This study was conducted to help manage total floating bacteria and fungi in the indoor air by studying the characteristics of total floating bacteria and fungi according to the indoor CO2 concentration of daycare centers. The sampling and analysis of samples was based on the indoor air quality process test method, and the result analysis was conducted using the SPSS statistical program to perform correlation and regression analysis. Correlation and regression results show that CO2 and total airborne bacteria showed positive relationships, but airborne mold did not show relevance. In addition, in order to identify factors affecting airborne mold, correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed regarding total airborne bacteria, PM10, PM2.5, HCHO, outdoor mold, I/O ratio, indoor temperature/ humidity, area per classroom and volume. The results showed that the factors affecting airborne mold were I/O ratio, outdoor airborne mold, and total airborne bacteria. Research results show that CO2 and total airborne bacteria can be reduced and controlled by natural ventilation, and in the case of airborne mold, mechanical forced ventilation such as hoods will be necessary due to the introduction of outdoor airborne mold. In addition, it is necessary to consider I/O ratio criteria in order to confirm effective indoor mold contamination, taking into account the effect of outdoor mold inflow.

Nitrite and nitrates are usually used in the production of meat products as food additives even though they pose a secondary risk. In this study, the residues of nitrite and nitrate ions in 366 processed meat products distributed in Seoul were analyzed using ion chromatographs and UV spectrophotometers. In all tested products, the residues of nitrite were below 70 mg/kg, which met the processing standard and component specification for livestock products. Evaluation of nitrite ions, revealed a mean concentration of 7.1 - 11.9 mg/kg in hams, sausages, and bacons, while higher ratios of nitrite were found in other types of products. Among the studied processed meat products, at least 60% of hams and sausages had indications of nitrite, as did 90% of bacons and dry meats. No spiced meat and less than 10% of crushed meat had indications of nitrite. However, all dried meats showed below 1 mg/kg, regardless of whether they had indications of nitrite. Up to 9.7 mg/kg of nitrite was detected in the products with no indication of nitrite, and 14.6% of all products had at least 1 mg/kg of nitrite. This can be attributed to the reduction of residual nitrate ions in the products into nitrite ions. A review of the concentrations of nitrate ions in processed meat products by type suggests that the mean concentration was 22.3 (maximum 110.2) mg/kg in hams, 31.8 (maximum 89.5) mg/kg in sausages, 16.4 (maximum 28.2) mg/kg in bacons, 16.8 (maximum 61.1) mg/kg in spiced meats, 20.2 (maximum 99.4) mg/kg in crushed meats, and 121.0 (maximum 216.5) mg/kg in dried meats. Therefore, dried meats showed much higher nitrate ion concentrations than other types of meat products; however, the residue of nitrite ions in actual dried meats was found to be lower than 1 mg/kg, suggesting that the concentrations of nitrate ions do not affect those of nitrite ions. However, a certain concentration of nitrate ions was observed even when nitrate ions were not used in the products, as nitrite ions were transformed into nitrate ions and nitrite ions were detected even the products with no indication of nitrite ions. Therefore, continuous monitoring and preparation of relevant standards of the use of nitrate in processed meat products are necessary.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men and women who consume a Western diet. We investigated the inhibitory effect of selenium (sodium selenite, Na2SeO3) and selenium nanoparticles (nano-Se) on experimental colon carcinogenesis in ICR mice. After a 1-week acclimation, 6-week-old mice received three intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections (experimental week 0-2) of azoxymethane (AOM, 10 mg/kg body weight, b.w.), followed by 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-containing drinking water for the next 1 week. The three groups (10 mice/group) were orally administered either distilled water (control), selenium (1.7 ppm), or nano-Se (1.7 ppm) daily for 8 weeks. The numbers of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), aberrant crypt (AC), and tumorous lesions were measured in colonic mucosa. Se and nano-Se treatments significantly decreased the number of ACF, AC, and tumorous lesions compared with the control. However, there was no significant difference between the selenium and nano-Se groups. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the liver and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in serum, were high in the selenium and nano-Se groups, while thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level was low in both Se and nano-Se groups when compared with that in the control group. These findings indicate that selenium and nano-Se showed similar protective effects against colon carcinogenesis by inhibiting the development of ACF and tumorous lesions in mice.

Iron-overload can cause harmful effects such as cancer and aging via promoting the production of free radicals. The effect of orally administered nano-Fe overload with ascorbic acid on colon carcinogenesis was investigated in male ICR mice. After a 1-week acclimation, 5-week-old mice received three intraperitoneal injections (experimental week 0-2) of azoxymethane (AOM, 10 mg/kg body weight) weekly, followed by 2% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in drinking water for the next 1 week to induce aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Animals were divided into four groups; carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) alone (control), CMC + ascorbic acid (AA), CMC + nano-Fe (NFe), and CMC + NFe + AA groups. Animals were fed an AIN-76A purified rodent diet and daily administrated oral doses of 450 ppm each of nano-Fe and AA combination for 6 weeks. The colonic mucosa was stained with 0.5% methylene blue, and then the ACF and polyps were counted. Lipid peroxidation in the serum and liver was evaluated using the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay. Iron concentration in the liver was measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES). Iron concentration in the liver of the NFe-overloaded groups was higher than that of the control (p<0.05). AA treatment increased the iron concentration in the liver. The number of ACF was not significantly different among all the groups. The number of polyps in all the NFe-treated groups was slightly higher than that in the control group and AA only-treated group. The serum TBARS was not significantly different among all the groups, but that in the liver was higher in all the NFe-treated groups than it was in the control group (p<0.05). These results indicate that the additional NFe treatment did not affect the experimental colon carcinogenesis in mice regardless of the presence of ascorbic acid.

Calcium exerts antiproliferative effects on cellular targets through the promotion of differentiation and apoptosis. We investigated the influence of calcium on the formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACFs), which were induced by exposure to azoxymethane (AOM) followed by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), in ICR mice. Six-week-old ICR mice received 3 (weeks 0–2) intraperitoneal injections of AOM (10 mg/kg BW), followed by treatment with 2% DSS via drinking water for a week to induce preneoplastic lesions. The mice were then divided into 3 groups: the control (AOM/DSS), AOM/DSS + 1.0% Ca, and AOM/DSS + 2.0% Ca groups. Calcium (1.0 or 2.0%) was administered via drinking water for 12 weeks. After sacrificing the mice, the total numbers of aberrant crypts (ACs) and ACFs were measured in the colonic mucosa after methylene blue staining. The control group displayed 11.58 ± 2.43 ACFs/colon, which were composed of a total of 30.42 ± 5.18 ACs/colon. The number of ACFs with more than 3 ACs, which are likely to progress to colon cancer, was 2.37 ± 0.68. Compared to the control, 1.0% or 2.0% calcium treatment significantly decreased the number of total ACFs and ACs in a concentration-dependent manner. The decrease in ACFs or ACs after calcium treatment was associated with decreases in cell proliferation and β-catenin expression and an increase in apoptosis in colonic mucosal cells. These results suggest that calcium may exert a protective effect against colon cancer by inhibiting the development of ACFs/ACs in ICR mice.

Copper is an essential micronutrient whose deficiency is often seen to occur in humans. Although many biomedical studies have focused on the use of nanoparticles, the nutritional effects of nano-sized copper oxide particles are not well known. This aim of this study was to investigate the nutritional bioavailability of nano- and micro-sized copper oxide (CuO) particles in copper-deficient (CuD) mice. Copper deficiency was induced in mice by feeding a CuD diet (0.93 mg Cu/kg diet) for 7 weeks. After the induction of copper deficiency, nano- or micro-sized copper oxide particles were administered orally at two different doses (0.8 and 4.0 mg CuO/kg body weight) to mice in the following groups: (1) normal control (NC), (2) CuD, (3) low dose micro-sized CuO, (4) high dose micro-sized CuO, (5) low dose nano-sized CuO, and (6) high dose nano-sized CuO. The hepatic copper concentration in the CuD group was significantly lower than that in the NC group. Compared to the NC group, the CuD group exhibited lower serum ceruloplasmin (CP) activity and CP level. The copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase activity in the CuD group was significantly lower than that in the NC group. Treatment with nano- or micro-sized copper oxide particles for 2 weeks restored the hepatic copper levels and serum CP activities to values similar to those observed in the NC group. The CP levels and copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase activities in all the copper oxide treatment groups also recovered to normal values after 3 weeks of copper oxide treatment. These results show that oral administration of either nano- or micro-sized copper oxide particles for 2–3 weeks restored the normal condition in previously CuD mice.

Iron is an essential trace element for normal functions of the body. Restriction of iron availability directly limits erythropoiesis. The objective of this experiment was to compare the bioavailability of iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) with iron-microparticles (Fe-MPs) in anemic mice. There were four experimental groups, including the normal control group, iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) group, Fe-NPs group, and Fe-MPs group. Animals in the normal group fed on an adequate iron-containing diet (45 ppm Fe). Meanwhile, animals in the other three groups fed on a low Fe diet (4.5 ppm Fe) for seven weeks. Double deionized water was supplied as drinking water ad libitum. After feeding for three weeks with the low Fe diet, animals in the Fe-NPs and Fe-MPs groups received oral administration of Fe-NPs or Fe-MPs at a daily dose of 40 mg/kg for four weeks. The IDA group showed markedly decreased red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit (Hct), and hemoglobin (Hb) values compared with the normal group throughout the experimental periods. Treatments with Fe-NPs or Fe-MPs for four weeks resulted in restoration of the decreased RBC count and hematological values similar to normal values. The Fe-NPs group showed faster restoration in values than Fe-MPs with passage of time. The iron contents of the upper small intestine in the Fe-NPs and Fe-MPs groups were higher than in the normal group at weeks 2 and 4. Treatment with Fe-NPs and Fe-MPs resulted in a significant increase in hepatic iron contents and lipid peroxidation, compared with the IDA group with passage of time. The iron contents in liver and ferritin deposits in spleen were identified in the Fe-NPs and Fe-MPs groups, similar to the normal group. These results indicate that oral administration of both Fe-NPs and Fe-MPs can result in recovery from anemia and Fe-NPs is more absorbable and available in the body than Fe-MPs.

This study was investigated to determine the contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliform group, E. coli and food-borne pathogens of side dishes from 2 traditional markets (100 samples) and 2 super markets (100 samples) located on Ulsan. The levels (range) of total aerobic bacteria was 4.75 log CFU/g (1.60~6.92 log CFU/g) in traditional market and 4.62 log CFU/g (2.00~6.46 log CFU/g) in super market, respectively. Coliform was detected in 64 and 66 samples sold at traditional markets and super markets, respectively. E, coli was detected in 4 and 6 samples sold at traditional markets and super markets, respectively. The food-borne pathogens, namely Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in 1 sample sold at traditional markets, respectively, and Bacillus cereus was detected in 4 samples sold at super markets. However, other pathogens such as Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Clostridium perfringens, Camphylobacter jejuni and Pathogenic E. coli were not detected. The Saengchae and Seasoned Jeotgal were relatively vulnerable compared to the others in the food-borne pathogens.

Both iron-deficient and zinc-sufficient diets have been known to be associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. We investigated that effect of dietary zinc on the formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) induced by azoxymethane (AOM) followed by dextran sodium sulfate in iron-deficient mice. Five-week old ICR mice were acclimated for 1 week and fed on iron-deficient diet (4.50 ppm iron) with three different zinc levels (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 ppm) for 12 weeks. The total number of aberrant crypt (AC) and ACF was measured in the colonic mucosa after methylene blue staining. The total ACF numbers of low Zn (LZn), medium Zn (MZn) and high Zn (HZn) diet groups were 10.00 ± 2.67, 8.78 ± 3.12, and 7.96 ± 2.44, respectively and there were no significant differences among the groups. However, the total AC numbers of HZn (27.07 ± 3.88) and MZn (26.39 ± 5.59) diet groups were significantly low compared to LZn (22.57 ± 5.09) diet group (p<0.01). Cytosolic SOD activity was the highest in LZn diet group. But thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances level in liver was also the highest in LZn diet group compared to other groups. There is no difference in cell proliferation in mucous membrane among the groups, while apoptotic positive cells were increased in the HZn diet group. The high zinc diet exhibited decreased β-catenin-stained areas on the mucous membrane of colon compared to the LZn or MZn diet group. These findings indicate that dietary zinc might exert a modulating effect on development of ACF/AC in the mice with iron-deficient status.

Iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs) have recently been used for cancer diagnosis and therapy for imaging contrast and drug delivery. However, no study on nutritional bioavailability of Fe-NPs in the body has been reported. Ascorbic acid (AA) is known to aid in absorption of iron in the stomach by reducing Fe (III) to Fe (II). In this study, we investigated the bioavailability of Fe-NPs with AA in iron-deficiency-anemic mice in comparison with non-nano iron particles. Iron-deficient anemia was induced by feeding an iron-deficient diet (4.5 mg Fe/kg) and ocular bleeding from retro-orbital venous plexus for four weeks. Normal control mice were given a normal diet (45 mg Fe/ kg). After induction of anemia in mice, anemic mice received daily oral administration of Fe (40 mg/kg B.W.) + AA (5 g/kg B.W) and Fe-NPs (40 mg/kg B.W) + AA (5 g/kg B.W). After sacrifice, liver and spleen tissues were observed by haematoxylin & eosin stain. Amount of trace iron in liver and upper small intestine was investigated using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer. Red blood cells (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), and total iron binding capacity were also measured. The concentrations of iron in the Fe-NPs + AA group were significantly higher in liver and in upper small intestine than that in the Fe + AA group. The values of RBC, Hct, and Hb in the Fe-NPs + AA group were more rapidly increased to normal values compared with the Fe + AA group with increasing time. These results suggest that Fe-NPs in the presence of AA may be more bioavailable than non-nano Fe in Fe-deficient anemic mice.

The current study was conducted in order to investigate promotional effects of herbal extracts on hair growth in an animal model of mice. There were four experimental groups, including distilled water (DW) as a negative control (NC), 3% minoxidil (MXD) as a positive control (PC), 50% ethanol (EtOH) as a vehicle control (VC), and herbal extract (HE) as the experimental treatment (E). The HE was extracted with ethanol from plants, including Gardenia, Mentha arvensis, Rosemary, and Lavender. Six-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were shaved with an electric clipper and the test materials were topically treated with 0.2 ml per mouse daily for three weeks. Photographic evaluation of hair re-growth was performed weekly during a period of three weeks. The number of mast cells was counted on the dorsal skin section of mice. The enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT), were determined using a biochemical autoanalyzer. No clinical signs were observed in any of the experimental groups. As a result of photometric analysis, topical application of HE to dorsal skin for two weeks resulted in significantly faster acceleration of hair regrowth, compared with that of the NC or VC group (P<0.05). The PC and E groups showed a significant decrease in mast cell population, compared to the NC group. Activities of ALP and γ-GT were significantly increased in the PC and E groups, compared to the NC or VC group (P<0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that the herbal extract may have hair-growth promoting activity equal to that of MXD.