• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.398-405
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• 2002

Bifidobacteria have been previously shown to stimulate the immune functions and cytokine production in macrophages and T-lymphocytes. Accordingly, the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cell line was used to assess the effects of Bifidobacterium on the proliferation and cytoskeleton reorganization of the cells. Cytokine production after exposure to Bifidobacterium was also monitored in both whole cells and cell-free extracts. When RAW 264.7 cells were cultured for 24 h in the presence of heat-killed Bifidobacterium bifidum BGN4, the proliferation of macrophages was slowed down in a dose-dependent manner and cell differentiation was observed by staining with the actin-specific fluorescent dye, rhodamin-conjugated phalloidin. Although EL-4 cells, a T-cell line, stimulated RAW 264.7 cells to produce TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-6, the stimulatory activity of B. bifidum BGN4 decreased as the EL-4 cell number increased. When disrupted and fractionated BGN4 was used, the whole cell fraction was more effective than the other fractions for the TNF-${\alpha}$ production. In contrast, the cell-free extract exhibited the highest IL-6 production level among the fractions, which was evident even at a $1{\mu}g/ml$ concentration. The current results demonstrate that Bifidobacterium induced differentiation of the macrophages from the fast proliferative stage and that the cytokine production was differentially induced by the whole cells and cell-free extracts. The in vitro approaches employed herein are expected to be useful in further characterization of the effects of bifidobacteria with regards to gastrointestinal and systemic immunity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.191-194
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• 2008

The antagonistic activity of probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12, Bifidobacterium bifidum A, Bifidobacterium longum B6, Lactobacillus acidophilus ADH, Lactobacillus paracasei ATCC 25598, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) against nalidixic acid resistant ($NA^R$) Escherichia coli O157:H7 MF1847, E. coli O157:H7 H2439, E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43894, and E. coli O157:H7 C7927 was investigated using the agar-overlay, well diffusion, and broth culture tests. L. paracasei ATCC 25598 was the most effective probiotic strain in terms of in vitro antagonistic activity against $NA^R$ E. coli O157:H7, followed by L. rhamnosus GG, B. longum B6, and L. acidophilus ADH. The use of selected probiotic strains could be an effective pre-harvest intervention strategy to reduce the risk of $NA^R$ E. coli O157:H7 by maintaining a balanced microflora in animals and might provide many potential benefits in lieu of using antimicrobials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.529-536
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• 2003

The growth-inhibitory activity of Cassia tora seed-derived materials against seven intestinal bacteria was examined in vitro, and compared with that of anthraquinone, anthraflavine, anthrarufin, and 1-hydroxyanthraquinone. The active constituent of C. tore seeds was characterized as quinizarin, using various spectroscopic analyses. The growth responses varied depending on the compound, dose, and bacterial strain tested. At 1 mg/disk, quinizarin exhibited a strong inhibition of Clostridium perfringens and moderate inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus without any adverse effects on the growth of Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. longum, and Lactobacillus casei. Furthermore, the isolate at 0.1 mg/disk showed moderate and no activity against C. perfringens and S. aureus. The structure-activity relationship revealed that anthrarufin, anthraflavine, and quinizarin moderately inhibited the growth of S. aureus. However. anthraquinone and 1-hydroxyanthraquinone did not inhibit the human intestinal bacteria tested. As for the morphological effect of 1 mg/disk quinizarin, most strains of C. perfringens were damaged and disappeared, indicating that the strong activity of quinizarin was morphologically exhibited against C. perfringens. The inhibitory effect on aflatoxin $B_1$ biotransformation by anthraquinones revealed that anthrarufin ($IC_50,\;11.49\mu\textrm{M}$) anthraflavine ($IC_50,\;26.94\mu\textrm{M}$), and quinizarin ($IC_50,\;4.12\mu\textrm{M}$), were potent inhibitors of aflatoxin ${B_1}-8,9-epoxide$ formation. However, anthraquinone and 1-hydroxyanthraquinone did not inhibit the mouse liver microsomal sample to convert aflatoxin $B_1$ to aflatoxin ${B_1}-8,9-epoxide$. These results indicate that the two hydroxyl groups on A ring of anthraquinones may be essential for inhibiting the formation of aflatoxin ${B_1}-8,9-epoxide$. Accordingly, as naturally occurring inhibitory agents, the C. tora seed-derived materials described could be useful as a preventive agent against diseases caused by harmful intestinal bacteria, such as clostridia, and as an inhibitory agent for the mouse liver microsomal conversion of aflatoxin $B_1$ to aflatoxin ${B_1}-8,9-epoxide$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.500-508
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of jujube extracts on intestinal microflora, along with their antioxidant activities, according to extraction method. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts were measured using the agar diffusion method with a jujube extract concentration of 50 mg/mL. Neither the first nor second jujube extracts were inhibitory against the tested intestinal bacteria. However, water extracts of jujube significantly enhanced the growth of lactic acid bacteria, especially Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Total phenol compounds and flavonoid compounds were higher in the 1st than in the 2nd water extracts. The EDA values of both water and ethanol extracts increased in proportion to the extract concentration. The 1st water extract showed the highest value among all the others, which was 85.60% at the concentration of 0.05 mg/mL. Furthermore, the 1st water extract showed stronger antioxidant activity than the other samples with an activity of 679.91 mg AA eq/g. These results support the potential use of jujube water extracts as a functional food component and a valuable resource for the development of nutraceutical foods, to increase the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. in the human intestine.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.122-126
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• 1997

Bifidobacteria have been known as beneficial inhabitant of human intestine. Therefore, bifidobacteria began to be noticed as a starter in the manufacture of fermented dairy products. Perhaps the key for effective use of bifidobacteria in commercial dairy products is the maintenance of viability of bifidobacteria during large scale preparation of starter culture and distribution of products. So we tried to obtain the bifidobacteria having suitable characteristics for using as a starter in the manufacture of fermented dairy products. Among bifidobacteria isolated from Korean, E-4 strain showed the highest resistance to oxygen. To know whether the selected strain will be fit for manufacture of fermented dairy products, we also investigated resistance of the selected strain to HCI. The selected strain, E-4, was more resistant to environmental stresses such as oxygen, H2O2 and HCI than Bifidobacterium longum known as resistant strain to environmental stresses. According to carbohydrate fermentation patterns and morphological characteristics, E-4 strain was identified as B. bifidum. In conclusion, the selected strain, E-4, was thought to be fit for manufacture of fermented dairy products.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.641-645
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• 2014

This study was performed to investigate the possibility of using three commercial bifidobacteria as a starter for soybean paste fermentation. In order to determine susceptibility to inhibition by high concentrations of salt in soybean paste, cell growth of three strains in sterilized soybean paste was analyzed. Bifidobacterium breve KCTC 5081 was the most resistant to salt, whereas Bifidobacterium bifidum KCTC 5082 showed low cell viability. Conversion efficiencies from glycoside isoflavone to aglycon isoflavone in soybean paste ranged from 11.3~28.6%, with Bifidobacterium longum KCTC 5734 the best strain. Therefore, B. longum KCTC 5734 may be used as a starter for Cheonggukjang fermentation, which is low-salt fermented soybean paste.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple detection method, possibly at the species-level, that allows for large-scale screening of bifidobacteria. Human fecal samples were plated on MRS-raffinose agar containing cysteine and neomycin sulfate, serving as selective pressure for bifidobacteria, and 0.003%(w/v) bromocresol green. All of the test strains grew well on this medium at $37{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, forming white colonies surrounded by yellow halos, which presented a sharp contrast against the green background. In this disc assay, the required incubation time to develop a yellowish zone varied with the species of Bifidobacterium that was tested, allowing for differential counts and easy identification at the species-level: 10-14 hr for B. bifidum, 20-22 hr for B. catenulatum and B. infantis. and 24-25 hr for B. longum and B. breve. No apparent color was observed for B. angulatum and B. adolescentis 28 hr after inoculation. To evaluate the results of pH indicator-based identification, individual isolates were subjected to a colony-PCR experiment with genus-specific primers. The amplified products from the isolates were in good accordance with those from the reference strains at a level of 95% agreement. These results suggest that the present method could be conveniently applied to cell counts, as well as to the preliminary identification of bifidobacteria from a variety of sample types including human feces, dairy products, and commercial probiotic supplements.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.817-819
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• 2006

8-Quinolinol and other quinolinol derivatives were evaluated with regard to their growth-inhibitory effects against intestinal bacteria, using the paper disk-agar diffusion method. The observed growth responses varied according to the chemicals and dosages used, as well as the bacterial species tested. 8-Quinolinol showed a significant inhibitory effect against Clostridium difficile, C. perfringens, and Escherichia coli, at 5, 2, 1, and 0.5 mg/disk, and also exhibited a very strong inhibitory effect at 0.25 mg/disk. At low concentrations, 8-quinolinol had strong inhibitory effects against C. perfringens at 0.1 and 0.05 mg/disk; 8-quinolinol also manifested a moderate inhibitory effect against C. perfringens at 0.025 mg/disk. Furthermore, 8-quinolinol revealed moderate and weak growth inhibition against C. difficile and E. coli at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.05 mg/disk, respectively, but 2-quinolinol, 4-quinolinol, and 6-quinolinol evidenced no growth inhibition against B. bifidum, B. longum, C. difficile, C. perfringens, E. coli, or L. casei. The inhibitory effects of 8-quinolinol against C. difficile, C. perfringens, and E. coli lead to its consideration as a possible therapeutic modality for the treatment of diseases associated with harmful intestinal bacteria.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.475-480
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• 2015

Jeju citrus, which contains an abundance of calcium and vitamin, was used to develop fermented citrus peel extract. A total of seven probiotic strains were applied to tangerine dermis to select the best growing bacteria in citrus peel extracts. B. longum, B. bifidum, and L. mesenteroides were found to grow best in citrus peel extract culture containing glucose, yeast extracts, peptone, and potassium phosphate. Citrus peel extract culture consisting of 1% yeast extract, 5% peptone, and 0.1% phosphate was the best environment for growth of probiotics. The pH, acidity, and viable cell numbers of these fermented extracts were measured. The initial pH level of fermented extracts with nutrients was 5.25 and dropped rapidly to 3.39 after 72 hours of fermentation. The acidity of fermented extracts increased to 4.08 % after 72 hours of fermentation, and the viable cell number in fermented extracts after refrigeration for 2 weeks was $1.3{\times}10^{10}CFU/mL$. The antimicrobial activity of citrus peel fermented extracts against Campylobacter jejuni was determined, and concentrations more than 25,000 ppm showed antimicrobial activity.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.559-563
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• 2006

The growth responses of six bacterial strains exposed to materials extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes were examined using impregnated paper disk agar diffusion. Methanol extracts of turmeric rhizomes exhibited strong inhibitory activity against Clostridium perfringens and weak inhibitory activity toward Escherichia coli at 5 mg/disk. However, in tests conducted with Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. longum, and Lactobacillus casei, the methanol extract showed no inhibitory response. The biologically active constituent isolated from the turmeric rhizomes extracts was characterized as ar-turmerone using various spectroscopic analyses including EI-MS and NMR. The responses varied according to the dosage, chemicals, and bacterial strain tested. At 2 and 1 mg/disk, ar-turmerone strongly inhibited the growth of C. perfringens and moderately inhibited the growth of E. coli without any adverse effects on the growth of four lactic acid-bacteria. Of the commercially available compounds originating from turmeric rhizomes, curcumin exhibited strong and moderate growth inhibition against C. perfringens at 2 and 1 mg/disk, respectively, and weak growth inhibition against E. coli at 1 mg/disk. However, little or no activity was observed for borneol, 1,8-cineole, and sabinene against all six bacteria strains tested. The observed inhibitory activity of the turmeric rhizome-derived curcumin and ar-turmerone against C. perfringens and E. coli demonstrate one of the important pharmacological activities of turmeric rhizomes.