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The integration of cutting-edge technologies into swiftlet farming has greatly enhanced efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. The internet of things (IoT) provides farmers with up-to-date environmental data, enabling them to create and sustain ideal circumstances for swiftlets. Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances this process by analyzing vast databases and providing farmers with well-informed choices to optimize yield. Biotechnology, by combining genetic selection and breeding programs, effectively connects with the IoT, enabling constant monitoring and control of the health and genetic traits of swiftlets. The integration of renewable energy technology seeks to diminish dependence on conventional energy sources, promoting sustainability. In this paper, a systematic review of the literature examines the utilization of digital technology in the swiftlet farmhouse. The findings were classified into three main themes: smart monitoring and control systems, advanced bird detection techniques, sustainable practices and innovative approaches, specifically in the manufacture of edible bird nests. This systematic literature review emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of swiftlet farming's technological evolution, technology developers, challenges and recommendations that farmers and the industry face in their pursuit of sustainable growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a common disease in the field of gynecological endocrinology that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. Previous studies found that edible bird's nest (EBN) could improve uterine function. These suggested that EBN might also have an ameliorating effect on POF. Therefore, in this study, tripterygium glycosides (TGs) were used to induce POF in rats, and the effect of EBN on the improvement of POF was investigated. After the administration of EBN for 14 days, ovarian index and uterine index, serum hormone levels, apoptosis rate of ovarian granulosa cells, follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) protein expression level, and the histopathological examination of the ovaries were determined. It was found that administration of medium and high EBN dose groups increased the ovarian index and granular layer thickness of rats with POF. Particularly, higher follicle‐stimulating hormone levels and lower corpus luteum content were observed in the high EBN dose group. In addition, there were lower luteinizing hormone levels and fewer atretic follicles but higher progesterone levels in the medium EBN dose group. These results indicated that EBN had preventive and curative effects on POF induced by TGs. Its mechanism of action might be related to the reduction of ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis, regulation of hormones and receptors, and inhibition of follicle closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gingival wound healing plays a critical role in maintaining oral health. However, this process can be delayed by oxidative stress and excessive inflammatory responses. In this study, we established a human inflammatory gingival tissue equivalent (iGTE) to investigate the inhibitory effects of hydrogen-rich water (HW), enzyme-digested edible bird's nest (EBND) and sialic acid (SA) on PMA (an inducer of oxidative free radicals)- and LPS (an inflammatory stimulus)-impaired wound healing. The iGTE was constructed by human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs), keratinocytes and macrophages under three-dimensional conditions. Wounds in the iGTE and hGF/keratinocyte monolayers were created by mechanical injury. Tissues and cells were pretreated with HW, EBND, and SA, and then exposed to the inflammatory and oxidative environment induced by PMA (10 ng/mL) and LPS (250 ng/mL). The inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 were quantitatively analyzed by ELISA. Histopathological image analysis was performed by HE and immunofluorescence staining. In the iGTE, PMA/LPS significantly reduced the epithelial thickness while causing a decrease in K8/18, E-cadherin, laminin and elastin expression and an increase in COX-2 expression along with ulcer-like lesions. In mechanically scratched hGFs and keratinocyte monolayers, PMA/LPS significantly impaired wound healing, and promoted the secretion of IL-6 and IL-8. Pretreatment of HW, EBND, and SA significantly suppressed PMA/LPS-induced wound healing delay and inflammatory responses in cell monolayers, as well as in the iGTE. Remarkably, the combined use of HW and EBND exhibited particularly robust results. Combined use of HW and EBND may be applied for the prevention and treatment of wound healing delay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a common disease in the field of gynecological endocrinology that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. Previous studies found that edible bird's nest (EBN) could improve uterine function. These suggested that EBN might also have an ameliorating effect on POF. Therefore, in this study, tripterygium glycosides (TGs) were used to induce POF in rats, and the effect of EBN on the improvement of POF was investigated. After the administration of EBN for 14 days, ovarian index and uterine index, serum hormone levels, apoptosis rate of ovarian granulosa cells, follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) protein expression level, and the histopathological examination of the ovaries were determined. It was found that administration of medium and high EBN dose groups increased the ovarian index and granular layer thickness of rats with POF. Particularly, higher follicle‐stimulating hormone levels and lower corpus luteum content were observed in the high EBN dose group. In addition, there were lower luteinizing hormone levels and fewer atretic follicles but higher progesterone levels in the medium EBN dose group. These results indicated that EBN had preventive and curative effects on POF induced by TGs. Its mechanism of action might be related to the reduction of ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis, regulation of hormones and receptors, and inhibition of follicle closure.

Background and Aim: Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is known as the “Caviar of the East” because of its high nutritional and medicinal values. Nevertheless, its effect on human immunity is yet to be explored. This study examined the effects of EBN’s aqueous extract (EBNE) on human immunity through the modular immune in vitro construct (MIMIC) model consisting of peripheral tissue equivalent (PTE) and lymphoid tissue equivalent (LTE) modules. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty mL of full blood was obtained from four healthy human volunteers. The human immune system was simulated using an in vitro model, called MIMIC. Under EBNE treatment, monocyte transendothelial migration through reversed endothelial layers was observed. Using PTE and LTE modules, monocytes were differentiated into dendritic cells with lipopolysaccharide, then co-cultured with T- and B-cells for cytokine and immunoglobulin (Ig) production. The human cytokine array G2000 and quantitative human Ig isotyping array were used to identify the cytokine profile and Ig isotypes, respectively. Results: IgE, IgA, and IgG3 levels were significantly raised by EBNE. These cytokines, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor, glial cell line-derivative neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4, were generated. Conclusion: For the first time, this work uses a MIMIC model to illustrate the impact of EBNE on human immune response. This new understanding of EBN’s immunoregulatory effect allows for further exploration of how EBN interacts with the human immune system.

Abstract Exposure to cigarette smoke directly damages the lungs and causes lung inflammation. The anti‐inflammatory properties of edible bird's nest (EBN) have been reported. We aimed to determine the effect of EBN on pneumonia in a mouse model exposed to cigarette smoke. Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control, model, positive drug, low‐dose EBN, and high‐dose EBN groups (n = 10 each). Except for the control group, the mice in each group were exposed to four cigarettes once a day for 8 days. In addition, we validated the effects of EBN on A549 cells and investigated the mechanism by which EBN alleviates lung inflammation. Edible bird's nest (EBN) could alleviate the structural damage of lung tissue and the smoke‐induced inflammatory response in mice. The best effect was observed at the high dose of EBN (0.019 g). The mice treated with EBN had a stronger ability than those in the model group to resist cigarette smoke stimulation, as indicated by a decrease in serum and lung inflammatory markers (interleukin 6 [IL‐6], tumor necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], and interleukin 8 [IL‐8]), an increase in serum interleukin 10 (IL‐10) levels, and a decrease in the expression of inflammasome NOD‐like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3). In addition, our cell experiments showed that EBN attenuated cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary inflammation mainly by inhibiting the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1)/nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB)/NLRP3 pathway. These findings provide theoretical evidence for the positive nutritional qualities of EBN for the lung by demonstrating that it inhibits the TNFR1/NF‐κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, which prevents the development of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary inflammation.

Exposure to cigarette smoke directly damages the lungs and causes lung inflammation. The anti‐inflammatory properties of edible bird's nest (EBN) have been reported. We aimed to determine the effect of EBN on pneumonia in a mouse model exposed to cigarette smoke. Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control, model, positive drug, low‐dose EBN, and high‐dose EBN groups (n = 10 each). Except for the control group, the mice in each group were exposed to four cigarettes once a day for 8 days. In addition, we validated the effects of EBN on A549 cells and investigated the mechanism by which EBN alleviates lung inflammation. Edible bird's nest (EBN) could alleviate the structural damage of lung tissue and the smoke‐induced inflammatory response in mice. The best effect was observed at the high dose of EBN (0.019 g). The mice treated with EBN had a stronger ability than those in the model group to resist cigarette smoke stimulation, as indicated by a decrease in serum and lung inflammatory markers (interleukin 6 [IL‐6], tumor necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], and interleukin 8 [IL‐8]), an increase in serum interleukin 10 (IL‐10) levels, and a decrease in the expression of inflammasome NOD‐like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3). In addition, our cell experiments showed that EBN attenuated cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary inflammation mainly by inhibiting the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1)/nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB)/NLRP3 pathway. These findings provide theoretical evidence for the positive nutritional qualities of EBN for the lung by demonstrating that it inhibits the TNFR1/NF‐κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway, which prevents the development of cigarette smoke‐induced pulmonary inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is composed of the solidified saliva of swiftlet birds. EBN has been extremely popular in Asian culture for centuries. They are often consumed as a delicacy in the form of bird’s nest soup and are believed to have numerous skin benefits. In light of EBN’s growing popularity and significant cultural importance, we aim provide a comprehensive review of EBN’s potential dermatologic benefits and role in photoaging, anti-inflammation, wound healing, skin barrier enhancement, and skin whitening. While in vitro, in vivo, and preliminary clinical trial results are promising, there is a need for future human clinical research to further validate these findings and establish EBN’s efficacy and safety for dermatologic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the immune regulation effect of edible bird’s nest (EBN) in vivo and elucidate the influence of EBN on immune microbiome, which is the basis of the activity of EBN. The immunosuppression mice model was established by subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone (HC). The optimal modeling dose of HC was screened by various immune indexes. Studies have found that the mice immunosuppression model can be constructed with a HC dose of 12.5 mg/kg. The effects of EBN in low (0.285 g/kg) and high doses (0.649 g/kg) were investigated on the immunosuppression mice model. EBN low-dose treatment significantly improved macrophage phagocytosis and NK cell activity in immunosuppression mice. EBN high-dose treatment significantly increased the serum TNF-α content phagocytosis ability of macrophages, NK cell activity and serum hemolysin content of immunosuppression mice. It was found that changes in the intestinal flora are usually accompanied by changes in immune cells and inflammatory factors, so it was hypothesized that there is a correlation between changes in intestinal flora and immune regulation, therefore the changes in the intestinal flora of mice were then investigated after EBN administration. The regulation of intestinal flora experiments showed that species richness decreased in the immunosuppression mice, and after EBN treatment the species richness in mice increased. Additionally, after continuous administration of EBN, the abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansiaceae and other intestinal probiotics increased, while the abundance of Firmicutes decreased, indicating that EBN can regulate intestinal dysfunction, up-regulate beneficial bacteria. It is reported that the increase of Bacteroides and Akkermansiaceae and the decrease of Firmicutes in the intestinal flora caused an increase in the levels of TNF-α and improved immunity, which is consistent with our experimental results. Therefore, it is hypothesized that EBN plays an immune regulation role mainly by affecting the changes in the intestinal flora. The study provides a theoretical basis for the functional investigation of EBN.

This study demonstrates robot technology for harvesting edible bird’s nests within swiftlet houses. A comprehensive manipulator’s movement analysis of harvesting operation with a separating tool is provided for precisely collecting swiftlet nests. A robotic manipulator mounted on a mobile platform with a vision system is also analyzed and evaluated in this study. The actual harvesting or separating the swiftlet nests is performed with visual servo feedback. The manipulator performs the gross motions of separating tools and removing the nests under computer control with velocity and position feedback. The separating principle between the objective nest and wooden frame has been applied to a demonstration removal of nests using a four-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to perform the gross movements of tool. The actual separations using this system are accomplished as fast as the manipulator can be controlled to perform the necessary deceleration and topping at the end of separating. This is typically 2.0 s. This efficiency underscores the system’s capability for swift and precise operation in harvesting an edible bird nest task.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. The nests are produced by male swiftlets (Aerodramus sp.). Due to their high price, the nutritional benefit from EBN can currently only be afforded by affluent consumers. Therefore, the ability to identify and produce recombinant, functional EBN mucins is highly desirable. Herein, we report the identification, bacterial expression, purification and glycosylation of the first recombinant mucin derived from the Edible-nest Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus (AfMuc). Recombinant AfMuc was successfully expressed at high expression levels and purified to near homogeneity by nickel-chelation affinity chromatography. The in vitro glycosylation of the recombinant AfMuc protein backbone resulted in the addition of up to four GalNAc residues and could be achieved by using a human and a previously unstudied Aerodramus fuciphagus polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (HsGalNT2 and AfGalNT2, respectively). A comparison of the biochemical properties of these enzymes revealed characteristics of these enzymes.

This study demonstrates robot technology for harvesting edible bird's nests within swiftlet houses. A comprehensive manipulator's movement analysis of harvesting operation with a separating tool is provided for precisely collecting swiftlet nests. A robotic manipulator mounted on a mobile platform with a vision system is also analyzed and evaluated in this study. The actual harvesting or separating the swiftlet nests is performed with visual servo feedback. The manipulator performs the gross motions of separating tools and removing the nests under computer control with velocity and position feedback. The separating principle between the objective nest and wooden frame has been applied to a demonstration removal of nests using a four-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to perform the gross movements of tool. The actual separations using this system are accomplished as fast as the manipulator can be controlled to perform the necessary deceleration and topping at the end of separating. This is typically 2.0 s. This efficiency underscores the system's capability for swift and precise operation in harvesting an edible bird nest task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic hydrolysis of edible bird's nest (EBN) has attracted great interest in both scientific and commercial fields due to the enhancement of solubility and nutraceutical values. The present study attempted to investigate the hydrolysis of EBN with papaya (Carica papaya L.), pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.), and cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) juices as well as two commercial enzymes papain and bromelain. Our analysis revealed that EBN hydrolysis with pineapple juice and bromelain produced a degree of hydrolysis (DH) value of approximately 27 % while it was about 25 % for the hydrolysis with cantaloupe juice and 22 % for the hydrolysis with papaya juice and papain after 4 h of treatment. When EBN was digested by fruit juices and enzymes, the protein solubility and free sialic acid content were increased and the highest values were achieved for EBN hydrolysis with pineapple juice and bromelain (estimately 11 mg/mL of soluble protein and 18 g/kg of free sialic acid). The ABTS•+-scavenging, •OH-scavenging, and anti-tyrosinase capacities were higher in the EBN hydrolysates by papaya juice (IC50 of 0.034, 0.108, and 0.419 mg/mL, respectively), pineapple juice (IC50 of 0.025, 0.045, and 0.190 mg/mL, respectively), and cantaloupe juice (IC50 of 0.031 mg/mL, 0.056, and 0.339 mg/mL, respectively) than in the hydrolysates by unhydrolyzed EBN (IC50 of 0.094, 0.366, and 1.611 mg/mL, respectively). An improvement in ABTS•+-scavenging, •OH-scavenging, and anti-tyrosinase abilities was also observed for the hydrolysates by papain (IC50 of 0.041, 0.129, and 0.417 mg/mL, respectively) and bromelain (IC50 of 0.025, 0.069, and 0.336 mg/mL, respectively) but in a lesser extent as compared to the hydrolysates by respective papaya and pineapple juices. Noticeably, the EBN hydrolysates by fruit juices remarkably enhanced the wound closure in human fibroblasts by about 1.4–1.8 times after 24 h of treatment whereas this property was insignificant in the hydrolysates by enzymes. As papaya, pineapple, and cantaloupe juices are easily obtainable and have pleasant flavors, our results provide a possible method to hydrolyze EBN and apply the resultant hydrolysates in functional food products.

Maternal diet is indispensable for the proper development of offspring, and the establishment of a well-functioning intestinal barrier is crucial for normal growth and development. Edible bird’s nest (EBN) has positive impacts on intestinal health, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Our study showed that maternal EBN supplementation downregulated the serum levels of diamine oxidase and D-lactate, elevated expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1, and regulated the intestinal microbiota in rat offspring. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed that Claudin-1, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and transcription factor RUNX3 were positively correlated with changes in intestinal bacteria. EBN may upregulate the expression of TGF-β by modulating the intestinal microbiota composition, enhancing RUNX3 binding to the Claudin-1 promoter region to upregulate its expression. In conclusion, we demonstrated that maternal EBN supplementation during gestation and lactation enhanced intestinal barrier function by upregulating Claudin-1 in rat offspring.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different processing temperature on texture profile and flavor of dried edible bird's nest. Methods: With dried edible bird's nest as the main raw material, the texture profile analysis of edible bird's nest at different processing temperature was carried out by physical property analyzer. The volatile components of edible bird's nest at different processing temperature were determined by electronic nose and solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Results: It was found that the adhesion of cooked edible bird's nest decreased significantly (P＜0.01), but its resilience increased significantly (P＜0.05) with the increase of temperature. 12 kinds of effective flavor substances were detected in the cooked edible bird's nest by SPME-GC-MS, including: 3 alcohols, 2 aldehydes, 2 esters, 3 ketones, 1 acid, and 1 ether, accounting for 6.23%, 49.34%, and 54.85% of the total detected substances in the cooked edible bird's nest at 95 ℃, 105 ℃ and 115 ℃, respectively. Conclusion: Different processing temperature affects the taste of edible bird's nest and the overall odor profile after processing. Moreover, higher cooking temperature tends to make the egg white-like flavor stronger. The volatile substances in the bird's nest stew at 95 ℃ are mainly acids, the bird's nest cooked at 105 ℃ mainly produces alcohols, and the edible bird's nest cooked at 115 ℃ mainly produces ketones and alcohols.

Copyright of Journal of Food Science & Biotechnology is the property of Journal of Food Science & Biotechnology Editorial Office 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.)

Edible Bird's Nest (EBN) is a high-value premium food with nutritional properties and health benefits. Due to the absence of food safety standards and its price, EBN consumers have been exposed to food fraud issues, causing health risks and economic loss. Therefore, this study is associated with an innovative EBN traceability system using Bio-QR code to safeguard against counterfeiting and to guarantee EBN authenticity. The primary aim of the study was to examine consumer acceptance of the proposed Bio-QR code traceability system for EBN and to elucidate factors related to consumer intention by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its extensions with Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory. A conceptual framework was designed based on the findings, with variables across three dimensions: System Characteristics, Personal Characteristics, and Social Influence. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to analyze responses from 447 purchases of premium food, and the study investigated the intention (IN) to accept the EBN traceability system. Findings indicate the following independent variables had a significant direct and indirect influence on IN: Attitude (AT) and Subjective Norms (SN) positively impact IN. Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) influence AT, while Job Relevance (JR) and Results Demonstrability (RD) influence PU, and Self-efficacy (SE) influences PEOU. Personal Innovativeness (PI) relates to both PU and PEOU in the model. The results demonstrate that with all the above factors to predict intention, consumers are assured to show intention to adopt the traceability system.

Abstract Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a traditional food which was nourishing and functional. Particularly, there is the epidermal growth factor (EGF) in EBN, which is thought to play an important role in promoting skin repair. However, the type and content of EGF in EBN were not determined yet. In this study, the type of EGF in EBN was identified as bird EGF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and this method was validated to be accurate and precise. Moreover, it was found that the content of EGF in raw-unclean EBN, raw-clean EBN and stewed EBN was 3000 pg/g–4000 pg/g and there were no significant differences, which suggested that the batches, origins, forms, stewing temperatures and stewing times of EBN had no effect on the content of EGF in EBN. However, it was due to that enzyme destroyed the primary structure of EGF, the EGF content of neutral protease and trypsin hydrolysates of EBN was lower than that of flavor enzymes, alkaline protease and pepsin hydrolysates of EGF. This study was the first to determine the type and content of EGF in EBN, and provided a theoretical basis for the selection and processing of EBN and using EBN as a source of EGF.

Edible Bird’s Nest (EBN), a costly food product made from swiftlet’s saliva, has encountered a longstanding problem of plucking the swiftlet’s feather from the nests. The destructive and inefficient manual process of plucking the feathers can be substituted with a serine protease enzyme alternative. Accurate detection of enzyme dosage is crucial for ensuring efficient feather degradation with cost-effective enzyme usage. This research employed the transfer learning method using pretrained Convolutional Neural Networks (Pt-CNN) to detect enzyme dosage based on EBN’s images. This study aimed to compare the image classification mechanisms, architectures, and performance of three Pt-CNN: Resnet50, InceptionResnetV2, and EfficientNetV2S. InceptionResnetV2, using parallel convolutions and residual networks, significantly contributes to learning rich informative features. Consequently, the InceptionResnetV2 model achieved the highest accuracy of 96.18%, while Resnet50 and EfficientNetV2S attained only 30.44% and 17.82%, respectively. The differences in architecture complexity, parameter count, dataset characteristics, and image resolution also play a role in the performance disparities among the models. The study’s findings aid future researchers in streamlining model selection when facing limited datasets by understanding the reasons for the model’s performance and contributing to a non-destructive and quick solution for EBN’s cleaning process.

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) hydrolysate is widely used in EBN downstream products. This study aimed to optimize the process conditions (combination of heat treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis) to produce high-yield and high-quality EBN hydrolysate. The effects of four factors in the process were studied by response surface methodology. The experimental factors are EBN temperature during double boiling (DB), DB duration, enzymatic hydrolysis duration, and the ratio of EBN to water. The recovery (yield) and quality (sialic acid [SA], 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid [ABTS], and 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl [DPPH]) of the final product were used as response variables. The Pearson correlation coefficient showed that: EBN temperature during DB affected product recovery (p < 0.01) and ABTS (p < 0.01), DB Duration affected DPPH (p < 0.01), and the ratio of EBN to water affected product recovery (p < 0.01). The duration of enzymatic hydrolysis was not significantly correlated with any of the responses and least significant factors in the model. Two optimal conditions for the processes obtained from this study were yield (product recovery) and quality. This study also showed that EBN hydrolysate produced from EBN by-products could be used as a nutraceutical because of the antioxidant activity and high SA content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department 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.)

The major component in edible bird's nest (EBN) is protein. Thus, it is a potential source of bioactive peptides. Thus, this study aimed to determine the potential bioactive peptides from proteomic profiles of EBN using BIOPEP database. In this study, a proteomic profiling of soluble EBN proteins was carried out using high sensitivity liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Five proteins were selected as potential precursors for bioactive peptides which were deleted in malignant brain tumors 1, lysyl oxidase 3, acidic mammalian chitinase, NK-lysin and mucin-5AC for further analysis. It was found that the chosen proteins gave six dominant bioactivities which were angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP IV) inhibitor, dipeptidyl peptidase-III (DPP III) inhibitor, antioxidative, stimulating and renin inhibitor. Furthermore, the most potential bioactive peptides from soluble EBN proteins were angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP IV) inhibitor. Meanwhile for in silico proteolysis of EBN proteins using 33 type of enzymes, stem bromelain and pepsin were found to give the highest degree hydrolysis and to produce the highest number of bioactive peptides. Five tripeptides were generated after gastrointestinal digestion simulation for each ACE inhibitory activity, which were IRA, YPG, MKY, IVR and AVL and DPP IV inhibitory peptides that were WRD, WRT, WRS, VPL and APG, respectively. However, all these tripeptides have been reported in previous studies. This study showed that EBN has a promising source of bioactive peptide and in silico approach provide better understanding of theoretical and prediction of functional peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient supplementation during gestation and lactation is the basis for neurodevelopment, improving brain development including the learning and memory function of the offspring. Maternal supplementation with edible bird’s nest (EBN) has beneficial roles in the brain development of the offspring, but the mechanism has not been elucidated. In the current study, pregnant rats were given EBN (4.5 g/kg, 9 g/kg) and sialic acid (45 mg/kg) until the offspring were weaned. EBN was more effective at increasing learning and memory and hippocampal development than sialic acid of the offspring. In detail, EBN increased the synaptic plasticity of existing neurons and enhanced hippocampal neurogenesis of offspring, as well as upregulated the ERK-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway. It was concluded that maternal administration of EBN improved the learning and memory function of the offspring by accelerating hippocampus development by regulating the ERK-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway. Overall, EBN might be a potential maternal supplement in promoting neurodevelopment in offspring.

The glutinous nest that builds by the saliva secretion of swiftlet is recognizable as an edible bird's nest (EBN). It enriched a medicinal value and was regarded as supplementary food that exerts various beneficial health effects, especially immune boosters. This study's objective was to determine the impact of EBN on the expression of MHC-II and costimulatory molecules (CD86 and CD80) related to the initiation of T-cell activation. Both rEBN and pEBN samples were prepared with simulated gastrointestinal digestion for enhancing the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds. Our result showed that digested EBN samples slightly influence the upregulation of MHC-II, CD86, and CD80 in gene expression of LPS-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells. The concern of endotoxin contamination in EBN samples, which may cause a false-positive result, was measured by quantitative PCR. We found that the inflammatory genes (IL-1β and TNF-α) were not induced by EBN treatments. Moreover, cell surface protein expression in splenocytes treated with EBN was assessed using flow cytometric analysis. Digested EBN samples demonstrated their capacity to promote the elevation of MHC-II, CD86, and CD80 cell surface protein expression. Finally, the digested-EBN-treated splenocytes only exhibited a specific response in the T-cells population. Thus, EBN is a source of the bioactive compound that has been proposed to exert a role in the stimulation of both MHC-II and costimulatory molecules for TCR/pMHC-II interaction leading to T-cell activation.

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a traditional food which was nourishing and functional. Particularly, there is the epidermal growth factor (EGF) in EBN, which is thought to play an important role in promoting skin repair. However, the type and content of EGF in EBN were not determined yet. In this study, the type of EGF in EBN was identified as bird EGF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and this method was validated to be accurate and precise. Moreover, it was found that the content of EGF in raw-unclean EBN, raw-clean EBN and stewed EBN was 3000 pg/g–4000 pg/g and there were no significant differences, which suggested that the batches, origins, forms, stewing temperatures and stewing times of EBN had no effect on the content of EGF in EBN. However, it was due to that enzyme destroyed the primary structure of EGF, the EGF content of neutral protease and trypsin hydrolysates of EBN was lower than that of flavor enzymes, alkaline protease and pepsin hydrolysates of EGF. This study was the first to determine the type and content of EGF in EBN, and provided a theoretical basis for the selection and processing of EBN and using EBN as a source of EGF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigated the chemopreventive and immunoadjuvant properties of edible bird's nest (EBN) extract on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Specifically, the cytotoxicity level of EBN extracts (HMG, EHMG, pHMG) against MCF-7, human immune cells of cytotoxic T cells, and monocytes (CD8+ and CD14+) were evaluated by measuring the production of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic molecules released in single and co-culture of MCF-7, CD8+, and CD14+ cells, before and after EBN treatment. The highest cytotoxic effect towards MCF-7 using IC50 of 15 µg/mL was demonstrated by HMG but no effects on CD8+ and CD14+, with cell viability of more than 90%. At the mRNA level, activated CD8+ and CD14+ depicted increased pro-apoptotic gene expression after HMG treatment in co-culture. Additionally, HMG treatment increased apoptosis by down-regulating the regulation of anti-apoptotic genes and up-regulating the pro-apoptotic genes in MCF-7. ELISA and multiplex assay reflected increased pro-apoptotic factors, and decreased anti-apoptotic soluble factors, by non-activated and activated CD8+ and CD14+, in a single or co-culture with MCF-7 after HMG treatment. In conclusion, HMG extract possesses immunoadjuvant properties that can be a potential anticancer agent without causing any deleterious effects on the human immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose was to investigate effect of edible bird's nest (EBN) on the immunological properties of mice with lung injury induced by sulfur dioxide (SO2). In mice, SO2 exposure caused symptoms that included a cough, tiredness, and weight loss. Administering EBN improved the immunological function of mice with lung injury in a dose‐dependent manner, leading to recovery of the lung tissue and increasing thymus and spleen indices. IL‐2 and IFN‐γ in the serum by Th1 cells in response to EBN played a leading role in cellular immune regulation. Moreover, a medium dose of EBN regulated the immune stress response, inhibited apoptosis of splenic lymphocytes, and promoted cellular immunity. EBN inhibited production of IL‐8 and MDA and upregulated mRNA expression of atrophin‐1 and cyclooxygenase‐2 in lung tissue. EBN attenuates the lung injury induced by SO2 in mice through a mechanism that involves the inhibition of inflammation and regulation of immunological balance.

The swiftlet’s nest is an edible bird’s nest (EBN) produced from dried gelatinized saliva secreted by swiftlets during the breeding season. It is widely used in industries for its high nutritional values and health benefits. However, the utilization of ESN is restricted due to its physicochemical properties, such as insolubility. The recently invented bioactive ESN hydrolyzate is reported to improve the ESN’s solubility, functional and nutritional properties to broaden its application. This study has produced bioactive ESN hydrolyzates with different hydrolysis periods to investigate the optimum conditions to achieve maximized degree of hydrolysis (DH) and to compare the physicochemical differences. The result revealed that optimum ESN hydrolysis was at 90 minutes, in which the DH and enhanced solubility (three folds) indicated a complete breakdown of glycoprotein into bioactive glycopeptide. This result is in line with the physicochemical analyses result. The hydrolysis has significantly decreased (p ≤ .05) the ESN protein content, while the levels for peptide, glycopeptide, polysaccharides, and sialic acid showed the opposite. Interestingly, the amino acid from raw ESN and hydrolyzates in all incubation periods showed no significant difference (p ≤ .05). This result suggests that the ESN biological properties remained unchanged with alcalase hydrolysis. Therefore, the findings in this study confirm the feasibility of bioactive ESN hydrolyzate as a versatile product suitable for various industries in utilizing ESN in whole instead of as extracts.

In this experiment, the effects of hot air drying, microwave drying, vacuum freeze drying and supercritical CO2 drying on the quality of edible bird's nests were investigated by comparing and analyzing the sensory quality, drying rate, rise times, color, whole texture, microstructure and nutrient composition. The results showed that the rise rate (42.71±0.09) and color (79.16±0.35) of supercritical CO2-dried edible bird's nests were significantly higher than those of vacuum freeze-dried, microwave-dried and hot air-dried edible bird's nests (P0.05). The samples dried by supercritical CO2 and vacuum freeze-drying were found to have large and many cavities by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the cavities of the samples dried by microwave and hot air were smaller and had a tight structure. The total sugar content of the supercritical CO2 and vacuum freeze-drying samples were significantly higher than that of the hot-air and microwave drying samples, and the Lysine, Aspartic acid, Alanine and Methionine in the supercritical CO2-drying samples were significantly higher (P

Background and Aim: Since the past decade, metagenomics has been used to evaluate sequenced deoxyribonucleic acid of all microorganisms in several types of research. Nitrite contamination originates from the natural environment in Swiftlet farmhouses (SFHs) and can influence nitrite levels in edible bird's nest (EBN). It is strongly speculated that the conversion process into nitrite is influenced by the bacteria present in SFHs. Nitrite can cause adverse effects on human health. The previous research has focused on the characteristics of bacteria that may influence the nitrite conversion process in SFHs. This study aimed to a metagenomics analysis of bacteria present in the dirt of SFHs and evaluated nitrite levels in EBN on Sumatera Island. Materials and Methods: In total, 18 SFHs on Sumatera Island were selected, and EBN and dirt samples were collected from each SFH, resulting in 18 EBN and 18 dirt SFH samples. Raw uncleaned white EBN and dirt from three areas of SFH were collected. The samples were analyzed for nitrite levels using a spectrophotometer, and the metagenomics sequencing of SFH dirt samples was performed using the MinIon nanopore method. The sequenced data were analyzed using the EPI2ME software. Results: Of the 18 raw uncleaned white EBN samples, 9 (50%) had 30 ppm) were Aeromonas, Escherichia, Acinetobacter, Arcobacter, and Acetoanaerobium. Those in Group B (nitrite levels

The aim of this study is to investigate the repressive effects of enzyme-digested edible bird's nest (EBND) on the combination of arid environment and UV-induced intracellular oxidative stress, cell death, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and inflammatory responses in human HaCaT keratinocytes and three-dimensional (3D) epithelium equivalents. An oxygen radical antioxidant capacity assay showed that EBND exhibited excellent peroxyl radical scavenging activity and significantly increased cellular antioxidant capacity in HaCaT cells. When EBND was administered to HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums, it exhibited significant preventive effects on air-drying and UVA (Dry-UVA)-induced cell death and apoptosis. Dry-UVA markedly induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums as quantified by CellROX® Green/Orange reagents. Once HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums were pretreated with EBND, Dry-UVA-induced intracellular ROS were significantly reduced. The results from anti-γ-H2A.X antibody-based immunostaining showed that EBND significantly inhibited Dry-UVA-induced DSBs in HaCaT keratinocytes. Compared with sialic acid, EBND showed significantly better protection for both keratinocytes and 3D epitheliums against Dry-UVA-induced injuries. ELISA showed that EBND significantly suppressed UVB-induced IL-6 and TNF-α secretion. In conclusion, EBND could decrease arid environments and UV-induced harmful effects and inflammatory responses in human keratinocytes and 3D epithelium equivalents partially through its antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Vet Indones. The Indonesian Veterinary Journal / Jurnal Acta Veterinaria Indonesiana is the property of IPB University 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.)

Sialyllactose is an acidic oligosaccharide that has an immune-protective effect against pathogens and contributes to developing the immune system and intestinal microbes. In this study, a method for the determination of 3′-sialyllactose by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was established. The sample was treated with 0.1% formic acid methanol solution, and the gradient elution was performed with 0.05% formic acid water and 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile. The hydrophilic liquid chromatographic column was used for separation. The results showed that the linearity was good in the concentration range of 1~160 μg/L. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.3 μg/kg and 1.0 μg/kg, the recovery range was 91.6%~98.4%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.5%~2.2%. This method is fast and sensitive. In addition, the 3′-sialyllactose content in edible bird's nest products produced by different processes was studied. It was found that within the tested range, 3′-sialyllactose in edible bird's nest products increased with the intensity of stewing and increased with the addition of sugar. In short, the results provided a new method for detecting the nutritional value of edible bird's nests, as well as a new direction for improving the nutritional value of edible bird's nest products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies proved the better health benefits of edible bird's nest hydrolysate (EBNH) than edible bird's nest (EBN). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different pretreatments and enzymes on the chemical properties of EBNH. The degree of hydrolysis (DH), total soluble protein, UV–Vis absorption spectrum and FTIR spectrum of EBN and EBNH were determined. Besides, the digestibility of EBN and EBNH were also determined through simulated in vitro digestion. Initially, the 4% w/v EBN was treated with different pretreatments [boiling, combined boiling with ultrasound (40 kHz,250 W) and autoclave at 120 °C]. Then, the pretreated EBN was subjected to 2 h hydrolysis using pepsin, trypsin, papain and pancreatin, respectively. Besides, two-stages enzymatic hydrolysis using pepsin-papain, papain-trypsin and papain-pancreatin enzymes were also investigated. Results obtained propose that the combination of autoclave pretreatment and pancreatin hydrolysis produced EBNH with the highest DH (11.19 ± 0.18%). Heat treatment was crucial to unfold the glycoprotein, hence facilitate enzymatic hydrolysis. Two-stages enzymatic hydrolysis was proven less efficient than the process with heat pretreatment. Besides, papain was proven as the best enzyme to increase solubility of EBN glycoprotein. EBNH produced from boiled EBN using papain contained the highest total soluble protein content (459.63 ± 66.01 mg g−1). Results of UV–Vis absorption spectrum and FTIR spectrum reveal that efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of glycoprotein was strongly influenced by the extent of protein unfolding and aggregation. Among the EBNHs, EBNH produced from autoclaved EBN using pancreatin enzyme had the best digestibility. This study provides insight into the importance of pretreatment method and enzyme type in ensuring nutritional quality of EBNH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming for antiaging functions, an edible bird's nest peptide (EBNP) was systematically evaluated. First, it was shown that the EBNP had 6.64% sialic acid, 68.89 g/100 g amino acid content. Subsequently, it was found that EBNP had antioxidant capacity, the DPPH•, ABTS+, and •OH scavenging IC50 values of EBNP were 1.08 mg/mL, 0.46 mg/mL, and 370.43 mg/mL, respectively, and the antioxidant EC50 value of EBNP in HaCaT cells was 14.14 mg/mL. The EBNP had melanin synthesis inhibitory capacity, the melanin synthesis inhibition EC50 value of EBNP in B16 cells was 1.48 mg/mL, and the melanin synthesis inhibition EC50 value of EBNP in zebrafish was 0.11 mg/mL. In addition, the EBNP showed anti-photoaging capacity in zebrafish and cell scratch repair and proliferation capacity in MRC-5 cells. It could be concluded that the EBNP had potential to be applied in functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and skin care products as an antiaging ingredient.

Abstract Dynamic high‐pressure microfluidization (DHPM) has been demonstrated as an effective method to increase the solubility of proteins in water‐insoluble fraction of edible bird's nests (EBNIP). Here, we further explored the effects of DHPM treatment on the physicochemical and digestive properties of EBNIP. The results showed that DHPM treatment led to the increases in fat absorption capacities, foaming properties, and emulsifying properties of EBNIP with decreased water‐holding capacity being observed. This might result from the mechanical force during DHPM treatment can unfold the protein molecular chain, destroy the hydrogen bonds and inter‐linkage between protein molecules. In addition, the EBNIP samples with DHPM treatment exhibited increased in vitro digestibility, the degree of hydrolysis and free sialic acid release in in vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay. In conclusion, DHPM could be applied as a novel and effective processing method to modify protein macromolecules in production of edible bird's nest (EBN)‐related food.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department 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.)

Protein hydrolysates (P-HS) from edible bird's nest co-product prepared without and with ultrasound (US) pretreatment in combination with heating before hydrolysis using alcalase at different concentrations were characterized. US treatment of co-product in water at 60% amplitude for 20 min, followed by heating at 95 °C for 3 h was done before enzymatic hydrolysis. The degree of hydrolysis (DH), yield and sialic acid (SL) content of P-HS samples were not different (p > 0.05) when 1 or 2% alcalase was used for hydrolysis. The highest protein content and lightness (L*) were observed in P-HS prepared from co-product subjected to US treatment (60% amplitude for 20 min) using 1% alcalase for hydrolysis. When antioxidant activities of dried P-HS were determined, P-HS from co-product subjected to US treatment had higher DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, ferrous reducing antioxidant power and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, compared to those prepared from non-US treated co-product. P-HS with higher DH contained greater amount of small peptides having MW lower than 1,883 Da. The P-HS produced under optimum condition had major essential amino acids (EA-A) including leucine, threonine, lysine and valine of 4.28, 3.53, 3.30 and 3.08%, respectively. Therefore, P-HS from co-product could serve as both nutrients and functional ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diluents and various biological products have been used in different animal species, with promising outcomes in post-thaw sperm quality. Nevertheless, only a few reports are available for the semen of Arabian horses. Edible bird’s nest (EBN) – a product of the salivary secretions of swiftlet species is widely known to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Presently, there is no data available on the role of EBN supplemented in different extenders and its effect on semen quality in stallion semen. Two in vitro experiments were conducted to examine the effects of edible bird’s nest (EBN) on the quality of chilled and post-thawed cryopreserved Arabian stallion spermatozoa. In experiment one, 10 ejaculates were collected, divided into two equal parts, diluted using EquiPlus® and INRA 96® and supplemented with 0 % (control), 0.12 %, 0.24 % EBN concentrations. The semen samples were stored at 5 ℃ and observed at 0, 24, and 48 h. Sperm kinetics variables (% total motility [TM] and progressive motility [PM], curvilinear velocity; VCL, straightness; VSL, average path velocity; VAP) were analyzed using computerized assisted sperm analysis. For chilled semen, there was no significant difference in any of the sperm quality parameters between control (0 %), 0.12 %, and 0.24 % EBN supplementation either in INRA96® or EquiPlus®. In experiment two, nine ejaculates were diluted and cryopreserved using EquiPlus Freeze® and INRA Freeze® containing 0 %, 2.4 %, and 4.8 % EBN, and evaluated after thawing. Sperm kinetics, DNA integrity and antioxidant capacity - Biological Anti-oxidant Potential (BAP) and Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (d-ROMs) test were evaluated. In chilled semen, there was no significant difference in any of the sperm quality parameters between control (0 %), 0.12 %, and 0.24 % EBN supplementation either in INRA96® or EquiPlus®. For frozen semen supplemented with 2.4 % and 4.8 % EBN had higher sperm motility parameters compared to control in INRA Freeze® and EquiPlus Freeze®, but the values were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Also, EBN supplementation had no significant effects on the DNA integrity, biological antioxidant potential, and reactive oxygen metabolites. EBN supplementation had no significant effects on sperm quality and antioxidant status in chilled and frozen Arabian Stallion semen. Future studies might consider different methods of EBN preparation and concentrations to elucidate the potential biological impact of EBN in Arabian stallion semen.

[Display omitted] • The immunosuppression mice model was established by subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone (HC). • The effects of Edible bird's nest in low and high doses were investigated on the immunosuppression mice model. • Edible bird's nest plays an immune regulation role mainly by affecting the changes in the intestinal flora. This study aimed to investigate the immune regulation effect of edible bird's nest (EBN) in vivo and elucidate the influence of EBN on immune microbiome, which is the basis of the activity of EBN. The immunosuppression mice model was established by subcutaneous injection of hydrocortisone (HC). The optimal modeling dose of HC was screened by various immune indexes. Studies have found that the mice immunosuppression model can be constructed with a HC dose of 12.5 mg/kg. The effects of EBN in low (0.285 g/kg) and high doses (0.649 g/kg) were investigated on the immunosuppression mice model. EBN low-dose treatment significantly improved macrophage phagocytosis and NK cell activity in immunosuppression mice. EBN high-dose treatment significantly increased the serum TNF-α content phagocytosis ability of macrophages, NK cell activity and serum hemolysin content of immunosuppression mice. It was found that changes in the intestinal flora are usually accompanied by changes in immune cells and inflammatory factors, so it was hypothesized that there is a correlation between changes in intestinal flora and immune regulation, therefore the changes in the intestinal flora of mice were then investigated after EBN administration. The regulation of intestinal flora experiments showed that species richness decreased in the immunosuppression mice, and after EBN treatment the species richness in mice increased. Additionally, after continuous administration of EBN, the abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansiaceae and other intestinal probiotics increased, while the abundance of Firmicutes decreased, indicating that EBN can regulate intestinal dysfunction, up-regulate beneficial bacteria. It is reported that the increase of Bacteroides and Akkermansiaceae and the decrease of Firmicutes in the intestinal flora caused an increase in the levels of TNF-α and improved immunity, which is consistent with our experimental results. Therefore, it is hypothesized that EBN plays an immune regulation role mainly by affecting the changes in the intestinal flora. The study provides a theoretical basis for the functional investigation of EBN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird's nests (EBNs) are vulnerable to adulteration due to their huge demand for traditional medicine and high market price. Presently, there are pressing needs to explore field-deployable rapid screening techniques to detect adulteration of EBNs. The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of using a handheld near-infrared (VIS/SW-NIR) spectroscopic device for the determination of EBN authenticity against the benchmark performance of a benchtop mid-infrared (MIR) spectrometer. Forty-nine authentic EBNs from the different states in Malaysia and 13 different adulterants (five types) were obtained and used to simulate the adulteration of EBNs at 1, 5 and 10% adulteration by mass (a total of 15 adulterated samples). The VIS/SW-NIR and MIR spectra collated were subsequently processed, modelled and classified using multi-class discriminant analysis. The VIS/SW-NIR results showed 100% correct classification for the collagen and nutrient agar classes in authenticity classification, while for the other classes, the lowest correct classification rate was 96.3%. For MIR analysis, only the karaya gum class had 100% correct classification whilst for the other four classes, the lowest rate of correct classification was at 94.4%. In conclusion, the combination of spectroscopic analysis with chemometrics can be a powerful screening tool to detect EBN adulteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Since the past decade, metagenomics has been used to evaluate sequenced deoxyribonucleic acid of all microorganisms in several types of research. Nitrite contamination originates from the natural environment in Swiftlet farmhouses (SFHs) and can influence nitrite levels in edible bird's nest (EBN). It is strongly speculated that the conversion process into nitrite is influenced by the bacteria present in SFHs. Nitrite can cause adverse effects on human health. The previous research has focused on the characteristics of bacteria that may influence the nitrite conversion process in SFHs. This study aimed to a metagenomics analysis of bacteria present in the dirt of SFHs and evaluated nitrite levels in EBN on Sumatera Island. Materials and Methods: In total, 18 SFHs on Sumatera Island were selected, and EBN and dirt samples were collected from each SFH, resulting in 18 EBN and 18 dirt SFH samples. Raw uncleaned white EBN and dirt from three areas of SFH were collected. The samples were analyzed for nitrite levels using a spectrophotometer, and the metagenomics sequencing of SFH dirt samples was performed using the MinIon nanopore method. The sequenced data were analyzed using the EPI2ME software. Results: Of the 18 raw uncleaned white EBN samples, 9 (50%) had <30 ppm nitrite levels. The top five bacterial genera in SFH dirt samples in Group A (nitrite levels >30 ppm) were Aeromonas, Escherichia, Acinetobacter, Arcobacter, and Acetoanaerobium. Those in Group B (nitrite levels <30 ppm) were Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Shewanella, Escherichia, and Acinetobacter. There were 12 genera of nitrifying bacteria in Group A and 8 in Group B. The total cumulative read of nitrifying bacteria in Groups A and B were 87 and 38 reads, respectively. Conclusion: This is the first study to show that characteristic bacteria present in the dirt of SFHs might significantly influence the conversion from nitrogen to nitrite. Approximately 50% of raw uncleaned EBN samples had <30 ppm nitrite levels. Aeromonas was the most dominant bacterial genus found in Groups A and B. The variations in genus and cumulative reads nitrifying bacteria in group A were greater than those in Group B. This study provides information on the characteristics of bacteria that may influence the nitrite conversion process in SFHs. Metagenomics data were obtained from the reading using the software EPI2ME. Further research is needed on the bacterial target species that can convert nitrite in SFHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diverse pharmacological properties of edible bird's nest (EBN) have been elucidated in recent years; however, investigations into its antibacterial effects are still limited. In the present study, we explored the antibacterial activity of a peptide-rich extract of EBN against Staphylococcus aureus , a notorious pathogen. The EBN extract (EEE) was prepared by soaking EBN in 80% ethanol for 2 days at 60°C. Biochemical analyses showed that peptides at the molecular weight range of 1.7-10 kDa were the major biochemical compounds in the EEE. The extract exhibited strong inhibition against S. aureus at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 125 μg/ml and a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 250 μg/ml. This activity could be attributed to the impact of the extract on cell membrane integrity and potential, biofilm formation, and reactive oxidative species (ROS) production. Notably, the expression of biofilm- and ROS-associated genes, including intercellular adhesion A ( icaA ), icaB , icaC , icaD , and superoxide dismutase A ( sodA ), were deregulated in S. aureus upon the extract treatment. Our findings indicate a noteworthy pharmacological activity of EBN that could have potential application in the control of S. aureus .

The present study aimed to perform an in silico evaluation of edible bird's nest protein as potential precursors of bioactive peptides, as well as to determine whether such peptides can be released by selected proteolytic enzymes. Six edible bird's nest (EBN) protein sequences from a previous study were chosen as potential precursors to produce bioactive peptides via in silico method using the BIOPEP database. AMCase protein sequences gave the highest number of bioactivities (16 to 18) and nucleobindin-2 protein gave the lowest number of bioactivities (9) among the other protein sequences. It was found that the most potential bioactive peptides from EBN proteins are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPPIV) inhibitors. Furthermore, in silico proteolysis using six selected enzymes was employed to release both dominant bioactivities in EBN proteins, which were ACE and DPP-IV inhibitors. This study shows that a combination of enzymes, chymotrypsin, and papain, produced the highest number of activities for both ACE and DPP-IV inhibitor peptides with the frequency of occurrence of bioactive peptides of 0.0968 and 0.1104, respectively. The toxic prediction tool, ToxinPred, found that all EBN peptides derived by in silico analysis were non-toxic. The current study proposed that EBN can serve as a potential source of bioactive peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive enhancement is defined as the augmentation of the mind's core capabilities through the improvement of internal or external information processing systems. Recently, the focus has shifted to the potential therapeutic effects of natural products in improving cognitive function. Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a natural food substance derived from the saliva of swiftlets. Until today, EBN is regarded as a high-priced nutritious food with therapeutic effects. The effectiveness of dietary EBN supplementation to enhance brain development in mammals has been documented. Although the neuroprotection of EBN has been previously reported, however, the impact of EBN on learning and memory control and its potential as a cognitive enhancer drug remains unknown. Thus, this article aims to address the neuroprotective benefits of EBN and its potential effect as a cognitive enhancer. Notably, the current challenges and the future study direction in EBN have been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is an expensive health food. There are many adulterants in the market. It remains challenging to discriminate EBN from its adulterants due to a lack of high-specificity markers. Besides, the current markers are confined to soluble fraction of EBN. Here, both soluble and insoluble fractions were analyzed by LC-QTOF-MS/MS. A total of 26 high-specificity peptides that were specific to EBN were selected as qualitative authentication markers. Among them, 10 markers can discriminate EBN from common adulterants, 13 markers discriminate white EBN from grass EBN/common adulterants, and 3 markers discriminate grass EBN from white EBN/common adulterants. Three of them, which showed high signal abundance (Peak area ≥ 106) and satisfactory linearity (R2 ≥ 0.995) with EBN references, were selected as the assay marker; and their peptide sequences were confidently identified by searching database/de novo sequencing. Based on these markers, a qualitative and quantitative analytical method was successfully developed and well-validated in terms of linearity, precision, repeatability, and accuracy. The method was subsequently applied to detect EBN products on the market. The results indicated that more than half of EBN products were not consistent with what the merchants claimed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Edible bird's nests (Bnest) collected from house and cave of eight provinces in the southern part of Thailand were characterised. Bnest from different locations had differences in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and energy‐ dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy patterns but there was no distinctive difference in protein patterns. Crystallinity values of cave‐Bnest from Phatthalung province (PL‐C) and house‐Bnest from Songkhla province (SK‐H) (38.79% and 35.52%, respectively) were higher than those of other samples. PL‐C and SK‐H samples had different thermal behaviours, as determined by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Both samples were used for the production of Bnest beverage using the retort process (121 °C for 11 min). Colour, soluble solid content, drained weight, and sterility were determined in both beverages. Average L*‐value and soluble solid content of SK‐H were higher than those of PL‐C (P < 0.05). Higher a* and b*‐values and drained weight were found in the latter. However, aerobic/anaerobic mesophiles and thermophiles were not detected in both samples. The beverage containing PL‐C generally showed higher acceptability for all attributes, especially appearance, texture, and overall likeness (P < 0.05), than that with SK‐H. Therefore, the habitat, where bird's nest was collected, had a marked influence on the characteristics of both dried nest and resulting sterilised bird's nest beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory peptides from Edible Bird's Nest (EBN). The prepared EBN peptides were sequentially separated, purified, and successively identified by ultrafiltration, gel filtration and mass spectrometry techniques. Four potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory peptides were identified as Peptide 1 (LFWSPSVYLK), Peptide 2 (GWPHLEDNYLDW), Peptide 3 (NPPADLHK) and Peptide 4 (GDLAYLDQGHR). Molecular docking analysis revealed that Peptide 1 and Peptide 2 can competitively interrupt the formation of Keap1-Nrf2 due to the presence of hydrophobic and antioxidant amino acids in their peptide sequences. Peptide 3 and Peptide 4 have a strong effect on interacting with the binding site of IKK-β due to the interaction of anti-inflammatory amino acids and C -terminal arginine/lysine. The four peptides were synthesised and validated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The results suggest that the four peptides may serve as promising bioactive peptides for preventing oxidative stress and inflammation-related diseases. [Display omitted] • Edible Bird's Nest (EBN) peptides were successfully separated and purified. • Four potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory peptides were identified. • Interaction between peptides in the Keap1-Nrf2 and IKK-β pathways was investigated. • Peptides (LFWSPSVYLK and GWPHLEDNYLDW) showed high antioxidant capacity. • Peptides (NPPADLHK and GDLAYLDQGHR) showed high anti-inflammatory capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive enhancement is defined as the augmentation of the mind's core capabilities through the improvement of internal or external information processing systems. Recently, the focus has shifted to the potential therapeutic effects of natural products in improving cognitive function. Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a natural food substance derived from the saliva of swiftlets. Until today, EBN is regarded as a high-priced nutritious food with therapeutic effects. The effectiveness of dietary EBN supplementation to enhance brain development in mammals has been documented. Although the neuroprotection of EBN has been previously reported, however, the impact of EBN on learning and memory control and its potential as a cognitive enhancer drug remains unknown. Thus, this article aims to address the neuroprotective benefits of EBN and its potential effect as a cognitive enhancer. Notably, the current challenges and the future study direction in EBN have been demonstrated.

Context: Indonesia is the largest producer of edible bird’s nest (EBN) in the world. Previous research proved that epidermal growth factor (EGF) was detected from edible bird’s nest extract. EGF will increase the metabolism of skin cells and can lighten the skin EGF will increase the metabolism of skin cells and can lighten the skin. Aims: This research aimed to formulate and prove the lightening and the moisturizing effect of EBN cream on white mice. Materials and Methods: The 28 mice were divided into four group treatment. EBN 40% were formulated into cream with two formula types: water in oil (W/O) and oil in water (O/W). Before the treatment, white mice were exposed to UVA radiation until skin color level was 4. For 14 days, white mice were treated and observed skin color level and moisture content by skin analyzer. Results: The skin color level was 1 on day 8 (O/W), on day 9 (W/O), on day 8 (positive control), and showed skin color level was 4 on day 14 (negative control). The average water content on day 14 was 53.70 ± 1.21 (O/W), 50.13 ± 1.39 (W/O), 53.88 ± 0.88 (positive control), and 21.48 ± 2.90 (negative control). Conclusion: No significant difference was observed in lightening effect (Sig. 0.495) and moisturizing effect (Sig. 0.564) between O/W cream and W/O creams. W/O cream has good adhesion and O/W cream has good dispersion.