• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.897-910
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• 2022

Bovine fecal microbiota is important for host health and its composition can be affected by various factors, such as diet, age, species, breed, regions, and environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of diet and gender on fecal microbiota in Korean native Hanwoo cattle. The 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of fecal microbiota was conducted from 44 Hanwoo cattle divided into four groups: (1) 11 heifers fed an oat hay plus total mixed ration (TMR) diet for breeding (HOTB), (2) 11 heifers fed an early fattening TMR diet (HEFT), (3) 11 steers fed the early fattening TMR diet (SEFT), and (4) 11 steers fed the late fattening TMR diet (SLFT). Firmicutes and Bacteroidota were the first and second most dominant phyla in all the samples, respectively. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio associated with feed efficiency was significantly greater in the SLFT group than in the other groups. At the genus level, Romboutsia, Paeniclostridium, and Turicibacter were the most abundant in the SLFT while Akkermansia, Bacteroides, and Monoglobus were the most abundant in the HOTB group. Although the same early fattening TMR diet was fed to Hanwoo heifers and steers, Marvinbryantia and Coprococcus were the most abundant in the HEFT group while Alistipes and Ruminococcus were the most abundant in the SEFT group. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were significantly lower in the SLFT group than in the other groups. Distribution of fecal microbiota and functional genetic profiles were significantly different among the four treatment groups. The present study demonstrates that different diets and genders can affect fecal microbiota and the F/B ratio may be associated with feed efficiency in Hanwoo cattle. Our results may help develop strategies to improve gut health and productivity through manipulation of fecal microbiota using the appropriate diet considering Hanwoo cattle gender.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.109-123
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• 2023

Preterm birth (PTB) is defined as giving birth prior to the 37th week of pregnancy and is a major cause of infant mortality. Studies have indicated that the vaginal microbiota's composition and its dysbiosis, particularly during pregnancy, may play a major role in PTB. While previous research work concentrated on well-studied microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Gardnerella, various other microbes, and their significance in the vaginal microbiota's stability remain unknown. Moreover, current studies have focused primarily on the relative abundances of the microbes found, without considering their interactions with other members of the vaginal microbiota. In this work, we developed a novel computational approach and performed taxonomic classification of vaginal microbiota samples stratified longitudinally (Term/PTB) to observe compositional disparities and find underexamined microbes that may be contributing to PTB. Furthermore, we carried out a correlational analysis to build a microbial co-interaction network and investigated the functional implications of the genes present in both Term and PTB samples. The co-occurrence network revealed that Lactobacillus acts in solidarity to maintain the stability of the vaginal microbiota and did not have strong co-interactions with any of the other microbes. Similarly, microbes with strong interactions with Atopobium, a well-known marker microbe of PTB, were also observed. Additionally, several genes such as PTXA, FANCM, GPX, and DUSP were found to be playing an important role in the occurrence of PTB. This study provides a novel conceptual framework revealing distinct vaginal microbiota signatures that could be potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of PTB.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2_spc
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• pp.370-384
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• 2024

Rumen microbiota play a central role in the digestive process of ruminants. Their remarkable ability to break down complex plant fibers and proteins, converting them into essential organic compounds that provide animals with energy and nutrition. Research on rumen microbiota not only contributes to improving animal production performance and enhancing feed utilization efficiency but also holds the potential to reduce methane emissions and environmental impact. Nevertheless, studies on rumen microbiota face numerous challenges, including complexity, difficulties in cultivation, and obstacles in functional analysis. This review provides an overview of microbial species involved in the degradation of macromolecules, the fermentation processes, and methane production in the rumen, all based on cultivation methods. Additionally, the review introduces the applications, advantages, and limitations of emerging omics technologies such as metagenomics, meta-transcriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics, in investigating the functionality of rumen microbiota. Finally, the article offers a forward-looking perspective on the new horizons and technologies in the field of rumen microbiota functional research. These emerging technologies, with continuous refinement and mutual complementation, have deepened our understanding of rumen microbiota functionality, thereby enabling effective manipulation of the rumen microbial community.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.21
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• 2022

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the number of cancer patients is expected to continuously increase in the future. Traditional cancer therapies focus on inhibiting cancer growth while largely ignoring the contribution of the immune system in eliminating cancer cells. Recently, better understanding of immunological mechanisms pertaining to cancer progress has led to development of several immunotherapies, which revolutionized cancer treatment. Nonetheless, only a small proportion of cancer patients respond to immunotherapy and maintain a durable response. Among multiple factors contributing to the variability of immunotherapy response rates, commensal microbiota inhabiting patients have been identified as one of the most critical factors determining the success of immunotherapy. The functional diversity of microbiota differentially affects the host immune system and controls the efficacy of immunotherapy in individual cancer patients. Moreover, clinical studies have demonstrated that changing the gut microbiota composition by fecal microbiota transplantation in patients who failed a previous immunotherapy converts them to responders of the same therapy. Consequently, both academic and industrial researchers are putting extensive efforts to identify and develop specific bacteria or bacteria mixtures for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we will summarize the immunological roles of commensal microbiota in cancer treatment and give specific examples of bacteria that show anticancer effect when administered as a monotherapy or as an adjuvant agent for immunotherapy. We will also list ongoing clinical trials testing the anticancer effect of commensal bacteria.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.433-441
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• 2012

Human milk, which nourishes the early infants, is a source of bioactive components for the infant growth, development and commensal formulation as well. Human milk oligosaccharide is a group of complex and diverse glycans that is apparently not absorbed in human gastrointestinal tract. Although most mammalian milk contains oligosaccharides, oligosaccharides in human milk exhibit unique features in terms of their types, amounts, sizes, and functionalities. In addition to the prevention of infectious bacteria and the development of early immune system, human milk oligosaccharides are able to facilitate the healthy intestinal microbiota. Bifidobacterial intestinal microbiota appears to be established by the unilateral interaction between milk oligosaccharides, human intestinal activity and commensals. Digestibility, membrane transportation and catabolic activity by bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells, all of which are linked to the structural of human milk oligosaccharides, are crucial in determining intestinal microbiota.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2013

The human-associated microbiota is diverse, varies between individuals and body sites, and is important in human health. Microbes in human body play an essential role in immunity, health, and disease. The human microbiome has been studies using the advances of next-generation sequencing and its metagenomic applications. This has allowed investigation of the microbial composition in the human body, and identification of the functional genes expressed by this microbial community. The gut microbes have been found to be the most diverse and constitute the densest cell number in the human microbiota; thus, it has been studied more than other sites. Early results have indicated that the imbalances in gut microbiota are related to numerous disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and atopy. Clinical therapy involving modulating of the microbiota, such as fecal transplantation, has been applied, and its effects investigated in some diseases. Human microbiome studies form part of human genome projects, and understanding gleaned from studies increase the possibility of various applications including personalized medicine.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.567-571
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• 2016

We investigated the increased risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) caused by the combined use of antibiotics and an immunosuppressive drug in a mouse model. Our data showed that an approximate return to pretreatment conditions of gut microbiota occurred within days after cessation of the antibiotic treatment, whereas the recovery of gut microbiota was delayed with the combined treatment of antibiotics and dexamethasone, leading to an increased severity of CDI. An alteration of gut microbiota is a key player in CDI. Therefore, our data implied that immunosuppressive drugs can increase the risk of CDI through the delayed recovery of altered gut microbiota.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.1195-1204
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• 2022

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro fermentation profiles of different soybean oligosaccharides (SBOs) and their effects on skatole production and cecal microbiota of broilers. Methods: Five SBOs with varying main component contents were fermented using an in vitro batch incubation inoculated with broiler cecal microbiota. Gas production was recorded automatically, skatole, indole and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography, and microbial changes were analyzed using 16S DNA gene sequencing. Results: The addition of SBOs increased (p<0.05) gas production, suggesting bacterial growth-stimulating activities. In addition, the concentrations of indole were significantly (p<0.05) decreased after SBO supplementation, and SBO III, with higher sucrose and stachyose contents, decreased (p<0.05) the skatole level. Our results also revealed that the fermentation of SBOs by cecal microbiota produced (p<0.05) SCFAs, which were dominated by propionic acid, butyrate acid and lactic acid compared to the control. In addition, SBO III increased (p<0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes and Subdoligranulum and decreased that of Bacteroides. Conclusion: These results suggest that SBOs with higher sucrose and stachyose contents are promising prebiotics in modulating gut microbiota and reducing odor emission in broilers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1497-1505
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• 2022

Recently, the concept of personalized nutrition has been developed, which states that food components do not always lead to the same metabolic responses, but vary from person to person. Although this concept has been studied based on individual genetic backgrounds, researchers have recently explored its potential role in the gut microbiome. The gut microbiota physiologically communicates with humans by forming a bidirectional relationship with the micronutrients, macronutrients, and phytochemicals consumed by the host. Furthermore, the gut microbiota can vary from person to person and can be easily shifted by diet. Therefore, several recent studies have reported the application of personalized nutrition to intestinal microflora. This review provides an overview of the interaction of diet with the gut microbiome and the latest evidence in understanding the inter-individual differences in dietary responsiveness according to individual baseline gut microbiota and microbiome-associated dietary intervention in diseases. The diversity of the gut microbiota and the presence of specific microorganisms can be attributed to physiological differences following dietary intervention. The difference in individual responsiveness based on the gut microbiota has the potential to become an important research approach for personalized nutrition and health management, although further well-designed large-scale studies are warranted.

• 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.