colony on esculin-yeast malt agar plates were screened first, and among them 5 strains having high beta-glucosidase activity on p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside as a substrate were then selected. Strain JNO301 was finally chosen as a bioconverting strain in this study on the basis of its high bioconversion activity for red ginseng extract as determined by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis. The selected bioconversion strain was identified as Candida allociferrii JNO301 based on the nucleotide sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene. The optimum temperature and pH for the cell growth were 20~30degrees C and pH 5~8, respectively. TLC analysis confirmed that C. allociferrii JNO301 converted ginsenoside Rb1 into Rd and then into F2, Rb2 into compound O, Rc into compound Mc1, and Rf into Rh1. Quantitative analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography showed that bioconversion of red ginseng extract resulted in an increase of 2.73, 3.32, 33.87, 16, and 5.48 fold in the concentration of Rd, F2, compound O, compound Mc1, and Rh1, respectively.
Absorption ; Agar ; Base Sequence ; beta-Glucosidase ; Candida* ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Fermentation ; Flour ; Genes, rRNA ; Ginsenosides* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Intestines ; Panax* ; Plants, Medicinal ; Soybeans ; Triticum ; Yeasts

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*

Makgeolli is a traditional cloudy-white Korean rice wine with an alcohol content of 6~7%. The present study investigated the morphological characteristics, carbon-utilizing ability, fatty acid composition, alcohol resistance, glucose tolerance, and flocculence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y98-5 and Pichia anomala Y197-13, non-S. cerevisiae isolated from Nuruk, which is used in brewing Makgeolli. Similar morphological characteristics were observed for both isolated wild yeast strains; and the carbon source assimilation of Y197-13 differed from that of other P. anomala strains. Strain Y197-13 was negative for D-trehalose, mannitol, arbutin, I-erythritol, and succinic acid. The major cellular fatty acids of strain Y197-13 included C18:2n6c (33.94%), C18:1n9c (26.97%) and C16:0 (20.57%). Strain Y197-13 was Crabtree-negative, with 60% cell viability at 12% (v/v) ethanol. The flocculation level of strain Y197-13 was 8.38%, resulting in its classification as a non-flocculent yeast.
Arbutin ; Carbon ; Cell Survival ; Ethanol ; Fatty Acids ; Flocculation ; Glucose ; Mannitol ; Pichia* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; Sprains and Strains* ; Succinic Acid ; Wine ; Yeasts*

The objective of this study was to find useful fungi with alpha-amylase activity from the Korean traditional nuruk for the quality of traditional Korean alcoholic beverage. In this study, 165 samples of traditional nuruk were collected from 170 regions throughout Korea and the fungi were isolated to a total of 384 strains. In order to investigate the effect of microflora on nuruk, alpha-amylase activity, saccharogenic power (SP), starch hydrolysis activity and acid producing activity were evaluated. Ten strains were selected by alpha-amylase activity, which ranged from 458.47 to 1,202.75 U/g. The size of the discolored zone for the starch hydrolysis activity of each fungus ranged from 0.3 to 2 cm. The SP of the 10 strains ranged from 228.8 to 433.4 SP. Of the 10 stains, three were identified as Aspergillus oryzae, two as Aspergillus flavus, two as Lichtheimia sp., one as Rhizopus oryzae and two as other strains. The total aflatoxins present in the nuruks were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The 10 nuruks had less than 1.11 ppb of aflatoxins.
Aflatoxins ; Alcoholic Beverages ; alpha-Amylases ; Aspergillus flavus ; Aspergillus oryzae ; Coloring Agents ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fungi ; Hydrolysis ; Korea ; Oryza ; Rhizopus ; Starch

BACKGROUND: The anti-mycobacterial susceptibility test is performed on only a small percentage of clinical isolates in Korea. The aim of this study is to propose an anti-mycobacterial susceptibility testing scheme, which is not only economic and practical but also fully informative to physicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-mycobacterial susceptibility test results of 502 strains, isolated from five university-affiliated hospitals, were analysed. The interpretation of the results and the need for second-line drug susceptibility test were judged according to the recommendation of NCCLS M24-A guidelines. RESULTS: The isolates from 10% (38/363) of treatment-navie patients and 61% (85/139) of re- treatment patients showed resistance to at least one of the anti-mycobactial agents; 3% (11/363) and 44% (61/139) of isolates from each group were multi-drug resistant. According to the recommendation by NCCLS, the percentage of patients not needing the susceptibility test results for second-line drugs were 96% for treatment-naive and 47% for re-treatment patients. CONCLUSION: Since the susceptibility test against first-line drug is sufficient for 95% of treatment- navie patients with tuberculosis patients, susceptibility test against second-line drugs may be performed only when it is necessary. As for the re-treatment patients with tuberculosis, susceptibility test for both first-line and second-line drugs should be performed simultaneously.
Cost-Benefit Analysis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: The anti-mycobacterial susceptibility test is performed on only a small percentage of clinical isolates in Korea. The aim of this study is to propose an anti-mycobacterial susceptibility testing scheme, which is not only economic and practical but also fully informative to physicians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-mycobacterial susceptibility test results of 502 strains, isolated from five university-affiliated hospitals, were analysed. The interpretation of the results and the need for second-line drug susceptibility test were judged according to the recommendation of NCCLS M24-A guidelines. RESULTS: The isolates from 10% (38/363) of treatment-navie patients and 61% (85/139) of re- treatment patients showed resistance to at least one of the anti-mycobactial agents; 3% (11/363) and 44% (61/139) of isolates from each group were multi-drug resistant. According to the recommendation by NCCLS, the percentage of patients not needing the susceptibility test results for second-line drugs were 96% for treatment-naive and 47% for re-treatment patients. CONCLUSION: Since the susceptibility test against first-line drug is sufficient for 95% of treatment- navie patients with tuberculosis patients, susceptibility test against second-line drugs may be performed only when it is necessary. As for the re-treatment patients with tuberculosis, susceptibility test for both first-line and second-line drugs should be performed simultaneously.
Cost-Benefit Analysis* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis

Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC) is a very rare, highly aggressive malignant tumor of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. SNUC tends to present with advanced-stage disease, often with intracranial invasion. It requires an aggressive multimodality therapy that includes surgical resection. A cure rate of less than 20% is generally reported in the literature, with most patients dying within 1 year of onset of the disease. Three patients diagnosed as SNUC were treated at the Yeungnam University Medical Center between the years 2000 and 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients presented with the disease very advanced. The three cases were given chemotherapy or chemotherapy with radiotherapy. Two patients died of the disease, surviving only 6 and 11 months following treatment, respectively. We did a follow-up on just the one remaining case with incomplete controlled disease for 27 months. The overall prognosis of SNUC is very poor. We consider that more intensive multimodality therapies are recommended for all patients with SNUC.
Academic Medical Centers ; Carcinoma* ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nasal Cavity ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies

In treating women with leiomyoma and who wish to preserve their uterus, laparoscopic uterine artery ligation or uterine artery embolization should be considered as possible options. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and uterine artery embolization in treating uterine myoma. The treatment outcomes of 23 patients who underwent uterine artery embolization and 17 laparoscopic uterine artery ligation were evaluated. The uterine volume reduced 3 months after uterine artery embolization, but thereafter no significant changes were observed. On the other hand, the uterine volumes were only slightly reduced 3 months after laparoscopic uterine artery ligation, and slightly more reduced 6 months later. The average reduction in the case of laparoscopic uterine artery ligation was about 58.5%. After laparoscopic uterine artery ligation, 20% of the patients complained of vaginal spotting. Furthermore, the mechanism of volume reduction was evaluated using specimens obtained from a biopsy taken after each procedure. The results suggested that laparoscopic uterine artery ligation results mainly in physiologic cell death, that is apoptosis, whereas, the corresponding result is cell necrosis for uterine artery embolization. Uterine artery embolization and laparoscopic uterine artery ligation are both effective in relieving the symptoms caused by uterine myoma, and therefore both procedures can be used in place of hysterectomy or myomectomy.
Adult ; Arteries ; *Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Human ; *Laparoscopy ; Leiomyoma/*therapy ; Ligation ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Neoplasms/*therapy ; Uterus/*blood supply

It has been believed that the intact placental membranes are a good barrier to ascending infection, but this may be only partly true.` Neonatal infection without premature rupture of the amniotic membranes occurs in 1-2% of births. The prevalence of membranes inflammation among births at term is approximately 10%.2-4 Chorioamnionitis is a frequent cause of fetal death mostly as a silent chorioamnionitis without maternal signs of infection.4 Below we present a case of subclinical acute chorioamnionitis in a woman admitted because of labor pain at 39weeks with intact membranes and subsequent sudden intrauterine fetal death. Culture specimens from the endometrium and uterine cervix showed growth of Staphylococcus aureus.
Amnion ; Cervix Uteri ; Chorioamnionitis* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Fetal Death* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Labor Pain ; Membranes* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Prevalence ; Rupture ; Staphylococcus aureus* ; Staphylococcus*

A case of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising from a mature cystic teratoma in the right ovary of a 37-year-old woman is reported. Malignant transformation of a mature teratoma is a rare event and the commonest malignant neoplasm to develop is squamous cell carcinoma.(83%) Adenocarcinoma occurs with less frequency.(6.8%) The patient was treated by staging operation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. After six courses of combination chemotherapy, oncological investigations, including chest X-ray, abdominopelvic CT scan and tumor markers, all revealed no evidence of recurrence.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Ovary* ; Recurrence ; Teratoma* ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Biomarkers, Tumor