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Abstract
This work used a carrageenan-based thrombosis model to determine the preventative effects of Lactobacillus plantarum YS1 (LPYS1) on thrombus. In thrombotic mice, LPYS1 improved the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), while decreasing the thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), and fibrinogen (FIB) content. In thrombotic mouse serum, LPYS1 decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), while also increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Moreover, LPYS1 upregulated the mRNA expression levels of copper/zinc-SOD (Cu/Zn-SOD), manganese-SOD (Mn-SOD), and CAT in the colon tissues of thrombotic mice, while downregulating those of NF-κB p65, IL-6, TNF-α, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) mRNA. In tail vein vascular tissues, LPYS1 suppressed the mRNA expression levels of NF-κB p65, intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and E-selectin. The abundances of both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria were altered by LPYS1. These findings show that LPYS1 has the capacity to protect mice from thrombosis, while also revealing some of the underlying mechanisms of this effect.
Abstract
The activity and structural variation of glycogen phosphorylase (GP) at different phosphorylation levels during incubation at 4 °C were explored in this study. The GP was assigned into four treatments to obtain high/low phosphorylation levels, which were (1) treated with glycogen phosphorylase kinase (Phk) to obtain high phosphorylation level, (2) treated with protein kinase A to obtain high phosphorylation level, (3) treated with alkaline phosphatase to obtain low phosphorylation level, and (4) control. Compared with the control group, the content of α-helix and β-sheet increased and the secondary structure of GP changed from disorder to order after phosphorylation. The activity of GP was increased and its structure was more tightly in the Phk group than that in the control group. The phosphorylation at Ser277, Ser430, Ser809, Thr304, Tyr298, and Tyr525 resulted in tighter spatial structure. In conclusion, phosphorylation of GP enhanced its catalytic activity by making the secondary and spatial structure more orderly, which is of great significance for controlling meat quality by regulating glycolysis.
Abstract
Carob pulp is a natural source of polyphenols, which have been shown to possess health benefits. These compounds play a crucial role in initiating, shaping, and modulating the gut microbiota. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of carob pulp phenolic extracts on nine specific groups of human gut microbiota before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The effects of pure gallic and coumaric acids were also tested. The results showed that the treated phenolic compounds exhibited inhibitory effects on the growth of most pathogenic bacteria. Gallic acid, in particular, demonstrated the most potent antimicrobial effect on Listeria monocytogenes, reducing its growth to below 5%. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed a growth reduction of up to 10%. Furthermore, both phenolic acids, before and after digestion, led to a slight reduction in E. coli O157:H7 numbers. Probiotic bacteria experienced minimal decrease following exposure to phenolic extracts. However, the growth of Lactobacillus casei ssp. rhamnosus was significantly inhibited by almost 50%. Interestingly, the in vitro digestion process exhibited a stronger antibacterial effect against pathogenic bacteria compared to probiotic bacteria. These results highlight the potential of carob phenolic extracts in modulating the intestinal microbiota, thereby offering interesting prospects for the development of diet-based health strategies.
Abstract
The bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, can disseminate and colonize various tissues and organs, orchestrating severe clinical symptoms including arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis. Previous research has demonstrated that breast cancer tissues could provide an ideal habitat for diverse populations of bacteria, including B. burgdorferi, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Recently, we demonstrated that infection with B. burgdorferi enhances the invasion and migration of triple-negative MDA-MB-231 cells which represent a type of breast tumor with more aggressive cancer traits. In this study, we hypothesized that infection by B. burgdorferi affects the expression of cancer-associated genes to effectuate breast cancer phenotypes. We applied the high-throughput technique of RNA-sequencing on B. burgdorferi-infected MDA-MB-231 breast cancer and normal-like MCF10A cells to determine the most differentially expressed genes (DEG) upon infection. Overall, 142 DEGs were identified between uninfected and infected samples in MDA-MB-231 while 95 DEGs were found in MCF10A cells. A major trend of the upregulation of C-X-C and C-C motif chemokine family members as well as genes and pathways was associated with infection, inflammation, and cancer. These genes could serve as potential biomarkers for pathogen-related tumorigenesis and cancer progression which could lead to new therapeutic opportunities.
Abstract
Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are currently a worldwide threat affecting millions of individuals. The pathogenicity of S. aureus is associated with numerous virulence factors, including cell surface proteins, polysaccharides, and secreted toxins. The pore-forming α-hemolysin, known as α-toxin, is produced by nearly all virulent strains of S. aureus and is implicated in several diseases including skin and soft tissue infections, atopic dermatitis, and pneumonia. There are currently no vaccines available for the prevention of S. aureus infections and the efficacy of available antibiotics has been fading. In this study we examined the mode of antihemolytic activity of theaflavin-3,3′-digallate against α-hemolysin of methicillin-resistant S. aureus by molecular docking using AutoDock Vina as the molecular docking tool. The theaflavin-3,3′-digallate docked the molecular sequence of the Hla (PDB ID:7ahl). The scores of the top 10 binding modes obtained were between −9.0 and −8.5 kcal mol−1, and the best binding mode was −9.0 kcal mol−1. Direct binding sites of theaflavin-3,3′-digallate to the “stem” domain of Hla were revealed which primarily targeted of the residues Met113, Thr117, Asn139. The disclosure of this potential binding mode warrants further clinical evaluation of theaflavin-3,3′-digallate as an anti-hemolytic compound in order to practically validate our results.
Abstract
Potato mulching practices and their effects often differ, and the results are sometimes contradictory in the literature, as they vary depending on climatic conditions and growing practices. In this study, we analysed 68 peer-reviewed publications to reveal which problems of potato cultivation were intended to be solved by mulching with organic materials. We have found that the main goals of mulching are the preservation of soil moisture, the reduction of soil temperature, and the suppression of weeds, in which mulching provides effective help. In different parts of the world, different organic mulches increased the yield of potatoes in 78% of the studies. Although the occurrence and damage of pests, pathogens and weeds are extremely understudied (16, 18, 29% of the studies), we can conclude that organic mulches effectively reduced their damage.
Abstract
Effect of edible coatings based on zedo gum (ZG) containing thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil (TEO) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) extract (CAE) on the quality and proteolysis of cheddar cheese was investigated. Four treatments were prepared using different coating formulas including: C (coated cheese with paraffin and wax mixture as commercial coating), Z treatment (coated cheese with ZG solution), TEO treatment (coated cheese with TEO), and CAE treatment (coated cheese with CAE). The results showed that the highest moisture content and proteolysis indices were related to sample C; the lowest moisture content and number of starter lactic acid bacteria (SLAB) and the highest protein content, FDM content, proteolysis indices and number of non-starter lactic acid bacteria (NSLAB) were related to sample Z; while the TEO and CAE treatments showed similar values. Also, TEO and CAE had an inhibitory effect on growth of moulds and yeasts, without affecting NSLAB and SLAB. Therefore, instead of commercial coating, zedo gum containing T. vulgaris essential oil or C. verum extract can be used as active coating on cheddar cheese.
Abstract
In this study, we compile the findings to date on using several cellulose-based materials as adsorbents of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from wastewater. Furthermore, this review discussed the destiny of PTEs-loaded cellulose-based adsorbents and some sustainable methods for their management, hoping to close the pollution loop.
Abstract
Wheat is a cereal of special importance in the world cereal production. Fusarium head blight is one of the most important diseases of wheat caused by phytopathogenic Fusarium species that significantly reduce wheat production. This disease reduces grain yield and quality and causes the presence of harmful mycotoxins. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of Fusarium infection on wheat quality parameters in two wheat varieties Alföld and Mv Karéj. The results showed that Fusarium infection was higher in 2021 (91.47% and 95.20%) compared to 2020 (44.33% and 40.27%) in the two wheat varieties used Alföld and Mv Karéj respectively. In Alföld, Fusarium infection had a negative effect on protein content, test weight, thousand kernel weight, gluten content and Zeleny sedimentation index, whereas falling number was not affected. In Mv Karéj, Fusarium infection had a negative effect on test weight, thousand kernel weight, falling number and Zeleny sedimentation index, whereas protein content and gluten content were not affected. Although Fusarium infection reduced wheat quality, Mv Karéj showed a stable protein and gluten content whereas Alföld showed a stable falling number. Thus, Mv Karéj is more tolerant to Fusarium infection compared to Alföld.
Abstract
The main objectives of the present study were to investigate the physical attributes and chemical characteristics of dried apple cubes. The apple cubes were dried in vacuum and infrared dryers at 40 °C and freeze dryer individually and in combination. The physical properties – texture and rehydration – of vacuum drying-assisted freeze-dried apple dices were close to the freeze-dried products. The hardness of vacuum drying-assisted freeze-dried apples was better, by at least 15.8%, than those dried by infrared-freeze, but rehydration capacities were similar. The freeze-dried control samples achieved a lower water activity (0.145) in comparison with infrared, vacuum, and combined dried ones. The infrared-freeze-dried samples retained 3.6 and 11.6% more polyphenols and antioxidant capacity than samples prepared by the other methods. The ascorbic acid content of the freeze-dried samples was significantly higher by about 59% than that of the hybrid dried samples.
