Brucellosis is an important and re-emerging zoonotic disease worldwide. The prevention of human infection is achieved predominantly through the control of brucellosis in agricultural animals, which in turn depends on accurate diagnosis and vaccination. However, conventional serological diagnosis of brucellosis has several limitations, and currently available vaccines for animals have several drawbacks, including the ability to cause infection in humans. Phosphoglycerate kinase (Pgk) is one of the specific proteins reactive with mouse sera in the early stage of Brucella infection, and deletion of the pgk gene in B. abortus strain 2308 resulted in extreme attenuation of this strain in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the B. abortus pgk mutant has been used as a live vaccine, and in challenge experiments, it induced protection that was superior to that conferred by commercial strains. In this study, the pgk gene from Brucella abortus 544 was successfully amplified and cloned into a maltose binding protein fusion protein expression vector (pMAL). The recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli DH5α and purified. The immunogenicity of purified recombinant B. abortus 544 Pgk (rPgk) was evaluated by western blot analysis using Brucella-positive mouse sera. rPgk could be used as an antigenic component for future serological tests and potential vaccine development.

본 연구는 오배자 에탄올 추출물 (GRE), 염소산나트륨 (SC) 그리고 오배자 에탄올 추출물과 염소산나트륨 합제(GS)의 B. abortus에 대한 항균효과를 확인하기 위해 수행 되었다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS를 B. abortus에 처리하여 배양한 후, B. abortus의 생존수를 확인하였으며, 마우스 탐식세포 내 감염된 B. abortus의 증식 억제효과를 경시별 (2, 24, 48시간)로 조사하였다. GRE, SC 그리고 GS는 각각 400 μg/mL 이하, 15 mM 그리고 0.6GS (GS 1, GRE 1,000 μg/mL + SC 30 mM) 이하의 농도에서 세포독성을 나타나지 않았다. 모든 처리구에서 B. abortus의 생존율은 용량- 의존적으로 현저하게 감소하는 결과를 나타내었다. 또한, GRE (400 μg/mL), SC (15 mM) 그리고 0.5GS (GRE 500 μg/mL + SC 15 mM)를 처리한 세포에서 배양 48시간 후에, B. abortus의 증식이 통계적으로 유의성 있게 감소하였으며 (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001), 특히, GS를 처리한 경우, B. abortus의 세포내 증식이 GRE와 SC의 상승작용에 의한 강력한 항균효과를 나타내었다. 결론적으로, GS는 B. abortus에 대한 항균물질로서 유용할 뿐만 아니라, 식육과 우유 위생 분야에 적용할 수 있을 것으로 생각된다.

Brucellosis is a notorious zoonotic disease with global implications. Efforts to control the spread of the disease have been restricted to the agricultural livestock. Increasing incidences of accidental human infection have motivated researches to start working on alternative vaccines. At present, live attenuated vaccines are the only accepted type of vaccines used in developed countries for the prevention of brucellosis. Although serodiagnosis is occasionally unreliable, some countries have already claimed to have eradicated the disease, based on this testing. Live attenuated vaccines are not suitable for use in pregnant and immune-depressed animals. Moreover, these vaccines are not tolerated in humans. Therefore, many researches have been striving to discover alternative methods of vaccination. Most research has focused on the generation of subcellular, subunit, and DNA vaccines that are as efficient as the live attenuated vaccines. At present, none of the available vaccines has been able to replace the live attenuated vaccines. Therefore, additional research is necessary in order to discover a new brucellosis vaccine that is suitable for human use.

This study investigated the antibacterial effects of GR ethanol extracts (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC) and a combination of GRE and SC (GS) on Brucella abortus (B. abortus). The antibacterial activities of GRE, SC and GS towards B. abortus were evaluated by incubating B. abortus with GRE, SC and GS. Following treatment with GRE, SC and GS, B. abortus survival and intracellular proliferation in macrophages were monitored. In the cellular cytotoxicity assay, GRE, SC and GS are not cytotoxic at concentrations less than 400 μg/ml, 15 mM and 0.6GS (1 of GS, GRE 1,000 μg/ml + SC 30 mM), respectively. The viability of B. abortus was markedly decreased in a dosedependent manner in all treatment groups. In addition, B. abortus intracellular proliferation within macrophages was significantly reduced in cells treated with GRE (400 μg/mL), SC (15 mM) and 0.5GS (GRE 500 μg/mL + SC 15 mM) after 48 hr-incubation (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001). Especially, in the treatment of GS, the synergistic effect of GRE and SC treatment on B. abortus in macrophage was observed. In conclusion, GS is useful as an antibacterial candidate against B. abortus, and can be applied in the field of meat and milk hygiene.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Galla rhois (GR) ethanol extract (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC), and a combination of GRE and SC on mice infected with Brucella abortus (B. abortus). Mice were infected intraperitoneally with B. abortus and then treated with GRE, SC, and a combination GRE and SC in drinking water for 14 days. Then, serum antibodies were used in a tube agglutination test (TAT), after which the weight and CFUs from each spleen were measured. In addition, histopathological changes in each liver were examined at 14 days post-infection. At 14 days post-infection, negative reactions of serum antibodies in PC (positive control), SCT (SC 1.6 g/L drinking water), GRT (GRE 200 mg/L drinking water), and GST (GRE 200 mg + SC 1.6 g/L drinking water) were 0, 40, 60, and 80%, respectively. The average spleen weight was not significantly different between the groups. At 14 days post-infection, bacterial numbers in all treated groups were significantly lower compared to to that of the PC (GRT and SCT, P<0.05; GST, P<0.001). In terms of histopathological changes in the livers, there were numerous multifocal microgranulomas in the PC, whereas this number successively decreased in the SCT, GRT, and GST groups. Conclusively, a combination of GRE and SC exhibits therapeutic effects on mice infected with B. abortus. These results suggest the potential efficacy of a mixture of GRE and SC in the treatment of brucellosis.

Brucellosis is an important bacterial zoonotic infection worldwide responsible for economic losses in livestock industries which represents a considerable and increasing public health burden. The disease is caused by Brucella which possess the ability to invade and replicate within phagocytes and may result to chronic infection, leading to difficulty in medical therapy of the disease. The treatment for brucellosis employs conventional principles that have been applied for a long time and a combination of antibiotics is currently used due to low efficacy of monotherapies. However, vital effects with respect to health and safety are neglected. Nevertheless, the preventive methods and treatments for brucellosis using traditional medicine have not yet been thoroughly studied, hence, alternative therapies such as the use of natural plant extracts as traditional medicine that are safe, efficient and economical should be explored in order to identify candidates that eliminate complications due to brucellosis. Coptis chinensis Franch (Huanglian) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb and its extract has been known to possess strong antibacterial activity. In this study, the antibacterial effects of C. chinensis Franch extracts, and the major components of the herb namely berberine and palmatine, were investigated on B. abortus. The C. chinensis Franch ethanol extracts (CCFE) showed bactericidal effects at 1,000 μg/ml concentration and berberine at 100 μg/ml concentration. However, C. chinensis Franch and its components did not affect invasion and intracellular growth of B. abortus in RAW 264.7 cells. In conclusion, C. chinensis Franch ethanol extracts, water extract and its major components such as berberine and palmatine would be a beneficial antimicrobial agent without affecting phagocytic pathway within macrophages, and further study for the precise mechanisms of antibacterial effect would be necessary.

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that have the ability to survive and multiply in professional and nonprofessional phagocytes and cause abortion in domestic animals and undulant fever in humans. Brucella species can survive in a variety of cells, including macrophages and their virulence and chronic infections are thought to be due to their ability to avoid the killing mechanisms within macrophages. Inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion has been proposed as a mechanism for intracellular survival of Brucella in professional and nonprofessional phagocytes. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are part of a skillful system for detection of invasion by microbial pathogens. Recognition of microbial components by TLRs triggers signaling pathways that promote expression of genes and regulate innate immune responses. Recent studies for the interaction between TLRs-Brucella have indicated the importance of control of Brucella infection. Here, we review selected aspects of TLRs-Brucella interaction, which may be helpful to understanding the mechanism of Brucella pathogenesis.

Antibiotic Detection Kit (Combination I), a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) developed for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk, was utilized for the analysis of antibiotic residues in the muscle tissue of olive flounder. After 60-min treatment by dipping in water dosed with ampicillin (200-g/ton water), the residue depletion of ampicillin was investigated in 25 cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Muscles of fish were sampled on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th day after drug treatment. The concentration of ampicillin in the muscle was determined by LFIA. The absorbance ratio of the sample to the control blank (Bs/Bo) was employed as an index to determine the muscle residues in olive flounder. To investigate the recovery rate, standard solutions were added to muscle samples to give final concentrations in the muscle of 4 and 8 ng/ml. The recovery rates of all spiked samples were > 96% of the spiked value. Ampicillin was detected in the muscle of fish treated with the drug until the 2nd day of the withdrawal period. The present study showed that the LFIA can be easily adopted to predict ampicillin residues in tissue of farmed fishes.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a major swine pathogen and an emerging zoonotic agent and is an increasing public health problem across Asia. The present study was undertaken to estimate the antibacterial effect of GR extract and therapeutic effect of GR extract against S. suis infection in mice. At the concentration of GR extract 2.5 mg/ml, the antibacterial effect was not shown on S. suis. However, the antibacterial effect against S. suis was observed at the concentration of GR extract 5.0 mg/ml. Oral administration of GR extract at the dose of 10 mg/kg showed a therapeutic effect for S. suis infected BALB/c mice. The mortality of GR extract-treated mice at the concentration of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg was 80%, 70%, and 50% at 12 days, respectively, while that of untreated mice was 100% at 8 days after a lethal dose of S. suis infection. The results of our study strongly indicate that GR extract has potential as an effective for S. suis infection in mice.

Amoxicillin, a well-known antibiotic, has a broad spectrum against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This experiment was conducted in order to investigate the effect of micronized and non-micronized amoxicillin prepared using different comminution techniques on change in blood concentration of rats. Forty adult male Sprague Dawley rats (6~7 weeks of age, body weight 128.3 ± 10.7 g) were randomly allocated to two treatment groups: micronized amoxicillin (MA) group treated with micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 90% of 10 μm), non-micronized amoxicillin (NMA) group treated with non-micronized amoxicillin trihydrate powder (particle size, over 70% of 100 μm), given 480 mg/kg body weight once daily for four days. The results showed a significant increase in serum concentration in the MA group on days 3 and 4, compared to the NMA group (P<0.05). In particular, serum concentration of the MA group on day 4 was increased almost two times that of the NMA group. The results indicate that due to the increase of the drug’s oral bioavailability, higher serum concentration would be achieved with the micronized amoxicillin trihydrate than with the non-micronized drug.

The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the therapeutic effect of dioctahedral smectite (smectite) against calf diarrhea caused by pathogenic E. coli and/or Salmonella typhimurium. In this study, 20 calves (aged 2~3 months) with diarrhea were used for evaluation of the efficacy of smectite on calf diarrhea with 20% smectite suspension in PBS. Calves received 10 ml smectite suspension three times per day after feeding, and fecal samples were collected at the gate of treatment and on the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth day after administration. On the fifth day after treatment with smectite suspension, the diarrhea index showed a significant decrease in the treated group, compared to the control group (P<0.001). The number of pathogenic E. coli in feces of the treated group was significantly decreased, compared to each control group from the second day after treatment (P<0.001), and that of Salmonella typhimurium was significantly decreased from the first day after treatment (P<0.05). According to the results of the current study, 20% smectite suspension had a therapeutic effect on diarrhea caused by E. coli and/or Salmonella in calves.

The present study was evaluated the antibacterial effect of the combination of Coptidis rhizoma, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischet, Schizandra chinensis and Corni Fructus(1:1:1) extracts(CGSC10). Furthermore, the effectiveness of CGSC10, sodium chlorate, and the combination of CGSC10 and sodium chlorate(CGSCS10) against E. coli O157:H7 infection was studied using ICR female mice. During the incubation period, the dose of 5, 10, and 20% CGSC10 was inhibited the growth of E. coli O157:H7 by 34.7, 60.2, and 76.4%, respectively. For 7 days after single challenge with E. coli O157:H7, forty female ICR mice were divided into four experimental groups which were administered in drinking water with saline, 10% CGSC10, 15 mM sodium chlorate, and CGSCS10, respectively. On the 3rd day, the number of E. coli O157:H7 in mouse feces was significantly decreased by administration of CGSC10, 15 mM sodium chlorate, and CGSCS10 (p < 0.001). On the 7th day-after administration, CGSC10, sodium chlorate, and CGSCS10 were decreased the number of E. coli O157:H7 by 27.1, 67.7, and 83.3%, respectively. According to the results of the present study, administration of CGSCS10 to mice can reduce the severity of E. coli O157:H7 infection. In addition, it is suggested that CGSCS10 represents a good candidate for the treatment of enteric infections in domestic animals.

This study was conducted in order to examine the safety of bee venom as an alternative for antibiotics using male ICR mice. Five-week-old male mice received a single intravenous injection of a dried honey bee venom at the concentration of 0.25 mg/kg (a clinical dose) or 0.5 mg/kg through the tail vein and various pathophysiological analyses were performed after three days. No significant differences in changes of body weight were observed between the saline-treated control group and the experimental groups. In the hematological analysis, none of the parameters were affected by bee venom. In blood biochemistry analysis, none of the markers were affected by administration of bee venom. Similarly, there were no significant effects on markers for liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle functions in all treated- groups. On macroscopic examination, no remarkable lesions were detected in these organs. Because there were no adverse effects of the bee venom in a single intravenous toxicity test for three days, it was concluded that bee venom could be a candidate for a safe natural antibiotic for use in the animal production industry.

This study was carried out to investigate the distribution of disqualified boars tested on performance at the Second Korea Swine Testing Station from 2007 to 2009. Data used in this study were 6,758 records of Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeding stocks which were registered in the herd book of the Korea Animal Improvement Association. Duroc breeding stocks tested performance were vastly outnumbered by Landrace and Yorkshire breeding stocks tested on performance. In disqualifying boars tested on performance, the Yorkshire was the most breeding stock. In the disqualifying factor in 2007, the shortage of index was the most factor. And the most of the disqualifying factors in 2008 and 2009 was the excess of daily age as reaching with 90㎏ body weight.

콜린은 정상적인 세포벽의 기능, 아세틸콜린의 합성, 지질의 운송, 그리고 매칠기의 공급원으로서 중요한 유기화합물이다. 콜린의 보충이 콜린성 신경세포의 활성을 통해 학습 및 기억력 향상에 효과가 있다는 연구 보고를 토대로, 시중에서 시판되는 많은 우유제품 속에 콜린 함유량을 증가시켜 뇌를 좋게 하는 기능성 식품으로 판매되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 효소측정법을 이용하여, 시중에서 판매되고 있는 전유와 첨가우유들을 5개 회사의 제품을 대상으로 콜린의 함량을 분석하였다. 콜린의 표준용액을 이용하여 구한 표준곡선은 0.00316의 기울기와 0.998의 r2값을 나타내었다. 회수율은 89.8-97.6 %로 양호한 값을 나타내었다. 분석한 우유에서의 콜린함유량은, 전유에서는 14.56-15.19 mg/100 g이었고, 첨가우유에서는 4.11-11.50 mg/100 g을 나타내었다.