• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2024

Background: Honey bees play a crucial role in pollination and ecological balance. Apis mellifera L. colonies, especially those located in specific geographic regions, such as the palm garden in Eastern Thailand, are susceptible to potential threats from microbial contaminants. Understanding and detecting microbial organisms in these beehives is essential for the preservation of bee health, honey production, and the broader ecosystem. However, the problem of microbial infection and antibiotic-resistant bacteria is more severe and continuously increasing, resulting in a health, economic, and social crisis. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of microorganisms in A. mellifera beehives in palm gardens in Rayong province, Eastern Thailand. Results: Ten swabs in transport media were swabbed and obtained from different parts of each beehive (1 swab per beehive), for a total of 10 hives. Traditional microbial culture-based methods, biochemical tests, and antimicrobial susceptibility (disc-diffusion) tests were used to detect microbial organisms and antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The swab tests from nine beehives resulted in the detection of Gram-positive bacteria (63.64%), Gram-negative bacteria (27.27%), and fungi/yeast (9.09%). These microorganisms are classified as a group of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. and made up 40.91% of the bacteria discovered. Other bacteria found were Coryneform bacteria (13.64%), Pantoea spp. (13.64%), Bacillus spp. (9.09%), yeast (9.09%), glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli (9.09%), and Pseudomonas spp. (4.55%). However, due to the traditional culture-based and 0biochemical tests usually used to identify the microbial organisms in clinical specimens and the limitation of identifying some environmental microbial species, the results of the antimicrobial susceptibility test cannot reveal if the organism is resistant or susceptible to the drug. Nevertheless, drug-sensitive inhibition zones were formed with each antibiotic agent. Conclusions: Overall, the study supports prevention, healthcare, and public health systems. The contamination of microorganisms in the beehives may affect the quality of honey and other bee products or even the health of the beekeeper. To avoid this kind of contamination, it is therefore necessary to wear personal protective equipment while harvesting honey and other bee products.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.763-767
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• 2000

This study was performed to isolate and identify bacteria from uterus with pyometra and examine their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Uterus of 16 bitches with pyometra were surgically removed by ovariohysteroctomy and then bacteria were isolated and identified. Also, susceptibility test to 15 antimicrobial agents was performed. Out of 16 bitches, 11 strains of Escherichia coli, 2 strains of Serratia marcescens, and 1 strain of Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. were identified. In antimicrobial susceptibility test, the majority of isolates were susceptible to enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, gentamicin, trimethprim-sulfamethazole, tetracycline, and moderately susceptible to carbenicillin, amikacin, ampicillin, neomycin, but resistant to vancomycin, streptomycin, bacitracin and colistin. In conclusion, E coli was the most common bacteria isolated from bitches with pyometra and those susceptible antimicrobial agents could be recommended to medical therapy of pyometra.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.223-230
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• 2019

Ozone is a gaseous molecule able to kill microorganisms, such as yeast, fungi, bacteria, and protozoa. However, ozone gas is unstable and cannot be used easily. In order to utilize ozone properly and efficiently, plant oil can be employed. Ozone reacts with C-C double bonds of fatty acids, converting to ozonized oil. In this reaction, ozonide is produced within fatty acids and the resulting ozonized oil has various biological functions. In this study, we showed that ozonized oil has antimicrobial activity against fungi and bacteria. To test the antimicrobial activity of ozonized oil, we produced ozonized olive oil. Ozonized olive oil was applied to Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Antimicrobial activity was assayed using the disk diffusion method following the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 0.25 mg for S. aureus, 0.5 mg for S. epidermidis, 3.0 mg for P. aeruginosa, and 1.0 mg for E. coli. Gram positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram negative bacteria. We compared growth inhibition zones against S. aureus and MRSA, showing that the ozonized olive oil was more effective on MRSA than S. aureus. Furthermore, the ozonized olive oil killed C. albicans within an hour. These data suggested that ozonized olive oil could be an alternative drug for MRSA infection and could be utilized as a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacteria from the 4 patients with non-odontogenic infectious lesions (mucormycosis, chronic inflammation from wound infection, and two actinomycosis) and determine their antimicrobial susceptibility against eight antibiotics. Bacterial culture was performed under three culture conditions (anaerobic, $CO_2$, and aerobic incubator). The bacterial strains were identified by 16S rRNA gene (16S rDNA) sequence comparison analysis method. For investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacteria against eight antibiotics, penicillin G, amoxicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, erythromycin, clindamycin, vancomycin, and Augmentin$^{(R)}$ (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) measurement was performed using broth microdilution assay. Nosocomial pathogens such as Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, and Neisseria flavescens were isolated from mucormycosis. Veillonella parvula, Enterobacter hormaechei, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus were isolated from chronic inflammatory lesion. Actinomyces massiliensis was isolated from actinomycosis in parotid gland. Capnocytophaga ochracea was isolated from actinomycosis in buccal region in anaerobic condition. There was no susceptible antibiotic to all bacteria in mucormycosis. Tetracycline was susceptible to all bacteria in chronic inflammation. C. ochracea was resistant to vancomycin and penicillin G; and other antibiotics showed susceptibility to all bacteria in actinomycosis. The results indicated that the combined treatment of two or more antibiotics is better than single antibiotic treatment in mucormycosis, and penicillin is the first recommended antibiotic to treat actinomycosis.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.84-91
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• 2015

To provide guidelines for the empirical treatment of urinary tract infections, we observed annual changes in the occurrence frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility of urinary isolates in a university hospital in the Chungbuk province, South Korea, over a period of 10 years (2004~2013). Escherichia coli (38.2%), Enterococcus faecalis (11.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.3%), E. faecium (4.3%), and Staphylococcus aureus (4.1%) were commonly isolated urinary pathogens. The prevalence of E. coli, E. faecium and Streptococcus agalactiae were significantly higher in females (P < 0.001), whereas E. faecalis, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were significantly more common in male patients (P < 0.001). E. coli mostly frequently showed resistance to ampicillin (67.94%), followed by trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (36.06%) and ciprofloxacin (26.84%). Over the studied time period, resistance rates of E. coli to ciprofloxacin significantly increased (20.44% to 33.55%). Moreover, extended-spectrum $\beta$-lactamase (ESBL) producing isolates also significantly increased in E. coli (4.2% to 18.3%) and K. pneumoniae (9.6% to 26.9%). In addition, the proportion of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus facium (VRE) also increased (15.7% to 25.0%). In conclusion, over the last 10 years, the proportions of ciprofloxacin resistant E. coli and multidrug-resistant bacteria, such as ESBL and VRE have significantly increased. This trend must be strictly controlled and demonstrates the need for more updated guidelines for the treatment of urinary tract infections.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2007

Due to wide abuse of antibiotics both in human and livestock use, the advent and spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens becomes a serious health problem all over the world. Since the development of new antibiotics is at a standstill in pharmaceutical industry, the choice of therapeutic antibiotics is getting narrower. In this study, in an effort to search new antibiotics, the antimicrobial activity of Paenibacillus DY1 isolated from Korean soil was characterized on its growth inhibition spectrum against various health threatening MDR strains, with its stability and chemical structure. Extracellular culture filtrate of Paenibacillus DY1 effectively inhibits the growth of all the tested MDR enteropathogenic Eshcherichia coli, enterohemolytic E. coli, and enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, at a similar level to that on the nonresistant control E. coli strains. It showed significant growth inhibition effect against the causative agents of class one legal communicable disease, MDR Salmonella typhi, MDR Salmonella paratyphi A, food poisoning bacteria, MDR Salmonella typhimurium, and other MDR Salmonella spp. The growth of all of 10 different MDR Shigella spp. strains and 6 different Vibrio spp. strains tested was also inhibited. The antimicrobial activity of Paenibacillus DY1 was well preserved after heat treatment, and was also stable in both alkaline and acidic environment. The antimicrobial activity was partially purified with Diaion HP20 column and TLC. By NMR study, the putative structure of the activity was postulated as an alkane having hydroxyl groups.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of Salmonella phage P22 combined with antibiotics to inhibit antibiotic-resistant S. Typhimurium CCARM 8009. The synergistic effect of phage P22 and antibiotics was evaluated by using disk diffusion and broth dilution assays. The development of Antimicrobial resistance was determined after time-kill assay. The antibiotic susceptibility assay showed the inhibition zone sizes around the antibiotic disks were increased up to 78.8% in the presence of phage (cefotaxime; 13.6%, chloramphenicol; 19.3%, ciprofloxacin; 12.7% and erythromycin; 78.8%). The minimum inhibitory concentration values of the combination treatment significantly decreased from 256 to 64 mg/mL for tetracycline, 8 to 4 mg/mL for chloramphenicol, 0.0156 to 0.0078 mg/mL for ciprofloxacin, 128 to 64 mg/mL for erythromycin and 512 to 256 mg/mL for streptomycin. The number of S. Typhimurium CCARM 8009 was approximately 4-log lower than that of the control throughout the combination treatment with phage P22 and ciprofloxacin delete at 37℃ for 20 h. The results indicate that the development of antimicrobial resistance in S. Typhimurium could be reduced in the presence of phage treatment. This study provides promising evidence for the phage-antibiotic combination as an effective treatment to control antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2004

Bacteria that are resistant to several different groups of antibiotics have increased during the past few years. The importance of surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is now widely recognized. Unfortunately, this development has not been documented continuously in veterinary medicine in Korea. Therefore, the clinical prevalence and trend of antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic isolates were investigated in this study. Total 121 isolates of aerobic bacteria were isolated from clinical specimens of dogs and cats at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University from May 2001 to October 2002. Among them, the most common isolated species was Staphylococcus spp. (48 isolates), followed by E.coli (26 isolates), Enterococcus spp. (21 isolates), Klebsiella pneumoniae (9 isolates), Streptococcus spp. (6 isolates), Enterobacter cloacae (3 isolates), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3 isolates), Corynebacterium xerosis (2 isolates), Chryseomonas spp. (2 isolates), and Providencia stuartii (1 isolate). The susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method. Gram-positive bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxacillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, and oxacillin, while Gram-negative bacterial isolates were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Staphylococcus spp. were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, cephalothin, and oxacillin. Streptococcus spp. and E.coli were showed high susceptibilities to amikacin and ceftazidime. Of the 48 staphylococci, seven Methicillin Resistant staphylococci were observed (14.6%), distributed among S. auricularis (1), S. hemolyticus (2), S. sciuri (1), S. saprophyticus (1), S. warneri (2) isolates. One strain of E.coli and one strain of Corynebacterium xerosis were resistant to all antibiotics tested. And, resistance trends between the you 2000 (from July 1999 to September 2000) and 2002 (from May 2001 to October 2002) were compared. Resistance to antibiotics was increased in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates (p＜ 0.05). The resistance rates of Staphylococcus spp., E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to all antibiotics tested were also increased (p＜0.05). This study investigated increasing resistance between the year 2000 and 2002 in Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University. Surveillance resistance is helpful to alert to veterinarian and select of appropriate therapy. Antimicrobial susceptibility surveillance of isolates should urgently be continued in veterinary medicine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1225-1231
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• 2016

In this study, our investigated the antioxidant activities and compared other bioassay including anti-microbial, antifungal activities and total polyphenol contents of functional healthy drinks from some medicinal herbs and coffee mixture. The kind of medicinal herbs, chaga mushroom (Inonatus obliqurs), moringa (Moringa Oleifera), gravila (Anona muricata), mulberry (Morus alba), Dioscoreaceae (Dioscorea quinquelaba), Berberidaceae (Epimedii Herba), Asteraceae (Artemisia capillaries) and siberian ginseng (Acanthopanax senticous,). The functional healthy drinks, named C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7 were summered in Table 1. The in vitro antimicrobial activity was examined against Gram positive bacteria, Gram negative bacteria and a fungus. The functional healthy drinks were broad spectrum of anti-microbial activity without antifungal activity against Candida albicans KCTC7965. In particularly, the C7 showed strong activity against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus CCARM3089, CCARM 3115 and CCARM3561. And, the C7 showed 88% of free radical scavenging effect on 0.5 mg/ml using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Functional healthy drink C7 was mulberry extracts from Morus alba, chaga mushroom from Inonatus obliqurs and moringa from Moringa olifera in additionally coffee extracts. Its results confirm that the potential use of mulberry extracts as a good source of antibacterial compounds or as a health promoting food and health drinks.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2006

The liquid culture extract of Coriolus versicolor was prepared by directly boiling the whole culture broth 7 days after incubation in 12% citrus extract medium. After removal of mycelial debris through filtration, this extract was further extracted with equal volume of ethyl acetate (1 : 1, v/v). The ethyl acetate extracts showed significant antibacterial activities against Stapylococcus aureus CCARM3230 and Psudomonas aeruginosa CCARM2171, which are resistant to several antibiotics. The most active fraction was eluted from a silica gel column with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol (9 : 1, v/v) and the purity of this active substance was confirmed by HPLC analysis. The results suggest that the purified active substance could be a good source for the development of a new antimicrobial agent, especially for the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacteria.