Background : Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain. Especially, MRSA is developing resistance to available antibacterial agents and causing complications in the treatment of infections related to skin, soft tissue, respiratory, bone, joint, and endovascular disorders. Therefore, antibacterial agent combination therapy appears to be a useful option, particularly in developing countries where antibiotic availability is limited. (+)-Usnic acid (UA) is uniquely found in lichens, and is especially abundant in genera such as Usnea and Cladonia. UA has antimicrobial activity against human and plant pathogens. Therefore, UA may be a good antibacterial drug candidate for clinical development. Methods and Results : In search of a natural products capable of inhibiting this multidrug-resistant bacteria, we have investigated the antimicrobial activity of UA against MRSA. In this study, the effects of a combination of UA and permeable agents against MRSA were investigated. For the measurement of cell wall permeability, UA with concentration of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was used. In the other hand, Sodium azide (NaN3) was used as inhibitors of ATPase. These results suggest that the antibacterial effect of UA was potentiated by membrane-binding agents and ABC transporter-inhibiting agents, implying that antibacterial activity is associated with damage of the cell wall and inhibition of ATPase function by UA. Conclusion : UA and in combination with EDTA and NaN3 could lead to the development of new combination antibiotics against MRSA infection. The results of this study appear to be promising, and they are expected to enhance the use of natural products as drugs.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious clinical and an urgent problem worldwide. Few new drugs are available against MRSA, because MRSA has the ability to acquire resistance to most antibiotics, which consequently increases the cost of medication. In the present study, the antibacterial activity of Hydnocarpi Semen was investigated. The most effective method is to develop antibiotics from the natural products without having any toxic or side effects. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative antibacterial drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Five Clinical isolates (MRSA) were obtained from five different patients at Wonkwang University Hospital (Iksan, South Korea). The Other 2 strains were ATCC 33591 (Methicillin-resistant strain) and ATCC 25923 (Methicillin-susceptible strain). Antibacterial activity (Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations, MICs) was determined by broth dilution method, disk diffusion method, MTT test, and checkerboard dilution test. Antibacterial activity of n-hexane fraction was remarkable, and had a MICs ranging from 31.25-125 ㎍/㎖. FICI values for HFH+AM and HFH+OX were 0.13-0.19 and 0.04-0.29, showing the increase of synergistic effect. When combined together, these antibacterial effects were dramatically increased.

Background: The public has increasing concerns about herbal crops owing to insufficient information on biological hazards such as foodborne pathogens. Therefore, the objective of this study is the development of a herbal crop quality control system through monitoring with biological hazard analysis. Today, it is estimated that millions of people become ill every year from food contamination. The public demands agricultural products of stable and consistent quality. Governments have the responsibility of establishing the standards, legislation and enforcement programs necessary to control food quality and safety. However, research on the biosafety of herbal crop products is still insufficient. Therefore, the implementation of monitoring systems with high standards is critical for public safety. Methods and Results: In this study, we collected 52 samples of herbal crop products, and conducted both quantitative and qualitative biological hazard analysis. With biological hazard analysis, aerobic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Coliforms, and Listeria spp. could be detected. Conclusions: Herbal crops were found to be contaminated with aerobic bacteria at 3.69 ± 0.32 log CFU/g. Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Coliforms, and Listeria spp. were not detected in any of the samples. This research suggests that continuous monitoring of biological hazards is required to improve the quality of herbal crops.

Background: This study examined the hypoglycemic and kidney protective effect of black ginseng in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Methods and Results: Diabetes was induced by treating mice with streptozotocin (STZ) for four weeks. In vivo studies were performed in order to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the black ginseng prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) extract. The body weight and blood glucose level were measured. Moreover, after the mice were sacrificed, the kidneys were isolated and histological changes were observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were also measured. The results showed that administration of black ginseng increased body weight. Compared to blood glucose levels in STZ mice, blood glucose levels were reduced by 48% in STZ mice supplemented with 300 ㎎/㎏ of black ginseng, and by 69% in STZ mice supplemented with 900 ㎎/㎏. Furthermore, histopathological examination of STZ mouse kidneys revealed, changes in the kidneys, epithelial cell damages, inflammatory cell infiltration and glomerulus hypertrophy. However, a significant reduction of glomerular water droplets (indicative of glomerulus hypertrophy) was observed in the kidneys of STZ mice supplemented with black ginseng extract. Conclusions: These results suggest that black prosapogenin (GBG05-FF) ginseng extract has a significant hypoglycemic effect and can be used as an anti-diabetic substance and renal protective agents as part of dietary supplements or novel drugs.