• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1203-1208
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• 2007

Feathers are produced in huge quantities as a waste product at commercial poultry processing plants. Since feathers are almost pure keratin protein, feather wastes represent an alternative to more expensive dietary ingredients for animal feedstuffs. Generally they become feather meal used as animal feed after undergoing physical and chemical treatments. These processes require significant energy and also cause environmental pollutions. Therefore, biodegradation of feather by microorganisms represents an alternative method to prevent environment contamination. The aim of this study was to investigate cultural conditions affecting keratinolytic protease production by Bacillus pumilus RS7. We also assessed the nutritive value of microbial and alkaline feather hydrolysates, The composition of optimal medium for the keratinolytic protease was fructose 0.05%, yeast extract 0.3%, NaCl 0.05%, K2HPO4 0.03%, KH2PO4 0.04% and MgCl2 6H2O 0.01%, respectively. The optimal temperature and initial pH was $30^{\circ}C$ and 9.0, respectively. The keratinolytic protease production under optimal condition reached a maximum after 18 h of cultivation. Total amino acid content of feather hydrolysates treated by NaOH and B. pumilius RS7 was $113.8\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $504.9\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Essential amino acid content of feather hydrolysates treated by NaOH and B. pumilius RS7 was $47.2\;{\mu}g/ml$ and $334.0\;{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Thus, feather hydrolysates have the potential for utilization as an ingredient in animal feed.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.254-265
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• 2018

Avian influenza recently damaged the poultry industry, which suffered a huge economic loss reaching billions of U.S. dollars in South Korea. Transmission routes of the pathogens would help plan to control and limit the spread of the devastating biological tragedy. Phylogenetic analyses of pathogen's DNA sequences could sketch transmission trees relating hosts with directed edges. The last decade has seen the methodological development of inferring transmission trees using epidemiological as well as genetic data. Here, I reanalyzed the DNA sequence data that had originated in the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 outbreak of South Korea in 2014. The H5N8 viruses spread geographically contiguously from the origin of the outbreak, Jeonbuk. The Jeonbuk origin viruses were known to spread to four provinces neighboring Jeonbuk. I estimated the transmission tree of the host domestic and migratory wild birds after combining multiple runs of Markov chain Monte Carlo using a Bayesian method for inferring transmission trees. The estimated transmission tree, albeit with a rather large uncertainty in the directed edges, showed that the viruses spread from Jeonbuk through Chungnam to Gyeonggi. Domestic birds of breeder or broiler ducks were estimated to appear to be at the terminal nodes of the transmission tree. This observation confirmed that migratory wild birds played an important role as one of the main infection mediators in the avian influenza H5N8 outbreak of South Korea in 2014.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.494-500
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• 2019

Objective: Feed consumption contributes a large percentage for total production costs in the poultry industry. Detecting genes associated with feeding traits will be of benefit to improve our understanding of the molecular determinants for feed efficiency. The objective of this study was to identify candidate genes associated with feed conversion ratio (FCR) via genomewide association study (GWAS) using sequence data imputed from single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel in a Chinese indigenous chicken population. Methods: A total of 435 Chinese indigenous chickens were phenotyped for FCR and were genotyped using a 600K SNP genotyping array. Twenty-four birds were selected for sequencing, and the 600K SNP panel data were imputed to whole sequence data with the 24 birds as the reference. The GWAS were performed with GEMMA software. Results: After quality control, 8,626,020 SNPs were used for sequence based GWAS, in which ten significant genomic regions were detected to be associated with FCR. Ten candidate genes, ubiquitin specific peptidase 44, leukotriene A4 hydrolase, ETS transcription factor, R-spondin 2, inhibitor of apoptosis protein 3, sosondowah ankyrin repeat domain family member D, calmodulin regulated spectrin associated protein family member 2, zinc finger and BTB domain containing 41, potassium sodium-activated channel subfamily T member 2, and member of RAS oncogene family were annotated. Several of them were within or near the reported FCR quantitative trait loci, and others were newly reported. Conclusion: Results from this study provide valuable prior information on chicken genomic breeding programs, and potentially improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism for feeding traits.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.417-426
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• 2021

Objective: Effects of inulin supplementation in diet of Haidong chicks under hypoxic conditions on production performance, intestinal morphologic change, microflora contents and the incidence of ascites were studied. Methods: Commercial male chicks (360) were randomly divided into 6 groups and were fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, 0.125, and 0.15 g/kg of inulin, respectively. Results: The body weight gain and feed intake were improved in chicks fed the diets supplemented with 0.1 and 0.125 g/kg of inulin, from d 1 to d 42 (p<0.05); moreover, blood parameters were positively affected when inulin was included in the diets and the thickness of the intestinal wall and muscle tissue in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum tended to increase (p<0.05), and the villi height and crypt depth in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p<0.05). Regarding the number of goblet cells in duodenum, jejunum and ileum tended to increase when chicks were fed the diets supplemented with 0.075, 0.1, 0.125, and 0.15 g/kg (p<0.05) of inulin. When chicks were fed diets supplemented with 0.75 or 0.1 g/kg of inulin, a significant reduction of Escherichia coli counts in the cecum was observed; for a contrary, a significant increment of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus was observed in cecum and ileum. Finally, supplementing the feed with inulin determined an overall reduction of ascites incidences in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: Thus, the results observed in the present study clearly suggest that the diet supplementation with a quantity of inulin ranging between 0.1 and 0.125 g/kg, can improve growth performances, intestinal morphology, internal microbial balance and ascites incidence, in broiler chicks raised at high altitude area. Even though these findings may be of interest for the poultry industry, they may particularly be relevant in those areas characterized by high altitude such as Northwest China regions.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.964-974
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• 2022

Objective: The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a threat to the poultry industry and economy and remains a potential source of pandemic infection in humans. Antiviral genes are considered a potential factor for studies on HPAIV resistance. Therefore, in this study, we investigated gene expression related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway by comparing non-infected, HPAI-infected resistant, and susceptible Ri chicken lines. Methods: Resistant (Mx/A; BF2/B21) and susceptible Ri chickens (Mx/G; BF2/B13) were selected by genotyping the Mx and BF2 genes. Then, the tracheal tissues of non-infected and HPAIV H5N1 infected chickens were collected for RNA sequencing. Results: A gene set overlapping test between the analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and functionally categorized genes was performed, including biological processes of the gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways. A total of 1,794 DEGs were observed between control and H5N1-infected resistant Ri chickens, 432 DEGs between control and infected susceptible Ri chickens, and 1,202 DEGs between infected susceptible and infected resistant Ri chickens. The expression levels of MAPK signaling pathway-related genes (including MyD88, NF-κB, AP-1, c-fos, Jun, JunD, MAX, c-Myc), cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8), type I interferons (IFN-α, IFN-β), and IFN-stimulated genes (Mx1, CCL19, OASL, and PRK) were higher in H5N1-infected than in non-infected resistant Ri chickens. MyD88, Jun, JunD, MAX, cytokines, chemokines, IFNs, and IFN-stimulated expressed genes were higher in resistant-infected than in susceptible-infected Ri chickens. Conclusion: Resistant Ri chickens showed higher antiviral activity compared to susceptible Ri chickens, and H5N1-infected resistant Ri chickens had immune responses and antiviral activity (cytokines, chemokines, interferons, and IFN-stimulated genes), which may have been induced through the MAPK signaling pathway in response to H5N1 infection.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.581-587
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• 2022

The leather industry generates a large amount of hazardous leather waste of various types every year. Among them, shaving scrap is difficult to recycle because it contains chromium ions. Many studies in recent years have shown that shaving scraps can be processed into various types of valuable products, such as adsorbent, filler, and poultry feed. In this study, collagen peptides were extracted from shaving scraps and structurally modified to be developed as new materials with improved physicochemical properties. First, the chromium ions contained in the shaving scraps were removed using a sodium hydroxide solution, and purified through concentration and low-temperature crystallization. The purified collagen peptide was used to prepare the powder using a spray dryer. The extracted collagen peptides were structurally modified by introducing double bonds by reacting with methacrylic anhydride (MAA), and the product was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Next, a copolymer was prepared by redox polymerization of the modified collagen peptide (MCP) and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA). The structure of the copolymer was qualitatively confirmed by FT-IR. In conclusion, this study confirmed that collagen peptides can be extracted from shaving scrap and converted into new eco-friendly materials through certain treatments.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.87-99
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• 2022

The meat consumption per person has continuously increased in recent years. However, the labor force in the domestic livestock industry has decreased due to the declining and ageing population. In order to increase productivity, the government have developed and distributed design standard of livestock houses. Presently, report showed that the adaptation rate of the developed livestock house design standard on the real farm was still low. Thus, this paper aimed to find ways to improve the utilization of the design standard through surveys. The survey was conducted on 650 farms across the country. Analysis of the result showed that in the poultry house, the unawareness of farmers to the design standard was found to be the biggest reason for not using the design standards. On the other hand, in the swine house, the previously built swine houses do not fit with the design standard. From these result, the following recommendations were suggested: 1) promotion and education are needed to enhance usage of design standard; 2) since it is impossible to make a design standard considering all the farm sites, it is important to consider the conditions of various farm site prior to enhancement of the design standard; 3) improvement factors such as reinforcing the ventilation design, reflecting animal welfare, preventing livestock diseases, and enhancing ICT devices can also be promoted.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.367-376
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• 2022

Objective: The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is a threat to the poultry industry as well as the economy and remains a potential source of pandemic infection in humans. Antiviral genes are considered a potential factor for HPAIV resistance. Therefore, in this study, we investigated gene expression related to cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions by comparing resistant and susceptible Ri chicken lines for avian influenza virus infection. Methods: Ri chickens of resistant (Mx/A; BF2/B21) and susceptible (Mx/G; BF2/B13) lines were selected by genotyping the Mx dynamin like GTPase (Mx) and major histocompatibility complex class I antigen BF2 genes. These chickens were then infected with influenza A virus subtype H5N1, and their lung tissues were collected for RNA sequencing. Results: In total, 972 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed between resistant and susceptible Ri chickens, according to the gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. In particular, DEGs associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions were most abundant. The expression levels of cytokines (interleukin-1β [IL-1β], IL-6, IL-8, and IL-18), chemokines (C-C Motif chemokine ligand 4 [CCL4] and CCL17), interferons (IFN-γ), and IFN-stimulated genes (Mx1, CCL19, 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthase-like, and protein kinase R) were higher in H5N1-resistant chickens than in H5N1-susceptible chickens. Conclusion: Resistant chickens show stronger immune responses and antiviral activity (cytokines, chemokines, and IFN-stimulated genes) than those of susceptible chickens against HPAIV infection.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.33 no.s01
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• pp.86-97
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• 1988

Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.) is probably the most ancient oilseed crop known in the world. The seed of sesame is used in a variety of ways as food. The whole seed may be eaten raw, either roasted or parched, or fed to birds and stock. Sesame oil is used as a salad or cooking oil, in shortening, margarine and in the manufacture of soap. Minor uses are as a fixative in the perfume industry and formerly as a carrier for fatsoluble substances in pharmaceuticals such as penicillin. One of the minor constituents of sesame oil, sesamin, is used for its synergistic effect in pyrethrin insecticides, in addition of a small quantity of this substance markedly increases the effectiveness of fly sprays. The meal remaining after oil extraction can be used as and animal feed-stuff or as manure. In general sesame meal is considered to be equal to cottonseed or soybean meal as a protein supplement for livestock and poultry. It is especially high in certain amino-acids such as methionine, which is low in soybean meal, and thus can be combined with it or similar meal to form a more balanced ration. An attempt to summarize the literature review on quality improvement of sesame was made to discuss the accomplishments of the past and perspectives in the future. The reviews on quality improvement of sesame were mainly discussed in connection with the cultural practices and genetic informations in current status. The emphasis focussed on environmental variation of quality in cultural practices, such as harvest time, variety by location, climatic condition, fertilizer application, and growth regulator treatment. On the genetic variation of quality, it was discussed on variety background, mutation breeding, correlations, and inheritance of quality related characteristics. It also was discussed on relationship between quality and plant traits, storage condition or period, and seed coat color. Moreover, current research status were reviewed on some minor elements such as sesamin, oxalic acid, and trypsin inhibitor. As a results of the review, the lack of an effort to quality improvement in each utilization area was indicated as a problem area. More active efforts for the improvement of quality were also insufficient to incorporate the available genes for quality in breeding method or collection and analysis of breeding materials. Therefore, researches in the future would be recommended to emphasize on these problem areas.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.73.1-73.16
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• 2023

Background: Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is considered a global threat to both human health and the poultry industry. MicroRNAs (miRNA) can modulate the immune system by affecting gene expression patterns in HPAIV-infected chickens. Objectives: To gain further insights into the role of miRNAs in immune responses against H5N1 infection, as well as the development of strategies for breeding disease-resistant chickens, we characterized miRNA expression patterns in tracheal tissues from H5N1-infected Ri chickens. Methods: miRNAs expression was analyzed from two H5N1-infected Ri chicken lines using small RNA sequencing. The target genes of differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were predicted using miRDB. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis were then conducted. Furthermore, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we validated the expression levels of DE miRNAs (miR-22-3p, miR-146b-3p, miR27b-3p, miR-128-3p, miR-2188-5p, miR-451, miR-205a, miR-203a, miR-21-3p, and miR-200a3p) from all comparisons and their immune-related target genes. Results: A total of 53 miRNAs were significantly expressed in the infection samples of the resistant compared to the susceptible line. Network analyses between the DE miRNAs and target genes revealed that DE miRNAs may regulate the expression of target genes involved in the transforming growth factor-beta, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways, all of which are related to influenza A virus progression. Conclusions: Collectively, our results provided novel insights into the miRNA expression patterns of tracheal tissues from H5N1-infected Ri chickens. More importantly, our findings offer insights into the relationship between miRNA and immune-related target genes and the role of miRNA in HPAIV infections in chickens.