• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.634-640
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• 2010

The principal objective of this study was to screen and select acid-tolerant Lactobacillus strains from chicken feces, feeds, and other sources. Fourty six strains evidencing acid tolerance (pH 3.5) were isolated in this study. Among them, nine strains exhibited marked immunostimulatory effects. Therefore, nine candidate strains were characterized for probiotic use. In order to evaluate macrophage activation, NO production was measured using RAW 264.7 cells. In particular, three strains (FC812, FC222, and FC113) evidenced the highest levels of NO production measured at $38.39{\pm}20.01,\;35.06{\pm}27.73$, and $33.88{\pm}15.99{\mu}M$, respectively, at a concentration of $10^{8}CFU/mL$. The majority of strains, with the exception of strain FC322, evidenced marked resistance to artificial gastric juice (pH 2.5 with 1%(w/v) pepsin). Additionally, strains FC222, FC421, FC511, and FC721 were highly resistant to artificial bile acid (0.1%(w/v) oxgall), whereas strains FC113, FC322, FC422, FC621, and FC812 were the least resistant to bile. All nine strains exerted antimicrobial effects against chickenrelated pathogens. Additionally, all nine strains were found to be resistant to several antibiotics. The isolated strains, except for strain FC322, were tentatively identified as Lactobacillus salivarius, using an API 50 CHL kit. These results demonstrate that some probiotic organisms may potentially probiotic properties, and thus may serve as an effective alternative to antibiotics in animal applications.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.161-172
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• 2017

This study was conducted to determine the effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) as a dietary probiotic and evaluated the most suitable feeding interval for this probiotic on growth performance, carcass yield, and meat quality parameters in broiler chickens. In total, 1,050 one-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were randomly assigned to one of seven dietary treatment groups, in a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement with 3 SC dosages (0.6%, 1%, and 1.4%) and two feeding intervals [long term (LT) for 35 days and short term (ST) for 28 days after hatching], with a negative control diet (NC; 0% SC). Triplicate experiments were performed with 50 birds per cage. Broilers fed a diet including SC showed increased (p<0.01) daily gain and feed efficiency compared to the control. Further, broilers fed the 1.4% SC supplemented diet showed a significantly increased (p<0.01) average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to broilers fed the 0.6% and 1% SC incorporated diets. Similarly, broilers fed an LT SC diet showed a greater (p<0.01) increase in ADG and FCR compared to broilers fed an ST SC diet. Moreover, broilers fed an LT SC diet displayed a reduced (p<0.05) meat pH, gizzard weight, and increased (p<0.05) meat water-holding capacity compared to broilers fed an ST SC diet. Broilers fed the 1.4% SC supplemented diet showed increased (p<0.05) thigh muscle weight compared to broilers fed the 0.6% and 1% SC supplemented diets. In conclusion, broilers fed LT SC diets showed improved growth performance and carcass quality parameters compared to broilers fed ST SC diets, and the NC diet, from hatching to day 35.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.363-368
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• 2013

The main attributes of yogurt that affect consumer satisfaction are taste, consistency, and a firm texture. This study evaluates the influence of xanthan gum, barley beta-glucan, and guar gum in concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% on probiotic yogurt. The set-type yogurt samples were prepared by using raw cow's milk. The statistical analysis showed that none of these gum additions had any marked effect on pH, titratable acidity, total solids content, and probiotic bacteria counts of yogurt samples. Evaluations for syneresis and water-holding capacity (WHC) in the yogurt samples were affected by the type and concentration of the stabilizer. Yogurts treated with 0.1% xanthan gum and 0.3% beta-glucan recorded the highest WHC and the least syneresis. The largest amount of gel firmness was recorded in yogurt samples treated with 0.2% xanthan gum and 0.3% beta-glucan. Yogurt samples treated with 0.1% xanthan gum and 0.3% beta-glucan were considered acceptable by trained panelists and gained the highest scores in sensory evaluations. The correlation coefficient between the amount of syneresis, WHC and stiffness of texture was significant compared to scores for sensory evaluation (p<0.01). Results for effects of guar gum on the tested parameters were contrary to the results expected from a gum. According to this study, the use of xanthan gum and beta-glucan are highly recommended for low-fat yogurt production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.592-600
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• 2021

Probiotics can be processed into a powder, tablet, or capsule form for easy intake. They are exposed to frequent stresses not only during complex processing steps, but also in the human body after intake. For this reason, various coating agents that promote probiotic bacterial stability in the intestinal environment have been developed. Silk fibroin (SF) is a material used in a variety of fields from drug delivery systems to enzyme immobilization and has potential as a coating agent for probiotics. In this study, we investigated this potential by coating probiotic strains with 0.1% or 1% water-soluble calcium (WSC), 1% SF, and 10% trehalose. Under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, cell viability, cell surface hydrophobicity, and cell adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells were then measured. The survival ratio after freeze-drying was highest upon addition of 0.1% WSC. The probiotic bacteria coated with SF showed improved survival by more than 10.0% under simulated gastric conditions and 4.8% under simulated intestinal conditions. Moreover, the cell adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells was elevated by 1.0-36.0%. Our results indicate that SF has positive effects on enhancing the survival and adhesion capacity of bacterial strains under environmental stresses, thus demonstrating its potential as a suitable coating agent to stabilize probiotics throughout processing, packaging, storage and consumption.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.519-526
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• 2023

Panax ginseng is one of the most important herbal medicinal plants consumed as health functional food and can be fermented to achieve better efficacy. Lacticaseibacillus, one of the representative genera among lactic acid bacteria (LAB), has also been used as a probiotic material for health functional foods due to its beneficial effects on the human body. To achieve a synergistic effect by using these excellent dietary supplement ingredients together, a novel LAB strain was isolated from the root of 6-year-old ginseng. Through similarity analysis of 16S rRNAs and whole-genome sequences, the strain was confirmed as belonging to the genus Lacticaseibacillus and was named L. casei KGC1201. KGC1201 not only met all safety standards as food, but also showed excellent probiotic properties such as acid resistance, bile salt resistance, and intestinal adhesion. In particular, KGC1201 exhibited superior acid resistance through morphological observation identifying that the cell surface damage of KGC1201 was less than that of the L. casei type strain KCTC3109. Gene expression studies were conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of KGC1201's acid resistance, and the expression of the glycosyltransferase gene was found to be significantly elevated under acidic conditions. Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) biosynthesized by glycosyltransferase were also increased in KGC1201 compared to KCTC3109, which may contribute to better protection of KGC1201 cells from strong acidity. Therefore, KGC1201, with its increased acid resistance through molecular mechanisms and excellent probiotic properties, can be used in health functional foods to provide greater benefit to overall human health and well-being.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.98-109
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of Lab4 probiotic and vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) was investigated in two studies with children. Our objective was to pool dataset of 57 preschool children from the PROCHILD study (ISRCTN28722693) and the dataset of 50 preschool matched cohort from the PROCHILD-2 study (ISRCTN26587549) to evaluate the impact of probiotic/vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms and provide a more robust assessment of effect using detailed individual level data. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The children were supplemented daily for 6 months with either the multistrain probiotic (1.25×10¹⁰ cfu/tablet consisting of two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL21 and CUL60, Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL20 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CUL34) plus 50 mg vitamin C or a placebo. RESULTS: In the pooled analysis of the individual participant data (per protocol population), significant reductions were observed for the incidence (-25%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66, 0.85; P < 0.0001) and duration (-14.9 days; 95% CI, -24.8, -5.1; P = 0.0030) of typical URTI symptoms in the active group compared with the placebo. The incidence rates of absenteeism from preschool (IR ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.66, 0.86; P < 0.0001), paediatric visits (IR ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.47; 0.68; P < 0.0001) and antibiotic usage (IR ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.39, 0.71; P < 0.0001) were also significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: The pooled analysis findings of comparable preschool cohorts from two studies indicate that the supplementation with probiotic and vitamin C combination is beneficial in the prevention and management of URTI symptoms.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.967-976
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• 2017

In this study, the effect of probiotic supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, and meat quality of Hanwoo steer was investigated. A total of 32 Hanwoo steers (15-17 months, average body weight $462{\pm}37.9kg$) were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% mixed probiotics), with four Hanwoo steers per pen (two replicates per treatments), and reared for 12 months. There were no differences among treatments in growth performance of Hanwoo steer (P>0.05); however, feed intake decreased linearly with increasing levels of mixed probiotics. Growth hormone and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels responded linearly with increasing levels of dietary mixed probiotics (P<0.05), but not insulin and blood glucose did not. In particular, total cholesterol was significantly lower for the 1% mixed probiotic treatment in comparison with that of the other treatments (P<0.05). The pH, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), cooking loss, and meat color were influenced by increasing levels of mixed probiotics (P<0.05), but the carcass characteristics and shear force were not. Regarding sensory evaluation, the addition of mixed probiotics resulted in significant difference in meat color, tenderness, aroma, off-flavor, juiciness, and marbling score, but not in overall acceptability. In addition, fatty acid profiles indicated no differences between control and mixed probiotic treatments. In conclusion, mixed probiotic treatment at 1% levels can enhance consumer preferences possibly by reducing cholesterol and TBARS.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.346-355
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• 2021

Ngoc Linh ginseng is one of the most valuable endemic medicinal herbs in Vietnam. In this study, Ngoc Linh ginseng callus was fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 (at 6, 7, and 8 log CFU/ml) to evaluate the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds. The post-fermentation solution was spray-dried using maltodextrin with or without Stevia rebaudiana (3% and 6% v/v) as the wall material. Bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, and total saponins, and L. plantarum viability during fermentation and after spray-drying, as well as under simulated gastric digestion, were evaluated in this study. The results showed that probiotic density had a significant effect on bioactive compounds, and L. plantarum at 8 log CFU/ml showed the best results with a short fermentation time compared to other tests. The total content of polyphenols, polysaccharides, and saponins reached 5.16 ± 0.18 mg GAE/g sample, 277.2 ± 6.12 mg Glu/g sample, and 4.17 ± 0.15 mg/g sample, respectively after 20 h of fermentation at the initial density of L. plantarum (8 log CFU/ml). Although there was no difference in the particle structure of the preparation, the microencapsulation efficiency of the bioactive compound in the samples containing S. rebaudiana was higher than that with only maltodextrin. The study also indicated that adding S. rebaudiana improved the viability of L. plantarum in gastric digestion. These results showed that S. rebaudiana, a component stimulating probiotic growth, combined with maltodextrin as a co-prebiotic, improved the survival rate of L. plantarum in simulated gastric digestion.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.621-633
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• 2023

We investigated the probiotic characteristics and anti-obesity effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MGEL20154, a strain that possesses excellent intestinal adhesion and viability. The in vitro properties, e.g., gastrointestinal (GI) resistance, adhesion, and enzyme activity, demonstrated that MGEL20154 is a potential probiotic candidate. Oral administration of MGEL20154 to diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice for 8 weeks resulted in a feed efficacy decrease by 44.7% compared to that of the high-fat diet (HFD) group. The reduction rate of weight gain was about 48.5% in the HFD+MGEL20154 group compared to that of the HFD group after 8 weeks, and the epididymal fat pad was also reduced in size by 25.2%. In addition, the upregulation of the zo-1, pparα, and erk2, and downregulation of the nf-κb and glut2 genes in Caco-2 cells by MGEL20154 were observed. Therefore, we propose that the anti-obesity effect of the strain is exerted by inhibiting carbohydrate absorption and regulating gene expression in the intestine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.531-537
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• 2006

Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LABs) are known to have various beneficial properties for health. However, they are generally considered to have an adverse effect on teeth, since they produce acid. Nonetheless, milk and cheese containing specific LAB strains were recently found to have an inhibitory effect on dental caries in children, with an inhibitory activity towards the growth of Streptococcus mutans suggested as the responsible mechanism. Accordingly, the current study selected a probiotic candidate for oral health and studied its inhibitory mechanism against dental caries. Twenty-two LAB species belonging to eleven genuses were screened for promoting bone nodule formation using direct microscopic examination. Only one isolate, Weissella kimchii strain PL9001, increased the bone nodule formation significantly. The addition of W. kimchii strain PL9001 to bone cells prepared from mouse calvaria increased the bone nodule formation, calcium accumulation, and activity of alkaline phosphatase (the osteoblastic marker). Moreover, W. kimchii strain PL9001 inhibited the invasion of Streptococcus mutans into bone cells, and an organic extract of the culture supernatant of W. kimchii strain PL9001 inhibited the growth of Strep. mutans. Therefore, the results suggest that W. kimchii strain PL9001 can be used as a preventive measure against dental caries. This is the first time that a LAB has been shown to promote bone nodule formation and prevent the invasion of Strep. mutans into bone cells.