Indiscriminate use of antibiotics can result in antibiotic residues in animal products; thus, plant compounds may be better alternative sources for mitigating methane (CH₄) production. An in vitro screening experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential application of 152 dry methanolic or ethanolic extracts from 137 plant species distributed in East Asian countries as anti-methanogenic additives in ruminant feed. The experimental material consisted of 200 mg total mixed ration, 20 mg plant extract, and 30 mL diluted ruminal fluid-buffer mixture in 60 mL serum bottles that were sealed with rubber stoppers and incubated at 39 °C for 24 h. Among the tested extracts, eight extracts decreased CH₄ production by >20%, compared to the corresponding controls: stems of Vitex negundo var. incisa, stems of Amelanchier asiatica, fruit of Reynoutria sachalinensis, seeds of Tribulus terrestris, seeds of Pharbitis nil, leaves of Alnus japonica, stem and bark of Carpinus tschonoskii, and stems of Acer truncatum. A confirmation assay of the eight plant extracts at a dosage of 10 mg with four replications repeated on 3 different days revealed that the extracts decreased CH₄ concentration in the total gas (7–15%) and total CH₄ production (17–37%), compared to the control. This is the first report to identify the anti-methanogenic activities of eight potential plant extracts. All extracts decreased ammonia (NH₃-N) concentrations. Negative effects on total gas and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production were also noted for all extracts that were rich in hydrolysable tannins and total saponins or fatty acids. The underlying modes of action differed among plants: extracts from P. nil, V. negundo var. incisa, A. asiatica, and R. sachalinensis resulted in a decrease in total methanogen or the protozoan population (p < 0.05) but extracts from other plants did not. Furthermore, extracts from P. nil decreased the population of total protozoa and increased the proportion of propionate among VFAs (p < 0.05). Identifying bioactive compounds in seeds of P. nil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed enrichment of linoleic acid (18:2). Overall, seeds of P. nil could be a possible alternative to ionophores or oil seeds to mitigate ruminal CH₄ production.

This study investigates the growth characteristics of Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis) in liquid whole egg under both isothermal and non-isothermal storage conditions to understand the risks associated with inadequate temperature management in the egg industry. Using controlled laboratory simulations, liquid whole egg samples inoculated with S. enteritidis were stored under various isothermal (5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 °C) and non-isothermal conditions (5–10, 15–20, 25–30, 35–40, and 45–50 °C). The growth behavior of the S. enteritidis was analyzed using a two-step predictive modeling approach. First, growth kinetic parameters were estimated using a primary model, and then the effects of temperature on the estimated specific growth rate and lag time were described using a secondary model. Independent growth data under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions were used to evaluate the models. The results showed that S. enteritidis exhibits different growth characteristics depending on temperature conditions, emphasizing the need for strict temperature control to prevent foodborne illnesses. To address this, a predictive growth model tailored for non-isothermal conditions was developed and validated using experimental data, demonstrating its reliability in predicting S. enteritidis behavior under dynamic temperature scenarios. Additionally, temperature management technologies were proposed and tested to improve food safety during refrigerated storage. This study provides a scientific basis for improving food safety protocols in the egg industry, thereby protecting public health and maintaining consumer confidence amid temperature fluctuations.

This study was performed to update and generate prediction equations for converting digestible energy (DE) to metabolizable energy (ME) for Korean Hanwoo beef cattle, taking into consideration the gender (male and female) and body weights (BW above and below 350 kg) of the animals. The data consisted of 141 measurements from respiratory chambers with a wide range of diets and energy intake levels. A simple linear regression of the overall unadjusted data suggested a strong relationship between the DE and ME (Mcal/kg DM): ME = 0.8722 × DE + 0.0016 (coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.946, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.107, p < 0.001 for intercept and slope). Mixed-model regression analyses to adjust for the effects of the experiment from which the data were obtained similarly showed a strong linear relationship between the DE and ME (Mcal/kg of DM): ME = 0.9215 × DE − 0.1434 (R² = 0.999, RMSE = 0.004, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope). The DE was strongly related to the ME for both genders: ME = 0.8621 × DE + 0.0808 (R² = 0.9600, RMSE = 0.083, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) and ME = 0.7785 × DE + 0.1546 (R² = 0.971, RMSE = 0.070, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) for male and female Hanwoo cattle, respectively. By BW, the simple linear regression similarly showed a strong relationship between the DE and ME for Hanwoo above and below 350 kg BW: ME = 0.9833 × DE − 0.2760 (R² = 0.991, RMSE = 0.055, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) and ME = 0.72975 × DE + 0.38744 (R² = 0.913, RMSE = 0.100, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope), respectively. A multiple regression using the DE and dietary factors as independent variables did not improve the accuracy of the ME prediction (ME = 1.149 × DE − 0.045 × crude protein + 0.011 × neutral detergent fibre − 0.027 × acid detergent fibre + 0.683).

Recent research has been conducted on various types of pre-processing methods for insects, including freeze-drying, microwave drying, hot air heat drying, and non-heat drying. This study aimed to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on heat drying conditions and establish the optimal heat drying conditions for drone pupae (Apis melifera L.) using response surface methodology (RSM) to minimize quality changes. Drone pupae were treated under various conditions, including blanching time (53–187 s) (X₁), drying temperatures (41.6–58.4 °C) (X₂), and drying time (266–434 min) (X₃). The effect of these treatments on response variables, including the color parameter (WI, YI, BI, △E, and BD), AV, and TB of the dried drone pupae, was evaluated using a central composite design. The whole design consisted of 20 experimental points carried out in random order, which included eight factorial points, six center points, and six axial points. The optimal drying conditions for drone pupae were determined to be a blanching time of 58 s, a drying temperature of 56.7 °C, and a drying time of 298 min. The response variables were most affected by drying temperature and drying time and to a lesser extent by blanching time. The processed drone pupae using the optimized drying conditions resulted in the color parameters (WI, BI, YI, ΔE, and BD) being found to be 66.67, 21.33, 26.27, 31.27 and 0.13, respectively. And TB (log CFU/g) and AV (mg/g) values were found to be 3.12 and 4.33, respectively. The estimated and actual values for dried drone pupae showed no significant difference (p < 0.05). Comparing the physicochemical and microbiological properties of freeze-dried and optimal heat-dried drone pupae, the L and b value as well as PV were significantly lower in the heat-dried samples, while no significant difference was observed in the a value and AV (p < 0.05). Our study suggests that the model we developed can be applied to the large-scale production of drying conditions for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Bovine mastitis (BM) has caused huge economic and financial losses in the dairy industry worldwide, with Staphylococcus aureus as one of its major pathogens. BM treatment still relies on antibiotics and its extensive use often generates methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and mupirocin-resistant S. aureus (MuRSA). This study compared the antimicrobial resistance trend in coagulase-positive Stapholococci (CoPS) isolated from BM milk in conventional and organic dairy farms and checked prevalence of MRSA and MuRSA. A total of 163 presumptive Staphylococci were isolated, wherein 11 out of 74 from 4 conventional farms (CF1, CF2, CF3, CF4) and 17 out of 89 from 3 organic farms (OF1, OF2, OF3) exhibited coagulase activity. Multiplex-PCR amplification confirmed at least one coagulase-positive isolate from CF1, CF2, CF3, CF4, and OF1 as S. aureus, denoted by the presence of the nuc gene. Three isolates from CF2 contained the mecA gene, indicating MRSA prevalence, while the MuRSA gene marker, mupA, was not detected in any of the isolates. Antimicrobial testing showed that conventional farm isolates were more resistant to antibiotics, especially ampicillin and tetracycline. This suggests a risk of developing multidrug resistance in dairy farms if antibiotic use is not properly and strictly monitored and regulated.