• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.358-380
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• 2023

The intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in determining human health, rendering it a major focus of scientific investigation. Rather than eliminating all microbes, promoting the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms within the gut has been recognized as a more effective approach to improving health. Unfavorable conditions potentially alter gut microbial populations, including a reduction in microbial diversity. However, intentionally enhancing the abundance of beneficial gut microbes can restore a state of optimal health. Polysaccharides are widely acknowledged for their potential to improve the gut microbiota. This review emphasizes the findings of recent studies examining the effects of forest product-derived polysaccharides on enhancing the gut microbiota and alleviating inflammation, diabetes symptoms, and obesity. The findings of several studies reviewed in this paper strongly suggest that forest products serve as an excellent dietary source for improving the gut microbiota and potentially offer valuable dietary interventions for chronic health problems, such as inflammation, diabetes, and obesity.

• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1998

The importance of the gut microorganism in the termite, Reticulitermes Speratus kyushuenesis Morimoto, was estimated by feeding with several antibiotics. Antibiotics which killed the bacterium, but not the fungi (Ampicillin, Kanamycin, Erythromycin), or killed both the microorganismw (Cephaloridine, Tetracycline) reduced the life span of the termite from 245 days to about 15 days. On the other hand, some antibiotics, penicillin and pimaricin, did not greatly reduce the life span of the termite.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.491-497
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• 1992

The water extract of Sinomeniiacuti Radix (Sinomenium acutum) was found out to have a strong inhibition activity on the growth of Clostridium perfringens. The anti-bacterial activity was stable at the range of pH 1 to pH 13 and kept in a thermal treatment at $121^{\circ}C$ for 15 minutes. The minmal inhibition concentration of the Sinomeniiacuti Radix extract on the growth of Cl. peifringens was 1000 ppm. The Sinomeniiacuti Radix extract also suppressed the growth of Cl. ramosum, Cl. paraputnficum, Cl. butyn'cum, Bifidobacterium blficum, Bacteriodes fragilis, Eubacterium limosum. The extract, however, did not inhibit the growth of Bif adolescentis, Blf. infantis, Bif longum, E. coli. Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. On the other hand, the extract showed a promoting effect for the growth of Bif animalis and Lactobacillus acidophilus.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 1993

In order to study the effect of the intestinal bacteria on the physiology of the human large intestinal tract, we isolated the intestinal bacteria of Koreans and tested the enzymatic patterns. Isolated Bifidobacterium sp. Int-57 showed the higher activity of ${\beta}-xylosidase$ than other intestinal microorganisms. The effect of the carbon sources, nitrogen sources, inorganic salts, initial pH and initial temperature on the production of ${\beta}-xylosidase$ of Bifidobacterium sp. Int-57 was investigated. The most suitable carbon source, nitrogen source and inorganic salt for the production of ${\beta}-xylosidase$ were 1.1% xylose, 0.4% yeast extract and 0.0003% $CoCl_2$ respectively at initial pH 7.0 and temperature $40^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1800-1805
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• 2018

Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronically relapsing inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) constitute barrier surfaces and play a critical role in maintaining gut health. Dysregulated immune responses and destruction of IECs disrupt intestinal balance. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) is the most widely used chemical for inducing colitis in animals, and its treatment induces colonic inflammation, acute diarrhea, and shortening of the intestine, with clinical and histological similarity to human UC. Current treatments for this inflammatory disorder have poor tolerability and insufficient therapeutic efficacy, and thus, alternative therapeutic approaches are required. Recently, dietary supplements with probiotics have emerged as promising interventions by alleviating disturbances in the indigenous microflora in UC. Thus, we hypothesized that the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain BB12 could protect against the development of colitis in a DSS-induced mouse model of UC. In the present study, oral administration of BB12 markedly ameliorated DSS-induced colitis, accompanied by reduced tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$-mediated IEC apoptosis. These findings indicate that the probiotic strain BB12 can alleviate DSS-induced colitis and suggest a novel mechanism of communication between probiotic microorganisms and intestinal epithelia, which increases intestinal cell survival by modulating pro-apoptotic cytokine expression.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1290-1298
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• 2017

Intestinal microbiota is an important factor in the development of immune defense mechanisms in the human body. Treatments with anticancer agents, such as 5-Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, and Oxaliplatin, significantly change the temporal stability and environment of intestinal bacterial flora. The anticancer treatment chemotherapy often depresses the immune system and induces side effects, such as diarrhea. This study investigated the effects anticancer agents have on the intestinal microbial ecosystems of patients with gastric cancer. An exploration of the diversity and temporal stability of the dominant bacteria was undertaken using a DGGE with the 16S rDNA gene. Researchers collected stool samples from patients zero, two and eight weeks after the patients started chemotherapy. After the treatment with anticancer agents, the bacteria strains Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Lactobacillus gasseri, Parabacteroides distasonis and Enterobacter sp. increased. This study focused on the survival of the beneficial microorganisms Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the intestines of cancer patients. The administration of antigastric cancer agents significantly decreased Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium populations and only moderately affected the main bacterial groups in the patients' intestinal ecosystems. The results showed the versatility of a cultivation independent-PCR DGGE analysis regarding the visual monitoring of ecological diversity and anticancer agent-induced changes in patients' complex intestinal microbial ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.598-604
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• 1995

The contents in large intestine of Sprague Dawley rats fed polygalae radix(Polygala tennuifolia), onion(Allium cepa) and mugwort(Artemisia asiatica)-supplemented diets for 14 days were analysed for changes of major intestinal microflora, activities of ${\beta}-glucosidase\;and\;{\beta}-glucuronidase$ and amounts of putrefactive products such as indole and volatile basic nitrogen. The rats having ingested $5%{\sim}10%$ mugwort water or ethanol extract-supplemented diets showed a significant increase in intestinal bifido-bacteria and a decrease in clostridia and E. coli (p<0.05). And 10% onion juice group also showed a similar beneficial microflora change. In 5% mugwort powder-supplemented group, ${\beta}-glucosidase\;and\;{\beta}-glucuronidase$ activities in the intestinal contents were lowered, but the changes were not significant. Indole contents and pH in this group were significantly low compared with that of control (p<0.05). However, the activities of ${\beta}-glucosidase$ in 5% polygalae radix water extract and 10% onion juice-supplemented group and ${\beta}-glucuronidase\;in\;5%{\sim}10%$ mugwort water and ethanol extract-supplemented group were significantly higher than those of control (p<0.05). The intestinal indole contents of rats were significantly increased by feeding diet with water extract of polygalae radix and ethanol extract of mugwort which had brought comparatively large amount of protein in intestine (p<0.05). However, polygalae radix, onion, and mugwort-supplemented group had no effect on volatile basic nitrogen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.567-586
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• 2001

Gastrointestinal tract of ruminants as well as monogastric animals are colonised by a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Gastrointestinal ecosystem, especially the rumen is emerging as an important source for enrichment and natural selection of microbes adapted to specific conditions. It represents a virtually untapped source of novel products (e.g. enzymes, antibiotics, bacteriocins, detoxificants and aromatic compounds) for industrial and therapeutic applications. Several gastrointestinal bacteria and fungi implicated in detoxification of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) can be modified and manipulated into promising system for detoxifying feed stuffs and enhancing fibre fermentation both naturally by adaptation or through genetic engineering techniques. Intestinal lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and butyrivibrios are being thoroughly investigated and widely recommended as probiotics. Restriction endonucleases and native plasmids, as stable vectors and efficient DNA delivery systems of ruminal and intestinal bacteria, are increasingly recognised as promising tools for genetic manipulation and development of industrially useful recombinant microbes. Enzymes can improve the nutrient availability from feed stuffs, lower feed costs and reduce release of wastes into the environment. Characterization of genes encoding a variety of commercially important enzymes such as cellulases, xylanases, $\beta$-glucanases, pectinases, amylases and phytases will foster the development of more efficacious and viable enzyme supplements and enzyme expression systems for enhancing livestock production.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.237-242
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• 1992

To investigate the growth effect of branched oligosaccharides on the principal intestinal microorganisms, Bifdobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Escherichia, Eubactemum, Enterucoccus, Staphylococcus and Bacteroides were cultivated on a medium containing branched oligosaccharides and panose. B. adolescentis, B. logum and L. aciduphilus grew effectively on the medium containing panose, while C. pe@igens, C. paraputrificum, Bac. fragilis and S. aurezds did not. The content of panose decreased greatiy in the culture broth of branched oligosaccharides of B, adolescentis, but it remained in the culture of C. perfringens. The results indicated that panose was consumed effectively by B. adolescentis, but not utilized by C. perfringens. 3. adolescentis still grew on the panose remained in the broth of mixed cultivation of B. adolescentis and C. perfn'ngens. Therefore, panose and branched oligosaccharides seem to promote selectively the growth of B. adolescentis in the human intestine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1226-1233
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• 2022

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be consumed by humans in amounts sufficient to offer health-promoting effects. Owing to their various biological functions, probiotics are widely used in biological engineering, industry and agriculture, food safety, and the life and health fields. Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus), an important human intestinal probiotic, was originally isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract and its functions have been widely studied ever since it was named in 1900. L. acidophilus has been found to play important roles in many aspects of human health. Due to its good resistance against acid and bile salts, it has broad application prospects in functional, edible probiotic preparations. In this review, we explore the basic characteristics and biological functions of L. acidophilus based on the research progress made thus far worldwide. Various problems to be solved regarding the applications of probiotic products and their future development are also discussed.