The pet industry, especially pet food, is experiencing rapid growth. This growth is accompanied by increasing concerns about pets' gut health, as an imbalanced microbiota can lead to various diseases. This study analyzes global patent trends in microbiome-based technologies for treating pet digestive issues using the WIPS database across major markets. Of 1,194 patents identified, 394 key references were examined, highlighting the increasing number of probiotic and microbiome-related patents since 2016. China dominates this sector, followed by Korea, Japan, and the United States. The findings provide a foundation for advancing microbiome-driven solutions for pet digestive ailments.

본 연구는 Lactobacillus acidophilus KCTC 3164 균주에 의해 발효된 깻잎 발효 추출물 (5%, 10%, 15%, 및 20% w/v)을 기능성 첨가제로 사용하여 깻잎 발효물이 첨가된 아이스크림을 제조 함이 목적이다. 깻잎 발효물이 첨가된 아이스크림의 물리·화학적 특성(색상, 점도, pH, 총 산도, 녹는 속 도, 오버런) 및 항산화 활성을 평가하였다. 깻잎 발효물 첨가량이 증가할수록 아이스크림의 색상에 영향 을 주었으며, 아이스크림의 녹는 속도도 증가하였다. 이에 반해 점도는 점차적으로 감소하는 경향을 나 타내었다. 깻잎 발효물 첨가량이 높을수록 오버런은 점진적으로 증가하였고, pH는 유의하게 감소하였으 며, 총 산도는 증가하였다. 깻잎 발효물이 첨가된 아이스크림의 DPPH 라디컬 소거능과 총 폴리페놀 함 량은 깻잎 발효물 첨가량이 많아질수록 유의적으로 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과 10% 깻잎 발효추출물을 함유한 아이스크림 실험군이 높은 오버런, 낮은 녹는 속도, 원하는 점도, 높은 DPPH 라디 컬 소거능과 총 폴리페놀 함량을 보여 기능성 아이스크림으로의 잠재력이 있는 것을 알 수 있었다.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized one of the leading metabolic diseases globally, and the younger age population with the disease is rapidly growing, especially in developed countries. Since there has been no approved medicine, losing weight is known to be the only best remedy to control or reverse the disease. Recently, the field of microbiome has attracted much attention to offer more practical choices for patients. Here, we provide experimental evidence that Streptococcus thermophilus LM1012 (LM1012), a safe probiotic strain, is effective for improving NAFLD indexes. In the methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet induced C57BL/6 mouse model, administration of LM1012 promoted marked reductions of aspartate transaminase (23.8%), total bilirubin (27.8%), hydroxycholesterol (64.2%), triglyceride (29.7%) and IL-1β (68.3%) compared to the MCD diet alone group. Also, the histopathological data imply that LM1012 inhibited fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, which are the key biomarkers for progression of the disease. Together, these findings suggest that human consumption of LM1012 as a healthy nutritional supplement, may be helpful in reducing the risk of liver damages in NAFLD patients.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits onto the host when administered at adequate doses. Most widely used probiotics, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, are known to be elements of healthy gut microflora and hence are not considered a threat to the host. However, probiotics may pose a risk in certain populations with compromised immune systems or defects in gut barrier functions. Herein, we evaluated the safety of Bifidobacterium breve BB077, according to the safety evaluation guidelines for probiotics produced by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS). The results show that B. breve BB077 is both non-hemolytic and non-cytolytic. In contrast, B. breve BB077 exhibited higher streptomycin and tetracycline resistance than the suggested NIFDS standard cut-off values. Hence, a genetic analysis of the streptomycin and tetracycline resistance genes was performed to determine the origin of antimicrobial resistance. Streptomycin and tetracycline resistance was shown have arisen from chromosomal mutations and considered intrinsic to the taxonomic group. In conclusion, the B. breve BB077 strain might be safe for human consumption.

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.

이상의 결과를 종합하면, 혼합유산균 2종(Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis Bf141와 Lactobacillus rhamnosus Lb102)의 섭취는 고지방식이 유도 비만 마우스에서 체중, 체지방, 제지방, 골밀도 등 주요 체성분에 영향을 주지 않았다. 혼합유산균은 식욕 조절 효과를 위해 측정한 사료 섭취량에도 영향을 주지 않았으며, 간 조직 무게에도 영향을 미치지 않았다. 인슐린저항성과 포도당신생합성의 주요 지표인 공복혈당량 또한 혼합유산균 급여에 의해 변화 하지 않았다. 또한 혼합유산균은 심혈관질환의 지표로 사용되는 혈중 중성지방 및 총 콜레스테롤에 영향을 주지 않았으며, 체내 지방의 소화 및 흡수율에서도 영향을 미치지 않았다. 결론적으로, 고지방식이유도 비만 마우스를 이용하여 혼합유산균(Bf141 + Lb102)의 항비만 생리활성 을 검증한 결과, 유의미한 물리적, 대사적 표현형 개선은 검증되지 않았다. 따라서, 추후 개별 보다 다양한 혼합 조건 및 농도로 연구를 설계하여 혼합유산균의 항비만 효과를 검증할 필요성이 있다.

This study investigated various levels of sodium nitrite and probiotics (SNPro) combination as an alternative to zinc oxide on the growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora, and morphology of weaned pigs. One hundred and ninety-two weaned pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) with an average body weight of 6.51±0.15 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments(n=6) on the basis of their initial body weight. Experimental period was divided into phase 1 and 2 (each 14 days). The dietary treatments were: 1) Basal diet (control), 2) SNPro1 (control+0.01% SNPro), 3) SNPro2 (control+0.02% SNPro), 4) SNPro3 (control+0.03% SNPro). The average daily gain when SNPro was added to the diet was 288, 309, 319, 324 g in phase 1, 355, 387, 410, 407 g in phase 2 and 321, 348, 364, 366 g in the overall. The concentration of interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 in serum when SNPro was added to the diet were 15, 13.5, 13, 12.8 ng/ml and 165, 162, 155, 145 ng/ml (p<0.05) but toll-like receptor 4 and immunoglobulin G levels in serum were no significantly different. The colonization of Escherichia coli in the ileum and Salmonella spp. in the caecum were significantly decreased as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). However, the population of Lactobacillus spp. did not differ among the groups. Although villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio were not significantly affected by the treatments, crypt depth in the jejunum was 599, 586, 615, 599 ㎛ as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). In conclusion, SNPro had beneficial effects on growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora and morphology weaned pigs. Therefore, SNPro not only can be considered as an alternative for the pharmacological level of zinc oxide in weaning pigs but also ideal dietary SNPro level was 0.02%.

This research aimed to investigate the effects of the inoculation method and diverse ingredients on the quality properties and probiotics viability of pudding with milk and/or soymilk. The probiotic strain (Lactobacillus acidophilus, LA-5) was inoculated into the yogurt base and fermented until the pH is 5.10 ± 0.05. The fermented yogurt was added into pudding base (yogurt inoculation), or LA-5 was directly inoculated (direct inoculation). During the storage of the puddings at 4±1oC for 4 wks, the quality characteristics (pH, acidity, texture) and the probiotics viability of pudding were measured and compared. As a result, the puddings with yogurt inoculation showed significantly lower pH and higher acidity than those with direct inoculation. In texture properties, including hardness, chewiness, and gumminess, the addition of rice powder increased those in milk pudding more but the addition of inulin in the milk-soymilk pudding more. The addition of rice powder increased probiotics viability more than inulin in milk and milk-soymilk puddings. Therefore, adding rice and/or inulin can potentially improve the probiotics viability and quality characteristics of pudding.