This journal is a peer reviewed scientific forum for the latest advancements in bacteriology research on a wide range of topics including food safety, food microbiology, gut microbiology, biofuels, bioremediation, environmental microbiology, fermentation, probiotics, and veterinary microbiology. Because of our open access digital publication model, we believe that Agriculture, Food and Analytical Bacteriology will have a major and immediate impact on advancing scientific research that will only increase as the journal grows.
current issue
Volume 3 Issue 1
Published March 2013
Articles in this issue
Growth of Acetogenic Bacteria In Response to Varying pH, Acetate Or Carbohydrate Concentration
Published 03/2013
Volume 3 Issue 1
Pp. 6-16Keywords: acetogens, carbohydrate concentration, hydrogen, pH, rumen
Abstract:
Acetogens have only been isolated in low numbers from ruminal contents, even though the majority of acetogens isolated from ruminal contents are capable of utilizing both H2 and soluble carbohydrates present in ruminal fluid (e.g. glucose and cellobiose). The much higher methanogenic affinity for hydrogen has been suggested to determine the prevalence of methanogens over acetogens in many ecosystems, suggesting that other environmental factors determine the number of acetogens present in ruminal fluid. We report the effects of carbohydrate concentration, pH and acetate concentration on the growth of two ruminal acetogenic isolates (A10 and H3HH). The minimum amount of glucose necessary for growth (threshold) of A10 (111 μM) and H3HH (56 μM) was greater than the glucose concentration previously detected in bovine ruminal fluid (8-17 μM). However, the threshold of H3HH on cellobiose (14 μM) was much lower than the actual concentration previously detected in ruminal fluid (110-175 μM), suggesting that this organism could survive in the rumen using cellobiose as an energy source. Isolate A10 had a sufficiently high threshold for cellobiose (139 μM) to suggest that, at least for certain periods, the concentration of cellobiose in ruminal contents could be too low to support growth of this isolate. The growth rate of isolate A10 was decreased by 50% when the pH of the growth medium was lowered from 6.6 to 5.5. A similar decrease in growth rate was observed with isolate H3HH. Increasing the acetate concentration of the growth medium decreased the growth of both isolates as well. Moreover, the effect of high acetate concentration was more discernible at lower pH. The present results suggest that pH and volatile fatty acid concentration may be key factors limiting the growth of acetogens isolated from ruminal contents.
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock and Poultry
Published 03/2013
Volume 3 Issue 1
Pp. 17-29Keywords: beef emissions, greenhouse gas, LCA, poultry emissions
Abstract:
n 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that only 6.4% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originated from agriculture. Of this amount, 53.5% comes from animal agriculture. Agricultural activities are the largest source of N2O emissions in the U.S. accounting for 69% of the total N2O emissions for 2009. In animal agriculture, the greatest contributor to methane emissions is enteric fermentation and manure management. Enteric fermentation is the most important source of methane in beef and dairy production, while most of the methane from poultry and swine production originates from manure. The main cause of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions is from the application of nitrogen fertilizers and animal manures. Application of nitrogenous fertilizers and cropping practices are estimated to cause 78% of total nitrous oxide emissions.
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Based on the life cycle assessment of beef cattle, 86.15% of the GHGs are emitted during the production stage, while 68.51% of emissions take place during the production of pork and 47.82% of GHG emissions occur during the production stage of broiler chickens. The majority of the emissions from the beef cattle production comes from enteric fermentation while manure management is the major source during swine production and propane use during broiler poultry production.toggle
Can Salmonella Reside in the Human Oral Cavity?
Published 03/2013
Volume 3 Issue 1
Pp. 30-38Keywords: dental, oral cavity, Salmonella
Abstract:
The oral cavity is a dynamic environment with several niches for attachment of a variety of flora. The dominant flora in the mouth are comprised of anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria. Salmonella is a Gram-negative bacterium which, according to the literature, is found very rarely in the parotid gland of the mouth of humans. One of the most important characteristics of bacteria in the oral cavity is their ability to attach to the mucosal cells. Salmonella has displayed ability to attach to the epithelial cells of the intestine and have a variety of fimbiral lectins, type I fimbriae, and flagella which aid attachment to a variety of cells. This review details the ability of Salmonella to cause disease and the potential of Salmonella as a pathogen in the oral cavity of humans.
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Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) Ecology in Cattle and Management Based Options for Reducing Fecal Shedding
Published 03/2013
Volume 3 Issue 1
Pp. 39-69Keywords: cattle, E. coli O157:H7, EHEC, management
Abstract:
Cattle can be naturally colonized with foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in their gastrointestinal tract. While these foodborne pathogens are a threat to food safety, they also cause human illnesses via cross contamination of other foods and the water supply, as well as via direct animal contact. In order to further curtail these human illnesses and ensure a safe and wholesome food supply, research into preharvest pathogen reduction controls and interventions has grown in recent years. This review addresses the ecology of STEC in cattle and potential controls and interventions that have been proposed or implemented to reduce STEC in cattle. We focus in this review on the use of management practices and the effects of diet and water management. Implementation of preharvest strategies will not eliminate the need for good sanitation procedures in the processing plant and during food preparation and consumer handling. Instead, live-animal management interventions must be implemented as part of a multiple-hurdle approach that complements the in-plant interventions, so that the reduction in pathogen entry to the food supply can be maximized.
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Independent Poultry Processing in Georgia: Survey of Producers’ Perspective
Published 03/2013
Volume 3 Issue 1
Pp. 70-77Keywords: independent growers, mobile processing units, on-farm processing, pastured poultry, Poultry processing
Abstract:
A survey was presented to Georgia independent poultry farmers to evaluate current processing options as well as desired future changes. A total of 82 Georgia farmers participated in the survey, 31 of whom were raising broilers at the time of the survey. Most of the farmers surveyed who were growing broilers at the time (81%) processed on-farm, but these were also the farmers who processed less than 1000 birds per year. The larger independent Georgia farmers processed off-farm in South Carolina and Kentucky, where there were processors that served small-scale farmers and provided USDA inspection. These out of state processing trips took place between 4 and 30 times per year for an average of 391 miles round trip. For farmers’ future needs, similar numbers of farmers wanted only on-farm or only off-farm drop off processing (22% and 25% respectively), but 40% of the farmers surveyed were open to more than one processing option. The farmers were also asked to evaluate the importance of several attributes of processing facilities, and they chose quality of service to be the most important processing facility attribute, followed by cost of processing, distance from the farm, and USDA inspection.
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