https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/171890 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:18:33 GMT 2026-04-06T09:18:33Z https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274868 Title: Microbial Production and Industrial Applications of (S)-Equol for Precision Health and Functional Food Innovation Ewha Authors: 김봉수 Abstract: Equol is a nonsteroidal, microbiota-derived estrogenic metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein, known for its potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and selective estrogenic receptor modulating activities. With enhanced bioavailability and tissue-specific hormonal effects, equol has been proposed as a candidate for managing hormone-related conditions such as menopausal symptoms, prostate health, and metabolic inflammation. However, endogenous equol production is limited to 25–60% of individuals, depending on the presence of specific gut microbial consortia. This review highlights recent advances in equol research, emphasizing its molecular mechanisms of action, population-specific clinical evidence, and translational potential in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Particular attention is given to microbial production strategies, including native and engineered equol-producing strains from human, animal, and food origins, as well as emerging heterologous expression systems. We further discuss challenges and opportunities in scalable fermentation, formulation stability, and regulatory approval that are critical for the industrial application of equol in precision health solutions. © 2026 American Chemical Society Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274868 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274830 Title: Bi-dimensional health space mapping: machine learning analysis of population health dynamics in Korean and Dutch cohorts Ewha Authors: 권오란; 김유진 Abstract: Health spans a broad spectrum, encompassing various biological and lifestyle factors. The complexity of biological systems necessitates for integrating diverse factors into a unified biomarker. We constructed a health space model that highlights metabolism and oxidative stress as key indicators for tracking healthy aging and mapping health trajectories. To ensure cross-ethnic relevance, we used data from the Dutch Nutrition Questionnaires plus and Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) cohorts. Our approach combines machine learning with logistic regression, applying a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalty to propensity score-matched datasets. External validation using an independent KNHANES cohort showed strong performance (AUC = 0.959 for metabolic stress; 0.973 for oxidative stress), confirming model reliability. These findings support the health space model as a holistic tool for monitoring physiological stress. Our research advances personalized health monitoring and offers a foundation for precision nutrition strategies aimed at reducing chronic disease risk. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2025. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274830 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274608 Title: Gut microbiome and metabolite signatures for predicting acute kidney transplant rejection: a prospective study Ewha Authors: 김봉수 Abstract: Acute rejection (AR) remains a significant challenge in kidney transplantation (KT) despite advances in immunosuppressive treatment. Recognizing the critical influence of the gut microbiome on modulating host immunity, we investigated the association between gut dysbiosis and AR in KT recipients. A total of 97 patients with KT were prospectively enrolled from two centers, and their samples were collected at multiple time points, such as pre-transplant (n = 97), three months (n = 66), and twelve months (n = 37) post-transplant. Microbial profiling was performed using 16S rRNA sequencing and fecal metabolomics was done via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Thirty-three patients developed AR after KT, exhibiting reduced bacterial richness and diversity compared with KT recipients without AR. In addition, these patients had increased Escherichia-Shigella and decreased Phascolarctobacterium abundance. Pathway analysis identified 47 enriched pathways in AR patients, notably those involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and short-chain fatty acid metabolism. Consistent results were obtained from stool metabolomics, showing reduced propionate and lactate concentrations compared with patients without AR. Finally, combining pre-KT bacterial and fecal metabolite features with clinical parameters significantly improved AR prediction accuracy. Our results suggest that integrating clinical, microbial, and metabolomic data may provide a more holistic patient care regimen across both pre- and post-transplant phases. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274608 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274591 Title: Influence of food literacy on short-and long-term healthy eating intentions among adolescent and adult convenience store users: An application of the extended theory of planned behavior Ewha Authors: 오지은 Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to analyze the effect of food literacy on the short-term and long-term healthy eating intentions of convenience store consumers using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB) framework. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in South Korea in September 2023. A total of 397 Korean participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The independent variables included food literacy, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The chi 2 tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression were performed, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Adolescents showed significantly higher food literacy than adults (P < 0.01). In contrast, adults demonstrated higher scores in attitude (P < 0.01), subjective norm (P < 0.05), perceived behavioral control (P < 0.01), and short-term (P < 0.001) and long-term healthy eating intentions (P < 0.001). When food literacy was included as a variable in the hierarchical regression analysis, the explanatory power for short-term and long-term healthy eating intentions increased by 1.7% and 5.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need for customized nutrition education and continuous, systematic education on eating habits to enhance food literacy. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.ewha.ac.kr/handle/2015.oak/274591 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z