• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.102-112
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• 2024

Background: Despite the rise in the number of domestic indoor climbing gyms, there is a lack of specific hygiene standards and research on the holds installed in them. Holds can act as vectors for microbial transmission through the hands, posing a risk of infectious diseases, especially with damaged skin. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the contamination level and species of microorganisms on holds according to the management methods practiced in indoor climbing gyms and identify effective strategies for reducing microbial contamination. Methods: We investigated factors that may influence microbial contamination of holds, including hold management methods, user information, and hygiene management at three climbing gyms in Seoul. A total of 72 holds were sampled, 18 for each management method of brushing, high-pressure washing, and ethanol disinfection. Samples were cultured on LB and blood agar at 37℃ for 48 hours to calculate CFUs. PCR assay targeting 16S rRNA was carried out to identify microorganisms. Dunn-Bonferroni was employed to see the microbial reduction effect of the management method and the difference in microbial contamination by management method and climbing gym. Results: As a result of microbial identification, microorganisms such as Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Micrococcus, which were derived from various environments such as skin and soil, were discovered on the surface of the climbing hold. Among the discovered microorganisms, some species had potential pathogenic properties that could cause food poisoning, gastrointestinal disease, bacteremia, and sepsis. All hold management methods were effective in reducing microorganisms (p<0.05), with ethanol disinfection being the most effective (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our results indicate that there are potential pathogens on holds that demand thorough management for microbial prevention. Proposed methods include regular brushing and ethanol disinfection in addition to high-pressure washing with long cycles, which are the existing forms of hold management. Further studies on shoe management are advised to curb soil-derived microorganisms.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.611-620
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• 2007

The current study was designed to define whether a blend of prunus mume extract(25%) containing lactic acid(75%) and grape seed extract(10ppm) could affect in vitro antimicrobial activity and growth performance, intestinal microflora, plasma biochemical profiles and digestive enzymes activities in broiler chickens. In paper disc agar diffusion test, we clearly observed antimicrobial activity against E. coli in response to prunus mume extract or a blend of prunus mume extract. For in vivo test, a total of ninety six 3-d-old male broiler chicks were assigned to basal diet(CON), basal diet supplemented with antibiotics (ANTI) and 0.5% a blend of prunus mume extract(PRNUS) until 35 days of age. Throughout the entire experimental period(3-35 days), there were no differences in BW and FCR between the birds fed the basal diet with antibiotics and the diet supplemented with a blend of prunus mume. However, ANTI group showed a significant increase in BW and total gain compared to CON group. The weights of digestive organs such as the pancreas and mucosal tissues were not affected by dietary treatments. There was no difference in plasma levels of glucose, cholesterol, AST and ALT activity. However, triglyceride in plasma increased(P<0.05) in the birds fed the diet supplemented with 0.5% a blend of prunus mume extract compared to those fed antibiotics supplemented diet. The activities of pancreatic trypsin and amylase, and intestinal hydrolase including disaccharidase were not affected by dietary treatment. The colony forming units(CFU) of lactobacillus in the lower ileal-cecum of the birds fed the diet supplemented with a blend of prunus mume extract was significantly(P<0.05) higher than that of birds fed antibiotic supplemented diet without affecting the CFU of E. coli. In conclusion, the birds fed the diet supplemented a blend of prunus mume as an alternative to antibiotics showed a similar growth performance and an significant increase in lactobacillus population compared with the birds fed basal and antibiotics supplemented diets.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.184-190
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• 1984

Sardine, Sardinops melanosticta, has been caught more than fifty thousand metric tons every year in adjacent sea of Korea, but most of them used for uneatable fish meal because of their rapid spoilage. Usually it is known that the main reason of putrefaction of foods is caused by the maicro-organisms included in them. Therefore, this experiment was carried out to identify the micro-organisms isolated from the intestine of fresh sardine and characterize their proteolytic enzymes produced from them. Aerobic cell count ranged from $1.7{\times}10^4\;to\;3.6{\times}10^5/g$, while anaerobic cell count, from $2.9{\times}10^4\;to\;5.5{\times}10^5/g$. Most of the isolated strains were psychrotrophic mesophiles. Among the two hundred and eighty strains isolated from the fresh samples, fifty-six strains ($20.0\%$) were proteolytics, one hundred and seventy-five strains ($62.5\%$) were lipolytics and tenty-nine strains ($10.5\%$) had the ability to produce hydrogn sulfide. The most predominantly isolated microbial groups from the fresh sardine were Moraxella ($31.4\%$) and Pseudomonas sup. ($28.6\%$). Flavobacterium-Cytophaga, Vibrio, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus spp. and Enterobacteriaceae appeared from $7.9\%\;to\;5\%$ out of total tested strains. The average bacterial count in the spoiled samples (stored at about $18^{\circ}C$ for 48 hours) was increased to the level of $2.9{\times}10^8/g$ for aerobes, $1.5{\times}10^8/g$ for anaerobes, then one hundred and ten strains, corresponding to $52\%$, out of two hundred and thirteen strains submitted to the test were proteolytics. The strongest proteolytic bacterium among the two hundred and eighty strains was identified as Pseudomonas 101 which grew best at $25^{\circ}C$. The optimum condition for the activity of the proteolytic enzyme produced by Pseudomonas 101 appeared $35^{\circ}C$ and pH 9.0, but the activity was relatively unchanged between 5.0 and 11.0 of pH and between $30^{\circ}C\;and\;50^{\circ}C$ of temperature.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.223-231
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• 1983

The productions of beta-exotoxin from sixteen Bacillus thuringiensis strains were examined by Micrococus flava primarily, and then measured by spectrophotometer during culturing in Conner and Hansen mineral salts medium at 28$^{\circ}C$. Also the toxic effects of the toxin to mice were checked. The growth of Bacillus thuringiensis K2 and BTK2-T1, -T13, -T33 and -T40 got into stationary phase at 6 hour culture and then maintained it up to 48 hours without severe fluctuation. The production of beta-exotoxin from the strains, BTK2, BTK2-T1, -T13, -T17 and -T33 appeared at 6 hour culture and the amounts of the toxin were about 40 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 6 hour culture, approximately 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ at 12 hours, approximately 85$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ from 24 hours to 48 hours. At 48 hour-culture, BTK2 produced 80 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ of beta-exotoxin (5.5$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$, BTK2-T13 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.3$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK2-T17 produced 87$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (1.4$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), and BTK2-T33 produced 84 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (4.9$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$). All other serotypes also produced beta-exotoxin. At 48 hour culture, BTK-37 produced 88$\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$ (6.1$\times$10$^{8}$ cells/$m\ell$), BTK-35 produced 81 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$), and the rest of them produced less than 70 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$. To check the toxicity of beta-exotoxin and B. thuringiensis, the cultured media with microorganisms were inoculated to mice by per os, intraperiloneal, subcutaneous and intracerebral injection, and nasal cavity inoculation for 30 days. However, the toxin did not kill all of the treated mice.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.269-277
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• 2003

This study was carried out to evaluate the safety of Korean human milk. The microorganisms were identified from human milk of 149 healthy mothers by two collection methods, hand and pump expression. The means of total bacterial counts were 2.33x10$^4$ cfu/mL on the samples collected by the pump expression and 7.83xl0$^3$ cfu/mL on those collected by the hand expression. Therefore, the total bacterial counts of pump expression samples was 9.80xl0$^2$∼3.06x10$^4$ cfu/mL more than that of hand expression samples. The coliform counts of pump expression was 9.36xl0$^3$∼8.57xl0$^4$ cfu/mL more than that of hand expression. However, there was any significant differences of the lactic acid bacterial counts between the two samples collected by each methods. 100 strains of 5 patterns of total bacterial counts were isolated based on the morphology of colony in the standard plate count agar. 13 species were identified among the isolated strains. The dominant species in Korean human milk were Staphylococcus which 7 subspecies identified(81% in the rate of total bacteria, 1.07x10$^4$ cfu/mL). Other species identified were Micrococcus, Bacillus, Providencia, Pseudomonas, Yersinia and Acinetobacter. 36 strains of 6 patterns of lactic acid bacterial counts were isolated based on morphology of colony in the BCP agar. 7 species were identified among the isolated strains. The dominant species of lactic acid bacteria in Korean human milk were Lactobacillus brevis(50.9% in the rate of lactic acid bacteria, 4.72xl0$^4$ cfu/mL). Others species identified(49.1% lactic acid bacteria) were Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Leuconostic lactis and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.639-643
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• 2002

Water quality, bacterial phase and fish growth rate were analyzed in the process of artificial seed production of flounder (Paralichtys oliraceus) larvae to investigate the water quality in rearing tank using Ultra Filtration System (UES). Sand Filtration System (SFS) and Ultra Filtration System (Ins) were set up in the experimental group. For the analysis of water quality, pH, salinity, DO, SS, COD, $NH_{4}^{+},\;NO_{2}^{-},\;NO^-,\;DIN$ (dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and DU (dissolved inorganic phosphate) were measured. There was no data difference between SFS group and UES group in most analysis items, but the UEs group showed low salinity and low 55 values, such that salinity was $33.5\%_{\circ}$ in SES group and $30.2\%_{\circ}$ in WS group and 55 was 15.5 mL/L in SES group and 7.0 mL/L for UPS group. For changes in bacterial phase and TBC (Total Bacterial Counts), in SES group, 6$\times$10^{5}CFU/mL in seawater decreased to the ratio of about 116, and TBC, Genus Vibrio and bacteria in the Genus Acinetobacter and Genus Micrococcus sharply increased after nine days, while stable bacterial phase was maintained low in UES group during the experiment except for Genus Ajteromonas. In the growth of the larvae, fish length was 17.0 mm (SGR 14.0) in the SES group and 18.8 mm (SGR 14.3) in the UFS group. It is concluded that when water is supplied for artificial seed production with WS, stabilization of water quality condition and inhibition of bacterial multiplication are possible. When production environment becomes stable, stable growth of fish becomes possible by reduction of environmental stress.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.11
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• pp.1-27
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• 1969

More than thirty kinds of sea food pickles have been eaten in Korea. Out of these salted yellow tail pickle, salted clam pickle, salted oyster pickle, and salted cuttlefish pickle were employed for the analysis of their components, identification of main fermenting microbes, and determination of enzyme characteristics concerned. Also studied was the effect of enzymic action of microbes, which are concerned with the fermenting of pickles, on the production of flavorous 5'-mononucleotides and amino acids. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Microflora observed in the pickles are: (a) Total count of viable cells after 1-2 months of pickling was found to be $10^7$ and that after 6 months decreased to $10^4$. (b) Microbial occurence in the early stage of pickling was observed to be 10-20% Micrococcus spp., 10-20% Brevibacterium spp., 0-30% Sarcina spp., 20-30% Leuconostoc spp., ca 30% Bacillus spp., 0-10% Pseudomonas spp., 0-10% Flavobacterium spp., and 0-20% yeast. (c) Following the early stage of pickling, mainly halophilic bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus halophilus and Sarcina litoralis, were found to exhibit an effect on the fermentation of pickle and their enzyme activities were in direct concern in fermentation of pickles. (d) Among the bacteria participating in the fermentation, Sarcina litoralis 8-14 and 8-16 strains were in need of high nutritional requirement and the former was grown only in the presence of purine, pyrimidine and cystine and the latter purine, pyrimidine and glutamic acid. 2. Enzyme characteristics studied in relation to the raw materials and the concerned microbes isolated are as follows: (a) A small amount of protease was found in the raw materials and 30-60% decrease in protease activity was demonstrated at 7% salt concentration. (b) Protease activity of halophilic bacteria, Bacillus subtilis 7-6, 11-1, 3-6 and 9-4 strains, in the complete media decreased by 10-30% at the 7% salt concentration and that of Sarcina litoralis 8-14 and 8-16 strains decreased by 10-20%. (c) Proteins in the raw materials were found to be hydrolyzed to yield free amino acids by protease in the fermenting microbes. (d) No accumulation of flavorous 5'-mononucleotides was demonstrated because RNA-depolymerase in the raw materials and the pickles tended to decompose RNA into nucleoside and phosphoric acid. (e) The enzyme produced in Bacillus subtilis 3-6 strain isolated from the salted clam pickles, was ascertained to be 5'-phosphodiesterase because of its ability to decompose RNA and thus accumulating 5'-mononucleotide. (f) It was demonstrated that the activity of phosphodiesterase in Bacillus subtilis 3-6 strain was enhanced by some components in the corn steep liquor and salted clam pickle. The enzyme activity was found to decrease by 10-30% and 40-60% at the salt concentration of 10% and 20%, respectively. 3. Quantitative data for free amino acids in the pickles are as follows: (a) Amounts of acidic amino acids such as glutamic and aspartic acids in salted clam pickle, were observed to be 2-10 times other pickles and it is considered that the abundance in these amino acids may contribute significantly to the specific flavor of this food. (b) Large amounts of basic amino acids such as arginine and histidine were found to occur in salted yellow tail pickle. (c) It is much interesting that in the salted cuttlefish pickle the contents of sulfur-containing amino acids were exceedingly high compared with those of others: cystine was found to be 17-130 times and methionine, 7-19 times. (d) In the salted oyster pickle a high content of some essential amino acids such as lysine, threonine, isoleucine and leucine, was demonstrated and a specific flavor of the pickle was ascribed to the sweet amino acids. Contents of alanine and glycine in the salted oyster pickle were 4 and 3-14 times as much as those of the others respectively. 4. Analytical data for 5'-mononucleotides in the pickles are as follows: (a) 5'-Adenylic acid and 3'-adenylic acid were found in large amounts in the salted yellow tail pickle and 5'-inosinic acid in lesser amount. (b) 5'-Adenylic acid, especially 3'-adenylic acid predominated in amount in the salted oyster pickle over that in the other pickles. (c) The salted cuttlefish pickle was found to contain only 5'-adenylic acid and 3'-adenylic acid. It has become evident from the above fact that clam and the invertebrate lack of adenylic deaminase and contain high content of adenylic acid. Thus, they were demonstrated to be the AMP-type. (d) 5'-Inosinic acid was contained in the salted yellow tail pickle in a significant concentration, and it might be considered to be IMP-type. 5. Comparative data for flavor with regard to the flavorous amino acids and the contents of 5'-mononucleotides are: (a) A specific flavor of salted yellow tail pickle was ascribed to the abundance in glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and to the existence of a small amount of flavorous 5'-inosinic acid. The combined effect of these components was belived to exhibit a synergistic action in producing a specific fiavor to the pickle. (b) A specific flavor of salted clam pickle has been demonstrated to be attributable to the richness in glutamic acid and aspartic acid rather than to that of 5'-mononucleotides.