Cudrania tricuspidata Combined with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Modulate Gut Microbiota and Alleviate Obesity-Associated Metabolic Parameters in Obese Mice.

The aim of the presented study was to investigate the synbiotic effects of L. rhamnosus 4B15 and C. tricuspidata extract administration on the gut microbiota and obesity-associated metabolic parameters in diet-induced obese mice. Thirty-one 6-week-old male C57BL/N6 mice were divided into five diet groups: normal diet (ND, n = 7) group; high-fat diet (HFD, n = 6) group; probiotic (PRO, n = 5) group; prebiotic (PRE, n = 7) group; and synbiotic (SYN, n = 6) group. After 10 weeks, the percent of fat mass, serum triglyceride, and ALT levels were significantly reduced in SYN-fed obese mice, compared with other treatments. SYN treatment also modulated the abundance of Desulfovibrio, Dorea, Adlercreutzia, Allobaculum, Coprococcus, unclassified Clostridiaceae, Lactobacillus, Helicobacter, Flexispira, Odoribacter, Ruminococcus, unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae, and unclassified Desulfovibrionaceae. These taxa showed a strong correlation with obesity-associated indices. Lastly, the SYN-supplemented diet upregulated metabolic pathways known to improve metabolic health. Further investigations are needed to understand the mechanisms driving the synbiotic effect of C. tricuspidata and L. rhamnosus 4B15.

Culture types and period impact gametophyte morphogenesis and sporophyte formation of eastern bracken.

BACKGROUND: Liquid suspension culture efficiently proliferates plant cells and can be applied to ferns because it rapidly increases the fresh weight of gametophytes. This study assessed gametophyte proliferation and sporophyte production of Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum using a suspension culture method. RESULTS: The growth curve linear phase of gametophyte cells was confirmed between 9 and 18 days of culture, and the subculture cycle was determined to be 2 weeks. A double-strength MS medium (fresh weight, 18.0 g) containing 2% sucrose and NH4+:NO3- (120 mM, 40:80) was found to be the optimal liquid medium. Gametophytes obtained after suspension culture for 18 days did not normally form sporophytes in an ex vitro soil environment. However, this issue was resolved after changing the culture type or extending the culture period to 6 weeks. A short suspension culture period increased the fresh weight of fragmented and homogenized gametophytes but yielded numerous relatively immature gametophytes (globular forms of branching gametophytes, BG). Furthermore, differences in gametophyte morphogenesis and development were indicated by changes in endogenous phytohormone content. BG with immature development exhibited high accumulation of zeatin, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid, and relatively low levels of abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid. The immature development of gametophytes directly affected sporophyte formation. CONCLUSIONS: This study maximized the advantages of liquid suspension culture using eastern bracken gametophytes and provides data to resolve any associated issues, thus facilitating efficient bracken production.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of a Peptide Derived from the Synbiotics, Fermented Cudrania tricuspidata with Lactobacillus gasseri, on Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of peptides derived from synbiotics on improving inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Five-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were administered with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) via drinking water for seven days to induce IBD (IBD group). The mice in the IBD group were orally administered with PBS (IBD-PBS-positive control), Lactobacillus gasseri 505 (IBD-Pro), fermented powder of CT extract with L. gasseri 505 (IBD-Syn), ß-casein: LSQSKVLPVPQKAVPYPQRDMP (IBD-Pep 1), or α s2-casein: VYQHQKAMKPWIQPKTKVIPYVRYL (IBD-Pep 2) (both peptides are present in the synbiotics) for four more days while inducing IBD. To confirm IBD induction, the weights of the animals and the disease activity index (DAI) scores were evaluated once every two days. Following treatment of probiotics, synbiotics, or peptides for 11 days, the mice were sacrificed. The length of the small and large intestines was measured. The expression of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2 in the large intestine was measured. Large intestine tissue was fixed in 10% formalin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological analysis. The body weights decreased and DAI scores increased in the IBD group, but the DAI scores were lower in the IBD-Pep 2 group than those in the IBD group treated with PBS, Pro, Syn, or Pep 1. The lengths of the small and large intestines were shorter in the IBD group than in the group without IBD, and the expression levels of the proinflammatory cytokines were lower (p < 0.05) in the IBD-Pep 2 group than those in the IBD-PBS-positive control group. In addition, histopathological analysis showed that IBD was ameliorated in the Pep 2-treated group. These results indicate that Pep 2 derived from α s2-casein was effective in alleviating IBD-associated inflammation. Thus, we showed that these peptides can alleviate inflammation in IBD.

Physicochemical Properties of Liquid Infant Formula Stored at Different Temperatures.

Changes in the physicochemical properties of ready-to-feed liquid infant formula (LIF) stored at different temperatures (10, 20, 30, and 40°C) for 6 mon, focusing on 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content, color, pH, fat globule size distribution, and rheological properties were determined. The HMF content increased with storage time, and LIF stored at 40°C had a higher HMF content than that of LIF stored at 10°C. The lightness (L*) decreased while redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) increased with increasing HMF content. The fat globule size and pH of LIF stored at 10°C did not change. However, in the case of LIF stored at 30°C and 40°C, the fat globule size increased and the pH decreased during storage for 6 mon. LIF stored at 40°C had a higher apparent viscosity (ηa,10) than that of LIF stored at 10°C, and the shear-thinning behavior of LIF stored at higher temperature was stronger than that of LIF stored at low temperature. The physicochemical changes of LIF during storage were accelerated by Maillard reaction (MR) at higher storage temperatures. Therefore, even if LIF is aseptically manufactured, we recommend that sterilized LIF should be stored at low temperature in order to minimize quality changes during storage.

Effect of Homogenization Pressure and Supplementation with Sucrose Fatty Acid Ester on the Physical Properties of Dairy Cream-based Emulsions.

In this study, the droplet size distribution, rheological properties, and stability of dairy cream-based emulsions homogenized with different sucrose fatty acid ester (SFAE, a non-ionic small-molecule emulsifier) concentrations (0.08%, 0.16%, and 0.24% w/w) at different homogenization pressures (10 MPa and 20 MPa) were examined. Homogenization at a high pressure resulted in a smaller droplet size and narrower droplet size distribution. The D[4,3] (volume-weighted mean) and D[3,2] (surface-weighted mean) values of the emulsions decreased with an increase in the SFAE concentration. The flow properties of the emulsions homogenized with SFAE showed shear-thinning (n=0.21-0.46) behavior. The apparent viscosity (ηa,10) and consistency index (K) of the homogenized emulsions were lower than those of the control sample that is non-homogenized and without SFAE, and decreased with an increase in SFAE concentration. The storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G") of all emulsions homogenized with SFAE were also lower than those of the control sample. The stability of all emulsions with SFAE did not show any significant change for 30 d at 5°C. However, the emulsions stored at 40°C were unstable over the storage period. Therefore, the addition of SFAE enhanced the stability of dairy cream emulsions during storage at refrigeration temperature (5°C).

Supplementation of fermented Maillard-reactive whey protein enhances immunity by increasing NK cell activity.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of supplementation with fermented Maillard-reactive whey protein (F-MRP) on natural killer (NK) cell activity, circulating cytokines, and serum protein levels. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on a sample of 80 participants without diabetes or obesity. Over an 8-week study period, the F-MRP group consumed 6 g of powder containing 4.2 g of F-MRP each day, whereas the placebo group consumed the same amount of maltodextrin. For each participant, NK cell activity was evaluated based on the ratio of effector cells (E; peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMCs) to target cells (T; K562 cells) at E : T ratios of 10 : 1, 5 : 1, 2.5 : 1, and 1.25 : 1. RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI) and NK cell activity under all assay conditions were significantly increased in the F-MRP group at the 8-week follow-up visit compared with the values at the baseline, whereas the placebo group showed significant reductions in NK cell activity (at an E : T ratio of 5 : 1), serum albumin, and pre-albumin at the 8-week follow-up visit compared with the values at the baseline. When comparing the changes between the placebo and F-MRP groups, the increases in NK cell activity under all assay conditions and serum interleukin (IL)-12 in the F-MRP group were greater than those in the placebo group after adjusting for baseline values. There were also significant differences in pre-albumin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 between the two groups; the change in (Δ) IL-12 was positively correlated with both Δpre-albumin (r = 0.435, P = 0.006) and ΔNK cell activity at an E : T ratio of 10 : 1 (r = 0.571, P < 0.001) in the F-MRP group. CONCLUSION: Daily consumption of F-MRP enhanced NK cell function, which was positively associated with ΔIL-12. Moreover, ΔIL-12 was positively correlated with Δpre-albumin.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Lactobacillus brevis in Low-fat Milk by Pulsed Electric Field Treatment: A Pilot-scale Study.

We investigated the effects of a pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on microbial inactivation and the physical properties of low-fat milk. Milk inoculated with Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Lactobacillus brevis was supplied to a pilot-scale PEF treatment system at a flow rate of 30 L/h. Pulses with an electric field strength of 10 kV/cm and a pulse width of 30 µs were applied to the milk with total pulse energies of 50-250 kJ/L achieved by varying the pulse frequency. The inactivation curves of the test microorganisms were biphasic with an initial lag phase (or shoulder) followed by a phase of rapid inactivation. PEF treatments with a total pulse energy of 200 kJ/L resulted in a 4.5-log reduction in E. coli, a 4.4-log reduction in L. brevis, and a 6.0-log reduction in S. cerevisiae. Total pulse energies of 200 and 250 kJ/L resulted in greater than 5-log reductions in microbial counts in stored PEF-treated milk, and the growth of surviving microorganisms was slow during storage for 15 d at 4℃. PEF treatment did not change milk physical properties such as pH, color, or particle-size distribution (p<0.05). These results indicate that a relatively low electric-field strength of 10 kV/cm can be used to pasteurize low-fat milk.

Gallic acid inhibits cell viability and induces apoptosis in human monocytic cell line U937.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of gallic acid (GA) (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid), a polyhydroxyphenolic compound, isolated from Rhus chinensis, on the human monocytic lymphoma cell line U937. In vitro experiments showed that treating U937 cells with various amounts of GA inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In order to understand the mechanism by which GA induces apoptosis, we examined the gene expression of p53, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and inhibitor of NF-κB (I-κB) after treating the cells with GA and found that expression levels of the genes for p53 and NF-κB increased and that for I-κB decreased. The results obtained from western blotting with U937 cells showed up-regulation of NF-κB protein and down-regulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and I-κB protein. These results demonstrate that GA efficiently induces apoptosis in U937 cells and that GA is a potential chemotherapeutic agent against lymphoma.