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Platostoma palustre jelly is a traditional food. It has been used as folk medicine and is effective against heat-shock, hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this study was want to analyze the components of commercially traditional herbal tea (P. palustre) in Taiwan. The commercial herbal tea (P. palustre) was kindly provided by Yueta Agricultural Biotechnology Inc. The detection methods of the components of commercially traditional herbal tea (P. palustre) were followed the analysis protocols in Taiwan Herbal Pharmacopeia (IV). The levels of chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin were detected via using high-performance liquid chromatography / photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA). The level of astragaloside was detected by using high-performance liquid chromatography / evaporative light scattering detectors (HPLC-ELSD). In this analysis, the levels of chlorogenic acid, astragaloside, and rutin were not detected. The levels of rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid were 46.96 μg/mL and 29.29 μg/mL, respectively. Taken all results together, the components of commercially traditional herbal tea (P. palustre) were detected via HPLC-PDA and HPLC-ELSD. The major components of commercially traditional herbal tea (P. palustre) were rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid. Based on the results of this assay, it is speculated that the herbal tea has the functional properties that are considerable potential for physiological function regulations.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are multifactorial chronic intestinal disorders. Currently, mesalamine etc. and therapeutic strategies were suggested for IBD therapy. However, the etiology of IBD remains unclear which is an ongoing challenge and side effects of therapeutic drugs must be also considered. Thus, the aim of this study was to establish an optimal mouse model of IBD for the drug and therapeutic strategy investigations. Herein, 12 mice with 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis (the negative control group) were via oral administration. Twelve mice were administered with drinking water without 2% DSS (the normal control group) via the same method as DSS-induced mice. At the end of the experiment, the body weight (BW), the stool appearance/status, the macroscopic and microscopic colonic injuries, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were monitored, measured, and scored. The results showed that BALB/c mice’ BW decreased on D6-D8 of 2% DSS induction and then BALB/c mice’ BW continuously increased until D13 of the experiment. The stool appearance/status was seen soft stool on D2 of 2% DSS induction. The soft stool was mainly occurred on D2-D6 of 2% DSS induction. In addition, the watery stool was occurred on D4 of 2% DSS induction and was continuous until the end of the experiment (D14). The macroscopic colonic injuries were showed that colon length of the negative group (2% DSS-induced group) was significantly shorter than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). The colon weight of the negative group was significantly increase than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). The colon weight / length ratio in the negative group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). According to the histopathologic scores (evaluation of the microscopic colonic injuries), the scores of area, ulceration, inflammation, and edema in the colon tissues of the negative group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). The total histopathologic scores in the negative group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the inflamed colon tissue of the negative group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (p < 0.001). Taken all results together, a DSS-induced ulcerative disease mouse model was successfully established. We hope that this animal model may be a useful tool for the research of the better therapeutics for IBD.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) was also called hay fever which was a type of nasal inflammation when the immune system overreacts to environmental allergen exposures. AR’s clinical symptoms included a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, itchy, watery eyes, and eye swelling. The fluid in the nasal cavity was usually clear. Patients with AR can affect sleep and work qualities. Seriously, the AR symptoms can also cause asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, or atopic dermatitis. Therefore, it is an important issue to attenuate AR symptoms and research the novel therapeutic drugs for AR patients. The purpose of this study was to introduce an easy-to-establish experimental mouse model of AR. In this study, the male BALB/c mice were divided respectively into as the Group A (n = 12) and the Group B (n = 12). Group A and Group B were designed as the normal control and RA, respectively. BALB/c mice in Group B were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) on day 0, day 4, day 13, and day 20, followed by continuous nasal administration of OVA solution once per day between day 21-43. BALB/c mice in Group A received sensitization of intraperitoneal injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) on day 0, day 4, day 13, and day 20 and continuous nasal administration of PBS instead of OVA once per day between day 21-43. Before and after sensitization, the frequencies of nasal symptoms (sneezing, nasal rubbing) were recorded and counted. Results were showed that sneezing times in Group B were higher than Group A on D29, D30, D36, and D43 of the experiment. The sneezing times in Group A were significant higher on D29 and D30 of the experiment. However, the sneezing times in Group B were significant higher on D29, D30, D36, and D43 of the experiment. The rubbing times in Group B were higher than Group A on D29, D30, D36, and D43 of the experiment. The rubbing times in Group A were significant higher on D30 and D43 of the experiment. However, the rubbing times in Group B were significant higher on D29, D30, D36, and D43 of the experiment. Based on these results, a successful mouse model of AR has been established. We hope that this RA mouse model will provide a tool for the research of the novel AR therapeutic drugs and apply these novel AR therapeutic drugs to attenuate the AR symptoms in AR patients in the future.

Faced with the impact of extreme climate, countries have proposed carbon dioxide emission reductions, hoping to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and Taiwan’s industries must also face the transformation of low-carbon green energy. Light-emitting diode (LED) is a cost effective semiconductor device that produces light within a narrow bandwidth of wavelength through electroluminescence. Recently, LED technology has attention to apply in the area of food production, preservation, and safety. At present, some researches have been demonstrated that the antimicrobial LED visible light is less anti-microbial efficacy than ultraviolet (UV) light. However, the antimicrobial LED visible light has been recognized as an alternative technology to UV light since it is an environmentally friendly and safe technology for human and animals. For this reason, LED technology has recently received attention for applying in many test fields as laboratory, pig farms, computer, bio-medical industries etc. In this study, this novel clean and disinfect tool-novel environment-cleaned LED devices were tested in the various fields and obtained the positive results as the application of novel environment-cleaned LED devices on anti-fungal efficacy, and ethylene, PM2.5, and harmful gas degradations in laboratory, anti-bacterial and virus efficacy in laboratory and/or pig farms, anti-microbial notebook panel development, and anti-colorectal cancer in vitro. In the future, we wish this novel environment-cleaned LED devices will friendly used in human and animal environments to decrease the harmful matters in the environments.

Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) light that causes sunburn and makes the skin age faster, leading to more wrinkles as older. The UV light can come from the natural and artificial sources. Moreover, UV light has shorter wavelengths than the visible light. Therefore, people’ eyes can’t see UV, but people’ skin can feel it. In this study, the in vivo skin health test efficacy modules have been established via the detection of skin’s moisture retention (%), skin’s cytokine expression levels, enzymatic expressions in the skin, the expression levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen type I, melanin, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the skin, and the experimental mice’ skin thickness and lesions via histo-pathologic examination. According to the results, the clinical behavior observation indexes of Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice in each group were normal during the experiments. Moreover, all ICR mice were survival until the end of the experiments. The moisture retention (%) of skin in ICR mice in UVB group was significant decrease after D1, D3, and D5 of UVB irradiation compared to the normal control group. Based on the IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α analysis expressions, both IL-1β and IL-6 expressions in UVB group were significantly increase than the control group, while there was no significant difference in the TNF-α expression between the groups. ICR mice’ skin enzymatic expressions in each group presented that catalase (CAT) expression and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in UVB group were significantly lower than the control group. The MDA expression in UVB group were significantly higher than the control group. The HA and collagen type I expressions in UVB group were significantly lower than the control group. However, the melanin expressions in UVB group and the control groups were not significantly different. The matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) expressions in UVB group was significantly higher than the control group. The skin epidermal thickness in UVB group was significantly thicker than the control group. The dermal thickness in two groups was not significantly different. The number of sunburn cells in the derma in UVB group was significantly increase than the control group. The solar elastosis in the derma in two groups was not significantly different. Based on the above results, we have successfully established in vivo skin health test efficacy modules to evaluate the status of skin health. We hope the modules should be provide for the research and development (R&D) of the effective treatment included drugs and therapeutic strategies.

Platostoma palustrejelly is a traditional food.Platostoma palustrehas been used as folk medicine and is effective against heat-shock, hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, the aim ofin vivostudy was to determine the effects of herbal tea (Platostoma palustre) on blood glucose regulation. The commercial herbal tea (Platostoma palustre) was kindly provided by Yueta Agricultural Biotechnology Inc. Adult male 18 Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice [8 weeks old; body weight (BW) between 31-33 g] with specific pathogen-free conditions were used for this study. All ICR mice were divided respectively the normal control group (n = 6), the negative control group (n = 6), and the herbal tea group (n = 6). The ICR mice (the negative control group and the herbal tea group) were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg BW) and nicotinamide (230 mg/kg BW) for inducing the symptoms of hyperglycemia. In the herbal tea group, the herbal tea (10 mL/kg BW) was administrated to ICR mice by gavage. To monitor the blood glucose levels in ICR mice, blood was obtained from the tail of ICR mice, and blood glucose levels were determined using the external glucometer. Blood glucose measurements were conducted once in ICR mice before the experiment and were detected once per month after the experiment. Additionally, the change of ICR mice’ BW, the blood glucose of ICR mice, and the observation of ICR mice’ behavior were monitored and detected during the experiment. The results of this experiment showed · Weight change: the weight gain of the negative control group and the herbal tea group were significantly lower than those of the normal control group and there was no significant difference between the negative control group and the herbal tea group. · Fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose: the fasting blood glucose of the negative control group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group, while the herbal tea group had a tendency to lower the fasting blood glucose, but there was no significant difference compared with the negative control group. The postprandial blood glucose level results showed that the negative control group was significantly higher than the normal control group. The postprandial blood glucose level of the herbal tea group was between the normal control group and the negative control group at the 4thweek administration with the herbal tea. At the 8thweek administration with the herbal tea, there was a significant difference compared with the negative control group. · Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): 4 to 12 weeks after hyperglycemia was induced, the blood glucose levels of the negative control group at each OGTT test point were significantly higher than those of the normal control group. The blood glucose level at the test point tended to decrease, but there was no significant difference from the negative control group. By calculating the area under the OGTT curve, it was found that the area under the curve of the negative control group was significantly higher than that of the normal control group, while the results of the herbal tea group at the 8thand 12thweeks were significantly lower than those of the negative control group. Taken all results together, the hyperglycemia was successfully induced in the experimental ICR mice. After administrating with the herbal tea, the fasting blood glucose level of the ICR mice tended to improve. In addition, a significant improvement was seen in the results of postprandial blood sugar and oral glucose tolerance test effectiveness. Therefore, based on the results of this experiment, it is speculated that drinking the herbal tea for 3 months has considerable potential for blood glucose regulation, which can be used as the basis for the development of related products of the herbal tea in the future.

Many studies have been verified that human retina contains a large amount of carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, especially the concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina and macula are 1,000 times higher than other tissues in human. Therefore, lutein and zeaxanthin play an important role in the health of human vision. The research and development (R&D) of agricultural functional materials or products for eye protection is urgently needed. In this experiment, except for the normal control group, the other groups were irradiated with light-emitting diode (LED) light at the range of 600-1,000 lux for 12 hours / day for 6 weeks. All BALB/c mice were fed with the normal composition for 6 weeks during the experiment. BALB/c mice in the negative control group and three sweet potato leaf ethanolic extracts (SPLEE) groups were fed SPLEE [0.31, 0.62, and 1.23 mg/kg body weight (BW), respectively] for 6 weeks by gavage during the experiment. During the experiment, the eye status of BALB/c mice in each group were observed every week. At the end of the experiment, the BALB/c mice were sacrificed and their eyes in each group were collected for hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, free radical detection, and the detection of cytokine gene expressions (IL-6; interleukin-6 and TNF-α; tumor necrosis factor-α) and caspase-3 gene expression. Based on the results of this experiment, no obvious lesions by ophthalmoscopy were observed in the eyes of BALB/c mice in three SPLEE groups. H&E and IHC staining results showed that the consumption of high dose (1.23 mg/kg BW) of SPLEE significantly improved retinal outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness, which was compared to the negative control group. Other evaluation indicators included retinal out segments-inner segments (OS/IS) thickness, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining, and middle-wavelength opsin (M-opsin) staining, showed no significant difference among three SPLEE groups and the negative control group. The free radical detection results showed that no statistical difference between all groups (p > 0.05), however, the trend showed that the free radicals in the high and middle doses (1.23 and 0.62 mg/kg BW) of SPLEE groups were lower than those in the negative control group and the low dose (0.31 mg/kg BW) of SPLEE group. The results of IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression showed that the normal control group and three SPLEE groups were significantly lower than the negative control group (p < 0.05), while the gene expression of caspase-3 was not significantly differences between all groups (p > 0.05). Taken these results together, the high dose SPLEE (1.23 mg/kg BW) has the better potential for improving the retinal ONL thickness and anti-inflammatory effects under LED irradiation.

Over-nutrition rather than under-nutrition is an important public health challenge in some developed countries. However, the under-nutrition is a major problem according to the global perspective. Therefore, the research and development (R&D) of agricultural functional materials or products for the prevention of fat accumulation is urgently needed. In this experiment, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats in the normal control group were fed with the normal composition for 8 weeks during the experiment. SD rats in the negative control group and three sweet potato fermented products (SPFP) groups were fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks during the experiment. According to the experimental design, three doses SPFP [250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg body weight (BW)] will be administered after 4 weeks of feeding the high fat diet. During the experiment, BW of the SD rats was recorded every week and blood, liver, and body fat were collected for analysis of body fat rate, blood lipid content, blood glucose content, liver lipid content, and liver and renal functions. Based on the results, the consumption of SPFP does not affect liver and kidney functions, indicating that SPFP is a safe and edible agricultural material. BW change of the normal control group was significantly lower than that of the negative control group and three SPFP groups (p < 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the BW change rate among the groups eat the high fat feed (p > 0.05), but the trend of BW change rate in the low and middle doses of SPFP groups was lower than that in the other high fat feed groups. The food utilization rate of the high fat diet group was significantly higher than that of the normal diet group (p < 0.05). The body fat rate of the normal control group was significantly lower than that of the high fat feed groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the high fat feed groups (p > 0.05). However, the trend showed that the body fat rate of the low and middle doses of SPFP groups were lower than that of the negative control group and the high dose of SPFP group. In addition, the results of other measurement indicators such as blood lipid content, blood glucose content, and liver lipid content did not show any negative effects of SPFP. Based on the above results, although SPFP on the prevention of body fat accumulation was not significantly exhibited, however, the trend shows that the low and middle doses of SPFP can decrease body fat production. Taken these results together, SPFP may has the potential for the prevention of fat accumulation.

Platostoma palustrejelly is a traditional food.Platostoma palustrehas been used as folk medicine and is effective against heat-shock, hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of ethanolic extracts and commercial herbal tea ofPlatostoma palustrein inhibiting colorectal cancer cell viability. The ethanolic extracts ofPlatostoma palustreby using 90% ethanol for extraction. In this study, 2-fold serial dilution of 100 mg/mLPlatostoma palustreextracts were applied. On other hand, the same dilution fold was also performed for 100% commercial herbal tea withPlatostoma palustre. Additionally, CT-26 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cell lines were also used in this study. After co-culturing for 24 hours, the cell viability of CT-26 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cell lines were performed by using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. According to these data, the 1.56-100 mg/mLPlatostoma palustreextracts possessed the significant inhibition effects of CT-26 colorectal cancer cell viability. The 3.13-100% commercial herbal tea withPlatostoma palustrepossessed the significant inhibition effects of CT-26 colorectal cancer cell viability. The 6.25-100 mg/mLPlatostoma palustreextracts possessed the significant inhibition effects of HT-29 colorectal cancer cell viability. The 25-100% commercial herbal tea withPlatostoma palustrepossessed the significant inhibition effects of HT-29 colorectal cancer cell viability. However, the 0.39-3.13 mg/mLPlatostoma palustreextracts possessed the significant promoting effects of HT-29 colorectal cancer cell viability. The 0.39-12.5% commercial herbal tea withPlatostoma palustrealso possessed the significant promoting effects of HT-29 colorectal cancer cell viability. Comparison of CT-26 and HT-29 cell lines was on the cell viability afterPlatostoma palustreethanolic extracts and commercial herbal tea treatments, CT-26 cell line was better sensitive than HT-29 cell line on the inhibition of cell viability after treatment ofPlatostoma palustreethanolic extracts and the commercial herbal tea. Taken these results together,Platostoma palustreethanolic extracts and commercial herbal tea may have a potential for inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Eukaryotic cells can store and converse excess lipid to the cytosolic lipid droplets. Adipogenesis of preadipocytes has been often used to study the molecular basis and the effect of obesity drugs on fat cell conversion. Many methods were developed for the detection of the cytosolic lipid droplets as Nile red, BODIPY 493/503 (4, 4-difluoro-1, 3, 5, 7, 8-pentamethyl-4-bora-3a, 4adiaza-s-indacene), BODIPY 665/676, 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH), DAPI, Hoechst, Sudan III, and Oil-red O. The differences in the spectral properties of these lipophilic dyes and their advantages of each are discussed. In this study, an in vitro flow cytometric detection method was established for the detection of lipid-accumulated cells. Commonly, the longer the period of adipogenic induction, the greater the quantity of lipid in fat cell can accumulate. Thus, to determine whether increasing the fat stored within a cell would result in the greater granularity. 3T3-L1 cells in culture were hormonally induced for adipogenesis. Then, these cells were dissociated and analyzed in a flow cytometer at 0, 5, and 10 days post-induction. After adipogenic induction, the cells had become increasingly heterogeneous in their cellular granularity. The cells containing greater granular structure were markedly increased, and this increase in granularity positively correlated with the time of the post-adipogenic induction. On the other analysis, the 0 and 10 days post adipogenic induction of 3T3-L1 cells were gated for 4 regions. The R1 region contains cells with a level of granularity similar to that seen in the control cells (non-adipogenic induction), whereas R2 to R4 regions contain cells with increasing granularity. According to all data, we have successfully established an in vitro flow cytometric detection method for the detection of lipid-accumulated cells. We wish this method will be applied on the research of obesity drugs and the design of therapeutic strategies for obesity in the future.

Platostoma palustre (Pp) jelly is a traditional food. Pp has been used as folk medicine and is effective against heat-shock, hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the ethanolic extracts of Pp’ genotoxicity. The ethanolic extracts of Pp by using 40% ethanol for extraction. Evaluation of genotoxicity of ethanolic extracts of Pp by micronucleus assay was performed in vivo. During the in vivo genotoxicity-evaluated experiment, the experimental animal’s clinical behavior, body weight (BW), food consumption, and the percentage of RET/RBCs (reticulocytes/red blood cells) and MN-RET/RETs (micronucleated reticulocytes/reticulocytes) after the treatments of Pp ethanolic extracts were evaluated. Both sexes Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were given three daily treatments by intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/kg of mitomycin C (genotoxicity induction) or by oral route of 200 μL of PBS (normal control group). Until 48 h after the last treatment, K2-EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood specimens were collected. These blood samples were processed for the microscopy-based analysis using Giemsa stain and the percentage of reticulocytes and micronucleated reticulocytes was determined. The results were shown that the experimental animal’s clinical behaviors were normal in all groups. The BW and food consumption were no significant difference between all groups. RET/RBCs (‰) in male or female ICR mice in the negative control group, the normal control group, the high dose of Pp ethanolic extract group, the middle dose of Pp ethanolic extract group, and the low dose of Pp ethanolic extract group were respectively 7.8 ± 0.8 / 8.6 ± 0.8, 23.2 ± 1.5 / 22.1 ± 1.3, 22.8 ± 1.6 / 22.1 ± 1.7, 23.2 ± 1.5 / 22.6 ± 1.0 and 22.2 ± 1.9 / 23.9 ± 1.9; MN-RET/RETs (‰) in male or female ICR mice in the negative control group, the normal control group, the high dose of Pp ethanolic extract group, the middle dose of Pp ethanolic extract group, and the low dose of Pp ethanolic extract group were 2.0 ± 0.0 / 2.0 ± 0.0, 43.2 ± 10.6 / 39.6 ± 10.9, 1.8 ± 0.4 / 1.6 ± 0.5, 1.6 ± 0.5 / 1.4 ± 0.5, and 1.8 ± 0.4 / 1.6 ± 0.5, respectively. Both RET/RBCs (‰) and MN-RET/RETs (‰) in male or female ICR mice in the negative control group were significantly difference than the other groups (p < 0.001). Taken all results together, Pp ethanolic extracts were without genotoxicity. Therefore, Pp ethanolic extracts were safety.

Introduction: Obesity, which can result from disease, genetics, nutrition, lifestyle, and insufficient physical activity, substantially increases an individual’s risk of complications and comorbidities. Exercise can be an effective strategy for achieving an energy balance and physiological fitness as part of obesity management. Additionally, probiotics, which are isolated from food and the environment, are being rapidly developed and have functional benefits for mitigating various metabolic dysfunctions associated with obesity. The potentially positive physiological and functional effects of exercise, probiotics, and exercise combined with probiotics should be elucidated in a model of diet-induced obesity. Methods: Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum OLP-01 (OLP-01) was isolated from an elite Olympic-level athlete who exhibited physiological adaptations to peripheral fatigue caused by exercise training. In this current study, ICR strain mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks to replicate an obesity model. The mice were divided into 5 groups according to the diet administered: control with normal diet, only HFD, HFD + exercise, HFD + OLP, and HFD + exercise + OLP groups. They were administered the probiotic and/or treadmill exercise training for 5 weeks, and their growth curve, physical activity, physiological adaptation, biochemical parameters, body composition, and glucose tolerance were assessed. Results: Compared with only exercise or only probiotics, a combination of probiotics and exercise significantly improved the weight, glucose tolerance, fat composition, and exercise-related oxidative stress of mice. Regular and programmed exercise with sufficient rest may be crucial to obesity improvement, and a combination of probiotics and exercise may synergistically assist obesity management and health promotion. Conclusion: OLP-01 probiotics combined with exercise training can be employed as a strategy for treating obesity. However, the exact regulatory mechanisms underlying this effect, possibly involving microbiota and associated metabolites, warrant further investigation.

Bacteroides fragilis (BF) plays a critical role in developing and maintaining the mammalian immune system. We previously found that BF colonization could prevent inflammation and tumor formation in a germ-free (GF) colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) mouse model. The role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in CAC development has not been clearly elucidated in BF mono-colonized gnotobiotic mice. The wild-type (WT) and TLR4 knockout (T4K) germ-free mice were raised with or without BF colonization for 28 days (GF/WT, GF/T4K, BF/WT, and BF/T4K) and then CAC was induced under azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) administration. The results showed that tumor formation and tumor incidence were significantly inhibited in the BF/WT group compared to those observed in the GF/WT group. However, the tumor prevention effect was not observed in the BF/T4K group unlike in the BF/WT group. Moreover, the CAC histological severity of the BF/WT group was ameliorated, but more severe lesions were found in the GF/WT, GF/T4K, and BF/T4K groups. Immunohistochemistry showed decreased cell proliferation (PCNA, β-catenin) and inflammatory markers (iNOS) in the BF/WT group compared to those in the BF/T4K group. Taken together, BF mono-colonization of GF mice might prevent CAC via the TLR4 signal pathway.

Atherosclerosis is the main cause of cardiac and peripheral vessel infarction in developed countries. Recent studies have established that gut microbiota and their metabolites play important roles in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate endothelium plaque lesion formation in ApoE-deficient rats fed a normal chow diet under germ-free (GF) and specific-pathogen-free (SPF) conditions at various time points. There was no difference in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels between SPF-rats and GF-rats. Histological studies revealed that the GF-rats developed endothelium plaques in the aorta from 26 to 52 weeks, but this was not observed in SPF-rats. GF-rat coronary arteries had moderate-to-severe endothelium lesions during this time period, but SPF-rat coronary arteries had only mild lesion formation. Immunohistochemical staining showed higher accumulation of CD68-positive and arginase-negative foamy-like macrophages on the arterial walls of GF-rats, and expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in foam cells was only observed in GF-rats. In addition, microbial metabolites, including equol derivatives, enterolactone derivatives, indole-3-propionate, indole-3-acrylic acid, cholic acid, hippuric acid, and isoquinolone, were significantly higher in the SPF group than in the GF group. In conclusion, our results indicate that gut microbiota may attenuate atherosclerosis development.

Simple Summary ALDH2, mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, is a critical enzyme involved in ethanol clearance in acetaldehyde metabolism. The prevalence of the ALDH2*2 variant is 45% in the Taiwanese population. ALDH2 reportedly has protective properties on myocardial damage, stroke, and diabetic retina damage. However, the effects of ALDH2 in modulation of metabolic syndromes remain unclear. The study evaluated the roles of ALDH2 in a high-fat-diet-induced metabolic syndrome in mice. We explored the effects of ALDH2 gene on NAFLD and potential association with gut microbiota. Abstract Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a critical enzyme involved in ethanol clearance in acetaldehyde metabolism and plays a key role in protecting the liver. The ALDH2*2 mutation causes a significant decrease in acetaldehyde scavenging capacity, leading to the accumulation of acetaldehyde after consuming alcohol. The prevalence of the ALDH2*2 variant is in 45% of Taiwanese individuals. ALDH2 reportedly has protective properties on myocardial damage, stroke, and diabetic retina damage. However, the effects of ALDH2 in the modulation of metabolic syndromes remain unclear. This study evaluates the roles of ALDH2 in a high-fat-diet-induced metabolic syndrome in mice. Male (M) and female (F) wild-type (WT) and ALDH2 knock-in C57BL/6J mice (4–5 weeks old) were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Results showed that the body and white-adipose-tissue weights were significantly increased in ALDH2-M compared to those in the other groups. We observed markedly elevated serum levels of alanine transaminase and glucose. Oral glucose-tolerance test and homeostasis-model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values were significantly higher in ALDH2-M mice than those in WT-M mice, with no observable differences in female mice. Abundant steatosis and inflammatory cells were observed in ALDH2-M, with significantly decreased expression of hepatic genes IRS2, GLUT4, and PGC-1α compared to that in WT-M. ALDH2 gene mutation also affected the β-diversity of gut microbiota in ALDH2-M resulting in the decreased abundance of Actinobacteria and an increase in Deferribacteres. Our results suggest that potential changes in gut microbiota may be associated with the defective ALDH2 exacerbation of high-fat-diet-induced liver diseases in male mice. However, female mice were not affected, and sex hormones may be an important factor that requires further investigation.

High fructose diet causes metabolic syndrome and induces host gut microbial dysbiosis and related obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Several antibiotic treatments could prevent fatty liver. However, there are studies that have demonstrated that a high-fructose diet could influence the gut microbial dysbiosis and induce fatty liver. The purpose of this study was performed to partially modify the gut bacterial composition with a single cefotaxime treatment, which might affect the fructose-induced NAFLD severity. The C57BL/6JNarl male mice were divided into four groups including vehicle/chow diet (VE-CD), vehicle/high-fructose diet (VE-FD), antibiotic (cefotaxime (CF))/CD, and CF/FD. The results showed that body weight gain, moderate hepatic steatosis severity, epididymal white adipose tissue hypertrophy, and insulin resistance occurrence with NAFLD-related symptoms were observed only in the CF-FD group. The raised protein expression of hepatic lipogenesis was observed in the CF-FD group, but lipolysis protein expression was no difference. The diversity and composition of microbiota were significantly reduced in the CF-FD group. The Erysipelatoclostridium, Enterobacteriaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Escherichia Shigella were in increased abundance in the feces of CF-FD group compared with VE-FD group. The novel model reveals that particular antibiotics such as cefotaxime co-treatment with high-fructose diet may affect the gut microbiota accelerating the NAFLD and obesity.

Physiological fatigue and toxic effects are commonly associated with chemotherapy. Beef extract (BE) is a nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef. The present study examined the effects of several BE concentrations on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced fatigue and toxic effects in mice. Results showed BE supplementation ameliorated 5-FU-induced body and organ weight loss. All BE + 5-FU groups demonstrated increased grip strength (135.3–163.2 g), endurance time (567.3–911.3 s), and movement distance (23623–31225 cm) when compared with the 5-FU group (97.6 g, 265.2 s, and 13916 cm). Hepatic and muscular (0.76 and 1.06 mg/g) glycogen levels were maintained in the BE-3x + 5-FU group when compared with the 5-FU group (0.44 and 0.58 mg/g). Moreover, catalase (liver and muscle) and glutathione peroxidase (liver) activities were enhanced. The serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and histopathological changes were ameliorated in the BE-2x + 5-FU and BE-3x + 5-FU groups. BE supplementation could provide a novel strategy for managing 5-FU-induced fatigue and toxic effects.

The aim of the study was to develop a simple, rapid, and reliable technique to detect the pharmacokinetics and the residual of florfenicol (FFC) in Bester sturgeon, a cultured hybrid of Huso huso × Acipenser ruthenus by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector. The results showed that the concentration-time course of the FFC was described by one-compartment model with 1st order absorption in the blood. The retention time of FFC was 7.3 min. The limit of detection of FFC concentration using our developed method was 0.01 mg kg−1 BW. After given single dose 10 mg kg−1 BW per day of FFC via oral administration for sturgeon, the main pharmacokinetic parameters in blood were found as following: Cmax (maximum concentration) was 10.9568 μg mL−1, Tmax (time to Cmax) was 10 h, AUC (area under the curve) was 251.064 μg × hr mL−1, t1/2 (half-life) was 12.1301 h, CL (total body clearance) was 0.0387 L kg−1, V/F (apparent volume of distribution) was 0.6777 L kg−1, and MRT (the mean residence time) was 23.7431 h. Additionally, the concentration-time course of the FFC was also described by two-compartment model with 1st order absorption in the muscle and liver. The recoveries of muscle and liver from sturgeon were 92–108% and 90–104%, respectively. Taken together, the results showed that the developed method technique may be a valuable tool was efficient in detecting the pharmacokinetics of FFC in Bester sturgeon.

Cornu cervi pantotrichum (CCP), used in traditional Chinese medicine, is a well-known yang-invigorating agent with multifunctional bioactivities. We previously showed, through an acute exercise challenge, that short-term CCP supplementation improved physical activities and fatigue-associated biochemical indices. Questions about the long-term effects of CCP treatment on exercise performance and physical fatigue, as well as safety, with intensive exercise training need further research. ICR-strain mice were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) sedentary control and vehicle treatment (SC); (2) exercise training with vehicle treatment (ET); and (3) ET with CCP treatment at 4,108 mg/kg/day (ET+CCP). We assessed the physical performance, body compositions, and serum levels of lactate, ammonia, glucose and creatine kinase (CK) after an acute exercise challenge. The ET and ET+CCP groups had significantly increased grip strength and endurance swimming time, and decreased serum lactate and ammonia levels after the acute exercise challenge than the SC group. Moreover, serum ammonia and CK levels in the ET+CCP group were significantly decreased when compared to that of the ET only group. In regard to the body composition, the ET+CCP group inhibits the decrease in fat tissue, and related biochemical changes induced by the high intensity endurance training CCP supplementation combined with high-intensity endurance exercise could significantly improve the physiological adaptions related to fatigue or energy consumption and maintain the fat composition when compared to treatment with training only. Therefore, CCP may potentially improve the physiological adaptions in intensive exercise training.

Ultraviolet (UV) light has been developed for surface decontamination. However, UV light has some limitations at harmful effects for human and animals

Background Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and therefore, the development of novel drugs for its prevention and therapy are urgently required. This study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism of 6,7-dihydroxy-2-(4'-hydroxyphenyl) naphthalene (PNAP-6)-induced cytotoxicity in human colorectal cancer (HCT116) cells. Methods The effects of 2-phenylnaphthalene derivatives on HCT116 cell growth and viability were assessed by MTT assays. The mechanisms involved in the regulation of the extrinsic apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways by PNAP-6 were analyzed by annexin-V/propidium iodide flow cytometric analysis, Hoechst 33342 fluorescent staining, and Western blotting. Results PNAP-6 was shown to have an IC50 value 15.20 μM. It induced G2/M phase arrest in HCT116 cells, associated with a marked decrease in cyclin B and CDK1 protein expression and increased caspase activation, PARP cleavage, chromatin condensation, and sub-G1 apoptosis. Moreover, we found that the apoptotic effects of PNAP-6 proceeded through extrinsic apoptosis and ER stress pathways, by increasing the expression of Fas protein and ER stress markers, including PERK, ATF4, CHOP, p-IRE1α, and XBP-1s. Conclusion These results suggest that 2-phenylnaphthalene derivatives, such as PNAP-6, have potential as new treatments for colorectal cancer.

Diet-induced obesity is the most widely used animal model for studying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the physiological effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) are inconsistent between different studies. To elucidate this mystery, mice raised with conventional (CONV), specific pathogen-free (SPF) and gentamicin (G) treatments and fed with standard diet (STD) or HFD were analyzed in terms of their physiology, gut microbiota composition, hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Serum biochemistry showed increased levels of cholesterol and aspartate aminotransferase in the G-STD and CONV-HFD groups, respectively. The CONV-HFD group exhibited more inflammatory foci compared to the SPF-HFD and G-HFD groups. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining revealed the infiltration of Kupffer cells in the liver, consistent with increased mRNA levels of MCP-1, CD36 and TLR4. Principal coordinate analysis and the cladogram of LEfSe showed that the distinguished clusters of gut microbiota were dependent on housing conditions. The Rikenellaceae, F16 and Desulfovibrionaceae were strongly correlated with hepatic inflammation. Otherwise, higher NAFLD activity score correlated with altered relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. In conclusion, gut microbiota varying with housing condition may be pivotal for the host response to HFD.

Farming of sturgeon in worldwide has increased in recent years. The use of antibiotics to minimize the impact of disease outbreak in sturgeon aquaculture becomes very important.

Colon cancer is very important cancer worldwide. Although many therapies and therapeutic strategies are applied in the patients with cancer, however, the deaths of patients with cancer maintain in the top of the dead people worldwide...

Objective: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is generally considered as a major risk factor in the progression of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Previous studies have indicated that the composition of gut microflora may be involved in CAC induction and progress. Bacteroides fragilis (BF) is a Gram-negative anaerobe belonging to colonic symbiotic bacteria of the host. This study was aimed to investigate the protective role of BF in a colorectal cancer (CRC) model induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in germ-free (GF) mice. Materials and methods: Total 22 GF mice were divided into two groups: GF and BF group. Half of the GF mice were colonized with BF for 28 days before CRC induction by AOM/DSS. Results:BF colonization increased animal survival (100%). Cecum weight and cecum/body weight ratio significantly decreased in BF/AOM/DSS group. Interestingly, there was a significant decrease in tumor number and tumor incidence in the BF/AOM/DSS group as compared to the GF/AOM/DSS group. The adenocarcinoma/adenoma incidence and histologic score were also decreased in the BF/AOM/DSS group. In addition, immunohistochemistry staining found decreased numbers of cell proliferation (PCNA) and inflammatory cell (granulocytes) infiltration in the colon mucosa of the BF group. The β-catenin staining in the BF/AOM/DSS group had fewer and weaker positive signal expressions. Taking together, the BF colonization significantly ameliorated AOM/DSS-induced CRC by suppressing the activity of cell proliferation-related molecules and reducing the number of inflammatory cells. Conclusions: Symbiotic BF may play a pivotal role in maintaining the gastrointestinal immunophysiologic balance and regulating anti-tumorigenesis responses.

A fast-paced lifestyle, pressure from the environment and a heavy work load often cause extreme tiredness in modern life. Different kinds of nutritional supplements in the form of functional foods or traditional Chinese medicine, such as ‘essence of chicken’ and Ganoderma lucidum have been claimed to benefit physical performance and promote health. Previous studies have revealed that ‘essence of chicken’ or G. lucidum have a wide spectrum of biological activities. In this study, we combined these two ingredients together (designated as CEG) to evaluate their synergistic effects on physiological adaption on exercise fatigue and physical activities. The ICR strain mice were allocated as 0, 833, 1666, and 4165 mg/kg dose groups and administrated by oral gavage consecutively for 4 weeks. Physical activities including grip strength and aerobic endurance were evaluated. Various fatigue-associated biochemical variables such as lactate, BUN or CK were also evaluated. The levels of liver and muscle glycogen were measured as an indicator of energy storage at the end of the experiment. Safety assessments for supplementation were also evaluated. CEG supplementation significantly increased the endurance and grip strength and demonstrated beneficial effects on lactate production and clearance rate after an acute exercise challenge. The CEG supplementation significantly mitigated the BUN and CK indexes after extended exercise and elevated the glycogen content in the liver and muscle tissues. According to body composition, biochemical and histopathological data, daily administration of CEG for over 28 days (subacute toxicity) also demonstrated reasonable safety results for supplementation. Combined G. lucidum and ‘essence of chicken’ can significantly increase the exercise performance and improve fatigue recovery. It may also provide a viable alternative nutritional supplement for health promotion.

Beef extract (BE) is a nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef meat. Compared with traditional chicken essence or clam extract, BE is cheaper to produce and may be used for wound healing, as a chemotherapy supplement, or to prevent fatigue. In this study, we evaluated the potential beneficial effects of BE on exercise performance and the related role of the gut microbiota. Pathogen-free male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups to receive vehicle or BE (0, 12.3, or 24.6 mL/kg) by oral gavage for 28 days. Exercise performance was evaluated using forelimb grip strength, swimming time to exhaustion, and physiological levels of fatigue-related biomarkers (serum lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and glucose levels) after physical challenges. BE supplementation elevated endurance and grip strength in a dose-dependent manner, significantly decreased lactate and blood urea nitrogen levels after physical challenge, and significantly increased muscle glycogen content. The germ-free mice supplemented with BE or an equal-calorie portion of albumin did not show significant differences from the other groups in exercise performance and levels of related biomarkers. Therefore, BE supplementation improved endurance and reduced fatigue, which might be related to BE composition, but had no correlation with the gut microbiota.

Objective Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide and represents a highly aggressive nature with limited therapeutic options; thus, investigating novel therapeutic agents for breast cancer is much needed. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of a novel camptothecin derivative, CPT211, against human breast cancer. Methods We used hormone receptor-positive MCF-7, triple-negative (TNBC) MDA-MB-231, and HER2-positive BT-474 human breast cancer cells to examine cytotoxicity of CPT211. We measured cell viability with dose dependence of CPT211 treatments by an MTT assay and investigated the potential underlying mechanism through flow cytometric and Western blot methods. Furthermore, we evaluated the efficacy of the treatment combination of CPT211 and doxorubicin in a mouse model bearing MDA-MB-231 xenografts. Results CPT211 treatment led to dose-dependent decreases in cell viability of both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, but not BT-474 cells. Analysis of the underlying molecular mechanism revealed that CPT211 activated p53-mediated apoptosis, by triggering intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways in MCF-7 cells. Additionally, CPT211 induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of MDA-MB-231 cells by activating Fas/FADD/caspase-8 signaling, suggesting that CPT211-mediated MDA-MB-231 cell apoptosis may occur through an extrinsic apoptosis pathway. CPT211 treatment with doxorubicin in mice bearing MDA-MB-231 xenografts was shown to enhance caspase-8 and caspase-7 activation, resulting in significant inhibition of tumor growth. Conclusions These results indicate that Fas/FADD/caspase-8 activation plays an important role in CPT211-mediated tumor growth suppression in TNBC, and the novel camptothecin derivative, CPT211, can be exploited for specific targeted therapies and potentially improve approaches to combination treatments for human breast cancer.

The comprehensive studies done on resveratrol (RES) support that this polyphenol has multiple bioactivities and is widely accepted for dietary supplementation. Furthermore, regular exercise is known to have benefits on health and is considered as a form of preventive medicine. Although the vast majority of prior studies emphasize the efficacy of aerobic exercise in promoting physiological adaptions, other types of exercise, such as resistance exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), may achieve similar or different physiological outcomes. Few studies have looked into the effectiveness of a combinational, synergistic approach to exercise using a weight-loading ladder climbing animal platform. In this study, ICR mice were allocated randomly to the RES and training groups using a two-way ANOVA (RES &times, Training) design. Exercise capacities, including grip strength, aerobic performance, and anaerobic performance, were assessed and the physiological adaptions were evaluated using fatigue-associated indexes that were implemented immediately after the exercise intervention. In addition, glycogen levels, muscular characteristics, and safety issues, including body composition, histopathology, and biochemistry, were further elucidated. Synergistic effects were observed on grip strength, anaerobic capacities, and exercise lactate, with significant interaction effects. Moreover, the training or RES may have contributed significantly to elevating aerobic capacity, tissue glycogen, and muscle hypertrophy. Toxic and other deleterious effects were also considered to evaluate the safety of the intervention. Resistance exercise in combination with resveratrol supplementation may be applied in the general population to achieve better physiological benefits, promote overall health, and promote participation in regular physical activities.