Search Results (34,864)

Non-alcoholic fatty acid disease (NAFLD) is caused by a build-up of fat in the liver, inducing local inflammation and fibrosis. We evaluated the effects of probiotic lactic acid-generating bacteria (LAB) derived from a traditional fermented beverage in a mouse model of NAFLD. The LAB isolated from this traditional Korean beverage were screened using the human hepatic cell line HepG2, and Lactocaseibacillus paracasei HY7207 (HY7207), which was the most effective inhibitor of fat accumulation, was selected for further study. HY7207 showed stable productivity in industrial-scale culture. Whole-genome sequencing of HY7207 revealed that the genome was 2.88 Mbp long, with 46.43% GC contents and 2778 predicted protein-coding DNA sequences (CDSs). HY7207 reduced the expression of lipogenesis and hepatic apoptosis-related genes in HepG2 cells treated with palmitic acid. Furthermore, the administration of 10⁹ CFU/kg/day of HY7207 for 8 weeks to mice fed an NAFLD-inducing diet improved their physiologic and serum biochemical parameters and ameliorated their hepatic steatosis. In addition, HY7207 reduced the hepatic expression of genes important for lipogenesis (Srebp1c, Fasn, C/ebpa, Pparg, and Acaca), inflammation (Tnf, Il1b, and Ccl2), and fibrosis (Col1a1, Tgfb1, and Timp1). Finally, HY7207 affected the expression of the apoptosis-related genes Bax (encoding Bcl2 associated X, an apoptosis regulator) and Bcl2 (encoding B-cell lymphoma protein 2) in the liver. These data suggest that HY7207 consumption ameliorates NAFLD in mice through effects on liver steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatic apoptosis. Thus, L. paracasei HY7207 may be suitable for use as a functional food supplement for patients with NAFLD. Full article

This study presents the phytosynthesis of silver-based nanoparticles using tomato flower waste extracts for the first time in the literature. The determination of total polyphenolic and flavonoid contents in the extracts showed high gallic acid equivalents (6436–8802 mg GAE/kg dm) and high quercetin equivalents (378–633 mg QE/kg dm), respectively, dependent on the extraction method. By the Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography technique, 14 polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the tomato flower waste extracts. The abundant phenolic compounds were caffeic acid (36,902–32,217 mg/kg) and chlorogenic acid (1640–1728 mg/kg), and the abundant flavonoid compounds were catechin (292–251 mg/kg) and luteolin (246–108 mg/kg). Transmission electron microscopy of the nanoparticles revealed a particle size range of 14–40 nm. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the phytosynthesis of the silver/silver oxide nanoparticles. These findings hold significant results for the antibacterial and antitumoral potential applications of the obtained nanoparticles, opening new areas for research and development and inspiring further exploration. The impact of this research on the field of metallic nanoparticle phytosynthesis is substantial, as it introduces a novel approach and could lead to significant advancements in the field. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the in silico genomic characteristics of five species of the genus Planotetraspora: P. kaengkrachanensis, P. mira, P. phitsanulokensis, P. silvatica, and P. thailandica, with a view to their application in therapeutic research. The 16S rRNA comparison indicated that these species were phylogenetically distinct. Pairwise comparisons of digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and OrthoANI values between these studied type strains indicated that dDDH values were below 62.5%, while OrthoANI values were lower than 95.3%, suggesting that the five species represent distinct genomospecies. These results were consistent with the phylogenomic study based on core genes and the pangenome analysis of these five species within the genus Planotetraspora. However, the genome annotation showed some differences between these species, such as variations in the number of subsystem category distributions across whole genomes (ranging between 1979 and 2024). Additionally, the number of CAZYme (Carbohydrate-Active enZYme) genes ranged between 298 and 325, highlighting the potential of these bacteria for therapeutic research applications. The in silico physico-chemical characteristics of cellulases from Planotetraspora species were analyzed. Their 3D structure was modeled, refined, and validated. A molecular docking analysis of this cellulase protein structural model was conducted with cellobiose, cellotetraose, laminaribiose, carboxymethyl cellulose, glucose, and xylose ligand. Our study revealed significant interaction between the Planotetraspora cellulase and cellotetraose substrate, evidenced by stable binding energies. This suggests that this bacterial enzyme holds great potential for utilizing cellotetraose as a substrate in various applications. This study enriches our understanding of the potential applications of Planotetraspora species in therapeutic research. Full article

Green peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) are a fruit vegetable with great culinary versatility and present important nutritional properties for human health. Water deficit negatively affects the nutritional quality of green peppers’ fruits. This study aimed to investigate the influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), associated with plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), on the post-harvest nutritional quality of green peppers subjected to water deficit. In an open-field experiment, two irrigation levels (50 and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (Etc)), four treatments composed of a combination of ZnONPs, zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄), and PGPB (T1 = ZnSO₄ via leaves, T2 = ZnONPs via leaves, T3 = ZnONPs via leaves + PGPB via soil, T4 = ZnSO₄ via soil + PGPB via soil), and a control treatment (Control) were tested. Water deficit or water deficit mitigation treatments did not interfere with the physical–chemical parameters (except vitamin C content) and physical color parameters (except the lightness) of green peppers. On average, the water deficit reduced the levels of Ca (−13.2%), Mg (−8.5%), P (−8.5%), K (−8.6%), Mn (−10.5%), Fe (−12.2%), B (−12.0%), and Zn (−11.5%) in the fruits. Under the water deficit condition, ZnONPs or ZnSO₄ via foliar, associated or not with PGPB, increased the levels of Ca (+57% in the T2 and +69.0% in the T2), P, Mg, and Fe in the fruits. At 50% Etc, the foliar application of ZnONPs in association with PGPB increases vitamin C and mineral nutrients’ contents and nutritional quality index (+12.0%) of green peppers. Applying Zn via foliar as ZnONPs or ZnSO₄ mitigated the negative effects of water deficit on the quality of pepper fruits that were enhanced by the Bacillus subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens inoculation. The ZnONPs source was more efficient than the ZnSO₄ source. The water deficit alleviating effect of both zinc sources was enhanced by the PGPB. Full article

Nowadays, there has been an increasing research interest into N-halamine compounds due to their wide antimicrobial properties and no drug resistance. Most of the research mainly focuses on small molecular N-halamines, while few studies are on macromolecule N-halamines. In this work, antibacterial N-halamine polymer materials based on proteins (GS-Cl) were synthesized with an antibacterial component of oxidative chlorine, a support component of a gelatin sponge. After carrying out systematic characterization, the GS-Cls exhibited well-defined porous morphology and had a high efficiency in the killing of Gram-positive bacteria (E. coli) and Gram-negative bacteria (S. aureus). The loading of oxidative chlorine (Cl⁺%) could be controlled by changing the NaClO concentrations and chlorination times. The biocompatibility was confirmed as well. In vivo experiments suggested that the GS-Cl sample could effectively promote the healing of skin wounds in mice E. coli and S. aureus infection models. These studies show that proteins can be chlorinated and endowed with antimicrobial properties, which has great application potential in the treatment of bacteria-infected wounds. Full article

Both periodontal disease and cancer are prevalent conditions with significant impacts on individuals and society. Extensive research has suggested a potential link between these two diseases. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collection database, focusing on publications from 2014 to 2023. The analysis included data extraction and examination of authors, affiliations, publication dates, journals, countries, citation counts, keywords, and the H-index. A total of 253 relevant articles were identified, showing an increasing trend in both publications and citations over the years. The analysis highlighted the most productive authors, institutions, and countries/regions, with Michaud DS and Abnet CC leading in the number of publications. Highly cited articles emphasized the role of specific oral microbiota, particularly F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis, in various cancers, suggesting their potential as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. Four key thematic clusters emerged from the keyword analysis: the broader health implications of periodontal disease, the microbiome’s role in carcinogenesis, inflammation, and specific bacteria in cancer, and epidemiological methods in studying the disease–cancer association. This bibliometric analysis underscores the growing interest in the connection between periodontal disease and cancer. Future research should adopt interdisciplinary approaches, focus on large-scale microbiome studies and longitudinal research to understand the systemic effects of periodontal disease, identify cancer-associated bacterial profiles, and investigate the molecular mechanisms of bacterial carcinogenesis. Additionally, public health interventions aimed at improving oral hygiene and reducing cancer risk factors are recommended. Full article

The somatic cell count (SCC) refers to the number of somatic cells present in each milliliter of raw milk and serves as a crucial indicator of dairy cow udder health and raw milk quality. Traditional SCC detection methods are often time-consuming, expensive, and susceptible to bacterial interference, rendering them unsuitable for the rapid and unbiased assessment of raw milk quality. Consequently, there is an urgent need for a low-cost, accurate, and user-friendly SCC quantification method. Here, a method based on an OPD-Cu²⁺ system for SCC quantification was developed. It was found that OPD oxidation signals exhibited a linear correlation with SCC. Following optimization, the detection system was established with a Cu²⁺ concentration of 25 μM, an OPD concentration of 2 mM, and an incubation time of 15 min. Furthermore, the method demonstrated significant resistance to bacterial interference, though it produced weaker signals in response to bacteria. The somatic cell recovery rate in milk after pretreatment was 88.9%, and SCC was quantified accurately within 45 min, with a linear range of 10⁴–10⁶ cells/mL. In summary, the method developed is cost-effective, straightforward, and facilitates precise somatic cell quantification, offering significant practical value and a new approach for SCC detection in raw milk. Full article

Sulforaphene (4-methylsufinyl-3-butenyl isothiocyanate, SFE), produced by myrosinase hydrolysis of glucoraphenin (4-methylsulfinyl-3-butenyl glucosinolate) found in radish seeds, is strongly associated with cancer prevention. In this study, we investigated the stability of SFE (purity above 98%) under various thiol-containing compounds at 25 °C, such as sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), glutathione (GSH), and cysteine (Cys). We observed that the degradation of SFE was closely related to the presence and dissociation capacity of thiol-containing compounds in the solution, particularly the thiol group. We found that the degradation rate of SFE was influenced by incubation with NaHS, GSH, and Cys, with distinct degradation products detected for each of these thiol-containing compounds. Compared to GSH, sulfide and Cys played important roles in promoting the degradation of SFE. Furthermore, we found substantial quantities of hydrogen sulfide in conjunction with SFE during the hydrolysis process of seeds, and a heat treatment of the seeds resulted in increased production of SFE. However, the introduction of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria to the hydrolytic system did not exhibit any inhibitory effect on the degradation of SFE. These results provided a guideline for industries to improve the stability of SFE during preparation. Full article

VIM-type-producing Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) infections are difficult to treat. This is a retrospective single-center study of 34 patients who received cefiderocol for the treatment of VIM-type-producing GNB infections, including 25 Pseudomonas spp., 7 Enterobacterales, and 5 Achromobacter sp. Primary outcomes were clinical failure (defined as death, lack of clinical improvement, or a switch to another drug) at day 14 and 30-day all-cause mortality. The median age was 59 years (IQR 53.7–73.4), and the median Charlson comorbidity index was 3.5 (IQR 2–5). The main infections were respiratory tract infections (n = 9, 27%) and skin and soft tissue infections (n = 9, 27%). Eight patients exhibited bacteremia. In 9/17 patients with a drainable focus, drainage was performed. The median cefiderocol treatment duration was 13 days (IQR 8–24). Five patients (15%) experienced clinical failure on day 14, and the thirty-day mortality rate was 9/34 (27%); two cases occurred because of an uncontrolled infection source, and one was due to a new infection caused by the same bacteria. The other six deaths were unrelated to the index infection. Five patients experienced microbiological recurrence within three months. Susceptibility testing revealed the development of cefiderocol resistance in 1/7 cases with persistent or recurrent positive cultures. Cefiderocol, even in monotherapy, could be considered for the treatment of VIM-type-producing GNB infections. Full article

This study assessed the metabolite content and bioactivities of Kakadu plum (KP) from Western Australia (WA). LC-MS/MS and UHPLC-PDA analyzed sugar, vitamin C, and ellagic acid (EA). Functional properties were evaluated by spectroscopic technique, agar well diffusion, and microplate dilution methods. WA KP exhibited higher total sugar (16.3 ± 1.0 g/100 g DW) and free ellagic acid (EA) (23.2 ± 1.7 mg/g DW), along with abundant vitamin C (25.20 ± 0.16 to 131.50 ± 0.20 mg/g DW) compared to Northern Territory KP fruits. The fruit showed strong antioxidant activities, α-glucosidase inhibition, and effectiveness against bacteria, with positive correlations to total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin C, and EA. These findings highlight WA KP’s potential for functional foods and pharmaceuticals, emphasizing the importance of TPC, vitamin C, and EA in selecting high-quality fruit. Full article

Wetlands are ecosystems that are essential to ecological balance and biodiversity; nevertheless, human activity is a constant threat to them. Excess nutrients are caused by intensive livestock and agricultural operations, pollution, and population growth, which in turn leads to uncontrolled microbiological development. This impairment in water quality can constitute a risk to animal, human, and environmental health. To thoroughly characterize the microbial communities, shotgun metagenomics was used to characterize the taxonomic and functional pattern of microorganisms that inhabit urban wetlands in the Los Lagos Region of Chile. The main objective was to identify microorganisms of veterinary relevance, assess their potential antibiotic resistance, and characterize the main virulence mechanism. As expected, a high diversity of microorganisms was identified, including bacteria described as animal or human pathogens, such as Pasteurella multocida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Also, a diverse repertory of antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs) was detected in metagenomic assembled sequences and inside the sequence of mobile genetic elements, genes that confer mainly resistance to beta-lactams, consistent with the families of antibiotics most used in Chile. In addition, a diverse collection of virulence mechanisms was also identified. Given the significance of the relationship between environmental, animal, and human health—a concept known as One Health—there is a need to establish molecular surveillance programs that monitor the environmental biohazard elements using molecular tools. This work is the first report of the presence of these harmful biological elements in urban wetlands subjected to anthropogenic pressure, located in the south of Chile. Full article

Autochthonic recalcitrant organic carbon is the most stable component in karst aquatic systems. Still, the processes of its generation and transformation remain unclear, which hinders the study of the mechanisms and quantitative calculations of carbon sinks in karst aquatic systems. This study collected water samples from the Li River, a typical surface karst river in Southwest China. Through in situ microbial cultivation and the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) spectrum, changes in organic carbon components and their contents during the transformation of autochthonic dissolved organic carbon (Auto-DOC) to autochthonic dissolved recalcitrant organic carbon (Auto-RDOC) were analyzed to investigate the inert transformation processes of endogenous organic carbon. This study found that microbial carbon pumps (MCPs) promote the tyrosine-like component condensed into microbial-derived fulvic and humic components via heterotrophic bacteria metabolism, forming Auto-RDOC. During the dry season, the high level of Auto-DOC provides abundant organic substrates for heterotrophic bacteria, resulting in significantly higher Auto-RDOC production compared to the rainy season. This study provides fundamental information on the formation mechanisms of Auto-DOC in karst aquatic systems, which contributes to the assessment of carbon sinks in karst aquatic systems. Full article

Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a bacterial metabolite produced by bacteria such as Halomonas sp. that serves as a carbon and energy storage compound for bacteria under nutrient-limited conditions. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Halomonas-PHB on hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × E. lanceolatu ♂). In experiment I, juvenile groupers were fed basal diets supplemented with 3% Halomonas-PHB (3% HM-PHB) containing 1.4% PHB and 3% Halomonas (3% HM) without PHB, as well as a control diet, for seven weeks. The results showed no significant difference in survival rate, weight gain, and crude fat content between the 3% HM-PHB group and the control group; however, the crude protein of the 3% HM-PHB group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Furthermore, supplementation with 3% HM-PHB increased the fatty acids content in fish muscles, including long-chain unsaturated fatty acids C18:1n9, EPA, and DHA. In experiment II, groupers were fed a basal diet supplemented with 6.5% Halomonas-PHB (6.5% HM-PHB) containing 3% PHB and 6.5% Halomonas (6.5% HM) containing no PHB, as well as a basal diet (Control). After seven weeks of rearing, the fish were challenged with Vibrio anguillarum for 48 h. Although no significant difference in survival rate and growth was observed among different groups, the dietary supplement of 6.5% Halomonas-PHB improved the survival rate of V. anguillarum challenged grouper and significantly increased the gene expressions of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in blood, interleukin 1 (IL1) and interleukin 10 (IL10) in the liver, spleen, head kidney, and blood (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Halomonas-PHB had no significantly positive effect on fish growth performance but increased the content of fatty acids, including long-chain unsaturated fatty acids C18:1n9, EPA, and DHA in fish muscle; it also improved the V. anguillarum resistance, possibly through increasing immune-related gene expression in different tissues and organs. Our findings offer compelling evidence that Halomonas-PHB can be utilized as a feed additive in intensive grouper farming to enhance the groupers’ resistance to Vibrio. Full article

The leading cause of hospital-acquired infections worldwide includes Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp. (ESKAPE) infections. These bacteria are commonly isolated from clinical settings and linked to a number of potentially fatal diseases associated with hospitals. The objective of this study was to review the prevalence of ESKAPE pathogens in Africa. We gathered and systematically reviewed the literature concerning the prevalence of ESKAPE pathogens, published in the English language from January 2014 to February 2024, from three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and ScienceDirect). Our overall results revealed that S. aureus was the most prevalent species (79.5%), followed by A. baumannii (27.6%), K. pneumoniae (24.2%), Enterobacter spp. (20%), P. aeruginosa (9.0%), and E. faecium (5.1%). Moreover, stool samples had the highest Pooled Prevalence Estimates (PPEs) of 44.0%, followed by urine, nasal, and blood samples with 37.3%, 26.9%, and 22.9%, respectively. For the diagnostic method used to identify these ESKAPE pathogens, VITEK-MS had the highest PPE of 55.2%, followed by whole genome sequencing and PCR with 37.1% and 33.2%, respectively. The highest PPE of ESKAPE pathogens was recorded in West Africa with 77.3%, followed by Central/Middle Africa and East Africa with 43.5% and 25.1%, respectively. The overall PPE of ESKAPE pathogens from humans, animals, the environment (water, soil, and surfaces) and food sources was 35.8%, 37.3%, 47.7%, and 34.2%, respectively. Despite their prevalence in nosocomial settings, studies have shown that the ESKAPE pathogens may be isolated from a range of environmental reservoirs, including soil, dumping sites, beach sand, wastewater, food, and fish farms, among others. This wide source of ESKAPE pathogens substrates indicates the need for a multidisciplinary collaborative partnership for epidemiological studies and intervention efforts by the human, veterinary, and environmental health sectors in Africa. Full article

Tomatoes are currently regarded as one of the world’s major vegetable crops. Tomatoes have a significant economic impact on the earnings of many growers worldwide. The tomato is one of the most widely grown vegetables in the world and is ranked second in many nations. The majority of agricultural products have higher moisture content, ranging from 25 to 90%. This moisture content value is significantly higher than what is needed for extended preservation. The effects of bacteria, enzymes, and yeast are slowed down in crops when their moisture content is reduced to a certain degree. This study’s goal is to determine the quality of dried plum tomatoes using various methods. Samples were dried in the sun, on a heated plate, and in a solar dryer. Using accepted techniques, the dried tomato samples were assessed for total lycopene, ascorbic acid, pH, and titratable acidity. The findings demonstrated that, in comparison to the control sample, the sun-dried and solar-dried sample had higher levels of pH. Compared to the control, the ascorbic acid and lycopene levels in the sun-dried and solar-dried tomato were lower. Comparing the heated plate-dried sample to the control sample, a notable rise in lycopene and ascorbic acid content was observed. The results showed that the optimum method for maintaining the quality attributes of dried tomatoes was to use a heated plate drying method. Full article