To increase industrial applicability of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) as immunostimulating materials, hot-water extract (AME) was prepared from AM and fermented with Kimchi-lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus sakei & Leuconostoc mesenteroides) to prepare fermented AM-postbiotics (FAME). Although FAME prepared from AM-postbiotics did not show a significant enhancement in macrophage stimulating activity compared to non-fermented AME, crude polysaccharide (FAME-CP) fractionated by EtOH precipitation from FAME showed significantly higher macrophage stimulating activity than AME-CP. Compared to AME-CP, FAME-CP showed dramatic changes in component sugar and molecular weight distribution. FAME-CP was a polysaccharide with a major molecular weight distribution of 113.4 kDa containing Man (44.2%), Glc (19.3%), Gal (10.2%), GalA (10.2%), and Ara (7.4%) as sugar components. FAME-CP with enhanced macrophage stimulatory activity not only increased expression levels of mRNA genes encoding macrophage-activated factors (iNOS, TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6, and COX-2), but also led the nuclear translocation of activated p65 and c-Jun. In conclusion, crude polysaccharide from AM-postbiotics fermented with lactic acid bacteria could increase industrial applicability as a functional material with enhanced immunostimulating activity than AME-CP.

In this study, we examined the antagonistic effects of sprout-borne lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. This antagonism is promoted as a means of controlling contamination during sprout production and provides additional LAB for consumers. We isolated a total of 24 LAB isolates in nine species and five genera from seven popular vegetable sprouts: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), clover (Trifolium pratense), broccoli (Brassica oleracea ssp. italica), vitamin (B. rapa ssp. narinosa), red radish (Raphanus sativus), red kohlrabi (B. oleracea var. gongylodes), and Kimchi cabbage (B. campestris var. pekinensis). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, the LAB species were identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus, E. faecium, E. gallinarum, E. mundtii, Lactococcus taiwanensis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Weissella cibaria, and W. confusa. A total of 16 LAB isolates in seven species including E. faecium, E. gallinarum, E. mundtii, L. taiwanensis, L. mesenteroides, P. pentosaceus, and W. cibaria showed antagonistic activity toward S. enterica. The growth inhibition of sprout LAB on S. enterica was confirmed by co-culture. Unexpectedly, sprout LAB failed to suppress the growth of S. enterica in alfalfa sprouts, whereas all LAB strains stimulate S. enterica growth even if it is not significant in some strains. The findings of this study indicate that S. enterica-antagonistic LAB are detrimental to food hygiene and will contribute to further LAB research and improved vegetable sprout production.

This study aimed to identify and characterize lactic acid bacteria strains with antimicrobial activity against Proteus mirabilis, a gram-negative bacterium associated with Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and nosocomial infections. Among the 987 lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from various sources, strain no. CHK903 showed high antimicrobial activity against P. mirabilis. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and scanning electron microscope analysis identified the selected strain as the rod-shaped Weissella cibaria. The culture supernatants of W. cibaria CHK903 showed antimicrobial activity against some pathogens. Two antimicrobial compounds with molecular weights 189 and 365 Da were partially purified from the culture supernatants of W. cibaria CHK903 using Biogel P2 gel permeation column chromatography. The culture supernatants of W. cibaria CHK903 also showed significant antibiofilm properties, inhibiting biofilm formation by 90% and removing pre-formed biofilms by 60%. These findings suggest the potential therapeutic use of W. cibaria CHK903 as a natural antimicrobial against P. mirabilis-related infections.

This study evaluated the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB, a mixture of Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus plantarum) supplementation, the storage temperature, and storage period on the fermentation characteristics and in vitro ruminal digestibility of a total mixed ration (TMR). The TMR was prepared into two groups, namely, CON (control TMR without the LAB) and ML (supplementing a mixture of E. faecium and L. plantarum in the ratio of 1% and 2% (v/w), respectively). Both groups were divided and stored at 4°C or 25°C for 3, 7, and 14 d fermentation periods. Supplementing LAB to the TMR did not affect the chemical composition of TMR except for the lactate and acetate concentration. Storage temperatures affected (p<0.05) the chemical composition of the TMR, including pH, lactate, and acetate contents. The chemical composition of TMR was also affected (p<0.05) by the storage period. During in vitro rumen fermentation study, the ML treatment showed lower (p<0.05) dry matter digestibility at 24 h incubation with a higher pH compared to the CON. There was no difference in the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of TMR between the CON and ML treatment however, at 24 h, ML treatment showed lower (p<0.05) IVDMD with a higher pH compared to the CON. The effects of storage temperature and period on IVDMD were not apparent at 24 h incubation. In an in vivo study using Holstein steers, supplementing LAB to the basal TMR for 60 d did not differ in the final body weight and average daily gain. Likewise, the fecal microbiota did not differ between CON and ML. However, the TMR used for the present study did include a commercial yeast in CON, whereas ML did not; therefore, results were, to some extent, compromised in examining the effect of LAB. In conclusion, storage temperature and period significantly affected the TMR quality, increasing acetate and lactate concentration. However, the actual effects of LAB supplementation were equivocal.

To enhance the bioavailability and bioactivities of mixed herbal medicines (RW), they were fermented with lactic-acid bacteria isolated from kimchi into postbiotics (FRW). Then, from the results of the 16s rRNA sequencing analysis, lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi were identified to be of two species, namely Lactobacillus sakei and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The FRW prepared from the RW were extracted using hot water (HW) and 70% EtOH (EtOH) for comparison of their macrophage-stimulating activities. Based on a comparison of the activities of the FRW extracts, nitric oxide (NO) production of HW was significantly higher than that in EtOH. An analysis of the chemical properties of the extracts showed that HW had higher contents of neutral sugar and uronic acid than EtOH as well as contained a large amount of glucose. In addition, crude polysaccharide (CP) was prepared to enhance the macrophage-stimulating activity. The FRW-CP not only secreted immunostimulatory mediators but also increased the expression of immunostimulatory genes (iNOS, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6). The fractionated FRW-CP contained about 90% neutral sugars, and these sugars were mainly composed of glucose, galacturonic acid, and arabinose. Thus, FRW prepared by fermentation of RW with kimchi lactic acid bacteria were found to be immunostimulatory modulators.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of heat-killed lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produced under different temperature conditions. Regarding probiotic properties, Limosilactobacillus fermentum SMF743 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SMF796 isolated from kimchi showed strong acid and bile salt resistance, adhesion activity onto HT-29 cells, and antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. Based on the results of thermal death time and temperature, heat-killed LAB cells (1 mg/mL) were prepared by heating at 70oC (180 min), 80oC (120 min), 100oC (30 min), and 121oC (15 min). The heat-killed SMF743 and SMF796 showed significantly higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities than live cells (p<0.05). The heat-killed SMF743 and SMF796 at 70oC or 121oC revealed stronger DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities and inhibition of nitric oxide production than those at 80oC or 100oC. Furthermore, heat-killed SMF743 and SMF796 at 121oC significantly reduced the gene expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase- 2 up to 53.33%, 58.67%, and 83.67%, respectively, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells (p<0.05). These results suggest that heat-killed L. fermentum SMF743 and L. plantarum SMF796 can be used as natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

Lactic acid bacteria as probiotics are intensively used in human and animal species. These probiotic properties of LABs were variable according to bacterial strain and species. However, there was limited information on probiotic properties of monkey origin LABs. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of monkey and human origin LABs against monkey origin enteric bacteria by the agar disc diffusion test and broth culture inhibition assay. All LABs represented enough tolerance to pepsin (0.3%) and bile acid (pH = 2). To 50% of Clostridium perfringens and 20% of Escherichia coli, monkey origin LABs showed statistically higher antibacterial activity compared to human origin LABs (p < 0.05). Also, distinct antibacterial activity was verified among some bacteria species and strains. Higher antibacterial activity against enteric bacteria except for C. perfringens was verified in Lactobacillus johnsonii strains compared to Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus salivarius. Statistically different antibacterial activity against C. perfringens was verified among strains within L. reuteri and L. johnsonii. In conclusion, we prove the higher probiotic properties of monkey origin LABs against homogenous enteric bacteria although humans and monkeys were phylogenetically similar species. For non-human primates, homogenous LABs should be used as probiotics, not human origin LABs. Furthermore, it was confirmed among monkey origin LABs, L. johnsonii showed a high antibacterial activity on various enteric pathogenic bacteria and was an appropriate lactic acid strain for inhibiting C. perfringens.

In the current study, lactic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus were used as a mixed additive for the production of Orchardgrass silage by ensiled method and nutritional change fermentation ability and microbial content of experimental silages. The addition of LAB to Orchardgrass during ensiling process rapidly reduced the pH of the silages than the non-inoculated silages. In addition, the lactic and acetic acid content of silage was increased by LAB strains than the non-inoculated silages whereas butyric acid content was reduced in silage treated with LAB. A microbiological study revealed that higher LAB but lower yeast counts were observed in inoculated silages compared to non-inoculated silage. Overall data suggested that the addition of LAB stains could have ability to induce the fermentation process and improve the silage quality via increasing lactic acid and decreasing undesirable microbes.

In this study, we investigated the effects of adding oat and lactic acid bacteria on the quality and functionality of yogurt. Yogurt was fermented with various lactic acid bacteria,; Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA), Lactobacillus delbrueckii sub. bulgaricus (LB), and Streptococcus thermophilussei (ST) and quality properties, β-glucan content, antioxidant activity were estimated. The quality of control and oat added yogurt (OY) showed significant differences depending on the type of strain and combination. The addition of oats significantly accelerated the lactic acid bacteria production, decreased the pH, and increased the titratable acidity and count of the viable cells compared to the control. Acid production was highest in ST, with the complex strains containing ST and LALBST showing high quality characteristics. The viscosity of oat yogurt was higher than that of the control group, and LALBST was also significantly higher than that of the control group. The β-glucan content of OY was 0.14-0.2%, and the organic acid content and antioxidant activity were also significantly increased by the addition of oats. As a result, it is thought that the addition of oats and a combination of lactic acid bacteria can be used for improving the quality and functionality of yogurt.

Oligosaccharide-producing lactic acid bacteria were isolated from young radish and identified as Weissella cibaria YRK005. Oligosaccharides from W. cibaria YRK005 were purified using size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography, and their structure was determined. The oligosaccharides consisted of glucose only, 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that the oligosaccharides consisted of 93.8% α-1,6 glycosidic linkages and 6.2% α-1,4 glycosidic linkages, and molecular weight was determined to be 1.1210 2 Da. When the oligosaccharides' prebiotic effect on probiotic strains was examined, the oligosaccharides promoted the growth of four probiotic strains, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, and Lactobacillus pentosus, compared to fructo-oligosaccharides as a reference. These results indicated that oligosaccharides from W. cibaria YRK005 could be used as potential prebiotics.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon and rectum with intervals of acute exacerbation. Its etiology remains unknown, although recent studies suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines initiate the inflammatory responses. In this study, we investigated the ameliorative effects of YB-21 (new product containining Lactobacillus plantarum, Barley Bran and Nymphaeaceae) in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. The experimental groups were divided into 6 groups (n = 10) of ICR mice: normal control(NC), DSS-treated(PC, positive control), DSS+latic-L-treated (3×107CFU/ml), DSS+latic-M-treated (3×109CFU/ml), DSS+latic-H-treated (3×1011CFU/ml), and DSS+YB-21-treated. Histological examinations indicated that YB-21 suppressed edema, mucosal damage, and the loss of crypts induced by DSS. Moreover, YB-21 reduced serum level expressions of, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). These results suggest that YB-21 has an anti-colitic effect by the suppression of intestinal inflammatory responses in DSS-induced colitis in mice.

본 연구에서는 기존에 인체에 유익한 효과가 있고 부작 용 없이 장기간 안전하게 사용할 수 있으며 간보호 및 간 기능 개선에 탁월한 효과가 있는 표고를 추출 및 농축하여 원유에 농도별로 첨가하여, 3종의 유산균을 이용하여 발효하였다. 표고의 농도를 달리하여 유산균을 배양하였을 때 면역관련 물질인 ergothioneine 및 β-glucan의 함량 을 측정한 결과 ergothioneine함량은 30% 표고추출농축액에 L. plantarum이 첨가되어 배양된 발효물이 40.48 mg/100 g로 가장 높은 함량을 나타냈다. β-Glucan은 30 % 표고추출농축액에 L. brevis가 첨가된 발효물이 13.94 %로 가장 높은 함량이 나타났다. 두 면역관련 물질 모두 표고추출농축액 첨가량이 증가할수록 증가하는 경향을 나타냈다. SD rat을 간을 적출하여 일차 간세포로 분리해 발효물의 간보호 효과를 측정하였다. 표고추출농축액과 유산균 발효물을 10, 50, 100, 500 μg/mL을 일차 간세포에 처리 하여 MTT assay 방법으로 세포독성을 측정한 결과, 모든 농도에서 독성을 보이지 않았다. 또한 10 mM 아세트아미 노펜을 처리하여 독성을 유발한 일차 간세포에 시료를 처리하여 AST, ALT, LDH를 측정한 결과, 효소의 농도가 감소하여 간보호 기능에 효과가 있음을 확인하였다. 이중 L. brevis를 첨가하여 배양한 발효물 처리구에서 효소의 농도가 가장 감소한 것을 보았고, 가장 간보호 효과가 뛰어난 것을 확인하였다. 이상의 결과를 토대로 표고추출농축액에 유산균을 첨가하여 발효하였을 때, 기존의 표고보다 면역관련 물질의 함량이 증가하고, 간기능 보호에 더욱 효과가 있음을 입증하였다. 따라서 본 연구결과는 표고 유산균 발효물이 건강기능 소재로서 연구를 위한 기초 연구자료로 활용될 수 있 것으로 생각된다.

본 연구는 증숙밤(95℃, 90분) 페이스트의 발효에 적합한 유산균을 탐색하고 유산균에 의해 발효된 밤 발효 퓨레의 품질적 특성을 조사하였다. 유산균 12종에 대하여 2.0%(v/w)의 농도로 접종하여 3 7℃에서 48시간 발효한 결과 L. plantarum KCTC 21004가 산 생성능이 우수하였다. 증숙밤의 함량, 균 접종량 및 발효온도에 따른 발효 밤 퓨레의 발효 및 품질적 특성을 분석한 결과 물리화학적 특성에는 큰 차이가 나타나지 않았으나 퓨레의 물성 측정시 증숙밤 50% 함량 페이스트가 최적의 조건이었다.