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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their metabolites are linked to developmental neurotoxicity, but their levels in the gestational and lactational environment remain unexplored. This study investigated the effects of dietary exposure to the Fox River Mixture (FRM) on serum levels of PCBs and their metabolites in female C57BL/6 J mice. Mice were exposed to 0.1, 1.0, or 6.0 mg/kg body weight/day of FRM beginning two weeks before mating and throughout gestation and lactation. Serum samples collected from the dams at weaning were analyzed using gas chromatograph-tandem mass spectrometry and nontarget liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Results showed complex and dose-dependent differences in PCB and metabolite profiles. Untargeted metabolomics revealed alterations in metabolites involved in glucuronidation. Network analysis suggested disturbances in heme and amino acid metabolism associated with higher chlorinated PCBs. These findings suggested that PCBs and metabolites present in the gestational and lactation environment of mice may contribute to developmental neurotoxicity in rodents.

Caffeine is an ergogenic substance that is consumed globally in many forms. The use of buccally absorbable formulations instead of gastrointestinal uptake has become increasingly popular over the years, especially when accelerated absorption with minimal gastrointestinal stress is desired. This study investigated the impact of five different formulations and administration routes of caffeine on the whole blood concentrations of caffeine, paraxanthine, and theobromine: caffeinated capsules, tablets, shots, pouches, and chewing gums. A uniform dose of caffeine (200 mg) was administered to 16 healthy recreational athletes (26.0 ± 2.1 years) using a randomized crossover design. Samples were taken in the form of dried blood spots at 16 different time points in a 2-hr timeframe after drug administration. The samples were analyzed using a validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method. The results for caffeine showed no significant differences in the overall bioavailability (area under the concentration–time curve), maximal concentration, and time to maximum concentration. However, when analyzing the bioavailability of caffeine in the first 5, 10, and 15 min, the liquid caffeine formulation was superior to other administered forms (p <.05). This indicates that caffeine solubility has a major influence on its absorption rate. In sports, the rate of caffeine absorption must be considered, not only when ingesting anhydrous caffeine, but also when choosing buccal absorption. These findings imply that general guidelines for ergogenic caffeine use should consider the formulation used and, accordingly, the corresponding route of absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of exercise intensity on the proportion and rate of carbohydrate oxidation and glucoregulatory hormone responses during recovery from exercise. Six physically active participants completed 1 hr of low-intensity (LI; 50% lactate threshold) or moderate-intensity (MI; 100% lactate threshold) exercise on separate days following a randomized counterbalanced design. During exercise and for 6 hr of recovery, samples of expired air were collected to determine oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, energy expenditure, and substrate oxidation rates. Blood samples were also collected to measure glucoregulatory hormones (catecholamines, GH) and metabolites (glucose, free fatty acids, lactate, pH, and bicarbonate). During exercise, respiratory exchange ratio, energy expenditure, and the proportion and rate of carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation were higher during MI compared with LI. However, during recovery from MI, respiratory exchange ratio and the proportion and rate of CHO oxidation were lower than preexercise levels and corresponding LI. During exercise and early recovery, catecholamines and growth hormone were higher in MI than LI, and there was a trend for higher levels of free fatty acids in the early recovery from MI compared with LI. In summary, CHO oxidation during exercise increases with exercise intensity but there is a preference for CHO sparing (and fat oxidation) during recovery from MI exercise compared with LI exercise. This exercise intensity-dependent shift in substrate oxidation during recovery is explained, in part, by the pattern of change of key glucoregulatory hormones including catecholamines and growth hormone and plasma fatty acid concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is performed using colonoscopy, which is the current, most effective screening method. However, colonoscopy poses risks of harm to the patient and is an invasive process. Recent research has proven metabolomics as a potential, non-invasive detection method, which can use identified biomarkers to detect potential cancer in a patients body. The aim of this study is to develop a machine-learning (ML) model based on chemical descriptors that will recognize CRC-associated metabolites. We selected a set of metabolites found as the biomarkers of CRC, confirmed that they participate in cancer-related pathways, and used them for training a machine-learning model for the diagnostics of CRC. Using a set of selective metabolites and random compounds, we developed a range of ML models. The best performing ML model trained on Stage 0-2 CRC metabolite data predicted a metabolite class with 89.55% accuracy. The best performing ML model trained on Stage 3-4 CRC metabolite data predicted a metabolite class with 95.21% accuracy. Lastly, the best-performing ML model trained on Stage 0-4 CRC metabolite data predicted a metabolite class with 93.04% accuracy. These models were then tested on independent datasets, including random and unrelated-disease metabolites. In addition, six pathways related to these CRC metabolites were also distinguished: aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; arginine biosynthesis; and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism. Thus, in this research study, we created machine-learning models based on metabolite-related descriptors that may be helpful in developing a non-invasive diagnosis method for CRC.

Oxylipins are a group of bioactive fatty acid metabolites generated via enzymatic oxygenation. They are notably involved in inflammation, pain, vascular tone, hemostasis, thrombosis, immunity, and coagulation. Oxylipins have become the focus of therapeutic intervention since they are implicated in many conditions, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and aging. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism and distribution throughout the organism. Long-term exposure to pesticides is suspected to contribute to hepatic carcinogenesis via notable disruption of lipid metabolism. Prometryn is a methylthio-s-triazine herbicide used to control the growth of annual broadleaf and grass weeds in many cultivated plants. The amounts of prometryn documented in the environment, mainly waters, soil and plants used for human and domestic consumption are significantly high. Previous research revealed that prometryn decreased liver development during zebrafish embryogenesis. To understand the mechanisms by which prometryn could induce hepatotoxicity, the effect of prometryn (185 mg/kg every 48 h for seven days) was investigated on hepatic and plasma oxylipin levels in mice. Using an unbiased LC-MS/MS-based lipidomics approach, prometryn was found to alter oxylipins metabolites that are mainly derived from cytochrome P450 (CYP) and lipoxygenase (LOX) in both mice liver and plasma. Lipidomic analysis revealed that the hepatotoxic effects of prometryn are associated with increased epoxide hydrolase (EH) products, increased sEH and mEH enzymatic activities, and induction of oxidative stress. Furthermore, 9-HODE and 13-HODE levels were significantly increased in prometryn treated mice liver, suggesting increased levels of oxidation products. Together, these results support that sEH may be an important component of pesticide-induced liver toxicity.

Sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) are a prominent group of plant secondary metabolites predominantly found in the Asteraceae family and have multiple ecological roles and medicinal applications. This review describes the evolutionary and ecological significance of STLs, highlighting their roles in plant defence mechanisms against herbivory and as phytotoxins, alongside their function as environmental signalling molecules. We also cover the substantial role of STLs in medicine and their mode of action in health and disease. We discuss the biosynthetic pathways and the various modifications that make STLs one of the most diverse groups of metabolites. Finally, we discuss methods for identifying and predicting STL biosynthesis pathways. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of plant metabolism'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are paying more and more attention to the effects of environmental factors such as heavy metals on depression, and heavy metals may destroy the homeostasis of vitamin D in the body by affecting human metabolism, and the lack of vitamin D will increase the risk of depression. There are few studies on vitamin D deficiency in depression caused by heavy metals, and it is not deep enough. Therefore, this study used logistic regression, restricted cubic spline curve, weighted quantile and Quantile g-computation model to analyze the effects of heavy metal exposure alone and in combination on vitamin D and depression, as well as the potential role of vitamin D deficiency in the process of heavy metal-induced depression. The results showed that cadmium exposure alone or in combination increased the risk of depression (P < 0.05). When Cd increased by 1 unit, the risk of depressive symptoms increased by 1.178 units. Arsenic and its compounds and lead affected vitamin D levels in the body and contributed the second highest or highest weight in the mixture (P < 0.05). It is worth noting that after grouping according to vitamin D deficiency, compared with the normal group, the mixed exposure of heavy metals in the vitamin D deficiency group had more types of metals related to depression and contributed more weight (P < 0.05). This study found that single metal or multi-metal mixed exposure is associated with depression. Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of depression. Vitamin D may be a potential factor in the treatment of depression caused by metal, and the specific mechanism of action needs further study. • The study evaluated the correlation between single metal and its mixture exposure and depression and vitamin D deficiency. • Multiple models were used to analyze the correlation between metal exposure and depression and vitamin D deficiency. • Vitamin D deficiency may aggravate depression caused by metal exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia prattii seeds are rich in metabolites that are beneficial to human health and can be utilised as nutritional supplements. In this study, UPLC-MS and GC-MS based on extensively focused metabolomics were used to compare the seed metabolomics of the two species. LC-MS detected 118 metabolites, primarily Lipids and phenylpropanoids. GC- MS detected a total of 188 metabolites, mainly organic acids and their derivatives, of which Salvia prattii seeds contain high levels of nutrients. In addition, we experimentally determined antioxidant activity of two Salvia species, and the results showed that the antioxidant activity of Salvia prattii seeds was about twice as high as that of Salvia miltiorrhiza seeds. We used WGCNA to group the metabolites, and found the central metabolites in the focal modules including flavonoids and terpenoids. Our study contributes valuable knowledge for future research on the chemical makeup of Salvia prattii seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases pose a significant diagnostic challenge due to the increasing elderly population and the rising prevalence of these conditions. State of Knowledge: Differential diagnosis among these diseases is particularly challenging; thus, numerous clinical trials have been conducted to identify markers that could facilitate accurate disease diagnosis. Among various diagnostic approaches, imaging techniques play a crucial role, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which includes advanced modalities such as proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). ¹H-MRS offers a noninvasive assessment of neurometabolite profiles, providing critical information that aids in precise diagnosis. Conclusions: With ongoing clinical trials, the importance of ¹H-MRS in diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases continues to grow. This paper reviews the results of recent and relevant clinical trials examining changes in ¹H-MRS in the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, biocompatible magnesium oxide (MgO) nanostructures were synthesized using an aqueous solution of Piper betle leaf methanolic extract. The color change during the synthesis process, i.e., colorless to dark brown solution, indicates the formation of MgO nano structures which is further confirmed through UV–Visible spectrum that exhibited characteristic absorption band at 329 nm. Results obtained from morphological analysis reveal that MgO nano flakes (MgO NFs) are present as triangular and polyhedral shapes having an average size ranging between 150 and 200 nm with clear lattice fringes. Secondary metabolites were clearly identified from the FTIR spectrum, and they helped in reduction and stabilization during the synthesis of MgO NFs. The XRD pattern displayed Braggs planes of (111), (220), (220), (311), and (222) with a face centered cubic (FCC) structure, which was further confirmed from the SAED pattern using HRTEM analysis. The as-synthesized MgO NFs manifested profound antimicrobial activity against gram positive as well as gram-negative bacteria with favorable biocompatibility. Furthermore, methylene orange dye was degraded almost completely (98.36 %) in the presence of MgO NFs photo catalysts within 1 h of sunlight illumination. In addition, MgO NFs displayed high level of antioxidant properties with recorded IC 50 value of 15.89 μg/ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolomic profiles associated with different immune activation states in sepsis patients. DESIGN: Subgroup analysis of the PROVIDE (a Personalized Randomized trial of Validation and restoration of Immune Dysfunction in severe infections and Sepsis) prospective clinical study. SETTING: Results of the PROVIDE study showed that patients with sepsis may be classified into three states of immune activation: 1) macrophage-activation-like syndrome (MALS) characterized by hyperinflammation, sepsis-induced immunoparalysis, and 3) unclassified or intermediate patients without severe immune dysregulation. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: Two hundred ten patients from 14 clinical sites in Greece meeting the Sepsis-3 definitions with lung infection, acute cholangitis, or primary bacteremia. INTERVENTIONS: During our comparison, we did not perform any intervention. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed on plasma samples from 210 patients (a total of 1394 products). Differential abundance analysis identified 221 significantly different metabolites across the immune states. Metabolites were enriched in pathways related to ubiquinone biosynthesis, tyrosine metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism when comparing MALS to immunoparalysis and unclassified patients. When comparing MALS to unclassified, 312 significantly different metabolites were found, and pathway analysis indicated enrichment in multiple pathways. Comparing immunoparalysis to unclassified patients revealed only two differentially regulated metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest distinct metabolic dysregulation patterns associated with different immune dysfunctions in sepsis: the strongest metabolic dysregulation is associated with MALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are secondary metabolites with high physiological importance for survival under ultraviolet radiation (UVR). This is particularly important in drylands, where cyanobacteria are the main components of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which are subjected to strong natural solar UVB (280–315 nm) irradiation. This research aims to assess the capability of cyanobacteria isolated from biocrusts from Sejzi Plain, Iran, to produce EPS under UVB treatment. Using a top-down approach, two cyanobacterial species were isolated from biocrusts, and identified as Microcoleus vaginatus and Oscillatoria sp. Both taxa were exposed to controlled UVB radiation for 24, 48 and 72 h. Chlorophyll a content, more soluble EPS fraction (loosely bound EPS, LB-EPS), and less soluble EPS fraction (tightly bound EPS, TB EPS) production were measured. M. vaginatus and Oscillatoria sp. produced equal amounts of both EPS under the UVB treatment. A significant relationship was found for decreasing LB-EPS after 24 h of exposure to UVB, while the amount of TB EPS did not decrease, and even increased significantly after 48 and 72 h. The chlorophyll a content of treated cyanobacteria and their control culture was not significantly different. Therefore, under prolonged UVB up to 72 h, these cyanobacteria produced more TB-EPS than LB-EPS. Consequently, TB-EPS might contribute to higher survival under UVB than LB-EPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to (i) better understand the phytochemical composition of extracts prepared from the leaves and roots with rhizomes of the scarcely studied Iris versicolor , and (ii) propose optimal extraction conditions (solvent composition, temperature, time) for the isolation of bioactive compounds. A UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS targeted screening method was applied in combination with in silico fragmentation. The analysis revealed a total of 106 target metabolites, many of which are reported to occur in I. versicolor for the first time. (Iso)flavonoids were the most abundant compounds, followed by terpenoids, phenols, xanthones, phenolic acids, quinones, and steroids, with quinones being reported for the first time in this species. Terpenoids were characteristic of roots with rhizomes, while xanthones dominated in the leaves. Based on the varied experimental conditions, surface response analysis generated significant models for the extraction of terpenoids, quinones, and steroids. Our research provides valuable insight for the effective medicinal and commercial use of I. versicolor. [Display omitted] • A UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method was developed for metabolic screening of Iris versicolor. • 106 secondary metabolites detected, including phenolics and terpenoids. • Xanthones dominated in the leaves, while roots were rich in terpenoids. • Quinones reported to occur in I. versicolor for the first time. • Significant extraction models for terpenoids, steroids, and quinones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Studies using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal substantial inconsistencies in the levels of brain glutamate, glutamine and glutamate + glutamine across schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This systematic review employs qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse the patterns and relationships between glutamatergic metabolites, schizophrenia spectrum disorders and brain regions. Methods: A literature search was conducted using various databases with keywords including glutamate, glutamine, schizophrenia, psychosis and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Inclusion criteria were limited to case-control studies that reported glutamatergic metabolite levels in adult patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnosis – i.e. first-episode psychosis, schizophrenia, treatment-resistant schizophrenia and/or ultra-treatment-resistant schizophrenia – using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T or above. Pooled study data were synthesized and analysed. Results: A total of 92 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 2721 healthy controls and 2822 schizophrenia spectrum disorder participants. Glu levels were higher in the basal ganglia, frontal cortex and medial prefrontal of first-episode psychosis participants, contrasting overall lower levels in schizophrenia participants. For Gln, strong differences in metabolite levels were evident in the basal ganglia, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal cortex, with first-episode psychosis showing significantly higher levels in the basal ganglia. In glutamate + glutamine, higher metabolite levels were found across schizophrenia spectrum disorder groups, particularly in the basal ganglia and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of treatment-resistant schizophrenia participants. Significant relationships were found between metabolite levels and medication status, clinical measures and methodological variables. Conclusion: The review highlights abnormal glutamatergic metabolite levels throughout schizophrenia spectrum disorders and in specific brain regions. The review underscores the importance of standardized future research assessing glutamatergic metabolites using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy due to considerable literature heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyllosphere-associated microorganisms must deal with various abiotic stresses such as high-low temperature, low nutrients, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These collective actions may trigger the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and causes cellular damage. Cellular defense mechanisms such as morphological changes (size or appearance), production of photo-protectant compounds, and enhancement of antioxidant activities, all of which may contribute to the suppression of ROS and significantly increase survival rates under UV radiation. In this study, five UVB-resistant plant growth-promoting methylotrophs (Methylorubrum thiocyanatum (SD2), Rhodococcus kroppenstedtii (UK3), Methylorubrum populi (KD5), and Methylobacterium brachiatum (KD1 and SD3)) were investigated as adaptive strategies against UVB radiation. Exposure to UVB radiation revealed that methylotrophs changed their morphology to club or dumbbell shapes, and formed biofilm-like structures. Furthermore, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) analyses of the methanol-based intracellular extracts of methylotrophs revealed the presence of carotenoids, flavonoids, fatty acids, and antioxidants. Additionally, methylotrophs showed enhanced antioxidant activities such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and proline content with increased UVB exposure (1 -4 h). These findings demonstrate the ability and various adaptation strategies of methylotrophs to survive UVB exposure. These adaptive strategies may be one reason for the promotion of plant growth by methylotrophs under UVB radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is an environmental stress factor restricting the growth and productivity of plants. Sugar beet can acclimate to diverse types of abiotic stress, such as drought. Although many studies on response of sugar beet to drought stress have been conducted, the expressions of drought-responsive genes in sugar beet have rarely been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we performed a transcriptome analysis of leaf samples from water-controlled sugar beet seedlings. The clean reads were obtained and assembled into 21,749 unique genes. Among them, we identified 1,675 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). According to the findings of the Gene ontology (GO) analysis, "biological process", "metabolic process", "oxidation–reduction process" and "catalytic activity" were the most highly enriched GO terms. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that "biosynthesis of secondary metabolites", "metabolic pathways", "plant hormone signal transduction", and "protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum" were the four most highly enriched pathways. Drought stress significantly restrained dry mass and net photosynthetic rate of sugar beet. The expression levels of genes encoding homeobox-leucine zipper protein ATHB-12, berberine bridge enzyme-like 13, auxin response factor 5, and photosystem I subunit O were significantly altered under drought stress. In addition, 36 DEGs occurred with differential alternative splicing. Our findings provided new insights into the regulatory functions of genes related to drought resistance in sugar beet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cladosporol derivative xylophilum A (1), together with 10 known compounds (2–11), were isolated from the rice fermentation of the fungus Cladosporium xylophilum. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic methods and comparison of their NMR data with literatures. The antimicrobial activity of compound 1 against 11 kinds of pathogenic microbial was evaluated, but no significant activity was found (MIC >100 μg/ml). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to estimate the associations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exposure with the prevalence of total and specific cardiovascular disease (CVD) among the general adult population. This cross-sectional study analyzed 15 urinary VOC metabolites in the general population using the 2011–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 5,213). The weighted study population with 47.0 years median age, was primarily female (51.2%). The prevalence of total CVD in the overall population was 7.9%. The single-exposure analyzes of AAMA, ATCA, CEMA, CYMA, DHBMA, 3HPMA, and 3MHA +4MHA were significantly associated with increased prevalence of total CVD. Qgcomp regression consistently showed that urinary VOCs-mixed exposure was positively correlated with the prevalence of total and specific CVDs (chronic heart failure, angina, and stroke), and highlighted each VOCs metabolite weights and direction. The similar results were observed for the WQS regression using mixed analysis methods. In conclusion, exposure to VOCs increases CVD prevalence and advances the identification of risk factors for CVD for environmental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clozapine (CLZ) -related accidents or crimes are common in the world. Oral fluid drug detection is a convenient measure of dealing with things like that. There has not been any literature reported detailedly the representation rule of clozapine and its metabolites in oral fluid so far. The study aimed to describe the pharmacokinetics of CLZ and its metabolites N-desmethylclozapine and clozapine-N-oxide in human oral fluid after a single 12.5 mg oral dose of CLZ. Twenty-nine volunteers, including 20 males and 9 females, were recruited, and 2 mL oral fluid was collected from each participant at post-consumption time-points of prior (zero), 0.5, 1.5, 3, 5, 8, 12, 24, 36, 51, 82, and 130 h, respectively. Analytes of interest were extracted with solid-phase extraction and analyzed with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using the pharmacokinetic software DAS according to the non-compartment model. The maximum concentration, the time of maximum concentration, oral clearance, and the elimination half-life of clozapine were 16.57 ± 9.63 ng/mL, 4.53 ± 3.61 h, 57.65 ± 23.77 L/h and 53.58 ± 52.28 h, respectively. The maximum concentration, the time of maximum concentration, and the elimination half-life of the metabolite N-desmethylclozapine were 3.08 ± 1.19 ng/mL, 9.38 ± 9.33 h and 62.67 ± 82.57 h, respectively; of clozapine-N-oxide were 1.15 ± 0.36 ng/mL, 4.53 ± 2.19 h and 19.15 ± 23.11 h, respectively. It was the first study on the pharmacokinetics of CLZ and its metabolites in the oral fluid of Chinese healthy volunteers, and it provided a basis for the therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicological interpretation in clozapine-related cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Cellulose synthase-like OsCSLD4 plays a pivotal role in regulating diverse agronomic traits, enhancing resistance against bacterial leaf blight, and modulating metabolite indices based on the multi-omics analysis in rice. To delve deeper into this complex network between agronomic traits and metabolites in rice, we have compiled a dataset encompassing genome, phenome, and metabolome, including 524 diverse accessions, 11 agronomic traits, and 841 metabolites, enabling us to pinpoint eight hotspots through GWAS. We later discovered four distinct metabolite categories, encompassing 15 metabolites that are concurrently present on the QTL qC12.1, associated with leaf angle of flag and spikelet length, and finally focused the cellulose synthase-like OsCSLD4, which was pinpointed through a rigorous process encompassing sequence variation, haplotype, ATAC, and differential expression across diverse tissues. Compared to the wild type, csld4 exhibited significant reductions in the plant height, flag leaf length, leaf width, spikelet length, 1000-grain weight, grain width, grain thickness, fertility, yield per plant, and bacterial blight resistance. However, there were significant increase in tiller numbers, degree of leaf rolling, flowering period, growth period, grain length, and empty kernel rate. Furthermore, the content of four polyphenol metabolites, excluding metabolite N-feruloyltyramine (mr1268), notably rose, whereas the levels of the other three polyphenol metabolites, smiglaside C (mr1498), 4-coumaric acid (mr1622), and smiglaside A (mr1925) decreased significantly in mutant csld4. The content of amino acid L-tyramine (mr1446) exhibited a notable increase, whereas the alkaloid trigonelline (mr1188) displayed a substantial decrease among the mutants. This study offered a comprehensive multi-omics perspective to analyze the genetic mechanism of OsCSLD4, and breeders can potentially enhance rice's yield, bacterial leaf blight resistance, and metabolite content, leading to more sustainable and profitable rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fermented foods have been a part of the human diet in both traditional and modern cultures. Fermented food products are those produced through the addition of microbes such as yeast and bacteria. Each fermented food has distinct population of microorganisms, acts as probiotics, and produces a variety of metabolites and bioactive compounds. The physical and chemical changes in fermented food are due to the presence of probiotics and prebiotics, resulting in improved quality and long-term stability of the product. The positive health benefits have been investigated intensively, and the consolidated data are presented in this review. Once ingested, the beneficial bacteria colonize in the gut microbiome, produce bioactive compounds, and protect the human body from pathogenic microorganisms in various ways. The purpose of this paper is to present various types of fermented foods and beverages, probiotics, and prebiotics present in the foods, bioprocess technologies used for processing of fermented foods, nutritional quality of the fermented foods, and the influence of fermented foods on gut microbiome and health. Therefore, the benefits of fermented foods and beverages on gut microbiome should be studied and pursued to promote good health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant polyphenols are the secondary metabolites of plants, with a wide variety of types and diverse structures. At present, many phenolic compounds and their derivatives have been isolated and identified from nature. Common plant polyphenolic compounds have a polyhydroxyl structure, most of which are found in the plants seen in daily life, and most of them have poor water solubility. Due to the existence of polyhydroxyl structure, most plant polyphenols have strong biological activities such as antioxidant, anti‐bacterial and anti‐inflammatory, anti‐cancer, regulation of blood glucose and blood lipid, and anti‐obesity, which are of great research value and broad application prospects. In addition, plant polyphenols have been widely used in food and have become a trendy research topic. Therefore, in this paper, the classifications of plant polyphenols, current status of their bioactivity research and their application in food were analysed, providing reference value for the research and utilisation of plant polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Saccharomyces cerevisiae CECA was a potential indigenous Chinese wine yeast that can produce aroma and flavor in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. High‐throughput sequencing combined with metabolite analysis was applied to analyze the effects of CECA inoculation on the native microbial community interaction and metabolism during Cabernet Sauvignon wine fermentation. RESULTS: Fermentations were performed with three different inoculant strategies: spontaneous fermentation without inoculation, inoculation with CECA after grape must sterilization, and direct inoculation of CECA. Results showed that the diversity of bacteria (P = 0.033) is more sensitive to CECA inoculation than fungi (P = 0.563). In addition, CECA inoculation altered the species composition of core microorganisms (relative abundance >1%) and the keystone species (accounting for the top 1% of the most important interactions), as well as of the biomarkers (linear discriminant analysis > 3.0, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the inoculation could change the cluster of metabolites, and these differential metabolite sets were correlated with four fungal taxa of Issatchenkia, Issatchenkia orientalis, Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes and two bacterial taxa of Pantoea, Tatumella ptyseos, were significantly correlated. Inoculated fermentation also altered the correlation between dominant microorganisms and aroma compounds, giving Cabernet Sauvignon wines more herbal, floral, fruity, and cheesy aromas. CONCLUSION: Saccharomyces cerevisiae CECA and dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) inhibition treatments significantly altered the microbial community structure of Cabernet Sauvignon wines, which in turn affected the microbial‐metabolite correlation. These findings will help winemakers to control the microbial dynamics and functions during wine fermentation, and be more widely used in regional typical wine fermentations. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) has a long history of traditional use. It contains various alkaloids and polyphenols. The properties of kratom's alkaloids have been well‐documented. However, the property of kratom's polyphenols in water‐soluble phase have been less frequently reported. This study assessed the effects of water‐soluble Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) extract (MSE) on gut microbiota and their metabolite production in fecal batch culture. RESULTS: The water‐soluble kratom extract (MSE0) and the water‐soluble kratom extract after partial sugar removal (MSE50) both contained polyphenols, with total phenolic levels of 2037.91 ± 51.13 and 3997.95 ± 27.90 mg GAE/g extract, respectively and total flavonoids of 81.10 ± 1.00 and 84.60 ± 1.43 mg CEQ/g extract. The gut microbiota in fecal batch culture was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing at 0 and 24 h of fermentation. After fermentation, MSE50 stimulated the growth of Bifidobacterium more than MSE0. MSE0 gave the highest total fatty acids level among the treatments. The phenolic metabolites produced by some intestinal microbiota during fecal fermentation at 24 h were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The major metabolite of biotransformation of both water‐soluble MSEs by intestinal microbiota was pyrocatechol (9.85–11.53%). CONCLUSION: The water‐soluble MSEs and their produced metabolites could potentially be used as ingredients for functional and medicinal food production that supports specific gut microbiota. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotic factors in fungal exudates impact plant-fungal symbioses establishment. Mutualistic ectomycorrhizal fungi play various ecological roles in forest soils by interacting with trees. Despite progress in understanding secreted fungal signals, dynamics of signal production in situ before or during direct host root contact remain unclear. We need to better understand how variability in intra-species fungal signaling at these stages impacts symbiosis with host tissues. Using the ECM model Pisolithus microcarpus , we selected two isolates (Si9 and Si14) with different abilities to colonize Eucalyptus grandis roots. Hypothesizing that distinct early signalling and metabolite profiles between these isolates would influence colonization and symbiosis, we used microdialysis to non-destructively collect secreted metabolites from either the fungus, host, or both, capturing the dynamic interplay of pre-symbiotic signalling over 48 hours. Our findings revealed significant differences in metabolite profiles between Si9 and Si14, grown alone or with a host root. Si9, with lower colonization efficiency than Si14, secreted a more diverse range of compounds, including lipids, oligopeptides, and carboxylic acids. In contrast, Si14's secretions, similar to the host's, included more aminoglycosides. This study emphasizes the importance of intra-specific metabolomic diversity in ectomycorrhizal fungi, suggesting that early metabolite secretion is crucial for establishing successful mutualistic relationships. • Microdialysis was used to sample secreted metabolites non-destructively in situ • Two isolates of Pisolithus microcarpus has contrasting host colonization ability • The two isolates had significantly different metabolite profiles under axenic state • The isolate with lower root colonization produced a more diverse array of compounds • Metabolites from the isolate with higher colonization efficiency mirrored the host [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations have underpinned research into gene characterization across all domains of life. This includes the discovery of the genes involved in the development of asexual spores in filamentous fungi. Mutants in the ascomycete Paecilomyces variotii were isolated with impaired biosynthesis of the characteristic yellow pigment produced by this filamentous fungus. The affected genes were identified as pvpP , encoding the polyketide synthase that is required for synthesis of the pigment YWA1, and abaA and wetA that are two genes that encode components of the AbaA-BrlA-WetA module required for the development of asexual spores in species in the Eurotiales order. WetA was further characterized. A strain expressing a functional WetA-GFP fusion was created and used to find that WetA is expressed primarily in spores and concentrated in their nuclei, providing evidence that this conserved protein likely functions as a regulator of transcription in conidia. Analysis of the phenotypes of the P. variotii wetA mutant suggests that how this three-protein module impacts fungal biology will vary from species-to-species, despite being conserved amongst filamentous Ascomycete species. • Insertional mutants of Paecilomyces variotii without pigments were isolated. • Genes impaired include two in the core abaA-brlA-wetA module for conidiation. • The WetA protein is predominantly produced in conidia and localized to nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of legume‐rhizobia symbiosis by microorganisms has obtained considerable interest in recent research, particularly in the common rhizobacteria Bacillus. However, few studies have provided detailed explanations regarding the regulatory mechanisms involved. Here, we investigated the effects of Bacillus (Bac.B) on Bradyrhizobium–soybean (Glycine max) symbiosis and elucidated the underlying ecological mechanisms. We found that two Bradyrhizobium strains (i.e. Bra.Q2 and Bra.D) isolated from nodules significantly promoted nitrogen (N) efficiency of soybean via facilitating nodule formation, thereby enhanced plant growth and yield. However, the intrusion of Bac.B caused a reverse shift in the synergistic efficiency of N2 fixation in the soybean–Bradyrhizobium symbiosis. Biofilm formation and naringenin may be importantin suppression of Bra.Q2 growth regulated by Bac.B. In addition, transcriptome and microbiome analyses revealed that Bra.Q2 and Bac.B might interact to regulateN transport and assimilation, thus influence the bacterial composition related to plant N nutrition in nodules. Also, the metabolisms of secondary metabolites and hormones associated with plant–microbe interaction and growth regulation were modulated by Bra.Q2 and Bac.B coinoculation. Collectively, we demonstrate that Bacillus negatively affects Bradyrhizobium–soybean symbiosis and modulate microbial interactions in the nodule. Our findings highlight a novel Bacillus‐based regulation to improve N efficiency and sustainable agricultural development. Summary Statement: We found a Bacillus, isolated from nodule, inhibited N efficiency in soybean–Bradyrhizobium symbiosis, mainly by restraining biofilm formation and naringenin‐regulated growth of Bradyrhizobium, regulating N, flavonoid, hormone metabolic pathways and beneficial bacteria composition in nodule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to screen the bioactive components in Streptococcus equinus WC1 (SE-WC1) and Limosilactobacillus reuteri GM4 (LR-GM4) and estimate the therapeutic role in Ehrlich solid tumors (EST) mice model. Forty-four male albino EST mice were assigned into 7 groups and treated daily for 2 weeks, including the EST group, the EST mice that received SE-WC1 at a low or a high dose (0.5 ml *106 or 0.5 ml *108 cfu), the EST mice that received LR-GM4 at the low or the high dose (0.5 ml *106 or 0.5 ml *108 cfu), and the EST mice that received SE-WC1 plus LR-GM4 at the low or the high dose. Tumors were harvested, weighed, examined, and used for the determination of apoptosis-related gene expression. Samples of the intestine, liver, and kidney were gathered for histological examination. The GC–MS identified 24 and 36 bioactive compounds in SE-WC1 and LR-GM4, respectively. The main compound in SE-WC1 was lupeol; however, the main compound in LR-GM4 was retinaldehyde. EST mice showed disturbances in Bcl-2, Bax, and p53 mRNA expression along with histological changes in the intestine, liver, and kidney. Administration of both bacterial strains reduced the tumor weight, alleviated the disturbances in the gene expression, and improved the histological structure of the intestine, liver, and kidney in a dose-dependent. Moreover, LR-GM4 was more effective than SE-WC1 due to its higher content of bioactive compounds. It could be concluded that these strains of probiotics are promising for the treatment of solid tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, 3- and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol) and zearalenone are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Fusarium species. Although managing these mycotoxins simultaneously is crucial, current analytical methods differ because of their distinct properties. In this study, food matrix extraction conditions were established and applied to cereal-based foods (n = 90). The optimal conditions were developed by utilizing fragment ions and precursors, following the guidelines established by the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC). The developed method demonstrated high accuracy and reliability within 20 min, even for samples with low concentrations. Consequently, the recovery range of the fat-oil-processed products and cereal sirup improved from 27.0% to 98.3% and 27.6% to 97.8%, respectively. This improved extraction method offers a more convenient and rapid approach for the analysis of various matrices. Furthermore, these optimized methods can be extended to monitor the co-occurrence of mycotoxins in cereal-based foods, providing valuable assistance to the food industry and regulatory agencies for detecting and monitoring mycotoxins that may pose potential health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of supplied roughage may cause losses in the chemical composition and digestibility of gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium [Jacq.] Kunth ex Walp.) depending on their making and fed-out management. This study has summarized data from scientific studies on gliricidia and compared its nutritional value in various fed forms using a systematic review approach and principal component analysis (PCA). A robust survey of scientific papers was realized on web indexes of periodicals and databases from 1990 to 2023. Data from 100 scientific researches has been compiled and analyzed. In 40% of the trials, the gliricidia nutritional value was determined as fresh leaves, while 30% was in the form of ‘leaves + thin stems’. Gliricidia was evaluated as silage in 11% of the opportunities, followed by 10% as leaf meal and 9% as hay. Non-fiber carbohydrates, crude protein (CP), and organic matter digestibility (OM) had negative correlations with neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and lignin. Only NDF, ADF, and CP contents could explain 71% of the total data variation (PC1 and PC2). There was no discrimination among fed forms, so they showed similar nutrient compositions. Eventual nutrient losses reported in the scientific researches owing to ensilage, haymaking, and leaf meal-making processes do not mischaracterize the gliricidia nutritional value. The assorted manners of roughage making, and fed-out management traditionally performed by farmers can conserve the excellent nutritional quality of gliricidia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has a rich historical background in traditional medicine and is currently the subject of scientific exploration due to its potential health benefits. In this review, the biological characteristics of pomegranate, with a specific focus on the diverse phytochemicals found in its various parts were investigated. Additionally, the medicinal and therapeutic properties associated with these phytochemicals were explored. Pomegranates are abundant in bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, flavones, flavonols, anthocyanidins, ellagic acid, anthocyanins, ellagitannins, and punicic acid. These compounds are associated with various potential health benefits based on the laboratory data. Chromatography and mass spectrometry are used to identify these phytochemicals. Traditional medicinal uses of pomegranate span a broad spectrum, from treating ailments like diarrhoea to combating parasites, underscoring its historical significance. Furthermore, modern scientific research sheds light on the therapeutic properties of pomegranate, including its roles as an antioxidant, an anticancer agent, an anti-inflammatory substance, and a supporter of cardiovascular health. Notably, pomegranate's potential in mitigating conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease is also attractive. In summary, exploring phytochemicals in pomegranate underscores its value as a natural source of diverse therapeutic compounds with applications in medicine and health. However, future clinical trials are necessary to validate these potential benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone malunion or nonunion leads to functional and esthetic problems and is a major healthcare burden. Activation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and subsequent induction of osteogenic differentiation by local metabolites are crucial steps for bone healing, which has not yet been completely investigated. Here, we found that lactate levels are rapidly increased at the local injury site during the early phase of bone defect healing, which facilitates the healing process by enhancing BMSCs regenerative capacity. Mechanistically, lactate serves as a ligand for the Olfr1440 olfactory receptor, to trigger an intracellular calcium influx that in turn activates osteogenic phenotype transition of BMSCs. Conversely, ablation of Olfr1440 delays skeletal repair and remodelling, as evidenced by thinner cortical bone and less woven bone formation in vivo. Administration of lactate in the defect area enhanced bone regeneration. These findings thus revealed the key roles of lactate in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which deepened our understanding of the bone healing process, as well as provided cues for a potential therapeutic option that might greatly improve bone defect treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable agriculture requires the exploration and development of eco-friendly technologies to increase crop production. From the last few decades, nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP) based technology appears as an encouraging frontier in this quest. NTAPP with low temperature and energetic gas-phase chemistry offers potential applications to promote seed germination rate and plant growth. It initiates a cascade of biological responses at molecular levels inside the seed as well as in plants, greater nutrient uptake, elevated antioxidant activity, and pathogen control to ensure improved germination, seedling growth, plant growth, and increased harvesting. NTAPP technology has become more popular and convenient in agriculture due to its potential to produce plasma-activated water (PAW), which harnesses useful reactive species with PAW irrigation to promote plant growth. Recent advancements in NTAPP technology and its applications to promote seed germination, seedling growth, plant growth, and metabolite synthesis were summarized in this review. We delve deeper to examine the possible mechanisms that underlie the involvement of reactive species from NTAPP, surface interactions, and gene expression regulation. We also have discussed the applications of NTAPP in seed priming, pre-planting treatments, and disease control for food preservation. For sustainable agriculture, NTAPP stands out as an eco-friendly technology with the potential to revolutionize crop production of the modern age. Many researchers proved that NTAPP reduces the need for agrochemicals and presents a viable path toward sustainable agriculture. This review will provide recent progress by outlining major challenges and shaping future directions for harnessing the potential of NTAPP in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the limitations of untargeted metabolomics in precise metabolite quantification, our current research employed a novel approach by integrating untargeted and targeted metabolomics utilizing ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐QTOF‐MS/MS) to analyze the metabolic profile and potential biomarkers for tuberculosis (TB). A cohort of 36 TB patients and 36 healthy controls (HC) was enlisted to obtain serum samples. Multivariate pattern recognition and univariate statistical analysis were employed to screen and elucidate the differential metabolites, whereas dot plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were established for the identification of potential biomarkers of TB. The results indicated a distinct differentiation between the two groups, identifying 99 metabolites associated with five primary metabolic pathways in relation to TB. Of these, 19 metabolites exhibited high levels of sensitivity and specificity, as evidenced by the area under curve values approaching 1. Following targeted quantitative analysis, three potential metabolites, namely, L‐asparagine, L‐glutamic acid, and arachidonic acid, were demonstrated excellent discriminatory ability as evidenced by the results of the ROC curve, dot plots, and random forest model. Particularly noteworthy was the enhanced diagnostic efficacy of the combination of these three metabolites compared to singular biomarkers, suggesting their potential utility as serum biomarkers for TB diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Proton MRS is used clinically to collect localized, quantitative metabolic data from living tissues. However, the presence of baselines in the spectra complicates accurate MRS data quantification. The occurrence of baselines is not specific to short‐echo‐time MRS data. In short‐echo‐time MRS, the baseline consists typically of a dominating macromolecular (MM) part, and can, depending on B0 shimming, poor voxel placement, and/or localization sequences, also contain broad water and lipid resonance components, indicated by broad components (BCs). In long‐echo‐time MRS, the MM part is usually much smaller, but BCs may still be present. The sum of MM and BCs is denoted by the baseline. Many algorithms have been proposed over the years to tackle these artefacts. A first approach is to identify the baseline itself in a preprocessing step, and a second approach is to model the baseline in the quantification of the MRS data themselves. This paper gives an overview of baseline handling algorithms and also proposes a new algorithm for baseline correction. A subset of suitable baseline removal algorithms were tested on in vivo MRSI data (semi‐LASER at TE = 40 ms) and compared with the new algorithm. The baselines in all datasets were removed using the different methods and subsequently fitted using spectrIm‐QMRS with a TDFDFit fitting model that contained only a metabolite basis set and lacked a baseline model. The same spectra were also fitted using a spectrIm‐QMRS model that explicitly models the metabolites and the baseline of the spectrum. The quantification results of the latter quantification were regarded as ground truth. The fit quality number (FQN) was used to assess baseline removal effectiveness, and correlations between metabolite peak areas and ground truth models were also examined. The results show a competitive performance of our new proposed algorithm, underscoring its automatic approach and efficiency. Nevertheless, none of the tested baseline correction methods achieved FQNs as good as the ground truth model. All separately applied baseline correction methods introduce a bias in the observed metabolite peak areas. We conclude that all baseline correction methods tested, when applied as a separate preprocessing step, yield poorer FQNs and biased quantification results. While they may enhance visual display, they are not advisable for use before spectral fitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to environmental pollution, the risk of cadmium stress for crops is soaring, so researchers are exploring inexpensive solutions to enhance cultivated crops in contaminated soil. Using microorganisms to reduce cadmium risk has been one of the most effective strategies in recent decades. Serendipita indica (Piriformospora indica) is one of the best endophyte fungi that, in addition to reducing heavy metal stress for crops, can significantly reduce the threat of other abiotic stresses. As part of this research, cadmium in soil has been investigated, as well as its effects on plants' morphophysiological and biochemical characteristics. The present review has also attempted to identify the role of Serendipita indica in improving the growth and performance of crops, as well as its possible effect on reducing the risk of cadmium. The results showed that Serendipita indica enhance the growth and productivity of plants in contaminated environments by improving soil quality, reducing cadmium absorption, improving the activity of antioxidant enzymes and secondary metabolites, raising water and mineral absorption, and altering morphophysiological structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a serious health problem that dysregulates intestinal microbiota. Angiotensin (Ang)‐(1–7) plays a protective role in the intestinal barrier in AP, but its effect on intestinal microbiota remains clear. To investigate the impact of Ang‐(1–7) on AP‐induced intestinal microbiota disorder and metabolites. We collected blood and fecal samples from 31 AP patients within 48 h after admission to the hospital, including 11 with mild AP (MAP), 14 with moderately severe AP (MSAP), six with severe AP (SAP). Mice were divided into four groups: control, AP, AP + Ang‐(1–7) via tail vein injection, and AP + Ang‐(1–7) via oral administration. The samples of mice were collected 12 h after AP. Pancreatic and intestinal histopathology scores were analyzed using the Schmidt and Chiu scores. Fecal microbiota and metabolites analysis was performed via 16S rDNA sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics analysis, respectively. In patients, the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Negativicutes) decreased and pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium bolteae and Ruminococcus gnavus) increased in SAP compared with MAP. Ang‐(1–7) levels were associated with changes in the microbiota. There were differences in the intestinal microbiota between control and AP mice. Ang‐(1–7) attenuated intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in AP mice, reflecting in the increase in beneficial bacteria (Odoribacter and Butyricimonas) than AP, as well as pancreatic and intestinal injuries. Oral administration of Ang‐(1–7) reversing AP‐induced decreases in metabolisms: secondary bile acids, emodin, and naringenin. Ang‐(1–7) may improve intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and modulate fecal metabolites in AP, thereby reducing the damage of AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: This study focuses on the advantage of using the novel electron‐activated dissociation (EAD) technology on the QTOF system for structural elucidation of conjugation metabolites. In drug metabolite identification, conceptual "boxes" are generally used to represent potential sites of modifications, which are proposed based on MS/MS data. Electron‐activated dissociation (EAD) provides unique fragmentation patterns, potentially allowing for more precise localization of the metabolic modification sites compared to CID, particularly for conjugations. Method: Known compounds were incubated with rat liver microsomes in the presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), uridine dihosphate‐glucuronic acid (UDPGA), and glutathione. Conjugation metabolites were analyzed using the QTOF system. High‐resolution MS/MS spectra were collected using EAD and CID fragmentations along with TOF MS full scan for tested drugs and metabolites. Fragmentation patterns were compared to evaluate their efficiency in structural elucidation. Results: Metabolite profiling identified conjugation metabolites (glucuronides and GSH adducts), using characteristic mass shifts. A comparison of EAD and CID fragmentation revealed EAD‐specific fragments for most conjugates. EAD was able to break the relatively stable bonds on parent drug motifs while keeping relatively weak conjugation bonds intact, despite the generally low intensity of EAD. EAD effectively narrowed the conceptual "box" representing modification sites, providing more definitive information on conjugation sites and facilitating the structural elucidation of conjugated metabolites. Conclusion: EAD is a powerful tool for metabolite profiling in drug development, particularly for identifying conjugation sites. EAD‐enabled MS/MS spectra offer a greater variety of signature fragments compared to CID, resulting in more comprehensive and unique structural information for metabolic modification analysis. Overall, EAD, complementary to CID, has the potential to narrow down potential modification sites, significantly enhancing the precision of conjugation metabolite structure elucidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is one of the public health issues that seriously threatens human health. This study aimed to investigate the effects of wheat bran oil (WBO) on body weight and fat/lipid accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and further explore the possible mechanisms by microbiome and metabolome analyses. Methods: Fifty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed either a normal chow diet (B group, n = 10) or HFD (n = 40) for 14 weeks to establish an obesity model. The HFD-induced obese rats were further divided into four groups and given WBO at 0 mL/kg (M group), 1.25 mL/kg (WBO-L group), 2.5 mL/kg (WBO-M group), and 5 mL/kg (WBO-H group) by oral gavage for 9 weeks. The body weight of rats was weighed weekly. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed using 16 S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. The liver metabolite profile was determined using UHPLC-QE-MS non-target metabolomics technology. Results: In this study, WBO treatment reduced body weight gain, fat and lipid accumulation, and ameliorated hepatic steatosis and inflammation. WBO treatment increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Allobaculum and decreased that of Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Alloprevotella, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Alistipes, Parabacteroides, UCG-005, Helicobacter, Colidextribacter, and Parasutterella compared with the M group. A total of 22 liver metabolites were significantly altered by WBO treatment, which were mainly involved in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, nicotinate and nicotunamide metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and ether lipid metabolism. Conclusions: WBO alleviated body weight gain and fat/lipid accumulation in HFD-induced obese rats, which may be related to altered gut microbiota and liver metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yamaguchi reagent, based on 2,4,6-trichlorobenzoyl chloride (TCBC) and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP), is an efficient tool for conducting the intermolecular (esterification) reaction between an acid and an alcohol in the presence of a suitable base (Et3N or iPr2NEt) and solvent (THF, DCM, or toluene). The Yamaguchi protocol is renowned for its ability to efficiently produce a diverse array of functionalized esters, promoting high yields, regioselectivity, and easy handling under mild conditions with short reaction times. Here, the recent utilization of the Yamaguchi reagent was reviewed in the synthesis of various natural products such as macrolides, terpenoids, polyketides, peptides, and metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen (PN), commonly known as PN, is a nutritious natural food with a long history of consumption and has traditionally been used for dietary purposes in the form of dried processed products. Currently, developed a dry processing at short time and room temperature (DRST), which is characterized by high efficiency and low cost. However, there are few studies on the impact of DSRT. In this study, the effects of conventional hot air drying (DHA) and the innovative drying technology DSRT on the key components of PN were evaluated for the first time. The results showed that DRST could obtain processed PN products with smaller particle sizes and that DRST‐treated PN could increase the content of five saponins by 1.38% for Ginsenoside Rg1, 0.1% for Ginsenoside Re, 0.83% for Ginsenoside Rb1, 0.16% for Ginsenoside Rd, and 0.36% for PN saponin R1, relative to the content of five saponins that could be increased by conventional DHA. The metabolome results yielded a total of 1401 metabolites identified and analyzed, and 201 metabolites showed significant differences between the two techniques, which were expressed as amino acids, flavonoids, and other nutrient‐active components. The results of this study indicate that the PN products produced by DRST technology have higher nutritional quality compared to traditional processing. This study provides support in the processing of PN and the development of PN products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi during their growth. They not only seriously affect the yield of food crops but also pose a threat to human and animal health. Physical and chemical methods have been widely used to reduce the production and accumulation of mycotoxins in the field or after harvest, but these methods have difficulty in completely removing mycotoxins while keeping the nutrients at the same time. Biodegradation methods using isolated enzymes have shown superiority and potential for modest reaction conditions, high degradation efficiency and degradation products with low toxicity. Therefore, the occurrence, chemical structures, and toxicology of six prevalent mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, aflatoxin, patulin, fumonisin, and ochratoxin) were described in this manuscript. The identification and application of mycotoxin-degrading enzymes were thoroughly reviewed. It is believed that in the near future, mycotoxin-degrading enzymes are expected to be commercially developed and used in the feed and food industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to mycotoxins through the dietary route occurs on a daily basis while their deleterious effects are exhibited in the form of ailments, such as inflammation, cancer, and hormonal imbalance. The negative impact of mycotoxins can be attributed to their interaction with various biomolecules and their interference in metabolic pathways. The activity of biomolecules, such as enzymes/receptors, which engage the intricate mechanism of endogenous metabolism, is more susceptible to disruption by metabolites of high toxicity, which gives rise to adverse health effects. Metabolomics is a useful analytical approach that can assist in unraveling such information. It can simultaneously and comprehensively analyze a large number of endogenous and exogenous molecules present in biofluids and can, thus, reveal biologically relevant perturbations following mycotoxin exposure. Information provided by genome, transcriptome and proteome analyses, which have been utilized for the elucidation of biological mechanisms so far, are further complemented by the addition of metabolomics in the available bioanalytics toolbox. Metabolomics can offer insight into complex biological processes and their respective response to several (co-)exposures. This review focuses on the most extensively studied mycotoxins reported in literature and their respective impact on the metabolome upon exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymes are biologically active complex protein molecules that catalyze most chemical reactions in living organisms, and their inhibitors accelerate biological processes. This review emphasizes medicinal food plants and their isolated chemicals inhibiting clinically important enzymes in common diseases. A mechanistic overview was investigated to explain the mechanism of these food bases enzyme inhibitors. The enzyme inhibition potential of medicinal food plants and their isolated substances was searched in Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Cholinesterase, amylase, glucosidase, xanthine oxidase, tyrosinase, urease, lipoxygenase, and others were inhibited by crude extracts, solvent fractions, or isolated pure chemicals from medicinal food plants. Several natural compounds have shown tyrosinase inhibition potential, including quercetin, glabridin, phloretin-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, lupinalbin, and others. Some of these compounds' inhibitory kinetics and molecular mechanisms are also discussed. Phenolics and flavonoids inhibit enzyme activity best among the secondary metabolites investigated. Several studies showed flavonoids' significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, highlighting their medicinal potential. Overall, many medicinal food plants, their crude extracts/fractions, and isolated compounds have been studied, and some promising compounds depending on the enzyme have been found. Still, more studies are recommended to derive potential pharmacologically active functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Resveratrol (Res), a natural plant antitoxin polyphenol, is widely used in animal husbandry due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and current research has focused on humans, sows, and female mice. This study aimed to analyze the effects of dietary Res supplementation in ewes on antioxidant activity, immune responses, hormone levels, rumen microbiota and metabolites across various reproductive stages (estrus, pregnancy, and lactation). Methods: Twenty-four healthy ewe lambs (Hu sheep, 2 months old) with a similar body weight (BW) (mean: 21.79 ± 2.09 kg) were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group (Con) and the Res group (Res). The Res group received 10 mg/kg Res (based on BW) in addition to their basal diet. Results: Res increased the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2) in ewes at sexual maturity (p < 0.05). Additionally, Res supplementation induced significant increases in serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), IgG, FSH, and LH levels during estrus (p < 0.05); serum IgA, IgG and IgM during pregnancy and lactation (p < 0.05); and serum LH, glucose, GSH-Px, and catalase (CAT) levels during lactation (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, serum interleukin 1β (IL-1β) (p =0.005) and cholesterol levels (p = 0.041) during the lactation stage decreased following Res supplementation. Notably, colostrum IgA, IgG, and fat concentrations were significantly higher in the Res group than in the Con group (p < 0.05). Moreover, Res altered the rumen microbiota in ewes. Specifically, the relative abundance of Prevotella (p < 0.05) during pregnancy and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (p < 0.001) during lactation were significantly increased in ewes under Res treatment. The abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was positively correlated with the levels of Ig A, Ig M, E2, FSH, LH, GSH-PX, and CAT. Additionally, Res altered the activity of metabolic pathways such as progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation, the estrogen signaling pathway, ovarian steroidogenesis, and the AMPK signaling pathway, and the levels of AICAR and 2-hydroxyestradiol metabolites, both during pregnancy and lactation. Discussion: There findings show that Res can improve health, antioxidant status, and immune activity throughout the reproductive cycle in ewes by regulating rumen microorganisms and metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]