Protective effects of Bifi dobacterium breve on imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice through secondary bile acid production and FXR-TLR4/NF-κB pathway

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Bifi dobacterium breve CCFM683 on psoriasis and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.B.breve CCFM683 significantly ameliorated psoriasis in mice as well as elevated the deoxycholic acid(DCA)and lithocholic acid(LCA)in the colon compared with those of the imiquimod(IMQ)-treated mice.Meanwhile,B.breve CCFM683 increased the relative abundance of DCA-producing Lachnoclostridium and diminished the harmful Desulfovibrio and Prevotellaceae UCG001.Additionally,the farnesoid X receptor(FXR)in the skin was activated and the expression of the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)pathway was inhibited,and the downstream interleukin(IL)-17 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αwere downregulated whereas IL-10 was up-regulated.Moreover,the subsequent hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and the dysfunction of the epidermal barrier were improved.In conclusion,CCFM683 administration ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis via modulating gut microbiota,promoting the DCA production,regulating the FXR-TLR4/NF-κB pathway,diminishing proinflammatory cytokines,and regulating keratinocytes and epidermal barrier.These findings may be conducive to elucidating the mechanism for probiotics to ameliorate psoriasis and to promote its clinical trials in skin disease.

Limosilactobacillus mucosae FZJTZ26M3 prevents NAFLD in mice through modulation of lipid metabolism and gut microbiota dysbiosis

Lactobacillus are considered promising therapeutic methods for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).The effects of two strains of Ltmosilactobacillus mucosae on NAFLD were investigated in this study.Fourweek-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into 4 groups(n=8 per group,Control,Model,FZJTZ26M3,FGSYC17L3).L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 reduced the mice 's body weight,liver weight,and adipose tissue weight after 12 weeks of therapy.According to serum analysis,total cholesterol,triacylglycerol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased after L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 intervention.Liver pathology showed that L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 was effective to ameliorate lipid deposition in NAFLD mice.Additionally,the expression of the gene related to lipid metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue was analyzed,and the results indicated that L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 could alleviate NAFLD by regulating lipid metabolism.Furthermore,the results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a drop in the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae,which is linked to inflammation,but the relative abundance of a potential probiotic Akkermansia significantly increased after L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 intervention.Generally,L.mucosae FZJTZ26M3 could be a candidate to prevent NAFLD.

Anti-methanogenic potential of seaweeds and seaweed-derived compounds in ruminant feed:current perspectives,risks and future prospects

With methane emissions from ruminant agriculture contributing 17%of total methane emissions worldwide,there is increasing urgency to develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in this sector.One of the proposed strategies is ruminant feed intervention studies focused on the inclusion of anti-methanogenic compounds which are those capable of interacting with the rumen microbiome,reducing the capacity of ruminal microorganisms to produce methane.Recently,seaweeds have been investigated for their ability to reduce methane in ruminants in vitro and in vivo,with the greatest methane abatement reported when using the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis(attributed to the bromoform content of this species).From the literature analysis in this study,levels of up to 99%reduction in ruminant methane emissions have been reported from inclusion of this seaweed in animal feed,although further in vivo and microbiome studies are required to confirm these results as other reports showed no effect on methane emission resulting from the inclusion of seaweed to basal feed.This review explores the current state of research aiming to integrate seaweeds as anti-methanogenic feed additives,as well as examining the specific bioactive compounds within seaweeds that are likely to be related to these effects.The effects of the inclusion of seaweeds on the ruminal microbiome are also reviewed,as well as the future challenges when considering the largescale inclusion of seaweeds into ruminant diets as anti-methanogenic agents.

Structural and antioxidative properties of royal jelly protein by partial enzymatic hydrolysis

The objective of this study was to investigate the structural and antioxidative properties of royal jelly protein(RJP)at different degrees of hydrolysis(DH)by partial enzymatic hydrolysis. RJP was hydrolyzed by alcalase for 0 min, 15 min, 1 h, 5 h and 8 h to obtain hydrolysates at DH of 5.34%, 11.65%, 15.19%, 21.38% and 23.91%, respectively. With the increased DH, the RJP hydrolysates showed elevated antioxidative activities. The molecular weight of RJP hydrolysates was significantly decreased but their primary backbone kept unchanged. Analysis of circular dichroism spectra revealed that the enzymolysis reduced the content of α-helix but increased the contents of β-sheet, β-turn and random coil. Meanwhile, the surface hydrophobicity and fluorescence intensity of RJP hydrolysates were decreased and a red shift occurred. As the enzymolysis continued, the surface morphology of RJP was gradually changed from a sheet-like structure into microparticles. Changes in antioxidative activities and structures generally followed a DH-dependent manner, however these changes became insignificant for samples at DH beyond 20%. Taking into consideration of both effectiveness and productivity, the optimum enzymatic duration was determined at 5 h.

Anti-lipid-oxidation effects and edible safety evaluation of the oil extracted by a supercritical CO_(2) process from coix seed fermented by Monascus purpureus

The physicochemical properties and composition of coix seed oil produced by Monascus purpureus fermentation and supercritical CO_(2)extraction were determined.Anti-lipid-oxidation and edible safety were evaluated using a cholesterol-fish oil model,acute oral toxicity assay,and genetic toxicity assay in vitro and in vivo,respectively.The results show that the extraction oil from fermented coix seed(FCS-O)had good physicochemical quality and abundant active components with physiological function.In particular,γ-tocotrienol,γ-oryzanol,coixenolide and oleic acid concentrations reached 72.83μg/g,745.96μg/g,9.65 mg/g and 316.58 mg/100 g DW,respectively.The FCS-O exhibited higher antioxidant capability in inhibiting lipid oxidation and peroxidation.Compared to the blank control,the concentrations of 7-ketocholestreol and peroxide only were 8.42μg/mL and 16.16 mmol/kg at 168 h of oxidation(P<0.01).In addition,the FCS-O has been confirmed to be a very safe edible oil,with no acute toxicity(LD50>10 g/kg bw,considered actually non-toxic)and no induced mutagenicity,cytotoxicity or genotoxicity.These results serve as a good safety reference for future application of the oil from fermented coix seed.The development and utilization of this kind of oil will be beneficial as a food,food ingredient,nutritional supplement,or natural food antioxidant to promote good health function.

Formation mechanisms of ethyl acetate and organic acids in Kluyveromyces marxianus L1-1 in Chinese acid rice soup

This study aims to explore the formation mechanism of ethyl acetate and organic acids in acid rice soup(rice-acid soup)inoculated with Kluyveromyces marxianus L1-1 through the complementary analysis of transcriptome and proteome.The quantity of K.marxianus L1-1 varied significantly in the fermentation process of rice-acid soup and the first and third days were the two key turning points in the growth phase of K.marxianus L1-1.Importantly,the concentrations of ethyl acetate,ethanol,acetic acid,and L-lactic acid increased from day 1 to day 3.At least 4231 genes and 2937 proteins were identified and 610 differentially expressed proteins were annotated to 30 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathways based on the analysis results of transcriptome and proteome.The key genes and proteins including up-regulated alcohol dehydrogenase family,alcohol O-acetyltransferase,acetyl-CoA C-acetyltransferase,acyl-coenzyme A thioester hydrolase,and down-regulated aldehyde dehydrogenase family were involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways,starch and sucrose metabolism pathways,amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism pathways,tricarboxylic acid(TCA)cycle,and pyruvate metabolism pathways,thus promoting the formation of ethyl acetate,organic acids,alcohols,and other esters.Our results revealed the formation mechanisms of ethyl acetate and organic acids in rice-acid soup inoculated with K.marxianus L1-1.

Integrative proteomic-transcriptomic analysis revealed the lifestyles of Lactobacillus paracasei H4-11 and Kluyveromyces marxianus L1-1 under co-cultivation conditions

Compared with the rice-acid soup inoculated with single starter,the synergistically intensifi ed rice-acid soup inoculated with Lactobacillus paracasei H4-11(L.paracasei H4-11)and Kluyveromyces marxianus L1-1(K.marxianus L1-1)contained more fl avor compounds.Organic acids mainly included L-lactic acid and the main volatile fl avor component was ethyl acetate.Moreover,the signal intensity of astringency and bitterness and the total concentration of volatile sulfur compounds were reduced.The combined analysis results of RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)technology and 4D label-free quantitative(4D LFQ)proteomics explained the fl avor formation pathways in rice-acid soup inoculated with L.paracasei H4-11 and K.marxianus L1-1.In L.paracasei H4-11,L-lactate dehydrogenase,phosphoglucomutase,acetate kinase,alcohol dehydrogenase and acetyl-CoA were up-regulated and D-lactate dehydrogenase and N-Acetyltransferase were down-regulated.In K.marxianus L1-1,Acetyl-CoA,acetaldehyde dehydrogenase,acyl-coenzyme A,N-acetyltransferase,and L-lactate dehydrogenase were up-regulated and hexokinase,alcohol dehydrogenase,and alcohol O-acetyltransferase were down-regulated.The above up-regulation and down-regulation synergistically promoted the formation of characteristic fl avor compounds(mainly L-lactic acid and ethyl acetate).Enzyme-linked immunoassay(ELISA)and parallel reaction monitoring(PRM)quantitative analysis respectively verifi ed that 5 key metabolic enzymes and 27 proteins in L.paracasei H4-11 and K.marxianus L1-1 were associated with the characteristic fl avor of rice-acid soup,as confi rmed by the quantitative results of 4D LFQ.

Novel,non-colonizing,single-strain live biotherapeutic product ADS024 protects against Clostridioides difficile infection challenge in vivo

BACKGROUND The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that Clostridioides difficile(C.difficile)causes half a million infections(CDI)annually and is a major cause of total infectious disease death in the United States,causing inflammation of the colon and potentially deadly diarrhea.We recently reported the isolation of ADS024,a Bacillus velezensis(B.velezensis)strain,which demonstrated direct in vitro bactericidal activity against C.difficile,with minimal collateral impact on other members of the gut microbiota.In this study,we hypothesized that in vitro activities of ADS024 will translate in vivo to protect against CDI challenge in mouse models.AIM To investigate the in vivo efficacy of B.velezensis ADS024 in protecting against CDI challenge in mouse models.METHODS To mimic disruption of the gut microbiota,the mice were exposed to vancomycin prior to dosing with ADS024.For the mouse single-dose study,the recovery of ADS024 was assessed via microbiological analysis of intestinal and fecal samples at 4 h,8 h,and 24 h after a single oral dose of 5×108 colony-forming units(CFU)/mouse of freshly grown ADS024.The single-dose study in miniature swine included groups that had been pre-dosed with vancomycin and that had been exposed to a dose range of ADS024,and a group that was not pre-dosed with vancomycin and received a single dose of ADS024.The ADS024 colonies[assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)using ADS024-specific primers]were counted on agar plates.For the 28-d miniature swine study,qPCR was used to measure ADS024 levels from fecal samples after oral administration of ADS024 capsules containing 5×109 CFU for 28 consecutive days,followed by MiSeq compositional sequencing and bioinformatic analyses to measure the impact of ADS024 on microbiota.Two studies were performed to determine the efficacy of ADS024 in a mouse model of CDI:Study 1 to determine the effects of fresh ADS024 culture and ADS024 spore preparations on the clinical manifestations of CDI in mice,and Study 2 to compare the efficacy of single daily doses vs dosing 3 times per day with fresh ADS024.C.difficile challenge was performed 24 h after the start of ADS024 exposure.To model the human distal colon,an anerobic fecal fermentation system was used.MiSeq compositional sequencing and bioinformatic analyses were performed to measure microbiota diversity changes following ADS024 treatment.To assess the potential of ADS024 to be a source of antibiotic resistance,its susceptibility to 18 different antibiotics was tested.RESULTS In a mouse model of CDI challenge,single daily doses of ADS024 were as efficacious as multiple daily doses in protecting against subsequent challenge by C.difficile pathogen-induced disease.ADS024 showed no evidence of colonization based on the observation that the ADS024 colonies were not recovered 24 h after single doses in mice or 72 h after single doses in miniature swine.In a 28-d repeat-dose study in miniature swine,ADS024 was not detected in fecal samples using plating and qPCR methods.Phylogenetic analysis performed in the human distal colon model showed that ADS024 had a selective impact on the healthy human colonic microbiota,similarly to the in vivo studies performed in miniature swine.Safety assessments indicated that ADS024 was susceptible to all the antibiotics tested,while in silico testing revealed a low potential for off-target activity or virulence and antibioticresistance mechanisms.CONCLUSION Our findings,demonstrating in vivo efficacy of ADS024 in protecting against CDI challenge in mouse models,support the use of ADS024 in preventing recurrent CDI following standard antibiotic treatment.

Changes in the colon microbiota and intestinal cytokine gene expression following minimal intestinal surgery

AIM: To investigate the impact of minor abdominal surgery on the caecal microbial population and on markers of gut inflammation.METHODS: Four week old piglets were randomly allocated to a no-surgery "control" group(n = 6) or a "transection surgery" group(n = 5).During the transection surgery procedure, a conventional midline incision of the lower abdominal wall was made and the small intestine was transected at a site 225 cm proximal to the ileocaecal valve, a 2 cm segment was removed and the intestine was re-anastomosed.Piglets received a polymeric infant formula diet throughout the study period and were sacrificed at two weeks post-surgery.Clinical outcomes including weight, stool consistency and presence of stool fat globules were monitored.High throughput DNA sequencing of colonic content was used to detect surgery-relateddisturbances in microbial composition at phylum, family and genus level.Diversity and richness estimates were calculated for the control and minor surgery groups.As disturbances in the gut microbial community are linked to inflammation we compared the gene expression of key inflammatory cytokines(TNF, IL1 B, IL18, IL12, IL8, IL6 and IL10) in ileum, terminal ileum and colon mucosal extracts obtained from control and abdominal surgery groups at two weeks post-surgery.RESULTS: Changes in the relative abundance of bacterial species at family and genus level were confined to bacterial members of the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla.Family level compositional shifts included a reduction in the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae(22.95 ± 5.27 vs 2.07 ± 0.72, P < 0.01), Bacteroidaceae(2.54 ± 0.56 vs 0.86 ± 0.43, P < 0.05) and Rhodospirillaceae(0.40 ± 0.14 vs 0.00 ± 0.00, P < 0.05) following transection surgery.Similarly, at the genus level, changes associated with transection surgery were restricted to members of the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla and included decreased relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae(29.20 ± 6.74 vs 2.88 ± 1.08, P < 0.01), Alistipes(4.82 ± 1.73 vs 0.18 ± 0.13, P < 0.05) and Thalassospira(0.53 ± 0.19 vs 0.00 ± 0.00, P < 0.05).Surgeryassociated microbial dysbiosis was accompanied by increased gene expression of markers of inflammation.Within the ileum IL6 expression was decreased(4.46 ± 1.60 vs 0.24 ± 0.06, P < 0.05) following transection surgery.In the terminal ileum, gene expression of TNF was decreased(1.51 ± 0.13 vs 0.80 ± 0.16, P < 0.01) and IL18(1.21 ± 0.18 vs 2.13 ± 0.24, P < 0.01), IL12(1.04 ± 0.16 vs 1.82 ± 0.32, P < 0.05) and IL10(1.04 ± 0.06 vs 1.43 ± 0.09, P < 0.01) gene expression increased following transection surgery.Within the colon, IL12(0.72 ± 0.13 vs 1.78 ± 0.28, P < 0.01) and IL10(0.98 ± 0.02 vs 1.95 ± 0.14, P < 0.01) gene expression were increased following transection surgery.CONCLUSION: This study suggests that minor abdominal surgery in infants, results in long-term alteration of the colonic microbial composition and persistent gastrointestinal inflammation.

Characteristics of traditional Chinese acidic rice soup(rice-acid)prepared with different fermentation methods

Rice-acid,a Chinese traditional acidic rice soup(rice-acid),is widely accepted by consumers due to its unique flavor and anti-oxidation,anti-aging and immunity enhancement functions.This study confirmed that L-lactic acid and malic acid were the main organic acids in rice-acid.Low-temperature rice-acid samples produced by enterprises had the highest signal intensity of sour taste.The total content of free amino acids in different fermented rice-acid samples were in the range of 0.003-0.468 mg/g.42 key volatile flavor compounds were identified in rice-acid.8 volatile compounds with a higher contribution to the aroma of rice-acid were respectively acetic acid,1-octen-3-ol,2-heptanol,ethyl acetate,propyl propionate,hexanal,nonanal,and2,3-butanedione.The interaction between lactic acid bacteria(3.00×10^(3)-7.02×10^(6) CFU/mL)and yeasts(5.04×10^(4)-2.25×10^(8) CFU/mL)affected the formation of taste and aroma components in rice-acid.The physicochemical characteristics including titratable acidity,pH,reducing sugars,amino acid nitrogen,gammaaminobutyric acid showed significant differences between low-temperature fermentation samples and hightemperature fermentation samples.In addition,relationships linking all data through Pearson coefficient correlation were also reported.In summary,the study can be used to improve the quality of rice-acid products.

Impact of direct and indirect heating systems in broiler units on environmental conditions and flock performance

This study compared the impact of three indirect heating systems to direct gas flame heaters on a selection of flock performance and environmental indicators in commercial broiler units. No statistically significant differences（P≥0.05） were found in flock mortality rates, bird weight, water consumption, stress response, carbon dioxide, ammonia, temperature, relative humidity, litter quality, within-flock Campylobacter levels or mean Campylobacter counts when flock data from any of the three indirect heating systems were compared to flocks reared in houses with direct heating systems. Differences in litter quality were observed between upper and lower litter layers in all houses, regardless of heating type, which may have implications for bird health and welfare. Carbon dioxide concentrations in houses with direct heating systems were significantly higher than those in houses with indirect heating systems during the first 10 days of bird life（P≤0.05）. This was due to the increased use of heating systems during this period of the flock cycle. Differences in CO2 concentrations had no effect on flock performance, possibly due to the fact that concentrations did not exceed known safe levels. A statistically significant increase in stress response was observed in birds as a result of partial depopulation（thinning） within houses, irrespective of heating system type used（P≤0.05）. Stress associated with thinning may have consequences for bird welfare and food safety. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that indirect heating systems do not appear to negatively impact on flock performance, stress response, within-flock Campylobacter levels or mean Campylobacter counts and do not appear to significantly alter environmental conditions within broiler houses when compared to houses equipped with direct heating systems. Indirect systems are a viable alternative for heating broiler houses in terms of flock performance, bird welfare and food safety.

Utilization of Bitter Orange Seed as a Novel Pectin Source:Compositional and Rheological Characterization

The seeds from bitter orange,the by-product of juice making units,hold the potential to facilitate novel,easy yet high-quality pectin extraction.To test this hypothesis,orange seed pectin(OSP)was extracted by distilled water and its compositional parameters and rheological behavior were then evaluated.Results showed that galacturonic acid was the major component of OSP(∼425 mg/g)confirming the purity of the extracted pectin,followed by glucose and some minor neutral sugars.The Mw(weight-average molar mass),Rn(number average molar mass),and Rz(z-average molar mass)values for the OSP were 4511.8 kDa,61 nm,and 61.1 nm,respectively.Rheological measurements showed a shear-thinning behavior for OSP so that the viscosity of the gum decreased by increasing the temperature from 5 to 45℃.The Power-law model fitted as the best rheological model describing the flow behavior of OSP.The strain sweep dynamic rheological measurements confirmed an entangled network structure for OSP and the NaCl addition to the gum dispersion decreased the consistency coefficient from 35.6 to 23.18 Pa.sn,while the flow behavior index remained unchanged.These results demonstrate that the OSP can be used as a new source of pectin,with likely a wide range of applications in the food industry.

The effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone addition on microstructure,surface aspects,the glass transition temperature and structural strength of honey and coconut sugar powders

Deep knowledge of the microstructure and physicochemical properties of polymeric food systems,such as honey powders(HP)and coconut sugars(CS),has practical importance for industry and end users.This study investigated the effect of polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP)addition on microstructure,roughness,glass transition,α-relaxation temperatures and structural strength(S)of anhydrous complex carbohydrates mixtures.The addition of PVP slightly increased the glass transition andα-relaxation temperature for HP and CS systems as high molecular weight components.Systems with PVP addition showed“stronger”behaviour according to the S approach.Polarized light,scanning electron and atomic force microscopies showed slight differences in transparency and shapes between controls and systems with PVP addition.Surface morphological changes and roughness were investigated in this study to provide insight into HP and CS particles’structural changes.Moreover,S-involved structural diagrams were built to determine S parameters for controlling the structural transformation of HP and CS systems with and without PVP addition.The results obtained in this work provide new information on polymer-carbohydrate interactions in complex food systems and structural transformations during their production and storage.

Recent developments on Opuntia spp.,their bioactive composition,nutritional values,and health effects

Opuntia is a plant that grows in wild,arid,and semi-arid regions,and it is a renowned food source that is presently undervalued.The chemical composition and properties of the Opuntia genus have attracted research and commercial interest as its species are rich in phytochemicals,nutrients,and bioactive compounds.Several of these constituents have revealed anti-inflammatory,antioxidant,antibacterial,anti-cancer,anti-atherosclerotic,antidiabetic,neurological,and gut protective characteristics.This review provides an extensive and up-to-date evidence synthesis of the nutrients in the Opuntia genus,its phytochemical composition,health benefits,the influence of the processing technologies on its bioactive components,and the potential for functional food product development.Due to its high nutritional value,Opuntia genus has the potential to contribute to improving food security and contribute to the food industry as food additive or preservative.Accordingly,Opuntia products can be utilized as food substitutes as part of a well-balanced diet and may potentially have pharmacological properties.The Opuntia genus is also used as animal feed,a source of nutraceuticals,an addition to edible packaging materials,wastewater treatment,and land rehabilitation in arid regions.Opuntia is a rich source of minerals,essential amino acids,and vitamins,and is high in antioxidants,making it a promising candidate for the management of non-communicable diseases.The potential health-promoting effects of Opuntia consumption remain relatively unexplored,and further research human trials are required to unravel its mechanisms of action.