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Prof. Dr. Po-Wen Chen
National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan

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0 Microbiology
0 microbiota
0 Probiotic bacteria
0 Anti-Bacterial Agents
0 Anti-cancer peptides

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Original article
Published: 05 April 2021 in Indoor Air
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Traditionally, direct‐reading instruments have been used to directly determine the concentrations of indoor air pollutants that may exceed the regulation limits. However, these instruments cannot directly assess the potential health hazards of these pollutants to humans. In this study, we developed and improved a bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) by using a direct gas exposure module to directly determine the mutagenicity of indoor air quality using five tester bacterial strains (TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535, and TA1537). Thereafter, the module was used to evaluate the effects of exposure time, different concentrations of HCHO or toluene, and mutagenic activities. We found that TA100 was the most sensitive strain and was reverted by relatively lower concentrations of 0.035 ppm HCHO. Furthermore, 50 ppm of toluene exposures caused a significant increase in the number of revertant colonies of TA100 without S9 activation at the 1.5–8‐h exposure time intervals. Our findings provide new evidence that gaseous HCHO exposure could display weak but direct, time‐dependent, and dose‐dependent mutagenic activities. The weak, direct‐acting, indirect‐acting, and time‐dependent mutagen of 50 ppm toluene was also confirmed. Moreover, our improved Ames module and the exposure conditions provided in this study can be further applied to evaluate the mutagenicity of indoor air quality.

ACS Style

Po‐Wen Chen; Tai‐Chen Kuo; Zhen‐Shu Liu; Hung‐Fu Lu. Assessment of the mutagenicity of two common indoor air pollutants, formaldehyde and toluene. Indoor Air 2021, 31, 1353 -1363.

AMA Style

Po‐Wen Chen, Tai‐Chen Kuo, Zhen‐Shu Liu, Hung‐Fu Lu. Assessment of the mutagenicity of two common indoor air pollutants, formaldehyde and toluene. Indoor Air. 2021; 31 (5):1353-1363.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po‐Wen Chen; Tai‐Chen Kuo; Zhen‐Shu Liu; Hung‐Fu Lu. 2021. "Assessment of the mutagenicity of two common indoor air pollutants, formaldehyde and toluene." Indoor Air 31, no. 5: 1353-1363.

Journal article
Published: 27 January 2021 in Antibiotics
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Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional protein found in mammals, and it shows broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. To improve the functional properties of specific probiotics in order to provide both the beneficial characteristics of lactic acid bacteria and the biological activity of LF, cDNAs of bovine LF (BLF), human LF (HLF), or porcine LF (PLF) were cloned into a nisin-inducible plasmid. These were then transformed into the selected eight probiotics, which are LF-resistant hosts. Expression of recombinant LFs (rLFs) was analyzed via SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Although the selected host strains may not contain the nisRK genes (NisK, the sensor kinase; NisR, the regulator protein), the components of autoregulation, a low level of LFs expression can be successfully induced by using nisin within bacterial cells in a time-dependent manner in three engineered clones, including Lactobacillus delbrueckii/HLF, L. delbrueckii/BLF, and L. gasseri/BLF. Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus gasseri originate from yogurt and human milk, respectively, and both strains are functional probiotic strains. Therefore, we further compared the antibacterial activities of disrupted recombinant probiotic clones, conventional strains (host control), and vector control ones by using agar diffusion and broth inhibition analysis, and the expression of rLFs in the above three clones considerately improved their antibacterial efficacies against four important food-borne pathogens, namely, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Salmonellaenterica. In conclusion, this study provides a simple strategy for the production of functional LFs (BLF and HLF) in both functional and LF-resistant hosts for applications in the field.

ACS Style

Zhen-Shu Liu; Chuen-Fu Lin; Chung-Pei Lee; Min-Chi Hsieh; Hung-Fu Lu; Ying-Fang Chen; Yu-We Ku; Po-Wen Chen. A Single Plasmid of Nisin-Controlled Bovine and Human Lactoferrin Expressing Elevated Antibacterial Activity of Lactoferrin-Resistant Probiotic Strains. Antibiotics 2021, 10, 120 .

AMA Style

Zhen-Shu Liu, Chuen-Fu Lin, Chung-Pei Lee, Min-Chi Hsieh, Hung-Fu Lu, Ying-Fang Chen, Yu-We Ku, Po-Wen Chen. A Single Plasmid of Nisin-Controlled Bovine and Human Lactoferrin Expressing Elevated Antibacterial Activity of Lactoferrin-Resistant Probiotic Strains. Antibiotics. 2021; 10 (2):120.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhen-Shu Liu; Chuen-Fu Lin; Chung-Pei Lee; Min-Chi Hsieh; Hung-Fu Lu; Ying-Fang Chen; Yu-We Ku; Po-Wen Chen. 2021. "A Single Plasmid of Nisin-Controlled Bovine and Human Lactoferrin Expressing Elevated Antibacterial Activity of Lactoferrin-Resistant Probiotic Strains." Antibiotics 10, no. 2: 120.

Journal article
Published: 22 August 2020 in Microorganisms
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Human milk microorganisms could benefit the healthy development of the immune system in infants. In Asia, the practice of “doing-the-month” indicates a month-long period of postpartum recuperation for new mothers. This is composed of cultural practices, traditional beliefs, behavioral, dietary, and herbal therapies. In this pilot study, we evaluated the effect of “doing-the-month” on the human milk microbiota using a molecular approach. We collected two “doing-the-month” milk groups from randomly recruited mothers who had completed their “doing-the-month” program in either postpartum care center A (milk-PCA, n = 14) or postpartum care center B (milk-PCB, n = 27) for 20 to 30 days. As for the control group, milk samples were selected from postpartum mothers (milk-H, n = 46), who did not conduct the “doing-the-month” program. We found that the “doing-the-month” milk samples were associated with more diverse and unique milk microbiota and that these samples were also linked with more abundant Lactobacillus (milk-PCB) and prevalent Bifidobacteria (milk-PCA and milk-PCB). In addition, the milk samples from “doing-the-month” mothers could be enriched with more Archaea bacterial members, but the “non-doing-the-month” milk samples were enriched with more common skin-, oral-, and environmental-related bacterial members. This study highlights the impact maternal practices may have on the milk microbiome. More research is needed to investigate the effects this may have on infant immune health.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yu-Hsien Kuo; Yi-Ling Lin. The Impact of the Postpartum “Doing-the-Month” Practice on Human Milk Microbiota: A Pilot Study in Taiwan. Microorganisms 2020, 8, 1283 .

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Yu-Hsien Kuo, Yi-Ling Lin. The Impact of the Postpartum “Doing-the-Month” Practice on Human Milk Microbiota: A Pilot Study in Taiwan. Microorganisms. 2020; 8 (9):1283.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yu-Hsien Kuo; Yi-Ling Lin. 2020. "The Impact of the Postpartum “Doing-the-Month” Practice on Human Milk Microbiota: A Pilot Study in Taiwan." Microorganisms 8, no. 9: 1283.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2018 in Journal of Food and Drug Analysis
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Recent studies indicate that milk from healthy mothers may harbor potential probiotics. Nonetheless, the distribution of bacterial profiles in human milk samples in Taiwan is not fully understood. Therefore, with the aim to address this question, in this study, milk samples were collected from 33 healthy mothers (D1 to D33) visiting our hospital during a 6-month period. The milk microbiota was analyzed by a molecular approach (Illumina MiSeq sequencing). The results indicate that the milk samples have a unique profile and patterns of bacterial abundance levels. Moreover, in colostrum and transitional-milk samples, we detected 154 and 127 bacterial species, respectively, and these sets shared 42.6% of the bacterial species. The most common bacterial species among all milk samples were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus lactarius, and Staphylococcus hominis, suggesting that the skin contamination route plays an important role in the composition of the milk microbiota. Nevertheless, four Lactobacillus species, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus zeae, and Lactobacillus gasseri, were present in only 7 samples (21% prevalence), and bifidobacterial species were quite rare taxa among the present samples. The Staphylococcus aureus was detected in a total of 15 samples (45% prevalence), suggesting that this species may be commonly present in milk samples. In conclusion, each milk sample revealed a unique profile and patterns of bacterial abundance levels, and our data do not support the idea that lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are common and abundant in modern milk samples. Because none of the donors of the milk samples showed mastitis or any discomfort during the sampling process or at follow-up inspection, the microbiota of these milk samples is not likely to negatively affect its host. This study provides new information on the proportions of commensal bacteria in human milk in Taiwan.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yi-Ling Lin; Mao-Sheng Huang. Profiles of commensal and opportunistic bacteria in human milk from healthy donors in Taiwan. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis 2018, 26, 1235 -1244.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Yi-Ling Lin, Mao-Sheng Huang. Profiles of commensal and opportunistic bacteria in human milk from healthy donors in Taiwan. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis. 2018; 26 (4):1235-1244.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yi-Ling Lin; Mao-Sheng Huang. 2018. "Profiles of commensal and opportunistic bacteria in human milk from healthy donors in Taiwan." Journal of Food and Drug Analysis 26, no. 4: 1235-1244.

Original research
Published: 25 March 2018 in MicrobiologyOpen
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Recent reports have shown that food‐borne or commensal bacteria can function as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance. However, the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates of most milk samples or the total bacterial counts (TBC) in human milk from healthy donors, are not fully understood in Taiwan. Thus, five healthy mothers were randomly recruited each month, and totally 30 mothers without any symptoms of infection were recruited over 6 months. Milk samples were then harvested and analyzed immediately after collection. The antibiotic susceptibility was analyzed in bacteria isolated from milk samples using nine clinically relevant antibiotics, such as oxacillin, ampicillin, cephalothin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin, gentamicin, and oxytetracycline. The Staphylococcus strains (48 isolates) found in milk resisted to 48.6 ± 20.1% selected antibiotics. Streptococcus‐related isolates (8 isolates) exhibited resistance to 41.7 ± 26.4% selected antibiotics. Acinetobacter isolates (5 isolates) were resistant to 66.7 ± 13.6% antibiotics, and Enterococcus isolates (5 isolates) were resistant to 73.3 ± 6.1% tested antibiotics. Rothia‐related isolates (4 isolates) were resisted to 58.2 ± 31.9% of tested antibiotics. In contrast, Corynebacterium isolates (5 isolates) were sensitive to 66%–100% of selected antibiotics. Furthermore, the TBC ranged from 40 to 710,000 CFU/ml, implying a wide spectrum of bacteria in milk from healthy mothers. Despite this, all milk donors were healthy during sampling, and they did not show any symptoms related to mastitis or subclinical mastitis. According to the previously described TBC criteria for the use of donated human milk, only 73% of the current milk samples could be accepted for the milk bank. In conclusion, the majority of the isolated bacterial strains from current human milk samples are multiresistant strains. In milk samples for preterm infants or milk banks, higher TBC levels or potentially antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in some milk samples have supported people using approaches to disinfect human milk partially.

ACS Style

Mao-Sheng Huang; Ching-Chang Cheng; Shu-Ying Tseng; Yi-Ling Lin; Hui-Min Lo; Po-Wen Chen. Most commensally bacterial strains in human milk of healthy mothers display multiple antibiotic resistance. MicrobiologyOpen 2018, 8, e00618 .

AMA Style

Mao-Sheng Huang, Ching-Chang Cheng, Shu-Ying Tseng, Yi-Ling Lin, Hui-Min Lo, Po-Wen Chen. Most commensally bacterial strains in human milk of healthy mothers display multiple antibiotic resistance. MicrobiologyOpen. 2018; 8 (1):e00618.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mao-Sheng Huang; Ching-Chang Cheng; Shu-Ying Tseng; Yi-Ling Lin; Hui-Min Lo; Po-Wen Chen. 2018. "Most commensally bacterial strains in human milk of healthy mothers display multiple antibiotic resistance." MicrobiologyOpen 8, no. 1: e00618.

Journal article
Published: 09 August 2017 in Journal of Food Protection
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Coffee is a popular beverage worldwide, but coffee beans can be contaminated with carcinogens. The Ames Salmonella mutagenicity test is often used for analysis of carcinogens for mutagenicity. However, previous studies have provided controversial data about the direct mutagenicity of coffee beans based on Ames test results. This study was conducted to determine the mutagenicity of popular Americano coffee based on results from the Ames test. Coffee samples without additives that were served by five international coffee chain restaurants were subjected to the analysis using Salmonella Typhimurium tester strains TA98, TA100, and TA1535. The levels of bacterial revertants in samples from coffee chains were lower than the twofold criterion of the control sets, and no significant dose-response effect was observed with or without rat liver enzyme activation. These data indicate that Americano coffees from the selected coffee chains possessed no direct mutagenic activity with or without enzyme activation. These findings suggest a low mutagenic risk from Americano coffees served by the selected coffee chains and support the use of other methods to confirm the nonmutagenicity of coffee products. These results are consistent with most recent epidemiological reports.

ACS Style

Zhen-Shu Liu; Po-Wen Chen; Jung-Yu Wang; Tai-Chen Kuo. Assessment of Cellular Mutagenicity of Americano Coffees from Popular Coffee Chains. Journal of Food Protection 2017, 80, 1489 -1495.

AMA Style

Zhen-Shu Liu, Po-Wen Chen, Jung-Yu Wang, Tai-Chen Kuo. Assessment of Cellular Mutagenicity of Americano Coffees from Popular Coffee Chains. Journal of Food Protection. 2017; 80 (9):1489-1495.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhen-Shu Liu; Po-Wen Chen; Jung-Yu Wang; Tai-Chen Kuo. 2017. "Assessment of Cellular Mutagenicity of Americano Coffees from Popular Coffee Chains." Journal of Food Protection 80, no. 9: 1489-1495.

Article
Published: 09 February 2017 in BioMetals
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Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a natural iron-binding protein and it has been suggested to be a prebiotic agent, but this finding remains inconclusive. This study explores the prebiotic potential of bLf in 14 probiotics. Initially, bLf (1–32 mg/mL) treatment showed occasional and slight prebiotic activity in several probiotics only during the late experimental period (48, 78 h) at 37 °C. We subsequently supposed that bLf exerts stronger prebiotic effects when probiotic growth has been temperately retarded. Therefore, we incubated the probiotics at different temperatures, namely 37 °C, 28 °C, room temperature (approximately 22–24 °C), and 22 °C, to retard or inhibit their growth. As expected, bLf showed more favorable prebiotic activity in several probiotics when their growth was partially retarded at room temperature. Furthermore, at 22 °C, the growth of Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus coryniformis, L. delbrueckii, L. acidophilus, B. angulatum, B. catenulatum, and L. paraplantarum were completely blocked. Notably, these probiotics started regrowing in the presence of bLf (1–32 mg/mL) in a significant and dose-dependent manner. Accordingly, bLf significantly increased the growth of Pediococcus pentosaceus, L. rhamnosus, and L. paracasei (BCRC 17483; a locally isolated strain) when their growth was retarded by incubation at 22 °C. In conclusion, bLf showed inconsistent prebiotic activity in the 14 probiotics at 37 °C, but revealed strong prebiotic activity in 10 probiotic strains at 22 °C. Therefore, this study enables determining additional roles of Lf in probiotic strains, which can facilitate developing novel combinational approaches by simultaneously using Lf and specific probiotics.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Tai-Chen Kuo; Min-Chi Hsieh; Zhe-Wei Li. Prebiotic effects of bovine lactoferrin on specific probiotic bacteria. BioMetals 2017, 30, 237 -248.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Zhen-Shu Liu, Tai-Chen Kuo, Min-Chi Hsieh, Zhe-Wei Li. Prebiotic effects of bovine lactoferrin on specific probiotic bacteria. BioMetals. 2017; 30 (2):237-248.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Tai-Chen Kuo; Min-Chi Hsieh; Zhe-Wei Li. 2017. "Prebiotic effects of bovine lactoferrin on specific probiotic bacteria." BioMetals 30, no. 2: 237-248.

Journal article
Published: 02 November 2016 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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Two incinerators in Taiwan have recently attempted to reuse the fly and bottom ash that they produce, but the mutagenicity of these types of ash has not yet been assessed. Therefore, we evaluated the mutagenicity of the ash with the Ames mutagenicity assay using the TA98, TA100, and TA1535 bacterial strains. We obtained three leachates from three leachants of varying pH values using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test recommended by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency (Taiwan EPA). We then performed the Ames assay on the harvested leachates. To evaluate the possible relationship between the presence of heavy metals and mutagenicity, the concentrations of five heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the leachates were also determined. The concentrations of Cd and Cr in the most acidic leachate from the precipitator fly ash and the Cd concentration in the most acidic leachate from the boiler fly ash exceeded the recommended limits. Notably, none of the nine leachates extracted from the boiler, precipitator, or bottom ashes displayed mutagenic activity. This data partially affirms the safety of the fly and bottom ash produced by certain incinerators. Therefore, the biotoxicity of leachates from recycled ash should be routinely monitored before reusing the ash.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Min-Jie Wun; Tai-Chen Kuo. Cellular Mutagenicity and Heavy Metal Concentrations of Leachates Extracted from the Fly and Bottom Ash Derived from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2016, 13, 1078 .

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Zhen-Shu Liu, Min-Jie Wun, Tai-Chen Kuo. Cellular Mutagenicity and Heavy Metal Concentrations of Leachates Extracted from the Fly and Bottom Ash Derived from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016; 13 (11):1078.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Min-Jie Wun; Tai-Chen Kuo. 2016. "Cellular Mutagenicity and Heavy Metal Concentrations of Leachates Extracted from the Fly and Bottom Ash Derived from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 11: 1078.

Article
Published: 22 October 2015 in Current Microbiology
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Recent studies have focused on foodborne or commensal bacteria as vehicles of antibiotic resistance. However, the antibiotic resistance of milk bacteria from healthy donors is still vague in Taiwan. For this purpose, human milk samples were obtained from randomly recruited 19 healthy women between 3 and 360 days post-partum. Antibiotic susceptibility profile of bacteria from milk samples was determined. About 20 bacterial species were isolated from milk samples including Staphylococcus (6 species), Streptococcus (4 species), Enterococcus (2 species), Lactobacillus (1 species), and bacteria belonging to other genera (7 species). Some opportunistic or potentially pathogenic bacteria including Kluyvera ascorbata, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Actinomyces bovis, and Staphylococcus aureus were also isolated. Intriguingly, Staphylococcus isolates (22 strains) were resistant to 2–8 of 8 antibiotics, while Streptococcus isolates (3 strains) were resistant to 3–7 of 9 antibiotics, and members of the genus Enterococcus (5 strains) were resistant to 3–8 of 9 antibiotics. Notably, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, S. aureus, Streptococcus parasanguinis, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Enterococcus faecalis were resistant to vancomycin, which is considered as the last-resort antibiotic. Therefore, this study shows that most bacterial strains in human milk demonstrate mild to strong antibiotic resistance. Whether commensal bacteria in milk could serve as vehicles of antibiotic resistance should be further investigated.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Shu-Ying Tseng; Mao-Sheng Huang. Antibiotic Susceptibility of Commensal Bacteria from Human Milk. Current Microbiology 2015, 72, 113 -119.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Shu-Ying Tseng, Mao-Sheng Huang. Antibiotic Susceptibility of Commensal Bacteria from Human Milk. Current Microbiology. 2015; 72 (2):113-119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Shu-Ying Tseng; Mao-Sheng Huang. 2015. "Antibiotic Susceptibility of Commensal Bacteria from Human Milk." Current Microbiology 72, no. 2: 113-119.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2015 in Chemosphere
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The mutagenic potential of leachates derived from the bottom ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator in Taiwan were evaluated using an Ames Salmonella mutagenicity assay with three standard tester strains, TA98, TA100, and TA1535. Three types of leachants, leachant A (pH 4.93), leachant B (pH 2.88), and leachant C (deionized water, pH 6.0), were carried out according to toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). Moreover, two types of bottom ash, nonsieved and sieved bottom ash (particle size <4.75 mm), were analyzed with the TCLP and the Ames assay. The concentrations of five heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the leachates were also estimated with an ICP-OES. The results indicated that the metal concentrations in the TCLP leachates of bottom ash were all below the limits set by Taiwanese regulations. However, leachate A from nonsieved and <4.75-mm-sieved bottom ash showed mutagenicity. Moreover, leachate A from <4.75 mm-sieved bottom ash displayed stronger mutagenicity than that from nonsieved ash. The leachate A from <4.75-mm-sieved bottom ash, that were diluted by 100-fold showed no mutagenicity. In conclusion, our results suggested that the chemical composition and mutagenic potential of leachates should be monitored to evaluate the safety of bottom ash.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Min-Jie Wun; Cai-Ling Ran. Evaluating the mutagenicity of leachates obtained from the bottom ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator by using a Salmonella reverse mutation assay. Chemosphere 2015, 124, 70 -76.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Zhen-Shu Liu, Min-Jie Wun, Cai-Ling Ran. Evaluating the mutagenicity of leachates obtained from the bottom ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator by using a Salmonella reverse mutation assay. Chemosphere. 2015; 124 ():70-76.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Zhen-Shu Liu; Min-Jie Wun; Cai-Ling Ran. 2015. "Evaluating the mutagenicity of leachates obtained from the bottom ash of a municipal solid waste incinerator by using a Salmonella reverse mutation assay." Chemosphere 124, no. : 70-76.

Journal article
Published: 11 June 2014 in BioMetals
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Bovine lactoferrin (bLf) is a natural glycoprotein, and it shows broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. However, reports on the influences of bLf on probiotic bacteria have been mixed. We examined the effects of apo-bLf (between 0.25 and 128 mg/mL) on both aerobic and anaerobic cultures of probiotics. We found that bLf had similar effects on the growth of probiotics under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, and that it actively and significantly (at concentrations of >0.25 mg/mL) retarded the growth rate of Bifidobacterium bifidum (ATCC 29521), B. longum (ATCC 15707), B. lactis (BCRC 17394), B. infantis (ATCC 15697), Lactobacillus reuteri (ATCC 23272), L. rhamnosus (ATCC 53103), and L. coryniformis (ATCC 25602) in a dose-dependent manner. Otherwise, minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were 128 or >128 mg/mL against B. bifidum, B. longum, B. lactis, L. reuteri, and L. rhamnosus (ATCC 53103). With regard to MICs, bLf showed at least four-fold lower inhibitory effect on probiotics than on pathogens. Intriguingly, bLf (>0.25 mg/mL) significantly enhanced the growth of Rhamnosus (ATCC 7469) and L. acidophilus (BCRC 14065) by approximately 40–200 %, during their late periods of growth. Supernatants produced from aerobic but not anaerobic cultures of L. acidophilus reduced the growth of Escherichia coli by about 20 %. Thus, bLf displayed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the growth of most probiotic strains under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions. An antibacterial supernatant prepared from the aerobic cultures may have significant practical use.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yu-We Ku; Fang-Yi Chu. Influence of bovine lactoferrin on the growth of selected probiotic bacteria under aerobic conditions. BioMetals 2014, 27, 905 -914.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Yu-We Ku, Fang-Yi Chu. Influence of bovine lactoferrin on the growth of selected probiotic bacteria under aerobic conditions. BioMetals. 2014; 27 (5):905-914.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Yu-We Ku; Fang-Yi Chu. 2014. "Influence of bovine lactoferrin on the growth of selected probiotic bacteria under aerobic conditions." BioMetals 27, no. 5: 905-914.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2013 in Journal of Medical Microbiology
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The occurrence of multidrug-resistant or meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become an important issue in clinics. This study evaluated a combinatorial treatment approach by using the well-documented antibacterial protein apo-bovine lactoferrin (apo-bLf) or its hydrolysate and specific probiotic supernatants for controlling MRSA infection. Clinical MRSA strains were isolated from different patient specimens. Apo-bLf-hydrolysate possessed stronger anti-MRSA activity than complete bLf in that it inhibited the growth of most MRSA strains tested in vitro. Otherwise, the supernatants produced by Lactobacillus fermentum (ATCC 11739), Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum (ATCC 15707) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BCRC 17394) inhibited the growth of various MRSA strains. Further, L. fermentum or B. animalis subsp. lactis supernatant plus apo-bLf or bLf-hydrolysate led to partially synergistic to synergistic growth-inhibitory activity against MRSA strains. However, L. fermentum and not B. animalis subsp. lactis or B. longum subsp. longum was observed to resist the antibacterial activity of both apo-Lf and bLf-hydrolysate. Therefore, it is suggested that L. fermentum could be the best candidate to be used with apo-bLf or bLf-hydrolysate as a live supplement against MRSA infections.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Trista Tingyun Jheng; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank Chiahung Mao. Synergistic antibacterial efficacies of the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with probiotic secretion in curbing the growth of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Medical Microbiology 2013, 62, 1845 -1851.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Trista Tingyun Jheng, Ching-Ling Shyu, Frank Chiahung Mao. Synergistic antibacterial efficacies of the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with probiotic secretion in curbing the growth of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Medical Microbiology. 2013; 62 (12):1845-1851.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Trista Tingyun Jheng; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank Chiahung Mao. 2013. "Synergistic antibacterial efficacies of the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with probiotic secretion in curbing the growth of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus." Journal of Medical Microbiology 62, no. 12: 1845-1851.

Journal article
Published: 17 March 2013 in BioMetals
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Glucocorticoids (GCs) are often prescribed in clinics but many adverse effects are also attributed to GCs. It is important to determine the role of GCs in the development of those adverse effects. Here, we investigated the impact of GCs on trivalent chromium (Cr) distribution in animals. Cr has been proposed to be important for proper insulin sensitivity, and deficits may lead to disruption of metabolism. For comparison, the effect of a high-fat diet on Cr modulation was also evaluated. C57BL/6JNarl mice were fed regular or high-fat diets for 12 weeks and further grouped for treatment with prednisolone or saline. Cr levels in tissues were determined 12 h after the treatments. Interestingly, prednisolone treatment led to significantly reduced Cr levels in fat tissue in mice fed regular diets; compared to the high-fat diet alone, prednisolone plus the high-fat diet led to a further reduction in Cr levels in the liver, muscle, and fat. Notably, a single dose of prednisolone was linked with elevated Cr levels in the thigh bones of mice fed by either regular or high-fat diets. In conclusion, this report has provided evidence that prednisolone in combination with a high-fat diet effects modulation of Cr levels in selected tissues.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Chang Lin; Chung-De Chen; Wen-Ying Chen; Frank Chiahung Mao. Chromium levels in insulin-sensitive tissues and the thigh bone are modulated by prednisolone and high-fat diets in mice. BioMetals 2013, 26, 347 -354.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Chang Lin, Chung-De Chen, Wen-Ying Chen, Frank Chiahung Mao. Chromium levels in insulin-sensitive tissues and the thigh bone are modulated by prednisolone and high-fat diets in mice. BioMetals. 2013; 26 (2):347-354.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Chang Lin; Chung-De Chen; Wen-Ying Chen; Frank Chiahung Mao. 2013. "Chromium levels in insulin-sensitive tissues and the thigh bone are modulated by prednisolone and high-fat diets in mice." BioMetals 26, no. 2: 347-354.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2013 in Journal of Dairy Science
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Previous reports have shown that several probiotic strains can resist the antibacterial activity of bovine lactoferrin (bLf), but the results are inconsistent. Moreover, a portion of orally administered apo-bLf is digested in vivo by pepsin to yield bLf hydrolysate, which produces stronger antibacterial activity than that observed with apo-bLf. However, whether bLf hydrolysate affects the growth of probiotic strains is unclear. Therefore, various probiotic strains in Taiwan were collected and evaluated for activity against apo-bLf and bLf hydrolysate in vitro. Thirteen probiotic strains were evaluated, and the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, Lactobacillus salivarius ATCC 11741, Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 53103, Bifidobacterium longum ATCC 15707, and Bifidobacterium lactis BCRC 17394 were inhibited by both apo-bLf and bLf hydrolysate. The growth of 8 strains were not affected by apo-bLf and bLf hydrolysate, including L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469, Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 23272, Lactobacillus fermentum ATCC 11739, Lactobacillus coryniformis ATCC 25602, L. acidophilus BCRC 14065, Bifidobacterium infantis ATCC 15697, Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC 29521, and Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8081. However, apo-bLf and its hydrolysate inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Moreover, the supernatants produced by L. fermentum, B. lactis, and B. longum inhibited the growth of most pathogens. Importantly, a combination of apo-bLf or bLf hydrolysate with the supernatants of cultures of the organisms described above showed synergistic or partially synergistic effects against the growth of most of the selected pathogens. In conclusion, several probiotic strains are resistant to apo-bLf and bLf hydrolysate, warranting clinical studies to evaluate the antimicrobial potential for the combination of apo-bLf or its hydrolysate with specific probiotics.

ACS Style

P.-W. Chen; T.T. Jheng; C.-L. Shyu; F.C. Mao. Antimicrobial potential for the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with lactoferrin-resistant probiotics against foodborne pathogens. Journal of Dairy Science 2013, 96, 1438 -1446.

AMA Style

P.-W. Chen, T.T. Jheng, C.-L. Shyu, F.C. Mao. Antimicrobial potential for the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with lactoferrin-resistant probiotics against foodborne pathogens. Journal of Dairy Science. 2013; 96 (3):1438-1446.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P.-W. Chen; T.T. Jheng; C.-L. Shyu; F.C. Mao. 2013. "Antimicrobial potential for the combination of bovine lactoferrin or its hydrolysate with lactoferrin-resistant probiotics against foodborne pathogens." Journal of Dairy Science 96, no. 3: 1438-1446.

Comparative study
Published: 01 February 2004 in American Journal of Veterinary Research
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To determine the antibacterial activity of bovine lactoferrin hydrolysate (bLf-lysate) alone or in combination with other antimicrobials against antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from baby pigs.3 clinical strains of E coli were isolated from baby pigs with severe diarrhea and designated as strains 9061, 9062, and 9065.The broth microdilution checkerboard and fractional inhibitory (or bactericidal) concentration index were used to evaluate the antibacterial effect elicited by bLf-lysate in combination with kanamycin, gentamicin, cephalothin, cefamandole, penicillin G, ampicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, or rifampicin against the 3 strains of E coli.The 3 strains of E coli were susceptible to gentamicin and rifampicin but highly resistant to most of the other antimicrobials tested, except for strain 9061 that was also susceptible to cephalothin but intermediately inhibited by kanamycin and cefamandole. Synergistic growth-inhibitory activity was observed between bLf-lysate and gentamicin against 1 strain of E coli (strain 9062); synergistic bactericidal activity was found between bLf-lysate and rifampicin against all 3 strains of E coli. Moreover, partial synergy was observed between bLf-lysate and kanamycin, gentamicin, cephalothin, or cefamandole against the strains of E coli, but this partial synergistic activity was mostly seen against only 1 of the strains. Little interaction between bLf-lysate and tetracycline, ampicillin, penicillin G, or erythromycin was observed against the clinical strains of E coli.A combination of bLf-lysate and certain antimicrobials may prove clinically effective against antimicrobial-resistant strains of E coli.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Shu-Peng Ho; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank C. Mao. Effects of bovine lactoferrin hydrolysate on the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli strains isolated from baby pigs. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2004, 65, 131 -137.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Shu-Peng Ho, Ching-Ling Shyu, Frank C. Mao. Effects of bovine lactoferrin hydrolysate on the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli strains isolated from baby pigs. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 2004; 65 (2):131-137.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Shu-Peng Ho; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank C. Mao. 2004. "Effects of bovine lactoferrin hydrolysate on the in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli strains isolated from baby pigs." American Journal of Veterinary Research 65, no. 2: 131-137.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2003 in American Journal of Veterinary Research
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OBJECTIVE-To design short and potent analogs of bovine lactoferricin by use of the concepts of lipophilic bulk and cationic charge. SAMPLE POPULATION-5 synthetic peptides of bovine lactoferricin.

ACS Style

Po-Wen Chen; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank C. Mao. Antibacterial activity of short hydrophobic and basic-rich peptides. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2003, 64, 1088 -1092.

AMA Style

Po-Wen Chen, Ching-Ling Shyu, Frank C. Mao. Antibacterial activity of short hydrophobic and basic-rich peptides. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 2003; 64 (9):1088-1092.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Po-Wen Chen; Ching-Ling Shyu; Frank C. Mao. 2003. "Antibacterial activity of short hydrophobic and basic-rich peptides." American Journal of Veterinary Research 64, no. 9: 1088-1092.