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Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (loach) is one of the most economically advantageous aquaculture species in Asia. However, the expansion of intensive farming has increased the incidence of fish disease. Among various solutions, the use of probiotics is the best strategy for dealing with the threat of pathogens in aquaculture, while promoting the overall development of fish. Consequently, this study systematically investigated the specific roles of Leuconostoc mesenteroides DH (DH strains) in aquaculture from the four aspects of probiotics (secretion of antibacterial substances; competitive exclusion of adhesion sites; immune system regulation; and enhancement of intestinal barrier function), which are beneficial for hosting antibacterial capacities. In vitro experiments revealed that the DH strains had antibacterial effects on eight common pathogens in aquaculture, and significantly inhibited the growth, protease production and biofilm formation of Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila). Simultaneously, the DH strains could adhere to the intestinal tract, which competitively prevented the adhesion of A. hydrophila to the intestinal mucus of the loach. The dietary supplementation of DH strains for 56 d significantly improved the digestive enzyme activities and growth performance of juvenile loaches. For the infection attack test with A. hydrophila , erythrocyte phagocytosis in juvenile loach was significantly enhanced, whereas the apoptosis of hemocytes was hindered after feeding with the DH strains. Concurrently, the level of damage in the intestinal tracts of juvenile loaches was reduced, and the concentrations of intestinal permeability-related factors (D-lactic acid and diamine oxidase) in the plasma were remarkably decreased, and the survival rates were significantly improved. These results indicated that the DH strains enhanced the abilities of the hosts to combat pathogens in many ways and improved their overall health, which established a theoretical foundation to promote the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. [Display omitted] • DH strains inhibited protease production and biofilm formation of A. hydrophila. • DH strains competitively excluded the intestinal adhesion sites to A. hydrophila. • Dietary supplementation of DH improved the ability of hemocytes to clear pathogens. • Dietary supplementation of DH enhanced the intestinal barrier function of loach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Currently, human liver is susceptible to injury caused by alcohol and virus infiltration, resulting in hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. var. tomentosa (Rubiaceae) has been used as traditional medicine in Asian countries to treat jaundice, dysentery, and abdominal mass. Furthermore, the abundance of iridoid glycosides in Paederia species indicates their notable hepatoprotective potential. Materials and methods Total iridoid glycosides (TG) was prepared, and constituents of TG were analyzed by HPLC. TG and silymarin (positive) were orally administered for 15 days. Then, acute liver injury rats was induced by intraperitoneally injection (i.p.) of 10% CCl 4 (0.12%, v/v, dissolved in olive oil, 10 mL/kg, body weight). Rats were sacrificed at 16 h after CCl 4 injection. Liver tissues and blood were collected. Serum samples were prepared to determine the activities of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), whereas liver tissue sections were prepared for the purpose of examining possible liver histopathological changes. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities in liver tissues were also evaluated. Results Our results demonstrated that TG significantly decreased the levels of AST and ALT, compared with those in control rats. In addition, pre-treatment of the rats with TG clearly alleviated their liver tissue injuries. What’s more, the activities of GSH, GAT and SOD in the groups of TG-treated rats were significantly increased compared with those of rats in the control group, whereas the levels of MDA were decreased. Conclusions Our present research indicated that TG possessed notable hepatoprotective activity via decreasing oxidative stress level in liver tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging studies have found inconsistent results on the potential relationship between cigarette smoking and dysmenorrhea. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantitatively synthesize the previous findings on the preceding relationship using meta-analysis., Methods: Previous studies on the association between cigarette smoking and dysmenorrhea, published not later than November 2019, were systematically searched, using MeSH heading and/or relevant terms, in the electronic databases of PubMed, Medline, Web of Science and EMBASE. The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity, whose source was explored using subgroup analysis. A pooled effect size was obtained using random effects model, and sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the consistency of the pooled effect size., Results: After a rigorous screening process, 24 studies involving 27,091 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that smokers were 1.45 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than non-smokers (odds ratio (OR) = 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30-1.61). In addition, individuals classified as currently smoking were 1.50 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than those who were classified as never smoking (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.33-1.70), whereas being a former smoker was 1.31 times more likely to develop dysmenorrhea than being a never smoker (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.18-1.46). Sensitivity analysis showed that exclusion of any single study did not materially alter the overall combined effect., Conclusion: The evidence from this meta-analysis indicated a significant association between cigarette smoking (both current and former smoking) and dysmenorrhea. The adverse effects of smoking provide further support for prevention of dysmenorrhea and emphasize the need to target women., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.