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The main objective of this placebo-controlled, triple-blind, balanced crossover study was to assess the acute effects of phenylcapsaicin (PC) intake (2.5 mg) on intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), and heart rate (HR) during a 30-min cycling task performed at 15% of the individual maximal power. Twenty-two healthy young adults performed the cycling task 45 min after ingesting PC or placebo. IOP was measured with a rebound tonometer before exercise, during cycling (every 6 min), and after 5 and 10 min of recovery. OPP was assessed before and after exercise. HR was monitored throughout the cycling task. We found an acute increase of IOP levels related to PC consumption while cycling (mean difference = 1.91 ± 2.24 mmHg; p =.007, η p 2 =.30), whereas no differences were observed for OPP levels between the PC and placebo conditions (mean difference = 1.33 ± 8.70 mmHg; p =.608). Mean HR values were higher after PC in comparison with placebo intake (mean difference = 3.11 ± 15.87 bpm, p =.019, η p 2 =.24), whereas maximum HR did not differ between both experimental conditions (p =.199). These findings suggest that PC intake before exercise should be avoided when reducing IOP levels is desired (e.g., glaucoma patients or those at risk). Future studies should determine the effects of different ergogenic aids on IOP and OPP levels with other exercise configurations and in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, we reported the discovery of a novel endoglucanase of the glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12), designated IfCelS12A, from the haloalkaliphilic anaerobic bacterium Iocasia fonsfrigidae strain SP3-1, which was isolated from a hypersaline pond in the Samut Sakhon province of Thailand (ca. 2017). IfCelS12A exhibits high substrate specificity on carboxymethyl cellulose and amorphous cellulose but low substrate specificity on b-1,3;1,4-glucan. Unlike some endoglucanases of the GH12 family, IfCelS12A does not exhibit hydrolytic activity on crystalline cellulose (i.e., Avicel™). High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) analyses of products resulting from IfCelS12-mediated hydrolysis indicate mode of action for this enzyme. Notably, IfCelS12A preferentially hydrolyzes cellotetraoses, cellopentaoses, and cellohexaoses with negligible activity on cellobiose or cellotriose. Kinetic analysis with cellopentaose and barely b-D-glucan as cellulosic substrates were conducted. On cellopentaose, IfCelS12A demonstrates a 16-fold increase in activity (KM = 0.27 mM; kcat = 0.36 s-1; kcat/KM = 1.34 mM-1 s-1) compared to the enzymatic hydrolysis of barley b-D-glucan (KM: 0.04 mM, kcat: 0.51 s-1, kcat/KM = 0.08 mM-1 s-1). Moreover, IfCelS12A enzymatic efficacy is stable in hypersaline sodium chlorids (NaCl) solutions (up to 10% NaCl). Specifically, IfCel12A retains notable activity after 24 h at 2M NaCl (10% saline solution). IfCelS12A used as a cocktail component with other cellulolytic enzymes and in conjunction with mobile sequestration platform technology offers additional options for deconstruction of ionic liquid-pretreated cellulosic feedstock. KEY POINTS: • IfCelS12A from an anaerobic alkaliphile Iocasia fronsfrigidae shows salt tolerance • IfCelS12A in cocktails with other enzymes efficiently degrades cellulosic biomass • IfCelS12A used with mobile enzyme sequestration platforms enhances hydrolysis.

Despite substantial evidence supporting the efficacy of prebiotics for promoting host health and stress resilience, few experiments present evidence documenting the dynamic changes in microbial ecology and fecal microbially modified metabolites over time. Furthermore, the literature reports a lack of reproducible effects of prebiotics on specific bacteria and bacterial-modified metabolites. The current experiments examined whether consumption of diets enriched in prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and polydextrose (PDX)), compared to a control diet, would consistently impact the gut microbiome and microbially modified bile acids over time and between two research sites. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed control or prebiotic diets for several weeks, and their gut microbiomes and metabolomes were examined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted LC-MS/MS analysis. Dietary prebiotics altered the beta diversity, relative abundance of bacterial genera, and microbially modified bile acids over time. PICRUSt2 analyses identified four inferred functional metabolic pathways modified by the prebiotic diet. Correlational network analyses between inferred metabolic pathways and microbially modified bile acids revealed deoxycholic acid as a potential network hub. All these reported effects were consistent between the two research sites, supporting the conclusion that dietary prebiotics robustly changed the gut microbial ecosystem. Consistent with our previous work demonstrating that GOS/PDX reduces the negative impacts of stressor exposure, we propose that ingesting a diet enriched in prebiotics facilitates the development of a health-promoting gut microbial ecosystem.

Cell plate formation during cytokinesis entails multiple stages occurring concurrently and requiring orchestrated vesicle delivery, membrane remodelling, and timely deposition of polysaccharides, such as callose. Understanding such a dynamic process requires dissection in time and space; this has been a major hurdle in studying cytokinesis. Using lattice light sheet microscopy (LLSM), we studied cell plate development in four dimensions, through the behavior of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-tagged cytokinesis-specific GTPase RABA2a vesicles. We monitored the entire duration of cell plate development, from its first emergence, with the aid of YFP-RABA2a, in both the presence and absence of cytokinetic callose. By developing a robust cytokinetic vesicle volume analysis pipeline, we identified distinct behavioral patterns, allowing the identification of three easily trackable cell plate developmental phases. Notably, the phase transition between phase I and phase II is striking, indicating a switch from membrane accumulation to the recycling of excess membrane material. We interrogated the role of callose using pharmacological inhibition with LLSM and electron microscopy. Loss of callose inhibited the phase transitions, establishing the critical role and timing of the polysaccharide deposition in cell plate expansion and maturation. This study exemplifies the power of combining LLSM with quantitative analysis to decode and untangle such a complex process.

The cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway regulates yeast cell wall biosynthesis, cell division, and responses to external stress. The cell wall, comprised of a dense network of chitin, β-1,3- and β-1,6- glucans, and mannoproteins, is very thin,

BackgroundTrichoderma reesei is an organism extensively used in the bioethanol industry, owing to its capability to produce enzymes capable of breaking down holocellulose into simple sugars. The uptake of carbohydrates generated from cellulose breakdown is crucial to induce the signaling cascade that triggers cellulase production. However, the sugar transporters involved in this process in T. reesei remain poorly identified and characterized.ResultsTo address this gap, this study used temporal membrane proteomics analysis to identify five known and nine putative sugar transporters that may be involved in cellulose degradation by T. reesei. Docking analysis pointed out potential ligands for the putative sugar transporter Tr44175. Further functional validation of this transporter was carried out in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results showed that Tr44175 transports a variety of sugar molecules, including cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, and sophorose.ConclusionThis study has unveiled a transporter Tr44175 capable of transporting cellobiose, cellotriose, cellotetraose, and sophorose. Our study represents the first inventory of T. reesei sugar transportome once exposed to cellulose, offering promising potential targets for strain engineering in the context of bioethanol production.

Bagasse and straw are the two feedstocks used to produce cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane. Although this technology is advancing commercially, the differentiation between bagasse and straw remains elusive. This work investigates bagasse and straw supply, conditioning, and pretreatment in a pilot-scale steam-explosion continuous reactor (~ 10 kg/h feed) to illuminate the critical feedstock differences for process scale-up. Evaluating biomass across four sequential harvest seasons (2018–2021) shows that straw supplied in bales requires extra conditioning to reduce mineral matter and particle size before feeding into the reactor. Moreover, straw composition is more variable and consistently has lower contents of glucan (35.6–38.8%) and carbohydrate potential (glucose + xylose, 649–704 kg/dry tonne) compared to bagasse (40.8–42.9%; 735–760 kg/dry tonne). Biomass pretreatments without (190 °C, 5–15 min) and with sulfuric acid catalyst (149–170 °C; 5–15 min; 0.5–5.12%, m/m) show that straw differs from bagasse by presenting a higher acid neutralization capacity and about 5% of labile glucans. These results suggest that straw crushing and aqueous pre-extraction are promising strategies to reduce the dissimilarities with bagasse, thus facilitating the development of feedstock-agnostic biorefining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Tea dregs, typically generated during the production of instant tea or tea beverages, have conventionally been regarded as waste material and routinely discarded. Nevertheless, contemporary research endeavors are concentrating on discovering efficient methods for utilizing the potential of this discarded resource. RESULTS: In this study, we employed a sequential extraction method using chemical chelating agents to extract and isolate four distinct cell wall polysaccharides, designated as CWTPS‐1 through CWTPS‐4, from the tea dregs of Liubao brick tea. A comprehensive investigation into their physicochemical, structural, and hypoglycemic properties was conducted. The analysis of chemical composition and physicochemical characteristics revealed that all four CWTPSs were characterized as acidic polysaccharides, albeit with varying chemical compositions and physicochemical attributes. Specifically, the xyloglucan fractions, CWTPS‐3 and CWTPS‐4, were found to be rich in glucose and xylose, displaying a more uniform molecular weight distribution, greater structural stability, and a more irregular surface compared to the others. Moreover, they exhibited a higher diversity of monosaccharide residues. Importantly, our research unveiled that all four CWTPSs exhibited the capacity to modulate key glucose‐regulated and antioxidant enzyme activities within HepG2 cells via the IRS‐1‐PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby ameliorating cellular insulin resistance. Furthermore, our correlation analysis highlighted significant associations between monosaccharide composition and neutral sugar content with the observed hypoglycemic activity of CWTPSs. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential of utilizing tea dregs as a valuable resource, making a significant contribution to the advancement of the tea industry. Furthermore, CWTPS‐4 exhibits promising prospects for further development as a functional food ingredient or additive. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioethanol, a lignocellulosic biofuel, has increased energy sustainability and lessened the environmental effects associated with energy production. Thysanolaena latifolia is a common weed found in the northern part of Thailand that is considered non-food biomass, with a high biomass productivity of approximately 10.2 kg/year. Here, we evaluated the potential of T. latifolia biomass as an environmentally friendly material source for producing alternative bioethanol. To this end, we treated the feedstock under mild conditions using various concentrations of phosphoric acid to create ideal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis. Pretreatment with 75% phosphoric acid yielded the highest solid recovery (55.8 ± 0.6%) and glucans (93.0 ± 0.3%). Additionally, the hydrolysis efficiency and glucose yield of treated biomass were significantly improved. As a result, the liquid hydrolysate from T. latifolia used for ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae TISTR 5339 generated 8.9 ± 0.0 g/L ethanol. These findings demonstrate that glucose derived from liquid hydrolysate is a promising sustainable carbon source for producing ethanol from T. latifolia feedstock. Thus, using T. latifolia as a feedstock for generating ethanol can improve the efficiency of bioenergy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White-water yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is one of the potential sources of starch; however, it is not yet available for commercial purposes. Besides, native white-water yam starch (WS) presents limited functionality due to poor flowability, mechanical properties and instability at high temperature and acidic conditions. Therefore, this study aims to modify the starch to improve its characteristics and make it useful as an excipient for the preparation of the tablets. The modification of WS was achieved by physical and chemical treatments, specifically pre-gelatinization and phosphorylation, respectively. Pre-gelatinization WS involves heating, meanwhile phosphorylation WS is obtained by treating WS with sodium tripolyphosphate. The results showed that the powder of the modified WS has good characteristics which improved the flowability of the powder mixture as a granule based on density, porosity, compressibility index and swelling power determination. The WS granules were found to display the oval or irregular (polygonal) shape with the amylose content 11.92±0.61% for unmodified WS, 10.41±0.90% for pre-gelatinized WS and 12.61±1.75% for phosphorylated WS. Furthermore, the granule was formulated as an excipient in tablet preparations, and the formulas were compressed after wet granulation. The mechanical properties of the tablets were assessed using uniformity of mass and size, hardness, friability and disintegration time. WS modification affects the hardness of tablets when used as a binder. Phosphorylated WS is recommended to be used as a binder in wet granulation formulations because it produces tablets with a longer disintegration time, which means better binding ability. However, the utilization of modified WS with both pre-gelatinization and phosphorylation leads to tablets with low brittleness compared to others with unmodified binder with the disintegration time still met the requirement of fast disintegrating tablet (<15 minutes). All the physical properties studied indicated that the modified WS is a promising pharmaceutical excipient in tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) is a pathogenic fungus that grows mostly on birch species (Betula pendula Roth and B. pubescens Ehrh.) and has traditionally been used as an anticancer medicine. This study aimed to compare the chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of chagas growing on both Betula spp. on various cancer cell lines. The freeze-dried extracts contained triterpenes inotodiol, lanosterol betulin, and betulinic acid typical to conks growing on Betula species. The cytotoxic activity of chaga growing on Betula pendula and B. pubescens 80% ethanolic extracts against 31 human cancer cell lines was evaluated by a sulforhodamine B assay. Chaga extract showed moderate activity against all cancer cell lines examined; it did not result in high cytotoxicity (IC50 ≤ 20 µg/mL). The strongest inhibitions were observed with chaga (growing on B. pendula) extract on the HepG2 and CAL-62 cell line and with chaga (from B. pubescens) extract on the HepG2 cell line, with IC50 values of 37.71, 43.30, and 49.99 μg/mL, respectively. The chaga extracts from B. pendula exert somewhat stronger effects on most cancer cell lines studied than B. pubescens extracts, which can be attributed to a higher content of inotodiol in B. pendula extracts. This study highlights the potential of chaga as a source of bioactive compounds with selective anticancer properties. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first investigation of the chemical composition of I. obliquus parasitizing on B. pubescens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Millet bran (MB), a byproduct of millet production, is rich in functional components but it is underutilized. In recent years, researchers have shown that fermentation can improve the biological activity of cereals and their byproducts. This study used Bacillus natto to ferment millet bran to improve its added value and broaden the application of MB. The bioactive component content, physicochemical properties, and functional activity of millet bran extract (MBE) from fermented millet bran were determined. RESULTS: After fermentation, the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) content increased by 92.0%, the β‐glucan content by 164.4%, the polypeptide content by 111.4%, the polyphenol content by 32.5%, the flavone content by 16.4%, and the total amino acid content by 95.4%. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the microscopic morphology of MBE changed from complete and dense blocks to loosely porous shapes after fermentation. After fermentation, the solubility, water‐holding capacity, and viscosity significantly increased and the particle size decreased. Moreover, the glucose adsorption capacity (2.1 mmol g−1), glucose dialysis retardation index (75.3%), and α‐glucosidase inhibitory (71.4%, mixed reversible inhibition) activity of the fermented MBE (FMBE) were greater than those of the unfermented MBE (0.99 mmol g−1, 32.1%, and 35.1%, respectively). The FMBE presented better cholesterol and sodium cholate (SC) adsorption properties and the adsorption was considered inhomogeneous surface adsorption. CONCLUSION: Fermentation increased the bioactive component content and improved the physicochemical properties of MBE, thereby improving its hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties. This study not only resolves the problem of millet bran waste but also encourages the development of higher value‐added application methods for millet bran. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The α-1,3-glucanase Agl-EK14 from Flavobacterium sp. EK-14 comprises a signal peptide (SP), a catalytic domain (CAT), a first immunoglobulin-like domain (Ig1), a second immunoglobulin-like domain (Ig2), a ricin B-like lectin domain (RicinB), and a carboxy-terminal domain (CTD). SP and CTD are predicted to be involved in extracellular secretion, while the roles of Ig1, Ig2, and RicinB are unclear. To clarify their roles, domain deletion enzymes Agl-EK14ΔRicinB, Agl-EK14ΔIg2RicinB, and Agl-EK14ΔIg1Ig2RicinB were constructed. The insoluble α-1,3-glucan hydrolytic, α-1,3-glucan binding, and fungal cell wall hydrolytic activities of the deletion enzymes were almost the same and lower than those of Agl-EK14. Kinetic analysis revealed that the K m values of the deletion enzymes were similar and uniformly higher than those of Agl-EK14. These results suggest that the deletion of RicinB causes a decline in binding and hydrolytic activity and increases the K m value. To confirm the role of RicinB, Ig1, Ig2, and RicinB were fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP). As a result, RicinB-fused GFP (GFP-RicinB) showed binding to insoluble α-1,3-glucan and Aspergillus oryzae cell walls, whereas Ig1- and Ig2-fused GFP did not. These results indicated that RicinB is involved in α-1,3-glucan binding. The fusion protein GFP-Ig1Ig2RicinB was also constructed and GFP-Ig1Ig2RicinB showed strong binding to the cell wall of A. oryzae compared to GFP-RicinB. Gel filtration column chromatography suggested that the strong binding was due to GFP-Ig1Ig2RicinB loosely associated with itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol‐associated cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a cardiac muscle disease characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress. Thromboxane‐prostanoid receptor (TP‐R) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Herein, we hypothesize that TP‐R mediates alcohol‐induced early cardiac injury. Methods: Eight‐week‐old male C57BL/6 wild‐type mice were fed a chronic ethanol (ET) or control diet (CON) for 10 days followed by a single binge of ethanol or maltose‐dextrin through oral gavage. A cohort of ethanol‐fed mice received SQ 29,548 (SQ), a TP‐R antagonist. RNA sequencing, real‐time PCR, and western blot analysis were performed on left ventricle to investigate alterations in genes and/or proteins mediating oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiac remodeling. Sirius Red staining was performed to measure myocardial fibrosis. Results: RNA‐sequencing analysis of myocardium from CON and ET groups identified 142 genes that were significantly altered between the two groups. In particular, the gene expression of thioredoxin‐interacting protein (TXNIP), a component of NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling, which mediates oxidative stress and inflammatory response, was upregulated in response to ethanol exposure. The myocardial protein levels of TP‐R and thromboxane A2 synthase were increased upon alcohol exposure. Ethanol increased the levels of 4‐hydroxynonenal, a marker of oxidative stress, with a concomitant increase in the protein levels of TXNIP and NLRP3, and administration of SQ attenuated these effects. Additionally, ethanol increased the protein levels of pro‐inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor alpha and the NLRP3 downstream product, secretory interleukin 1 beta, and SQ blunted these effects. Finally, the Sirius red staining of the myocardium revealed an increase in collagen deposition in ethanol‐fed mice which was attenuated by TP‐R antagonism. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ethanol promotes the NLRP3 signaling pathway within the myocardium, leading to a pro‐inflammatory milieu that potentially initiates early myocardial remodeling, and TP‐R antagonism attenuates this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Phosphoesterification is the only naturally occurring covalent starch modification identified to date, and it has a major impact on overall starch metabolism. The incorporation of phosphate groups mediated by dikinases [α-glucan, water dikinase (GWD), EC 2.7.9.4; phosphoglucan, water dikinase (PWD), EC 2.7.9.5] massively alters the starch granule properties; however, previous studies did not determine whether the starch-related dikinases bind the phosphate to the glucosyl units within the amylopectin molecules in a specific pattern or randomly. In order to answer this challenging question, a number of approaches were initially pursued until a protocol could be established that enabled a massive step forward in the in vitro analysis of phosphorylated glucan chains obtained from starch. For this purpose, phosphorylation by GWD was investigated, including the final state of phosphorylation i.e., the state of substrate saturation when GWD lacks further free hydroxyl groups at OH-C6 for the catalysis of monophosphate esters. Since the separated phosphorylated glucan chains were required for the analysis, isoamylase digestion was performed to cleave the α-1,6-glycosidic bonds and to allow for the removal of the huge number of existing neutral chains by means of anion exchange chromatography. Via Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization–Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) MS and MALDI-MS/MS, the phosphorylated α-glucan chains were analysed, and the position of the phosphate group within the chain in relation to the reducing end was determined. Here, we demonstrate a protocol that enables the analysis of phosphorylated oligosaccharides, even in small quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-glucans are polysaccharides found in the cell walls of various fungi, bacteria and cereals. β-glucan have been found to show various kinds of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic antioxidant and anticancerous activities. In the present study, we have isolated β-glucan from the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus and tested their antioxidant potential and anticancerous activity against prostate cancer cell line PC3. Particles were characterized with zeta sizer and further with FTIR that confirmed that the isolated particles are β-glucan and alginate sealing made slow and sustained release of the Quercetin from the β-glucan particles. Morphological analysis of the hollow and Quercetin loaded β-glucan was performed with the SEM analysis and stability was analyzed with TGA and DSC analysis that showed the higher stability of the alginate sealed particles. Assessments of the antioxidant potential showed that Quercetin loaded particles were having higher antioxidant activity than hollow β-glucan particles. Cell viability of the PC3 cells was examined with MTT assay and it was found that Quercetin loaded alginate sealed Agaricus bisporus derived β-glucan particles were having lowest IC50. Further ROS generation was found to increase in a dose dependent manner. Apoptosis detection was carried out with Propidium iodide and AO/EtBr staining dye which showed significant death in the cells treated with higher concentration of the particles. Study showed that particles derived from both of the sources were having efficient anticancer activity and showing a dose dependent increase in cell death in PC3 cells upon treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) and quorum sensing (QS) mediated transduction genes play critical roles in the pathogenesis of Streptococcus mutan‐mediated dental caries. Therefore, targeting gtfs and QS‐mediated virulence genes have therefore emerged as an intriguing goal for efficient therapeutic approaches that block cariogenic biofilms. Methods: Post‐biotic mediators (PMs) obtained from our previously isolated and characterized beneficial bacteria Enterobacter colacae PS‐74 was assessed for its antibiofilm potential against S. mutans. According to the transcriptome method, qRT‐PCR analysis was performed against virulence genes. For microscopic visualization, SEM and CLSM analyses were used to confirm the inhibitory effects of PMs. Results: PMs dramatically reduced the expression of QS signal transduction, glucan metabolism, and biofilm‐regulated genes such gtfB, gtfC, ComDE, VicR, brpA in S. mutans, which validates the outcomes of in vitro result. Their unique metabolites may help to control biofilm formation by eluding antimicrobial resistance. Conclusion: Considering the above findings, PMs may deem to be an innovative, alluring, and secure method for preventing dental caries due to their biological activity. Our study unravels the inhibitory effect of PMs, which will contribute to instruct drug design strategies for effective inhibition of S. mutans biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The consumption of olive oil has been shown to have a positive effect on preventing obesity and hypertension. At the same time, it is recommended to avoid processed meat products as they contain saturated fats. The inclusion of highly unsaturated lipids in food products can lead to rapid oxidation and deterioration of sensory characteristics. The objective of the current work was to encapsulate olive oil and incorporate it into traditional Polish liver pâté. The oil‐in‐water emulsions were formulated with varying levels of oat β‐glucan and were evaluated for droplet size, pH, encapsulation efficiency and rheology. The liver pâtés made using the emulsions with and without β‐glucan were then evaluated for pH, texture, colour, lipid and protein oxidation, thermal stability and sensory properties. RESULTS: The results showed that the oil‐in‐water emulsions had a 100% encapsulation rate of olive oil after 30 days of storage at 4 °C, regardless of the presence of β‐glucan. Although the texture of the emulsion‐enriched liver pâté was different from that of the control, this difference was reduced when β‐glucan was added to the emulsion and then to the pâté matrix. CONCLUSION: Replacing 50% of animal fat with an olive oil emulsion enriched with β‐glucan did not result in any compromise of sensory properties, increase lipid or protein oxidation. These results suggest that it is possible to replace saturated lipids with omega‐3‐rich olive oil. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are a core part of cultural identity, as part of a diet, decorations, ceremonies, or as medicinal agents. Empirical knowledge regarding plants and their healing potential has existed worldwide for centuries. With the advance of science and technology, not only is the refinement of such sources or isolation of specific compounds possible, but these compounds can also be characterized based on their natural occurrence. Besides their importance for plant metabolism and structure, polysaccharides have been demonstrated to have substantial positive human health impacts on inflammation, metabolism, oxidative stress, and others. As an inherent part of plant cell walls, many polysaccharides from medicinal herbs, such as fructans, glucans, and pectins, have been extracted and analyzed for their structure and function. However, a review summarizing a significant portion of these studies was still unavailable. This review helps to fill the knowledge gap between polysaccharide bioactivity, their structure, and their plant matrix sources, focusing on historical medicinal usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic fungi found in the guts of large herbivores are prolific biomass degraders whose genomes harbor a wealth of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), of which only a handful are structurally or biochemically characterized. Here, we report the structure and kinetic rate parameters for a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 5 subfamily 4 enzyme (CelD) from Piromyces finnis, a modular, cellulosome-incorporated endoglucanase that possesses three GH5 domains followed by two C-terminal fungal dockerin domains (double dockerin). We present the crystal structures of an apo wild-type CelD GH5 catalytic domain and its inactive E154A mutant in complex with cellotriose at 2.5 and 1.8 Å resolution, respectively, finding the CelD GH5 catalytic domain adopts the (β/α)8-barrel fold common to many GH5 enzymes. Structural superimposition of the apo wild-type structure with the E154A mutant-cellotriose complex supports a catalytic mechanism in which the E154 carboxylate side chain acts as an acid/base and E278 acts as a complementary nucleophile. Further analysis of the cellotriose binding pocket highlights a binding groove lined with conserved aromatic amino acids that when docked with larger cellulose oligomers is capable of binding seven glucose units and accommodating branched glucan substrates. Activity analyses confirm P. finnis CelD can hydrolyze mixed linkage glucan and xyloglucan, as well as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Measured kinetic parameters show the P. finnis CelD GH5 catalytic domain has CMC endoglucanase activity comparable to other fungal endoglucanases with kcat = 6.0 ± 0.6 s-1 and Km = 7.6 ± 2.1 g/L CMC. Enzyme kinetics were unperturbed by the addition or removal of the native C-terminal dockerin domains as well as the addition of a non-native N-terminal dockerin, suggesting strict modularity among the domains of CelD. KEY POINTS: • Anaerobic fungi host a wealth of industrially useful enzymes but are understudied. • P. finnis CelD has endoglucanase activity and structure common to GH5_4 enzymes. • CelDs kinetics do not change with domain fusion, exhibiting high modularity.

Submerged cultivation of edible filamentous fungi (Agaricomycetes) in bioreactors enables maximum mass transfer of nutrients and has the potential to increase the volumetric productivity of fungal biomass compared to solid state cultivation. These aspects are paramount if one wants to increase the range of bioactives (e.g. glucans) in convenient time frames. In this study, Trametes versicolor (M9911) outperformed four other Agaricomycetes tested strains (during batch cultivations in an airlift bioreactor). This strain was therefore further tested in semi-continuous cultivation. Continuous and semi-continuous cultivations (driven by the dilution rate, D) are the preferred bioprocess strategies for biomass production. We examined the semi-continuous cultivation of T. versicolor at dilution rates between 0.02 and 0.1 h−1. A maximum volumetric productivity of 0.87 g/L/h was obtained with a D of 0.1 h−1 but with a lower total biomass production (cell dry weight, CDW 8.7 g/L) than the one obtained at lower dilution rates (12.3 g/L at D of 0.04 and vs 13.4 g/L, at a D of 0.02 h−1). However, growth at a D of 0.1 h−1 resulted in a very short fermentation (18 h) which terminated due to washout (the specific D exceeded the maximum growth rate of the fungal biomass). At a D of 0.04 h−1, a CDW of 12.3 g/L was achieved without compromising the total residence time (184 h) of the fermentation. While the D of 0.04 h−1 and 0.07 h−1 achieved comparable volumetric productivities (0.5 g/L/h), the total duration of the fermentation at D of 0.07 h−1 was only 85 h. The highest glucan content of cells (27.8 as percentage of CDW) was obtained at a D of 0.07 h−1, while the lowest glucan content was observed in T. versicolor cells grown at a D of 0.02 h−1. Key points: • The highest reported volumetric productivity for fungal biomass was 0.87 g/L/h. • Semi-continuous fermentation at D of 0.02 h−1 resulted in 13.4 g/L of fungal biomass. • Semi-continuous fermentation at D of 0.07 h−1 resulted in fungal biomass with 28% of total glucans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycogen, an α-glucan polymer serving as an energy storage compound in microorganisms, is synthesized through distinct pathways (GlgC-GlgA or GlgE pathway). Both pathways involve multiple enzymes, with a shared glycogen branching enzyme (GBE). GBEs play a pivotal role in establishing α-1,6-linkages within the glycogen structure. GBEs are also used for starch modification. Understanding how these enzymes work is interesting for both glycogen synthesis in microorganisms, as well as novel applications for starch modification. This study focuses on a putative enzyme GH13_9 GBE (PoGBE13), present in a polysaccharide utilization locus (PUL) of Pontibacter sp. SGAir0037, and related to the GlgE glycogen synthesis pathway. While the PUL of Pontibacter sp. SGAir0037 contains glycogen-degrading enzymes, the branching enzyme (PoGBE13) was also found due to genetic closeness. Characterization revealed that PoGBE13 functions as a typical branching enzyme, exhibiting a relatively high branching over non-branching (hydrolysis and α-1,4-transferase activity) ratio on linear maltooctadecaose (3.0 ± 0.4). Besides the GH13_9 GBE, a GH57 (PoGH57) enzyme was selected for characterization from the same PUL due to its undefined function. The combined action of both GH13 and GH57 enzymes suggested 4-α-glucanotransferase activity for PoGH57. The characterization of these unique enzymes related to a GlgE glycogen synthesis pathway provides a more profound understanding of their interactions and synergistic roles in glycogen synthesis and are potential enzymes for use in starch modification processes. Due to the structural similarity between glycogen and starch, PoGBE13 can potentially be used for starch modification with different applications, for example, in functional food ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candidiasis is considered an emerging public health concern because of the occurrence of drug-resistant Candida strains and the lack of an available structurally diverse antifungal drug armamentarium. The indole alkaloid globospiramine from the anticandidal Philippine medicinal plant Voacanga globosa exhibits a variety of biological activities; however, its antifungal properties remain to be explored. In this study, we report the in vitro anticandidal activities of globospiramine against two clinically relevant Candida species (C. albicans and C. tropicalis) and the exploration of its possible target proteins using in silico methods. Thus, the colony-forming unit (CFU) viability assay revealed time- and concentration-dependent anticandidal effects of the alkaloid along with a decrease in the number of viable CFUs by almost 50% at 60 min after treatment. The results of the MIC and MFC assays indicated inhibitory and fungicidal effects of globospiramine against C. albicans (MIC = 8 µg/mL; MFC = 8 µg/mL) and potential fungistatic effects against C. tropicalis at lower concentrations (MIC = 4 µg/mL; MFC > 64 µg/mL). The FAM-FLICA poly-caspase assay showed metacaspase activation in C. albicans cells at concentrations of 16 and 8 µg/mL, which agreed well with the MIC and MFC values. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation experiments suggested globospiramine to bind strongly with 1,3-β-glucan synthase and Als3 adhesin—enzymes indirectly involved in apoptosis-driven candidal inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Pleurotus pulmonarius is one of the most widely consumed mushrooms containing low calories and fat. This study aimed to extract polysaccharides mainly ß‐glucan from P. pulmonarius by‐products including cap and stem using pulsed electric field (PEF) and study their prebiotic properties. The by‐products were subjected to PEF at a field strength of 5, 7.5 and 10 kV cm−1, a frequency of 15 Hz and a number of pulses of 12 000; then, the ß‐glucan content was determined with K‐YBGL assay test kit compared with a conventional extraction method using hot water at 100 °C for 6 h. In raw materials, crude carbohydrate contents in the cap and stem were 50.42% and 68.78%, respectively, and the ß‐glucan contents were 34.03% and 50.22%, respectively. After treated with PEF at 7.5 kV cm−1, the highest yield of 4.18% with ß‐glucan content of 14.10% was achieved. And the stem treated at 10 kV cm−1 showed the highest yield of 2.34% with ß‐glucan content of 21.39%. Comparatively lower yield and ß‐glucan contents were found in the samples treated with hot water. Scanning electron micrographs suggested that PEF caused severe damage to both samples. Additionally, the study of the prebiotic properties revealed that both products exhibited the ability to stimulate the growth of target lactic acid bacteria and the production of short‐chain fatty acid. This study suggested that PEF could enhance the extraction efficiency of β‐glucan with prebiotic potential from P. pulmonarius by‐products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear, unbranched (1,3;1,4)‐β‐glucans (mixed‐linkage glucans or MLGs) are commonly found in the cell walls of grasses, but have also been detected in basal land plants, algae, fungi and bacteria. Here we show that two family GT2 glycosyltransferases from the Gram‐positive bacterium Sarcina ventriculi are capable of synthesizing MLGs. Immunotransmission electron microscopy demonstrates that MLG is secreted as an exopolysaccharide, where it may play a role in organizing individual cells into packets that are characteristic of Sarcina species. Heterologous expression of these two genes shows that they are capable of producing MLGs in planta, including an MLG that is chemically identical to the MLG secreted from S. ventriculi cells but which has regularly spaced (1,3)‐β‐linkages in a structure not reported previously for MLGs. The tandemly arranged, paralogous pair of genes are designated SvBmlgs1 and SvBmlgs2. The data indicate that MLG synthases have evolved different enzymic mechanisms for the incorporation of (1,3)‐β‐ and (1,4)‐β‐glucosyl residues into a single polysaccharide chain. Amino acid variants associated with the evolutionary switch from (1,4)‐β‐glucan (cellulose) to MLG synthesis have been identified in the active site regions of the enzymes. The presence of MLG synthesis in bacteria could prove valuable for large‐scale production of MLG for medical, food and beverage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pharmacoresistant epilepsy represents a significant global health challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches. Despite advances in antiseizure medications, many patients remain treatment-resistant partially due to complex pharmacokinetic issues. Beta-cyclodextrin, known for enhancing drug solubility and stability, offers potential solutions by forming inclusion complexes, thereby improving anti-seizure medication's efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of beta-cyclodextrin and beta-cyclodextrin-complexed carbamazepine on epileptiform activities, using an in vitro model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods: Seizure-like neuronal activity was induced using the low-magnesium model. Local field potentials were recorded from transverse rat hippocampal slices immersed in epileptogenic artificial cerebrospinal fluid, followed by the administration of either beta-cyclodextrin or carbamazepine, the latter in 100 micromolar concentration. Results: Beta cyclodextrin, applied alone, significantly reduced the duration of interictal and ictal phases while increasing the frequency of seizure-like events. Carbamazepine exhibited an important anticonvulsant effect, significantly reducing ictal and postictal phase durations. However, the frequency of seizure-like events was increased. Notably, in some of the slices, carbamazepine completely suppressed epileptiform activity. Conclusions: Beta cyclodextrin had an effect on its own; it shortened seizure durations and increased their frequency. Carbamazepine in complexed form, as used in our study, exhibited anticonvulsant efficacy, emphasizing the feasibility of solubility enhancement by this method. This study provides insights into potential therapeutic strategies for pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy, improving the pharmacological properties of the drugs. As cyclodextrins emerge as promising excipients for antiepileptic drugs with poor solubility, more effort is needed in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Oat β‐glucan could ameliorate epidermal hyperplasia and accelerate epidermal barrier repair. Dectin‐1 is one of the receptors of β‐glucan and many biological functions of β‐glucan are mediated by Dectin‐1. Dectin‐1 promotes wound healing through regulating the proliferation and migration of skin cells. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the role of oat β‐glucan and Dectin‐1 in epidermal barrier repair. Experimental Approach: To investigate the role of Dectin‐1 in the epidermal barrier, indicators associated with the recovery of a damaged epidermal barrier, including histopathological changes, keratinization, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, cell–cell junctions and lipid content were compared between WT and Dectin‐1−/− mice. Further, the effect of oat β‐glucan on the disruption of the epidermal barrier was also compared between WT and Dectin‐1−/− mice. Key Results: Dectin‐1 deficiency resulted in delayed recovery and marked keratinization, as well as abnormal levels of keratinocyte differentiation, cell–cell junctions and lipid synthesis during the restoration of the epidermal barrier. Oat β‐glucan significantly reduces epidermal hyperplasia, promotes epidermal differentiation, increases cell–cell junction expression, promotes lipid synthesis and ultimately accelerates the recovery of damaged epidermal barriers via Dectin‐1. Oat β‐glucan could promote CaS receptor expression and activate the PPAR‐γ signalling pathway via Dectin‐1. Conclusion and Implications: Oat β‐glucan promote the recovery of damaged epidermal barriers through promoting epidermal differentiation, increasing the expression of cell–cell junctions and lipid synthesis through Dectin‐1. Dectin‐1 deficiency delay the recovery of epidermal barriers, which indicated that Dectin‐1 may be a potential target in epidermal barrier repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Osteoclast stimulatory transmembrane protein (OC-STAMP) plays a pivotal role in the promotion of cell fusion during osteoclast differentiation (osteoclastogenesis) in the context of pathogenic bone resorption. Thus, it is plausible that the suppression of OC-STAMP through a bioengineering approach could lead to the development of an effective treatment for inflammatory bone resorptive diseases with minimum side effects. Here, we synthesized two types of spermine-bearing (Spe) cationic glucan dendrimer (GD) gels (with or without C12) as carriers of short interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence OC-STAMP. The results showed that amphiphilic C12-GD-Spe gel was more efficient in silencing OC-STAMP than GD-Spe gel and that the mixture of anti-OC-STAMP siRNA/C12-GD-Spe significantly downregulated RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Also, local injection of anti-OC-STAMP-siRNA/C12-GD-Spe could attenuate bone resorption induced in a mouse model of periodontitis. These results suggest that OC-STAMP is a promising target for the development of a novel bone regenerative therapy and that C12-GD-Spe gel provides a new nanocarrier platform of gene therapies for osteolytic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversion of economic microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) into high value-added prebiotic glucans, is not only stimulates utilisation of renewable lignocellulosic biomass, but also provides cheap prebiotics to reduce high incidence of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Herein, glucans (C0.25–C0.50–C1.00) from MCC were prepared by pre-impregnation with dilute sulphuric acid (0.25–0.50–1.00%) and ball-milling treatment for 1 h. NMR spectroscopy and gel-permeation chromatography of the glucan products showed a significant reduction in the degree of polymerisation (DP) and molecular weights (Mw). All prepared glucans improved gut stress evaluated by in vitro digestion and fermentation (young and aging mouse faecal inocula). C1.00 with lower DP and Mw showed better water solubility, earlier peak, and exhibited increased 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl activity, higher ratios of Lactobacillus to Escherichia coli , and a higher level of short chain fatty acids better than C0.25 and C0.50 treatment (P < 0.05). Better prebiotic effects were observed in aging mice than in young mice. The highest ratio of Lactobacillus to E. coli was a 2.13-fold increase for aging mice compared to a 1.79-fold increase for young mice, relative to the initial value after C1.00 treatment. The study provides a novel pathway and a new resource for producing glucan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different starch-to-protein ratios were compared among neutered and spayed domiciled cats. Male and female obese and non-obese cats were fed kibble diets ad libitum for 4 months high in starch (HS (38 % crude protein (CP)): starch 32 %, protein 38 %; DM basis) or high in protein (HP (55 % CP): starch 19 %, protein 55 %) but similar in energy and fat in a crossover design. Physical activity was evaluated using an accelerometer, and body composition (BC), energy expenditure (EE) and water turnover (WT) using the doubly labelled water method. Results were compared in a 2 diet × 2 sex × 2 body condition factorial arrangement. Cats fed the HS (38 % CP) diet maintained a constant body weight, but lean mass (LM) tended to be reduced in female obese but to be increased in male non-obese (P < 0·08) and increased in female non-obese cats (P = 0·01). The HP (55 % CP) diet induced an increase in cat body weight and LM (P < 0·05) without altering BC proportion. EE tended to be higher in males (351 (se 8) kJ/kg0·67/d) than females (330 (se 8) kJ/kg0·67/d; P = 0·06), was unaffected by diet or BC, decreased as age increased (R 2 0·44; P < 0·01) and increased as physical activity increased (R 2 0·58; P < 0 · 01). WT was higher for the HP (55 % CP) diet (P < 0 · 01) and increased with EE (R 2 0·65; P < 0 · 01). The HS (38 % CP) diet favoured body weight control during 4 months of ad libitum feeding. Caution is necessary to balance protein in diets of female obese cats over 5 years, as they may have low energy and food intake, with LM loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis treatment is a challenging condition due to its complexity, which involves host inflammatory responses to a severe and potentially fatal infection, associated with organ dysfunction. The aim of this study was to analyze the scientific literature on the immunomodulatory effects of glucans in a murine model of systemic infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture. This study comprises an integrative literature review based on systematic steps, with searches carried out in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases. In most studies, the main type of glucan investigated was β-glucan, at 50 mg/kg, and a reduction of inflammatory responses was identified, minimizing the occurrence of tissue damage leading to increased animal survival. Based on the data obtained and discussed in this review, glucans represent a promising biotechnological alternative to modulate the immune response and could potentially be used in the clinical management of septic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycogen is a glucose storage molecule composed of branched α-1,4-glucan chains, best known as an energy reserve that can be broken down to fuel central metabolism. Because fungal cells have a specialized need for glucose in building cell wall glucans, we investigated whether glycogen is used for this process. For these studies, we focused on the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes ~150,000 deaths per year worldwide. We identified two proteins that influence formation of both glycogen and the cell wall: glycogenin (Glg1), which initiates glycogen synthesis, and a protein that we call Glucan organizing enzyme 1 (Goe1). We found that cells missing Glg1 lack α-1,4-glucan in their walls, indicating that this material is derived from glycogen. Without Goe1, glycogen rosettes are mislocalized and β-1,3-glucan in the cell wall is reduced. Altogether, our results provide mechanisms for a close association between glycogen and cell wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yeast, crucial in beer production, holds great potential owing to its ability to transform into a valuable by-product resource, known as brewer's spent yeast (BSY), with potentially beneficial physiological effects. This study aimed to compare the composition and soluble polysaccharide content of Brewer's spent yeast with those of cultured yeast strains, namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and S. boulardii (SB), to facilitate the utilization of BSY as an alternative source of functional polysaccharides. BSY exhibited significantly higher carbohydrate content and lower crude protein content than SC and SB cells. The residues recovered through autolysis were 53.11%, 43.83%, and 44.99% for BSY, SC, and SB, respectively. Notably, the polysaccharide content of the BSY residue (641.90 μg/mg) was higher than that of SC (553.52 μg/mg) and SB (591.56 μg/mg). The yields of alkali-extracted water-soluble polysaccharides were 33.62%, 40.76%, and 42.97% for BSY, SC, and SB, respectively, with BSY comprising a comparable proportion of water-soluble saccharides made with SC and SB, including 49.31% mannan and 20.18% β-glucan. Furthermore, BSY demonstrated antioxidant activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ABTS, and DPPH scavenging potential, suggesting its ability to mitigate oxidative stress. BSY also exhibited a significantly higher total phenolic compound content, indicating its potential to act as an effective functional food material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerobic hyperthermophile "Fervidibacter sacchari" catabolizes diverse polysaccharides and is the only cultivated member of the class "Fervidibacteria" within the phylum Armatimonadota. It encodes 117 putative glycoside hydrolases (GHs), including two from GH family 50 (GH50). In this study, we expressed, purified, and functionally characterized one of these GH50 enzymes, Fsa16295Glu. We show that Fsa16295Glu is a ß-1,3-endoglucanase with optimal activity on carboxymethyl curdlan (CM-curdlan) and only weak agarase activity, despite most GH50 enzymes being described as ß-agarases. The purified enzyme has a wide temperature range of 4-95°C (optimal 80°C), making it the first characterized hyperthermophilic representative of GH50. The enzyme is also active at a broad pH range of at least 5.5-11 (optimal 6.5-10). Fsa16295Glu possesses a relatively high kcat/KM of 1.82 × 107 s-1 M-1 with CMcurdlan and degrades CM-curdlan nearly completely to sugar monomers, indicating preferential hydrolysis of glucans containing ß-1,3 linkages. Finally, a phylogenetic analysis of Fsa16295Glu and all other GH50 enzymes revealed that Fsa16295Glu is distant from other characterized enzymes but phylogenetically related to enzymes from thermophilic archaea that were likely acquired horizontally from "Fervidibacteria." Given its functional and phylogenetic novelty, we propose that Fsa16295Glu represents a new enzyme subfamily, GH50_3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is a dual-purpose plant for medicine and food, its polysaccharide is considered as an immune enhancer. Four polysaccharides, WGP-20-F, WGP-40-F, WGP-60-F and WGP-80-F were obtained from ginseng via water extraction and gradient ethanol precipitation with different molecular weights (Mw) of 1.720 × 106, 1.434 × 106, 4.225 × 104 and 1.520 × 104 Da, respectively. WGP-20-F and WGP-40-F which with higher Mw and a triplehelix structure are glucans composed of 4-×-Glcp, do not show remarkable immunoregulatory effects. WGP-60-F and WGP-80-F are heteropolysaccharides mainly composed of 4-α-Glcp and also contain t-α-Araf, 5-α-Araf and 3,5-α-Araf. They are spherical branched conformations without a triple-helix structure and can effectively increase the index of immune organs, lymphocyte proliferation, activate macrophages to regulate the immune system in mice and further enhance immune functions by improving delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction and antibody response. These results indicated that WGP-60-F and WGP-80-F could be used as potential immune enhancers, and gradient ethanol precipitation can be applied for the preparation of ginseng bioactive polysaccharide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporothrix schenckii is one of the etiological agents of sporotrichosis, a cutaneous and subcutaneous infection distributed worldwide. Like other medically relevant fungi, its cell wall is a molecular scaffold to display virulence factors, such as protective pigments, hydrolytic enzymes, and adhesins. Cell wall proteins with adhesive properties have been previously reported, but only a handful of them have been identified and characterized. One of them is Gp70, an abundant cell wall protein mainly found on the surface of yeast-like cells. Since the protein also has a role in the activity of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate cyclase and its abundance is low in highly virulent strains, its role in the Sporothrix–host interaction remains unclear. Here, a set of GP70-silenced strains was generated, and the molecular and phenotypical characterization was performed. The results showed that mutants with high silencing levels showed a significant reduction in the adhesion to laminin and fibrinogen, enzyme activity, and defects in the cell wall composition, which included reduced mannose, rhamnose, and protein content, accompanied by an increment in β-1,3-glucans levels. The cell wall N-linked glycan content was significantly reduced. These strains induced poor TNFα and IL-6 levels when interacting with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a dectin-1-, TLR2-, and TLR4-dependent stimulation. The IL-1β and IL-10 levels were significantly higher and were stimulated via dectin-1. Phagocytosis and stimulation of neutrophil extracellular traps by human granulocytes were increased in highly GP70-silenced strains. Furthermore, these mutants showed virulence attenuation in the invertebrate model Galleria mellonella. Our results demonstrate that Gp70 is a versatile protein with adhesin properties, is responsible for the activity of 3-carboxy-cis,cis-muconate cyclase, and is relevant for the S. schenckii–host interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible grey oyster mushroom, Pleurotus sajor-caju, β (1,3), (1,6) glucan possesses a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammation, anti-microorganism and antioxidant. However, its biological activity is limited by low water solubility resulting from its high molecular weight. Our previous study demonstrated that enzymatic hydrolysis of grey oyster mushroom β-glucan using Hevea β-1,3-glucanase isozymes obtains a lower molecular weight and higher water solubility, Pleurotus sajor-caju glucanoligosaccharide (Ps-GOS). Additionally, Ps-GOS potentially reduces osteoporosis by enhancing osteoblast–bone formation, whereas its effect on osteoclast–bone resorption remains unknown. Therefore, our study investigated the modulatory activities and underlying mechanism of Ps-GOS on Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) -induced osteoclastogenesis in pre-osteoclastic RAW 264.7 cells. Cell cytotoxicity of Ps-GOS on RAW 264.7 cells was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and its effect on osteoclast differentiation was determined by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. Additionally, its effect on osteoclast bone-resorptive ability was detected by pit formation assay. The osteoclastogenic-related factors were assessed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot and immunofluorescence. The results revealed that Ps-GOS was non-toxic and significantly suppressed the formation of mature osteoclast multinucleated cells and their resorption activity by reducing the number of TRAP-positive cells and pit formation areas in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, Ps-GOS attenuated the nuclear factor kappa light chain-enhancer of activated B cells' P65 (NFκB-P65) expression and their subsequent master osteoclast modulators, including nuclear factor of activated T cell c1 (NFATc1) and Fos proto-oncogene (cFOS) via the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, Ps-GOS markedly inhibited RANK expression, which serves as an initial transmitter of many osteoclastogenesis-related cascades and inhibited proteolytic enzymes, including TRAP, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) and cathepsin K (CTK). These findings indicate that Ps-GOS could potentially be beneficial as an effective natural agent for bone metabolic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty species were isolated from wounds’ swabs. The most common bacterial species were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8), Staphylococcus aureus (5), Escherichia coli (5) and S. epidermidis (2). These isolates underwent tests for biofilm formation and susceptibility to ten different antibiotic discs. Most isolates exhibited resistance to amikacin, aztreonam, and carbenicillin. However, they showed some sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and imipenem. This study found out that all isolates were different in biofilm formation (weak, moderate, strong), except two isolates of E. coli. The determination of β-glucan effects produced by S. cerevisiae against multiantibiotic resistant wound infection bacteria, were conducted through the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). The antibacterial activity of β-glucan against wound infection causative bacteria was evaluated using the (MIC) ranging from 6.25 to 400 mg/mL. The antibiofilm effects of purified β-glucan (at sub-MIC) demonstrated highest inhibition percentage (92%) for biofilm formation after 72 h against multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa (2), while P. aeruginosa (5) had the lowest (32%). β-glucan activity on biofilm degradation was detected in all isolates. The highest percentage of biofilm degradation was 90% for MDR P. aeruginosa (1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review attempted to ascertain the rationale for the formulation of sustainedrelease local anesthetics and summarize the various formulation approaches designed to date to achieve sustained and localized local analgesic effects. The incidence of pain, which is the concern of patients as well as health care professionals, is increasing due to accidents, surgical procedures, and other diseases. Local anesthetics can be used for the management of moderate to severe acute and chronic pain. They also allow regional analgesia, in situations where the cause and source of the pain are limited to a particular site or region, without the need for loss of consciousness or systemic administration of other analgesics thereby decreasing the risk of potential toxicities. Though they have an interesting antipain efficacy, the short duration of action of local anesthetics makes the need for their multiple injections or opioid adjuvants mandatory. To overcome this problem, different formulations are being designed that help achieve prolonged analgesia with a single dose of administration. Combination with adjuvants, liposomal formulations, lipid-based nanoparticles, thermo-responsive nanogels, microspheres, microcapsules, complexation with multivalent counterions and HP-β-CD, lipid-based nanoparticles, and bio-adhesive films, and polymeric matrices are among the approaches. Further safety studies are required to ensure the safe and effective utilization of sustained-release local anesthetics. Moreover, the release kinetics of the various formulations should be adequately established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, waxy corn starch was modified with 230 U or 460 U of amylosucrase (AS) from Neisseria polysaccharea (NP) to elongate the glucan. The amylose content of the AS-modified starches was determined using iodine and concanavalin A (Con A) methods, and their in vivo digestion, thermal, swelling, and pasting properties were evaluated. The amylose content of AS-treated starches was not significantly different (p > 0.05) when using the Con A method but was significantly higher than that of non-AS-treated samples when using the iodine method. In vivo, rats fed AS-treated starch had significantly lower blood glucose levels at 15 min than other rats; rats fed 460 U AS had lower blood glucose levels at 30 and 60 min than non-AS-treated rats. DSC analysis revealed that AS-treated starches exhibited higher initial, melting, and completion temperatures. Minimal volume expansion was observed by swelling factor analysis, while a Rapid Visco Analyzer assessment revealed that they had higher pasting onset temperatures, lower peak viscosities, and no trough viscosity compared to native starch. The elongated glucans in AS-treated starch reinforced their crystalline structure and increased slowly digestible and enzyme-resistant starch content. Overall, AS-treated starch showed unique thermal properties and a reduced blood glucose index upon administration. This distinctive characteristic of NPAS-treated starch makes it a good candidate food or non-food material for cosmetic products, medical materials, and adhesives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) measurements of intact cell walls and cellular samples often generate spectra that are difficult to interpret due to the presence of many coexisting glycans and the structural polymorphism observed in native conditions. To overcome this analytical challenge, we present a statistical approach for analyzing carbohydrate signals using high‐resolution ssNMR data indexed in a carbohydrate database. We generate simulated spectra to demonstrate the chemical shift dispersion and compare this with experimental data to facilitate the identification of important fungal and plant polysaccharides, such as chitin and glucans in fungi and cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectic polymers in plants. We also demonstrate that chemically distinct carbohydrates from different organisms may produce almost identical signals, highlighting the need for high‐resolution spectra and validation of resonance assignments. Our study provides a means to differentiate the characteristic signals of major carbohydrates and allows us to summarize currently undetected polysaccharides in plants and fungi, which may inspire future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog effective against a number of cancers. However, it has an oral bioavailability of less than 10%, due to its high hydrophilicity and low permeability through the intestinal epithelium. Therefore, the aim of this project was to develop a novel nanoparticulate drug delivery system for the oral delivery of gemcitabine to improve its oral bioavailability. In this study, gemcitabine-loaded β-glucan NPs were fabricated using a film-casting method followed by a freezer-milling technique. As a result, the NPs showed a small particle size of 447.6 ± 14.2 nm, and a high drug entrapment efficiency of 64.3 ± 2.1%. By encapsulating gemcitabine into β-glucan NPs, a sustained drug release profile was obtained, and the anomalous diffusion release mechanism was analyzed, indicating that the drug release was governed by diffusion through the NP matrix as well as matrix erosion. The drug-loaded NPs had a greater ex vivo drug permeation through the porcine intestinal epithelial membrane compared to the plain drug solution. Cytotoxicity studies showed a safety profile of the β-glucan polymers, and the IC50s of drug solution and drug-loaded β-glucan NPs were calculated as 228.8 ± 31.2 ng·mL−1 and 306.1 ± 46.3 ng·mL−1, respectively. Additionally, the LD50 of BALB/c nude mice was determined as 204.17 mg/kg in the acute toxicity studies. Notably, pharmacokinetic studies showed that drug-loaded β-glucan NPs could achieve a 7.4-fold longer T1/2 and a 5.1-fold increase in oral bioavailability compared with plain drug solution. Finally, in vivo pharmacodynamic studies showed the promising capability of gemcitabine-loaded β-glucan NPs to inhibit the 4T1 breast tumor growth, with a 3.04- and 1.74-fold reduction compared to the untreated control and drug solution groups, respectively. In conclusion, the presented freezer-milled β-glucan NP system is a suitable drug delivery method for the oral delivery of gemcitabine and demonstrates a promising potential platform for oral chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the eating quality of uncooked white rice using Raman spectroscopy, operating with a 532 nm excitation beam, in conjunction with multivariate calibration. This analysis was performed to establish correlations between features of the spectra and the results of conventional sensory tests with the aim of establishing calibration models. The accuracy of each model was confirmed based on the associated coefficient of determination (R2), root‐mean‐square error of calibration and root mean square error of prediction values. Models based on partial least‐squares regression provided reasonable predictions (R2 > 0.8) for the eating quality of white rice. In addition, the components affecting total evaluation were evaluated using the variable importance in projection technique, and the results showed that starch, amylose, amino acids, glucans, carbohydrates, and proteins are all crucial in terms of determining the quality of white rice. This newly developed method is likely to be suitable for the evaluation of rice quality and, in principle, could also be applied to the assessment of other foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch is a reserve carbohydrate present in plants. It is an important component for maintaining various quality attributes like texture, consistency, thickening in the food industry. The aim of the present study was to isolate starch from a legume named rice bean that is not very much famous and considered as underutilized-legume. The isolated starch was studied for various physicochemical properties. One-way analysis of variance was used in this study. The starch was isolated as a white powder from the dry legume by using standard method and the starch yield was observed to be 25.79%. Legume starch was further assessed for the chemical composition. The moisture, ash, fat, protein, fiber and carbohydrate content were 9.56%, 0.35%, 0.21%, 0.69%, 0.33%, and 89.19% respectively. The apparent and total amylose content was 37.62% and 40.83% with least gelation concentration at 8% of starch gel. Starch was further assessed for functional properties. The leached amylose displayed a rise in content from 6.56% to 9.50% with the corresponding increase in temperature from 65°C to 95°C that may affect gelatinization properties of starch. The water absorption capacity was 3.60 g/g while oil absorption capacity was 3.54 g/g. Further, the emulsion stability and emulsion capacity of native starch was 79.00% and 68.33% respectively that showed good stability of emulsion. Similarly, the swelling power and solubility of rice bean starch increased with the increase of temperature from 55-95°C. However, the opposite trend was observed for an increase in starch concentration from 1-4%. The effect of different concentrations at 6, 8 and 10% on freeze-thaw stability and storage studies showed that the expelled water decreased with the rise in starch concentration up to three consecutive storage days while no change was observed later during frozen gel storage. It showed good freeze thaw stability of starch. This underutilized legume attracted more attention from researchers due of its affordability and ease of availability. In dry farming circumstances with limited soil fertility, the legume yield consistently. Thus, this neglected legume that has minimal agronomic development but many qualities is a good substitute for starch. However, thorough study on the unique functional properties and other qualities of starch from rice bean has not been carried out. The results of this underutilized legume starch can provide opportunities to starch researchers and to the food industries that are frequently using conventional sources of starch from cereals, tubers and rhizomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of scientific information on the nutrient composition of cooked rice and glycemic responses of Sri Lankan traditional rice varieties with a high export potential is scarce. This study determined the nutrient composition (moisture, ash, crude fat, and protein, digestible (DC) and total carbohydrate (TC), resistant starch (RS), insoluble (IDF), soluble (SDF), and total dietary fiber (TDF)), amylose, amylopectin, and glycemic indices (GI) of sixteen cooked unpolished traditional rice varieties with standard methods. Cooked rice and rice flour contained 55.9-70.6% (fresh weight) and 6.2-9.5% (dry basis) moisture respectively. Ash, crude fat and protein contents were 1.1-1.6%, 4.1-6.0% and 4.8-9.5% respectively. Digestible carbohydrates comprised 73.8-83.8% with over 80% TC. Cooking increased the RS (1.3-5.5%) while IDF, SDF and TDF of cooked rice were 3.8-6.4%, 0.4-4.8%, and 5.4-9.8% respectively. All varieties contained high amylose (24.2-35.7%) except for one variety and elicited either low or medium GI (49-67). GI and amylose of cooked rice showed a significant (P=0.04) negative correlation. Significant (P<0.05) positive correlation between moisture and rice portions containing 50g of carbohydrate allows the selection of rice that provides low glycemic loads. Unpolished traditional rice, rich in nutrients eliciting low or medium GI are highly suitable in diet plans for controlling the glycemic response and in achieving sustainable health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modified flour is widely used in the food industry to enhance viscosity and texture. Previous research has investigated fermenting Bamboo Shoots Flour from Ampel Gading Bamboo which is rich in fiber. Physical process combination, like temperature changes, and chemical modifications using acids or bases, may alter the flour's gel-forming properties, thereby expanding its applications, including as a thickening agent. The objective of this study is to evaluate the physicochemical properties and potential applications of Modified Bamboo Shoots Flour (MBFS) as a thickening agent. The analysis demonstrated that MBSF comprises 28.41% carbohydrates, with 4.88% crude fiber and 18.68% starch, featuring 4.74% amylose and 13.94% amylopectin (wet basis). Additionally, it contains 28.10% protein and 11.17% fat (wet basis), maintaining the characteristic form of MBSF. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) evaluation revealed the presence of ovate-shaped, rough and irregular surface starch granules. Heating a 2% MBSF suspension to 100°C increases viscosity, solubility, and swelling power. Low acidity (pH 10) enhances swelling power without affecting viscosity significantly. Both low acidity and heat treatments enhance the thickening properties of the MBFS. This study offers fundamental insights into the physical and chemical characteristics of MBFS, thereby facilitating its potential application in final products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red ginger extract (RGE) boasts high antioxidant activity due to its bioactive compounds but suffers from poor water solubility and dispersibility. This study aimed to improve these properties by converting RGE into liquid and powdered aquaresins. Diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM) were used as emulsifiers due to their balanced hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB). Aquaresins were prepared using plating methods due to their practicability and vacuum methods for the powdered form. The optimal RGE:DATEM ratio and characteristics of the aquaresins were investigated. A 45% RGE and 5% DATEM formulation yielded the highest levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and 6-gingerol, while maintaining potent antioxidant activity over 60 days. The plating method significantly enhanced bioactive compound concentration compared to the vacuum method. Adding silicon dioxide and γ-cyclodextrin improved physical properties and antioxidant stability. The 45:5 RGE:DATEM ratio offered superior chemical properties and antioxidant activity in liquid aquaresin, while the plating method contributed to better chemical characteristics and antioxidant activity in powdered form. This study paves the way for incorporating RGE into various food and pharmaceutical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]