• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.400-420
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• 2019

The aims of the study were to analyze (1) the effects of Prosopis juliflora (Prosopis) on the spatial distribution and soil seed banks (SSB) diversity and density, (2) the effects of environmental factors on SSB diversity and density (number of seeds in the soil per unit area), and (3) the effects of animal fecal droppings on SSB diversity, density, and dispersal. Aboveground vegetation data were collected from different Prosopis-infested habitats from quadrats (20 × 20 m) in Prosopis thickets, Prosopis + native species stand, non-invaded woodlands, and open grazing lands. In each Prosopis-infested habitats, soil samples were collected from the litter layer and three successive soil layer, i.e., 0-3 cm, 3-6 cm, and 6-9 cm. Seeds from soil samples and animal fecal matter were separated in the green house using the seedling emergence technique. Invasion of Prosopis had significant effects on the soil seed bank diversity. Results revealed that the mean value of the Shannon diversity of non-invaded woodlands was being higher by 19.2%, 18.5%, and 11.0% than Prosopis thickets; Prosopis + native species stand and open grazing lands, respectively. The seed diversity and richness, recovered from 6-9-cm-deep layer were the highest. On the other hand, the density of Prosopis seeds was the highest in the litter layer. About 156 of seeds/kg (92.9%) of seeds were germinated from cattle fecal matter. However, in a small proportion of seedlings, 12 of seeds/kg (7.1%) were germinated from shot fecal matter. Thus, as the seeds in the soil were low in the study areas, in situ and ex situ conservation of original plants and reseeding of persistent grass species such as Cynodon dactylon, Cenchrus ciliaris, Chrysopogon plumulosus, and Brachiaria ramosa are recommended.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.138-146
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of the current study was to investigate the influences of conventional (CO) and deep litter (DE) systems on antimicrobial resistance in fecal Escherichia coli (E. coli). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to detect antimicrobial resistance to E. coli in swine fecal samples in CO and DE systems located in western and northeastern Thailand. Individual rectal swab samples were taken only from healthy pigs. A total of 215 individual and healthy pigs were randomly selected for isolation and antimicrobial susceptibility test of E. coli by the disc diffusion method. The test panel included amoxicillin (AMX), colistin, doxycycline (DOX), enrofloxacin, gentamicin (GEN), kanamycin, neomycin (NEO), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). Results: There were significant (p<0.05) lower resistance levels for GEN, NEO, and SXT in the DE farms compared to those in the CO farms. There was a lower number of antimicrobial resistance agents (p<0.001) in the DE farms compared to those in the CO farms. This result was consistent with those in western (p<0.01) and northeastern (p<0.01) Thailand. Overall, antibiograms of AMX-SXT and AMX-DOX-SXT were found in the CO (19.09% and 20.91%, respectively) and the DE (16.19% and 24.76%, respectively) farms. No antimicrobial resistance (5.71%) was found and AMX (13.33%) resistant pigs in the DE farms, whereas the pattern of AMX-GEN-SXT (6.36%) and AMX-DOX-GEN-SXT (11.82%) resistant pigs was found in the CO farms. Conclusion: The DE system for pig farming was superior to conventional pig farming by lowering the resistance level of fecal E. coli to GEN, NEO, and SXT, with decreasing the number of antimicrobial resistance agents and inducing a small proportion of pigs to be free from antimicrobial resistance.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2010

The bacteriological and physiochemical analysis of sea water and sediments in Tongyeong harbor was conducted to evaluate sanitary conditions. The samples were collected at 8 stations established once a month from June, 2008 to May, 2009. During the study period, the range of temperature was from 6.7 to $25.2^{\circ}C$, transparency ranged from 1.2 to 2.6 m, chemical oxygen demand ranged from 1.90 to 2.92 mg/L, dissolved oxygen ranged from 6.2 to 10.5 mg/L, dissolved nitrogen ranged from 0.052 to 0.098 mg/L, phosphate ranged from 0.044 to 0.065 mg/L, respectively. Seafood, if eaten raw, carries the risk of food poisoning. Seafood poisoning is often cause by pathogenic microorganism originating from fecal contamination, such as Salmonella sp., Shigella sp. and norovirus. Fecal coliforms are an important indicator of fecal contamination. Therefore, data on fecal coliform are very important for evaluating the safety of fisheries in coastal areas. So, we investigated the sanitary indicate bacteria. The coliform group and fecal coliform MPN's of sea water in Tongyeong harbor were ranged from < 1.8~22,000/100 mL (GM 164.9 MPN/100 mL) and < 1.8~7,900 MPN/100 mL (GM 33.7 MPN/100 mL), respectively. Total coliform were detected 97.0% in 96 of samples and 68.9% of total coliforms were fecal coliforms. These results similar to another seawater detection ratio of total coloforms and fecal coliforms. The Vibrios was isolated and identified with VITEK system. Four hundred eighty strains that were obtained from sea water samples in Tongyeong harbor Detection ratio Vibrio alginolyticus, 34.2%, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, 13.8%, Vibrio vulnificus 10.0%, and V. mimicus 12.5% respectively. Vibrio cholerae O1, was not detected. During the study period, the ranges of water content, ignition loss, COD, and acid volatile sulfates in sediments in Tongyeoung harbor were 41.0~57.4%, 7.8~10.5%, 6.51~9.30 mg/g, 0.04~0.09 mg/g, respectively. Heavy metals in sediment of Tongyeoung harbor were Cd, $0.10{\pm}0.05$; Cu, $4.79{\pm}8.20$; As, $1.95{\pm}0.17$; Hg, $0.10{\pm}0.07$; $Cr^{6+}$, $0.34{\pm}0.12$; Zn, $125.33{\pm}16.40$; Ni, $16.43{\pm}1.93$ mg/kg.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1469-1477
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• 2014

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of magnesium sulfate ($MgSO_4$) during late gestation and lactation on sow and litter performance, fecal moisture, blood biochemistry parameters, immunoglobulin levels and milk composition in sows. Forty-eight sows ($Yorkshire{\times}Landrace$, 4th to 5th parity) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments supplemented with 0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg $MgSO_4$ (n = 12). The experiment started on day 90 of gestation and continued through day 21 of lactation. Blood samples were collected on day 107 of gestation, day 0 (farrowing) and 21 (weaning) of lactation for the analyses of the blood biochemistry parameters and immunoglobulin levels. The colostrum and milk samples were obtained on day 0 and 14 of lactation, respectively. Fecal samples were collected from the sows on day 107 of gestation as well as day 7 and 20 of lactation to determine fecal moisture content. The results showed that the survival percentage of piglets and the litter weight at weaning were decreased linearly (p<0.05) and other parameters of the sow or litter performance were not influenced (p>0.05) by $MgSO_4$ supplementation. The fecal moisture content of the sows were increased (p<0.05) linearly as dietary $MgSO_4$ increased on day 7 and 20 of lactation. Supplementation with $MgSO_4$ increased the plasma magnesium (Mg) level linearly (p<0.05) and had a trend to increase total protein level (p>0.05 and p<0.10). However, an increase in the dietary $MgSO_4$ level resulted in a linear decrease in the colostrum fat content (p<0.05). Dietary $MgSO_4$ supplementation enhanced the immunoglobulin G (IgG) level (linear, p<0.05) in plasma on day of farrowing and immunoglobulin A (IgA) level in colostrum (quadratic, p<0.05) and milk (linear, p<0.05) of the sows. These results indicated that supplementation with $MgSO_4$ during late gestation and lactation may have the potential to prevent sow constipation, but may also result in some negative effects.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2009

Probiotic bacteria have been administered to neonates to serve as maturational stimuli for the developing gut and intestinal immune system, establish and develop the intestinal microbiota, and mediate host-microbe interactions; further, these bacteria have shown beneficial effects In the treatment and reduction of the risk of infectious diseases, necrotizing enterocolitis, and atopic disease. An LAB isolation project to identify effective lactic acid bacteria for Korean people is in progress. The average total counts of lactic acid bacteria, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and coliforms in the fecal samples from 2 provinces were estimated as 8.31, 5.98, 8.13, and 3.01 CFU/g. Additional samples from other provinces will be analyzed to examine the changes in the lactic bacterial counts according to the area, sex of the neonate, mode of delivery, and type of feeding. A database containing the 16S rDNA sequences and the ribosomal protein profile of all the lactic acid bacteria isolated from fecal samples will be constructed. For the effective use of probiotics, a number of clinical studies are needed to formulate guidelines for strain, subject, purpose, and dose.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.1178-1184
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• 2018

The spread of antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the community is one of the main challenges for antibiotic treatment of community-onset infections. We evaluated the microbiological and molecular characteristics of stool samples from adults with comprehensive health examinations. Of 109 fecal samples, bacterial growth was observed in 86 samples and 61 gram-negative bacterial isolates were identified, of which 45 were Escherichia coli isolates (73.8%). Two isolates of Raoultella showed imipenem resistance, and both E. coli and Citrobacter freundii showed intermediate resistance to imipenem. Colistin resistance was identified in isolates of Klebsiella variicola and Salmonella subterranean, but no isolates carried mcr-1. As for E. coli genotypes, 35 sequence types were identified. $bla_{TEM-1}$, $bla_{TEM-30}$, and $bla_{CTX-M}$ were identified in 15, 1, and 4 E. coli isolates, respectively. In addition, all four Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates carried $bla_{SHV}$. Many genotypes that have been identified in isolates causing human infections were found in isolates in this study. There is a need to control the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens by fecal carriage.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.135-142
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• 2006

Shiga toxin (stx) producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes various clinical signs in animal and human. In this study, 255 fecal samples from calves showing diarrhea were collected from cattle farms in Chonnam province during the period from January 2005 to July 2005. Twenty six STEC (10%) were isolated from 255 fecal samples by PCR. The isolates displayed three different stx combinations (stx1 [69%], stx1 and stx2 [15%], and stx2 [38%]). The isolates were further studied for virulence associated genes and antimicrobial resistance to define the virulence properties. Intimin (eaeA), enterohemolysin (hlyA), and lipopolysaccharide (rfbE) virulence genes were detected in 6 (23%), 7 (26%), and 1 (3.8%) of the isolates, respectively, by PCR. One isolate possessing rfbE gene was typed as E. coli 0157 : H7 by agglutination test with O and H antisera. All 26 isolates showed susceptibility to amikacin (100%) and the majority of isolates showed high susceptibility to gentamicin (88.5%) and chloramphenicol (73.1%). But all isolates were resistant to penicillin. These results may provide the basic knowledge to establish strategies for the treatment and prevention of enteric disease in calves.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1423-1432
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• 2021

To elucidate the role and mechanism of microbes, we combined culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches to investigate differences in gut bacterial composition between sows and weaned pigs. Under anaerobic conditions, several nonselective and selective media were used for isolation from fecal samples. All isolated bacteria were identified and classified through 16S rRNA sequencing, and the microbiota composition of the fecal samples was analyzed by metagenomics using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology. A total of 278 and 149 colonies were acquired from the sow and weaned pig fecal samples, respectively. Culturomics analysis revealed that diverse bacterial genus and species belonged to Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were isolated from sow and weaned pigs. When comparing culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses, 191 bacterial species and 2 archaeal bacterial species were detected through culture-independent analysis, and a total of 23 bacteria were isolated through a culture-dependent approach, of which 65% were not detected by metagenomics. In conclusion, culturomics and metagenomics should be properly combined to fully understand the intestinal microbiota, and livestock-derived microbial resources should be informed by culturomic approaches to understand and utilize the mechanism of host-microbe interactions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.812-822
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• 2014

Metagenomic analysis of the human intestinal microbiota has extended our understanding of the role of these bacteria in improving human intestinal health; however, a number of reports have shown that current total fecal DNA extraction methods and 16S rRNA universal primer sets could affect the species coverage and resolution of these analyses. Here, we improved the extraction method for total DNA from human fecal samples by optimization of the lysis buffer, boiling time (10 min), and bead-beating time (0 min). In addition, we developed a new long-range 16S rRNA universal PCR primer set targeting the V6 to V9 regions with a 580 bp DNA product length. This new 16S rRNA primer set was evaluated by comparison with two previously developed 16S rRNA universal primer sets and showed high species coverage and resolution. The optimized total fecal DNA extraction method and newly designed long-range 16S rRNA universal primer set will be useful for the highly accurate metagenomic analysis of adult and infant intestinal microbiota with minimization of any bias.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.138-141
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to diagnose the fertility of a female western lowland gorilla kept in Seoul Zoo, in accordance with age by analyzing the fecal sex hormone metabolites. The study was conducted in two period of times, when the animal was from 35 to 37 years old and when the animal was from 40 to 42 years old. Non-invasive method by using fecal samples was used for safe and efficient fertility diagnosis. We collected the feces from the enclosure at least three times a week. Then $17{\beta}$-estradiol and progesterone, which are fecal sex hormone metabolites, were measured by time-resolved fluoro-immunoassay to compare the menstruation cycle and the annual reproductive cycle. For the duration of the primary study (when the animal was 35~37 years old), irregular menstruation and high concentrations of estradiol and progesterone were observed. However, menstruation was hardly observed and the concentrations of both hormones were statistically very low in the period of secondary study (when the animal was 40~42 years old). This observed phenomenon in our study was very comparable to menopause in adult women; therefore, it was confirmed that our female gorilla has reached menopause because of the natural aging, as they become older.