• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.691-697
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• 2021

Vibrio parahaemolyticus associated with acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (Vp_AHPND) and Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) are the two most important pathogens in shrimp aquaculture and they have caused enormous losses to the shrimp industry worldwide. In ponds, the major target organ for the two pathogens is the hepatopancreas, and infection with EHP is a known potential risk factor for Vp_AHPND infection. This study aimed to develop a PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based diagnostic method for simultaneously detecting Vp_AHPND and EHP. The newly developed PCR diagnostic method could be used to test various samples, such as seawater, shrimp, and feces. The diagnostic method exhibited high sensitivity and specificity for both pathogens. This will help reduce the potential economic losses that may have been caused by the two major shrimp pathogens, Vp_AHPND and EHP, and will allow for the efforts and time spent combatting them to be dedicated elsewhere.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.5.1-5.9
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• 2019

Background: Live fish import may lead to the unintended introduction of pathogens. We examined the monthly distribution of microbial pathogens in ornamental finfish imported into South Korea over a 6-month period. Results: Vibrio alginolyticus was detected in one lemon damsel in June and July; V. vulnificus was detected in one lemon damsel, one caerulean damsel, and one pearl-spot chromis and one ocellaris clownfish in July, April, and May, respectively; Photobacterium damselae was detected in one ocellaris clownfish and one caerulean damsel in June and July, respectively; V. anguillarum was detected in one pearl-spot chromis in February; V. harveyi was detected in one ocellaris clownfish and two mandarin fish in February and April, respectively; Yersinia ruckeri was detected in a pearlscale goldfish group in June and July and in two colored carp groups in July; and Lactococcus garvieae was detected in a lemon damsel group and a sutchi catfish group in July and May, respectively. European catfish virus, the only viral pathogen detected, was found in two sutchi catfish groups in May. Conclusion: This study is the first to identify pathogenic species and the presence or absence of pathogens (non-quarantine diseases) in imported ornamental finfish. These results demonstrate that various pathogens with the potential to harm indigenous fish populations can accompany ornamental finfish imported into South Korea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.861-869
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• 2020

This study was conducted to investigate the suitability of frozen oysters as a raw material for the preparation of seafood products by measuring the concentrations of harmful microorganisms and chemicals in thawed flesh. The microbial concentrations in thawed oysters were 2.3-5.0 log CFU/g for viable cell counts, not detected (ND)-1.0 log CFU/g for coliform bacteria, and ND for Escherichia coli and pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), and Clostridium perfringens. In frozen oysters, the heavy metal concentration for viable cell counts was ND-0.030 mg/kg, for lead was ND-0.393 mg/kg, and for cadmium was 0.021-0.597 mg/kg. Benzo(a)pyrene, shellfish poison (paralytic shellfish and diarrhetic shellfish poisons), and radioactivity were not detected in the thawed oysters. These results suggest that frozen oysters can be safely used as a raw material for the preparation of seafood products.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.851-860
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• 2020

Shrimp in seasoned soy sauce (S-SS) is a popular seafood product in Korea, but it could be potentially hazardous; thus, this study was conducted to investigate its safety. Commercial S-SS were collected and analyzed for pH, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN), hygenic indicator microorganisms (viable cell count, coliforms, and Escherichia coli), food poisoning bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes), preservatives (dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid, benzoic acid, and its salt, parahydroxybenzoate), tar colorants, and sensory properties. Domestic and foreign standards were also investigated for S-SS. Commercial S-SS ranged from to 6.2-7.3 for pH, 13.7-39.1 mg/100 g for VBN, and 4.6-6.9 log CFU/g for viable cells. The coliforms and E. coli of commercial S-SS were from ND to 3.4 log CFU/g and negative, respectively. Food poisoning bacteria, preservatives, and tar colorants were not detected in commercial S-SS. Only the coliform count and presence of E. coli in commercial S-SS exceeded the set standards of vietnam, while all items were within domestic and foreign standards.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.319-329
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• 2021

In the search for antibiotic alternatives from safe and effective medicinal plants against fish pathogenic bacteria, we found that a combined extract (CE) of 1:1 (w/w) ratio of Angelica gigas Nakai roots and aerial parts of Artemisia iwayomogi Kitamura showed antibacterial activity against the fish pathogenic bacteria. By antibacterial activity-guided fractionations and isolations, five compounds were isolated and identified as decursinol angelate (1), decursin (2), xanthotoxin (3), demethylsuberosin (4), and 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methoxyacetophenone (5) through spectroscopic analyses, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Among the compounds, 1 and 2 showed the highest antibacterial activities against Streptococcus iniae and Vibrio anguillarum, showing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 62.5-250 ㎍/mL. Compounds 3, 4, and 5 were also found to be active, with MICs of 31.25-1,000 ㎍/mL for those strains. Furthermore, active compounds, 1 and 2 in CE were simultaneously quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem MS (HPLC-MS/MS). The average contents of 1 and 2 in CE was 3.68% and 6.14%, respectively. The established method showed reliable linearity (r² > 0.99), good precision, accuracy, and specificity with intra- and inter-day variations of < 2 % and recoveries of 90.13%-108.57%. These results may be helpful for establishing the chemical profile of CE for its commercialization as an antibiotic alternative in aquaculture.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.4
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• pp.431-436
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• 2022

For the safety assessment of microbiological and chemical hazards in katsuobushi, fifteen samples of katsuobushi were purchased from supermarkets. The contamination levels of total viable bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and nine pathogenic bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Clostridium perfringens, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter jejuni/coli] were quantitatively or qualitatively assessed. Additionally, the heavy metals (total and methyl mercury) content, radioactivity (¹³¹ I, ¹³⁴ Cs⁺ and ¹³⁷ Cs) were quantitatively assessed. Microbial and chemical analyses were performed using standard methods in Korean food code. The contamination level of total viable bacteria was 2.70 (1.18-4.42) log CFU/g. Coliforms, E. coli and S. aureus were not detected in any samples. Other eight pathogenic bacteria were negative in all samples. The contamination levels of total and methyl mercury were 0.366 (0.227-0.481) and 0.120 (0.002-0.241) mg/kg, respectively. In addition, radioactivity was not detected in any samples. The results will be helpful in revitalizing domestic use and boosting exports of katsuobushi because the microbiological and chemical safety of katsuobushi has been assured. Furthermore, the results may be used as a basis for performing chemical and microbial risk assessments of katsuobushi.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.133-139
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• 2023

The advantage of biofloc technology (BFT) in aquaculture is in the prevention of pathogenic transmission. In this study, we performed an investigation on viral, bacterial, and microsporidian parasite infections targeting a total of 194 whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared in seven BFT-farms on the west coast of Korea in 2021. Hepatopancreatic and cuticular epithelium and pereiopods tissues of shrimp were tested for the four pathogens, Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), Vibrio parahaemolyticus causing Acute Hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (VP_AHPND), white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), and hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV). The microsporidian parasite EHP was detected in the hepatopancreatic tissue of BFT whiteleg shrimp in the Ganghwa region, whereas no other pathogenic bacteria or virus was detected on the shrimp in the seven BFT-farms. As a result of bacterial flora in the rearing water of BFT whiteleg shrimp using DNA microbiome technology, V. chemaguriensis and V. alfacsensis were contained at 0.05% and 0.01%, respectively, but no VP_AHPND was detected. These findings will serve as a basis for supporting safe BFT-aquaculture of whiteleg shrimp.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2023

Bacterial communities inhabiting islands play a vital role in the functioning and formation of a unique, isolated ecosystem. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of systematic research on the indigenous microbiological resources of the islands in Korea. To excavate microbial resources for further studies on the metabolism and biotechnological potential, a standard dilution plating was applied to coastal seawater samples collected from islands along the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, including Deokjeokdo, Baengnyeongdo, and Daebudo in 2022. A total of 2,007 bacterial strains were isolated from the samples as single colonies and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. A total of 20 strains, with ≥98.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to bacterial species having validly published names but not reported in Korea, were designated as unrecorded bacterial species in Korea. The unrecorded bacterial strains were phylogenetically diverse and belonged to four phyla, five classes, 12 orders, 17 families, and 18 genera. The unreported species were assigned to Algimonas, Amylibacter, Notoacmeibacter, Roseibium, and Terasakiella of the class Alphaproteobacteria; Alteromonas, Congregibacter, Marinagarivorans, Marinicella, Oceanospirillum, Psychromonas, Thalassotalea, Umboniibacter, and Vibrio of the class Gammaproteobacteria; Lutibacter and Owenweeksia of the class Flavobacteriia; Paenibacillus of the class Bacilli; and Pelagicoccus of the class Opitutae. The taxonomic characteristics of the unreported species, including morphology, biochemistry, and phylogenetic position are provided in detail.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.850-860
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• 2023

The effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis supplementation on hybrid grouper Epinephelus akaara ♀×Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂ were evaluated. The fish were fed a basal diet and five other diets consisting of 0.6% mannan oligosaccharides, L. plantarum, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis and mixture of each 0.15% prebiotic and all the probiotics (designated as MOS, LP, BS, BL, and SYN) for 56 days. Growth performance and feed utilization showed no significant differences among all experimental groups. Lipid level of whole-body was significantly high in MOS and BL groups. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase was significantly low in BL and SYN groups. Nitro-blue tetrazolium, lysozyme and anti-protease, and glutathione peroxidase in BS, SYN, and all probiotic groups, respectively, were significantly high. Intestinal Vibrio bacteria was significantly low in all probiotic and SYN groups. Gene expression of interleukin-1β and interleukin-10 in SYN group; transforming growth factor β2 in MOS and BS groups, toll-like receptor 2-2 in BS and BL groups; and C-type lectin in MOS, LP and SYN groups were significantly upregulated. Our findings indicate that mannan oligosaccharides, L. plantarum, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis could improve innate immunity, antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammation, and intestinal microbiota of hybrid grouper.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.596-605
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• 2023

Sik-hae is a traditional Korean salt-fermented seafood having a low salt content and a high concentration of Lactobacillus, unlike most salt-fermented fish and fish sauce, which have a high salt content and low concentration of Lactobacillus. This study aimed to investigate the health-promoting functional properties of 10 types of commercial sik-haes. The results showed that for the commercial sik-haes studied, angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, and sodium nitrite scavenging activity ranged from 29.0% to 46.3%, 35.5% to 65.4%, 0% to 20.0%, 20.1% to 78.8% , and 17.9% to 82.6%, respectively. Antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Staphylococcus aureus was rarely detected. The results on healthy functional properties suggest that the commercial sik-haes are expected on the antioxidative activity in F-1-F-5, AP-1, BES, and S, xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity in the other 9 types expected for A, and sodium nitrite scavenging activity in the other 9 types expected for AP-2.