• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.162-167
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• 2004

In this study, untreated (UT), water soaking (WT), and sanitizing solutions [chlorine at 100 ppm (CL): ethanol at 10% (ET); hydrogen peroxide at 1% (HP); chlorine at 100 ppm + ethanol at 10%(CE); chlorine at 100 ppm + hydrogen peroxide at 1% (CH); ethanol at 10% + hydrogen peroxide at 1% (EH); chlorine at 100 ppm + ethanol at 10% + hydrogen peroxide at 1% (CEH)] were compared in terms of their antimicrobial effectiveness against natural microflora of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). All samples were kept in sanitizing solutions for 2 min, and effectiveness of sanitizing agents was evaluated based on number of decimal reduction of total aerobic mesophilic, total coliforms, E. coli, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast and mold counts. Average initial levels of these organisms in samples were $9.21{\pm}0.15,\;6.60{\pm}0.06,\;6.08{\pm}0.03,\;and\;3.66{\pm}0.08\;log_{10}\;CFU/g$ for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, total coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds, respectively, Escherichia coli was not detected in any tested samples. Decimal reduction of populations of total aerobic mesophilic, total coliforms, E. coli, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts and molds were: in $WT\;8.09,\;5.36,\;5.82,\;and\;3.57 log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in \;CL\;7.39,\;4.10\;5.24,\;2.45\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in\;ET\;6.78,\;4.23,\;5.20,\;2.50\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in\;HP\;6.11,\;4.27,\;5.28,\;2.46\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in\;CE\;6.18,\;4.26,\;5.31,\;2.49\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in\;CH\;6.10,\;3.77,\;5.33,\;2.46\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;in\;EH\;6.07\;3.82,\;4.76,\;2.41\;log_{10}\;CFU/g;\;and\;in\;CEH\;5.27,\;3.45,\;4.45,\;2.15\;log_{10}\;CFU/g,$ respectively. Statistical analysis of the results showed effectiveness of CEH sanitizing solution for elimination of microbial contamination was the highest among all sanitizer treatments.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.619-623
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• 2005

Purpose : Bacteremia in immunocompromised pediatric cancer patients can lead to high morbidity and mortality, if not treated early and properly. The incidence and antibiotic sensitivities to common pathogens of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients are liable to change, according to region and time. We investigated the causative organisms and antibiotic sensitivities of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients to assess the adequacy of empiric antimicrobial therapy. Methods : From September 1995 to August 2003, we retrospectively evaluated 58 episodes in 39 pediatric cancer patients with bacteremia treated at the Pediatric Department of Yeungnam University Hospital. We investigated and analyzed the causative organisms and the antibiotic sensitivity test results by reviewing the records of the microbiologically proven positive blood culture results. Results : The incidence of bacteremia in pediatric cancer patients in this study was 5.7 percent (58 episodes out of 1,022 occasions of blood cultures). Gram-positive organisms were isolated more often than gram-negative organisms (63.8 percent vs 36.2 percent) in the following order : Staphylococcus epidermidis (37.9 percent), Staphylococcus aureus (17.3 percent), Escherichia coli (12 percent), Streptococcus (8.6 percent), Enterobacter (6.9 percent), Klesiella (6.9 percent), Serratia (3.5 percent), Acinetobacter (3.5 percent), Proteus (1.7 percent) and Morganella morganii (1.7 percent). In antibiotic sensitivity tests, only six of 37 isolates (16 percent) of gram positive bacteria were sensitive to penicillin and 15 of 37 isolates (40 percent) were sensitive to oxacillin. All except one Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to vancomycin and all except one Staphylococcus epidermidis were sensitive to teicoplanin among 37 isolates of gram positive bacteria. In the case of gram negative bacteria, two of 21 isolates (10 percent) and four of 21 isolates (19 percent) were sensitive to cefotaxime and ceftazidime, respectively. Only six of 21 isolates (29 percent) were sensitive to aminoglycoside, but all 21 isolates (100 percent) were sensitive to imipenem. All seven isolates tested after the year 2000 were sensitive to meropenem. Conclusion : In conclusion, we should choose the proper antimicrobials in treating pediatric cancer patients with suspected bacteremia, reflecting the increasing episodes of gram positive bacteremia and polymicrobial resistance of gram positive and negative organisms.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.8
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• pp.758-762
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• 2003

Purpose : Our examination was designed to determine the diagnostic properties of the cutoff point for the prediction of bacteremia in febrile children less than 3 years of age. Cutoff point is the value that simultaneously maximizes both sensitivity and specificity. Methods : We conducted a retrospective study of febrile children, less than 3 years of age, who clinically have no identifiable source of fever. Peripheral blood leukocyte count(WBC), absolute neutrophil count(ANC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and C-reactive protein(CRP) were measured at the same time. All patients received blood culture, urine culture and/or CSF culture. Bacterial infection was defined as single pathogen isolated from the CSF or blood or a urinary tract infection (UTI). Patients were dichotomized into two groups : those with bacterial infection and no bacterial infection. We analyzed the characteristics of the children in the two groups. Results : Seventy-one patients(44 males; 27 females) were enrolled in the study. Twenty patients (28%) had a serious bacterial infection(twelve urinary tract infection, five bacteremia, three meningitis) and fifty-one(72%) had no serious bacterial infection. WBC, ESR and CRP were significantly different between the two groups(P<0.05). The cutoff point of WBC, ESR and CRP were $20,000/mm^3$, 30 mm/hr and 3.0 mg/dL, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of each cutoff point were WBC(75%, 75%), ESR(79%, 68%) and CRP(83%, 77%), respectively. Conclusion : These data show the ability of predictors to identify febrile children less than 3 years of age with bacterial infection. Febrile children who reach the cutoff point must be treated intensively and those who do not reach the cutoff point can be carefully managed without administering antimicrobial agents.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the fermentation broth of fruits and vegetables and various kinds of lactobacillus containing in the broth on anti-microbial activity, anti-acidity, its organic acid concentrations and deorderization. In addition, the quality of eggs laid from the hens supplemented with the fermentation broth was determined. The fermentation broth contained over 8 kinds of lactobacillus and other microbes. Lactobacillus (L.) hilgardii, L. reuteri, L. nagelii, L. plantarum, and Zygosaccharomyces bisporus were survived especially in pH 2.0 among them. The concentrations of acetic acid and lactic acid in the broth were higher than minimum inhibitory concentration values (MIC) to Escherichia (E.) coli and Salmonella sp. Overall the broth contained sufficient organic acid to inhibit the growth of E. coli and Salmonella sp. In addition, L. nagelii and L. plantarum had the greatest anti-microbial activity against E. coli, Salmonella (S.) typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and S. gallinarium among lactobacillus in the broth. The broth had greater anti-microbial activity than individual lactobacillus. The fermentation broth had deodorization capacity of ammonia and hydrogen sulfate and the 50% of their concentrations were removed after 30 min treatment. Egg production rates, egg weight, and feed efficiency were increased in eggs laid from hens that supplemented with 0.1 % fermented broth compared to the control. The supplementation also increased the thickness and strength of egg shell to reduce broken eggs and decreased cholesterol levels in egg yolk. In conclusion, the fermentation broth of fruits and vegetables can be a natural alternative supplementation of feed in laying hens.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.10
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• pp.1147-1152
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• 2009

Purpose:To characterize the pathogens and their antibiotic susceptibilities in more than 24-month-old children with urinary tract infection (UTI) and to study the Escherichia coli antimicrobial susceptibility trend. Methods:We retrospectively reviewed the record of more than 24-month-old children with UTI between January 2003 and December 2008. Positive results for 1 bacterial species with a colony count of ${\geq}10^5CFU/mL$ was considered statistically significant. We analyzed uropathogens and their antibiotic susceptibilities. To investigate E. coli antibiotic susceptibility trend, we compared 2 study periods (group A: 2003-2005 versus group B: 2006-2008) using the chi-square test for trend. Results:In all, 63 bacterial isolates were identified in children with febrile UTI. The most common pathogen was E. coli (77.8%). There was no difference in the resistance patterns of uropathogens during the 2 study periods (P>0.05). Antibiotic susceptibility of the E. coli isolates to aztreonam, cefotetan, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, amikacin, and imipenem was >90% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazol, 49% and to ampicillin and ampicillin/sulbactam, 20-25%. Over the 2 study period, the E. coli susceptibilities to most antibiotics did not change: the susceptibility to cefuroxime increased from 74.1% to 95.5% (P=0.046) and that to ciprofloxacin increased from 59.3% to 86.4% (P=0.039). Conclusion:Empirical treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, and ampicillin/sulbactam alone appeared to be insufficient in childhood UTI because of the high resistance of E. coli and other gram-negative uropathogens. Antibiotics for empirical therapy should be selected based on the sensitivity and resistance pattern of uropathogens found in a particular region.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.342-351
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• 2006

The aim of this study was to survey susceptibilities of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates against cefotaxime and to determine the prevalences of CTX-M type extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamases (ESBLs) producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae in Korea. During the period of February to July, 2005, 153 E. coli and 52 K. neumoniae isolates were collected from 2 hospitals in Busan. Antimicrobial susceptibilities to cefotaxime were tested by the disk diffusion method. ESBL production of E. coli and K. pneumoniae was determined by the double disk synergy test. MICs of $\beta$-lactam antibiotics were determined by the agar dilution method. Blac$_{CTX-M}$ genes of the organism were detected by PCR. Among 153 isolates of E. coli and 52 isolates of K. neumoniae, 27 (17.6%) and 25 (48.0%) were intermediate or resistant to cefotaxime, respectively. Twenty-three (15.0%) isolates out of 153 E. coli and 13 (25.0%) out of 52 K. neumoniae isolates showed positive results for ESBL by the double disk synergy test. Twenty isolates out of 23 ESBL producing E. coli and 12 out of 13 ESBL producing K. neumoniae isolates harbored biacTx-M gene,11 of ESBL producing E. coli and 12 of ESBL producing K. neuinoniae isolates harbored bla$_{CTX-M}$ gene, 11 of the ESBL producing E. coli and 2 of ESBL producing K. neumoniae isolates harbored bla$_{TEM}$ gene, and 1 of the ESBL producing E. coli and 12 of ESBL producing K. neumoniae isolates harbored bla$_{SHV}$ gene. E. coli and K. neumoniae isolates producing CTX-M-type ESBLs were not uncommon in Korea. It is thought that continuous survey are necessary for inspecting the spread and novel variants of CTX-M-type ESBL genes. Further me]'e investigation and research on ESBL producing strains are needed in order to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.520-527
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• 2015

This study investigated the physiological activities of garlic extracts frozen at -20, -80, and $-196^{\circ}C$. To determine the optimum freezing temperature for maintaining garlic's physiological activity, antioxidant and antibacterial activities were investigated. The antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH radical scavenging ability, SOD-like activity, nitrite-scavenging ability, and reducing power. Total phenolic compounds and flavonoids of garlic extract frozen at $4^{\circ}C$ (control) were measured as $6.91{\pm}0.69{\mu}gGAE/g$ and $0.315{\pm}0.017{\mu}gQE/g$, respectively. Although the content of total phenolic compounds was not affected by the different freezing temperatures, the flavonoids contents of garlic extract frozen at $-20^{\circ}C$ were slightly decreased. The DPPH radical scavenging ability of garlic extracts (2 mg/mL) frozen at $-80^{\circ}C$ was 61%, whereas those frozen at $-20^{\circ}C$ and $-196^{\circ}C$ were 51%. SOD-like activity was slightly increased by freezing. However, the nitrite scavenging ability (18% at pH 3.0) and reducing power (OD700=1.6) were not affected by freezing temperatures. Antimicrobial activities did not show significant differences depending on freezing temperatures. Taken together, the physiological activities of the frozen garlic extracts were not significantly changed by the freezing temperatures; however, the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of the phenolic compounds and flavonoids were maintained at $-80^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that $-80^{\circ}C$ frozen garlic could maintain a higher quality than the conventional freezing method ($-20^{\circ}C$) without loss of physiological activities during the storage.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2012

We analyzed mupirocin resistance rates among staphylococcal isolates collected from a Korean hospital in 2003 (100 isolates), 2005 (195 isolates), 2006 (151 isolates), and 2009 (112 isolates). In Staphylococcus aureus, rates of high-level mupirocin resistance (MIC, minimal inhibitory concentration ${\geq}512{\mu}g/ml$) decreased and did not appear since 2005. In contrast, low-level mupirocin resistance (MIC $8-256{\mu}g/ml$) was not detected in 2003 and 2005 but its rates later increased to 6.9% in 2009. Total resistance rates of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were significantly higher than those of S. aureus. The rates of high-level resistance of CNS increased from 16.0% in 2003 to 31.5% in 2009. The rate of low-level resistance of CNS was 8.0% in 2003 and around 11% later. In all high-level resistant isolates, the ileS-2 gene was detected. All low-level resistant isolates contained the known V588F mutation in ileS gene. Previously unknown mutations such as V458G in S. aureus and D172A, Y490H and I750V in CNS were identified additionally. One S. aureus isolate with high-level resistance was resistant to oxacillin and several topical antibiotics commonly used for the treatment of skin infection. Ten S. aureus isolates with low-level resistance were also resistant to all of these antibiotics except fusidic acid. CNS isolates with high-level (61 isolates) and low-level resistance (27 isolates) exhibited significantly higher resistance rates to these antibiotics than mupirocin-susceptible CNS isolates (167 isolates). In conclusion, prevention of the emergence of mupirocin resistance is necessary for the effective treatment of skin infection by staphylococci.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 2006

Background : Acinetobacter baumannii is an important pathogen associated with nosocomial infections in intensive care units, and is responsible for nosocomial pneumonia, UTI, bacteremia, etc. The main concern is that this pathogen is often resistant to many antimicrobial agents, particularly to carbapenem. This study compared the clinical those of ICU admitted patients with the carbapenem resistant A. baumannii isolated from the sputum with characteristics of patients with carbapenem sensitive A. baumannii. Methods : A total of 49 patients with A. baumannii from a sputum culture who were admitted to the ICU from January to December 2003 were enrolled in this study. This study evaluated the demographic variables, mortality, APACHE II score, comorbidity, antibiotics used, hospital and ICU stay, Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score, and mechanical ventilation. A retrospective analysis was made by a review of the patients' medical records. Results : Carbapenem sensitive and resistant A. baumannii was isolated from 23 patients and 26 patients respectively. Univariate analysis revealed renal disease, the use of carbapenem and aminoglycoside to be statistically significant factors for carbapenem resistance. Multivariate analysis revealed carbapenem use(p=0.024; OR, 8.17; CI 1.32 to 50.68) to be positively associated with carbapenem resistance, and aminoglycoside use(p=0.026; OR, 0.18; CI, 0.04 to 0.82) to be negatively associated with carbapenem resistance. There was no significant difference in mortality between the carbapenem sensitive and resistant group(30 vs 42%. P=0.39). Conclusion : The occurrence of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii is positively associated with carbapenem use and negatively associated with aminoglycoside use. Carbapenem resistance in the sputum culture did not affect the mortality rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.1830-1841
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• 2012

We investigated the changes in microbial and physicochemical characteristics of the raw materials of Saengsk (brown rice, barley, carrot, potato, Angelica utilis Makino and kale) during storage after treatment with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW). To confirm the antimicrobial effects of the treatment washing solutions as well as the physicochemical changes in chromaticity, we stored the raw materials of Saengsik for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days at storage temperatures of 4, 10, 15, 20, 25 and $30^{\circ}C$ in a shelf-life study. The effects of microbial inhibition were higher in carrot treated with SAEW than in that treated with NaOCl, as indicated by a 1.75 log CFU/g reduction. Moreover, a 1.54 log CFU/g reduction of total coliforms was achieved in brown rice in response to SAEW treatment, which was higher than NaOCl treatment at all storage temperatures and periods. The lightness, redness and yellowness values of the raw materials of Saengsik were not significantly affected by SAEW treatments, except for Angelica utilis Makino and kale, whereas SAEW treatment resulted in decreased chromaticity values when compared to the NaOCl treatment. Overall, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the efficacy of the SAEW and NaOCl treatments. These results indicate that washing with SAEW is an effective method to reduce the microorganisms and enhance the shelf-life of raw materials of Saengsik; therefore, it can be effectively used to sanitize ingredients of Saengik without affecting the other properties during storage.