• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.951-956
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• 2005

Selection of oxygen-tolerant strains and elucidation of their oxygen tolerance mechanism were crucial for effective use of bifidobacteria. Oxygen-tolerant bifidobacteria were able to significantly remove environmental oxygen (oxygen removal activity) as compared to oxygen-sensitive strains. Most oxygen removal activity was inhibited by heat treatment and exposure to extreme pH (2.0) of bifidobacterial cell. NADH oxidase was major enzyme related to oxygen removal activity. Oxygen-tolerant bifidobacteria possessed high NADH peroxidase activity level to detoxify $H_2O_2$ formed from reaction of NADH oxidase. Addition of oxygen to anaerobic culture broth significantly increased activities of HADH oxidase and NADH peroxidase within 1hr and rapid increment of oxygen concentration was prevented. Results showed NADH oxidase and NADH peroxidase of oxygen-tolerant bifidobacteria played important roles in elimination of oxygen and oxygen metabolite $(H_2O_2)$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.443-451
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• 2001

In order to investigate what kind of response anaerobic bifidobacteria has on oxygen stress, five oxygen-tolerant bifidobacteria were isolated from human fecal samples. All were temporarily identified as Bifidobacterium longum through an analysis of carbohydrate utilization patterns and cellular fatty acid profiles. In the presence of oxygen, the lag phase became extended and the cell growth was suppressed. Bifidobacterial cell was able to remove dissolved oxygen in an early stage of growth and to overcome oxygen stress to a certain extent. The cell became long n size and showed a rough surface containing many nodes which were derived from abnormal or incomplete cell division. Cellular fatty acid profiled changed remarkably under a partially aerobic condition, so that the carbon chain of cellular fatty acid became short. All the dimethyl acetals originated from plasmalogen were reduced, any cyclopropane fatty acid, 9, 10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid ($C_{19:0}cyc9,10$), was increased remarkably. Oxygen stress induced a 5.5 kD protein in B. longum JI 1 of the oxygen-teolerant bifidobacteria, that was named Osp protein, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was as follows: unknown amino acid-Thr-Gly-Val-Arg-Phe-Ser-Asp-Asp-Glu. Therefore, the oxygen-tolerant bifidobacteria seemed to defend against oxygen stress byincreasing the content of short fatty acid and cyclopropane fatty acid, and induction of an oxygen stress protein, but not the plasmalogen.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.476-482
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• 1998

Growth sensitivity of bifidobacteria on oxygen hindered their industrial applications so that it was necessary to select oxygen-tolerant strains. Studies on their responses to oxygen might facilitate the effective utilization of bifidobacteria in industry. Oxygen-tolerant strain of Bifidobacterium longum JI-1 was able to remove 3% dissolved oxygen within 10 min whilst oxygen-sensitive strain of B. adolescentis, slime non-former, was not. The ability to remove environmental oxygen seemed to be related to the oxygen-tolerance of bifidobacteria. Mutant B. longum ADJ-1 was induced from the B. longum JI-1 under microaerobic atmosphere. There were no differences in sugar utilization pattern, NADH oxidative enzymes and cellular fatty acid compositions between them. The maximal cell density of the mutant was a little bit reduced to 81% of that of the mother strain. However, the mutant formed thick slime layer around its cell. The layer visualized with confocal scanning laser microscopy from the mutant was 6 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in diameter but that from the mother strain was only 3 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. Therefore, the improved tolerances of the mutant might come from the slime layer, indicating the increase of the layer might be one of oxygen tolerance mechanisms for bifidobacteria.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.503-510
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• 2006

Survival and stability of 19 bifidobacterial strains included 13 isolates from Korean infants against acid, bile acid and oxygen exposure were examined. Acid resistance of selected strains at pH values of 4.0, 3.0 and 2.0 was tested. Among the bifidobacterial strains tested, B. bifidum B3, B. longum D6, and B. adolescentis F1 exhibited higher viable cell counts exposed to acid whereas other strains had various results. The abilities of the strains to grow in the MRS broth containing 0.2% thioglycolic acid and 0.2% oxgall were tested and the tolerance of B. bifidum B3 and B. longum D6 to bile acid were higher than that of others. Even though in same species, the tolerance of tested strains to bile acid were variable. Stabilities of tested strains to oxygen exposure were variable and B. bifidum and B. longum strains showed relatively higher viable cell counts after 48 hours exposure to aerobic incubation. These results demonstrated that the survival and stability of bifidobacterial strains to acid, bile acid, and oxygen exposure were variable and strain-dependent. Due to their tolerant ability to environmental factors like acid, bile acid, and oxygen, B. bifidum B3 and B. longum D6 had good potential properties as probiotic cultures and may be useful for industrial application.