Baccharis dracunculifolia DC Hydroalcoholic Extract Improves Intestinal and Hippocampal Inflammation and Decreases Behavioral Changes of Colitis Mice.

The hydroalcoholic extract of B. dracunculifolia (HEBD) and its major compound p-coumaric acid were evaluated against the severity of intestinal inflammation and behavioral changes like depressive and anxious behavior in colitis mice. Colitis was induced in Swiss mice by oral dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) administration for five days. The mice received vehicle (10 ml/kg), HEBD (3, 30, or 300 mg/kg), or p-coumaric acid (15 mg/kg) orally, once a day for twelve days. Behavioral tests were performed on the 11th and 12th days after the beginning of the treatments. Moreover, the colon, cortex, and hippocampus were collected to analyze oxidative and inflammatory parameters. The treatment with HEBD (300 mg/Kg), but not p-coumaric acid, showed decreased disease activity index (DAI) values compared to the vehicle group and partially preserved the villi architecture and mucin levels. Furthermore, the HEBD increased the antioxidant defenses in the colon and hippocampus and reduced the myeloperoxidase activity and IL-6 levels in the colon from colitis mice. Colitis mice treated with HEBD did not show depressive-like behavior in the tail suspension test. HEBD reduced colon inflammation, while it maintains antioxidant defenses and mucin levels in this tissue. It may reduce neuropsychiatric comorbidities associated with colitis through its antioxidant effects.

Hexavalent Chromium Removal and Prokaryotic Community Analysis in Glass Column Reactor Packed with Aspen Wood as Solid Organic Substrate.

Microbial hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) reduction is a promising method for Cr(VI)-laden wastewater treatment. However, the soluble organic substrate required for heterotrophic microbial Cr(VI) reduction necessitates constant supervision, and an excessive supply of soluble organic substrate can result in deterioration of the quality of the effluent. In this study, we evaluated aspen wood, a low-cost lignocellulose biomass, as a solid organic substrate for heterotrophic Cr(VI) reduction. A laboratory-scale aspen wood-packed glass column reactor inoculated with activated sludge was operated for 148 days for evaluation. Following reactor operation, an effective average dissolved Cr(VI) removal rate of 0.75 mg L-1 h-1 was confirmed under an average dissolved Cr(VI) loading rate of 0.90 mg L-1 h-1. Subsequently, 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the dominant prokaryotic operational taxonomic units detected in the reactor were associated with prokaryotic lineages with the capacity for lignocellulose biodegradation, Cr compound resistance, and Cr(VI) reduction. Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were two major prokaryotic phyla in the reactor. Our data indicate that aspen wood is an effective solid organic substrate for the development of simplified, effective, and low-cost microbial Cr(VI)-removing reactors.