• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.251-257
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• 2009

The effects of temperature variations during storage on the quality characteristics of muskmelons (Cucumis melo L.) were investigated. In samples stored at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$, weight losses were almost 2.9- and 3.4-fold higher, respectively, compared to samples stored at $0^{\circ}C$. Soluble solids slightly increased except in the samples stored at $10^{\circ}C$, but acidity decreased over the entire storage period. Firmness decreased with storage time, but the samples stored at $0^{\circ}C$ had a lesser decrease in firmness than the samples stored at other temperatures. Water loss from the muskmelon stalk was most inhibited, and vitamin C content was maintained for the longest period, with storage at $4^{\circ}C$. Mineral contents (Ca, Na, Fe, Mg, K) were best maintained in muskmelon samples stored at $10^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, but levels had decreased by 30 days. Microbiological quality was not appreciably different at any storage temperature at 18 days; however, samples stored at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$ had deteriorated by 25 days. The results of sensory evaluations indicated that taste was best retained in samples stored at $10^{\circ}C$ for 15 days, although changes in taste were evident at all storage temperatures. When the samples were stored over 22 days at $10^{\circ}C$, retention of texture and overall acceptability were more inferior compared to samples stored at $0^{\circ}C$ and $4^{\circ}C$. These results suggest that storage at $4^{\circ}C$ can be used to reduce deterioration in muskmelons without significant loss of their quality attributes.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.435-444
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of natural preservatives (G3, G3-1, F3, and F3-1) using Cordyceps militaris on improvement of food quality and safety of noodle during storage. Wheat flour noodle were prepared using three different concentrations of natural preservatives (0.100, 0.200, and 0.400%). Changes in microbial populations, pH value, titratable acidity, and sensory evaluation were measured during storage at $12{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ for 3 days. Overall, use of natural preservatives resulted in lower levels of total mesophilic bacteria, coliform, yeast and mold in noodle compared to the control. In particular, natural preservatives using $2{\times}$ MIC concentrations (0.400%) of F3 and F3-1 were effective at maintaining levels of total mesophilic bacteria for noodle during storage. The pH values of noodle made with F3 and F3-1 were higher than the others. The titratable acidity of noodle with natural preservatives did not significantly change during storage. In sensory evaluation, appearance, color, and overall acceptability of noodle with F3 and F3-1 were preferred than the control. These results could provide useful information for developing an alternative preservation method to improve food quality and shelf-life of noodle using natural preservatives.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.30-37
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• 2013

This study was carried out to assess the spatial and tidal effects on the water quality in the lower reaches of Taewha River, Ulsan, Korea and to understand the environmental factors affecting winter algal bloom in the river. From May, 2010 to January, 2011, water samples were collected at five locations (New Samho Bridge, Old Samho Bridge, Mungjung Stream, Taewha Bridge, and Mungchon Bridge) along the river at high and low tides of spring tide. We measured environmental parameters including salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), chlorophyll a (Chl a) and various nutrient concentrations. Salinity increased towards the downstream direction. Average values of Chl a concentrations ranged $10-26mg/m^3$ at high tide and $11-53mg/m^3$ at low tide depending on sampling locations. It was noteworthy that there were strong increases in Chl a concentrations during the November 21 to December 22 sampling period especially at the Taewha Bridge. At the location, Chl a concentrations were measured as $138-296mg/m^3$ for the period; Rhodomonas lacustris of class Cryptophyceae was the dominant algal species. Chl a concentrations at the Taewha Bridge were positively correlated with such parameters as salinity, BOD, DO, COD, pH, and T-N, and negatively correlated with temperature and $NO_3{^-}$-N. On the other hand, at the Mungchon Bridge the highest concentration of Chl a was $55mg/m^3$ on August 25, and Chl a concentrations were positively correlated with $NH_3$-N, T-N, $PO_4{^{3-}}$-P, T-P, and heterotrophic plate counts. The results suggested that water quality in the lower Taewha River fluctuated a lot with the sampling locations and the patterns of algal blooms were different between Taewha Bridge and Mungchon Bridge sampling locations.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.481-489
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• 2023

The taste and quality of soy sauce, a fermented liquid condiment, is greatly influenced by microbial metabolism during fermentation. To investigate the microbiological characteristics of ganjang during the initial fermentation process, we prepared meju (fermented soybean) blocks fermented with starter cultures and solar salts and analyzed the microbial community quantitively using 16S rRNA gene profiling from ganjang that had been fermented over a five-week period. The ganjang samples were collected and analyzed after soaking for week one (1W), three (3W), and five (5W) weeks. We found that Halomonadaceae was significantly higher in the 1W group (89.83%) than the 3W and 5W groups (14.46%, and 13.78%, respectively). At a species level, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii and Chromohalobacter canadensis were the dominant species in the 1W group but several taxa such as Bacillus subtilis, Pediococcus acidilactici, and Enterococcus faecalis were more abundant in the 3W and 5W groups. Pearson correlation analysis of the relative abundance of the bacteria showed a negative correlation between Chromohalobacter and two bacterial genera Bacillus and Enterococcus. Beta-diversity showed a statistical distinction between the 1W and the 3W and 5W groups, while no significance was evident between the 3W and 5W groups. Linear discriminant effect size analysis was used to identify biomarkers and significant differences in the relative abundance of several halophilic bacteria, Bacillus sp. and lactic acid bacteria at 1W, 3W, and 5W, recpectively, which indicates the important role of the bacterial community at these time points.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2003

No currently available methods to monitor pathogenic protozoa, Cryptosporidium and Giardia in environmental water come close to acceptable sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, and so it has to be accompanied by thorough quality control and performance evaluation to credibly predict the distribution of them. We collected surface water samples from the Han River and spiked our prepared (oo)cysts, determined Matrix Spike recoveries using USEPA Method 1623 and considered what factors influence MS recovery and validity. As a result, average 46% of spiked oocysts and 60% of spike cysts were recovered, but repetitive sampling and statistical approach seemed to be necessary to determine the environmental pollution level of two protozoa as their variation coefficients was so much as 35oio and 26%. And MS recoveries with two acid dissociations during immunomagnetic separation were improved more 10% than that with one dissociations and the use of spiked suspension enumerated by flow cytometry instead of manual preparation enhanced the validity and reliability in spiking tests. Because fluorescence characteristics of (oo)cysts stained on well slides with FITC-labeled monoclonal antibodies and DAPI was not always same, well Elides from spiked field samples were helpful to evaluate the performance of staining. We found many (oo)cyst-like objects with typical fluorescence, not (co)cysts, from the Han River water samples, and then it was concluded that nuclei staining by DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) and examination by Differential Interference Contrast Microscope should be critical for valid identification.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.29-39
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• 2018

The goal of the present work was to determine the optimal addition amounts of liquid smoke and curing mixture to develop Chuncheon Dakgalbi with improved preference and shelf-life. In the first experiment, Chuncheon Dakgalbi was prepared with different amounts of liquid smoke. In the second experiment Chuncheon Dakgalbi was prepared with various amounts of curing mixture and 0.1% (w/w) liquid smoke. Different amounts of liquid smoke resulted in different aroma patterns, which were observed using an electronic nose, and Dakgalbi with 0.1% (w/w) liquid smoke had the highest score in overall acceptability. The addition of liquid smoke and curing mixture inhibited the growth of bacteria, slowed down the decline in pH, and delayed increased in volatile basic nitrogen contents and lipid oxidation. However, no clear effects were observed on instrumental color. From a consumer preference test, the highest preference score was achieved by added 0.2% (w/w) curing mixture. Liquid smoke and curing mixture extended shelf-life and improved preference of Chuncheon Dakgalbi. Considering the physicochemical, microbiological and consumer preference, it was recommended to add 0.1% (w/w) liquid smoke and 0.2% (w/w) curing mixture to Chuncheon Dakgalbi to enhance shelf-life and preference.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.510-519
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the microbiological contamination of the indoor air of the lunchrooms at child care centers and investigate the toxin genes and toxin production ability of food-borne pathogens. Methods: A total of 64 child care centers were sampled to test total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, fungi, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella spp. according to the Korea Food Code. All toxin genes of pathogens were detected using the Polymerase Chain Reaction method. The Sthaph. aureus enterotoxin was detected by a Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-reversed passive latex agglutination kit. The heamolysin BL (HBL) and non-heamolytic enterotoxin (NHE) produced by B. cereus were detected using a B. cereus enterotoxin-reversed passive latex agglutination kit and Bacillus diarrheal enterotoxin visual immunoassay kit, respectively. Results: The means of total aerobic bacteria and coliform bacteria were $1.91{\pm}1.84$ log CFU/plate and $0.47{\pm}0.62$ log CFU/plate, respectively. The mean of fungi also showed $0.59{\pm}0.71$ log CFU/plate. Among the pathogenic bacteria tested in this study, Staphy. aureus and B. cereus were detected in four (6.3%) and 21 (32.8%) out of 64 indoor air samples from lunchrooms in child care centers, respectively. All Staphy. aureus tested in this study possessed no toxin genes and did not produce enterotoxin. The detection rate of nheABC, hblCDA, entFM and ces toxin gene in B. cereus was 100, 57.1, 76.2 and 0%, respectively. B. cereus isolates were classified into four groups according to the presence or absence of toxin genes. The nheABC gene was the major toxin gene among B. cereus tested in this study. The HBL was detected in 11 out of 21 B. cereus isolates (52.4%) and three B. cereus isolates produced NHE (14.3%). Conclusion: The results indicated that the contamination by microorganisms in the indoor air of lunchrooms was unqualified to supply safe catering in child care centers. The ongoing control of indoor air quality is required.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.350-358
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• 2015

This study was designed to evaluate the sanitary characteristics of sea water in a part of the south coast, Korea and to check the seawater which is in compliance with the recommended bacteriological criteria for shellfish cultivation. The samples of sea water were collected at 14 sampling stations established in the survey area between March 2014 and October 2014. Food poisoning caused by seafood consumption is often associated with pathogenic microorganisms originated from fecal contamination. Therefore, fecal coliform is very important criteria for evaluating the safety of fisheries in coastal areas. The range of geometric mean (GM) and the estimated 90th percentile values of total coliform were 4.1~83.1 MPN/100 mL, and 11.7~834.1 MPN/100 mL, respectively. The GM and the estimated 90th percentile values of fecal coliform were 2.5~22.7 MPN/100 mL and 2.5~170.0 MPN/100 mL, respectively. Therefore, the bacteriological safety of seawater at this shellfish-growing area met with the Korean Shellfish Sanitation Program (KSSP) criteria for a growing area. However, the values are seasonally exceed the KSSP criteria, suggesting that the monitoring and evaluation of seawater quality is very important in shellfish-growing area.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics between non-fermented chinese yam and rice (non-FCYR) and fermented chinese yam and rice (FCYR). 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, total polyphenol, flavonoid contents and reducing power were investigated to evaluate the anti-oxidation activities of FCYR. Also, productivity of monacolin K, major medicinal ingredient of FCYR, was investigated, using Aspergillus terreus KCCM 12225. In case of non-FCYR, DPPH radical scavenging activities for three kinds of yam (Dioscorea japonica, Dioscorea batatas, Dioscorea opposita) and rice were estimated about 51.8, 66.4, 42.2 and 7.5%, while in case of FCYR, those for three kinds of yam and rice were estimated to increased about 64.7, 74.7, 52.8, and 32.3%, respectively. Total polyphenol contents of non-FCYR were estimated to 196.9, 265.7, 160.1, and 91.6 mg/kg, while total polyphenol contents of FCYR were estimated to increase about 530.7, 708.3, 427.2, and 265.9 mg/kg, respectively. Total flavonoid contents of FCYR increased to 2.8-3.3 times higher than those of non-FCYR. Reducing power of non-FCYR was about 0.97, 1.28, 0.64, and 0.17 (OD at 700 nm), while, that of FCYR increased about 1.75, 2.38, 1.24, and 0.46. Remakable increase in monacolin K productivity of FCYR was observed. Monacolin K productivity of FCYR was estimated to 467.1, 514.8, 339.2, and 272.5 mg/kg, respectively. In this study, fermented chinese yam (Dioscorea batatas) was estimated to be effective biological activity material.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.312-318
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• 1999

These experiments were conducted to determine the effects of soils treated with different soil management, methods, fertilizers and crops on soil microflora and its number for constructing the environmentally sound agriculture modeling of the upland soils. These experiments show that physico-chemical soil characteristics was different in upland soils treated with different soil managements and fertilizers applied. Also soil microflora and its number were effected from crops cultivated with different soil managements in these experiments. The number of Erwinia sp. in chinese cabbage cultivated field on Daekwanryung especially was apparently increased in soil cultivated with potato relative to corn. It was appeared that the number of Fusarium sp. in soil was more effected from kind of fertilizer applied than crops cultivated.