Comparing the quality characteristics of kimchi were measured and anticancer effects using AGS human gastric cancer cells were observed. Five kinds of kimchi samples were made of Kanghwa Baek kimchi (KB), Kangwha Turnip kimchi (KT), Turnip: Chinese cabbage = 1:1 Baek kimchi (T1B1), Turnip:Chinese cabbage = 4:1 Baek kimchi (T4B1), Turnip mul kimchi (T). As a result T kimchi showed the best fermentation characteristics among the five samples. T kimchi had a lower percentage of the total number of aerobic bacteria, while the number of lactobacillus was higher than that of other samples. The mRNA and protein expression levels of apoptosis-related factors found that T kimchi significantly increases the mRNA expression levels of caspases-3 and caspases-9 in AGS human gastric cancer cells as compared to the other kimchi samples. It showed high anticancer effects in the order of T, T1B1, and KB kimchi. As the anticancer effect of Turnip mul kimchi made only of turnip was higher, the higher the turnip content, the higher the anticancer effect. These results show that there were changes in fermentation characteristics such as pH, acidity, number of lactic acid bacteria, and anticancer effects according to the ratio of turnip and cabbage.

트랜스 신남알데하이드(TCA)는 계피의 활성성분 중 하나로 알려져 있으며, 항바이러스, 항균, 항진균 뿐 아니라 일부 암세포주에서 항암 작용이 있다고 보고된 바 있다. 하지만, 위암세포주에서의 보고는 미비하며 그 작용기전에 대해서는 밝혀진 바가 없다. 본 연구에서는 위암 AGS 세포주에 대한 증식 억제작용 및 그 기전을 살펴보았다. TCA는 농도의존적으로 AGS 세포의 생존율을 억제하였다. AGS 세포 형태로 보아 TCA에 의한 세포사멸을 확인할 수 있었다. 그 기전을 확인하기 위하여, 세포사멸 관련 단백질의 발현양을 조사한 결과, TCA는 p53과 Bax의 단백질 발현을 증가시켰다. 또한, 분절된 caspase 9 및 PARP 의 발현이 증가되는 것으로부터 TCA가 AGS 세포주의 세포사멸을 유도하였음을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구결과로부터 TCA가 위암에 대한 항암 활성이 있음을 확인하였으며, 추후 지속적인 연구를 통해 항암제 후보물질로 기대된다.

Evodiae Fructus is the dried unripe fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa, and has traditionally been used for treating stomachache and diarrhea. Evodiamine and rutaecarpine, the major biologically active compounds of Evodiae Fructus, are reported to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as inhibit proliferation and metastasis of various cancer cells. The current study investigates the anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects of the Evodiae Fructus extract, considering varying concentrations of methanol extraction (40, 80, and 95%). High contents of total phenolic compounds were determined in the order of extracts 80, 95, and 40%. Evaluating contents of the 95, 80, and 40% extracts revealed 36.77, 7.29, and 1.86 μg/mg evodiamine, respectively, and 53.02, 17.16, and 3.79 μg/mg rutaecarpine, respectively, with the highest content of both compounds obtained in the 95% extract. DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed to be inversely proportional to the contents of total phenolic compounds, with decreasing SC50 values obtained in the order 80, 95, and 40% extract. The 95 and 80% extracts exerted toxicity to AGS gastric cancer cells, but the 40% extract was non-toxic. Evodiamine is a known anti-cancer agent, and could be responsible for the observed toxicity. Cleavage of PARP, and Caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9 was observed in the 95% extract-treated AGS cells, indicating that cell toxicity exerted by the 95% extract could be attributed to apoptosis.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori leads to gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Moreover, when the gastric mucosa is exposed to H. pylori, gastric mucosal inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and reactive oxygen (ROS) species increase. Tribulus terrestris L. is an annual creeping herb of the family Zygophyllaceae. In this study, the effect of Tribulus terrestris L. fruits extract (TTE) extract on H. pylori-infected human gastric epithelial cells was examined. Cell viability was determined by the tetrazolium salt reduction method using WST-1 according to the manufacturer's instructions. AGS cells were pretreated with TTE extract for 24 hrs followed by H. pylori infection for up to 24 hrs. IL-8 secretion in AGS cells was measured by ELISA. The extract yield of the fruits of Tribulus terrestris with 50% ethanol was 20.60%. We analyzed TFE composition by LC. The concentration of Protodioscin in TFE was 310 μg/mL. It was confirmed that exposure to 100 μg/mL of TTE had no significant effect on cell proliferation at the concentrations examined (12.5–200 μg/mL). It was therefore concluded that TTE at these concentrations had no cytotoxic effects on AGS cells and could be used in this study. Pretreatment of H. pylori-infected AGS cells with 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 μg/mL of TTE for 24 hrs significantly decreased IL-8 production by 12.5%, 25%, 27.5% and 50%, respectively, compared to H. pylori-infected cells without TTE. In this study, we found that TTE inhibited H. pylori-induced IL-8 secretion, thus augmenting their benefit in regard to protection of gastric epithelial cells. This study suggests that ingestion of these plant extracts could have therapeutic implications for patients with H. pylori induced gastritis and duodenal ulcer.

실험에서는 꽃송이버섯 (Sparassis crispa, formerly S. crispa) 에탄올 추출물의 소수성 분획을 분리하고 각 분획의 DPPH 항산화 활성과 위암 (AGS), 폐암 (A529), 간암 (HepG2) 세포주를 이용한 항암 활성을 MTT assay 를 통해 확인 하였다. SOCC를 사용하여 총 18개의 fraction으로 분획하였고 TLC와 세포주를 이용한 항암 활 성 확인을 통하여 5개의 fraction으로 압축하였다. 항암 활성이 높은 5개의 fraction은 HPLC-MS를 통해 각 분획 물을 분석한 결과 항산화 활성을 보이지 않았으며 약 181.0의 분자량을 가진 물질이 지표물질로 확인되었으므 로 이 물질의 화학식 동정을 위하여 추가실험이 필요하다. 세포주를 이용한 항암실험 결과 꽃송이버섯 추출물은 위 암 (AGS), 폐암 (A529), 간암 (HepG2) 세포주 모두에서 양성대조군인 paclitaxel보다 낮은 세포 생존율을 보여 주 었으며(IC50 value), 이것은 추후 꽃송이버섯 추출물에 포 함된 항암 물질 분리 연구를 위한 기초연구 결과로서 무 척 의미가 크다고 할 수 있다.

In this study, the effect on the stability of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) caused by an AGS separator was investigated. The AGS separator was a hydrocyclone. The main factors of the AGS separator were filter pore size (0.125∼0.600 mm), conical-to-cylindrical ratio (1.5∼3.0), and operating time (1∼20 min). The AGS/mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) ratio gradually increased to 0.500 mm (AGS/MLSS: 84.3±3.0%). AGS was best separated at the conical-to-cylindrical ratio of 2.5 (AGS/MLSS: 84.7±3.3%). As the operating time increased, the AGS separation performance also tended to increase. The shortest AGS separator run time, but the highest AGS separation performance was 10 min (87.0±2.5%). AGS stability was evaluated by operating the selected AGS separator and sequencing batch reactor. The average removal efficiencies of TOC, TCODCr, SS, TN, and TP were 95.7%, 96.9%, 93.0%, 89.0%, and 96.2%, respectively, which met the effluent standards in Korea. In addition, the AGS/MLSS ratio tended to remain constant, and the sludge volume index demonstrated a tendency to decrease from 140 mL/g to 70 mL/g. During the operation, the particles of AGS in optical microscope observations gradually increased.

In this study, the effect on the stability of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) with different Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratios was investigated. The C/N ratios were controlled to 10.0, 7.5, 5.0, and 2.5 using the sequencing batch reactor, and the results showed that the removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen decreased simultaneously with the decrease of C/N ratio. The removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen at C/N ratio of 2.5 was 70.7% and 52.3% respectively. In addition, the AGS/mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) ratio showed a tendency to decrease from 85.7% to 73.7%, while the sludge volume index showed a tendency to increase from 82 mL/g to 102 mL/g as the C/N ratio decreased. At the same time, the apparent deviation of polysaccharide (PS) content in extracellular polymeric substances was observed, and polysaccharides/protein (PS/PN) ratio decreased from 0.62 to 0.31 as the C/N ratio decreased. Optical microscope observations showed that the reduction in C/N ratio caused the growth of filamentous bacteria and significantly affected the stability of AGS.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of high-salinity wastewater on the microbial activity of Aerobic Granule Sludge (AGS). Laboratory-scale experiments were performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen removal efficiency, sludge precipitability, and microbial activity were evaluated under various salinity injection. The COD removal efficiency was found to decrease gradually to 3.0% salinity injection, and it tended to recover slightly from 4.0%. The specific nitrification rate was 0.043 0.139 mg NH4 +-N/mg MLVSS·day. The specific denitrification rate was 0.069 0.108 mg NO3 --N/mg MLVSS·day. The sludge volume index (SVI30) ultimately decreased to 46 mL/g. The specific oxygen uptake rate decreased from an initial value 120.3 to a final value 70.7 mg O2/g MLVSS·hr. Therefore, salinity injection affects the activity of AGS, causing degradation of the COD and nitrogen removal efficiency. It can be used as an indicator to objectively determine the effect of salinity on microbial activity.

The purpose of this study is to biological treatment of high salinity wastewater using Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS). In laboratory scale’s experiments research was performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and evaluation of the denitrification reaction in accordance with the injection condition of salinity concentration, surface properties of microorganisms, and sludge precipitability was performed. The results showed that the salinity concentration increased up to 1.5%, and there was no significant difference in the nitrogen removal efficiency; however, it showed a tendency to decrease gradually from 2.0% onward. The specific denitrification rate (SDNR) was 0.052 0.134 mg NO3 --N/mg MLVSS (mixed liquor volatile suspended solid)·day. The MLVSS/MLSS (mixed liquor suspended solid) ratio decreased to 76.2%, and sludge volume index (SVI30) was finally lowered to 57 mL/g. Using an optical microscope, it was also observed that the initial size of the sludge was 0.2 mm, and finally it was formed to 0.8-1.0 mm. Therefore, salinity injection provides favorable conditions for the formation of an AGS, and it was possible to maintain stable granular sludge during long-term operation of the biological treatment system.

The purpose of this study was to confirm the applicability of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in the advanced sewage treatment process. Simulated influent was used in the operation of a laboratory scale reactor. The operation time of one cycle was 4 h and the reactor was operated for six cycles per day. The volume exchange ratio was 50%. The influent was injected in divisions of 25% to increase the removal efficiency of nitrogen in every cycle. As a result, the removal efficiencies of CODCr and TN in this reactor were 98.2% and 76.7% respectively. During the operation period, the AGS/MLVSS concentration ratio increased from 70.0% to 86.7%, and the average SVI30 was 67 mL/g. The SNR and SDNR were 0.073 0.161 kg NH4 +-N/kg MLVSS/day and 0.071 0.196 kg NO3 --N/kg MLVSS/day respectively. These values were higher or similar to those reported in other studies. The operation time of the process using AGS is shorter than that of the conventional activated sludge process. Hence, this process can replace the activated sludge process.

In order to find out anticancer activity of Korean pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), the cytotoxicity against 8 cell lines including 293 (normal kidney cells) and A-431 (epidermoid carcinoma cells) of extracts by extraction solvents and plant parts were investigated using MTT assay. Also the correlation between content of capsaicin known as anticancer ingredient and cytotoxicity of extracts from pepper were analyzed. The distilled water extracts from seed and germinated seed showed very high cytotoxicity against 6 cancer cell lines including A549 (lung carcinoma cells), AGS (stomach adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma cells), HepG2 (hepatoblastoma cells), HT-29 (colon adenocarcinoma cells), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma cells). But 80% ethanol and methanol extracts showed cytotoxicity against 293 and AGS. The RC50, that was, the concentration of sample required for 50% reduction of cell viability, of seed and germinated seed extracts against AGS were 33.4~389.1μg/mℓ and 63.9~1,316.7μg/mℓ, respectively, so anticancer activity was higher in seed than in germinated seed. In capsaicin contents, seed with high cytotoxicity and pericarp with a little cytotoxicity contained 47.4~1,260.0μg/g and 58.3~1,498.0μg/g, respectively. As these results, the correlation was not between cytotoxicity and capsaicin content.

The growth inhibition effect of Doenjang that was prepared with various kinds of solar salt was investigated. Doenjang was prepared using the bacterial koji and five kind of salt with 12% salt concentration (w/w): purified salt Doenjang, one-year aged solar salt Doenjang, four-year aged solar salt Doenjang, topan solar salt Doenjang, and boiled solar salt Doenjang. The Doenjangs were fermented and aged for 18 months. The growth inhibition effects of the water extracts and the methanol extracts of the Doenjangs were measured on AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells, HT-29 colon carcinoma cells, and BJ human foreskin normal cells using MTT assay. The water and methanol extracts of the Doenjang samples showed growth inhibition effects on the cancer cells, in the following order of the samples with the strongest to the weakest effect: the four-year aged solar salt Doenjang, the topan solar salt Doenjang, the boiled solar salt Doenjang, the one-year aged solar salt Doenjang, and the purified salt Doenjang. The methanol extracts of the four-year aged solar salt Doenjang (AGS: 55% and HT-29: 48%) showed the strongest growth inhibition effect. In addition, decreased cancer cell numbers and morphological changes in the cancer cells (AGS and HT-29) were observed when the methanol extract of the four-year aged solar salt Doenjang was treated. None of the Doenjang extracts showed a growth inhibition effect on the BJ normal cells, though.