Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a complex, multifaceted global health issue that poses a serious threat to livestock, humans, and the surrounding environment. It entails several elements and numerous potential transmission routes and vehicles that contribute to its development and spread, making it a challenging issue to address. AR is regarded as an One Health issue, as it has been found that livestock, human, and environmental components, all three domains are interconnected, opening up channels for transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). AR has turned out to be a critical problem mainly because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, with the anticipation of 10 million annual AR-associated deaths by 2050. The fact that infectious diseases induced by ARB are no longer treatable with antibiotics foreshadows an uncertain future in the context of health care. Hence, the One Health approach should be emphasized to reduce the impact of AR on livestock, humans, and the environment, ensuring the longevity of the efficacy of both current and prospective antibiotics.
The Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) strain AK_C_05 was isolated from cheonggukjang, the Korean traditional food, collected from a local market in South Korea. In this report, we presented the complete genome sequence of E. faecium strain AK_C_05. The genome of E. faecium strain AK_C_05 genome consisted of one circular chromosome (2,691,319 bp) with a guanine + cytosine (GC) content of 38.3% and one circular plasmid (177,732 bp) with a GC content of 35.48%. The Annotation results revealed 2,827 protein-coding sequences (CDSs), 18 rRNAs, and 68 tRNA genes. It possesses genes, which encodes enzymes such as alpha-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22), beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) and alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase (EC 3.2.1.55) enabling efficient utilization of carbohydrates. Based on Clusters of Orthologous Groups analysis, E. faecium strain AK_C_05 showed specialization in carbohydrate transport and metabolism indicating the ability to generate energy using a variety of carbohydrates.
The importance of ruminal microbiota in ruminants is emphasized, not only as a special symbiotic relationship with ruminants but also as an interactive and dynamic ecosystem established by the metabolites of various rumen microorganisms. Rumen microbial community is essential for life maintenance and production as they help decompose and utilize fiber that is difficult to digest, supplying about 70% of the energy needed by the host and 60-85% of the amino acids that reach the small intestine. Bacteria are the most abundant in the rumen, but protozoa, which are relatively large, account for 40-50% of the total microorganisms. However, the composition of these ruminal microbiota is not conserved or constant throughout life and is greatly influenced by the host. It is known that the initial colonization of calves immediately after birth is mainly influenced by the mother, and later changes depending on various factors such as diet, age, gender and breed. The initial rumen microbial community contains aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria due to the presence of oxygen, but as age increases, a hypoxic environment is created inside the rumen, and anaerobic bacteria become dominant in the rumen microbial community. As calves grow, taxonomic diversity increases, especially as they begin to consume solid food. Understanding the factors affecting the rumen microbial community and their effects and changes can lead to the early development and stabilization of the microbial community through the control of rumen microorganisms, and is expected to ultimately help improve host productivity and efficiency.
Bacteria , Rumen , Animals , Rumen/microbiology , Bacteria/classification , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/metabolism , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Cattle/microbiology , Ruminants/microbiology , Microbiota , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Biodiversity
There are a variety of microorganisms in the animal intestine, and it has been known that they play important roles in the host such as suppression of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, modulation of the gut immunity. In addition, the gut microbiota and the livestock growth performance have long been known to be related. Therefore, we evaluated the interrelation between the growth performance and the gut microbiome of the pigs from 3 different farms, with pigs of varied ages ready to be supplied to the market. When pigs reached average market weight of 118 kg, the average age of pigs in three different farms were < 180 days, about 190 days, and > 200 days, respectively. Fecal samples were collected from pigs of age of 70 days, 100 days, 130 days, and 160 days. The output data of the 16S rRNA gene sequencing by the Illumina Miseq platform was filtered and analyzed using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME)2, and the statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP). The results of this study showed that the gut microbial communities shifted as pigs aged along with significant difference in the relative abundance of different phyla and genera in different age groups of pigs from each farm. Even though, there was no statistical differences among groups in terms of Chao1, the number of observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and the Shannon index, our results showed higher abundances of Bifidobacterium, Clostridium and Lactobacillus in the feces of pigs with rapid growth rate. These results will help us to elucidate important gut microbiota that can affect the growth performance of pigs.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a polymicrobial syndrome characterized by a diminished number of protective bacteria in the vaginal flora. Instead, it is accompanied by a significant increase in facultative and strict anaerobes, including Gardnerella vaginalis (G. vaginalis). BV is one of the most common gynecological problems experienced by reproductive age-women. Because an ideal and standard animal model for human BV induced by G. vaginalis is still underdeveloped, the main objective of this study was to develop a mouse model for human BV induced by G. vaginalis to demonstrate the clinical attributes observed in BV patients. A total of 80 female ICR mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups and intravaginally inoculated with different doses of G. vaginalis: NC (uninfected negative control), PC1 (inoculated with 1 × 105 CFU of G. vaginalis), PC2 (inoculated with 1 × 106 CFU of G. vaginalis) and PC3 (inoculated with 1 × 107 CFU of G. vaginalis). The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-10) in mice administered with G. vaginalis were significantly higher than those of the control group. Gross lesion and histopathological analysis of reproductive tract of mice inoculated with G. vaginalis showed inflammation and higher epithelial cell exfoliation compared to the control group. In addition, vaginal swabs from the mice inoculated with G. vaginalis showed the presence of clue cells, which are a characteristic feature of human BV. Altogether, our results suggested that G. vaginalis is sufficient to generate comparable clinical attributes seen in patients with BV.
With the ban on antibiotics in the swine industry, the exploration of alternative options has highlighted phytobiotics as a promising substitute for antibiotic growth promoters, aiming to foster a more sustainable swine industry. Phytobiotics are non-nutritive natural bioactive components derived from plants that offer numerous health benefits. They exhibit antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Phytobiotics can be utilized in various forms, including solid, dried, ground, or as extracts, either in crude or concentrated form. They are characterized by low residual levels, a lack of resistance development, and minimal adverse effects. These qualities make phytobiotics an attractive choice for enhancing health and productivity in swine, presenting them as a viable alternative to antibiotics. While there is a general understanding of the effects of phytobiotics, there is still a need for detailed information regarding their effectiveness and mechanisms of action in practical settings. Therefore, the purpose of this mini review was to summarize the current knowledge supporting the roles of phytobiotics and their proposed modes of action, with a specific focus on swine.
Decreasing hydride-induced embrittlement of zirconium-based cladding is a significant challenge for the successful dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. Herein, to radically minimize hydride-induced embrittlement, we used nanoparticles as sacrificial agents with a greater affinity than zirconium for hydrogen. Corrosion experiments in the presence of gold (Au) and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles under simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) conditions revealed that the hydrogen content of the zirconium samples was remarkably reduced, with a maximum decrease efficiency of 53.9% using 65 nm Au and 53.8% using 50 nm Pd nanoparticles. This approach provides an effective strategy for preventing hydride-induced embrittlement of zirconium-based cladding.
Non-digestible carbohydrates are an unavoidable component in a pig's diet, as all plant-based feeds contain different kinds of non-digestible carbohydrates. The major types of non-digestible carbohydrates include non-starch polysaccharides (such as cellulose, pectin, and hemicellulose), resistant starch, and non-digestible oligosaccharides (such as fructo-oligosaccharide and xylo-oligosaccharide). Non-digestible carbohydrates play a significant role in balancing the gut microbial ecology and overall health of the swine by promoting the production of short chain fatty acids. Although non-digestible carbohydrates are rich in energy, swine cannot extract this energy on their own due to the absence of enzymes required for their degradation. Instead, they rely on gut microbes to utilize these carbohydrates for energy production. Despite the importance of non-digestible carbohydrate degradation, limited studies have been conducted on the swine gut microbes involved in this process. While next-generation high-throughput sequencing has aided in understanding the microbial compositions of the swine gut, specific information regarding the bacteria involved in non-digestible carbohydrate degradation remains limited. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate and comprehend the bacteria responsible for the breakdown of non-digestible carbohydrates in the gut. In this mini review, we have discussed the major bacteria involved in the fermentation of different types of non-digestible carbohydrates in the large intestine of swine, shedding light on their potential roles and contributions to swine nutrition and health.
Introduction: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Lacticaseibacillus casei (Lactobacillus casei) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae mixture on growth performance, hematological parameters, immunological responses, and gut microbiome in weaned pigs. Methods: A total of 300 crossbred pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc; 8.87 ± 0.34 kg of average initial body weight [BW]; 4 weeks of age) were divided into two dietary treatments (15 pigs/pen, 10 replicates/treatment) using a randomized complete block design (block = BW): control (CON) and the effective microorganism (MEM). The CON was not treated, while the MEM was treated with the mixture of L. casei (1 × 107 CFU/mL) and S. cerevisiae (1 × 107 CFU/mL) at 3 mL/pig/day for 4 weeks via the drinking water supply. Two feces and one blood sample from the randomly selected pigs in each pen were collected on D1 and D28 after weaning. Pigs were individually weighed, and pen feed intakes were recorded to evaluate pig growth performance. For the gut microbiome analysis, 16S rRNA gene hypervariable regions (V5 to V6) were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform, and Quantitative Insight into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) and Microbiome Helper pipeline were used for 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Results and Discussion: The daily weight gain and feed efficiency of MEM were significantly higher than those of CON (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in hematological parameters and immune responses between CON and MEM. However, MEM had significantly lower Treponema genus, whereas significantly higher Lactobacillus and Roseburia genera compared to CON. Overall, our data showed that L. casei and S. cerevisiae mixture could promote growth performance through the modulation of gut microbiota in pigs. This study will help to understand the correlation between the growth performance and the gut microbiome.
In this study, red mud (RM), a highly alkaline waste generated from alumina production industries, was used as a catalytic material for both fast copyrolysis of organosolv lignin (OL) and polypropylene (PP) and toluene removal under ozone at room temperature. The RM was pretreated with HCl to investigate the effect of alkalinity. In the catalytic fast copyrolysis of the OL and PP, the acid-treated RM (HRM) produced more aromatics, phenolics, and light olefins (C3 to C5) but less oxygenates and heavy olefins (C6 to C46) than the RM. The difference in pyrolytic performance between the RM and HRM was likely attributed to the concentrated Fe2O3 species in the HRM catalyst. In addition, more efficient toluene removal was observed over MnOx/HRM than over MnOx/RM owing to the large Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area, high amounts of Al and Fe, and optimal Mn3+/Mn4+ ratio. This study demonstrates that the RM, an industrial waste, can be reused as an effective catalytic material for not only biofuel production but also pollutant removal.
Ozone , Catalysis , Industrial Waste , Lignin , Toluene
