Aims: The aim of this study was to screen lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates with probiotic properties for tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from the intestines of mackerel and to analyze its ability to produce hydrolase enzymes (amylase, protease, cellulase and lipase). Methodology and results: Ten samples of mackerel were collected from the Fish Auction Place, Lewoleba, Nubatukan District, Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The process for screening were antimicrobial activity, pH tolerance test of 1, 3 and 5, bile salt concentrations of 2.5%, 5% and 7.5%, and water salinity (0.5%, 3.5% and 6.5%). The autoaggregation and semi-qualitative test of hydrolase enzymes were also carried out. In total, 21 LAB isolates were derived from mackerel intestines. Isolates that have the stronger ability to inhibit the pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 7966 are KBP 3.3, KBP 3.3.1 and KBP 6.3, while KBP 1.3, KBP 1.1.1 and KBP 3.3.1 were able to inhibit Streptococcus agalactiae ATCC 13813. The LAB isolates that survived at the tested pH were KBP 3.3.1, KBP 3.3, KBP 1.1.1 and KBP 1.3. Results also suggest that the four isolates were tolerant to bile salt concentrations and water salinity with good survival rates (>94.7%) and had proteolytic, lipolytic and cellulolytic activities. The isolates KBP 3.3, KBP 3.3.1 and KBP 1.1.1 were identified as Weissella confusa 6250, while the isolate KBP 1.3 was identified as W. confusa C5-7. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The characteristics of four selected isolates indicate their potential as a probiotic. These potential probiotic isolates can be applied directly to fish by utilizing microencapsulation technology or adding to the feed.
Lactobacillales ; Perciformes ; Indonesia

A survey was performed in order to determine the infection status of the metacercariae of heterophyid fluke in two goby species, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris and Scartelaos sp., collected from Gangjin-gun, and Shinangun, Sooncheon-shi, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea. A total of three metacercariae of Heterophyopsis continua was found in only one B. pectinirostris (10.0%) from Gangjin-gun. Heterophyes nocens metacercariae were detected in 24 B. pectinirostris (96.0%) and 14 Scartelaos sp. (63.6%) from Shinan-gun. Heterophyopsis continua metacercariae were found in 11 B. pectinirostris (44.0%) and 21 Scartelaos sp. (95.5%) from Shinan-gun. Stictodora fuscata metacercariae were detected in 18 B. pectinirostris (72.0%) from Shinan-gun. No metacercariae were detected in 20 B. pectinirostris from Sooncheon-shi. From the above results, this study is the first to prove that B. pectinirostris and Scartelaos sp. serve as the second intermediate hosts of some heterophyid flukes in Korea.
Trematoda/*isolation & purification ; Perciformes/*parasitology ; Korea ; Animals

For several days, there was a series of mortalities of chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) that were reared for public exhibition in a private aquarium in Seoul, Korea. As part of the diagnosis of the dead fish, a bacterial isolate from the kidney was cultured, identified, and confirmed to be Vibrio (V.) harveyi using Vitek System 2 and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed by the neighbor-joining method. As a result, the V. harveyi isolated from chub mackerels of a private aquarium in Korea, called as SNUVh-LW1, was clustered in the same group with V. harveyi ATCC33843.
Cyprinidae* ; Diagnosis ; Genes, rRNA ; Kidney ; Korea ; Mortality ; Perciformes* ; Seoul ; Vibrio*

We investigated the fatty acid profiles of muscle from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea R.) of different age. One- and two-year-old fish were cultured in floating net cages and sampled randomly for analysis. Moisture, protein, lipid and ash contents were determined by methods of Association of Analytical Chemist (AOAC) International. Fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography. Crude protein, fat, moisture and ash contents showed no significant differences between the two age groups. The contents of total polyunsaturated fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were significantly higher and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content was significantly lower in the two-year-old large yellow croaker than in the one-year-old (P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the contents of total saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids, or the ratio of n-3/n-6 fatty acids among the large yellow croakers of the two age groups. We conclude that large yellow croakers are good food sources of EPA and DHA.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Fatty Acids ; analysis ; Muscles ; chemistry ; Perciformes ; metabolism

BACKGROUND: The etiology of chronic urticaria (CU) remains unknown in most patients. Possible causes in some cases include food, but the role of allergy to food antigens in patients with CU remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between food allergy and CU. METHODS: Korean patients with CU were assessed for a previous history of food allergy that caused symptoms of CU. Blood samples were taken from 350 patients to measure food allergen-specific IgE. Based on history and laboratory results, open oral food challenge (OFC) tests were performed. RESULTS: Of 350 participants, 46 (13.1%) claimed to have experienced previous food hypersensitivity. Pork (n=16) was the main food mentioned, followed by beef (n=7), shrimp (n=6), and mackerel (n=6). We found that 73 participants (20.9%) had elevated levels of food-specific IgE, with pork (n=30), wheat (n=25), and beef (n=23) being the most common. However, when the open OFC tests were conducted in 102 participants with self-reported food hypersensitivity or raised levels of food-specific IgE, only four participants showed a positive reaction to pork (n=3) or crab (n=1). CONCLUSION: Although some participants claimed to have a history of CU related to food intake, when an open OFC test was conducted, few of them had positive results. We therefore conclude that food allergy is an uncommon cause of chronic CU.
Eating ; Food Hypersensitivity* ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Perciformes ; Prevalence ; Red Meat ; Triticum ; Urticaria*

Fishborne trematode (FBT) metacercariae were investigated in yellowfin goby, Acanthogobius flavimanus, collected from Shinan-gun and Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do (province), Korea. All collected fishes were examined using the artificial digestion method. In all of 15 gobies from Aphae-myeon in Shinan-gun, metacercariae of Stictodora spp. (334 metacercariae/fish), Heterophyes nocens (153/fish), and Heterophyopsis continua (20/fish) were detected. In 2 of 14 gobies from Jido-myeon in Shinan-gun, 8 Echinostoma hortense metacercariae in total were detected. In 15 gobies from Haeje-myeon in Muan-gun, the metacercariae of H. continua were found in 100%, Stictodora spp. in 86.7%, and H. nocens in 6.7% of fish examined. The average numbers of metacercariae per infected fish were 23.3 (H. continua), 416.0 (Stictodora spp.), and 2.0 (H. nocens), respectively. The metacercariae of E. hortense found in gobies were elliptical, with 150 x 138 micrometer in average size, and had 27 collar spines on the head crown. The above results suggest that yellowfin gobies from 2 localities may be the potential infection sources of FBT. Moreover, it is proved for the first time that the yellowfin goby, A. flavimanus, acts as a second intermediate host for E. hortense.
Animals ; Disease Reservoirs/*parasitology ; Echinostomiasis/parasitology ; Humans ; Korea ; Perciformes/*parasitology ; Trematoda/*isolation & purification

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the relationship among cognitive function, nutrition screening initiative (NSI) score, and food intake status. METHODS: A total of 409 subjects aged over 60 years were recruited from the Yongin dementia prevention and control center. Mini Mental State Examination Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) method was used to assess the cognitive function of the subjects. Information on health related behaviors and food intake was collected by face to face interview using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaires included the NSI DETERMINE checklist, food intake sheets by 24 hr recall method and by semi-quantified food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Subjects were divided into low cognitive or normal groups according to the MMSE-DS result. The prevalence of low cognitive function in the subjects was 25.7%. The low cognitive group exercised less and had higher nutritional health risk than the normal group. The low cognitive group had lower consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acid and higher tendency of thiamin, riboflavin, and iron deficiency. The low cognitive group had less frequency of eating mackerel, pepper, tangerine, and watermelon and higher frequency of eating white rice and cookies than the normal group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study imply that the cognitive function of elderly is related to exercise behavior, nutritional health risk, and food and nutrient intake status.
Aged* ; Checklist ; Citrullus ; Cognition* ; Dementia ; Eating ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Iron ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Perciformes ; Prevalence ; Riboflavin

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in order to identify the clinical characteristics of fish bone impaction among children in three tertiary hospitals and to investigate the usefulness of plain radiographs. METHODS: Children with suspected fish bone impaction in their aerodigestive tract were enrolled in this study. Data on patient's sex and age, characteristics of the allegedly ingested fish bone, utilization rate and result of neck radiographs, and removal procedures were collected retrospectively from three university-affiliated hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 270 children, from Seoul National University College of Medicine (n=113), Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (n=114), and Seoul National University Boramae Hospital (n=43) were enrolled consecutively. A total of 162 patients (60.0%) were male; the mean age of subjects was 6.9+/-4.1 years. The most commonly suspected source of fish bones was mackerel (n=58, 21.5%), followed by yellow corbina (n=57, 21.1%), and cutlass fish (n=22, 8.2%). Results of initial oropharyngeal inspections by emergency physicians (EP) were negative in 213 patients (78.9%). Among these patients, 173(64.1%) underwent simple neck radiography (radiograph group) and 40(14.8%) patients did not (non-radiograph group). In the radiograph group, no fish bone (0.0%) was observed on plain radiographs. Additional throat examinations were consulted to otolaryngologists (OL), and fish bones were detected in 62(35.8%) and 15(37.5%) patients, from the radiograph group and non-radio group, respectively. Among oropharyngeal inspections performed by EP or OL (130 patients), the most common impacted site of fish bones was the paratonsillar area (n=92, 71.5%). CONCLUSION: Mackerel and corbina are common sources of fish bone impaction in Korean children. Due to poor visualization and no additional information for use in management, the usefulness of plain radiographs is questionable.
Child ; Emergencies ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Neck ; Perciformes ; Pharynx ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in the microbiological safety of food ingredients supplied to elementary school food services during processing. For this purpose, fifteen food ingredients and twelve factories were chosen in the provinces of Daegu and Gyeongbuk. Total plate counts and coliform counts were reduced in the ingredients after washing, but they increased after packing. After packing, the following levels of total plate counts and coliforms were detected, respectively: peeled bellflower roots (1.2~3.6x10(6), 3.1~4.6x10(5) CFU/g), blanched vegetables (5.6x10(3)~2.0x10(5), <5~1.5x10(4) CFU/g), soybean curd ( <5~5.4x10(3), <5~2.2x10(3) CFU/g), buckwheat starch jelly ( <5, <5 CFU/g), soybean sprouts (1.2x10(6)~1.8x10(7), 2.4x10(5)~4.3x10(6) CFU/g), mackerel (2.2x10(2), 1.3x10(2) CFU/g), chicken (3.8x10(4), 6.7x10(2) CFU/g), pork (6.7x10(2), <5 CFU/g), and beef (9.4x10(2)~5.2x10(4), <5~2.1x10(3) CFU/g). Generally, the microbiological safety of the food ingredients was better during the processing stage than during the other stages, with the exception of packing. Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Bacillus cereus were detected in small amounts on the peeled bellflower roots, chicken, and pork, respectively. These results indicate that peeled bellflower roots, chicken, and pork need to be sanitized at the washing stage and cross contamination must be prevented at the packing stage.
Bacillus cereus ; Chickens ; Codonopsis ; Fagopyrum ; Food Services ; Humans ; Perciformes ; Soybeans ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Starch ; Vegetables

BACKGROUND: It is often stated that ingestion of food rich in histamine can result in absorption of sufficient histamine to provoke signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. To date, No study has systemically examined in Korea. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the histamine content of 29 common dishes. METHODS: The histamine content of food was measured using high performance liquid chromatography and post column derivation system with fluorescence detector. RESULTS: Sausages (3,572 mg/kg) showed the highest histamine level and fish such as tuna (2,927 mg/kg) and mackerel (2,467 mg/kg) also showed high levels of histamine. From the fruit and vegetable group, spinach (1,358 mg/kg) showed the highest level, containing a moderate amount of histamine. From the dairy product group, cheese (533 mg/kg) showed a moderate amount of histamine. From the group containing caffeine green tea (878 mg/kg) showed a slightly high histamine level. The alcohol group showed relatively low levels of histamine. CONCLUSION: High histamine concentrations were found in fish, meat and processed meat, spinach, and green tea, etc. These results are in agreement with those of previous studies of histamine content of food in other countries. This is the first work that has evaluated histamine content in food in Korea. Further studies including other Korean food will be required.
Absorption ; Caffeine ; Cheese ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Dairy Products ; Eating ; Fluorescence ; Fruit ; Histamine* ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea* ; Meat ; Perciformes ; Spinacia oleracea ; Tea ; Tuna ; Vegetables