• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.201-210
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• 2019

Biotransformation of ginsenosides by microorganisms alters the absorption and bioavailability of ginseng as a medicinal herb. In this study, we isolated two kinds of fermenting microorganisms from Eoyukjang, which is a traditional Korean fermented food made from soybean. Next, we identified and detected their ability to convert major ginsenosides to compound K. The two microorganisms, referred to as R2-6 and R2-15, had 100% similarity with Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ATCC $14917^T$ and Lactobacillus rhamnosus JCM $1136^T$, respectively. The optimal pH and growth temperature of the isolates were determined to be pH 6-7 and $30^{\circ}C$. After fermentation for 30 days, the major ginsenosides in the mountain-cultivated ginseng were transformed to the highly bioactive ginsenoside, compound K, in the final product.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1248-1254
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• 2019

Identification of novel probiotic strains is of great interest in the field of functional foods. Specific strains of heat-killed bacteria have been reported to exert immunomodulatory effects. Herein, we investigated the immune-stimulatory function of heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum KCTC 13314BP (LBP). Treatment with LBP significantly increased the production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-6 by macrophages. More importantly, LBP was able to enhance the phagocytic activity of macrophages against bacterial particles. Activation of p38, JNK, ERK, $NF-{\kappa}B$, and STAT3 was involved in the immunomodulatory function of LBP. LBP treatment significantly increased production of $TNF-{\alpha}$ by bone marrow-derived macrophages and splenocytes, further confirming the immunostimulatory effect of LBP in primary immune cells. Interestingly, the immunomodulatory effects of LBP were much stronger than those of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a well-known probiotic strain. These results indicate that LBP can be a promising immune-enhancing functional food agent.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.659-666
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• 2003

Endoglucanase A from Clostridium thermocellum which is resistant to pancreatic proteinase was selected out of numbers cellulases then were expressed in lactobacilli. Recombinant lactobacilli expression vector, pSD1, harboring the endoglucanase gene from C. thermocellum under the control of its own promoter, was constructed. Both L. bulgaricus and L. plantarum were electrotransformed with pSD1. The endoglucanase activities of 0.120 and 0.144 U/ml were found in culture media of L. bulgaricus and L. plantarum containing pSD1, respectively. In vitro survival characteristics of the transformed lactobacilli were tested. Both L. bulgaricus and L. plantarum showed a similar resistance to low pH 3. Moreover, L. plantarum was bile-salt resistant in the presence of 0.3 and 1% oxgall. L. bulgaricus and L. plantarum showed a rather homogenous resistant pattern against the tested antibiotics. Both of the strains were resistant to amikacin, gentamicin, streptomycin, kanamycin, and colistin.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.273-285
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of antibacterial substances produced by probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against biogenic amines-producing bacteria and the influence of culture conditions on the antibacterial activity of bacteriocin and organic acid. The bacteriocin solutions of Lactobacillus plantarum FIL20 (64 AU/ml) and Lactobacillus paracasei FIL31 (128 AU/ml) showed strong antibacterial activity against Serratia marcescens CIH09 and Aeromonas hydrophilia RIH28, respectively. And the lactic acid contents in the cell-free culture supernatants (CFCS) obtained from FIL20 and FIL31 strains were $107.3{\pm}2.7mM$ and $129.5{\pm}4.6mM$, respectively. Therefore, the bacteriocin solution (200 AU/ml) and the CFCS ($200{\mu}l/ml$) produced by L. plantarum FIL20 and L. paracasei FIL31 significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the bacterial numbers and histamine and tyramine production ability of S. marcescens CIH09 and A. hydrophilia RIH28. The amounts of histamine and tyramine produced by the CIH09 strain under conditions of low initial pH (5.0) and incubation temperature ($15^{\circ}C$) was significantly reduced by treatment with bacteriocin solution and CFCS obtained from L. plantarum FIL20. In addition, the bacterial counts and biogenic amines contents of CIH09 strain were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) when sodium chloride (5%) or potassium nitrite (200 mg/g) were mixed with the antibacterial substances of L. plantarum FIL20. Consequently, the bacteriocin and organic acid solution of L. plantarum FIL20 and L. paracasei FIL31 can be used as a biological preservation to effectively control the production of biogenic amines by the application of hurdle technology.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.417-423
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• 2000

Lactobacillus plantarum KLAB21 isolated from Kimchi has been reported to produce antimutagenic subtance(s) in the culture medium. In this study, antimutagenic effects of the strain KLAB21 were investigated to under various culture conditions maximize the production of antimutagenic substance(s) against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG) on Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide(NQO) on S. typhimurium TA98. Glucose(2%) as a carbon source and yeast extract(1%) as a nitrogen source resulted in the highest production of the antimutagenic substance(s) against both mutagens in the culture supernatant of L. plantarum KLAB21. The most effective concentrations of bactopeptone as a nitrogen source were 1% against MNNG and 1.5% against NQO. Optimal pH of the medium, culture temperature, and shaking speed for the antimutagenic substance(s) production were pH 7.0, $37^{\circ}C$ and 150 rpm, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the antimutagenic effects of L. plantarum KLAB21 culture supernatant were 98.4% against MNNG on S. typhimurium TA100 and 57.3% against NQO on S. typhimurium TA98.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1352-1359
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• 2018

Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium that promotes animal intestinal health as a probiotic and is found in a wide variety of habitats. Here, we investigated the genomic features of different clusters of L. plantarum strains via pan-genomic analysis. We compared the genomes of 108 L. plantarum strains that were available from the NCBI GenBank database. These genomes were 2.9-3.7 Mbp in size and 44-45% in G+C content. A total of 8,847 orthologs were collected, and 1,709 genes were identified to be shared as core genes by all the strains analyzed. On the basis of SNPs from the core genes, 108 strains were clustered into five major groups (G1-G5) that are different from previous reports and are not clearly associated with habitats. Analysis of group-specific enriched or depleted genes revealed that G1 and G2 were rich in genes for carbohydrate utilization (${\text\tiny{L}}-arabinose$, ${\text\tiny{L}}-rhamnose$, and fructooligosaccharides) and that G3, G4, and G5 possessed more genes for the restriction-modification system and MazEF toxin-antitoxin. These results indicate that there are critical differences in gene content and survival strategies among genetically clustered L. plantarum strains, regardless of habitats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.10
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2014

In the present study, we examined the effects of a mixture of three strains, Lactobacillus plantarum CECT 7527, 7528, and 7529 (L. plantarum mixture), on body weight and lipid metabolism in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat diet. Rats were fed a high-fat diet and subjected to oral gavage with vehicle or the L. plantarum mixture ($0.6{\times}10^9$, $1.2{\times}10^9$, $2.4{\times}10^9$ colony-forming units (CFU)/day/rat, respectively) for 8 weeks. In rats fed a high-fat diet, oral administration of $2.4{\times}10^9CFU/day$ of the L. plantarum mixture significantly reduced body weight gain as well as weights of liver and epididymal fat. Leptin levels in sera were significantly reduced by oral administration of $2.4{\times}10^9CFU/day$ of the L. plantarum mixture. The L. plantarum mixture ($1.2{\times}10^9$ or $2.4{\times}10^9CFU/day$) also reduced the concentrations of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in sera when it administered orally. Further, the L. plantarum mixture significantly reduced the atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor. In addition, oral administration of $2.4{\times}10^9CFU/day$ of the L. plantarum mixture markedly reduced levels of total lipids, triglycerides, and total cholesterol in the liver. The results of this study indicate that the L. plantarum mixture may exhibit anti-obesity and cholesterol-lowering effects, which suggest that the L. plantarum mixture has the potential to be a probiotic in the management of obesity and hypercholesterolemia.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.515-525
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• 2020

Interferon (IFN)-λ plays an essential role in mucosal cells which exhibit strong antiviral activity. Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has substantial application potential in the food and medical industries because of its probiotic properties. Alphacoronaviruses, especially porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), cause high morbidity and mortality in piglets resulting in economic loss. Co-infection by these two viruses is becoming increasingly frequent. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a new drug to prevent diarrhea infected with mixed viruses in piglets. In this study, we first constructed an anchored expression vector with CWA (C-terminal cell wall anchor) on L. plantarum. Second, we constructed two recombinant L. plantarum strains that anchored IFN-λ3 via pgsA (N-terminal transmembrane anchor) and CWA. Third, we demonstrated that both recombinant strains possess strong antiviral effects against coronavirus infection in the intestinal porcine epithelial cell line J2 (IPEC-J2). However, recombinant L. plantarum with the CWA anchor exhibited a more powerful antiviral effect than recombinant L. plantarum with pgsA. Consistent with this finding, Lb.plantarum-pSIP-409-IFN-λ3-CWA enhanced the expression levels of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) (ISG15, OASL, and Mx1) in IPEC-J2 cells more than did recombinant Lb.plantarum-pSIP-409-pgsA'-IFN-λ3. Our study verifies that recombinant L. plantarum inhibits PEDV and TGEV infection in IPEC-J2 cells, which may offer great potential for use as a novel oral antiviral agent in therapeutic applications for combating porcine epidemic diarrhea and transmissible gastroenteritis. This study is the first to show that recombinant L. plantarum suppresses PEDV and TGEV infection of IPEC-J2 cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.324-330
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• 2012

The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-hypercholesterolemic effect of bile salt hydrolase-producing Lactobacillus plantarum CIB 001 (KCTC 11717 bp) in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. Four treatment groups of rats (n=5) were fed experimental diets: a normal diet (ND), a ND plus L. plantarum CIB 001(NDL) at $5.0-7.5{\times}10^9$ colony forming unit (CFU)/day, a high-cholesterol diet (HCD), as well as a HCD plus L. plantarum CIB 001 (HCDL) at $5.0-7.5{\times}10^9$ CFU/day for 6 weeks. Compared with the HCD group, the HCDL group demonstrated a decrease in serum triglyceride (p<0.05), total cholesterol (p<0.05), and the corresponding HDL-cholesterol concentration increased at a rate of 40% (p<0.05). The HCDL group also induced a decrease in liver inflammation and steatosis. The present results suggest that supplementation of L. plantarum CIB 001 can have short-term (6 weeks) effects on blood lipids and liver injury, as well as on the atherogenic index and cardiac risk factors.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.715-725
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• 2022

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) are among the representative probiotics that have been used for a long time in fermented food. Although there are many studies on detecting the radical scavenging activity of LAB, few studies have been conducted on the environmental factors that improve scavenging activity. This study investigated the environmental factors affecting the DPPH radical scavenging and various antioxidant activities of Kimchi-derived Lactobacillus plantarum K-21 with antihypertensive and radical scavenging activities. The optimal conditions for scavenging DPPH radicals were glucose 2%, bactopeptone 0.5%, Tween 80 0.05%, L-cysteine 0.05%, and an initial pH 6.5 at 35℃. Under optimal conditions, the DPPH radical scavenging activity was 94.8±2.2%, which was 1.5 times higher than that of the basic medium. In addition, L. plantarum K-21 had other antioxidant activities; ABTS radical scavenging (93.6±1.5%), hydroxyl radical scavenging (8.5±0.9%), metal chelating (65.9±0.5%), NO scavenging (53.1±19%), SOD-like (25.1±1.5%), and reducing power (11.7±1.4%) activities were detected. Therefore, L. plantarum K-21 may act not only as a starter for lactic acid-fermented foods with improved functionality but also as a drug for various diseases caused by oxidative stress.