• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2012

Molds cause severe cheese deterioration, even though some white and blue molds are used for the manufacture of Camembert and Blue cheese, respectively. The species of Geotrichum, Moniliella, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Mucor, Fusarium, Phoma, and Cladosporium are the main fungi that affect contamination during cheese ripening. Once deteriorated by fungal spoilage, cheese becomes toxic and inedible. Fungal deterioration of cheese decreases the nutritional value, flavor profiles, physicochemical and organoleptic properties, and increases toxicity and infectious disease. Fungal contamination during cheese ripening is highly damaging to cheese production in Korean farmstead milk processing companies. Therefore, these companies hesitate to develop natural and ripened cheese varieties. This article discusses the recent and ongoing developments in the removal techniques of fungal contamination during cheese ripening. There are 2 categories of antifungal agents: chemical and natural. Major chemical agents are preservatives (propionic acid, sodium propionate, and calcium propionate) and ethanol. Among the natural agents, grapefruit seed extract, phytoncide, essential oils, and garlic have been investigated as natural antifungal agents. Additionally, some studies have shown that antibiotics such as natamycin and Delvocid$^{(R)}$, have antifungal activities for cheese contaminated with fungi. Microbial resources such as probiotic lactic acid bacteria, Propionibacterium, lactic acid bacteria from Kimchi, and bacteriocin are well known as antifungal agents. In addition, ozonization treatment has been reported to inhibit the growth activity of cheese-contaminating fungi.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2018

Kefir exhibits antimicrobial activity in vitro against gram-positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as some fungi. The ability of LAB to inhibit the growth of closely related bacteria is well known. This inhibition of pathogenic and spoilage microbes may be due to the production of organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, carbon dioxide, or bacteriocins. Lactobacilli are the major contributors to acid production and, hence, a determining factor in the flavor development in kefir. Lactic acid, proteolytic activity, and acetaldehyde are the essential flavor compounds in kefir. Both acid and bacteriocins contribute to the antimicrobial activity of kefir and kefir grains. Kefir is rich in proteins, calcium, vitamin $B_{12}$, niacin, and folic acid. Many studies have investigated the benefits of consuming kefir and have shown that it is a natural probiotic, which when consumed regularly, can help relieve intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence, and improve the overall health of the digestive system. Tibetan kefir, which is different from traditional kefir, is produced in China. It has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity that is nearly identical to that of traditional kefir. Kefir production is considered a rapidly growing food industry in China.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.283-288
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the microbial count of duck meat and duck meat products commercially available in Korea. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment was applied at 0.1, 300, 400, and 500 MPa for 5 min to enhance the microbiological safety of duck meats. The levels of total aerobic bacteria were in the ranges of 3.53-6.19 and 3.62-6.85 Log CFU/g in raw and smoked duck products, respectively. By DNA sequence analysis, we identified microorganisms responsible for spoilage, with the most common species in the raw and smoked duck products being Aeromonas spp. or Pseudomonas spp. and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, respectively. HHP treatment significantly reduced the levels of total aerobic bacteria in raw and smoked duck products. This study demonstrates that HHP treatment may be used to effectively improve the safety of raw and smoked duck meat products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2013

A novel bioactive molecule produced by Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki Bn1 (Bt-Bn1), isolated from a common pest of hazelnut, Balaninus nucum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was determined, purified, and characterized in this study. The Bt-Bn1 strain was investigated for antibacterial activity with an agar spot assay and well diffusion assay against B. cereus, B. weinhenstephenensis, L. monocytogenes, P. savastanoi, P. syringae, P. lemoignei, and many other B. thuringiensis strains. The production of bioactive molecule was determined at the early logarithmic phase in the growth cycle of strain Bt-Bn1 and its production continued until the beginning of the stationary phase. The mode of action of this molecule displayed bacteriocidal or bacteriolytic effect depending on the concentration. The bioactive molecule was purified 78-fold from the bacteria supernatant with ammonium sulfate precipitation, dialysis, ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and HPLC, respectively. The molecular mass of this molecule was estimated via SDS-PAGE and confirmed by the ESI-TOFMS as 3,139 Da. The bioactive molecule was also determined to be a heat-stable, pH-stable (range 6-8), and proteinase K sensitive antibacterial peptide, similar to bacteriocins. Based on all characteristics determined in this study, the purified bacteriocin was named as thuricin Bn1 because of the similarities to the previously identified thuricin-like bacteriocin produced by the various B. thuringiensis strains. Plasmid elution studies showed that gene responsible for the production of thuricin Bn1 is located on the chromosome of Bt-Bn1. Therefore, it is a novel bacteriocin and the first recorded one produced by an insect originated bacterium. It has potential usage for the control of many different pathogenic and spoilage bacteria in the food industry, agriculture, and various other areas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1456-1460
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• 2006

In order to determine the causes of sweetened adzuki ann spoilage, the characteristics of microorganism isolated from spoiled adzuki ann were investigated. The isolated microorganism was gram-positive, roil-shaped and shore-forming bacteria; its surface was smooth and glazed. From the results of the assimilation test of 46 different biochemicals by the Vitec 2 Compact test and comparison of the cellular wall composition of fatty acid by the data bank of Midi sherlock system, the microorganism was identified as Bacillus subtilis, D-value of the B. subtilis spore was 4.85 min at $115^{\circ}C$, 0.69 min at $121^{\circ}C$ and 0.48 min at $125^{\circ}C$; Z-value was 9.71. The Bacillus subtilis growth was not observed below water activity of 0.92 at $45^{\circ}C$. However, bacteria growth increased gradually as water activity increased above 0.93.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.372-389
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• 2024

This study investigated the efficacy of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation in enhancing the quality of raw bovine milk by targeting microbial populations and lipid peroxidation, both of which are key factors in milk spoilage. We categorized the raw milk samples into three groups based on initial bacterial load: low (<3 Log 10 CFU/mL), medium (3-4 Log 10 CFU/mL), and high (>4 Log 10 CFU/mL). Using a 144 W thin-film UV-C reactor, we treated the milk with a flow rate of 3 L/min. We measured the bacterial count including standard plate count, coliform count, coagulase-negative staphylococci count, and lactic acid bacteria count and lipid peroxidation (via thiobarbituric acid reactive substances assay) pre- and post-treatment. Our results show that UV-C treatment significantly reduced bacterial counts, with the most notable reductions observed in high and medium initial load samples (>4 and 3-4 Log 10 CFU/mL, respectively). The treatment was particularly effective against coliforms, showing higher reduction efficiency compared to coagulase-negative staphylococci and lactic acid bacteria. Notably, lipid peroxidation in UV-C treated milk was significantly lower than in pasteurized or untreated milk, even after 72 hours. These findings demonstrate the potential of UV-C irradiation as a pre-treatment method for raw milk, offering substantial reduction in microbial content and prevention of lipid peroxidation, thereby enhancing milk quality.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.577-584
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• 2001

An antimicrobially active bacterium which was identified as Bacillus brevis, was isolated from kimchi. The antimicrobial activity was found against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including some pathogens food-spoilage microorganisms, and some yeast strains. The antimicrobial activity was especially strong against Bacillus anthracis and Shigella dysenteriae. The strong activity was observed during an early stationary phase in the culture when incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ with initial medium pH of 6.8. The antimicrobial activity was found to be stable at $90^{\circ}C$ for 30 min and in the pH range of 3-11, and it was insensitive to organic solvents including acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, and methanol. Analysis of the bacterocin on tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel suggested a molecular mass of approximately 4.5-6.0 kDa. The antimicrobial substance was characterized as a bacteriocin, because of its proteinaceous nature and low molecular weight. The bacteriocin could potentially be used as a food preservative, because of its thermostable property and broad antimicrobial spectrum.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.364-369
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• 2011

Levels of carbon dioxide gas, a metabolite of microbial growth, have been reported to parallel the onset of microbial spoilage and may be used as a convenient index for a packaged food's shelf life. This study aimed to establish a kinetic model of $CO_2$ production from perishable food for the potential use for shelf life control in the food supply chain. Aerobic bacterial count and package $CO_2$ concentration were measured during the storage of seasoned pork meat at four temperatures (0, 5, 10 and $15^{\circ}C$), and their interrelationship was investigated to establish a mathematical model. The microbial growth at constant temperature was described by using model of Baranyi and Roberts. $CO_2$ production from the stored food could be explained by taking care of its yield and maintenance factors linked to the microbial growth. By establishing the temperature dependence of the microbial growth and $CO_2$ yield factor, $CO_2$ partial pressure or concentration in package headspace could be estimated to a limited extent, which is helpful for controlling the shelf life under constant and dynamic temperature conditions. Application and efficacy of the model needs to be improved with further refinement in the model.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.348-353
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• 2008

Aerobic bacterial growth on Korean pan.fried meat patties as a primary quality deterioration factor was modeled as a function of temperature to estimate microbial spoilage on a real.time basis under dynamic storage conditions. Bacteria counts in the stretch.wrapped foods held at constant temperatures of 0, 5, 10 and $15^{\circ}C$ were measured throughout storage. The bootstrapping method was applied to generate many resampled data sets of mean microbial counts, which were then used to estimate the parameters of the microbial growth model of Baranyi & Roberts in the form of differential equations. The temperature functions of the primary model parameters were set up with confidence limits. Incorporating the temperature dependent parameters into the differential equations of bacterial growth could produce predictions closely representing the experimental data under constant and fluctuating temperature conditions.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.655-661
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• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the antimicrobial effect of the Pulsatilla koreana extracts against food-borne pathogens. First, the Pulsatilla koreana was extracted with methanol at room temperatures, and fractionation of the methanol extracts from Pulsatilla koreana was carried out by using petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethyl acetate, and methanol respectively. The antimicrobial activity of the Pulsatilla koreana extracts was determined using a paper disc method against food-borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria. The ethyl acetate extracts of Pulsatilla koreana showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis and Shigella dysenteriae. The Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae were inhibited by petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of Pulsatilla koreana as well as ethyl acetate extracts of Pulsatilla koreana. The synergistic effect has been found in combined extracts of Pulsatilla koreana and Portulaca oleracea as compared to each extracts alone. Finally, the growth inhibition curve was determined using ethyl acetate extracts of Pulsatilla koreana against Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella dysenteriae. The ethyl acetate extract of Pulsatilla koreana showed strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus at the concentration of 2,000 ppm. The 2,000 ppm of ethyl acetate extract from Pulsatilla koreana retarded the growth of S. aureus more than 12 hours and Shigella dysenteriae up to 9 hours.