• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.192-200
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• 2021

Kunun-zaki, produced by submerged fermentation of a combination of millet and sorghum, is a popular beverage in Northern Nigeria. Owing to the nature of the process involved in its production, kunun-zaki is highly susceptible to contamination by food spoilage microorganisms, leading to inconsistent quality and short shelf-life. In this study, we investigated various food spices, including cinnamon, garlic, and nutmeg, as potential preservatives that could be used to extend kunun-zaki shelf-life. Kunun-zaki varieties were fermented with each of these spices mentioned above and subjected to bacterial, nutritional, sensory, and quality maintenance assessments (using a twelve-member sensory panel to evaluate the organoleptic properties of kunun-zaki). Bacterial counts in the final products ranged between 10^5-7 CFU/ml. We identified two bacterial genera, Weissella and Enterococcus, based on partial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Three amino acids, namely leucine, aspartate, and glutamate, were abundant in all kunun-zaki varieties, while the total essential amino acid content was above 39%, suggesting that kunun-zaki could potentially be considered as a protein-rich food source both for infants and adults. The kunun-zaki products were also rich in carbohydrates, crude proteins, ash, crude fiber, and fat, with contents estimated as 81-84, 8-11, 0.8-4.0, 2.9-3.58, and 5.1-6.3%, respectively. However, this nutritional content depreciated rapidly after 24 h of storage, except for kunun-zaki fermented with garlic, which its crude protein and fat content was maintained for up to 48 h. Our results revealed that organic spices increased the nutritional content of the kunun-zaki varieties and could be potentially be used as natural preservatives for enhancing the kunun-zaki shelf-life. However, garlic might be considered a better alternative based on our preliminary investigation. The presence of the isolated microorganisms in the analyzed kunun-zaki samples should be highlighted to raise awareness on the possible health hazards that could arise from poor handling and processing techniques.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.259-266
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• 2021

The present study was aimed to estimate the effect of ensiling period and bacterial inoculants on chemical compositions and fermentation characteristics on rye silage harvested at delayed stage. Rye (Secale cereale L.) was harvested after 20 days of heading stage (29.4% dry matter, DM). The harvested rye forage was applied with different inoculants following: applications of distilled water (CON), Lactobacillus brevis (LBB), Leuconostoc holzapfelii (LCH), or mixture of LBB and LCH at 1:1 ratio (MIX). Each forage was ensiled into 20 L mini bucket silo (5 kg) for 50 (E50D) and 100 (E100D) days in triplicates. The E50D silages had higher in vitro digestibilities of DM (IVDMD, p<0.001) and neutral detergent fiber (IVNDFD, p=0.013), and lactate (p=0.009), and acetate (p=0.011) than those of E100D, but lower pH, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and yeast. By inoculant application, LCH had highest IVDMD and IVNDFD (p<0.05), while MIX had highest lactate and lowest pH (p<0.05). The CON and LCH in E50D had highest LAB and yeast (p<0.05), whereas LBB in E100D had lowest (p<0.05). Therefore, this study concluded that LCH application improved the nutrient digesbility (IVDMD and IVNDFD) of lignified rye silage, and longer ensiling period for 100 days enhanced the fermentation characteristics of silage compared to ensiling for 50 days.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.2
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• pp.387-400
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• 2023

Ruminal protozoa, especially entodiniomorphs, engulf other members of the rumen microbiome in large numbers; and they release oligopeptides and amino acids, which can be fermented to ammonia and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) by amino acid-fermenting bacteria (AAFB). Studies using defaunated (protozoa-free) sheep have demonstrated that ruminal protozoa considerably increase intraruminal nitrogen recycling but decrease nitrogen utilization efficiency in ruminants. However, direct interactions between ruminal protozoa and AAFB have not been demonstrated because of their inability to establish axenic cultures of any ruminal protozoan. Thus, this study was performed to evaluate the interaction between Entodinium caudatum, which is the most predominant rumen ciliate species, and an AAFB consortium in terms of feed degradation and ammonia production along with the microbial population shift of select bacterial species (Prevotella ruminicola, Clostridium aminophilum, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius). From an Ent. caudatum culture that had been maintained by daily feeding and transfers every 3 or 4 days, the bacteria and methanogens loosely associated with Ent. caudatum cells were removed by filtration and washing. An AAFB consortium was established by repeated transfers and enrichment with casamino acids as the sole substrate. The cultures of Ent. caudatum alone (Ec) and AAFB alone (AAFB) and the co-culture of Ent. caudatum and AAFB (Ec + AAFB) were set up in three replicates and incubated at 39℃ for 72 h. The digestibility of dry matter (DM) and fiber (NDF), VFA profiles, ammonia concentrations, pH, and microscopic counts of Ent. caudatum were compared among the three cultures. The co-culture of AAFB and Ent. caudatum enhanced DM degradation, VFA production, and Ent. caudatum cell counts; conversely, it decreased acetate: propionate ratio although the total bacterial abundance was similar between Ec and the Ec + AAFB co-culture after 24 h incubation. The ammonia production and relative abundance of C. aminophilum and P. anaerobius did not differ between AAFB alone and the Ec + AAFB co-culture. Our results indicate that Ent. caudatum and AAFB could have a mutualistic interaction that benefited each other, but their interactions were complex and might not increase ammoniagenesis. Further research should examine how such interactions affect the population dynamics of AAFB.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 2013

In vitro and in situ incubation studies were conducted to determine effects of yeast culture supplements (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on cellulolytic bacterial function and fiber digestion in rice straw. In vitro dry matter digestibility of rice straw gradually increased according to supplemental levels of yeast culture (0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0%). Digestibility of rice straw started to increase apparently when yeast culture was added more than 0.6% level (p<0.05). Also, we reconfirmed that in vitro dry matter digestibility was significantly increased by 0.6% of yeast culture addition in 4% NaOH treated and non-treated rice straws (p<0.05). When in situ dry matter digestibility was tested in Korean native goats fed basal diet or experimental diet which contained 1.0% of yeast culture, the yeast culture feeding improved in situ dry matter digestibility in both 4% NaOH treated and non-treated rice straws (p<0.05). In case of real-time PCR monitoring cellulolytic bacterial function, the bacterial population attached on rice straw showed the increasing trends with higher level of yeast culture spraying on rice straw. F. succinogenes and R. flavefaciens were significantly increased in accordance to spraying levels of yeast culture (0.0, 0.1 and 0.3%) at both 12 and 24 hrs of in situ incubation (p<0.05). R. albus was significantly higher population in yeast culture spraying than non-soraying at 12 hrs of in situ incubation (p<0.05). These bacterial populations were showed the increasing trends with digestibility enhancement of rice straw according to the higher levels of yeast culture supplement. Overall, these results clearly suggest that the presence of yeast culture result in noticeable increase of rice straw digestion, which is modulated via good effect on cellulolytic bacterial attachment to fiber substrates.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.540-547
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• 2021

Background: Indoor air pollutants are caused by a number of factors, such as coming in from the outside or being generated by internal activities. Typical indoor air pollutants include nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide from household items such as heating appliances and volatile organic compounds from building materials. In addition there is carbon dioxide from human breathing and bacteria from speaking, coughing, and sneezing. Objectives: According to recent research results, most indoor air pollution is known to be greatly affected by internal factors such as burning (biomass for cooking) and various pollutants. These pollutants can have a fatal effect on the human body due to a lack of ventilation facilities. Methods: We fabricated a polydopamine (PDA) layer with Ti substrates as a coating on supported glass fiber fabric to enhance its photo-activity. The PDA layer with TiO₂ was covalently attached to glass fiber fabric using the drop-casting method. The roughness and functional groups of the surface of the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric were verified through infrared imaging microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The obtained hybrid Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric was investigated for photocatalytic activity by the removal of ammonia and an epidermal Staphylococcus aureus reduction test with lamp (250 nm, 405 nm wavelength) at 24℃. Results: Antibacterial properties were found to reduce epidermal staphylococcus aureus in the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric under 405 nm after three hours. In addition, the Ti substrate/PDA coated glass fiber fabric of VOC reduction rate for ammonia was 50% under 405 nm after 30 min. Conclusions: An electron-hole pair due to photoexcitation is generated in the PDA layer and transferred to the conduction band of TiO₂. This generates a superoxide radical that degrades ammonia and removes epidermal Staphylococcus aureus.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 1981

Harvested asparagus, Viking variety, was stored in normal and controlled atmosphere with and without ‘Butts in water’ to extend shelf life of fresh asparagus. Controlled atmosphere storage significantly reduced bacterial soft rot of asparagus. When asparagus was stored in controlled atmosphere in combination with ‘Butts in water’, asparagus spears could be stored over 3 weeks without noticeable soft rot. Texture of stored asparagus, as measured by Instron and fiber analysis, became tougher as the storage time was extended. Increase of fiber content in asparagus was significantly reduced by controlled atmosphere storage and fiber content actually decreased in asparagus stored in controlled atmosphere in combination with ‘Butts in water’. Asparagus stored in controlled atmosphere had markedly less chlorophyll destruction than that in normal atmosphere. Reflectance color values of stored asparagus were closely associated with chlorophyll content in asparagus. Considering all quality factors of stored asparagus, controlled atmosphere in combination with ‘Butts in water’ was the best storage method to maintain overall quality of harvested asparagus over 3 weeks.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.101-108
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• 2017

This study was conducted to investigate the noodle added with Pachyrhizus erosus powder. Total contents of carbohydrates, crude protein, crude lipid, ash, and total dietary fiber were 87.14%, 3.14%, 0.81%, 7.82%, and 49.12%, respectively. The water-binding capacity was significantly increased by increasing amount of the Pachyrhizus erosus powder. When the volume of the noodles was measured after cooking, there was no difference between the control and Pachyrhizus erosus powder groups. The texture characteristics of hardness increased by increasing amount of the Pachyrhizus erosus powder. As a result of the sensory test, the 1.5% Pachyrhizus erosus powder noodles showed the highest scores for all items including appearance, flavor, taste, texture and overall acceptability. The bacterial counts of noodle decreased with greater Pachyrhizus erosus powder content on the third days. It is considered that research on antimicrobial activity should proceed in the future. As a result, it was finally suggested that optimum level of the Pachyrhizus erosus powder in the product was 1.5% level.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2014

This study was conducted to evaluate the ensiling characteristics and the in situ degradability of a by-product feed (BF)-based silage. Before ensilation, the BF-based mixture was composed of 50% spent mushroom substrate, 21% recycled poultry bedding, 15% ryegrass straw, 10.8% rice bran, 2% molasses, 0.6% bentonite, and 0.6% microbial inoculant on a wet basis and ensiled for up to 4 weeks. The BF-based silage contained on average 39.3% moisture, 13.4% crude protein (CP), and 52.2% neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 49% total digestible nutrient, and 37.8% physically effective $NDF_{1.18}$ on a dry matter (DM) basis. Ensiling the BF-based silage for up to 4 weeks affected (p<0.01) the chemical composition to a small extent, increased (p<0.05) the lactic acid and $NH_3$-N content, and decreased (p<0.05) both the total bacterial and lactic acid bacterial counts from $10^9$ to $10^8$ cfu/g when compared to that before ensiling. These parameters indicated that the silage was fermented and stored well during the 4-week ensiling period. Compared with rice or ryegrass straws, the BF-based silage had a higher (p<0.05) water-soluble and filterable fraction, a lower insoluble degradable DM and CP fraction (p<0.05), a lower digestible NDF (p<0.05) fraction, a higher (p<0.05) DM and CP disappearance and degradability rate, and a lower (p<0.05) NDF disappearance and degradability rate. These results indicated that cheap, good-quality BF-based roughage could be produced by ensiling SMS, RPB, rice bran, and a minimal amount of straw.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2010

The objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of natural indigo dyeing of cotton fabric. Reduction and dyeing were carried out by one-step process using an infrared dyeing machine at the liquor ratio of 1:100, and subsequently oxidation and washing in water were followed. Dye uptake was increased with the increase of indigo concentration. Over the full range of dyeing tests, the dyeing condition was optimized to $40^{\circ}C$ for 40min. For most of dye concentrations, the cotton fabrics showed mainly PB color. Maximum K/S value was shown at 4g/L of sodium hydrosulfite concentration and the color strength increased with the increase of dye concentration. Value(lightness) decreased with the increase of dye uptake irrespective of mercerization or reduction method, while the mercerized cotton showed two times higher dye uptake than the untreated cotton. Whereas hue of the untreated cotton showed large decrease of P character(5.6~3.5 PB) with the increase of dye uptake, that of the mercerized cotton increased P character(4.7~5.5 PB). Irrespective of mercerization, value and chroma decreased with the increased of dye uptake. In addition, the untreated showed lower chroma than the mercerized cotton. In the case of traditional reduction, hue of the untreated cotton was changed very little with the increase of dye uptake. For hydrosulfite reduction, P character decreased with the increase of dye uptake. The difference of hue value was small with the change of reduction method(hydrosulfite reduction or traditional fermentation). Color character was not influenced by the changed maximum absorption wavelength. Washing fastness showed 4~4/5 shade change rating without any staining. And dry rubbing fastness was good at low color strength. The bacterial reduction ratios of dyed cotton fabric were also increased.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1247-1259
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• 2018

Raspberries are polyphenol-rich fruits with the potential to reduce the severity of the clinical signs associated with obesity, a phenomenon that may be related to changes in the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of raspberry supplementation on the fecal microbiota using an in vivo model of obesity. Obese diabetic db/db mice were used in this study and assigned to two experimental groups (with and without raspberry supplementation). Fecal samples were collected at the end of the supplementation period (8 weeks) and used for bacterial 16S rRNA gene profiling using a MiSeq instrument (Illumina). QIIME 1.8 was used to analyze the 16S data. Raspberry supplementation was associated with an increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.009), a very important group for gut health, and decreased abundances of Lactobacillus, Odoribacter, and the fiber degrader S24-7 family as well as unknown groups of Bacteroidales and Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05). These changes were enough to clearly differentiate bacterial communities accordingly to treatment, based on the analysis of UniFrac distance metrics. However, a predictive approach of functional profiles showed no difference between the treatment groups. Fecal metabolomic analysis provided critical information regarding the raspberry-supplemented group, whose relatively higher phytosterol concentrations may be relevant for the host health, considering the proven health benefits of these phytochemicals. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the observed differences in microbial communities (e.g., Lachnospiraceae) or metabolites relate to clinically significant differences that can prompt the use of raspberry extracts to help patients with obesity.