Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Enterococcus spp. isolated from animal feed in Japan.

The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of bacteria is a global health problem at the human, animal, and environmental interfaces, which necessitates the "One Health" approach. AMR of bacteria in animal feed are a potential cause of the prevalence in livestock; however, the role remains unclear. To date, there is limited research on AMR of bacteria in animal feed in Japan. In this study, a total of 57 complete feed samples and 275 feed ingredient samples were collected between 2018 and 2020. Enterococcus spp. were present in 82.5% of complete feed (47/57 samples), 76.5% of soybean meal (62/81), 49.6% of fish meal (55/111), 33.3% of poultry meal (22/66), and 47.1% of meat and bone meal (8/17) samples. Of 295 isolates, E. faecium (33.2% of total isolates) was the dominant Enterococcus spp., followed by E. faecalis (14.2%), E. hirae (6.4%), E. durans (2.7%), E. casseliflavus (2.4%), and E. gallinarum (1.0%). Of 134 isolates which were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance to kanamycin was the highest (26.1%), followed by erythromycin (24.6%), tetracycline (6.0%), lincomycin (2.2%), tylosin (1.5%), gentamicin (0.8%), and ciprofloxacin (0.8%). All Enterococcus spp. exhibited susceptibility to ampicillin, vancomycin, and chloramphenicol. Of 33 erythromycin-resistant isolates, only two showed a high minimum inhibitory concentration value (>128 µg/mL) and possessed ermB. These results revealed that overall resistance to antimicrobials is relatively low; however, animal feed is a source of Enterococcus spp. It is essential to elucidate the causative factors related to the prevalence of AMR in animal feed.

Improvement of gluten-free steamed bread quality by partial substitution of rice flour with powder of Apios americana tuber.

This study investigated the effect of powder made from tubers of the legume Apios americana (Apios) as a rice flour substitute in the making of gluten-free steamed bread. The carbohydrates of Apios powder were mainly starch and sucrose, and included legume-specific raffinose and stachyose. Apios powder contained almost no α-amylase but had a high level of ß-amylase activity. Substitution of rice flour with Apios powder delayed the hardening of bread on storage and helped to maintain cohesiveness. Apios powder-substituted bread had higher maltose content than unsubstituted control bread due to ß-amylase activity in the Apios powder. Bread substituted with 10% Apios powder had a significantly higher degree of gelatinization than the control even after storage, most likely due to lower amounts of recrystallized amylose as determined by differential scanning calorimetry. These results demonstrate Apios powder as promising a new food ingredient for improving the quality of gluten-free rice bread.

Practical long-term storage of strawberries in refrigerated containers at ice temperature.

This study investigated the effect of storage temperature in the presence or absence of film packaging on the Benihoppe and Kirapika varieties of Japanese strawberries stored for 28 days at 0°C and 3°C. The study was conducted in a 20-foot reefer container for practicality. Storage at 0°C suppressed decay and reduction in sugars and organic acids more efficiently than that at 3°C. Softening of fruit hardness was also suppressed depending on the variety. The reduction in sugars and organic acids did not affect strawberry palatability. Along with low temperature, long-term storage of strawberries also requires the use of film packaging, which prevents drying. Without film packaging, storage at both 0°C and 3°C decreased fresh weight significantly, resulting in loss of commercial value. In contrast, storage in film packaging decreased weight reduction to <5%, even after 28 days cold storage.

Effects of distribution of sugars and organic acids on the taste of strawberries.

The concentrations of sugars and organic acids as well as the total soluble solid (TSS) in different parts of the strawberry fruit were characterized. The data were used to create simulated fruit juice jellies, in order to clarify how the sugar and organic acid levels affect the taste. Such an approach eliminates the influence of external factors such as size, color, and texture when using real fruits in sensory evaluations. Further, the use of a jelly allowed us to simulate the concentration differences between various parts of the fruit. In the strawberry fruit, the sugar content is higher in the apex than in the peduncle; however, the level of organic acids is the same throughout. It was revealed that the sweetness and sourness in the apex and peduncle could be sufficiently recognized by humans as tastes. Also, a layered jelly sample replicating the sugar and acid distribution in real strawberry was perceived as less sweet and more sour, compared to a homogeneous one with the same overall composition. The likely reason is that the sourness in the peduncle is accentuated by the low TSS level, which decreases the TSS/total organic acid ratio that affects the sweetness/sour perceptions. Based on these results, factors for the appropriate sensory evaluation of fresh fruits in general were considered. Specifically, the distribution of sugars and organic acids in the fruit should be analyzed first, and bite-sized parts with concentrations close to the average provide the most accurate evaluation results.

An ascovirus isolated from Spodoptera litura (Noctuidae: Lepidoptera) transmitted by the generalist endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Braconidae: Hymenoptera).

The family Ascoviridae is a recently described virus family whose members are transmitted by parasitoids and cause chronic and lethal infections in lepidopteran insects. Little is known about the biology and ecology of ascoviruses, and few isolates have been found outside the United States. We report here the isolation of a new ascovirus variant from Spodoptera litura in Japan. Full genome sequence and phylogenetic analyses showed that this virus was closely related to variants in Heliothis virescens ascovirus-3a, and it was named HvAV-3j. HvAV-3j has a DNA genome of 191 718 bp, with 189 putative ORFs and a GC content of 45.6 %, and is highly similar to HvAV-3h, which was isolated in China. In a field survey, the endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis caused a high percentage of parasitization in populations of S. litura larvae, and under laboratory conditions M. pulchricornis was able to transmit HvAV-3j from infected to uninfected larvae by oviposition. Meteorus pulchricornis is thus likely to be a major vector for HvAV-3j transmission in Japan. This species is recognized here for the first time as a vector of ascoviruses that parasitizes a range of host species that extends across families.

Anti-aquaporin-4 antibody-positive optic neuritis treated with double-filtration plasmapheresis.

PURPOSE: The anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody was recently reported to be associated with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). Optic nerve involvements in many NMO cases are bilateral and the prognosis is poor. However, it has been suggested that plasma exchange is effective for those patients when steroid pulse therapy is ineffective. Herein, we report successful treatment of a patient with NMO using double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP). CASE: A 22-year-old woman consulted a neurologist for neck pain in March 2008. High-intensity lesions were shown in the cervical spinal cord by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. On July 15, the patient was referred to our department for a headache and pain and blurred vision in the left eye. The best-corrected visual acuity was 20/50 and 20/500 in the right and left eyes, respectively, with visual field defects observed in both. After 3 courses of steroid pulse therapy, anti-AQP4 antibodies were positive. In November, the patient again noticed visual acuity loss in the left eye and was treated by additional steroid pulse therapy, which was not effective. Next, she underwent plasma exchange therapy, though it was stopped due to hypotension and dyspnea. The next day, the patient underwent DFPP treatment and visual function gradually recovered. CONCLUSION: It is important to consider NMO when steroid pulse therapy is not effective. We successfully and safely treated NMO in a young adult patient using DFPP.

Soluble fiber viscosity affects both goblet cell number and small intestine mucin secretion in rats.

We examined the role of soluble fiber viscosity in small intestinal mucin secretion. Viscosities were defined as the area under the viscosity curve (VAUC). Rats were fed a control diet or diets containing konjac mannan (KM) [low, medium, or high molecular weight (LKM, MKM, HKM), respectively] at 50 g/kg diet for 10 d. Luminal mucin content and goblet cell number increased in proportion to the molecular weight of KM. Such effects with the HKM diet were nullified by the concurrent ingestion of 2 g cellulase/kg diet. Diet containing LKM, MKM, HKM, guar gums (high or low molecular weight; HGG, LGG), psyllium (PS), or pectin (PC) at 50 g/kg was fed to rats. Fibers with higher VAUC (MKM, HKM, HGG, and PS) increased goblet cell numbers, but not those with lower VAUC (LKM, LGG, and PC). Luminal mucins were greater in rats fed HKM, PC, and PS diets. Goblet cell numbers and VAUC were correlated (r = 0.98; P < 0.01). In rats fed the HKM diet, ileal Muc2 gene expression was not affected, but that of Muc3 was lower than in those fed the control diet, indicating that the increase in luminal mucins after ingestion of HKM diet occurred independently of enhanced Muc gene expression. An incorporation study of 5'-bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) showed the position of the uppermost-BrdU labeled cell along the villi was higher in rats fed the HKM diet than in those fed the control diet. The results suggest that soluble fibers, except PC, upregulate baseline secretion of luminal mucins by increasing goblet cell numbers in proportion to fiber VAUC.

Severe optic neuropathy caused by dichloromethane inhalation.

PURPOSE: In this paper, we report a case of severe optic neuropathy caused by dichloromethane inhalation. CASE: A 65-year-old man fell unconsciousness while cleaning a dichloromethane tank containing a small amount of dichloromethane (purity greater than 99%) and was transported to the emergency department of our hospital, after which he was treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After 1 month, narrowing of the visual field in both eyes was noted and the patient was referred to our department for additional examinations. Visual acuity was 0.3 in both eyes, which demonstrated normal reactions to light, while the critical flicker frequency (CFF) values were 30 and 25 Hz in the right and left eye, respectively. There were no abnormal findings shown in slit-lamp and fundus examinations, except for a mild cataract. Concentric contractions of the visual field by 10 degrees in both eyes were shown by a Goldmann perimetry examination, while an electroretinogram (ERG) and visual evoked cortical potential (VECP) examination exhibited nearly normal results. We diagnosed the condition as optic neuropathy caused by organic solvent poisoning, based on the decreased visual acuity, decreased CFF values, and visual-field narrowing. Although the patient was treated with vitamin B(12), visual disturbance, optic nerve atrophy, and results of VECP examinations worsened in both eyes, whereas ERG examination results were normal. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, we considered that the central nervous system, including the optic nerve, was more severely damaged than the retina due to the normal findings in the ocular fundus and ERG examinations. Since dichloromethane produces carbon monoxide when catabolized in the liver, carbon monoxide toxicity together with the direct toxic effect of dichloromethane were considered to contribute to optic neuropathy in this case. The outcome for the present patient was poor.

Distribution of amylose, nitrogen, and minerals in rice kernels with various characters.

The distribution of chemical constituents is known not to be even within a rice kernel. To improve the eating quality of rice or to give it some special traits by adjusting the milling intensity, we investigated the distribution of amylose, nitrogen (N), and specific minerals (P, K, Mg, Ca, and Mn) in rice kernels of 11 cultivars with various characteristics cultivated under similar conditions. The distributions of these constituents were determined using flour samples prepared consecutively by abrasive milling from the outer to the inner portions of hulled rice. In all the cultivars tested, N and the minerals were found to be more abundant in the outer than in the inner portion, but amylose was rich in the inner portion. P, Mg, K, and Mn were extremely rich in the outer portion, while N and Ca were only relatively rich there. Koshihikari, which is the most popular cultivar in Japan because of its excellent eating quality, showed the highest Mg/K ratio in the outermost portion of polished rice. The color of flour samples became pure white going from outside portions toward the center of the kernel, even if the sample was from red rice or purple-black rice because only the surface of hulled rice contains pigments. These findings suggest that the outer portion contains various compounds other than starch and the inner portion contains relatively pure starch. Rice palatability and other characteristics can be improved through controlling the degree of milling using the biased distribution of chemical constituents within a rice kernel.