Akkermansia muciniphila-directed polyphenol chlorogenic acid intervention for obesity in mice

Akkermansia muciniphila play an important in ameliorating obesity but is not allowed for direct consumption in most countries.To date,microbiota-directed foods selectively promote the targeted human gut microbes,providing a strategy for A.muciniphila enhancement.Multiple studies have indicated the potential regulation of the polyphenol on A.muciniphila.Therefore,a polyphenol screening based on A.muciniphila upregulation was performed in mice.Chlorogenic acid(CGA)exhibited a greater response to A.muciniphila upregulation.Furthermore,we found that CGA did not directly promote A.muciniphila growth or mucin secretion.Microbiome and metabolomics revealed that the increased abundance of A.muciniphila resulted from the inhibition of CGA on Desulfovibrio and Alistipes and the influence of docosahexaenoic acid,β-hydroxybutyrate,and N-acetyl-lactosamine.Finally,to confirm the regulation of CGA on A.muciniphila under disease conditions,high-fat diet-fed mice were established.The results showed CGA promoted A.muciniphila growth,and we expectedly found that CGA suppressed the augment in body weight of mice,significantly attenuated adipose tissue abnormality,provided liver protection and improved gut barrier integrity.These results suggest that CGA inhibits the development of obesity.Overall,our results indicate that microbiota-directed food is a promising approach for the treatment of obesity.

Health benefits of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide on intestinal microbiota in type 2 diabetic mice

Grifola frondosa polysaccharide(GFP)as the natural compounds have been reported to exert diverse bioactivities.The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of GFP on intestinal microbiota in type 2 diabetic mice.The changes of microbiota in faeces of the diabetic mice upon high fat diet were determined and the V3 region of the 16S rRNA was sequenced by Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing platform.Eighty operational taxonomic unit were identified to be shared by all samples,and the quality and richness of sequencing were assessed via rarefaction and rank abundance curves.The diversity of gut flora was slightly improved in diabetic mice after GFP treatment.The composition and relative abundance of gut microbiota at phylum and genus levels were altered by GFP.The abundance of Robinsoniella,Flavonifractor,Anaerotruncus,and Desulfvibrio were found to concentrate on diabetic mice through LEfSe analysis.Furthermore,Alloprevotella and Burkholderia had strong relevancy with other gut flora.Based on the findings,GFP might be a desired candidate on ameliorating the intestinal unbalance in diabetes.

Fabric-substrated capacitive biopotential sensors enhanced by dielectric nanoparticles

Wearable biopotential sensing devices are essential to long-term and real-time monitoring of human health.Non-contact,capacitive sensing electrodes prevent potential skin iritations,and are thus beneficial for long-term monitoring.Existing capacitive electrodes are either connected to a separate control circuit via external wires or have limited sensing capacitances,which leads to low signal qualities.This study demonstrates a stretchable capacitive sensing device with integrated electrodes and control electronics,with enhanced signal qualities.The electrodes and the control electronics are fabricated on a common fabric substrate for breathability and strain-limiting protection.The stretchable electrodes are based on an island-bridge design with a stretchability as high as-100%,and an area ratio as high as-80%.By using a dielectric calcium copper titanate(CCTO)composite as the adhesive layer,the electrode capacitance can be increased,yielding an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)in the acquired biopotentials.This device offers a convenient and comfortable approach for long-term non-contact monitoring of biopotential signals.

Modulation of gut health using probiotics:the role of probiotic effector molecules

Probiotics affect intestinal metabolism and play a crucial role in gut homeostasis.Studies on probiotic effector molecules—bacteriocins,peptidoglycan,teichoic acid,exopolysaccharides,secretory proteins,and short-chain fatty acids—describe their effect on the gut barrier;immune and nervous system;and gut microbiota.However,the detailed mechanism of how the intestinal microbiota changes after the intervention of effector molecules remains unknown.More recently,owing to a rare systematic review about the function of effector molecules in the intestinal tract,it has become vital to discover the molecular model of action of how the gut environment is affected by probiotics.Here,we review the characteristics of effector molecules from probiotics and the advances in understanding the interactive patterns between effector molecules and the gut microenvironment.