• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2014

There is a burgeoning number of products on the market that contain probiotics, but do they do you any good? What exactly are probiotics? They have been defined as living organisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They are often referred to as "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria." Probiotics have been claimed, amongst other things, to (i) reduce the incidence of colon cancer and other diseases of the colon, such as IBS, (ii) stimulate the immune system, (iii) have anti-hypertensive and anti-cholesterolemic properties, (iv) mitigate against the effect of antibiotics on the intestinal microbiota, and (v) protect against gastrointestinal infections. However, the scientific basis for many of these claims is not well-established. Indeed, the European Food Safety Authority has denied the use of several health claims associated with probiotics, particularly those related to mitigation of diarrhea following consumption of antibiotics. Thus, there is a need for research on the mechanisms of action of probiotics. We have been mainly interested in the use of probiotics to control enteric infections. There are several possible modes of action to explain how probiotics may protect the host from enteric pathogens, including competitive exclusion and immunomodulation. We have shown that probiotics produce bioactive molecules that interfere with bacterial cell-cell communication (also called quorum sensing), and this results in a down-regulation of virulence genes that are responsible for attachment of the pathogen to the gastrointestinal epithelium. These bioactive molecules act on a variety of bacteria, including enterohemorrhagic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens, and there is evidence that they can inhibit the formation of biofilms by Listeria monocytogenes. These bioactive molecules, which are peptidic in nature, can exert their effects not only in vitro but also in vivo, and we have shown that they mitigate against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in mice and Salmonella and E. coli K88 infections in pigs. They can be delivered in foods such as yoghurt and maintain their activity.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.413-422
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the dietary attitude and health on the stress status of office - workers in Seoul. This research was conducted on 389 office workers (224 males and 165 female). In relation to stress, it was found that the degree of stress as an office workers was ′slight′ and much for 45.2% and 40.6%, respectively, of the study population. Consequently, most office workers were found to be under stress. The amount of food intake under stress was found to be ′reduced′, unchanged and increased in 38.3, 37.0 and 24.7%, respectively, of those surveyed. The preferred foods when under stress were found to be alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, in 57.6% of cases, which was the highest proportion regardless of age, sex, marital status, occupation and educational level. The desired taste when under stress was found to be ′hot′ and sweet in 34.7 and 26.0%, respectively. As to the feeling after food intake, 51.7% responded that food intake was not useful for the relief of stress, which was the highest proportion and many salaried females worried about weight gain. With regard to the relationship between stress, health and nutrition, 69.9% of office workers responded that they thought the relationship of these factors was very high. As for the greatest cause triggering stress, 50.3% responded "due to workplace and job". The best method for relieving stress was to do exercise, with a 30.1 % response, The average score for the degree of stress and tension was 7.2, with 64.0% of office workers having an average level between 6- and 9. The degree of stress was higher for females than males, for unmarried salaried and hot-tempered persons. Those not doing exercise were subject to the highest levels of stress, and those a having sufficient sleep were found to be subject to less stress. Those interested in their health were found to have a good condition and lower levels of stress. In correlation with eating habits, stress, the degree of tension and personality, the F-value was found to be 43.505 (p<0.01), with an explanatory power of 0.294 (29.4%), indicating significant differences. This means that office workers with higher degrees of stress and tension tended to have poorer eating habits. Since bad eating habits have an adverse effect on both the state of physical health and individuals emotional development, for the purpose of correctly managing stress, office workers should make efforts to practice good eating habits.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.935-943
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• 2015

The purposes of this study were to investigate consumption of home-delivered meals among children from low-income families and to assess their perception of the home-delivered meal service. A survey was conducted on 392 children who had received home-delivered meals, and 208 questionnaires (response rate: 53.1%) were analyzed using SPSS (ver 18.0). The respondents consisted of elementary school students (36.1%), middle school students (33.7%), and high school students (30.2%). Approximately half of children received home-delivered meals during their semester and vacation periods, and 52.2% of respondents shared the delivered meals with their brothers or sisters. Eighty-six point one percent of respondents consumed delivered meals within 4 hours after the meals were received at home, and approximately a fifth of respondents left the delivered meal boxes on a sink counter or table until eating. Leftover foods were kept in the refrigerator (52.2%) or on the sink counter/table (2.5%). The quality of the home-delivered meal service was assessed as 3.3 points based on a 5-point scale. 'Food safety is good' received the highest score (3.62) and 'Food taste is good' received the lowest score (3.07). The results showed that children receiving the home-delivered meal service should be provided information on proper handling and consumption of the delivered meals at home.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.506-511
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• 2023

The purposes of this study were to isolate and characterize lactic acid bacteria with antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from fermented food and to confirm the antibacterial activities of fermented rice products using the isolated lactic acid bacterium. Three bacteria, namely, Weissella sp. ISF-1, ISF-2, and ISF-3, were selected from fermented squid based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence. All three strains grew well in an MRS medium containing 5% (w/v) NaCl and showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and MRSA. Their growth was excellent at 0% ~ 5% (w/v) NaCl and relatively good up to 7% (w/v) NaCl. The initial pH of 8 was optimal for their growth, and good growth was also observed at pH 6, 7, and 9. The lyophilisates of the fermented rice using Weissella sp. ISF-1 showed antibacterial activities against B. cereus, S. aureus, and MRSA. We inferred that isolated lactic acid bacteria could be useful in the development of probiotics and biopreservatives for foods and in the treatment of MRSA and may increase the value of rice products.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.762-772
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• 2006

This study was conducted to investigate dietary intakes, serum concentrations, and urinary excretions of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and chromium (Cr) of Korean young adult women. A total of 19 apparently healthy young adult women aged in their twenties or thirties participated voluntarily. One-tenth of all foods they consumed for 3 consecutive days were collected, all urine excreted for the same 3 days was gathered, and fasting venous blood was withdrawn for the trace mineral analyses. Of the food, blood, and urine samples, the contents of Zn, Cu, Mn, Se, Mo, and Cr were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and that of Fe by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) after wet digestion. The intake of Fe, $6.94{\pm}2.18mg$, did not meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for Korean women aged 20-29 years old. On the contrary, the intakes of Zn ($9.35{\pm}4.95mg$), Cu ($1.18{\pm}0.26mg$), and Mn ($3.69{\pm}0.69mg$) were sufficient for each respective EAR. However, some of the subjects did not take the EAR for Zn. The Se intake, $41.93{\pm}9.28{\mu}g$, however, was almost similar to the EAR for Se. Although there are no references for Mo and Cr, the intakes of these minerals ($134.0{\pm}49.1\;and\;136.5{\pm}147.9{\mu}g$, respectively) seemed to be excessively sufficient. Serum Fe concentration, $88.7{\pm}36.8{\mu}g/dL$, seemed to be a little bit lower than its reference median but within its normal range. Approximately one-fourth of the subjects were in anemic determined by Hb and Hct and below the deficiency serum level of Fe, $60{\mu}g/dL$. In addition, serum Se concentration, $3.73{\pm}0.60{\mu}g/dL$, was also below its reference median and normal range. However, serum concentrations of Zn ($99.6{\pm}30.6{\mu}g/dL$) and Mo ($0.25{\pm}0.10{\mu}g/dL$) were fairly good compared to each reference median. The status of Cu could be determined as good although its serum concentration ($91.6{\pm}14.6{\mu}g/dL$) was slightly below its reference median. Since there are no decisive reference values, it was not easy to evaluate serum concentrations of Mn ($0.93{\pm}0.85{\mu}g/dL$) and Cr ($8.60{\pm}7.25{\mu}g/dL$). But Mn and Cr status seemed to be adequate. Urinary Fe excretion, $4.48{\pm}1.98{\mu}g/dL$, was pretty much lower than its reference and that of Se, $2.45{\pm}1.17{\mu}g/dL$, was also lower than its average. On the other hand, those of Zn ($42.95{\pm}20.47{\mu}g/dL$) and Cu ($5.68{\pm}1.50{\mu}g/dL$) were flirty good. In case of Mn, urinary excretion, $0.31{\pm}0.09{\mu}g/dL$, was much greater than its reference. Urinary excretions of Mo ($7.48{\pm}2.95{\mu}g/dL$) and Cr ($1.37{\pm}0.41{\mu}g/dL$) were very higher compared to each reference. The results of this study revealed that Korean young adult women were considerably poor in Fe status, a bit inadequate in Se status, partly inadequate in Zn status, and flirty good in Cu, Mn, Mo and Cr status. However, there was a problem of excessive intakes of Mo and Cr. It, therefore, should be concerned to increase the intakes of Fe, Se and Zn but to decrease Mo and Cr consumption for young adult women.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.812-813
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• 1995

Lactococcal cells are nutritionally fastidious and thus, generally cultured either in milk or M17 medium (Terzaghi and Sandine, 1975). In this study, Lactococcus cremoris wild-type (KH) and its less­proteolytic mutant (KHA1) cells were grown on the M17 medium or with modified M17 medium by replicated parallel experiments. The modified M17 medium had the same composition as M17 medium, except that lactose was replaced by glucose. Analyses of culture-broth samples, in which the M17 and the modified M17 media were used, were conducted by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). But, working with these media created noisy problems in analyses of samples. Therefore, a new semi-synthetic medium was developed on the basis of nutritional requirements (Morishita et al., 1981). The composition of the semi-synthetic medium determined on the basis of the nutritional requirements and the composition of milk, is presented in Table 1. The composition of M17 medium is also presented and compared in the table. L. cremoris KH and KHA1 cells were grown again on the new synthetic medium containing glucose or lactose. The broth samples were then drawn and analyzed by HPLC. Clearer separations of fermented products were achieved from the new medium than those with the M17 and the modified M17 media. In comparison with the M17 or the modified M17 media, growth on the new medium was good (Kim et al, 1993). Additional fermentations were also carried out at a controlled pH of 7.0, where enhanced growth of lactococcal cells was obtained. In the fermentations, samples were also analyzed for the concentrations of sugar and lactic acid. The results showed that the new synthetic medium was as good as or better than the M 17 and the modified M 17 media. This is because casein hydrolysate in the synthetic medium provided a ready supply of amino acids and peptides for L. cremoris KH and KHA1 cells. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) including Lactococcal cells have been known to be an effective means of preserving foods, at the same time as giving particular tastes in fields of dairy products. LAB also have always occupied an important place in the technology of sea products, and marine LAB have known to be present in traditional fermented products (Ohhira et al, 1988). To apply the new synthetic medium to marine LAB, two different LAB were isolated from pickled anchovy and pollacks caviar and were grown on the new media in which various concentrations of NaCl $(3, 5, 7 and 10\%)$ added. They were also grown on the medium solution in natural seawater $(35\%o\;salinity)$ and on the solution of natural seawater itself, too. As seen in Fig. 1, Marine LAB were grown best on the synthetic medium solution in natural seawater and the higher concentrations of NaCl were added to the medium, the longer lag-phase of growth profile appeared. Marine LAB in natural seawater were not grown well. From these results, the synthetic medium seems good to cultivate cells which are essential to get salted fish aged. In this study, it showed that the new synthetic medium provided adequate nutrition for L. cremoris KH and KHA1 cells, which have been used as cheese starters (Stadhouders et al, 1988). Using this new medium, the acid production capability of starter cultures could be also measured quantitatively. Thus, this new medium was inferior to the M17 or the modified M17 medium in culturing the cheese starters and in measuring fermentation characteristics of the starter cells. Moreover, this new medium found to be good for selected and well-identified marine LAB which are used in rapid fermentations of low-salted fish.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.455-463
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• 1996

A survey was conducted to investigate the perceptions of health and foods, and the food habits among the elderly men who came to the Tap-Gol park on a daily basis. A total of 253 subjects were selected for this study. The data was analyzed through the $X^2-test$, Duncan's multiple range test and Pearson Correlation by the use of SAS program. The results were as follows. The majority of the subjects were in their 70's. 56.1% of them lived with their sons' families, 9.1% lived alone, and 27.3% lived with a spouse. 32% of the subjects were living with the expense less than 50,000 won per month. Although some were suffering from such diseases as arthritis, indigestion, and hypertension etc., the subjects were generally in good health. Their dependance on dietary supplements were insignificant. Most of the subject had a common-sensible notion as to health. They put emphasis on the three factors for the maintenance of good health: a balanced diet, a peace of mind and exercising. With regard to the food habits, the majority were fair in general. The subject living with family had more regular meals than the single people did. 41.5% of the subjects responded that they had irregular meals, mainly for lunch due to a poor appetite or a financial problem. The respondents cited protein food, milk, fruit, sea weeds and food cooked with oil as conducive to good health. But what they consumed did not match what they thought was good, particularly milk. The results of this study lead to the suggestion that Korea need to develop such a lunch program for the elderly as is practiced in the U.S., through which dietary motivation can be stimulated and a low-priced and balanced diet offered at least for one meal a day.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.99-116
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• 2016

We herein performed animal safety assessment in accordance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations with the aim of developing sialic acid from glycomacropeptide (hereafter referred to as "GMP") as an index ingredient and functional component in functional foods. GMP is a type of whey protein derived from milk and a safe food, with multiple functions, such as antiviral activity. A test substance was produced containing 7% (w/w) sialic acid and mostly-hydrolyzed whey protein (hereafter referred to as "7%-GNANA") by enzymatic treatment of substrate GMP. The maximum intake test dose level was selected based on 5,000 mg/kg/day dose set for male NOEL (no-observed-effect-level) and female NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect-level) determined by a dose-range finding (DRF) test (GLP Center of Catholic University of Daegu, Report No. 15-NREO-001) that was previously conducted with the same test substance. To evaluate the toxicity of a repeated oral dose of the test substance in connection with the previous DRF study, 1,250, 2,500, and 5,000 mg/kg of the substance were administered by a probe into the stomachs of 6-week-old SPF Sprague-Dawley male and female rats for 90 d. Each test group consisted of 10 male and 10 female rats. To determine the toxicity index, all parameters, such as observation of common signs; measurements of body weight and food consumption; ophthalmic examination; urinalysis, electrolyte, hematological, and serum biochemical examination; measurement of organ weights during autopsy; and visual and histopathological examinations were conducted according to GLP standards. After evaluating the results based on the test toxicity assessment criteria, it was determined that NOAEL of the test substance, 7%-GNANA, was 5,000 mg/kg/day, for both male and female rats. No animal death was noted in any of the test groups, including the control group, during the study period, and there was no significant difference associated with test substance, as compared with the control group, with respect to general symptoms, body weight changes, food consumption, ophthalmic examination, urinalysis, hematological and serum biochemical examination, and electrolyte and blood coagulation tests during the administration period (P<0.05). As assessed by the effects of the test substance on organ weights, food consumption, autopsy, and histopathological safety, change in kidney weight as an indicator of male NOAEL revealed up to 20% kidney weight increase in the high-dose group (5,000 mg/kg/day) compared with the change in the control group. However, it was concluded that this effect of the test substance was minor. In the case of female rats, reduction of food consumption, increase of kidney weight, and decrease of thymus weight were observed in the high-dose group. The kidney weight increased by 10.2% (left) and 8.9% (right) in the high-dose group, with a slight dose-dependency compared with that of the control group. It was observed that the thymus weight decreased by 25.3% in the high-dose group, but it was a minor test substance-associated effect. During the autopsy, botryoid tumor was detected on the ribs of one subject in the high-dose group, but we concluded that the tumor has been caused by a naturally occurring (non-test) substance. Histopathological examination revealed lesions on the kidney, liver, spleen, and other organs in the low-dose test group. Since these lesions were considered a separate phenomenon, or naturally occurring and associated with aging, it was checked whether any target organ showed clear symptoms caused by the test substance. In conclusion, different concentrations of the test substance were fed to rats and, consequently, it was verified that only a minor effect was associated with the test substance in the high-dose (5,000 mg/kg/day) group of both male and female rats, without any other significant effects associated with the test substance. Therefore, it was concluded that NOAEL of 7%-GNANA (product name: Helicobactrol) with male and female rats as test animals was 5,000 mg/kg/day, and it thus was determined that the substance is safe for the ultimate use as an ingredient of health functional foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.212-222
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• 2013

We studied the eating habits and sleeping patterns of 682 middle and high school students in their third year in Gwangju. According to the body mass index (BMI) of the subjects, obesity (over weight) was significantly higher in the third graders of high school students ($20.8{\pm}4.0$, 32.9%) than middle school students ($19.4{\pm}3.8$, 14.2%) (p<0.001). In addition, 71.1% of high school students experienced a lack of sleep compared to 48.8% of middle school students (p<0.001). There was a difference between good and bad sleepers in the number of times they ate snacks and the quantity of their snacks. Good sleepers had more fruit and dairy products (e.g. fruit juice 2~4 times (p<0.05), milk 2~4 times (p<0.001), apples 2~4 times, strawberries 2~4 times (p<0.01), and bananas 2~4 times a week), while bad sleepers consumed more beverages, frozen desserts, flour-based foods, fast food, bread, and rice cake. Bad sleepers clearly consumed snacks more frequently. From analyzing the correlations between sleep quality and snack intake, eating fruits 2~4 times a week (30 g~200 g/once) and drinking dairy products 2~4 times a week (120 mL~400 mL/once) appears to promote better sleeping habits.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.383-389
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• 2005

Xerostomia is defined as a subjective complaint of dry mouth that may be perceived when there is insufficient mucosal wetting. However, the diagnosis and treatment of xerostomia is not that simple because of the fact that the subjective awareness of dry mouth is not always correlated with a diminution in the flow of saliva and there is always a difference between individuals in salivary flow rates needed for normal oral function. In the present study, the aim was to develop a questionnaire to evaluate the dry mouth symptoms and to analyze its reliability and usability as a diagnostic and analytic tool for xerostomia. The questionnaire which consists of 6 Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) type questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness and 4 questions to evaluate behavior to avoid oral dryness was developed and administered twice with 1 week's interval to the healthy 88 young adults without dry mouth symptoms(44 males and 44 females; mean age was $25.6{\pm}3.1$ years in male and $24.3{\pm}2.1$ years in female). The results were as follows. 1 The intraclass correlation coefficients of 6 questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness were as significantly high as 0.767 for the degree of oral dryness at other times of the day, 0.850 for the amount of saliva in the mouth, and 0.791 for the degree of effect on daily life due to oral dryness and as high as 0.563 for the degree of oral dryness at night or on awakening, 0.674 for the degree of oral dryness during eating, and 0.641 for the degree of difficulty in swallowing foods. 2. Cronbach's alpha value of 6 questions was 0.982. It can be concluded that the series of questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness has high internal consistency. 3. Cohen's kappa values of 4 questions to evaluate behavior to relieve oral dryness were as significantly high as 0.850 for the frequency of keeping a glass of water at the bedside and as high as 0.506 the frequency of awakening during sleeping due to oral dryness, 0.419 for the frequency of sipping liquids to aid in eating dry foods, and 0.407 for the frequency of using a candy or chewing gum due to oral dryness. From the results, it can be concluded that the questionnaire consisting of 6 VAS type questions to evaluate the subjective oral dryness and 4 questions to evaluate behavior to relieve oral dryness has reliability of good to excellent level, and that the series of 6 VAS type questions has significantly high internal consistency to evaluate the subjective oral dryness.