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Fatigue, a most commonly sub-health condition, may cause people more susceptible to many diseases. Cordycepin, a principal active ingredient from Cordyceps militaris, exerts various pharmacological activities including anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects. However, the anti-fatigue effect of cordycepin and specific mechanism remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of cordycepin on physical fatigue and elucidate the potential mechanism. 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg of cordycepin and 500 mg/kg taurine were respectively treated to mice for 28 days before weight-loaded swimming test. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly prolonged the weight-loaded swimming time of mice. Meanwhile, cordycepin decreased the levels of lactic acid, blood uric nitrogen, and malondialdehyde, and increased the contents of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, hepatic glycogen, muscle glycogen and ATP. The metabolomic study by GC-MS showed that eight biomarkers were found in livers, including L-lactic acid, L-asparagine, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, inosine, D-galactose, L-tyrosine, glyceric acid and L-threonine. There were seven biomarkers in gastrocnemius, including D-ribose-5-phosphate, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, palmitic acid, oxaloacetic acid and citric acid. The results of metabolomics indicated that cordycepin might relieve fatigue by regulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, we found cordycepin significantly enhanced the protein levels of TIGAR, SIRT1, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM in gastrocnemius of weight-loaded swimming mice. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that cordycepin possessed an anti-fatigue effect via activating TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway. Our study indicated that cordycepin may be a potentially efficient candidate for fatigue.

Mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland, is a complex disease that affects the health of dairy cows worldwide. Sodium butyrate (SB) is a short-chain fatty acid that has recently been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic potential in various cells types, although its role in bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) has not been comprehensively reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the protective effect of sodium butyrate on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis model in vitro and to elucidate the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. The in vitro mastitis model was designed to investigate the regulatory effect of SB on LPS-induced inflammatory conditions in bMECs, with particular emphasis on oxidative stress, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The results showed that SB co-treatment markedly prevented LPS-induced death of bMECs in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, SB attenuated LPS-induced oxidative stress (OS) (Increased Intracellular ROS, MDA, and decreased SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activity), thereby reduced inflammation (increased expression of IL-6, IL-Iβ, and TNF-α), and apoptosis (Increased the expression of caspases and Bax and decreased Bcl-2) via inhibiting NF-kB and caspase/bax signaling pathways. Furthermore, the protective effect of SB was also associated with the activation of endogenous antioxidant system (Nrf2, Keap1, NQO-1 and HO-1). Nrf2 silencing significantly abolished the protective effect of SB on bMECs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SB has a significant protective effect on LPS-induced OS, inflammatory responses and apoptosis by activating Nrf2 and inhibiting NF-kB and ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction. These results propose that SB may be an important regulator of OS and its subsequent inflammatory responses, and thus could be used as a therapeutic agent for bovine mastitis.

Caveola membrane structures harbor mechanosensitive chloride channels (MCCs; including chloride channel 2, chloride channel 3, and SWELL1, also known as LRRC8A) that form a swelling-activated chloride current (I(Cl,swell)) and play an important role in cell volume regulation and mechanoelectrical signal transduction. However, the role of the muscle-specific caveolar scaffolding protein caveolin-3 (Cav3) in regulation of MCC expression, activity, and contribution to membrane integrity in response to mechanical stress remains unclear. Here we showed that Cav3-transfected (Cav3-positive) HEK293 cells were significantly resistant to extreme (

Open culture fermentation (OCF) is a promising technology for converting different organic waste into carboxylic acids (CAs) and alcohols in the context of biorefinery. This study investigated OCF to enhance the production of CAs and alcohols from three different monosaccharides: glucose, xylose, galactose and a mixture of two sugars: glucose with galactose. In addition, more complex substrates, such as maize silage and strawberry wastewater were used as well. The investigated variables included following operational parameters: substrate type, pH, retention time and sugar loading. Promising results were obtained for complex substrates. The highest CAs yield was noticed for raw maize silage at pH 8 and RT 1 day. For monosaccharides the most efficient process was the co-fermentation (glucose/galactose) (substrate loading 4 g L−1). CAs composition varied with the changing pH and type of sugar and substrate: in neutral conditions, acetic acid; in acidic conditions, acetic and butyric acids; and in alkaline conditions butyric acid were dominant, respectively. Statistical inference showed optimal conditions for the production of defined compounds from a specific monosaccharide, which could be helpful for designing experiments aiming at particular CA.

Detailed information on response of saffron, one of the most economical medicinal plants, to high levels of saline (NaCl) water irrigation is not available. In this study, effect of spraying Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), salicylic acid (SA) and vermicompost extract (VCE) on root structure, corm and flower production, K+ and Na+ allocation, physiological and photosynthesis aspects along with antioxidant enzymes activity of saffron were evaluated under saline water irrigation. The treatments consisted of adding four salinity doses to irrigation water (0, 5, 10 and 15 dS m−1 of NaCl) as main plot and four exogenous foliar applications (control, distilled water; GABA, 10 mM; SA, 1.5 mM and VCE, 5%) as subplot. The results illustrated that increasing root density; generating larger and heavier corms; and promoting Na+ exclusion and K+ accumulation were the main tolerance mechanisms which help saffron produce a satisfactory economical yield under salt stress conditions. All the foliar application treatments, especially VCE, could nullify the detrimental impacts of salinity. VCE remedied the nutrient deficiency caused by reducing soil osmotic potential and improved aerial K+/Na+ ratio in salinity conditions. Triggering antioxidant defense system was the most notable mechanism of GABA and SA that led to alleviation of adverse effect of salt stress. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that saffron can be introduced as a salt-tolerance crop and exogenous foliar application of VCE, GABA and SA are suggested for minimizing negative effects of salinity on saffron.

Rhododendron arboreum Sm. a wild flowering tree is on the verge of extinction from natural habitat due to overexploitation of its flowers and slow regeneration rate. The objective of this research was to explore the effective method for propagation of this species vegetatively, therefore, to maintain its genetic identity and population. In this context, effectiveness of vegetative propagation methods like FRI-Wire Technique and Air Layering in combination with root promoting hormones such as Indole 3- Butyric Acid (IBA), Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and Napthelene Acetic Acid (NAA) at concentration of 1000 ppm (ppm), 2500 ppm and 5000 ppm each were evaluated through well designed experiments. Air Layering method failed to produce roots on this species, whereas, FRI-Wire Technique showed a remarkable success for rooting in the month of April with hormones IAA and NAA at 1000 ppm and 2500 ppm concentrations and no response from IBA. Branch sizes of length 45--51 cm, when treated with 2500 ppm IAA concentration performed significantly better and produced 66.66% rooting in comparison to other treatments with the technique.

The effect of butyrate on hydrogen production and the potential mechanism were investigated by adding butyric acid into dark fermentative hydrogen production system at different concentrations at pH range of 5.5–7.0. The results showed that under all the tested pH from 5.5 to 7.0, the addition of butyric acid can inhibit the hydrogen production, and the inhibitory degree (from 10.5% to 100%) increased with the increase of butyric acid concentration and with the decrease of pH values, which suggested that the inhibition effect is highly associated with the concentration of undissociated acids. Substrate utilization rate and VFAs accumulation also decreased with the addition of butyric acid. The microbial community analysis revealed that butyrate addition can decrease the dominant position of hydrogen-producing microorganisms, such as Clostridium, and increase the proportion of other non-hydrogen-producing bacteria, including Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, and Bacillus.

This study investigated the continuous biohydrogen production in an anaerobic inner cycle biohydrogen production (AICHP) reactor fed with synthetic molasses wastewater as the model substrate under mesophilic conditions (37 ± 1 °C). The hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were set as 6.12, 4.90, 4.08, 3.50, and 3.06 h. Both maximum hydrogen production rate (HPR) (8.08 ± 0.48 L/L/d) and maximum granule formation were achieved at the HRT of 3.50 h. Acetic acid and butyric acid were the dominant metabolites in all tested HRTs throughout the experiment. Microbial community analysis showed that shortening the HRT promoted hydrogen production. This was mainly achieved by enhancing the growth of acetogenic bacteria in the AICHP reactor, rather than the growth of hydrogen-producing bacteria.

In this study, long term continuous bioH2 and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production potential in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (anMBR) from food waste by dark fermentation is investigated. Experiments of total 868 days are divided into 8 periods, each reflecting different operating conditions such as organic loading rates (OLR), hydraulic retention times (HRT) and pH regimes. Taking advantage of membrane technology, reactors are operated at solids content high as 50 g L_1 and reached to average 147 mL H2/g VS added production potential. The most effective H2 production, coupled with highest hydrolysis and acidification efficiency is achieved with pH = 7, 5 days of HRT and 18 kg COD m−3 d−1 of organic loading rate. It is also observed that in the periods which highest bioH2 production was achieved, were also the periods with highest B/A ratios. Microbial community was dominated by butryic acid producers according to Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) and clonning analysis and it is concluded that butyric acid pathway is the dominant bioH2 production mechanism in this study. With the membrane-supported completeley stirred tank reactor system, suitable conditions are not only provided for high bioH2 production, but also for the production of solids free permeate with volatile fatty acids content high as 29,765 mg L−1. Thus, with the innovative system proposed in this study, it is possible to establish a plant model suitable for the biorefinery concept.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of two hydrolytic (Paenibacillus polymyxa and Bacillus subtilis) and two fermentative (Clostridium saccharobutylicum and Clostridium beijerinckii) strains on hydrogen (H2) production in dark fermentation by batch testing. Food waste was used as a substrate, pretreated anaerobic sludge was used as the inoculum, and different concentrations of the evaluated microorganisms were used. Bioaugmentation with 3.5 × 109 CFU/mL/Lreactor B. subtilis showed the best performance, obtaining a production of 84.5 mL H2/g SV and a reduction in the lag phase (from 7.9 h in control to 3.5 h). Bioaugmentation with B. subtilis in an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor exhibited a significant effect on volumetric productivity, reaching a maximal increase of 344% of H2 production in comparison with that obtained without the addition of the strain. The increase in H2 was observed in a short period of time (4 cycles), after which H2 production returned to the original H2 production baseline. During all reactor operations, the main volatile fatty acids produced were acetic acid and butyric acid. Microbial community analysis when bioaugmentation was applied showed an importance of lactic acid bacteria abundance, such as that of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, whose metabolic activity was crucial in reactor performance. The added concentration of microorganisms is a critical parameter for the bioaugmentation process.

This study was carried to investigate the effect of thermal pre-treatment at 55 °C, 65 °C, 75 °C, and 85 °C on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogens to check their potential in a Bio-electrochemical system (BES) for hydrogen and methane production. The experimental results indicate that SRB culture pre-treated at 55 °C could be used efficiently in hydrogen production up to 2.814 ± 0.091 M/M of glucose. A significant drop in methane production from Phase-I to Phase-III with an increase in pre-treatment temperature was observed. Volatile fatty acids production was found highest in Phase-III, with butyric acid in major concentration at the pre-treatment temperature range of 55 °C–65 °C in SRB-based BES. The higher hydrogen production conditions were tested with various models i.e. the Gompertz model, Richard model, and Logistic model to confirm its validity and hydrogen production prediction. Richard's model was found best fitted for cumulative hydrogen production.

Carbon-based materials have been well demonstrated to significantly improve biohydrogen (bioH2) and biomethane (bioCH4) production. However, the use of the same material for two-phase anaerobic digestion requires further investigation. In this study, three calcium-doped magnetic biochars (Ca-MBCs) with Fe2+ (0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mol/L) and calcium lignosulphonate (CL) were prepared to promote H2 and CH4 yields. Material characterization revealed that the specific surface area was significantly increased and Fe ions were successfully attached to the BCs. All three Ca -MBCs can effectively raise H2 yield, especially Ca-MBC2 (0.05 mol/L Fe2+), and the highest H2 yield of 1050 mL was obtained. Under optimal conditions, the cumulative H2 (37 °C, pH 6.0) and CH4 yields (37 °C, pH 7.0) were 948 mL and 1599 mL, respectively, which were 64.9% and 40.8% higher than those of the control group. Ca-MBC2 promoted the activity of butyric acid fermentative bacteria at the H2 evolution phase, raising the relative abundance of Clostridium; At the methanogenisis phase, the content of coenzyme F420 was increased, and Ca-MBC2 could change the methanogens dominant strain, strengthen the dominant strain position of Methanolinea, and raise the relative abundances of H2- and acetic acid-trophic strains of Methanoregula, Methanosaeta, and Methanosarcina.

The presence of undesired methanogens with Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) is a serious challenge faced by the bioelectrochemical system (BES). In the present study, we investigate the impact of ammonia pre-treated electrodes on hydrogen production in a 600 ml anaerobic (BES) enriched with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) to inhibit the CH4 production for achieving the theoretical H2 production. The highest hydrogen production of 3.67 ± 0.31 M/M of glucose was recorded in the BES. The BES completely inhibited the growth of methanogens after the 7th cycle of operation. The higher hydrogen production efficiency of BES can be justified by assuming a higher hydrogen mass transfer from the electrode surface to the biofilm. In presence of sulfate, acetate acid type of the fermentation was dominating in hydrogen production, while limitation of SO42− switch over to the dominance of butyric acid type fermentative hydrogen production. Despite the sign of change in the acetate to butyric acid type metabolism, the BES system was able to uncap the theoretical hydrogen production. The notable change in vector orientation of H2, butyric acid, and hexanoic acid inferring the significant differences in the microbial community adapted on the electrodes in the R–NH3 and R-Cont. SEM image clearly showing ammonia-treated electrode harbour more microbial growth on the electrode surface. The ratio obtained for CH3 and CH2 for the R–NH3 and R-CONT of 1.316 and 1.755 respectively by FTIR stretching vibrations showing the difference in the bacterial species adapted on the bioanodes. Cumulative hydrogen production data was computed to confirm its validity of the Gompertz model, Richard model, and Logistic model. The Richard model was found in the best-fitted models for cumulative hydrogen production.

In recent years, a lot of scientific effort has been put into reusing the energy potential of sugarcane vinasse by dark fermentation. However, the findings so far indicate that new pathways need to be followed. In this context, this study assessed the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT, from 24 to 1 h) on vinasse fermentation (10, 20, and 30 g COD L−1) in three mesophilic expanded granular sludge bed reactors (EGSB). The carbohydrate conversion remained above 60% at all organic loading rates applied. The maximum hydrogen production rate (8.77 L day−1 L−1) was obtained for 720 kg COD m−3 day−1 and associated to the lactate-acetate pathway. The highest productivities of propionic, acetic, and butyric acids were 3.11, 1.68, and 2.45 g L−1 h−1, respectively, at a HRT of 1 h. At this HRT, the degrees of acidification remained between 54% and 76% in all EGSB reactors. This research provides insights for carboxylate production from sugarcane vinasse and suggests applying the EGSB setup in the acidogenic stage of two-stage processes.

Postprandial metabolic abnormalities are considered important and independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, the effects of the Mediterranean diet on postprandial metabolism and the mechanism underpinning the effects on clinical variables have not been exhaustively explored. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to evaluate the acute and medium-term effects (8 weeks) on postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism of a diet resembling a typical Mediterranean diet (Med-D) compared to a western-type diet (Control-D), and the mechanisms underlying those effects.Twenty-nine overweight/obese individuals of both genders, aged 20-60 years, were enrolled and randomly assigned to two isoenergetic dietary interventions: 1) a Med-D (n = 16), and 2) a Control-D (n = 13). Adherence to the dietary interventions was assessed by a 7-day food record. A meal test resembling the assigned diet was performed at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention. Blood samples at fasting and over 4-h after the meal were collected to assess metabolic parameters and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels. Fecal samples were also collected to evaluate the microbiota composition.Glucose and insulin responses were significantly reduced at baseline after the Med test meal compared to the Control meal (p 0.05) and this effect was strengthened after 8 weeks of intervention with the Mediterranean diet (p 0.05); together with an improvement in OGIS. At the end of the intervention, postprandial plasma butyric acid incremental area under the curve (IAUC) was significantly increased in the Med-D group (p = 0.019) and correlated inversely with plasma insulin IAUC and directly with oral glucose insulin sensitivity (OGIS) (r: -0.411, p = 0.046 and r: 0.397, p = 0.050 respectively). These metabolic changes were accompanied by significant changes in gut microbiota, such as an increase in the relative abundance of Intestinimonas butyriciproducens and Akkermansia muciniphila (p 0.05) in the Med-D compared to Control-D group.Our study provides strong evidence that a diet resembling the traditional Med-D improves postprandial glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, the study highlights a possible involvement of gut microbiota metabolites - such as butyric acid, and of dietary fiber as a precursor - in improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been suggested as a new class of anticancer agents with promising effect on breast cancer. HDAC plays an important role in progression of breast cancer as it is overexpressed in the cancer cells. The study aimed at finding the HDAC inhibitory effect of three newly designed and synthesized hybrid molecules; made up of SAHA conjugated with the biguanid moiety of metformin. The molecules were amino[(E)-{amino[(4-anilino-4oxobutyl)amino] methylidene}amino] methaniminium chloride, amino[(E)-(amino{[4-(4-fluoroanilino)-4-oxobutyl] amino} methylidene) amino]methaniminium chloride, amino[(E)-(amino{[4-(4-chloroanilino)-4-oxobutyl]amino}methylidene) amino] methaniminium chloride, (7–9 respectively). Briefly, the plausible inhibitory effect against HDAC enzymes (HDAC1, HDAC2 and HDAC3) of the above mentioned compounds was deducted in silico using a chemo-informative simulation software programs, viz; SeeSAR and Chimera programs. Then, the compounds were synthesized, purified and identified using conventional synthetic and characterization methods. After that, their cytotoxic activity was determined against breast cancer using MCF-7 cell line and the results were compared with that of each of SAHA and metformin. The results revealed an appreciable cancer growth inhibition of all the synthesized analogues (IC50 range 161–72.5 µM). This suggests that these compounds could be a promising novel class of HADC inhibitors against breast cancer.

A zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-90) has been synthesized through solvothermal method. The structure was characterized by means of FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized ZIF-90 was applied as a support for immobilization of porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). The immobilized enzyme (PPL@ZIF-90) exhibited immobilization yield and efficiency of 66 ± 1.8% and 89 ± 1.4%, respectively. The pH and thermal stability of PPL was improved after immobilization and the initial activity was retained at about 57% after 20 days of storage at 4 °C for PPL@ZIF-90. Moreover, about 57% of the original activity was remained following 10 cycles of application. In Michaelis-Menten kinetic studies, Km value for PPL@ZIF-90 was lower, while, the Vmax was higher than free PPL. Moreover, optimized conditions to produce fruity banana flavour upon esterification of butyric acid were investigated. The optimum esterification yield was 73.79 ± 1.31% in the presence of 245 mg PPL@ZIF-90, alcohol/acid ratio of 2.78 and 39 h reaction time. PPL@ZIF-90 showed 39% relative esterification yield after six cycles of reuse. The results suggested that PPL@ZIF-90 can be used as a potential effective biocatalyst for synthesis of isoamyl butyrate.

Degenerated strains of Clostridium acetobutylicum lack the ability to produce solvents and to sporulate, allowing the continuous production of hydrogen and organic acids. A degenerated strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum was obtained through successive batch cultures. Its kinetic characterization showed a similar specific growth rate than the wild type (0.25 h−1), a higher butyric acid production of 6.8 g·L−1 and no solvents production. A steady state was reached in a continuous culture at a dilution rate of 0.1 h−1, with a constant hydrogen production of 507 mL·h−1, corresponding to a volumetric rate of 6.10 L·L−1 d−1, and a yield of 2.39 mol of H2 per mole of glucose which represents 60% of the theoretical maximum yield. These results suggest that the degeneration is an interesting alternative for hydrogen production with this strain, obtaining a high hydrogen production in a continuous culture with cells in a permanent acidogenic state.

Background and Aims Butyric acid is an intestinal microbiota-produced short-chain fatty acid, which exerts salutary effects on alleviating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the underlying mechanism of butyrate on regulating hepatic lipid metabolism is largely unexplored. Methods A mouse model of NAFLD was induced with high-fat diet feeding, and sodium butyrate (NaB) intervention was initiated at the eighth week and lasted for 8 weeks. Hepatic steatosis was evaluated and metabolic pathways concerning lipid homeostasis were analyzed. Results Here, we report that administration of NaB by gavage once daily for 8 weeks causes an augmentation of insulin-induced gene (Insig) activity and inhibition of lipogenic gene in mice fed with high-fat diet. Mechanistically, NaB is sufficient to enhance the interaction between Insig and its upstream kinase AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The stimulatory effects of NaB on Insig-1 activity are abolished in AMPKα1/α2 double knockout (AMPK−/−) mouse primary hepatocytes. Moreover, AMPK activation by NaB is mediated by LKB1, as evidenced by the observations showing NaB-mediated induction of phosphorylation of AMPK, and its downstream target acetyl-CoA carboxylase is diminished in LKB1–/– mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Conclusions These studies indicate that NaB serves as a negative regulator of hepatic lipogenesis in NAFLD and that NaB attenuates hepatic steatosis and improves lipid profile and liver function largely through the activation of LKB1-AMPK-Insig signaling pathway. Therefore, NaB has therapeutic potential for treating NAFLD and related metabolic diseases., Graphical abstract

The role of minerals in biochar in promoting hydrogen (H2) production by anaerobic digestion of food waste was investigated. The cultures with the addition of biochar, leached biochar, metal sulphate solution and leached biochar combined with metal sulphate solution, respectively, were placed in bench-scale reactors and incubated at incubator at 32 °C. Daily H2 production and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were measured and the cumulative H2 yield (YH) and maximum H2 production rate (RH) were calculated. The microbial analysis was performed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Biochar addition significantly increased the maximum YH by 107% and RH by 54%. However, the addition of leached biochar only increased the maximum YH by 39% and RH by 45% than control. The primary elements in biochars that contribute to H2 production (Fe, K and Ca) were shown to increase the acetic acid, butyric acid and prevalence of the H2 producing bacteria Clostridium butyricum.

Dendrobium officinale is widely consumed owing to its numerous beneficial effects. We aimed to characterize polysaccharides of Dendrobium officinale (DOP) from the stems of Dendrobium officinale Xianhu 2 and clarify whether it benefit the intestinal microbiota and the immune system. The DOP weighed 291 kDa and comprised mannose, glucose, galactose, and rhamnose at 59.31:33.31:1.00:0.51 M ratio. In in vitro/vivo studies, DOP significantly increased benign intestinal microbe proportion (Lactobacillus, etc.), but reduced harmful bacteria (Escherichia_Shigella) (P 0.05), and significantly increased butyric acid production (P 0.05). Concentrations of 2 g/L DOP for in vitro fermentation and 100 mg/kg body weight for the mouse model were effective. In mice, DOP significantly reduced CRP, CD3, CD4, and TNF-α levels and increased C4 levels (P 0.05). DOP might influence the immune system indirectly through regulation of the gut microbiota. Its possible regulation mechanism was that DOP reduced CD4+ Th cells proliferation so that reduced the secretion of TNF-α.

The effect of static magnetic field (SMF) on the system of photo-fermentation biological hydrogen production remains dimness. The goal of this study was to clarify the correlation between external SMF addition and hydrogen production via photo-fermentation from giant reed. SMF with 20 mT improved the cumulative H

11 Pág., Lytic bacteriophages (phages) offer a great potential as biocontrol agents for spoilage Clostridium tyrobutyricum, responsible for butyric acid fermentation in semi-hard and hard ripened cheeses, resulting in late gas blowing defect. With this aim, we have isolated, identified and characterized new lytic phages of C. tyrobutyricum, and have evaluated their efficacy to control cheese late blowing by adding them to manufacture milk. Silage, soil, milk and cheese from dairy farms were screened for anti-clostridial phages, obtaining 96 isolates active against C. tyrobutyricum. According to host range, source and plaque morphology, we obtained 20 phage profiles, 8 of them (represented by phages FA3, FA21, FA29, FA52, FA58, FA67, FA70 and FA88) showing a wider host range and high quality lysis, which were further characterized. Selected isolates showed a non-contractile tail, belonging to the Siphoviridae family, and were grouped into 3 restriction profiles. Viable phages were detected after storage in sodium-magnesium buffer (SM buffer), skim milk and acidified skim milk (pH 5) for 7 d at 4 °C, 12 °C and 37 °C, although a decline in infectivity was observed in some cases. Good phage survival was also detected during semi-hard cheese manufacture and ripening (60 d), and cheese lactococci counts, pH, dry matter values, and volatile compounds were not affected by phage addition. In semi-hard cheese, phage FA67 impaired the early germination of C. tyrobutyricum spores and caused a significant decrease in clostridial vegetative cells counts at 14 d of ripening, delaying by 2 weeks the consumption of lactic acid, formation of butyric acid and appearance of late blowing symptoms, compared to the spoilt control cheese without the phage. This is the first report on the application of phage to control C. tyrobutyricum in cheese., The authors acknowledge financial support from project RTA 2015-00018-C03-01 (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).Mayer and Narbad acknowledge funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Institute Strategic Programme grant (BB/R012490/1, Theme 3BBS/E/F/000PR10356)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by persistent joint inflammation. The development of rheumatoid arthritis is directly correlated with the disturbance of gut microbiome and its metabolites. RA can be effectively treated with the Danggui Sini decoction (DSD), a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription from the Treatise on Febrile Diseases. Further research is needed to clarify the precise mechanism of DSD in the treatment of RA. In this study

Cyanobacteria-derived biofuels can be helpful in achieving a circular bioeconomy. To increase the production of biodiesel/bioethanol from cyanobacterium, Pseudanabaena mucicola GO0704, mixotrophic cultivation using volatile fatty acid (VFA), a cheap organic carbon source, was performed. The treatment of butyric acid or acetic acid enhanced the cell growth, particularly, the dry weight of the butyric acid-treated cells was 2.30-fold higher than the control. The enhancement of the growth led to the increase of metabolite (i.e., lipid and carbohydrate) productions, resulting in high amount of biodiesel and bioethanol to be produced. Butyric acid was more effective compared to acetic acid and the productions of biodiesel (52.2 mg/L) and bioethanol (132.6 mg/L) from the butyric acid-treated P. mucicola GO0704 were 2.34- and 2.17-fold higher compared to the control, respectively. This study will provide a foundation to commercialize the cyanobacteria-based carbon-neutral fuels, and ultimately, achieve a circular bioeconomy.

Flux balance analysis (FBA) has been widely used for detecting internal fluxes of bacteria. In this study, FBA was applied to estimate metabolic phenotype in glucose fermentation under negative pressure. Result revealed that ethanol, propionic acid, and butyric acid were converted to acetate by lowering headspace pressure (HP) of fermenter with the conversion rate of 0.091, 0.014, and 0.017 mol-acetate/mol-glucose respectively In addition, these three substances were simultaneously converted into H2 with the conversion rate of 0.258 mol-H2/mol-glucose. A total of 30% acetate and 26% H2 production increase were observed under condition of 0.6 atm HP fermentation. Furthermore, 30% accumulated hydrogen was consumed in the formation of propanol and valeric acid.

Coccidiosis is one of the most prevalent diseases seen in the poultry industry leading to excessive economic losses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of butyric acid glycerol esters (BE) on the ileal and cecal microbiota in birds challenged with Eimeria maxima (EM). Ross 708 male broilers were fed a diet supplemented with 0 (control) or 0.25% BE from day 1. On day 21, half of the birds were infected with 103 EM oocysts. For determing microbiota, ileal and cecal contents and epithelial scrapings were collected at 7 and 10 D postinfection (PI). Alpha diversity of bacterial communities was mostly affected (P < 0.05) by time PI and EM infection. The richness of luminal bacterial populations in the ileum and ceca was affected (P < 0.05) by addition of BE and by time PI × EM × BE interaction, respectively. In the ileal and cecal luminal and mucosal bacterial communities, permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA, unweighted UniFrac) showed significant (P < 0.05) differences because of time PI and interaction between time PI, EM, and BE. Significant (P < 0.05) differences in taxonomic composition at the family level were observed in microbiota of luminal and mucosal populations of the ileum and ceca owing to time PI, EM, BE, and their interactions. The bacterial community present in the cecal lumen was characterized by the lowest number of differential bacteria, whereas the cecal mucosal community was characterized by the highest number of differentially abundant bacteria. In conclusion, our results show that EM infection and time PI has the biggest impact on microbial diversity in the chicken gut. The presence of BE in the diet had a limited effect on gut microbiota.

Recently, semiconductive polymeric materials have attracted attention as an active layer for detecting ionizing radiation because of their excellent properties such as flexibility, easy production, solution processability and low-cost production. This paper presents X-ray detection properties of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT):Phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend structure with different PCBM loading ratios. P3HT:PCBM mixing ratio was changed from 1:0 to 1:2. Top contact of the pure and blend structured device were produced by using a solution based graphite ink. Devices were constructed with vertical bulk resistive architecture within an ohmic electrode structure as ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/Graphite configuration. Graphite electrode was coated on the active layer with the spray coating method. All devices exhibited ohmic current-voltage (I–V) characteristics. The blend structured devices exhibited stable saw-tooth type behaviour in photocurrent responses against the on and off states of X-rays. Saw-tooth type responses could be evaluated as major evidence for a potential usage of organic electronic device technology direct radiation detectors. Although the best sensitivity value to X-ray was obtained with the blend structure with equal ratio, it was observed that the rise and decay times were shortened with the increase in the amount of PCBM in the blend structure from. © 2022 CERN: A5.H1.F5-27; Türkiye Enerji, Nükleer ve Maden Araştırma Kurumu, TENMAK; Istanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpasa, IÜC: FBA-2021-35885 This study was supported by Turkish Energy, Nuclear and Mineral Research Agency . Project number:. 2020 TENMAK(CERN)A5.H1.F5-27 and Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa . Project number:. FBA-2021-35885 .s

The rheological, prebiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties of neutral polysaccharide extracted from maca roots (MP) were investigated. MP was composed of arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, and glucose. In steady shear rheological properties, an increasing concentration of MP solution exhibited higher apparent viscosity (ηa,100) and consistency index (K) under acidic condition (pH 4). In dynamic rheological properties, the dynamic moduli (G′ and G″) in the frequency sweep test from the MP solution were increased with increasing concentration and decreasing pH. The changes in dynamic moduli of the MP solution with various concentrations and pH values were stable during 1 h storage at 4 °C due to the enhancement of hydrogen bonding. According to the results of the temperature sweep test, an increasing concentration of MP solution increased dynamic moduli under acidic conditions. The prebiotic properties of MP induced a higher growth of Bifidobacterium longum ATCC15707 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 than inulin and increased acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid more than inulin in vitro. Furthermore, MP inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells, which indicated that an increasing concentration of MP enhanced anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, MP is a potential functional material for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

BackgroundNeonatal diet has a large influence on child health and might modulate changes in fecal microbiota and metabolites.ObjectivesThe aim is to investigate fecal microbiota and metabolites at different ages in infants who were breastfed (BF), received dairy-based milk formula (MF), or received soy-based formula (SF).MethodsFecal samples were collected at 3 (n=16, 12, and 14, respectively), 6 (n=20, 19, and 15, respectively), 9 (n=12, 11, and 12, respectively), and 12 mo (n=14, 14, and 15, respectively) for BF, MF, and SF infants. Infants that breastfed until 9 mo and switched to formula were considered as no longer breastfeeding at 12 mo. Microbiota data were obtained using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Untargeted metabolomics was conducted using a Q-Exactive Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. The data were analyzed using R (version 3.6.0) within the RStudio (version 1.1.463) platform.ResultsAt 3, 6, and 9 mo of age BF infants had the lowest α-diversity, SF infants had the highest diversity, and MF was intermediate. Bifidobacterium was 2.6- to 5-fold lower in SF relative to BF infants through 1 y of life. An unidentified genus from Ruminococcaceae higher in the SF (2%) than in the MF (0.4%) and BF (0.08%) infants at 3 mo of age was observed. In BF infants higher levels of butyric acid, d-sphingosine, kynurenic acid, indole-3-lactic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and betaine were observed than in MF and SF infants. At 3 mo Ruminococcaceae was positively correlated to azelaic, gentisic, isocitric, sebacic, and syringic acids. At 6 mo Oscillospira was negatively correlated with 3-hydroxybutyric-acid, hydroxy-hydrocinnamic acid, and betaine whereas Bifidobacterium was negatively associated with 5-hydroxytryptamine. At 12 mo of age, Lachnospiraceae was negatively associated with hydroxyphenyllactic acid.ConclusionsInfant diet has a large impact on the fecal microbiome and metabolome in the first year of life.This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00616395.

Phosphine, a trace gas, is usually detected in aerobic digestion. To explore the key steps of gaseous phosphorus release during anaerobic digestion, a digestive medium was inoculated with anaerobic sludge and fertilizer to produce phosphine. The relationship between phosphine and digestive products, such as methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and volatile fatty acids, was investigated. The experimental results indicated that methane and phosphine competed with each other for electron donors. Meanwhile, the concentration of phosphine reached approximately 110 mg/m3 under methane production inhibition. Metabolite analysis indicated that fermentation of the butyric acid type favoured the production of phosphine, with a pH range of 6.3-7.0. The phosphine content was positively related to acetic acid and hydrogen, with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.98 and 0.88, respectively. Molecular biology indicated that Azotobacter, Dechloromonas, and Ruminococcaceae were associated with phosphine production. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the key step of gaseous phosphorus release in anaerobic digestion, providing a theoretical reference for phosphorus resource utilisation.

Oxidative stress consistently affects lactation length and quality in dairy cows. Oxidative stress in the mammary gland of high-yielding dairy cows is a serious problem. Therefore, we studied the role of butyrate in dairy cow oxidative stress and further elucidated the mechanism of the antioxidative action of mammary epithelial cells in dairy cows. Oxidative stress and activated GPR109A were present in high-yielding dairy cows. Then, bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were isolated, and oxidative stress-related protein expression was measured, confirming that sodium butyrate (NaB) exerted antioxidant effects through GPR109A, NRF2 and H3K9/14 acetylation. To further study the antioxidative mechanism of butyrate in dairy cows, we also confirmed that butyrate promoted NRF2 nuclear accumulation and H3K9/14 acetylation through the AMPK signaling pathway by western blotting. Additionally, we preliminarily clarified the interaction between NRF2 and H3K9/14 acetylation by Co-IP and ChIP. Butyrate activated the AMPK signaling pathway through GPR109A to promote NRF2 nuclear accumulation and H3K9/14 acetylation, subsequently exerting antioxidant effects through the synergistic functions of these two processes. Then, we studied the effect of butyrate on oxidative stress in dairy cows in vivo, and the results were consistent with those in vitro. Therefore, butyrate played an antioxidant and antiapoptotic role through the GPR109A/AMPK/NRF2 signaling pathway, while H3K9/14 acetylation could promote NRF2 transcription and enhance the antioxidant capacity of BMECs.

The objective of this work was to comparatively evaluate the production of biohydrogen (bio-H2) from tequila vinasses at optimized mesophilic and thermophilic conditions and to elucidate the main metabolic routes involved. Optimal temperatures of 35 °C and 55 °C, and pH of 5.5 maximized the bio-H2 production rates, 25.5 ± 0.01 NmL h−1 and 169.9 ± 8.9 NmL h−1 in the mesophilic and thermophilic regimens, respectively. During the operation of anaerobic sequencing batch reactors, the thermophilic process allowed a volumetric bio-H2 production rate of 519 ± 13 NmL-H2 L−1 d−1 equivalent to 750 ± 19 NmL-H2 Lvinasse−1, while the mesophilic one 448 ± 23 NmL-H2 L−1 d−1 and 647 ± 33 NmL-H2 Lvinasse−1, respectively. Furthermore, the gas produced under thermophilic conditions showed high hydrogen content (86.5%). Finally, formate degradation and glucose fermentation to acetic and butyric acids were the main metabolic routes involved in bio-H2 production under thermophilic conditions, while at mesophilic conditions, the lactate and formate degradation pathways governed.

Two-phase anaerobic digestion (TPAD) is a commonly used method for recovering energy from food waste, even though the relationship between fermentation type and methane production has not to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, homolactic acid fermentation (HOLA), heterolactic acid fermentation (HELA), butyric acid fermentation (BUA), and mixed acid fermentation (MA) were used in the first phase, and the corresponding methane production levels were compared. HELA and MA resulted in the maximum methane yields of 290 and 287 ml per gram chemical oxygen demand (COD), respectively, but they were not significantly higher than the yield of 279 ml/g COD from single-phase anaerobic digestion (SPAD). During methanogenesis, BUA led to the fastest hydrolysis and methane production rates, followed by MA and HELA. In spite of the similar potential for methane production and energy recovery, TPAD using either BUA, MA, or HELA as the fermentation phase exhibited at least 50% greater methane production efficiency than SPAD. Overall, HELA and MA were found to be the best choices in terms of treatment efficiency and energy recovery.

The Chinese yam peel (CYP) is a by-product of yam processing that is rich in various nutrients and a good source for feed additives. This study investigated the effects of CYP on the intestinal microbiota and gut defence barrier of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Different groups of experimental fish were fed a normal control diet (NC), a low CYP diet (LYP) and a high CYP diet (HYP) for 8 weeks. After the feeding trial, the fish were assessed for intestinal enzyme activity, intestinal histology, immune-related gene expression, intestinal SCFAs and intestinal microbiota. Our results indicated that the intestinal integrity and antioxidant enzyme (CAT and SOD) activity in the common carp were enhanced following CYP supplementation. The mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory (TGF-β), tight binding protein (occludin and ZO-1) and pathway factor genes (TLR4 and NF-κB) were significantly upregulated in the HYP group (P＜0.05), which was accompanied by an increase in the level of pro-inflammatory IL-1β in the gut (P＜0.05). High-throughput sequencing revealed that Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes bacteria were most abundant in the microbial community in the gut of the common carp. The relative abundances of Bacteroides, Flavobacterium and Lactobacillus were increased, while the abundances of pathogenic microorganisms such as Enterobacteriaceae, Shewanella, Pseudomonas and Vibrio were reduced after treatment with CYP. Furthermore, the concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut were also increased (P＜0.05). Finally, our results revealed correlations between gut microbiota, SCFAs, non-specific immunity and antioxidant enzymes in CYP-fed carp. These results suggest that CYP-supplemented feed could improve the immunity of the common carp by modulating the intestinal microflora and enhancing the gut defence barrier and has the potential to be used as an immunostimulating feed additive in aquaculture.

Anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste can be inhibited by a high concentration of Na+ in the substrate. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which the effect of salinity during KW anaerobic digestion could be reduced by adding osmoprotectant. The results show that when Na+ concentrations were increased from 0 to 20 g/L, the yield of cumulative methane production decreased from 623.97 to 0 mL/g volatile solids (VS). Adding 2.0 and 2.5 g/L glycine betaine (GB) to reactors during anaerobic digestion of KW with concentrations of 5 and 10 g Na+/L were determined to be the optimal dosages to alleviate Na+ inhibition; this resulted in 29.07% and 63.49% improvements in methane yield respectively. The maximum soluble chemical oxygen demand reductions that resulted from adding 2.0 and 2.5 g GB/L to kitchen waste anaerobic digestion with 5 and 10 g Na+/L were 90.00% and 82.92%, respectively. Adding GB was helpful to both the production and degradation of acetic and butyric acids, which enhanced the rate of conversion of raw material to methane. Archaeal community changes between the medium and high salt concentration groups were revealed by high-throughput sequencing and by adding GB. The most abundant archaeal phyla in all samples were Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. The hydrogenotrophic methanogens showed more salt tolerance than acetoclastic methanogens. The hydrogenotrophic pathway was predominant for methanogenesis of high-level Na+ inhibition anaerobic digestion.

The microbial population in koumiss, a traditional Mongolian fermented beverage, plays a vital role in its nutritional value, beneficial functions, and flavour. We used the Illumina MiSeq platform to investigate the successive bacterial communities produced during koumiss fermentation; dynamic changes in chemical composition of koumiss were also analysed. The correlation between bacterial species and major metabolites was then evaluated. The dominant bacterial species identified during the process of koumiss fermentation were Lactobacillus helveticus, Streptococcus parauberis (phylum Firmicutes), and Acetobacter pasteurianus (phylum Proteobacteria). Lactose content decreased during fermentation, whereas lactic acid, acetic acid, and butyric acid content increased, resulting in decreased pH. The changes in lactose, lactic acid, butyric acid, and pH were mainly correlated with the presence of the bacterial genera Acetobacter, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus, and Bacteroides. Information from these results could advance our understanding of koumiss fermentation, and also help improve the safety, flavour, and therapeutic applications of koumiss.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of age and supplemental xylanase in corn- or wheat-based diets on cecal volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations of Ross × Ross 708 male broilers during weekly intervals from 14 to 42 d of age. Day-old chicks (1,500) were randomly distributed into 60 floor pens (25 chicks/pen; 0.078 m2/bird) and fed 1 of 4 dietary treatments (TRT) throughout the starter (1 to 14 d of age), grower (15 to 28 d of age), and finisher (29 to 42 d of age) phases with 15 replicates per TRT. Dietary TRT consisted of a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 diet types (corn- or wheat-based) and 2 xylanase inclusions (0 or 16,000 BXU/kg) as the main factors. At 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 d of age, cecal contents were collected (4 birds/pen) for VFA analysis. Main effects of cereal grain source (P

Butyric acid is a beneficial feed additive used in animal production, including poultry production. However, there are few reports on butyric acid as a prophylactic treatment against intestinal inflammation in broilers. The current study explored the effect of sodium butyrate (SB) as a prophylactic treatment on the intestinal health and gut microbiota of broilers with intestinal inflammation induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) by monitoring changes in intestinal histopathology, gut leakiness indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and gut microbiota composition. Sodium butyrate supplementation prior to DSS administration significantly reduced the lesion scores of intestinal bleeding (P0.05) and increased villus height and the total mucosa of the ileum (P0.05). Regardless of intestinal inflammation, supplementation with SB at 300 mg/kg significantly decreased the levels of D (-)-lactate (P0.05), interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β (P0.05) but increased the level of interleukin-10 (P0.05). The SB treatment did not affect the alpha diversity of intestinal microbiota during intestinal inflammation progression but altered their composition, and the microbial community structure of treated broilers was similar to that of control broilers. Taken together, our results reveal the importance of SB in improving intestinal development, inducing an anti-inflammatory effect during intestinal inflammation progression, and modulating the microbial community in broilers. Sodium butyrate seems to be optimized for anti-inflammatory effects at higher doses (300 mg/kg SB).

Insoluble aggregated proteins are often associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Previously, we investigated chemical chaperones that prevent the aggregation of denatured proteins. Among these, 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA) has well-documented chemical chaperone activity, but is required at doses that have multiple effects on cells, warranting further optimization of treatment regimens. In this study, we demonstrate chemical chaperone activities of the novel compound indole-3-propionic acid (IPA). Although it has already been reported that IPA prevents β-amyloid aggregation, herein we show that this compound suppresses aggregation of denatured proteins. Our experiments with a cell culture model of Parkinson's disease are the first to show that IPA prevents endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and thereby protects against neuronal cell death. We suggest that IPA has potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and other diseases for which ER stress has been implicated.

This study reports a novel method of using algae biomass as a source of lipid and various other co-products. Solvent-based extraction techniques could yield a number of products simultaneously. Further, the study focuses on all possible characterization and utilization of the three layers obtained from chloroform-methanol extraction of lipids. The lipid from the chloroform layer was transesterified for Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) production. The fatty acid methyl esters derived by oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid and phytol were majorly analysed by GC-MS. The methanol layer was analysed with HPLC and stachyose, maltotriose, glucose, fructose, acetic acid, butyric acid, DMSO, glycerol were identified. The cell debris was further physically activated, and physiochemical properties of raw algae, residual algae and algae bio-char were compared. Spectrum peaks of FTIR study identified many alkyl‒halide stretches. Similarly, EDX analysed the presence of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, potassium, chlorine, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. The SEM reveals that residual algae was comparatively crystalline and hence could not be utilized directly as an adsorbent. Therefore, further physical treatment was applied, and methylene blue dye adsorption study was also conducted to know the time and capacity of biochar as an adsorbent. However, organic and mineral enriched biomass could be used directly as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.

One of the advantages of microbial synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is the production of diverse polymers with different properties by the addition of different monomers, such as 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx). Considering the number of possible variables, terpolymers can have more variations than copolymers. In this study, we aimed to synthesize the terpolymer P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHx) from volatile fatty acids such as propionate and butyrate using the recombinant Ralstonia eutropha strain (Re2133/pCB81), containing deletions in the phaB1, phaB2, and phaB3 genes, and overexpression of synthetic PHA operon (phaC2, phaA, phaJ). This strain produced terpolymers depending on the ratio of two different carbon sources, namely, propionic and butyric acids; however, wild type R. eutropha could not produce the same type of polymer. The incorporation of 3-hydroxyvalerate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate monomers was confirmed by gas chromatography and H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the parameters affecting the terpolymer composition were obtained based on regression. In addition, the thermal analysis showed that this terpolymer has properties different from those of the copolymer, obtained from the same composition of volatile acids. Depending on the ratio of two volatile acids, the composition of the terpolymer can be regulated resulting in different properties.

Synergy of multi-biological unit operations was studied to maximize the resource recovery in line with biorefinery using sewage sludge (SS) as primary feedstock. Microbial electro-hydrolysis systems (MES) were used as a pretreatment system to enhance the SS solubilization against the non-electrochemical control operation (AnT) under alkaline conditions. Comparatively, applied potential MES system (polarized) resulted in high SS solubilization (27.5%) than the corresponding MES-closed circuit (21.5%) and MES-open circuit (14.8%). In contrast, low SS solubilization was found in non-electrochemical system (AnT; 8.8%). Morphological changes in the SS refractory structure before and after pretreatment were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) spectrums showed significant changes in elemental composition due the course of pretreatment. Consequent utilization of obtained hydrolysate in the acidogenic fermentative reactors (AFR) resulted in good volatile fatty acids (VFA: 4.65 g/L) and Bio-H2 (21%) production. The distribution analysis of VFA revealed acetic acid as a major fraction followed by iso-valeric acid, butyric acid and propionic acid, which accounted the high acidification degree (57%) in AFR-3 system. Rich nutrient content of SS hydrolysate resulted in good struvite precipitation (phosphate fertilizer), which was confirmed with structural morphology and crystalline nature.

Lactobacillus plantarum and molasses have been shown to function as fermentation modifiers in both silage and rumen fermentation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of L. plantarum MTD1, a commercial probiotic, when co-administered with waste molasses (WM), on the silage quality, rumen volatile fatty acids and greenhouse gas (GHG) production of rice straw. Rice straw was ensiled with no additive (Control), 106 cfu/g L. plantarum (L), L + 2%WM, L + 3%WM and L + 4%WM for 3, 6, 9, 15, 30 and 60 days. The rumen volatile fatty acids and gas production kinetics were determined using in vitro incubation technology. All additives, especially L + 4%WM, improved the silage quality of rice straw, indicated by higher lactic acid and nonstructural carbohydrate content, lower pH, butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen content (P

Selective production of carboxylic acids (CAs) from mixed culture fermentation remains a difficult task in organic waste valorization. Herein, we developed a facile and sustainable carbon loop strategy to regulate the fermentation micro-environment and steer acidogenesis towards selective butyric acid production. This new ion substitution electrodialysis-anaerobic membrane bioreactor (ISED-AnMBR) integrated system demonstrated a high butyric acid production at 11.19 g/L with a mass fraction of 76.05%. In comparison, only 1.04 g/L with a mass fraction of 30.56% was observed in the uncoupled control reactor. The carbon recovery reached a maximum of 96.09% with the assistance of ISED. Inorganic carbon assimilation was believed to be an important contributor, which was verified by

In this study, Clostridium sp. strain WK-AN1 carrying both genes of agarase (Aga0283) and neoagarobiose hydrolase (NH2780) were successfully constructed to convert agar polysaccharide directly into butanol, contributing to overcome the lack of algal hydrolases in solventogenic clostridia. Through the optimization by the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology (RSM), a maximal butanol production of 6.42 g/L was achieved from 17.86 g/L agar. Further application of utilizing the butyric acid pretreated Gelidium amansii hydrolysate demonstrated the modified strain obtained the butanol production of 7.83 g/L by 1.63-fold improvement over the wild-type one. This work for the first time establishes a novel route to utilize red algal polysaccharides for butanol fermentation by constructing a solventogenic clostridia-specific secretory expression system for heterologous agarases, which will provide insights for future development of the sustainable third-generation biomass energy.

Overnutrition-induced hypothalamic inflammation greatly disturbs feeding behavior and energy homeostasis as well as the pathogenesis of obesity. Butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid, reportedly participates in the regulation of the immune response and energy metabolism in the body. However, the role of butyrate in overnutrition-induced microglial activation and hypothalamic inflammation remains unclear. In the present study, we established a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hypothalamic inflammation model in mice. Oral supplementation with sodium butyrate (NaB) significantly reduced HFD-induced microgliosis, inflammatory cytokine expression, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, neuronal apoptosis, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the mouse hypothalamus. Utilizing a high-glucose (HG)-stimulated microglial activation model in vitro, we found that NaB inhibited the HG-induced expression of the inflammatory factor IL-1β. Moreover, NaB exerted an antioxidant effect by balancing HO-1 and NOX4 expression, thus preventing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in HG-treated microglia. Interestingly, NaB treatment promoted microglial process formation and extension via the Akt/Cdc42 pathway under both normal and HG-stimulated conditions, indicating a resting morphology of microglia. Taken together, our study revealed for the first time the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of NaB in overnutrition-induced microglial activation and hypothalamic inflammation, which might become a potential therapeutic option for obesity prevention and treatment.

Maternal nutrition, gut microbiome composition, and metabolites derived from gut microbiota are closely related to the development of hypertension in offspring. A plethora of metabolites generated from diverse tryptophan metabolic pathways show both beneficial and harmful effects. Butyrate, one of the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), has shown vasodilation effects. We examined whether sodium butyrate administration in pregnancy and lactation can prevent hypertension induced by a maternal tryptophan-free diet in adult progeny and explored the protective mechanisms. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received normal chow (CN), tryptophan-free diet (TF), sodium butyrate 400 mg/kg/d in drinking water (CNSB), or TF diet plus sodium butyrate (TFSB) in pregnancy and lactation. Male offspring were sacrificed at the age of 16 weeks (n=8 per group). Compared with normal chow, offspring exposed to the maternal tryptophan-free diet had markedly increased blood pressure, associated with activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Treatment with sodium butyrate rescued maternal TF-exposed offspring from hypertension. The protective effect of sodium butyrate is related to alterations to microbiome composition, increased renal expression of SCFA receptor G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) and GPR109A, and restoration of RAS balance. In summary, these results suggest that sodium butyrate protects against maternal TF-induced offspring hypertension, likely by modulating gut microbiota, its derived metabolites, and the RAS.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is one of the most broadly used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of several tumor types including ovarian, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, its use is limited by debilitating side effects, involving both gastrointestinal and behavioral dysfunctions. Due to growing evidence showing a link between impaired gut function and chemotherapy-associated behavioral changes, the aim of this study was to identify a novel therapeutic approach to manage PTX-induced gut and brain comorbidities. Mice were pre-treated with sodium butyrate (BuNa) for 30 days before receiving PTX. After 14 days, mice underwent to behavioral analysis and biochemical investigations of gut barrier integrity and microbiota composition. Paired evaluations of gut functions revealed that the treatment with BuNa restored PTX-induced altered gut barrier integrity, microbiota composition and food intake suggesting a gut-to-brain communication. The treatment with BuNa also ameliorated depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors induced by PTX in mice, and these effects were associated with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory outcomes. These results propose that diet supplementation with this safe postbiotic might be considered when managing PTX-induced central side effects during cancer therapy.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are an important means by which the body fights against exogenous bacteria. However, studies have shown that excessive NETs release can damage other cells. Accumulating evidence has shown that butyric acid can alleviate the inflammatory response of cells. However, the effect of butyric acid on Staphylococcus aureus-induced NETs formation and its underlying mechanism are still unclear. In this study, western blotting, immunofluorescence and CCK-8 assays were used to examine the effect of NETs formation by sodium butyrate (NaB). The results showed that NaB suppressed the release of S. aureus-induced NETs formation, as indicated by decreases in the levels of DNA, histones, myeloperoxidase, and neutrophil elastase. S. aureus can induce autophagy, and autophagy plays a key role in the formation of NETs. Our data showed that NaB activated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and the kinases protein kinase B (AKT) and unc-51 like kinase 1 (ULK1) at Ser757 and inhibited AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). To explore whether NaB inhibited the formation of NETs by inhibiting autophagy, we added 3-methyladenine (autophagy inhibitor) (3-MA, 5 mM) to bovine neutrophils, and the results showed that 3-MA significantly inhibited NETs release. Furthermore, we found that NETs and their component histones exhibited significantly increased the cytotoxic effects on bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), indicating that NETs and their component histones play a key role in BMEC damage. In conclusion, NaB can reduce the excessive formation of NETs by inhibiting autophagy, thus reducing the damaging effect of NETs on BMECs.