• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.114-121
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• 2012

The potential for ochratoxin A (OTA) degradation by swine intestinal microbiota was assessed in the current study. Intestinal content that was collected aseptically from swine was spiked with 100 ppb OTA and incubated for 6 and 12 h at $39^{\circ}C$. An OTA assay was conducted using the incubated samples, and it was found that 20% of the OTA toxin was detoxified, indicating the presence of microbes capable of OTA degradation. Twenty-eight bacterial species were isolated anaerobically in M 98-5 media and 45 bacterial species were isolated using nutrient broth aerobically. Screening results showed that one anaerobic bacterial isolate, named MM11, detoxified more than 75% of OTA in liquid media. Furthermore, 1.0 ppm OTA was degraded completely after 24 h incubation on a solid 'corn' substrate. The bacterium was identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as having 97% sequence similarity with Eubacterium biforme. The isolation of an OTA-degrading bacterium from the swine natural flora is of great importance for OTA biodegradation and may be a valuable potential source for OTA-degradation enzymes in industrial applications.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.348-353
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• 2006

In this study, a 40% ethanol extract of Chinese yam flour (Dioscoreae rhizoma), containing $177{\pm}58{\mu}g/mL$ of dioscin, was tested in order to evaluate its pharmacological effects on the gastrointestinal tracts of Sprague-Dawley rats. Via the ingestion of the Chinese yam extract, the secretion of gastric acid was suppressed in the rats, and gastrointestinal motility increased by as much as 10%. The fecal quantity of rats fed on the Chinese yam extract also increased, by more than 40% as compared with that of the controls. The Chinese yam extract was found not to affect the growth of normal intestinal bacteria. However, a great deal of lactose-fermenting bacteria was observed in the fecal samples of rats fed for 6 weeks on 2% Chinese yam extract. This finding would appear to suggest that Chinese yam extract not only induces an improvement in digestive capability, but also affects the conversion of some intestinal flora to helpful bacteria. Our serochemical analyses indicated that serum glucose, neutral lipid, and total cholesterol levels were reduced to some degree by long-term feeding on Chinese yam extract. This finding bolsters the notion that Chinese yam extract may prove helpful as a digestion-aiding agent for patients suffering from hyperglycemia or hyperlipidemia.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.235-243
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• 1993

We have concerned the action of traditional herbal medicine (THM) to relate with longevity, aging and immune, etc. Espically, we have studied on the role of intestinal bacteria on THM such as Nokyongdaebo-Tang, Bojungikgi-Tang, Ikgibohyul-Tang, Bobyulansin-Tang and Bojanggunbi-Tang. Samples of the p.o. administration of 2 g/kg for 2 weeks did not find the change transaminase activities in mice. But, Nokyongdaebo-Tang and Bojanggunbi-Tang elevated the serum glucose levels and Bojungikgi-Tang elevated the total cholesterol levels in mice. ${\beta}-Glucuronidase$ activities in mice faeces are decreased by the treatment of Nokyongdaebo-Tang, Bojungikgi-Tang, Ikgibohyul-Tang and Bojanggunbi-Tang, but increased by the treatment of Bohyulansin-Tang. Number of lactic acid bacteria in mice faeces are increased by the treatment of Nokyongdaebo-Tang, Bojungikgi-Tang, lkgibohyul-Tang, Bohyulansin-Tang and Bojanggunbi-Tang. We recognized that ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activities and the number of lactic acid bacteria were remarkably decreased by the pretreatment of antibiotics in mice. Nokyongdaebo-Tang and Ikgibohyul-Tang at the p.o. administration of 2 g/kg significantly increased the ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activities and Bojungikgi-Tang and Bohyulansin-Tang remarkably increased the number of lactic acid bacteria in antibiotics pretreated mice.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.218-224
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• 1988

The preparation of Clostridium butyricum is used as a normalizing agent for human intestinal flora. When the microbe is simultaneously used with rifampicin, it is inactivated by the antibiotic. To develop rifampicin-resistant mutants, rifampicin-sensitive strain Miyairi II 588 of C. butyricum was treated with nitrosoguanidine (NTG). To ensure stable resistance to rifampicin, we examined whether the resistance was plasmid-mediated or chromosome-mediated. It was found that the resistance of four mutant strains was not mediated by its inherent plasmid, but by the chromosomal mutation. These strains were examined for the susceptibility and resistance to other antituberculosis agents and antibiotics. The results showed that these mutants were resistant to the high concentration of the antituberculosis agents.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.675-690
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• 2007

Bacteriocins in Gram-positive bacteria have attracted much attention because many have a strong antimicrobial activity also against bacteria outside the genera of the producers. Lantibiotics and the pediocin-like bactericins have attracted most attention since they kill a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria including important pathogens. But many other promising Gram-positive bacteriocins have been thoroughly characterized. Recent studies have shown that bacteriocins may playa role in the intestinal flora to protect us against the food-borne pathogens. Bacterial genome sequencing has demonstrated that there may be an arsenal of such compounds and we are only seeing the top of the iceberg. The present review gives a short outlook of the field of bacteriocins with focus on lactic acid bacteria and includes recent findings.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.129-138
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• 2012

Allergic disorders such as atopic dermatitis and asthma are common hyper-immune disorders in industrialized countries. Along with genetic association, environmental factors and gut microbiota have been suggested as major triggering factors for the development of atopic dermatitis. Numerous studies support the association of hygiene hypothesis in allergic immune disorders that a lack of early childhood exposure to diverse microorganism increases susceptibility to allergic diseases. Among the symbiotic microorganisms (e.g. gut flora or probiotics), probiotics confer health benefits through multiple action mechanisms including modification of immune response in gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT). Although many human clinical trials and mouse studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of probiotics in diverse immune disorders, this effect is strain specific and needs to apply specific probiotics for specific allergic diseases. Herein, we briefly review the diverse functions and regulation mechanisms of probiotics in diverse disorders.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.161-169
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• 1978

Escherichiae-like organisms were isolated from rectal specimens of 56 children who were either in preschool age or in elementary school. The isolated strains were subjected to tests to screen enteropathogens producing heat-labile enterotoxin and susceptibility test to various antibiotics by disc diffusion method on agar plates. Production of heat-labile enterotoxin by the strains was assyed in the sensitive and reproducible cultured adrenal tumor cell system. The assay was sterodogenesis of the cell in the presence of heat-labile enterotoxin. Among 56 strains, gave positive reaction in the test of toxin production. This meant that about 10% of the children population objected to the study harbored the toxigenic strain of enteropathogenes. Some of these toxigenic strains were resistant to the antibiotics employed in the test. This study suggested that considerable population in Korea may harbor entertoxigenic E. coli as a part of intestinal normal flora. The toxigenic strains which are resistant to antibiotics may bring issue of public health in the future.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of fructooligosaccharide on intestinal flora, lipid metabolism and immune response. Thirty two male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were divided into two groups according to body weight. Each group was fed the diet containing 2% cholesterol or the normal diet, respectively for 4 weeks. Each group was again divided into two sub-groups and they were fed with the diet containing 5% of sucrose and fructooligosaccharide, respectively for 8 weeks. The number of bifidobacteria slight increased, but not significantly, in oligosaccharide groups. Plasma total lipid concentration in cholesterol group was signficantly increased compared to the value in normal group. Dietary oligosaccharide decreased plasma total lipid concentration and triglyceride concentrations in normal group, but not in cholesterol group. Fecal lipid excretion was higher in cholesterol group than in normal group. Fecal cholesterol concentration in cholesterol-oligosaccharide group was significantly increased compared to other groups. Cholesterol had slight effects on TBARS and the immune status, but dietary oligosaccharide had no effects on these variables. The results in this study suggest that dietary oligosaccharide had no effect on serum and liver profiles of rats fed high cholesterol diet but increases the fecal cholesterol excretion.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.163.2-163.2
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• 2003

The genera Bifidobacterium is a member of the normal intestinal flora in humans, and important in food industry. In order to test the genetic identity of this bacterial genera, four primers originated from rice genome (SRILS Microbial $UniPrimers^{TM}$ kit) were used in molecular typing of 7 Bifidobacterial species and 20 isolates from various source. SRILS Microbial $UniPrimers^{TM}$ kit were effectively applied to genomic fingerprinting of various organism such as plant, animal and microorganism. (omitted)

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.2693-2697
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• 2014

Background: Isoflavones, which are included in soybeans, have been suggested to protect against prostate cancer. Equol, one of isoflavones, is an intestinally derived bacterial metabolite of daidzein. A newly identified equol-producing bacterium, Slackia sp. strain NATTS, with a high equol-producing activity was isolated from human feces in Japanese adults. Counts of Slackia sp. strain NATTS in intestinal flora have not been assessed with regard to prostate cancer risk. In this study, we investigated the association of serum isoflavones and counts of Slackia sp. strain NATTS with prostate cancer risk in a case-control study. Materials and Methods: Concentrations of isoflavones and counts of Slackia sp. strain NATTS in feces were measured from 44 patients with prostate cancer and 28 hospital controls. The risk of prostate cancer was evaluated in terms of odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by the logistic regression analysis. Results: The detection proportions of Slackia sp. strain NATTS in cases and controls were 34.1% and 25.0%, respectively. Counts of Slackia sp. strain NATTS were significantly correlated with serum concentrations of equol both in cases and controls (Spearman correlation coefficients, $r_s$=0.639 and $r_s$=0.572, p<0.01, respectively). Serum concentrations of genistein, daidzein, glycitein, and equol were not significantly associated with risk of prostate cancer. Conclusions: This study found that counts of Slackia sp. strain NATTS correlated with serum concentrations of equol both in prostate cancer cases and controls, but serum isoflavone concentrations were not associated with risk of prostate cancer in our patients.