• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.595-602
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• 2021

Human intestinal microbiota play an important role in the regulation of the host's metabolism. There is a close pathological and physiological interaction between dysbiosis of the intestinal microflora and obesity and metabolic syndrome. Akkermansia muciniphila, which was recently isolated from human feces, accounts for about 1-4% of the intestinal microbiota population. The use of A. muciniphila- derived external membrane protein Amuc_1100 and extracellular vesicles (EVs) could be a new strategy for the treatment of obesity. A. muciniphila is considered a next-generation probiotic (NGP) for the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as obesity. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii accounts for about 5% of the intestinal microbiota population in healthy adults and is an indicator of gut health. F. prausnitzii is a butyrate-producing bacterium, with anti-inflammatory effects, and is considered an NGP for the treatment of immune diseases and diabetes. Postbiotics are complex mixtures of metabolites contained in the cell supernatant secreted by probiotics. Parabiotics are microbial cells in which probiotics are inactivated. Paraprobiotics and postbiotics have many advantages over probiotics, such as clear chemical structures, safe dose parameters, and a long shelf life. Thus, they have the potential to replace probiotics. The most natural strategy to restore the imbalance of the intestinal ecosystem normally is to use NGPs among commensal bacteria in the gut. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new foods or drugs such as parabiotics and postbiotics using NGPs.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2019

Gut microbiome have recently provided evidence that the gut microbiota are capable of greatly influencing all aspects of physiology and immunology. Although a number of recent studies have shown that probiotics can modulate gut microbiota structure, the mechanism underlying this effect remains to be elucidated. In a disease state, the relative abundances of beneficial gut bacteria are generally reduced, which is restored by constant probiotic supplementation. Oral administration of probiotics improved the disease state by (1) inducing differentiation and function of regulatory T cells, (2) reducing inflammatory response, (3) modulating the gut environment, and (4) increasing the proportions of short-chain fatty acid- or beneficial metabolite-producing gut microbiota including the genera Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, etc. In this review, current knowledge on how probiotics can influence host's health by altering gut microbiota structure and on how probiotics and beneficial gut bacteria can be applied as next-generation probiotics will be discussed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.124-127
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• 2023

Among certain animals, gut microbiomes demonstrate species-specific patterns of beta diversity. This host-specificity is a potent driver of exogenous microbial exclusion. To overcome persistent translational limitations, translational microbiome research and therapeutic development must account for host-specific patterns of microbial engraftment. This commentary seeks to highlight the important implications of host-specificity for microbial ecology, Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT), next-generation probiotics, and translational microbiota research.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.180-194
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• 2024

Mass mortalities of mud crab Scylla spp. larvae due to pathogenic Vibrio spp. outbreaks have frequently occurred in hatcheries. To overcome this problem, probiotics containing Bacillus subtilis bacteria are applied to inhibit pathogenic ones. We tested different doses of probiotic-containing B. subtilis (10⁸ CFU/g) on the Scylla tranquebarica larvae and investigated the microbiota population, including Vibrio. Water quality, larvae development, and crablet production were also monitored. The recently hatched larvae were grown in twelve conical fiber tanks filled with 200 L sterile seawater, with a salinity of 30 ppt at a stocking density of 80 ind/L. Four different doses of probiotics were applied in the larvae rearing, namely, A = 2.5 mg/L, B = 5 mg/L, C = 7.5 mg/L, and D = 0 mg/L, with three replicates. Next-generation sequencing analysis was used to obtain the abundance of microbes in the whole body of megalopa and the water media for larvae rearing after applying probiotics. Sixteen Raw Deoxyribonucleic Acid samples (eight from a whole body of megalopa extraction from four treatments of probiotics defined as A, B, C, D, and eight from water media extraction from four treatments of probiotic defined as E, F, G, H) were prepared. Then, they were sent to the Genetics Science Laboratory for NGS analysis. Ammonia, nitrite, total organic matter (TOM), larvae, and crablet production were monitored. Based on the Next-generation sequencing analysis data, the Vibrio spp. decreased significantly (p < 0.05) than control test (D) in megalopa-applied probiotics at the doses of 2.5 mg/L (A) and 7.5 mg/L (C) and in the water media for megalopa rearing treated with probiotics at the dosage of 5.0 mg/L (F). Ammonia in the zoea stage in B treatment and TOM in the zoea and megalopa stage in B and C treatments were decreased significantly (p < 0.05). It impacts the higher number of zoea survival in treatments B and C. Finally, it results in a significantly high crablet production in treatments B and C. Therefore, the dosage of 5 mg/L to 7.5 mg/L improves crablet S. tranquebarica production significantly.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.487-494
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• 2024

Recently, the term metabiotics has emerged as a new concept of probiotics. This concept entails combining existing probiotic components with metabolic by-products improve specific physiological functionalities. Representative ingredients of these metabiotics include short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacteriocins, polysaccharides, and peptides. The new concept is highly regarded as it complements the side effects of existing probiotics and is safe and easy to administer. Known health functions of metabiotics are mainly immune regulation, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and brain-neurological health. Research has been actively conducted on the health benefits related to the composition of intestinal microorganisms. Among them, the focus has been on brain neurological health, which requires extensive research. This study showed that neurological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, can be treated and prevented according to the gut-brain axis theory by changing the intestinal microflora. In addition, various studies are being conducted on the immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of substances related to metabiotics of the microbiome. In particular, its efficacy is expected to be confirmed through human studies on various cancers. Therefore, developing various health functional effects of the next-generation probiotics such as metabiotics to prevent or treatment of various diseases is anticipated.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.220-228
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• 2019

Rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology is available to study microbes in genomic level. This NGS has been widely used in DNA/RNA sequencing for genome sequencing, metagenomics, and transcriptomics. The food microbiology area could be categorized into three groups. Food microbes including probiotics and food-borne pathogens are studied in genomic level using NGS for microbial genomics. While food fermentation or food spoilage are more complicated, their genomic study needs to be done with metagenomics using NGS for compositional analysis. Furthermore, because microbial response in food environments are also important to understand their roles in food fermentation or spoilage, pattern analysis of RNA expression in the specific food microbe is conducted using RNA-Seq. These microbial genomics, metagenomics, and transcriptomics for food fermentation and spoilage would extend our knowledge on effective utilization of fermenting bacteria for health promotion as well as efficient control of food-borne pathogens for food safety.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.171-187
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• 2019

Novel food materials can be produced based on biotechnology such as genetic recombination, microbial fermentation, and enzymatic engineering by utilizing living organisms such as animal, plant, and microorganism or by applying the enzymes isolated from them. Especially, exploration and development of novel prebiotics and probiotics attracted great attention worldwide in the food industry, of which the research and industrial trends in food biotechnology field are promoting the production of next generation sweeteners and proliferation of beneficial bacteria in gastrointestinal tract. Development and commercialization of novel food materials by domestic bioprocessing technology have been sluggish due to the GMO/LMO food safety issues. Meanwhile, the US and EU do not perceive badly about gene manipulation technology, and the research is most active in the fields of crops and GMMs, respectively. Genetic scissors, which are considered as next generation technology, are notable since foreign genes do not remain in final products.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.9-25
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• 2023

Yogurt fermentation is known to be beneficial because it provides a low pH and harsh environment for foodborne pathogens and improves organoleptic properties. Additionally, organic acids produced through fermentation have a good effect on the viscosity and gelling properties of yogurt. Several potential health benefits of probiotic and generally recognized as safe strains have been suggested. Yogurt is the preferred vehicle for delivering probiotics to health-conscious consumers. Therefore, manufacturers of probiotic beverages must comply with the relevant regulations. The development of probiotic yogurt begins with the selection of strains with safety and functional properties of probiotics. The selected probiotic strain should be technically suitable for viability and improve organoleptic quality while maintaining the number of bacteria above the standard value during processing and storage conditions. In addition, the efficacy of probiotic strains contained in yogurt should be investigated, confirmed, and approved according to well-designed clinical trials. Although various methods are used to detect probiotic strains, the recently widely used next generation sequencing method can be actively utilized. In the future, more research should be conducted with the latest methods to identify probiotic functions and accurately detect probiotic strains.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.167-170
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• 2015

The dairy industry, as part of the broader agricultural sector, is classified as a basic industry to the Korea economy. Basic industries provide income to a region by producing an output, purchasing production inputs, services and labor. An integrated, multidisciplinary approach for the next generation of dairy products with added health benefits represent the direct economic contribution. The commercialization of "nutritional" functional foods can only be successful if the consumer is confident in the scientific validity of the claims. Modern biotechnologies such as genomics, genetic expression and biomarkers of health performance suggested to whole dairy products, such as fluid milk, butter, cheese, ice cream and frozen dessert products (German, 1999). The following definition makes the point that dairy products can provide a nutritional value beyond the basic nutritional requirements: 1) The dairy industry has the opportunity to improve the health and well-being of its customers and/or to reduce their risk of disease through dairy products with added activities. 2) Functional dairy products are those that can be demonstrated to benefit target functions in the body in a way that improves the state of health and /or reduces the risk of disease. They are food products that are consumed as part of a normal diet rather than pills or supplements. 3) Dairy products based on functionality will need to link the scientific basis of such functionality to the communication of its benefit to the general public. 4) Both the efficacy and the safety of the food components with health benefits will require evidence based on the measurement of scientific biomarkers relevant to their biological responses and health end points. 5) Sound evidence from human studies based on intermediate health end points using accepted biomarkers will provide the basis for promotional messages divided into two categories-enhanced function and reduced risk of disease. 6) Success in solving key scientific and technological challenges will only be achieved by interdisciplinary research programs to exploit the scientific concepts in functional dairy science.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.220-225
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• 2019

Studies based on microbial community analyses have increased in the recent decade since the development of next generation sequencing technology. Associations of gut microbiota with host's health are one of the major outcomes of microbial ecology filed. The major approach for microbial community analysis includes the sequencing of variable regions of 16S rRNA genes, which does not provide the information of bacterial activities. Here, we conducted RNA-based microbial community analysis and compared results obtained from DNA- and its cDNA-based microbial community analyses. Our results indicated that these two approaches differed in the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, known as an obesity indicator, as well as abundance of some key bacteria in gut metabolisms such as butyrate producers and probiotics strains. Therefore, cDNA-based microbial community may provide different insights regarding roles of gut microbiota compared to the previous studies where DNA-based microbial community analyses were performed.