Project description:Postbiotic RS5, produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RS5, has been identified as a promising alternative feed supplement for various livestock. This study aimed to lower the production cost by enhancing the antimicrobial activity of the postbiotic RS5 by improving the culture density of L. plantarum RS5 and reducing the cost of growth medium. A combination of conventional and statistical-based approaches (Fractional Factorial Design and Central Composite Design of Response Surface Methodology) was employed to develop a refined medium for the enhancement of the antimicrobial activity of postbiotic RS5. A refined medium containing 20 g/L of glucose, 27.84 g/L of yeast extract, 5.75 g/L of sodium acetate, 1.12 g/L of Tween 80 and 0.05 g/L of manganese sulphate enhanced the antimicrobial activity of postbiotic RS5 by 108%. The cost of the production medium was reduced by 85% as compared to the commercially available de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium that is typically used for Lactobacillus cultivation. Hence, the refined medium has made the postbiotic RS5 more feasible and cost-effective to be adopted as a feed supplement for various livestock industries.
Project description:Salmonella infection is a major concern in poultry production which poses potential risks to food safety. Our previous study confirmed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) postbiotic exhibited a strong antibacterial capacity on Salmonella in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects and underlying mechanism of LP postbiotic on Salmonella-challenged broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were pretreated with 0.8% deMan Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) medium or 0.8% LP postbiotic (LP cell-free culture supernatant, LPC) in drinking water for 28 d, and then challenged with 1×109 CFU Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE). Birds were sacrificed 3 d postinfection. Results showed that LPC maintained the growth performance by increasing body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI) in broilers under SE challenge. LPC significantly attenuated SE-induced intestinal mucosal damage. Specifically, it decreased the intestinal injury score, increased villus length and villus/crypt, regulated the expression of intestinal injury-related genes (Villin, matrix metallopeptidase 3 [MMP3], intestinal fatty acid-binding protein [I-FABP]), and enhanced tight junctions (zona occludens-1 [ZO-1] and Claudin-1). SE infection caused a dramatic inflammatory response, as indicated by the up-regulated concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and the downregulation of IL-10, while LPC pretreatment markedly reversed this trend. We then found that LPC inhibited the activation of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by decreasing the gene expression of Caspase-1, IL-lβ, and IL-18. Furthermore, LPC suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway (the reduced levels of toll-like receptor 4 [TLR4], myeloid differentiation factor 88 [MyD88], and NF-κB). Finally, our results showed that LPC regulated gut microbiota by enhancing the percentage of Ligilactobacillus and decreasing Alistipes and Barnesiella. In summary, we found that LP postbiotic was effective to protect broilers against Salmonella infection, possibly through suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome and optimizing gut microbiota. Our study provides the potential of postbiotics on prevention of Salmonella infection in poultry.
Project description:The present study aimed to investigate the effects of monotropein (MON) on improving dexamethasone (DEX)-induced muscle atrophy in mice and C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells. The body weights, grip strengths, and muscle weights of mice were assessed. The histological change in the gastrocnemius tissues was also observed through H&E staining. The expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC), muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1), and muscle atrophy F-box (Atrogin1) and the phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR, and FOXO3a in the muscle tissues of mice and C2C12 myotubes were analyzed using Western blotting. MON improved muscle atrophy in mice and C2C12 myotubes by regulating catabolic states via the AKT/mTOR/FOXO3a signaling pathways, and enhanced muscle function by the increases of muscle mass and strength in mice. This suggests that MON could be used for the prevention and treatment of muscle atrophy in patients.
Project description:BackgroundAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that can result in neurotoxicity and an imbalance in gut microbiota. Probiotics have been shown to play an important role in regulating the gut microbiota, but their viability and bioactivity are often compromised as they traverse the gastrointestinal tract, thereby reducing their efficacy and limiting their clinical utility.ResultsIn this work, layer-by-layer (LbL) encapsulation technology was used to encapsulate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) to improve the above shortcomings. Studies in APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice show that LbL-encapsulated LP ((CS/SP)2-LP) protects LP from gastrointestinal damage while (CS/SP)2-LP treatment It improves brain neuroinflammation and neuronal damage in AD mice, reduces Aβ deposition, improves tau protein phosphorylation levels, and restores intestinal barrier damage in AD mice. In addition, post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) expression increased in AD mice after treatment, indicating enhanced synaptic plasticity. Fecal metabolomic and microbiological analyzes showed that the disordered intestinal microbiota composition of AD mice was restored and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels were significantly increased after (CS/SP)2-LP treatment.ConclusionOverall, the above evidence suggests that (CS/SP)2-LP can improve AD symptoms by restoring the balance of intestinal microbiota, and (CS/SP)2-LP treatment will provide a new method to improve the symptoms of AD patients.
Project description:Alternative methods to reduce infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens and their virulence factors, biofilm formations, have arisen to reduce the pressure on existing or currently developed disinfectants and antimicrobial agents. The current strategies for reducing the severity of periodontal pathogen-caused disease by using beneficial bacteria and their metabolites are highly desirable. Probiotic strains of lactobacilli related to foods from Thai-fermented foods were selected and their postbiotic metabolites (PM) were isolated with inhibitory activity on periodontal pathogens and their biofilm formation. The PM from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PD18 (PD18 PM) with the highest antagonistic effect against Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Prevotella loescheii was selected from 139 Lactobacillus isolates. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) values of PD18 PM against the pathogens ranged from 1:2 to 1:4. The PD18 PM demonstrated the ability to prevent the biofilm formation of S. mutans and P. gingivalis by showing a significant reduction in viable cells, high percentages of biofilm inhibition at 92.95 and 89.68%, and the highest effective contact times at 5 and 0.5 min, respectively. L. plantarum PD18 PM showed potential as a promising natural adjunctive agent to inhibit periodontal pathogens and their biofilms.
Project description:Preservation of probiotics by lyophilization is considered a method of choice for developing stable products. However, both direct consumption and reconstitution of dehydrated probiotic preparations before application "compromise" the survival and functional characteristics of the microorganisms under the stress of the upper gastro-intestinal tract. We evaluated the impact of different food additives on the viability, mucin adhesion, and zeta potential of a freeze-dried putative probiotic, Lactiplantibacillus (Lp.) plantarum HAC03. HAC03-compatible ingredients for the formulation of ten rehydration mixtures could be selected. Elevated efficacy was achieved by the B-active formulation, a mixture of non-protein nitrogen compounds, sugars, and salts. The survival of Lp. plantarum HAC03 increased by 36.36% compared rehydration with distilled water (4.92%) after passing simulated gastro-intestinal stress conditions. Cell viability determined by plate counting was confirmed by flow cytometry. B-active formulation also influenced Lp. plantarum HAC03 functionality by increasing its adherence to a Caco-2 cell-line and by changing the bacterial surface charge, measured as zeta potential.Hydrophobicity, mucin adhesion and immunomodulatory properties of Lp. plantarum HAC03 were not affected by the B-active formulation. The rehydration medium also effectively protected Lp. plantarum ATCC14917, Lp. plantarum 299v, Latilactobacillus sakei (Lt.) HAC11, Lacticaseibacillus (Lc.) paracasei 532, Enterococcus faecium 200, and Lc. rhamnosus BFE5263.
Project description:BackgroundMuscle atrophy, including glucocorticoid-induced muscle wasting from treatments such as dexamethasone (DEX), results in significant reductions in muscle mass, strength and function. This study investigates the potential of lonafarnib, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, to counteract DEX-induced muscle atrophy by targeting key signalling pathways.MethodsWe utilized in vitro models with C2C12 myotubes treated with DEX and in vivo models with Caenorhabditis elegans and DEX-treated Sprague-Dawley rats. Myotube morphology was assessed by measuring area, fusion index and diameter. Muscle function was evaluated by grip strength and compound muscle action potential (CMAP) in the gastrocnemius (GC) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Molecular mechanisms were explored through RNA sequencing and Western blotting to assess changes in mitochondrial function and muscle signalling pathways.ResultsLonafarnib (2 μM) significantly improved myotube area (1.49 ± 0.14 × 105 μm2 vs. 1.03 ± 0.49 × 105 μm2 in DEX, p < 0.05), fusion index (18.73 ± 1.23% vs. 13.3 ± 1.56% in DEX, p < 0.05) and myotube diameter (31.89 ± 0.89 μm vs. 21.56 ± 1.01 μm in DEX, p < 0.05) in C2C12 myotubes. In C. elegans, lonafarnib (100 μM) increased the pharyngeal pumping rate from 212 ± 7.21 contractions/min in controls to 308 ± 17.09 contractions/min at day 4 (p < 0.05), indicating enhanced neuromuscular function. In DEX-induced atrophic rats, lonafarnib improved maximal grip strength (DEX: 13.91 ± 0.78 N vs. 1 μM lonafarnib: 16.18 ± 0.84 N and 5 μM lonafarnib: 16.71 ± 0.83 N, p < 0.05), increased muscle weight in GC, and enhanced CMAP amplitudes in both GC and TA muscles. Western blot analysis showed that lonafarnib treatment upregulated UCP3 and ANGPTL4 and increased phosphorylation of mTOR and S6 ribosomal protein (p < 0.05), indicating enhanced mitochondrial function and protein synthesis. Knockdown models further demonstrated that lonafarnib could partially rescue muscle atrophy phenotypes, indicating its action through multiple molecular pathways.ConclusionsLonafarnib mitigates dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy by enhancing mitochondrial function and activating anabolic pathways. These findings support further investigation of lonafarnib as a therapeutic agent for muscle atrophy in clinical settings.
Project description:Glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, enhance protein breakdown via ubiquitin-proteasome system. However, the role of autophagy in organelle and protein turnover in the glucocorticoid-dependent atrophy program remains unknown. Here, we show that dexamethasone stimulates an early activation of autophagy in L6 myotubes depending on protein kinase, AMPK, and glucocorticoid receptor activity. Dexamethasone increases expression of several autophagy genes, including ATG5, LC3, BECN1, and SQSTM1 and triggers AMPK-dependent mitochondrial fragmentation associated with increased DNM1L protein levels. This process is required for mitophagy induced by dexamethasone. Inhibition of mitochondrial fragmentation by Mdivi-1 results in disrupted dexamethasone-induced autophagy/mitophagy. Furthermore, Mdivi-1 increases the expression of genes associated with the atrophy program, suggesting that mitophagy may serve as part of the quality control process in dexamethasone-treated L6 myotubes. Collectively, these data suggest a novel role for dexamethasone-induced autophagy/mitophagy in the regulation of the muscle atrophy program.
Project description:Although quercetin has numerous biological benefits, including preventing muscle atrophy due to disuse, no reports have been published to date about the preventive effects and molecular mechanisms underlying drug-induced muscle atrophy. Highly soluble and bioavailable quercetin glycosides (QGs) were used to examine the inhibition of dexamethasone (DEX)-induced muscle atrophy in vivo. Male BALB/cCrSlc mice were treated with or without QGs for 7 days ad libitum, followed by addition of DEX to their drinking water for a further 7 days. The weight of gastrocnemius (GM) adjusted by body weight was significantly decreased on day 7 after DEX treatment. DEX-induced decrease of GM weight was improved by QG co-administration on day 7. The mRNA levels of muscle atrophy-related genes in the gastrocnemius were significantly lowered by QGs on day 1. In particular, the expression of myostatin, a master regulator of muscle mass homeostasis, was suppressed to that of the control level. In murine C2C12 myotubes, quercetin elevated the phosphorylation of Akt, which are downstream of the myostatin pathway, as well as expression of atrogenes. We demonstrated the protective effect of QGs in DEX-induced muscle atrophy, which might depend on the suppression of myostatin signaling.