Abstract: Marine fish farming served as a sustainable alternative to capture fisheries. However, it faced challenges such as disease management, water quality maintenance, and minimizing environmental impacts. Among these challenges, fungal infections are particularly concerning. Traditionally, chemical treatments raise concerns about potential toxicity to fish and humans, environmental impact, and resistance development. In response to these issues, there is growing interest in sustainable biocontrol strategies, including the use of probiotics, phytobiotics, postbiotics, microalgae, and fungal parasites as antifungal agents. This mini-review provides a brief overview of fungal infections in marine fish and discusses current fungal biocontrol strategies in aquaculture. By adopting these sustainable control methods, the aquaculture industry can improve fish health and productivity while reducing its reliance on harmful chemicals.

Abstract: With the rise of the clean beauty trend in the cosmetics and personal care industry, consumers’ interest in cosmetic ingredients, especially preservatives, continues to grow. Paraben, previously the most used preservative in cosmetics, has been excluded from many products owing to its potential risks. Therefore, a movement to lower the content of various preservatives is ongoing. One approach to achieve a suitable level of preservation is to use multifunctional ingredients as preservative boosters. In this study, we aimed to confirm the synergistic antimicrobial interactions between various cosmetic ingredients and 1,2-hexanediol, a preservative introduced as a substitute for paraben, using the checkerboard assay. We also measured the antagonistic effect by measuring the fold changes in the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1,2-hexanediol. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, showed synergistic antifungal activity with 1,2-hexanediol, which lowered the content of 1,2-hexanediol in the oil-solubilized toner formulation. Among the substances, 50000 ppm of methyl methacrylate crosspolymer elevated the minimum inhibitory concentration of 1,2-hexanediol against bacteria and fungi by 2‒8 times. Through this study, we suggest applying the synergistic effects of various cosmetic ingredients in the formulation as a method to effectively reduce the content of preservatives.

Abstract: Bovine coronavirus (BCoV）, a significant cattle pathogen causing enteric and respiratory diseases, is primarily detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our objective was to develop a novel detection method for BCoV by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization‒time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS）. Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed that nucleocapsid (N）, membrane (M）, and hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) were three main BCoV proteins. Their tryptic peptides were used as target molecules for BCoV detection. When the tryptic digest of 10^7.0 viral copies was analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS, five peptides with relatively strong peaks were detected. The detection limit was between 10^5.0 and 10^6.0 copies per test for BCoV alone. To detect BCoV in the swab eluate, ultrafiltration purification achieved a detection limit between 10^6.0 and 10^7.0 copies per test, sufficient to detect BCoV-infected calves. Our findings offer valuable insights for BCoV detection by MALDI-TOF MS.

Abstract: Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂) is a powerful disinfectant widely regarded as a safe and effective hygienic agent in pharmaceutical plants and other manufacturing facilities that require sterility. However, the efficacy of low concentrations of ClO₂ gas on sterilizing spore-forming bacteria remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the optimal conditions for disinfection of spore-forming bacteria with low concentrations of ClO₂ gas using biological indicators. The results showed that 0.05 ppmv (0.13 mg/m³) ClO₂ gas at 37±1℃, 86±2%RH sterilized Bacillus atrophaeus in 14 d and Geobacillus stearothermophilus in 28 d (>6 log₁₀ reductions）. Based on these results, we propose that low concentrations of ClO₂ gas are useful for controlling contamination by spore-forming bacteria in aseptic facilities.