• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.106-114
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• 2014

Folic acid, one of the B group of vitamins, is an essential substance for maintaining the functions of the nervous system, and is also known to decrease the level of homocysteine in plasma. Homocysteine influences the lowering of the cognitive function in humans, and especially in elderly people. In order to determine the strains with a strong capacity to produce folic acid, 190 bacteria were isolated from various kinds of jeotgal and chungkuk-jang. In our test experiment, JA71 was found to contain $9.03{\mu}g/mL$ of folic acid after 24 h of incubation in an MRS broth. This showed that JA71 has the highest folic acid production ability compared to the other lactic acid bacteria that were isolated. JA71 was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum by the result of API carbohydrate fermentation pattern and 16s rDNA sequence. JA71 was investigated for its physiological characteristics. The optimum growth temperature of JA71 was $37^{\circ}C$, and the cultures took 12 h to reach pH 4.4. JA71 proved more sensitive to bacitracin when compared with fifteen different antibiotics, and showed most resistance to neomycin and vancomycin. Moreover, it was comparatively tolerant of bile juice and acid, and displayed resistance to Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus with restraint rates of 60.4%, 96.7%, and 76.2%, respectively. These results demonstrate that JA71 could be an excellent strain for application to functional products.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.187-195
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• 2020

To understand the molecular mechanism involved in the survivability of cold-tolerant lactic acid bacteria was of great significance in food processing, since these bacteria play a key role in a variety of low-temperature fermented foods. In this study, the cold-stress response of probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum K25 isolated from Tibetan kefir grains was analyzed by iTRAQ proteomic method. By comparing differentially expressed (DE) protein profiles of the strain incubated at 10℃ and 37℃, 506 DE proteins were identified. The DE proteins involved in carbohydrate, amino acid and fatty acid biosynthesis and metabolism were significantly down-regulated, leading to a specific energy conservation survival mode. The DE proteins related to DNA repair, transcription and translation were up-regulated, implicating change of gene expression and more protein biosynthesis needed in response to cold stress. In addition, two-component system, quorum sensing and ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters also participated in cell cold-adaptation process. These findings provide novel insight into the cold-resistance mechanism in L. plantarum with potential application in low temperature fermented or preserved foods.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.210-224
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• 2018

Warqe (Ensete ventricosum) has been traditionally fermented in an earthen pit to yield a carbohydrate-rich food product named kocho, for generations. A fermentation enhancer (gammaa) was added to this fermenting mass to enhance the fermentation process. The objectives of this study were to assess the physicochemical properties and microbiota of the kocho fermentation enhancer culture to reduce losses. Cross-sectional study design was implemented to collect 131 gammaa samples on the first day of fermentation. The samples were further classified into four groups according to the duration of fermentation (14, 21, 30, and 60 days) practised in various households traditionally. The results showed that the fermentation time significantly affected the physicochemical properties and microbial load of gammaa (p < 0.01). As the fermentation progressed from day 1 to 60, the pH decreased and the titratable acidity increased. The total coliform, Enterobacteriaceae, aerobicmesophilic bacteria (AMB), yeast, and mould counts were significantly reduced at the end of fermentation. In contrast, the number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) increased significantly until day 30 of fermentation, because of the ability of the LAB to grow at low pH. Lactobacillus species from LAB isolates and Enter obacteriaceae from AMB isolates were the most abundant microorganisms in gammaa fermentation. However, the Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacilli species count showed decreasing and increasing trends, respectively, as the fermentation progressed. These isolates must be investigated further to identify the species and strain, so as to develop gammaa at the commercial scale.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1545-1551
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• 2021

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) such as capsular polysaccharide (CPS) are important bioactive carbohydrate compounds and are often used as bioenrichment agents and bioabsorbers to remove environmental pollutants like di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). Among the EPS-producing bacteria, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have gained the most attention. As generally recognized as safe (GRAS) microorganisms, LAB can produce EPSs having many different structures and no health risks. However, EPS production by LAB does not meet the needs of large-scale application on an industrial scale. Here, the capA gene (encoding CPS biosynthesis protein) was overexpressed in Lactobacillus plantarum P1 to improve the production of EPSs and further enhance the DBP adsorption capability. Compared with P1, the CPS production in capA overexpressed strain was increased by 11.3 mg/l, and the EPS thickness was increased from 0.0786 ± 0.0224 ㎛ in P1 to 0.1160 ± 0.0480 ㎛ in P1-capA. These increases caused the DBP adsorption ratio of P1-capA to be doubled. Overall, the findings in this study provide a safe method for the adsorption and removal of DBP.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.677-686
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• 2004

The objective of this experiment was to select the best strain of lactic acid bacteria for the manufacture of new type of yogurt with rice powders. Changes in pH, titratable acidity, viable cell counts, viscosity, organic acid contents, carbohydrates during fennentation were monitored and sensory evaluation were examined. The yogurt added with 4% rice or skim milk powders and L. salivarius ssp. salivarius culture did not reach pH 4.5, because the production of acids in this media for the culture was weak. The yogurt added with 4% rice or skim milk powder with L. casei, the pH was low and the titratable acidity was high, and therefore the quality of yogurt after 8 hours from fermentation was not high. The yogurt added with 4% rice or skim milk powders with a mixed culture of B. longum, L. acidophilus, Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus was considered best for achieving pH 4.5 and titratable acidity of 1.0 % from 8 to 14 hours. The yogurt with a mixed culture had more acetic acid. Galactose was accumulated when L. salivarius ssp. salivarius or the mixed culture were used for fermenting yogurt. In sensory evaluation, the yogurt with the mixed culture received high overall sensory score. From these results, a mixed culture of B. longum, L. acidophilus, Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus was identified as the best for the manufacture of yogurt added with rice powder.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.560-565
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• 2004

Bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from Kimchi by using spot-on-the-lawn method. Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Lactobacillus plantarum were used as indicators. One isolate (P3-l) produced a bacteriocin efficiently inhibiting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. 16S rDNA sequence and sugar utilization test identified that P3-1 was a Lactobacillus sakei strain. Accordingly, the isolate was named as Lactobacillus sakei P3-1. L. sakei P3-1 produced a bacteriocin which efficiently inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes but did not inhibit other Gram positive and negative organisms tested. The bacteriocin was stable against heat, organic solvent, and pH variation and it retained 50% of activity after 10 min heat treatment at 10$0^{\circ}C$. The molecular weight of Sakacin P3-1 was estimated to be 4 kDa by SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.225-235
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• 2014

Total 121 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from homemade Inner Mongolia extra hard Hurood cheese. Seven of these strains, identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, were studied for probiotic characteristics. All seven strains survived at pH 3.0 for 3 h, or in the presence of oxgall at 0.3% or 0.6% for 4 h, but their viabilities were affected to different extents at pH 2.0 for 3 h. Strains C37 and C51 showed better adherence to Caco-2 cells, and higher hydrophobicity. The seven L. plantarum strains were different in in vitro free radical scavenging activities and cholesterol-reducing ability. In vivo evaluation of the influence of L. plantarum C37 on the intestinal flora in a mouse model showed strain C37 could increase the viable counts of lactobacilli in feces of mice and decrease the viable counts of enterococci. When L. plantarum C37 was used to prepare probiotic Hurood cheese, it was able to maintain high viable counts (>7.8 log CFU/g) during the whole storage period, but the composition of the cheese was not changed. These results indicate that L. plantarum C37 could be considered as a promising probiotic strain.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.681-688
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• 2013

This work is aimed to increase knowledge of the functional exopolysaccharide (EPS) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in makgeolli, a Korean fermented rice wine. Among LAB strains isolated from makgeolli, strain M76 was selected as a functional strain producing a bioactive EPS, based on its antioxidative activity on the DPPH radical. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed a high sequence similarity (99.0%) with P. acidilactici, but had different biochemical properties with the already known P. acidilactici type strains in the aspect of carbohydrates utilization. The obtained P. acidilactici M76 produced a soluble EPS above 2 g/l. One-step chromatography using gel filtration after ethanol precipitation from the supernatant of P. acidilactici M76 was enough to obtain purified EPS with a single peak, showing a molecular mass of approximately 67 kDa. Componential and structural analyses of EPS by TLC, HPLC, and FT-IR indicated that the EPS is a glucan, consisting of glucose units. The purified EPS had antioxidant activity on the DPPH radical of 45.8% at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. The purified EPS also showed proliferative effect on the pancreatic RIN-m5F cell line and remarkable protection activity on alloxan-induced cytotoxicity. This potent antioxidant and antidiabetic EPS by LAB in makgeolli may contribute to understanding the functionality of makgeolli.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.943-946
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• 2017

Although the genus Leuconostoc, generally found in various fermented foods, has often been suggested to be a novel probiotic for food fermentation and health promotion, the strains in this genus showed low acid tolerance and low osmotic stress resistance activities, which are required for survival during food fermentation events. Recently, a novel species of Weissella, W. jogaejeotgali $FOL01^T$ (= KCCM 43128 = JCM 30580), was isolated from Korean fermented clams. To determine the genomic features of this new species, its genome was completely sequenced and analyzed. The genome consists of a circular chromosome of 2,114,163 bp of DNA with a G+C content of 38.8%, and the plasmid pFOL01 consists of 35,382 bp of DNA with a G+C content of 39.1%. The genome analysis showed its potential for use in food fermentation and osmotic stress resistance abilities for processing in food industries. In addition, this strain was predicted to have acid tolerance and adhesion to the mucosal layer for survival and colonization in the gut. Subsequent experiments substantiated these abilities, suggesting that W. jogaejeotgali may have probiotic potential and a high survival rate during food fermentation. Therefore, it may be suitable as a novel probiotic strain for various applications in food industries.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.44-44
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• 2003

Leaves from natural populations of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis in Suncheon of South Korea were examined for antimicrobial and antioxidative activities monthly (April through October). The antimicrobial activity of the ethyl acetate and water fractions of crude methanol extract from the plant collected monthly against three gram-positive, two gram-negative and one lactic acid bacteria were studied. The ethyl acetate and water fractions of crude methanol extract from A. princeps var. orientalis collected in August and September had the highest antimicrobial activity. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for each strain by ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract from A. princeps var. orientalis was different depending on strains and sampling months. MIC for each strain was the highest in the sample of April, followed by October. In specific, MIC for Bacillus cereus was around 0.25mg/disc in the sample of April. The MIC for Staphyllococcus aureus was 0.01mg/disc in the sample of July, August, and September. It was the lowest value among tested strains and samples. And the antimicrobial activity for Lactobacillus plantarum was not found at any concentrations and sampling months. The in vitro antioxidative activities of methanol extract from Artemisia princeps var. orientalis collected monthly were determined by the scavenging of DPPH radical and inhibition of xanthine oxidase activity. The DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts from the plant sampled in May, June and July were higher than any other months. The xanthine oxidase activity of the extract of A. princeps var. orientalis collected in April and May showed the greatest activity, it is different with antimicrobial activity.