• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.584-591
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• 2015

This study characterized the fecal bacterial community structure and inter-individual variation in 30-week-old Duroc pigs, which are known for their excellent meat quality. Pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes generated 108,254 valid reads and 508 operational taxonomic units at a 95% identity cut-off (genus level). Bacterial diversity and species richness as measured by the Shannon diversity index were significantly greater than those reported previously using denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis; thus, this study provides substantial information related to both known bacteria and the untapped portion of unclassified bacteria in the population. The bacterial composition of Duroc pig fecal samples was investigated at the phylum, class, family, and genus levels. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes predominated at the phylum level, while Clostridia and Bacteroidia were most abundant at the class level. This study also detected prominent inter-individual variation starting at the family level. Among the core microbiome, which was observed at the genus level, Prevotella was consistently dominant, as well as a bacterial phylotype related to Oscillibacter valericigenes, a valerate producer. This study found high bacterial diversity and compositional variation among individuals of the same breed line, as well as high abundance of unclassified bacterial phylotypes that may have important functions in the growth performance of Duroc pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.1142-1158
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• 2021

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolic products produced during the microbial fermentation of non-digestible fibers and play an important role in metabolic homeostasis and overall gut health. In this study, we investigated the effects of supplementation with multispecies probiotics (MSPs) containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, and Levilactobacillus brevis on the gut microbiota, and fecal SCFAs and lactate levels of weaned pigs. A total of 38 pigs weaned at 4 weeks of age were fed either a basal diet or a diet supplemented with MSPs for 6 weeks. MSP administration significantly increased the fecal concentrations of lactate (2.3-fold; p < 0.01), acetate (1.8-fold; p < 0.05), and formate (1.4-fold; p < 0.05). Moreover, MSP supplementation altered the gut microbiota of the pigs by significantly increasing the population of potentially beneficial bacteria such as Olsenella, Catonella, Catenibacterium, Acidaminococcus, and Ruminococcaceae. MSP supplementation also decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia and Chlamydia. The modulation of the gut microbiota was observed to be strongly correlated with the changes in fecal SCFAs and lactate levels. Furthermore, we found changes in the functional pathways present within the gut, which supports our findings that MSP modulates the gut microbiota and SCFAs levels in pigs. The results support the potential use of MSPs to improve the gut health of animals by modulating SCFAs production.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.109-127
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• 2023

Objectives : It was conducted to experimentally analyze the effects of acupuncture treatment at CV12, ST25, and ST36 on weight, FBCS, fat metabolism, microbiome, and metabolome changes in the general diet rat and the high-fat diet rat. Methods : It was classified into four groups: general diet & non-treatment group (ND), general diet & acupuncture treatment group (ND+AT), high-fat diet & non-treatment group (HFD), and high-fat diet & acupuncture treatment group (HFD-AT). After acupuncture treatment was performed on CV12, ST25, and ST36, changes in body weight, FBCS, fat metabolism, microbiome, and metabolome were analyzed. Results : Compared to the ND group, acupuncture treatment performed on CV12, ST25, and ST36 in the ND+AT group had no significant effect. Compared to the HFD group, CV12, ST25, and ST36 acupuncture in the HFD+AT group reduced weight, fat weight, inflammatory cytokine IL-6 expression, and lipid droplet accumulation in liver tissue. Acupuncture can promote fat metabolism and relieve inflammatory conditions. Differences in diversity between ND and HFD groups were clear in changes in microbiome, fecal metabolites, and serum metabolites. As a result of some microbiome and metabolites involved in fat decomposition, intestinal lipid absorption, and blood lipid concentration control, such as Intestinimonas, Ruminococcus 1, pyroglutamic acid, tryptophan, and inositol, it was observed that the acupuncture treatment effect was evident in the disease-induced imbalance. Conclusions : Acupuncture treatment performed on CV12, ST25, ST36 clearly observed various regulatory actions on obesity induced by high-fat diet, confirming that the action of acupuncture treatment mainly plays a role in controlling an unbalanced state.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.229-237
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• 2019

More effective treatments are needed for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We hypothesized that water extracts of blackberry fruits (BF) and leaves (BL) and their combinations (BFL) reduce fat deposition in HepG2 cells and modulate shor-tchain fatty acids (SCFA) and fecal bacteria in vitro. HepG2 cells were treated with BF, BL, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 for 1 h, and 0.5 mM palmitate was added to the cells. Moreover, low ($30{\mu}g/mL$) and high doses ($90{\mu}g/mL$) of BL and BF were applied to fecal bacteria in vitro, and SCFA was measured by GC. BL, BF, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 reduced triglyceride deposition in the cells in a dose-dependent manner, and BFL1:2 and BFL1:3 had a stronger effect than BF. The content of malondialdehyde, an index of oxidative stress, was also reduced in BL, BF, and BFL1:2 with increasing superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. The mRNA expression of acetyl CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c was reduced in BL, BF, BFL1:2, and BFL1:3 compared to the control, and BFL1:2 had the strongest effect. By contrast, the carnitine palmitolytransferase-1expression, a regulator of fatty acid oxidation, increased mostly in BFL1:2 and BFL1:3. Tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-$1{\beta}$ expression was reduced in BL compared to that in BF and BFL1:2 in HepG2 cells. Interestingly, BL increased propionate production, and BF increased butyrate and propionate production and increased total SCFA content in fecal incubation. BF increased the contents of Bifidobacteriales and Lactobacillales and decreased those of Clostridiales, whereas BL elevated the contents of Bacteroidales and decreased those of Enterobacteriales. In conclusion, BFL1:2 and BFL1:3 may be potential therapeutic candidates for NAFLD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1111-1118
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• 2023

As a long-term condition that affects the airways and lungs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by inflammation, emphysema, breathlessness, chronic cough, and sputum production. Currently, the bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for COPD are mostly off-target, warranting new disease management strategies. Accumulating research has revealed the gut-lung axis to be a bidirectional communication system. Cigarette smoke, a major exacerbating factor in COPD and lung inflammation, affects gut microbiota composition and diversity, causing gut microbiota dysbiosis, a condition that has recently been described in COPD patients and animal models. For this review, we focused on the gut-lung axis, which is influenced by gut microbial metabolites, bacterial translocation, and immune cell modulation. Further, we have summarized the findings of preclinical and clinical studies on the association between gut microbiota and COPD to provide a basis for using gut microbiota in therapeutic strategies against COPD. Our review also proposes that further research on probiotics, prebiotics, short-chain fatty acids, and fecal microbiota transplantation could assist therapeutic approaches targeting the gut microbiota to alleviate COPD.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2024

This retrospective case series assessed the effectiveness of commercially available oral fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for treating chronic enteropathies in eight animals, five dogs, and three cats, between 2020 and 2023 at the Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Chronic enteropathies, often resistant to conventional therapies, present a significant challenge in veterinary medicine. To assess oral capsule FMT's effectiveness (Doggybiome^® one capsule daily for dogs and Kittybiome^® one capsule daily for cats) as a universal adjunctive therapy for chronic enteropathies across species not responding to traditional treatments. This retrospective case series applied a uniform evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms and treatment efficacy, utilizing established scoring systems (Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index [CIBDAI] and Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index [CCECAI] for dogs, Feline Chronic Enteropathy Activity Index [FCEAI] for cats) before and one month after FMT. This approach ensured consistency in hypothesis testing across the study population. Results revealed significant improvements in clinical indices post-FMT, with notable reductions in the CIBDAI, CCECAI, and FCEAI scores (p < 0.05). Additionally, symptoms such as anorexia, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss showed marked improvement, with normalization of appetite and activity levels observed in most cases. No adverse effects were reported, indicating the safety and tolerability of this treatment. This study highlights the potential of oral capsule FMT as a viable therapeutic option for dogs and cats with chronic enteropathies unresponsive to conventional treatments, providing a new avenue for clinical management. Further research is warranted to expand these findings and explore the microbiome changes associated with FMT in veterinary patients.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.57-64
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• 2021

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), belonging to the Firmicutes phylum, lack heme biosynthesis and, thus, are characterized as fermentative and catalase-negative organisms. To verify the hypothesis that heme-rich-nutrients might compensate the heme-biosynthesis incapability of non-respiratory LAB in animal gut, a heme-rich-nutrient was fed to a dog and its fecal microbiome was analyzed. Firmicutes abundance in the feces from the heme-rich-nutrient-fed dog was 99%, compared to 92% in the control dog. To clarify the reason of increased Firmicutes abundance in the feces from the heme-rich-nutrient-fed dog, Lacobacillus gasseri were used as model anerobic LAB to study a purified heme (hemin). The anaerobic growth of L. gasseri in the medium with 25 µM hemin supplementation was faster than that in the medium without hemin, while the growth in the 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium did not vary. Cellular activities of the cytochrome bd complex were 1.55 ± 0.19, 2.11 ± 0.14, and 2.20 ± 0.08 U/gcell in the cells from 0, 25, and 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium, while intracellular ATP concentrations were 7.90 ± 1.12, 11.95 ± 0.68, and 12.56 ± 0.58 µmol_ATP/g_cell, respectively. The ROS-scavenging activities of the L. gasseri cytosol from 25 µM and 50 µM hemin-supplemented medium were 68% and 82% greater than those of the cytosol from no hemin supplemented-medium, respectively. These findings indicate that external hemin could compensate the heme-biosynthesis incapability of L. gasseri by increasing the cytosolic ROS-scavenging and extra ATP generation, possibly through increasing the electron transfer. Increase in the number of anaerobic bacteria in heme-rich-nutrient-fed animal gut is discussed based on the results.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1698-1710
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• 2022

Objective: Raw potato starch (RPS) is resistant to digestion, escapes absorption, and is metabolized by intestinal microflora in the large intestine and acts as their energy source. In this study, we compared the effect of different concentrations of RPS on the intestinal bacterial community of weaned piglets. Methods: Male weaned piglets (25-days-old, 7.03±0.49 kg) were either fed a corn/soybean-based control diet (CON, n = 6) or two treatment diets supplemented with 5% RPS (RPS5, n = 4) or 10% RPS (RPS10, n = 4) for 20 days and their fecal samples were collected. The day 0 and 20 samples were analyzed using a 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology, followed by total genomic DNA extraction, library construction, and high-throughput sequencing. After statistical analysis, five phyla and 45 genera accounting for over 0.5% of the reads in any of the three groups were further analyzed. Furthermore, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the day 20 fecal samples were analyzed using gas chromatography. Results: Significant changes were not observed in the bacterial composition at the phylum level even after 20 d post feeding (dpf); however, the abundance of Intestinimonas and Barnesiella decreased in both RPS treatment groups compared to the CON group. Consumption of 5% RPS increased the abundance of Roseburia (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Clostridium (p<0.01) and Mediterraneibacter (p< 0.05). In contrast, consumption of 10% RPS increased the abundance of Olsenella (p<0.05) and decreased the abundance of Campylobacter (p<0.05), Kineothrix (p<0.05), Paraprevotella (p<0.05), and Vallitalea (p<0.05). Additionally, acetate (p<0.01), butyrate (p<0.05), valerate (p = 0.01), and total SCFAs (p = 0.01) were upregulated in the RPS5 treatment group Conclusion: Feeding 5% RPS altered bacterial community composition and promoted gut health in weaned piglets. Thus, resistant starch as a feed additive may prevent diarrhea in piglets during weaning.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1846-1849
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• 2018

Recent human gut microbiome studies have supported that the genus Bifidobacterium is one of the most beneficial bacteria for human intestinal health. To develop a new probiotic strain for functional food applications, fourteen fecal samples were collected from healthy Koreans and the strain BCBR-583 was newly selected and isolated from a 25-year-old Korean woman's fecal sample using the selective medium for Bifidobacterium. Subsequent fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (F6PPK) test and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the strain BCBR-583 confirmed that it belongs to B. longum subsp. longum. The stress resistance tests showed that it has oxygen and heat tolerance activities (5- and 3.9-fold increase for 24 h at 60 and 120 rpm, respectively; $78.61{\pm}6.67%$ survival rate at $45^{\circ}C$ for 24 h). In addition, gut environment adaptation tests revealed that this strain may be well-adapted in the gut habitat, with gastric acid/bile salt resistance ($85.79{\pm}1.53%$, survival rate under 6 h treatments of gastric acid and bile salt) and mucin adhesion ($73.72{\pm}7.36%$). Furthermore, additional tests including cholesterol lowering assay showed that it can reduce $86.31{\pm}1.85%$ of cholesterol. Based on these results, B. longum BCBR-583 has various stress resistance for survival during food processing and environmental adaptation activities for dominant survival in the gut, suggesting that it could be a good candidate for fermented food applications as a new probiotic strain.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2019

Microbial community and composition in stormwater runoff from mixed land use land cover (LULC) catchment with ongoing land development was diverse across the hydrological stage due different environmental parameters (hydrometeorological and physicochemical) and source of runoff. However, limited studies have been made for bacterial composition in this catchment. Therefore, this study aims to: (1) quantify the concentration of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), stormwater quality and bacterial composition and structure according to hydrological stage; and (2) determine their correlation to environmental parameters. The 454 pyrosequencing was used to determine the bacterial community and composition; while Pearson's correlation was used to determine the correlation among parameters-FIB, stormwater quality, bacterial composition and structure-to environmental parameters. Results demonstrated that the initial and peak runoff has the highest concentration of FIB, stormwater quality and bacterial composition and structure. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were dominant bacteria identified in this catchment. Furthermore, the 20 most abundant genera were correlated with runoff duration, average rainfall intensity, runoff volume, runoff flow, temperature, pH, organic matter, nutrients, TSS and turbidity. An increase of FIB and stormwater quality concentration, diversity and richness of bacterial composition and structure in this study was possibly due to leakage from septic tanks, cesspools and latrines; feces of domestic and wild animals; and runoff from forest, destroyed septic system in land development site and urban LULC. Overall, this study will provide an evidence of hydrological stage impacts on the runoff microbiome environment and public health perspective.