• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.981-989
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• 2012

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of electroporation on the cell growth, cholesterol removal, and adherence abilities of L. acidophilus BT 1088 and their subsequent passages. The growth of electroporated parent cells increased (P<0.05) by 4.49-21.25% compared with that of the control. This may be attributed to the alteration of cellular membrane. However, growth of first, second, and third passages of treated cells was comparable with that of the control, which may be attributed to the resealing of transient pores on the cellular membrane. Electroporation also increased (P<0.05) assimilation of cholesterol by treated parent cells (>185.40%) and first passage (>21.72%) compared with that of the control. Meanwhile, incorporation of cholesterol into the cellular membrane was also increased (P<0.05) in the treated parent cells (>108.33%) and first passage (>26.67%), accompanied by increased ratio of cholesterol:phospholipids (C:P) in these passages. Such increased ratio was also supported by increased enrichment of cholesterol in the hydrophilic heads, hydrophobic tails, and the interface regions of the membrane phospholipids of both parent and first passage cells compared with that of the control. However, such traits were not inherited by the subsequent second and third passages. Parent cells also showed decreased intestinal adherence ability (P<0.05; decreased by 1.45%) compared with that of the control, without inheritance by subsequent passages of treated cells. Our data suggest that electoporation could be a potential physical treatment to enhance the cholesterol removal ability of lactobacilli that was inherited by the first passage of treated cells without affecting their intestinal adherence ability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.76-84
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• 2013

A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique followed by sequencing of the 16S rDNA fragments eluted from the bands of interest on denaturing gradient gels was used to monitor changes in the bacterial microflora of two commercial kimchi, salted cabbage, and ingredient mix samples during 30 days of fermentation at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$. Leuconostoc (Lc.) was the dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) over Lactobacillus (Lb.) species at $4^{\circ}C$. Weissella confusa was detected in the ingredient mix and also in kimchi samples throughout fermentation in both samples at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$. Lc. gelidum was detected as the dominant LAB at $4^{\circ}C$ in both samples. The temperature affected the LAB profile of kimchi by varing the pH, which was primarily caused by the temperature-dependent competition among different LAB species in kimchi. At $4^{\circ}C$, the sample variations in pH and titratable acidity were more conspicuous owing to the delayed growth of LAB. Temperature affected only initial decreases in pH and initial increases in viable cell counts, but affected both the initial increases and final values of titratable acidity. The initial microflora in the kimchi sample was probably determined by the microflora of the ingredient mix, not by that of the salted cabbage. The microbial distributions in the samples used in this study resembled across the different kimchi samples and the different fermentation temperatures as the numbers of LAB increased and titratable acidity decreased.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acid tolerance, bile acid tolerance, and fermentation activity of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Kimchi in the presence of hydrolysates of whey protein concentrate. Kimchi isolates DK109, DK119, DK121, DK128, DK211, DK212, and DK215, which were identified as Lactobacillus sp., and L. casei DK128 showed the highest acid and bile acid tolerance. To produce whey hydrolysates, enzymes were added to a 10% (w/v) whey protein concentrate (WPC) solution at 1:50 (w/v, protein). The viabilities of the DK strains were determined in the presence of low pH and bile salts. Then, yogurt was produced via fermentation with L. casei DK128, an isolate from Kimchi, in the presence of the following additives: CPP, WPC, and WPC hydrolysates (WPCH) generated by alcalase (A) or neutrase (N). The produced yogurts were subjected to various analyses, including viable cell counts (CFU/mL), pH, titratable activity, and sensory testing. After 8 h of fermentation, the pH and titratable activity values of all test samples were 4.2 and 0.9, respectively. The viable counts of LAB were $3.49{\times}10^8$, $5.72{\times}10^8$, $7.01{\times}10^8$, and $6.97{\times}10^8$, for the Control, CPP, A, and N samples, respectively. These results suggest that whey proteins have potential as dietary supplements in functional foods and that WPCH could be used in yogurt as a low-cost alternative to CPP.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.375-379
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• 2005

Physicochemical properties, intestinal microbial growth, and inhibitory effects of alcohol-insoluble polysaccharide (AIP) extracted from cucumber peel were investigated. AIP was composed of 14.54% crude protein, 1.04% crude lipid, 13.74 % crude ash, 9.1% soluble dietary fiber, and 41.2% insoluble dietary fiber. AIP showed low bulk density (0.18 g/mL) and water-holding capacity (6.39 g/g), and high oil-holding capacity (3.96 g/g). Pectic substance fractions [water-soluble pectic substance (WSP), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-soluble pectic substance (ESP), and alkali-soluble pectic substances (ASP)] and hemicellulose fractions [1 M KOH-soluble hemicellulose (KHP1) and 4 M KOH-soluble hemicellulose (KHP4)] were obtained from sequential chemical fractionation of AIP. WSP showed higher total sugar contents than total uronic acid contents, whereas opposite results were observed in ESP and ASP. Molecular weight distributions of three pectic substance fractions were in order of ASP>ESP>WSP. Ion exchange chromatogram pattern of WSP was different from those of ESP and ASP. Major component of WSP was fraction eluted by 0.05 M ammonium acetate buffer, whereas that of ESP and ASP was fraction eluted by 0.2 M NaOH. WSP and ASP showed growth-promoting activities against Lactobacillus brevis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and B. longum, whereas B. bifidum and B. longum for ESP. KHP1 and KHP4 fractions had significant growth-promoting activities against B. bifidum.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.285-290
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• 1984

Growth characteristics of six lactic acid bacteria in whey-soy milk mixtures were investigated to obtain basic informations for processing cheese-like product by coprecipitation of whey and soy proteins. Streptococcus cremoris and Lactobacillus acidophilus produced more aicd than other lactic acid bacteria both in whey-soy milk mixture and in soy milk. Lactic acid fermentation was accelerated in whey-soy milk mixture than in soy milk with all the lactic aicd bacteria, and specially with S. lactis and S. cremoris in great extent. The number of viable cell of 1:1 mixed culture of S. lactis and S. cremoris in whey soy milk mixture was about 10 times than in soymilk. It was mainly the effect of lactose in the whey that increased the acid production by lactic aicd bacteria in whey-soy milk mixture although the degree of acceleration depended on the ability of microorganism to use carbohydrates. The optimum amount of lactose added to soy milk to accelerate the acid production was 0.8g/100ml soy milk.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.494-503
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality and antioxidant properties of three fermented sweet potato cultivars (Shinyulmi, Hogammi, and Shinjami) using lactic acid bacteria. During the fermentation, the pH was lowered and the titratable acidity increased. The viable cell counts of lactic acid bacteria increased 8.44-9.62 log CFU/g. Organic acid content (especially lactic acid) of sweet potatoes increased by fermentation. Also, ${\gamma}$-Aminobutyric acid increased more than 8.6 times by fermentation in all samples. The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of sweet potato, showed insignificant changes in all samples by fermentation. ABTS radical scavenging activity of all samples slightly decreased by fermentation, but not significantly. DPPH radical scavenging activity decreased slightly by fermentation except Shinyulmi. However, when compared with the varieties, Shinjami showed the highest activity. The reducing power of Shinjami decreased slightly by fermentation, but activity was the highest among all samples. Based on these results, most of the chemical properties and functionality of fermented sweet potato are retained after fermentation, although some antioxidant activity decreases. We suggest that three fermented sweet potato cultivars (Shinyulmi, Hogammi, and Shinjami) using lactic acid bacteria can be used in various applications because of their effective functional properties.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2021

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), belonging to the Firmicutes phylum, lack heme biosynthesis and, thus, are characterized as fermentative and catalase-negative organisms. To verify the hypothesis that heme-rich-nutrients might compensate the heme-biosynthesis incapability of non-respiratory LAB in animal gut, a heme-rich-nutrient was fed to a dog and its fecal microbiome was analyzed. Firmicutes abundance in the feces from the heme-rich-nutrient-fed dog was 99%, compared to 92% in the control dog. To clarify the reason of increased Firmicutes abundance in the feces from the heme-rich-nutrient-fed dog, Lacobacillus gasseri were used as model anerobic LAB to study a purified heme (hemin). The anaerobic growth of L. gasseri in the medium with 25 µM hemin supplementation was faster than that in the medium without hemin, while the growth in the 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium did not vary. Cellular activities of the cytochrome bd complex were 1.55 ± 0.19, 2.11 ± 0.14, and 2.20 ± 0.08 U/gcell in the cells from 0, 25, and 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium, while intracellular ATP concentrations were 7.90 ± 1.12, 11.95 ± 0.68, and 12.56 ± 0.58 µmol_ATP/g_cell, respectively. The ROS-scavenging activities of the L. gasseri cytosol from 25 µM and 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium were 68% and 82% greater than those of the cytosol from no hemin supplemented-medium, respectively. These findings indicate that external hemin could compensate the heme-biosynthesis incapability of L. gasseri by increasing the cytosolic ROS-scavenging and extra ATP generation, possibly through increasing the electron transfer. Increase in the number of anaerobic bacteria in heme-rich-nutrient-fed animal gut is discussed based on the results.

• Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.96-105
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Asparagus cochinchinensis (AC) and fermented AC (fAC) on microorganisms and efficacies. Methods: AC was fermented for four weeks without using any bacterial strains. Then we investigated fermentation characteristics including potential of hydrogen (pH), total sugar, microbial profiling and antioxidant compound contents such as total polyphenol and total flavonoid. The anti-obesity effects of AC and fAC were evaluated by using Oil Red O staining in 3T3-L1 adipocyte. Also anti-diabetic effects of them were evaluated by using 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-NBDG) uptake in C2C12 skeletal muscle cell. Results: Both pH and total sugar of fAC were decreased significantly compared to unfermented AC. And the abundance of total bacteria and lactic acid bacteria increased during fermentation, especially Lactobacillus plantarum. Also fermentation of AC increased the content of total polyphenol. On the metabolic aspects, we found that AC and fAC suppressed fat accumulation. Conclusions: After four weeks of fermentation, AC increased concentrations of active compounds, altered microbial composition, and inhibited fat accumulation such as triglyceride. These results indicate that fermentation of AC might be a beneficial therapeutic approach for obesity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.1272-1280
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• 2021

With changes in human dietary patterns, the proportion of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods in the daily diet has increased. As a result, the incidence rate of cholelithiasis is increasing rapidly. Many studies have reported on the crucial role that the intestinal microflora plays in the progression of gallstones. Although the whole herb of Lysimachia christinae, a traditional Chinese medicine, has long been extensively used as a remedy for cholelithiasis in China, its effects on the intestinal microflora remain unknown. Hence, in this study, we investigated the ability of the aqueous extract of L. christinae (LAE) to prevent cholesterol gallstones (CGSs) in model animals by affecting the intestinal microflora. The effects of LAE on body weight, serum lipid profile, visceral organ indexes, and histomorphology were studied in male C57BL/6J mice, which were induced by a lithogenic diet. After the 8-week study, CGSs formation was greatly reduced after LAE treatment. LAE also reduced body weight gain and hyperlipidemia and restored the histomorphological changes. Moreover, the intestinal microflora exhibited significant variation. In the model group fed the lithogenic diet, the abundances of the genera unclassified Porphyromonadaceae, Lactobacillus and Alloprevotella decreased, but in contrast, Akkermansia dramatically increased compared with the control check group, which was fed a normal diet; the administration of LAE reversed these changes. These results imply that L. christinae can be considered an efficient therapy for eliminating CGSs induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet, which may be achieved by influencing the intestinal microflora.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.51-62
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• 2021

Here, we investigated the prebiotic and antioxidant effects of Actinidia arguta sprout water extract (AASWE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive deficit mice. AASWE increased viable cell count, titratable acidity, and acetic acid production in Lactobacillus reuteri strain and showed a cytoprotective effect on LPS-induced inflammation in HT-29 cells. We assessed the behavior of LPS-induced cognitive deficit mice using Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests and found that administration of AASWE significantly improved learning and memory function. The AASWE group showed antioxidant activity through downregulation of malondialdehyde levels and upregulation of superoxide dismutase levels in brain tissue. In addition, the AASWE group exhibited activation of the cholinergic system with decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in brain tissue. Furthermore, AASWE effectively downregulated inflammatory mediators such as phosphorylated-JNK, phosphorylated-NF-κB, TNF-α and interleukin-6. The major bioactive compounds of AASWE were identified as quercetin-3-O-arabinopyranosyl(1→2)-rhamnopyranosyl(1→6)-glucopyranose, quercetin-3-O-apiosyl(1 → 2)-galactoside, rutin, and 3-caffeoylquinic acid. Based on these results, we suggest that AASWE not only increases the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, but also shows an ameliorating effect on LPS-induced cognitive impairment.