A total of 128 halophilic and marine-associated bacterial strains were isolated from environmental marine samples and fermented seafood products collected in the Sacheon region of South Korea. The aim was to secure region-specific microbial resources and evaluate their potential for industrial use. The isolates belonged to 4 phyla, 15 families, 30 genera, and 61 species. The phylum Bacillota, particularly the family Bacillaceae, was the major taxonomic group (62.5%), comprising 14 genera and 36 species, such as Alkalihalobacillus, Bacillus, Caldibacillus, Cytobacillus, Fictibacillus, Halobacillus, Lysinibacillus, Metabacillus, Neobacillus, Oceanobacillus, Priestia, Rossellomorea, Rummeliibacillus, and Ureibacillus. Members of the phylum Pseudomonadota, primarily the family Alteromonadaceae, accounted for 4.7% of the isolates and included the genera Marinobacter and Microbulbifer. All isolates identified as members of the phylum Pseudomonadota were strong auxin producers or showed high extracellular enzyme activities. Functional characterization showed that 86 strains (67.2%) exhibited hydrolytic activity for at least one enzyme (protease, amylase, or lipase), and 32 strains (25%) produced auxin. The functions of the microbial resources in the Sacheon region are highly diverse. Collectively, the isolated strains show potential for application in managing marine environments, bioprocessing, and the fermented seafood industry, underscoring their value as genetic resources for future biotechnological use in South Korea.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and qualified presumption of safety (QPS)-designated Bacillus strains are widely applied to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of natural products. Green garlic (Allium sativum L.), a common Korean vegetable and recognized functional food, is valued for its antioxidant and immune-enhancing activities. In this study, we investigated the functional properties of green garlic fermented with LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains. A total of 450 strains were isolated from marine environments, livestock sources, and diverse agricultural and fishery products, including fermented derivatives, of which 191 originated from agricultural products. Enzyme assays identified 89 strains with strong protease and amylase activities. After excluding taxonomic duplicates, we obtained seven QPS-designated Bacillus strains and four LAB strains characterized by robust growth in media containing green garlic. Fermentation using Sacheon green garlic powder was conducted for 4 days, and compared with the control, we found that the antioxidant activity of green garlic fermented with Latilactobacillus curvatus GH-11-11 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JY-48-5 increased by 144.0% and 145.8%, respectively. In addition, relative to a non-fermented extract, a 2-day fermentation with JY-48-5 enhanced α-glucosidase inhibitory activity by over 189.4%. These findings indicate that cultures of selected LAB and QPS-designated Bacillus strains could serve as promising starters for enhancing the bioactive properties of foods, and also emphasize the importance of regional microbial resources.

The commercial feed additive, native rumen microbes (RC), derived from a diverse microbial community isolated from the rumen of Hanwoo steers is being explored to enhance rumen fermentation and improve ruminant feed utilization. This study evaluated the impact of native rumen microbes supplementation on methane emissions, microbial diversity, and fermentation efficiency on in vitro assessment. Treatments were as follows: CON (basal diet, without RC); T1 (basal diet + 0.1% RC); T2 (basal diet + 0.2% RC). Rumen fermentation parameters, total gas, and methane production were assessed at 12, 24, and 48 h of incubations. The in vitro gas production was carried out using the Ankom RF Gas Production System. Supplementation of RC significantly reduced the total gas production at 12, 24, and 48 hours of incubation (p < 0.05). Volatile fatty acid concentrations were increased, while acetate and propionate were decreased (p < 0.05) at 48 h by the supplementation of RC. Notably, the 0.1% inclusion level of RC significantly reduced methane production by 28.30% and 21.21% at 12 and 24 hours. Furthermore, microbial diversity analysis revealed significant shifts (p < 0.05) in bacterial composition between the control and treatment groups, while supplementation also promoted the growth of bacterial populations, such as Succiniclasticum. These findings suggest that native rumen microbes supplementation, particularly at 0.1% inclusion level, can enhance rumen microbial composition while significantly reducing methane production in vitro.