Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Due to their numerous well-established applications in the food industry, there have been many studies regarding the adaptation and evolution of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in a wide variety of hosts and environments. Progress in sequencing technology and continual decreases in its costs have led to the availability of LAB genome sequence data. Bioinformatics has been central to the extraction of valuable information from these raw genome sequence data. This paper presents the roles of bioinformatics tools and databases in understanding the adaptation and evolution of LAB, as well as the bioinformatics methods used in the initial screening of LAB for probiotic potential. Moreover, the advantages, challenges, and limitations of employing bioinformatics for these purposes are discussed.

Food Science of Animal Resources (Food Sci. Anim. Resour.) is an international, peer-reviewed bimonthly journal publishing original research and reviews on basic and applied aspects of the use of animal resources including the meat, egg, dairy, and edible insect/worm products. Food Sci. Anim. Resour. is published and distributed by the Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources.

The aim of the presented study was to investigate the synbiotic effects of L. rhamnosus 4B15 and C. tricuspidata extract administration on the gut microbiota and obesity-associated metabolic parameters in diet-induced obese mice. Thirty-one 6-week-old male C57BL/N6 mice were divided into five diet groups: normal diet (ND, n = 7) group; high-fat diet (HFD, n = 6) group; probiotic (PRO, n = 5) group; prebiotic (PRE, n = 7) group; and synbiotic (SYN, n = 6) group. After 10 weeks, the percent of fat mass, serum triglyceride, and ALT levels were significantly reduced in SYN-fed obese mice, compared with other treatments. SYN treatment also modulated the abundance of Desulfovibrio, Dorea, Adlercreutzia, Allobaculum, Coprococcus, unclassified Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillus, Helicobacter, Flexispira, Odoribacter, Ruminococcus, unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae, and unclassified Desulfovibrionaceae. These taxa showed a strong correlation with obesity-associated indices. Lastly, the SYN-supplemented diet upregulated metabolic pathways known to improve metabolic health. Further investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms driving the synbiotic effect of C. tricuspidata and L. rhamnosus 4B15.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a fatal disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). To date, several vaccines have been developed to combat the spread of this virus. Mucosal vaccines using food‐grade bacteria, such as Lactobacillus spp., are promising strategies for developing safe and effective vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2. In this study, we designed a non‐GMO surface‐displayed SARS‐CoV‐2 spike S1 epitope on Limosilactobacillus fermentum ‐derived bacteria‐like particles (BLPs). After that, we evaluated its efficacy to induce immune responses in immunocompetent mice. Moreover, we examined the influence of oral immunisation on the gut microbiome and microbiota metabolites. Twenty‐eight 6‐week‐old male C57BL/6 mice were orally immunised with the following: PBS (control), Lm. fermentum ‐derived BLPs only, BLPs displaying SARS‐CoV‐2 spike S1‐2, or BLPs displaying SARS‐CoV‐2 spike S1‐3 epitopes. Our results showed that mucosal immunisation of mice with surface‐displayed SARS‐CoV‐2 spike epitopes provoked high‐level secretory IgA and systemic IgG production. Moreover, the immunisation exhibited a Th1‐like immune response, characterised by an elevated IgG2a‐to‐IgG1 ratio and high antiviral IFN‐γ production. In addition, we observed gut microbiome modulation and increased butyrate production in immunised mice. Overall, the use of Lm. fermentum ‐derived BLPs and the anchor CshA to display SARS‐CoV‐2 spike S1epitopes is a promising novel strategy in developing a cost‐effective, non‐GMO mucosal vaccine alternative against SARS‐CoV‐2.