• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.659-673
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• 2023

Compared to infant formula, breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants; it not only improves the neonatal intestinal function, but also regulates the immune system and gut microbiota composition. However, probiotic-fortified infant formula may further enhance the infant gut environment by overcoming the limitations of traditional infant formula. We investigated the probiotic formula administration for one month by comparing 118 Korean infants into the following three groups: infants in each group fed with breast milk (50), probiotic formula (35), or placebo formula-fed group (33). Probiotic formula improved stool consistency and defecation frequency compared to placebo formula-fed group. The probiotic formula helped maintaining the level of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), which had remarkably decreased over time in placebo formula-fed infants (compared to weeks 0 and 4). Moreover, probiotic formula decreased the acidity of stool and considerably increased the butyrate concentration. Furthermore, the fecal microbiota of each group was evaluated at weeks 0 and 4. The microbial composition was distinct between each groups, and the abundance of health-promoting bacteria increased in the probiotic formula compared to the placebo formula-fed group. In summary, supplementation of probiotic infant formula can help optimize the infant gut environment, microbial composition, and metabolic activity of the microbiota, mimicking those of breast milk.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1648-1656
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• 2023

We have previously observed that feeding with single-cell hemoprotein (heme-SCP) in dogs (1 g/day for 6 days) and broiler chickens (1 ppm for 32 days) increased the proportion of lactic acid bacteria in the gut while reducing their body weights by approximately 1~2%. To define the roles of heme-SCP in modulating body weight and gut microbiota, obese C57BL/6N mice were administered varied heme-SCP concentrations (0, 0.05, and 0.5% heme-SCP in high fat diet) for 28 days. The heme-SCP diet seemed to restrain weight gain till day 14, but the mice gained weight again later, showing no significant differences in weight. However, the heme-SCP-fed mice had stiffer and oilier bodies compared with those of the control mice, which had flabby bodies and dull coats. When mice were dissected at day 10, the obese mice fed with heme-SCP exhibited a reduction in subcutaneous fat with an increase in muscle mass. The effect of heme-SCP on the obesity-associated dyslipidemia tended to be corroborated by the blood parameters (triglyceride, total cholesterol, and C-reactive protein) at day 10, though the correlation was not clear at day 28. Notably, the heme-SCP diet altered gut microbiota, leading to the proliferation of known anti-obesity biomarkers such as Akkermansia, Alistipes, Oscillibacter, Ruminococcus, Roseburia, and Faecalibacterium. This study suggests the potential of heme-SCP as an anti-obesity supplement, which modulates serum biochemistry and gut microbiota in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1299-1306
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• 2024

Antibiotics are used to control infectious diseases. However, adverse effects of antibiotics, such as devastation of the gut microbiota and enhancement of the inflammatory response, have been reported. Health benefits of fermented milk are established and can be enhanced by the addition of probiotic strains. In this study, we evaluated effects of fermented milk containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) SNUG50430 in a mouse model with antibiotic treatment. Fermented milk containing 2 × 10⁵ colony-forming units of L. rhamnosus SNUG50430 was administered to six week-old female BALB/c mice for 1 week. Interleukin (IL)-10 levels in colon samples were significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared to water-treated mice, whereas interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were decreased, of mice treated with fermented milk containing L. rhamnosus SNUG50430-antibiotics-treated (FM+LR+Abx-treated) mice. Phylum Firmicutes composition in the gut was restored and the relative abundances of several bacteria, including the genera Coprococcus and Lactobacillus, were increased in FM+LR+Abx-treated mice compared to PBS+Abx-treated mice. Interestingly, abundances of genus Coprococcus and Lactobacillus were positively correlated with IL-5 and IL-10 levels (P < 0.05) in colon samples and negative correlated with IFN-γ and TNF-α levels in serum samples (P < 0.001). Acetate and butyrate were increased in mice with fermented milk and fecal microbiota of FM+LR+Abx-treated mice were highly enriched with butyrate metabolism pathway compared to water-treated mice (P < 0.05). Thus, fermented milk containing L. rhamnosus SNUG50430 was shown to ameliorate adverse health effects caused by antibiotics through modulating immune responses and the gut microbiota.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.242-248
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Feeding in infancy is the most significant determinant of the intestinal microbiota in early life. The aim of this study was to determine the gut microbiota of Korean infants and compare the microbiota obtained between breast-fed and formula-fed Korean infants. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We analyzed the microbial communities in fecal samples collected from twenty 4-week old Korean (ten samples in each breast-fed or formula-fed) infants using pyrosequencing. RESULTS: The fecal microbiota of the 4-week-old Korean infants consisted of the three phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. In addition, five species, including Bifidocbacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, Strepotococcus lactarius, Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae, and Lactobacillus gasseri were common commensal intestinal microbiota in all infants. The predominant intestinal microbiota in the breast-fed infants (BFI) included the phylum Actinobacteria (average 70.55%), family Bifidobacteriacea (70.12%), genus Bifidobacterium (70.03%) and species Bifidobacterium longum (69.96%). In the microbiota from the formula-fed infants (FFI), the proportion of the phylum Actinobacteria (40.68%) was less, whereas the proportions of Firmicutes (45.38%) and Proteobacteria (13.85%) as well as the diversity of each taxonomic level were greater, compared to those of the BFI. The probiotic species found in the 4-week-old Korean infants were Bifidobacterium longum, Streptococcus salivarius, and Lactobacillus gasseri. These probiotic species accounted for 93.81% of the microbiota from the BFI, while only 63.80% of the microbiota from the FFI. In particular, B. longum was more abundant in BFI (69.96%) than in FFI (34.17%). CONCLUSIONS: Breast milk supports the growth of B. longum and inhibits others. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first attempt to analyze the gut microbiota of healthy Korean infants according to the feeding type using pyrosequencing. Our data can be used as a basis for further studies to investigate the development of intestinal microbiota with aging and disease status.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1819-1826
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• 2020

Increasing evidence suggests a potential role of microbial colonization in the inception of chronic airway diseases. However, it is not clear whether the lung and gut microbiome dysbiosis is coincidental or a result of mutual interaction. In this study, we investigated the airway microbiome in interleukin 13 (IL-13)-rich lung environment and related alterations of the gut microbiome. IL-13-overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice presented enhanced eosinophilic inflammatory responses and mucus production, together with airway hyperresponsiveness and subepithelial fibrosis. While bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and cecum samples obtained from 10-week-old IL-13 TG mice and their C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) littermates showed no significant differences in alpha diversity of lung and gut microbiome, they presented altered beta diversity in both lung and gut microbiota in the IL-13 TG mice compared to the WT mice. Lung-specific IL-13 overexpression also altered the composition of the gut as well as the lung microbiome. In particular, IL-13 TG mice showed an increased proportion of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria and a decreased amount of Bacteroidetes in the lungs, and depletion of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the gut. The patterns of polymicrobial interaction within the lung microbiota were different between WT and IL-13 TG mice. For instance, in IL-13 TG mice, lung Mesorhizobium significantly affected the alpha diversity of both lung and gut microbiomes. In summary, chronic asthma-like pathologic changes can alter the lung microbiota and affect the gut microbiome. These findings suggest that the lung-gut microbial axis might actually work in asthma.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.83-87
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• 2020

Fermented foods have been recognized as functional foods that provide health benefits, including the modulation of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the effects of coffee beans fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on healthy human gut microbiota. Fermentation increased the content of beneficial substances (i.e., flavonoids and polyphenols). The consumption of fermented coffee increased the occurrence of beneficial microorganisms such as fiber degraders and short-chain fatty acid producers, although no significant microbiota shifts were observed after the coffee consumption. The analysis of metabolic activities also showed no difference after the coffee consumption. Our study demonstrates that the consumption of the fermented coffee may increase some beneficial bacterial while remaining the gut microbiota and its activities.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.575-583
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• 2021

Composition of the gut microbiota changes with aging and plays an important role in age-associated disease such as metabolic syndrome, cancer, and neurodegeneration. The gut microbiota composition oscillates through the day, and the disruption of their diurnal rhythm results in gut dysbiosis leading to metabolic and immune dysfunctions. It is well documented that circadian rhythm changes with age in several biological functions such as sleep, body temperature, and hormone secretion. However, it is not defined whether the diurnal pattern of gut microbial composition is affected by aging. To evaluate aging effects on the diurnal pattern of the gut microbiome, we evaluated the taxa profiles of cecal contents obtained from young and aged mice of both sexes at daytime and nighttime points by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At the phylum level, the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and the relative abundances of Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria were increased in aged male mice at night compared with that of young male mice. Meanwhile, the relative abundances of Sutterellaceae, Alloprevotella, Lachnospiraceae UCG-001, and Parasutterella increased in aged female mice at night compared with that of young female mice. The Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group relative abundance increased in aged mice of both sexes but at opposite time points. These results showed the changes in diurnal patterns of gut microbial composition with aging, which varied depending on the sex of the host. We suggest that disturbed diurnal patterns of the gut microbiome can be a factor for the underlying mechanism of age-associated gut dysbiosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1335-1340
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• 2019

Probiotics, including bacteria and yeast, are live microorganisms that have demonstrated beneficial effects on human health. Recently, probiotic bacteria are constantly being studied and their applications are also being considered in promising adjuvant treatments for various intestinal diseases. Clinical trials and in vivo experiments have extended our current understanding of the important roles that probiotics play in human gut microbiomeassociated diseases. It has been documented through many clinical trials that probiotics could shape the intestinal microbiota leading to potential control of multiple bowel diseases and promotion of overall wellness. In this review, we focused on the relationship between probiotics and the human gut microbiota and its roles in gut microbiome-associated diseases. Here, we also discuss future directions and research areas that need further elucidation in order to better understand the roles of probiotics in the treatment of intestinal diseases.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2013

The human-associated microbiota is diverse, varies between individuals and body sites, and is important in human health. Microbes in human body play an essential role in immunity, health, and disease. The human microbiome has been studies using the advances of next-generation sequencing and its metagenomic applications. This has allowed investigation of the microbial composition in the human body, and identification of the functional genes expressed by this microbial community. The gut microbes have been found to be the most diverse and constitute the densest cell number in the human microbiota; thus, it has been studied more than other sites. Early results have indicated that the imbalances in gut microbiota are related to numerous disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and atopy. Clinical therapy involving modulating of the microbiota, such as fecal transplantation, has been applied, and its effects investigated in some diseases. Human microbiome studies form part of human genome projects, and understanding gleaned from studies increase the possibility of various applications including personalized medicine.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1345-1352
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• 2016

The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.