Search

Kefir is a traditional fermented milk containing beneficial bacteria and yeasts. Despite Kluyveromyces marxianus, isolated from kefir, gaining increasing attention as a potential probiotic yeast owing to its biological function, Saccharomyces boulardii is the only species considered as a probiotic yeast. We evaluated the safety of K. marxianus strains A4 and A5, isolated from Korean kefir, in comparison with that of S. boulardii. Virulence attributes were preliminarily assessed in vitro including their ability of gelatin hydrolysis, pseudohyphae formation, and hemolysis. To evaluate in vivo safety, the strains were challenged in a healthy animal model, four-week-old female BALB/c mice. Mice were orally administered 0.2 mL of 0.9% sterilized saline (NC_S; n = 6), S. boulardii ATCC MYA-796 (high concentration, S.b_H; low concentration, S.b_L; n = 6 for each), K. marxianus A4 (high concentration, A4_H; low concentration, A4_L; n = 6 for each), or K. marxianus A5 (high concentration, A5_H; low concentration, A5_L; n = 6 for each) for 2 weeks. At study end, body weight, spleen and liver weights, and blood parameters were assessed. K. marxianus A4 and A5 were tested negative for gelatinase and hemolysis. Overall, hematological, plasma biochemical, and cytokine (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) parameters were comparable between the experimental and negative control (NC) groups. Notably, the interleukin-6 level of the A5_H group was significantly lower than that of the NC group (p 0.05), suggesting anti-inflammatory potential of K. marxianus A5.

Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) causes meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and bacteremia in neonates and children and has a high mortality rate. For rapid E. sakazakii detection, various differential and selective media containing α-glucosidase substrates, such as 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (BCIG) or 4-methylumbelliferyl- α-D-glucoside (α-MUG), have been developed as only E. sakazakii exhibits α -glucosidase activity in the genus Enterobacter. However, Escherichia vulneris (family: Enterobacteriaceae) can also utilize α-glucosidase substrates, thereby resulting in false positives. Various iron sources are known to promote the growth of gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to develop a selective medium containing α-glucosidase substrates for E. sakazakii detection that would eliminate false positives, such as those of E. vulneris, and to determine the role of iron source in the medium. Three previously developed (TPD) media, i.e., Oxoid, OK, and VRBG, and the medium developed in this study, i.e., NGTE, were evaluated using 58 E. sakazakii and 5 non-E. sakazakii strains. Fifty-four E. sakazakii strains appeared as fluorescent or chromogenic colonies on all four media that were assessed. Two strains showed colonies on NGTE medium and not on TPD media. In contrast, the remaining two strains showed colonies on TPD media and not on NGTE medium. None of the non-E. sakazakii strains showed fluorescent or chromogenic colonies on any of the evaluated media except E. vulneris, which showed colonies on TPD media and not on NGTE medium. This study demonstrated that the newly developed NGTE medium was not only equally efficient in promoting the growth of bacterial colonies when compared with the currently available media but also eliminated false positives, such as E. vulneris.

The surroundings of livestock farms, including dairy farms, are known to be a major source of development and transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To control antibioticresistant bacteria in the livestock breeding environment, farms have installed livestock wastewater treatment facilities to treat wastewater before discharging the final effluent in nearby rivers or streams. These facilities have been known to serve as hotspots for inter-bacterial antibiotic-resistance gene transfer and extensively antibiotic-resistant bacteria, owing to the accumulation of various antibiotic-resistant bacteria from the livestock breeding environment. This review discusses antibiotic usage in livestock farming, including dairy farms, livestock wastewater treatment plants as hotspots for antibiotic resistant bacteria, and nonenteric gram-negative bacteria from wastewater treatment plants, and previous findings in literature.

Salmonella spp. is the most common cause of gastrointestinal food poisoning worldwide, and human salmonellosis is mostly caused by the consumption of contaminated food. Therefore, the development of rapid detection methods for Salmoenlla spp. and rapid identification of the source of infection by subtyping are important for the surveillance and monitoring of food-borne salmonellosis. Therefore, this review introduces (1) History and nomenclature of Salmoenlla spp., (2) Epidemiology of Salmoenlla spp., (3) Detection methods for Salmoenlla spp. - conventional culture method, genetic detection method, molecular detection methods, and aptamer, and (4) Subtyping methods for Salmoenlla spp. - pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

In this study, we aimed to assess the feasibility of the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens DN1 (LKF_DN1) and the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus KU140723-05 (KMA5), recently isolated from kefir, as probiotics. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of early administration of these 2 microbes on the inhibition of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) colonization in neonatal chicks. We also examined the effects of exposure of chicks to probiotics before SE exposure on the reduction in the number of gut SE. A total of 108 1-day-old specific-pathogen-free male layer chicks were used for 3 independent experiments. The experimental chicks were randomly divided into 6 groups (negative control: basal diet [BD] without probiotics and SE; positive control: BD; probiotic group [PG] 1: BD + LKF_DN1; PG2: BD + KMA5; PG3: BD + LKF_DN1 + KMA5; and PG4: BD+ a commercial product IDF-7), all of which, except negative control, were coadministered with SE strain resistant to rifampicin (SERR). We found that the administration of LKF_DN1 and/or KMA5 reduced the number of viable cells of the SERR strain in chicks by up to 1.90 log10, relative to positive control chicks. Compared with late administration (day [D] 10 and D11), early administration (D1 and D2) of the probiotics was more effective in reducing SERR cell numbers in the gut. Furthermore, we detected no significant difference in the reduction of gut SERR cell numbers in chicks from the same groups exposed to the probiotics at D10 and D11 before and after administration with SERR. Collectively, our findings indicate that, as dietary additives, LKF_DN1 and KMA5 showed potential probiotic activity in chicks. Moreover, the combination of the lactic acid bacteria and/or yeast strain was found to rapidly reduce SE numbers in the chick gut and showed a prolonged inhibitory effect against SE colonization. We, thus, propose that the administration of these 2 probiotics, as early as possible after hatching, would be considerably effective in controlling SE colonization in the guts of chicks.

Campylobacter spp. are a type of microaerophilic bacteria that cause human foodborne illnesses worldwide. Among the various types of Campylobacter spp., Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli account for 90% of foodborne campylobacteriosis. Generally, poultry meats are known to be a primary cause of campylobacteriosis; however, several other types of foods have also been reported to cause campylobacteriosis. Particularly, raw milk has been directly linked to Campylobacter infections among many foodborne illnesses, and cases of campylobacteriosis caused because of the ingestion of unpasteurized raw milk have been recorded worldwide. This review reports (1) general information, history, and nomenclature of Campylobacter spp., (2) epidemiology of Campylobacter spp., (3) detection of Campylobacter spp. from foods including milk and dairy products, and (4) review of methods for controlling the growth Campylobacter spp.

Recently, hyaluronic acid, which is the most popular among various biomaterials, has been used in osteoarthritis treatment, eye surgery, and wound healing. This study was carried out to determine the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of kefir containing various concentrations of hyaluronic acid. The pH value of hyaluronic-acid-containing kefir ranged from 3.58 to 3.46. Moreover, for hyaluronic-acid-containing kefir, the score of taste ranged from 4.75 to 4.0, the flavor ranged from 4.0 to 3.38, the color ranged from 4.38 to 4.0, the texture ranged from 4.38 to 3.75, and the overall acceptability ranged from 4.59 to 3.72. Overall, the organoleptic properties of hyaluronic-acid-containing kefir were better than those of the control. Because this is the first study involving hyaluronic acid and kefir, the results are valuable. The addition of hyaluronic acid did not significantly affect the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of kefir. Therefore, the commercial availability of various hyaluronic-acid-added dairy food products must be investigated.

This study was conducted to evaluate the chemical and organoleptic properties of some dairy products supplemented with different concentrations of propolis (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%). There was no significant difference between pH values of the treated and control groups. All samples were tested using 20 evaluators divided in five categories. Compared to the control, the best organoleptic test results were obtained for market milk, yoghurt, and Kefir supplemented with 0.5% propolis. Statistical difference was observed in the taste, flavor, color, texture, and overall acceptability of market milk, yoghurt, and Kefir between the treated and control groups (p

Culture method using enrichment broth and selective agar is one of the most common isolation methods for detecting Campylobacter jejuni from food. However, the overgrowth of competing bact...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the organoleptic profiles of Kefir and yogurt supplemented with Mentha piperita''s (peppermint) oil. The organoleptic profiles of Kefir and yogurt were evaluated by 15 trained panelists between 20 to 50 years of age. The products of Kefir and yogurt were prepared with Mentha piperita''s oil at concentrations of 0%, 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. Taste, color, and overall acceptability scores were the same or lower in Kefir supplemented with 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, or 1.0% Mentha piperita''s oil than the control group (0%). The scores of all categories were higher for yogurt containing 0.1% Mentha piperita''s oil than the control group. Taste, color, and overall acceptability decreased in proportion to the added amount of Mentha piperita''s oil. Further studies are needed to evaluate the functionalities and effectiveness of Mentha piperita''s oil in promoting human health.

Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) powder containing various bioactive compounds is widely used in the food industry. We examined the sensory attributes (taste, color, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability) of market milk, yogurt, and Kefir containing different concentrations of Aronia melanocarpa powder. In market milk, the scores of all categories except color were the same or lower in market milk containing 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, or 2% Aronia melanocarpa powder than the control group (0%). No statistical difference in color and flavor was observed between Kefir and yogurt. However, there was a statistical difference between the control and treated groups in taste, texture and, overall acceptability (p

The bacterial genus Enterococcus encompasses 38 species. Two of the most common species are E. faecalis and E. faecium. Recently, however, there has been an increase in clinical reports concerning less prevalent Enterococcus species, such as E. durans, E. hirae, and E. gallinarum. Rapid and accurate laboratory methods are needed to facilitate the identification of all these bacterial species. In the present study, we compared the relative accuracy of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), VITEK 2, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing using 39 enterococci isolates from dairy samples, and compared the resultant phylogenetic trees. We found that MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified all isolates at the species level except for one, whereas the VITEK 2 system, which is an automated identification system using biochemical characteristics of species, misidentified ten isolates. However, phylogenetic trees constructed from both methods showed all isolates in similar positions. Our results clearly showed that MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable and rapid tool for identifying Enterococcus species with greater discriminatory power than the biochemical assay method of VITEK 2.

Clostridium perfringens is a ubiquitous, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium. It can contaminate many types of retail meat products and cause food poisoning by producing enterotoxins in the small intestines of humans and domestic animals. We investigated the prevalence, toxin-encoding gene profile, and antimicrobial resistance of C. perfringens in beef, chicken, and pork meat purchased from retail markets in Seoul, Korea. C. perfringens was detected according to the International Organization for Standardization 7937, with some modifications, and confirmed using the Vitek 2 system. In total, 38 C. perfringens strains were isolated from 200 meat samples (38/200, 19%; thirty-three from chicken, and five from beef). Among the six toxins evaluated, including alpha, beta, epsilon, iota, enterotoxin (encoded in the cpe gene), and netB, only the cpa gene was detected in all isolates by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The antimicrobial resistance of the isolates was evaluated using the agar dilution method and resistance to ampicillin (12/38, 31.6%), tetracycline (38/38, 100%), chloramphenicol (26/38, 68.4%), metronidazole (13/38, 34.2%), and imipenem (27/38, 71%) was observed. Interestingly, 30 of the 38 isolates (78.9%) were multiple-drug resistant, showing resistance to more than three different antimicrobial classes.

The presence of unwanted competing flora has been the most common confounding factor in the enumeration of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) using selective media such as mannitol-yolk-polymyxin B agar (MYPA). The objective of this study was to improve MYPA selectivity for B. cereus by supplementation with a second-generation cephalosporin, cefuroxime. The performance of cefuroxime-supplemented MYPA (cefu-MYPA) was evaluated by comparison with original MYPA in 60 food products with established microbiological standards for B. cereus contamination. Cefu-MYPA demonstrated superior recoverability and selectivity for B. cereus compared with original MYPA in most tested foods. B. cereus numbers on MYPA and cefu-MYPA were 363.5 and 462.0 CFU/g, respectively. Competing flora on cefu-MYPA was detected in significantly less samples (70%) compared to original MYPA (93%). In addition, the detection and isolation of suspected colonies were significantly improved in cefu-MYPA because of the reduction or elimination of competing flora in all tested foods except fruit juice, indicating superior selectivity of the modified medium. Our findings suggest that cefuroxime supplementation of MYPA would markedly improve the detection rate of B. cereus, particularly in foods with high levels of indigenous flora.

Backslopping method for large-scale production of kefir drink was established to scale up the production of kefir beverage containing original kefir microbiota. The microbiological, nutritional, physiochemical, and sensory properties of novel backslopped kefir (BK) were compared with those of traditional kefir (TK). Application of backslopping method in kefir production increased production yields by 50-folds, and the microbiological, nutritional, and physicochemical characteristics of BK were not significantly different from those of TK except the numbers of Lactobacillus kefiri and yeast, % carbohydrate, and pH. In cold storage, the number of lactic acid bacteria remained constant at 9 log CFU/mL in both TK and BK; however, yeast population increased from 4.7 to 6.5 log CFU/mL of BK, and from 4.8 to 7.5 log CFU/ml of TK (p

Salmonellosis caused by chicken consumption has been a critical issue in food safety worldwide, including in Korea. The probability of illness from consumption of chicken was simulated in study, based on the recipe of Dakgalbi, a commonly eaten chicken dish in Korea. Additionally, the processing stage at slaughterhouses to decrease Salmonella concentration in broilers was modeled to explore its effect on the likelihood of illness. A Monte Carlo simulation model was created using @RISK. Prevalence of Salmonella in chickens at the retail stage was found to be predominantly important in determining the probability of illness. Other than the prevalence, cooking temperature was found to have the largest impact on the probability of illness. The results also demonstrated that, although chlorination is a powerful tool for decreasing the Salmonella concentration in chicken, this effect did not last long and was negated by the following stages. This study analyzes the effects of variables of the retail-to-table pathway on the likelihood of salmonellosis in broiler consumption, and also evaluates the processing step used to decrease the contamination level of Salmonella in broilers at slaughterhouses. According to the results, we suggest that methods to decrease the contamination level of Salmonella such as chlorination had little effect on decreasing the probability of illness. Overall, these results suggest that preventing contamination of broiler with Salmonella must be a top priority and that methods to reduce the concentration of Salmonella in broilers at slaughterhouses hardly contribute to safe consumption of Salmonella-contaminated chicken.

There are more than 25 species of Mentha plants, which are aromatic perennial herbs. Currently, these species are being widely used with great interest because of various clinical findings regarding their health benefits. This is due to the abundance of volatile compounds that could expedite environmental interactions such as protection against herbivores, parasites, pathogens, and so on. Therefore, in this study, the antimicrobial effect of Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil on Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Salmonella Enteritidis were investigated using the spot-on-lawn method. The results show that Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil exhibited antimicrobial activities against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Cronobacter sakazakii; however, it did not inhibit the growth of Salmonella Enteritidis. This shows that the antimicrobial effect of Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil is effective against both Gram-positive and Gramnegative bacteria. Hence, in the present study, Mentha piperita (peppermint) oil was shown to have strong antimicrobial activities; it could be used as a potential food additive for improving the quality of various milk-based products due to its various bioactive properties. Future studies should be conducted for manufacturing functional dairy products with the addition of peppermint oil to prevent and/or alleviate specific diseases.