• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.527-539
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to determine the effect of probiotics as an alternative for antibiotics on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, noxious gas emission and fecal microbial population in growing piglets. A total of 96 piglets ($22.5{\pm}1.3$kg average body weight) were allotted to 3 different treatment groups and replicated 4 times with 8 piglets per replicate in randomized complete block design. Treatments were T1) (Control, basal diet+0.2% antibiotics), T2) 0.2% probiotics complex and T3) 0.3% Bacillus probiotics. During the whole experiment period, there were no differences (p>0.05) in average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed efficiency. However, digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, nitrogen free extract and crude ash were showed higher in probiotics groups (T2 and T3) than those of control. In noxious gas emission, ammonia, amine, hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan were significantly (p<0.05) reduced in T2 and T3 treatments compared to those in control. Moisture content of feces was not significantly different among treatments. The colony forming units (CFU) of total bacteria, E. coli and thermoduric bacteria in feces were significantly different among treatments. The CFU of total bacteria, E. coli and thermoduric bacteria in T3 treatment were reduced by feeding probiotics B. From this study, we suggest that probiotics A and B are likely able to improve the growth performance and nutrients digestibility, reduce noxious gas emission and change the fecal microbial composition in growing piglets.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.343-351
• /
• 2020

BACKGROUND: Irrigation water is known to be one of the major sources of bacterial contamination in agricultural products. In addition, anti-microbial resistance (AMR) bacteria in food products possess serious threat to humans. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of foodborne bacteria in irrigation water and evaluating their anti-microbial susceptibility. METHODS AND RESULTS: Surface water (n = 66 sites) and groundwater (n = 40 sites) samples were collected from the Gyeongi and Gangwon provinces of South Korea during April, July, and October 2019. To evaluate the safety of water, fecal indicators (Escherichia coli) and foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes) were examined. E. coli isolates from water were further tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using VITEK2 system. Overall, detection rate of foodborne pathogens in July was highest among three months. The prevalence of pathogenic E. coli (24%), Salmonella (3%), and L. monocytogenes (3%) was higher in surface water, while only one ground water site was contained with pathogenic E. coli (2.5%). Of the 343 E. coli isolates, 22.7% isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobials (ampicillin (18.7%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (7.0%), and ciprofloxacin (6.7%)). CONCLUSION: To enhance the safety of agricultural products, it is necessary to frequently monitor the microbial quality of water.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.264-271
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate contamination sources of baby leafy vegetables by assessing microbial loads on baby leafy vegetables and agricultural inputs contacted with the vegetables. To estimate microbial loads, fecal indicators (coliform and Escherichia coli) and foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus) were examined. A total of 126 samples including eleven kinds of leafy vegetables, irrigation water, media, and tools were tested, resulting in coliform contamination observed from most of samples. For E. coli, 10.3% (13/126) of the samples were positive including irrigation water, knife, handler, media, tools, and three kinds of leafy vegetables. B. cereus was detected from 38% (48/126) of the samples including media, tools and three kinds of leafy vegetables. No E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes was detected. This result implies that contacting with agricultural inputs could explain microbial load of baby leafy vegetables.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.1156-1163
• /
• 2008

We performed RT-nested PCR to study the distribution of human enteric viruses in urban rivers in Korea. During 2002-2003, water samples were collected from four rivers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Among 58 samples, 45 (77.6%), 32 (55.2%), 12 (20.7%), 2 (3.4%), 4 (6.9%), and 4 (6.9%) showed positive results with adenoviruses (AdVs), enteroviruses (EVs), reoviruses (ReVs), hepatitis A viruses (HAVs), rotaviruses (RoVs), and sapoviruses (SVs), respectively. According to the binary logistic regression model, the occurrence of each enteric virus, except ReVs and HAVs, was not statistically correlated with the water temperature and levels of fecal coliforms (P<0.05). AdVs were most often detected; only 4 samples (6.9%) were negative for AdVs while positive for other enteric viruses in the studied sites. Our results indicated that monitoring human enteric viruses is necessary to improve microbial quality, and that AdVs detection by PCR can be a useful index for the presence of other enteric viruses in aquatic environments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.495-504
• /
• 1997

Three media, i. e., MOD-SD, M98-5 and M98-5 supplemented with chicken fecal extract were tested as isolation media for anaerobic bacteria present in the duodenum, jeju-ileum and cecum of chicken. The results showed that the mean colony counts of medium M98-5 were similar with those of MOD-SD medium in all intestinal samples at the incubation periods of 2, 6 and 10 days. Supplementation with chicken fecal extract of M98-5 medium significantly increased (p < 0.05) the colony counts of bacteria from the duodenum, jeju-ileum and cecum. The colony counts at 6-day incubation were similar with those at 10-day incubation, but were much higher than the counts at 2-day incubation. The major types of bacteria found in the duodenum and jeju-ileum of chicken were tentatively identified as Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and E. coli. In the cecum, ten tentatively identified groups of bacteria, namely, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, E. coli, anaerobic coccus, Eubacterium, Propionibacterium, Clostridium, Fusobacterium and Bacteroides were isolated. Anaerobes were found to comprise nearly the entire microbial population of the cecum. Predominating in all sections of the intestine were homofermentative lactobacilli. The main Lactotacillus species in chicken intestine were L. acidophilus, L. fermentum and L. brevis.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.128-132
• /
• 1999

The effects of diet on the composition of fecal microflora in mouse and the aclivilies of several enzymes in the leces were investigated. Vegetarian dietary groups were found to contain about ten lines higher numbers of Locmbocillus and B$&bacterizml than animal dietary groups. An~rnal dietmy groups were found to contain about 5 tolo times higher numbers of anaerobic Closhidia and Bocieriocles than the vegeterian detary groups. Fccal microbial $\beta$-glucosidase, $\beta$-glucm'onidase, ii-yptophanase and orease activilies in ihe animal dietary groups were shown lo be 30 to 50% hgher than those in h e vegetarian detary groups.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.33 no.9
• /
• pp.1111-1118
• /
• 2023

As a long-term condition that affects the airways and lungs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation, emphysema, breathlessness, chronic cough, and sputum production. Currently, the bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for COPD are mostly off-target, warranting new disease management strategies. Accumulating research has revealed the gut-lung axis to be a bidirectional communication system. Cigarette smoke, a major exacerbating factor in COPD and lung inflammation, affects gut microbiota composition and diversity, causing gut microbiota dysbiosis, a condition that has recently been described in COPD patients and animal models. For this review, we focused on the gut-lung axis, which is influenced by gut microbial metabolites, bacterial translocation, and immune cell modulation. Further, we have summarized the findings of preclinical and clinical studies on the association between gut microbiota and COPD to provide a basis for using gut microbiota in therapeutic strategies against COPD. Our review also proposes that further research on probiotics, prebiotics, short-chain fatty acids, and fecal microbiota transplantation could assist therapeutic approaches targeting the gut microbiota to alleviate COPD.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.44 no.1
• /
• pp.119-131
• /
• 2024

BIOVITA 3 bacterial species (BIOVITA 3), a probiotic blend powder containing Clostridium butyricum IDCC 1301, Weizmannia coagulans IDCC 1201, and Bacillus subtilis IDCC 1101, has been used as a food ingredient for gut health. However, its efficacy in improving constipation has not been reported. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the functional effects of oral administration of BIOVITA 3 as well as its component strains alone (at 1.0×10⁹ CFU/day) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with loperamide-induced constipation. The study included fecal analysis, gastrointestinal transit ratio, histopathological analysis, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and metagenome analysis. As results, the BIOVITA 3 group showed significant improvements in fecal number, water content, gastrointestinal transit ratio, and thickening of the mucosal layer. In the SCFAs analysis, all probiotic-treated groups showed an increase in total SCFAs compared to the loperamide-constipated group. Changes in microbial abundance and the diversity index of three groups (normal, constipated, and BIOVITA 3) were also defined. Of these, the BIOVITA 3 showed a significant improvement in loperamide-constipated SD-rats. This study suggests the possibility that BIOVITA 3 can be applied as an ingredient in functional foods to relieve constipation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.10
• /
• pp.1451-1456
• /
• 2012

A total of 144 ((Duroc${\times}$Yorkshire)${\times}$Landrace)) pigs with an average initial BW of $28.85{\pm}0.63$ kg were used in this 6-wk growth trial. Pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely random block design. Each dietary treatment consisted of 9 replicate pens, with 4 pigs per replicate. Dietary treatments included: i) NC (basal diet), ii) PC (NC+apramycin 0.5 g/kg), iii) BPT1 (NC+bacteriophage 0.25 g/kg) and iv) BPT2 (NC+bacteriophage 0.5 g/kg). The inclusion of antibiotics and bacteriophages did not affect the (p>0.05) ADG, ADFI and G:F compared with the basal diet. Dietary antibiotics and bacteriophages supplementation led to a higher (p<0.05) DM digestibility than the NC treatment. Pigs fed the bacteriophage supplemented diet increased (p<0.05) the N digestibility compared with those fed NC treatment. Supplementation of antibiotics led to a higher (p<0.05) energy digestibility than the NC treatment. No difference (p>0.05) was observed in the RBC, WBC, lymphocyte concentration and fecal moisture among treatments. Pigs fed PC and BPT2 treatments reduced (p<0.05) the E. coli concentration compared with those fed NC treatment. The inclusion of BPT2 treatment led to a higher (p<0.05) lactobacillus concentration compared with NC and PC treatment. Dietary antibiotic and bacteriophage supplementation reduced (p<0.05) the Salmonella concentration compared with NC treatment. In conclusion, our study suggested that bacteriophage at the level of 0.5 g/kg could be used as an antibiotics alternative for growing pigs.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.8-13
• /
• 2000

A study was carried out to determine the probiotic effect of Lactobacillus reuteri BSA-131 by investigating the growth performance and fecal microbial population of piglets. Five dietary treatment groups, the basal diet (control, BD), basal diet with antibiotics(BA), basal diet with 2$\times$106/g of probiotics (BP6), 2$\times$108/g of probiotics (BP8) and basal diet with antibiotics and 2$\times$108/g probiot-ics(BAP8) were divised. Each dietary treatment group was consisted of 1 month of age piglets(male 13, female 12). Fecal micro-flora, body weights and feed consumption were measured at before, after and stop feeding of probiotics. The results showed that the CFU of fecal Enterobacteriaceae of piglets of the group BA, BP6, BP8 and BAP8, were reduced (P<0.05) compared to control BA. On the contrary, Lactobacillus counts were increased significan시 (P<0.001) in all groups fed probiotics dites, but not antibiotics. Body weight of probiotics treated piglets were improved 5% (p<0.001) in BP6 group than that of control group and antibiotic treated piglets BAP group was 27% (P<0.001) higher than BA group. The amount of feed consumption value of probiotics treated piglets showed 21-30% (P<0.001) lower intake than the control group, whereas antibiotic treated piglets BAP was 20% (P<0.001) higher than BA group. The results showed that body weights and feed to gain ratios were improves 19% when compared to control piglets for groups fed diets probiotic. It is very suggestive that productivity of probiotic piglets would be economical in pig farming.