Imidazole-Based Lithium Salt LiHDI as a Solid Electrolyte Interphase-Stabilising Additive for Lithium-Conducting Electrolytes.

Lithium salt LiHDI (lithium 4,5-dicyano-2-(n-heptafluoropropyl)imidazolide) is proposed as a solid electrolyte interphase-stabilising additive for lithium-ion batteries, which can be added in a smaller amount than fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) and vinylene carbonate (VC) additives. Electrolytes containing either lithium 4,5-dicyano-2-(trifluoromethyl)imidazolide (LiTDI) or battery-standard LiPF6 were tested with various amounts of LiHDI additive. Chemical stability in the presence of water and the thermal stability of LiHDI are on par with LiTDI. LiHDI additive does not negatively affect the properties of electrolytes. Conductivity measurements of solutions, galvanostatic cycling of graphite-LiFePO4 cells at room temperature, cells' cycling at 60 °C, internal cell resistance monitoring during cycling, and XPS analysis of electrodes' surfaces after cycling have been performed. LiHDI, unlike the FEC-VC mixture, does not negatively affect the properties of the electrolyte. Cycling showed improved capacity retention with LiHDI additive with both graphite and LiFePO4 as capacity-limiting electrodes over samples without additives. At elevated temperatures, samples with LiHDI exhibited better capacity retention during cycling than those with FEC-VC. Internal cell resistance can be correlated with capacity retention. XPS results show changes in the composition of SEI depending on the composition of the electrolyte and the duration of cycling.

Effect of Supercritical Extract from Black Poplar and Basket Willow on the Quality of Natural and Probiotic Drinkable Yogurt.

Yogurt is a fermented milk drink produced by Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrüeckii ssp. bulgaricus, or Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which can be enriched with polyphenolic compounds to enhance its antioxidant properties. Supercritical (scCO2/H2O) extracts obtained from the mixture of bark and wood of black poplar (Populus nigra) and basket willow (Salix viminalis) are the source of bioactive compounds. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of supercritical extracts from the P. nigra and S. viminalis on the fermentation, quality, and bioactive properties of drinkable natural and probiotic yogurts. The incorporation of scCO2/H2O extracts at a dose of 0.01% (w/v) into milk for the production of natural and probiotic yogurts increases their functional properties by enhancing the antioxidant activity without causing negative effects on the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of products. The antioxidant activity of yogurt with scCO2/H2O extract from P. nigra and S. viminalis was higher than control yogurts by 1.3-13.2% and 4.4-37.5%, respectively. The addition of a supercritical S. viminalis extract reduced the time of natural and probiotic yogurt fermentation. Natural and probiotic yogurt with scCO2/H2O extracts added was characterised by a bacterial population size of over 7 log cfu/g, and the microflora was active throughout the cold storage period. FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of scCO2/H2O extracts from P. nigra or S. viminalis in both types of yogurt. A secondary structure analysis confirmed interactions between compounds of scCO2/H2O extract from P. nigra and S. viminalis extract with milk proteins. These interactions affect the compounds' structural and functional properties by changing, e.g., their digestibility and antioxidant properties.

Mortality Following Clostridioides difficile Infection in Europe: A Retrospective Multicenter Case-Control Study.

We aimed to describe the clinical presentation, treatment, outcome and report on factors associated with mortality over a 90-day period in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate regression analyses were performed on data collected in a retrospective case-control study conducted in nine hospitals from seven European countries. A total of 624 patients were included, of which 415 were deceased (cases) and 209 were still alive 90 days after a CDI diagnosis (controls). The most common antibiotics used previously in both groups were ß-lactams; previous exposure to fluoroquinolones was significantly (p = 0.0004) greater in deceased patients. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the factors independently related with death during CDI were older age, inadequate CDI therapy, cachexia, malignancy, Charlson Index, long-term care, elevated white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), bacteraemia, complications, and cognitive impairment. In addition, older age, higher levels of WBC, neutrophil, CRP or creatinine, the presence of malignancy, cognitive impairment, and complications were strongly correlated with shortening the time from CDI diagnosis to death. CDI prevention should be primarily focused on hospitalised elderly people receiving antibiotics. WBC, neutrophil count, CRP, creatinine, albumin and lactate levels should be tested in every hospitalised patient treated for CDI to assess the risk of a fatal outcome.

Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 and Water Extracts from Willow and Poplar.

Renewable feedstock from perennial industrial crops, including those cultivated on marginal land in a short-rotation coppice system, could be an important contribution to the bioeconomy. The majority of data available on the topic are limited to the production of bioenergy from this type of biomass. According to the concept of bioeconomy, biomass-based bioproducts have priority over energy production. This paper characterizes the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts from bark (b), wood (w) or a mixture of bark and wood (b + w) from Salix purpurea, Salix viminalis and Populus nigra obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), scCO2 and water (1%, w/w) or only water. Generally, a high concentration of polyphenols was obtained after extraction with scCO2 and water, while the lowest concentration was found in extracts obtained with scCO2. The highest concentration of polyphenols (p < 0.05) was obtained in an extract from P. nigra (b) (502.62 ± 9.86 mg GAE/g dry matter (d.m.)) after extraction with scCO2 and water, whereas the lowest polyphenol concentration was observed in an scCO2 extract from S. purpurea (b) (6.02 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g d.m.). The flavonoids were effectively separated by extraction with scCO2 (0.88-18.37 mg QE/g d.m.). A positive linear relationship between the antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and ABTS assays and the concentration of polyphenols was demonstrated, R2 = 0.8377 and R2 = 0.9568, respectively. It is most probable that the concentration of flavonoids, rather than the concentration of polyphenols, determines the chelating activity of Fe2+. The Fe2+-chelating activity of scCO2 extracts ranged from 75.11% (EC50 = 5.41 mg/cm3, S. purpurea, b + w) to 99.43% (EC50 = 0.85 mg/cm3, P. nigra, b + w). The lowest chelating activity was demonstrated by the extracts obtained with scCO2 and water (maximum 26.36%, S. purpurea, b + w). In extracts obtained with scCO2 and water, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (210-428 µg/g), p-coumaric acid (56-281 µg/g), saligenin (142-300 µg/g) and salicortin (16-164 µg/g) were the dominant polyphenols. All of these chemical compounds occurred mainly in the free form. The S. purpurea, S. viminalis and P. nigra biomass proved to be an attractive source of biologically active compounds for various possible applications in food, drugs or cosmetics. These compounds could be extracted using an environmentally friendly method with scCO2 and water as a co-solvent.

Alternative Therapy in the Prevention of Experimental and Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Impact of Regular Physical Activity, Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase and Herbal Products.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are multifactorial, chronic, disabling, and progressive diseases characterised by cyclical nature, alternating between active and quiescent states. While the aetiology of IBD is not fully understood, this complex of diseases involve a combination of factors including the genetic predisposition and changes in microbiome as well as environmental risk factors such as high-fat and low-fibre diets, reduced physical activity, air pollution and exposure to various toxins and drugs such as antibiotics. The prevalence of both IBD and obesity is increasing in parallel, undoubtedly proving the existing interactions between these risk factors common to both disorders to unravel poorly recognized cell signaling and molecular alterations leading to human IBD. Therefore, there is still a significant and unmet need for supportive and adjunctive therapy for IBD patients directed against the negative consequences of visceral obesity and bacterial dysbiosis. Among the alternative therapies, a moderate-intensity exercise can benefit the health and well-being of IBD patients and improve both the healing of human IBD and experimental animal colitis. Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) plays an essential role in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis intestinal and the mechanism of mucosal defence. The administration of exogenous IAP could be recommended as a therapeutic strategy for the cure of diseases resulting from the intestinal barrier dysfunction such as IBD. Curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory agent, which is capable of stimulating the synthesis of endogenous IAP, represents another alternative approach in the treatment of IBD. This review was designed to discuss potential "nonpharmacological" alternative and supplementary therapeutic approaches taking into account epidemiological and pathophysiological links between obesity and IBD, including changes in the functional parameters of the intestinal mucosa and alterations in the intestinal microbiome.

Impact of food processing and simulated gastrointestinal digestion on gliadin immunoreactivity in rolls.

BACKGROUND: The enzymatic modification of wheat proteins during dough fermentation and its digestion as supported by peptidases of microbiological origin can result in the degradation of important peptides in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease. However, baking bread and the high temperature associated with this could change the physicochemical and immunological properties of proteins. Thermal changes in the spatial structure of proteins and their hydrolysis can lead to a masking or degrading of immunoreactive peptides. RESULTS: The addition of prolyl endopeptidase (PEP), comprising peptidases isolated from Lactobacillus acidophilus 5e2 (LA) or transglutaminase (TG) in the course of fermentation, decreases its immunoreactivity by 83.9%, 51.9% and 18.5%, respectively. An analysis of the fractional composition of gliadins revealed that γ- and ω-gliadins are the proteins most susceptible to enzymatic modification. Hydrolysis of wheat storage proteins with PEP and LA reduces the content of αß-, γ- and ω-gliadins by 13.7%, 60.2% and 41.9% for PEP and by 22.1%, 43.5% and 36.9% for LA, respectively. Cross-linking of proteins with TG or their hydrolysis by PEP and LA peptidases during the process of forming wheat dough, followed by digesting bread samples with PEP and LA peptidases, decreases the immunoreactivity of bread hydrolysates from 2.4% to 0.02%. The content of peptide detected in polypeptide sequences is 263.4 ± 3.3, 30.9 ± 1.5 and 7.9 ± 0.4 mg kg-1 in samples of hydrolysates of bread digested with PEP, as produced from dough modified by TG, PEP and LA, respectively. CONCLUSION: Enzymatic pre-modification of proteins during the process of dough fermentation decreases their immunoreactive potential, such that fewer peptides recognised by R5 antibodies are released during the digestion process from the bread matrix. Immunoreactive peptides are degraded more effectively when digestive enzymes are supported by the addition of PEP. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Beneficial Effect of Voluntary Exercise on Experimental Colitis in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet: The Role of Irisin, Adiponectin and Proinflammatory Biomarkers.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders exhibited by two major phenotypic forms: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Although the aetiology of IBD is unknown, several factors coming from the adipose tissue and skeletal muscles, such as cytokines, adipokines and myokines, were suggested in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis; however, it has not been extensively studied whether voluntary exercise can ameliorate that disorder. We explored the effect of moderate exercise (i.e., voluntary wheel running) on the disease activity index (DAI), colonic blood flow (CBF), plasma irisin and adiponectin levels and real-time PCR expression of proinflammatory markers in mesenteric fat in mice with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis fed a high-fat diet (HFD) compared to those on a standard chow diet (SD). Macroscopic and microscopic colitis in sedentary SD mice was accompanied by a significant fall in CBF, some increase in colonic tissue weight and a significant increase in the plasma levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and IL-13 (p < 0.05). In sedentary HFD mice, colonic lesions were aggravated, colonic tissue weight increased and the plasma TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1ß and leptin levels significantly increased. Simultaneously, a significant decrease in the plasma irisin and adiponectin levels was observed in comparison with SD mice (p < 0.05). Exercise significantly decreased macroscopic and microscopic colitis, substantially increased CBF and attenuated the plasma TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1ß and leptin levels while raising the plasma irisin and the plasma and WAT concentrations of adiponectin in HFD mice (p < 0.05). We conclude that: (1) experimental colitis is exacerbated in HFD mice, possibly due to a fall in colonic microcirculation and an increase in the plasma and mesenteric fat content of proinflammatory biomarkers; and (2) voluntary physical activity can attenuate the severity of colonic damage in mice fed a HFD through the release of protective irisin and restoration of plasma adiponectin.

The Role of Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase in Inflammatory Disorders of Gastrointestinal Tract.

Over the past few years, the role of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) as a crucial mucosal defence factor essential for maintaining gut homeostasis has been established. IAP is an important apical brush border enzyme expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract and secreted both into the intestinal lumen and into the bloodstream. IAP exerts its effects through dephosphorylation of proinflammatory molecules including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), flagellin, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from cells during stressful events. Diminished activity of IAP could increase the risk of disease through changes in the microbiome, intestinal inflammation, and intestinal permeability. Exogenous IAP exerts a protective effect against intestinal and systemic inflammation in a variety of diseases and represents a potential therapeutic agent in diseases driven by gut barrier dysfunction such as IBD. The intestinal protective mechanisms are impaired in IBD patients due to lower synthesis and activity of endogenous IAP, but the pathomechanism of this enzyme deficiency remains unclear. IAP has been safely administered to humans and the human recombinant form of IAP has been developed. This review was designed to provide an update in recent research on the involvement of IAP in intestinal inflammatory processes with focus on IBD in experimental animal models and human patients.

Effects of water stress on the composition and immunoreactive properties of gliadins from two wheat cultivars: Nawra and Tonacja.

BACKGROUND: Water shortage during wheat vegetation causes changes in the composition of gliadins in grains, which can lead to changes in their immunoreactive properties. RESULTS: The investigated wheat cultivars exposed to water stress accumulated significantly lower amounts (P < 0.05) of gliadins and glutenins in grains. The composition of proteins accumulated in grains was also modified. Water shortage results in a decreased share of αß and γ fractions in total gliadins. Grains of wheat cultivated under water stress contain significantly higher (P < 0.05) levels of ω-gliadins by 4.5% and 43.3% for Nawra and Tonacja cultivars, respectively. Water stress promotes an increase in the share of P and Q/E residues in gliadins. In protein samples R5 antibodies recognized increased amounts of gliadins matching the QQPFP sequence. Wheat proteins also reacted with IgE antibodies isolated from subjects allergic to gluten. CONCLUSION: Cultivation of wheat under conditions of water stress results in the qualitative and quantitative changes of gliadins by increasing their immunoreactivity. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Can exercise affect the course of inflammatory bowel disease? Experimental and clinical evidence.

The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consisting of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are defined as idiopathic, chronic and relapsing intestinal disorders occurring in genetically predisposed individuals exposed to environmental risk factors such as diet and microbiome changes. Since conventional drug therapy is expensive and not fully efficient, there is a need for alternative remedies that can improve the outcome in patients suffering from IBD. Whether exercise, which has been proposed as adjunct therapy in IBD, can be beneficial in patients with IBD remains an intriguing question. In this review, we provide an overview of the effects of exercise on human IBD and experimental colitis in animal models that mimic human disease, although the information on exercise in human IBD are sparse and poorly understood. Moderate exercise can exert a beneficial ameliorating effect on IBD and improve the healing of experimental animal colitis due to the activity of protective myokines such as irisin released from working skeletal muscles. CD patients with higher levels of exercise were significantly less likely to develop active disease at six months. Moreover, voluntary exercise has been shown to exert a positive effect on IBD patients' mood, weight maintenance and osteoporosis. On the other hand, depending on its intensity and duration, exercise can evoke transient mild systemic inflammation and enhances pro-inflammatory cytokine release, thereby exacerbating the gastrointestinal symptoms. We discuss recent advances in the mechanism of voluntary and strenuous exercise affecting the outcome of IBD in patients and experimental animal models.

Mechanisms by which Stress Affects the Experimental and Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Role of Brain-Gut Axis.

BACKGROUND: Stress of different origin is known to alter so called "braingut axis" and contributes to a broad array of gastrointestinal disorders including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal diseases. The stressful situations and various stressors including psychosocial events, heat, hypo- and hyperthermia may worsen the course of IBD via unknown mechanism. The aims of this paper were to provide an overview of experimental and clinical evidences that stress activates the brain-gut axis which results in a mucosal mast cells activation and an increase in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and other endocrine and humoral mediators. METHODS: Research and online content related to effects of stress on lower bowel disorders are reviewed and most important mechanisms are delineated. RESULTS: Brain conveys the neural, endocrine and circulatory messages to the gut via brain-gut axis reflecting changes in corticotrophin releasing hormone, mast cells activity, neurotransmission at the autonomic nerves system and intestinal barrier function all affecting the pathogenesis of animal colitis and human IBD. Stress triggers the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and the activation of the autonomic nervous system, an increase in cortisol levels and proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-8, interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6. CONCLUSION: The acute or chronic stress enhances the intestinal permeability weakening of the tight junctions and increasing bacterial translocation into the intestinal wall. An increased microbial load in the colonic tissue, excessive cytokine release and a partially blunted immune reactivity in response to stress result in its negative impact on IBD.

Moderate exercise training attenuates the severity of experimental rodent colitis: the importance of crosstalk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscles.

Although progress has been recently made in understanding of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), their etiology is unknown apart from several factors from adipose tissue and skeletal muscles such as cytokines, adipokines, and myokines were implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. We studied the effect high-fat diet (HFD; cholesterol up to 70%), low-fat diet (LFD; cholesterol up to 10%), and the normal diet (total fat up to 5%) in rats with TNBS colitis forced to treadmill running exercise (5 days/week) for 6 weeks. In nonexercising HFD rats, the area of colonic damage, colonic tissue weight, the plasma IL-1ß, TNF-α, TWEAK, and leptin levels, and the expression of IL-1ß-, TNF-α-, and Hif1α mRNAs were significantly increased and a significant fall in plasma adiponectin and irisin levels was observed as compared to LFD rats. In HFD animals, the exercise significantly accelerated the healing of colitis, raised the plasma levels of IL-6 and irisin, downregulated the expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and Hif1α, and significantly decreased the plasma IL-1ß, TNF α, TWEAK, and leptin levels. We conclude that HFD delays the healing of colitis in trained rats via decrease in CBF and plasma IL-1ß, TNF-α, TWEAK, and leptin levels and the release of protective irisin.

Prolyl endopeptidase - Optimization of medium and culture conditions for enhanced production by Lactobacillus acidophilus

Background Lactic acid bacteria are able to reduce the immunoreactivity of proteins of cereal grains during wheat dough fermentation or may be a source of proteolytic preparations added during bread making. The key enzyme in prolamin degradation is prolyl endopeptidase. This study was aimed at optimizing the composition of a culture medium and culture conditions that would enhance the synthesis of intracellular prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) by Lactobacillus acidophilus 5e2. Results The application of Plackett-Burman screening plans enabled demonstrating that the concentration of a nitrogen source in the culture and the initial pH value of the culture medium were significant for PEP synthesis. Further optimization conducted with the method of central composite designs (CCD) confirmed both the linear and square impact of nitrogen concentration and initial pH value of the culture medium on PEP production. In turn, the response surface method (RSM) allowed determining the optimal nitrogen concentration and pH value at 26.88 g/l and pH 4.85, respectively. Conclusions Validation of the resultant model enabled over 3-fold increase in the quantity of the synthesized enzyme.

The role of physical exercise in inflammatory bowel disease.

We reviewed and analyzed the relationship between physical exercise and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which covers a group of chronic, relapsing, and remitting intestinal disorders including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis. The etiology of IBD likely involves a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental risk factors. Physical training has been suggested to be protective against the onset of IBD, but there are inconsistencies in the findings of the published literature. Hypertrophy of the mesenteric white adipose tissue (mWAT) is recognized as a characteristic feature of CD, but its importance for the perpetuation of onset of this intestinal disease is unknown. Adipocytes synthesize proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Hypertrophy of mWAT could play a role as a barrier to the inflammatory process, but recent data suggest that deregulation of adipokine secretion is involved in the pathogenesis of CD. Adipocytokines and macrophage mediators perpetuate the intestinal inflammatory process, leading to mucosal ulcerations along the mesenteric border, a typical feature of CD. Contracting skeletal muscles release biologically active myokines, known to exert the direct anti-inflammatory effects, and inhibit the release of proinflammatory mediators from visceral fat. Further research is required to confirm these observations and establish exercise regimes for IBD patients.

The improvement of enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of rape straw and Miscanthus giganteus polysaccharides.

The research was carried out with the aim to determine the impact of various combinations of cellulase and hemicellulase preparations on the effectiveness of enzymatic hydrolysis of polysaccharides of rape straw and Miscanthus giganteus after alkaline pretreatment. Their effectiveness was evaluated based on the quantity of saccharides released during enzymatic reaction and yield calculated in respect of the sum of polysaccharides present in native substrates. The complex of preparations produced from Trichoderma longibrachiatum fungi turned out to be the most effective. The study demonstrated a significant effect of xylanases from T. longibrachiatum, the presence of which evoked a 27-45% increase in the effectiveness of polysaccharides hydrolysis compared to the enzymatic complexes without their addition. In addition, results achieved in this study confirmed the necessity of applying the pretreatment in lignocellulose substrates conversion into bioethanol.