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Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Royal jelly is a substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse honey bees, serving as crucial nutritional source for young larvae, queen honey...
Royal jelly is a substance secreted by the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse honey bees, serving as crucial nutritional source for young larvae, queen honey bees, and also valuable product for humans. In this study, the effect of the feed supplements on the nutritional composition and qualities of royal jelly was investigated. Two types of royal jelly samples were acquired: one from honey bees fed with sugar syrup as a feed supplement and the other from honey bees fed with honey. The production, harvesting, and storage of all royal jelly samples followed standard procedures. Parameters for quality assessment and nutritional value, including stable carbon isotopic ratio, moisture content, 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) level, carbohydrate composition, amino acid composition, and mineral contents, were analyzed. The results revealed that despite variability in moisture content and carbohydrate composition, fructose was lower (2.6 and 4.1 g/100 g as is for sugar-fed and honey-fed royal jelly, respectively) and sucrose was higher (7.5 and 2.7 g/100 g as is for sugar-fed and honey-fed royal jelly, respectively) in the sugar-fed group. The stable isotope ratio (-16.4608‱ for sugar-fed and -21.9304‱ for honey-fed royal jelly) clearly distinguished the two groups. 10-HDA, amino acid composition, and total protein levels were not significantly different. Certain minerals, such as potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus were higher in the honey-fed group. Hierarchical analysis based on moisture, sugar composition, 10-HDA, and stable carbon isotopes categorized the samples into two distinct groups. This study demonstrated that the feed source could affect the nutritional quality of royal jelly.
PubMed: 38928885
DOI: 10.3390/foods13121942 -
Polish Journal of Microbiology Sep 2023The prokaryotic microalga KNUA012 isolated from a freshwater bloom sample from Lake Hapcheon, Hapcheon-gun, South Korea, was investigated for its potential as a biofuel...
The prokaryotic microalga KNUA012 isolated from a freshwater bloom sample from Lake Hapcheon, Hapcheon-gun, South Korea, was investigated for its potential as a biofuel feedstock. Microalgae produce straight-chain alkanes/alkenes from acyl carrier protein-linked fatty acyls via aldehyde decarbonylase (AD; EC 1.2.1.3), which can convert aldehyde intermediates into various biofuel precursors, such as alkanes and free fatty acids. In KNUA012, long-chain ADs can convert fatty aldehyde intermediates into alkanes. After heterologous AD expression in (pET28-AD), we identified an AD in KNUA012 that can synthesize various alkanes, such as pentadecane (CH), 8-heptadecene (CH), and heptadecane (CH). These alkanes can be directly used as fuels without transesterification. Biodiesel constituents including dodecanoic acid (CHO), tetradecanoic acid (CHO), 9-hexa decenoic acid (CHO), palmitoleic acid (CHO), hexadecanoic acid (CHO), 9-octadecenoic acid (CHO), and octadecanoic acid (CHO) are produced by KNUA012 as the major fatty acids. Our findings suggest that Korean domestic KNUA012 is a promising resource for microalgae-based biofuels and biofuel feedstock.
Topics: Microalgae; Biofuels; Alkanes; Escherichia coli
PubMed: 37725893
DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2023-031 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Mar 2024Adherence of complex bacterial biofilm communities to burned tissue creates a challenge for treatment, with infection causing 51% of burn victim deaths. This study...
BACKGROUND
Adherence of complex bacterial biofilm communities to burned tissue creates a challenge for treatment, with infection causing 51% of burn victim deaths. This study evaluated the release of therapeutics from wound care biomaterials and their antimicrobial activity against pathogens , , and .
METHODS
Electrospun chitosan membranes (ESCMs) were fabricated and acylated with chain lengths ranging from 6-10 carbons then loaded with 0.15 mg of anti-biofilm agent, cis-2-decenoic acid (C2DA), and 0.5 mg of local anesthetic, bupivacaine.
RESULTS
Combinations of therapeutics released from modified ESCMs at a cumulative amount of 45-70% of bupivacaine and less than 20% of C2DA. Results from bacterial studies suggest that this combination reduced biofilm 10-fold for , 2-fold for , and 2-3-fold for by 24 hours. Additionally, dual loaded groups reduced planktonic ~4-fold by 24 hours as well as ~3-fold by 48 hours.
CONCLUSIONS
The combination of therapeutics used has a significant role in biofilm prevention for selected strains via direct contact or diffusion in aqueous solutions.
Topics: Humans; Staphylococcus aureus; Chitosan; Bupivacaine; Staphylococcal Infections; Pseudomonas Infections; Biofilms; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
PubMed: 38538267
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2903108 -
Nutrients Jan 2024Metabolic disorders, encompassing diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc., pose a substantial global health threat, with rising... (Review)
Review
Metabolic disorders, encompassing diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc., pose a substantial global health threat, with rising morbidity and mortality rates. Addressing these disorders is crucial, as conventional drugs often come with high costs and adverse effects. This review explores the potential of royal jelly (RJ), a natural bee product rich in bioactive components, as an alternative strategy for managing metabolic diseases. RJ exhibits diverse therapeutic properties, including antimicrobial, estrogen-like, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anticancer, and antioxidant effects. This review's focus is on investigating how RJ and its components impact conditions like diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Evidence suggests that RJ serves as a complementary treatment for various health issues, notably demonstrating cholesterol- and glucose-lowering effects in diabetic rats. Specific RJ-derived metabolites, such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), also known as the "Queen bee acid," show promise in reducing insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Recent research highlights RJ's role in modulating immune responses, enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressing key inflammatory mediators. Despite these promising findings, further research is needed to comprehensively understand the mechanisms underlying RJ's therapeutic effects.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Bees; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Fatty Acids; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Anti-Inflammatory Agents
PubMed: 38337678
DOI: 10.3390/nu16030393 -
MBio Nov 2023Dispersion is an essential stage of the biofilm life cycle resulting in the release of bacteria from a biofilm into the surrounding environment. Dispersion contributes...
Dispersion is an essential stage of the biofilm life cycle resulting in the release of bacteria from a biofilm into the surrounding environment. Dispersion contributes to bacterial survival by relieving overcrowding within a biofilm and allowing dissemination of cells into new habitats for colonization. Thus, dispersion can contribute to biofilm survival as well as disease progression and transmission. Cells dispersed from a biofilm rapidly lose their recalcitrant antimicrobial-tolerant biofilm phenotype and transition to a state that is susceptible to antibiotics. However, much of what is known about this biofilm developmental stage has been inferred from exogenously induced dispersion. Our findings provide the first evidence that native dispersion is coincident with reduced cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate levels, while also relying on at least some of the same factors that are central to the environmentally induced dispersion response, namely, BdlA, DipA, RbdA, and AmrZ. Additionally, we demonstrate for the first time that cis-DA signaling to induce dispersion is attributed to the two-component sensor/response regulator DspS, a homolog of the DSF sensor RpfC. Our findings also provide a path toward manipulating the native dispersion response as a novel and highly promising therapeutic intervention.
PubMed: 38014955
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02570-23 -
Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and... May 2024Macrophages produce many inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in innate immune responses. However, excess...
Macrophages produce many inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in innate immune responses. However, excess production of these mediators by activated macrophages triggers deleterious effects, leading to disorders associated with inflammation. Royal jelly (RJ), a milky-white substance secreted by worker bees, contains unique fatty acids, including 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10H2DA) and sebacic acid (SA). 10H2DA has been reported to have various biological functions, such as anti-inflammation. However, the anti-inflammatory effect of SA is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of SA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine expression using differentiated human THP-1 macrophage-like cells. SA dose-dependently decreased LPS-induced mRNA expression of IL-6, but not TNF-α and IL-1β. SA suppressed the phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT3, but hardly affected the activation of JNK, p38, or NF-κB. In addition, SA decreased LPS-induced interferon-β (IFN-β) expression, and the addition of IFN-β restored the inhibition by SA of LPS-induced STAT activation and IL-6 expression. Furthermore, SA suppressed LPS-induced nuclear translocation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3), a transcription factor responsible for IFN-β expression. Taken together, we conclude that SA selectively decreases LPS-induced expression of IL-6 mRNA through inhibition of the IRF3/IFN-β/STAT axis.
PubMed: 38799138
DOI: 10.3164/jcbn.23-16 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2023Biofilm occurs ubiquitously in water system. Excessive biofilm formation deteriorates severely system performance in several water and wastewater treatment processes....
INTRODUCTION
Biofilm occurs ubiquitously in water system. Excessive biofilm formation deteriorates severely system performance in several water and wastewater treatment processes. Quorum sensing systems were controlled in this study with a signal compound -2-Decenoic acid (CDA) to regulate various functions of microbial communities, including motility, enzyme production, and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production in biofilm.
METHODS
The addition of CDA to six strains extracted from membrane bioreactor sludge and the PAO1 strain was examined for modulating biofilm development by regulating DSF expression.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As the CDA doses increased, optical density of the biofilm dispersion assay increased, and the decrease in EPS of the biofilm was obvious on membrane surfaces. The three-dimensional visual images and quantitative analyses of biofilm formation with CDA proved thinner, less massive, and more dispersive than those without; to evaluate its dispersive intensity, a dispersion index was proposed. This could compare the dispersive effects of CDA dosing to other biofilms or efficiencies of biofouling control practices such as backwashing or new cleaning methods.
PubMed: 37560518
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1211761 -
Journal of Traditional and... May 2024Royal jelly is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective bee product. There are several sources for royal jelly and one of them is Indian Royal Jelly (IRJ)....
BACKGROUND
Royal jelly is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective bee product. There are several sources for royal jelly and one of them is Indian Royal Jelly (IRJ). However, the neuroprotective actions of IRJ and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved are not well known.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the neuroprotective effect of IRJ in the okadaic acid (OKA)-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model in rats.
METHODS
In male Wistar rats, OKA was intracerebroventricularly (ICV) administered, and from day 7, they were treated orally with IRJ or memantine for 21 days. Spatial and recognition learning and memory were evaluated from days 27-34; employing the Morris water maze (MWM) and the novel object recognition tests (NORT), respectively. biochemical measurements were taken of the cholinergic system and oxidative stress markers. In silico docking was used to find the role of tau protein kinase and phosphatase in the pharmacological action.
RESULTS
In OKA-induced rats, IRJ decreased the escape latency and path length in MWM and increased the exploration time for novel objects and the discrimination index in NORT. ICV-OKA rats had higher free radicals and cytokines that caused inflammation and their level of free radical scavengers was back to normal with IRJ treatment. IRJ increased the level of acetylcholine and inhibited acetylcholinesterase. Moreover, the in silico docking study revealed the strong binding affinity of 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), a bioactive constituent of IR, to the tau protein kinases and phosphatases.
CONCLUSION
IRJ may serve as a nootropic agent in the treatment of dementia, and owing to its capacity to prevent oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and increase cholinergic tone; it has the potential to be explored as a novel strategy for the treatment of dementia and AD. More studies may be needed to develop 10-HDA as a novel drug entity for AD.
PubMed: 38707922
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2023.11.005 -
Communications Biology Apr 2024In Asian honeybees, virgin queens typically only mate during a single nuptial flight before founding a colony. This behavior is controlled by the queen-released...
In Asian honeybees, virgin queens typically only mate during a single nuptial flight before founding a colony. This behavior is controlled by the queen-released mandibular pheromone (QMP). 9-oxo-(E)-2-decenoic acid (9-ODA), a key QMP component, acts as sex pheromone and attracts drones. However, how the queens prevent additional mating remains elusive. Here, we show that the secondary QMP component methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (HOB) released by mated queens inhibits male attraction to 9-ODA. Results from electrophysiology and in situ hybridization assay indicated that HOB alone significantly reduces the spontaneous spike activity of 9-ODA-sensitive neurons, and AcerOr11 is specifically expressed in sensilla placodea from the drone's antennae, which are the sensilla that narrowly respond to both 9-ODA and HOB. Deorphanization of AcerOr11 in Xenopus oocyte system showed 9-ODA induces robust inward (regular) currents, while HOB induces inverse currents in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests that HOB potentially acts as an inverse agonist against AcerOr11.
Topics: Animals; Bees; Sex Attractants; Male; Female; Receptors, Pheromone; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Insect Proteins; Oocytes; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated
PubMed: 38664580
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06206-5 -
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry Mar 2024Fatty acids are the key active components in royal jelly (RJ) with various biological activities. In this study, a novel ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was...
Fatty acids are the key active components in royal jelly (RJ) with various biological activities. In this study, a novel ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was established to extract fatty acids from RJ and their structural and antioxidant property were further evaluated. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: liquid-to-solid ratio of 10:1, ultrasonic power of 450 W and ultrasonic duration of 20 min, resulting in a better extraction yield of 16.48 % and 10-hydroxy-2(E)-decenoic acid (10-HDA) content of 4.12 %. Furthermore, compared with the solvent extraction method, the antioxidant activity of extract by ultrasound was enhanced significantly by at least 448 %. GC-MS showed that ultrasound didn't change the chemical composition of fatty acids, while it significantly increased the content of fatty acids. SEM image illustrated that extracts by UAE showed a rougher, looser microstructure compared to the solvent method. Overall, UAE is a promising method to obtain fatty acids in RJ with high efficiency.
Topics: Antioxidants; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Fatty Acids; Solvents
PubMed: 38368809
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106802