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Frontiers in Microbiology 2024(), an intestinal symbiont residing in the mucosal layer, shows promise as a probiotic. Our previous study found that the abundance of was significantly higher in...
(), an intestinal symbiont residing in the mucosal layer, shows promise as a probiotic. Our previous study found that the abundance of was significantly higher in Ningxiang suckling piglets compared to other breeds, suggesting that early breast milk may play a crucial role. This study examines 's ability to utilize Ningxiang pig milk oligosaccharides. We discovered that can thrive on both Ningxiang pig colostrum and purified pig milk oligosaccharides. Genetic analysis has shown that harbors essential glycan-degrading enzymes, enabling it to effectively break down a broad spectrum of oligosaccharides. Our findings demonstrate that can degrade pig milk oligosaccharides structures such as 3'-FL, 3'-SL, LNT, and LNnT, producing short-chain fatty acids in the process. The hydrolysis of these host-derived glycan structures enhances 's symbiotic interactions with other beneficial gut bacteria, contributing to a dynamic microbial ecological network. The capability of to utilize pig milk oligosaccharides allows it to establish itself in the intestines of newborn piglets, effectively colonizing the mucosal layer early in life. This early colonization is key in supporting both mucosal and metabolic health, which is critical for enhancing piglet survival during lactation.
PubMed: 38933035
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1430276 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2024This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and hyocholic acids (HCA) during late gestation and lactation on reproductive...
Maternal intervention with a combination of galacto-oligosaccharides and hyocholic acids during late gestation and lactation increased the reproductive performance, colostrum composition, antioxidant and altered intestinal microflora in sows.
INTRODUCTION
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and hyocholic acids (HCA) during late gestation and lactation on reproductive performance, colostrum quality, antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota in multiparous sows.
METHODS
A total of 60 healthy multiparous cross-bred sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly fed 4 groups diets as follows: the basal diets (CTRL group), or the basal diets containing only 600 mg/kg GOS (GOS group), 600 mg/kg GOS + 100 mg/kg HCA (GOS + Low HCA group), and 600 mg/kg + 200 mg/kg HCA (GOS + High HCA group) from d 85 of gestation to weaning. Multiple parameters of sows were determined.
RESULTS
There was a trend of shortening the labor process of sows ( = 0.07) in the GOS group and GOS + Low/High HCA group. Compared with the CTRL group, the GOS + Low/High HCA group increased the average piglets weight at birth ( < 0.05), and increased the IgA concentration of colostrum ( < 0.05). In addition, serum triglyceride (TG) concentration was lower ( < 0.05), and serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was higher ( < 0.05) in the GOS and GOS + Low/High HCA groups than in the CTRL group at farrowing. Serum catalase (CAT) activities was higher in the GOS and GOS + High HCA groups than in the CTRL group at farrowing. The 16S rRNA analysis showed that GOS combination with high-dose HCA shaped the composition of gut microbiota in different reproductive stages (d 107 of gestation, G107; d 0 of lactation, L0; d 7 of lactation, L7). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of and in G107, , and in L0, and in L7 was increased in GOS + High HCA group ( < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that was positively correlated with the serum TG but negatively correlated with the average piglets weight at birth ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
This investigation demonstrated that the administration of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) in conjunction with hyocholic acids (HCA), to sows with nutrient restrictions during late gestation and lactation, further improved their antioxidant capacity and milk quality. The observed beneficial effects of GOS + HCA supplementation could potentially be linked to an improvement in gut microbiota disorders of the sows.
PubMed: 38933026
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1367877 -
Journal of the Science of Food and... Jun 2024α-l-Fucose confers unique functions for fucose-containing biomolecules such as human milk oligosaccharides. α-l-Fucosidases can serve as desirable tools in the...
BACKGROUND
α-l-Fucose confers unique functions for fucose-containing biomolecules such as human milk oligosaccharides. α-l-Fucosidases can serve as desirable tools in the application of fucosylated saccharides. Discovering novel α-l-fucosidases and elucidating their enzyme properties are always worthy tasks.
RESULTS
A GH95 family α-l-fucosidase named Afc95A_Wf was cloned from the genome of the marine bacterium Wenyingzhuangia fucanilytica and expressed in Escherichia coli. It exhibited maximum activity at 40 °C and pH 7.5. Afc95A_Wf defined a different substrate specificity among reported α-l-fucosidases, which was capable of hydrolyzing α-fucoside in CNP-fucose, Fucα1-2Galβ1-4Glc and Galβ1-4(Fucα1-3)Glc, and showed a preference for α1,2-fucosidic linkage. It adopted Asp residue in the amino acid sequence at position 391, which was distinct from the previously acknowledged residue of Asn. The predicted tertiary structure and site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Asp391 participates in the catalysis of Afc95A_Wf. The differences in the substrate specificity and catalytic site shed light on that Afc95A_Wf adopted a novel mechanism in catalysis.
CONCLUSION
A GH95 family α-l-fucosidase (Afc95A_Wf) was cloned and expressed. It showed a cleavage preference for α1,2-fucosidic linkage to α1,3-fucosidic linkage. Afc95A_Wf demonstrated a different substrate specificity and a residue at an important catalytic site compared with known GH95 family proteins, which revealed the occurrence of diversity on catalytic mechanisms in the GH95 family. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
PubMed: 38932571
DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13659 -
Vaccines May 2024Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a contagious viral infection predominantly affecting infants and young children, caused by multiple enteroviruses, including...
Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a contagious viral infection predominantly affecting infants and young children, caused by multiple enteroviruses, including Enterovirus 71 (EV71), Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16), Coxsackievirus A10 (CA10), and Coxsackievirus A6 (CA6). The high pathogenicity of HFMD has garnered significant attention. Currently, there is no specific treatment or broad-spectrum preventive measure available for HFMD, and existing monovalent vaccines have limited impact on the overall incidence or prevalence of the disease. Consequently, with the emergence of new viral strains driven by vaccine pressure, there is an urgent need to develop strategies for the rapid response and control of new outbreaks. In this study, we demonstrated the broad protective effect of maternal antibodies against three types of HFMD by immunizing mother mice with a trivalent inactivated vaccine targeting EV71, CA16, and CA10, using a neonatal mouse challenge model. Based on the feasibility of maternal antibodies as a form of passive immunization to prevent HFMD, we prepared a multivalent antiviral milk by immunizing dairy cows with the trivalent inactivated vaccine to target multiple HFMD viruses. In the neonatal mouse challenge model, this immunized milk exhibited extensive passive protection against oral infections caused by the three HFMD viruses. Compared to vaccines, this strategy may offer a rapid and broadly applicable approach to providing passive immunity for the prevention of HFMD, particularly in response to the swift emergence and spread of new variants.
PubMed: 38932299
DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060570 -
Viruses Jun 2024Recently, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines based on the prefusion F (pre-F) antigen were approved in the United States. We aimed to develop an enzyme-linked...
Recently, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines based on the prefusion F (pre-F) antigen were approved in the United States. We aimed to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based protocol for the practical and large-scale evaluation of RSV vaccines. Two modified pre-F proteins (DS-Cav1 and SC-TM) were produced by genetic recombination and replication using an adenoviral vector. The protocol was established by optimizing the concentrations of the coating antigen (pre-F proteins), secondary antibodies, and blocking buffer. To validate the protocol, we examined its accuracy, precision, and specificity using serum samples from 150 participants across various age groups and the standard serum provided by the National Institute of Health. In the linear correlation analysis, coating concentrations of 5 and 2.5 μg/mL of DS-Cav1 and SC-TM showed high coefficients of determination (r > 0.90), respectively. Concentrations of secondary antibodies (alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-human immunoglobulin G, diluted 1:2000) and blocking reagents (5% skim milk/PBS-T) were optimized to minimize non-specific reactions. High accuracy was observed for DS-Cav1 (r = 0.90) and SC-TM (r = 0.86). Further, both antigens showed high precision (coefficient of variation < 15%). Inhibition ELISA revealed cross-reactivity of antibodies against DS-Cav1 and SC-TM, but not with the attachment (G) protein.
Topics: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Humans; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Antibodies, Viral; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccines; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Infant; Child, Preschool; Adult; Child; Adolescent; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Female; Sensitivity and Specificity; Antigens, Viral; Male; Viral Fusion Proteins; Aged
PubMed: 38932244
DOI: 10.3390/v16060952 -
Viruses Jun 2024The serological surveillance of bluetongue in bulk tank milk is an efficient and cost-effective method for the early detection of bluetongue virus incursions in...
The serological surveillance of bluetongue in bulk tank milk is an efficient and cost-effective method for the early detection of bluetongue virus incursions in unvaccinated free areas of the disease. In addition, the availability of standardized and reliable reagents and refined diagnostic procedures with high sensitivity and specificity are essential for surveillance purposes. However, no available reference materials for bluetongue virus serological surveillance in bulk tank milk exist. This study shows the production and characterization of reference material for the implementation of a commercially available bluetongue milk ELISA test in official laboratories, as well as the evaluation of a procedure to increase the sensitivity in samples with low levels of antibodies. This procedure, based on milk protein concentration, allowed us to notably increase the ELISA test's analytical sensitivity, which is useful for milk samples from farms with low within-herd prevalence or pools of bulk tank milk samples. The standardized milk reference material produced here, together with the evaluated procedure to improve analytical sensitivity, could be applied as tools to ensure an accurate diagnosis by official laboratories in bluetongue unvaccinated free areas.
Topics: Animals; Milk; Bluetongue; Bluetongue virus; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sheep; Cattle; Milk Proteins; Antibodies, Viral; Serologic Tests; Reference Standards; Female
PubMed: 38932207
DOI: 10.3390/v16060915 -
Viruses May 2024Bovine torovirus (BToV) is an enteric pathogen that may cause diarrhea in calves and adult cattle, which could result in economic losses due to weight loss and decreased...
Bovine torovirus (BToV) is an enteric pathogen that may cause diarrhea in calves and adult cattle, which could result in economic losses due to weight loss and decreased milk production. This study aimed to report the presence, the genetic characterization and the evolution of BToV in calves in Uruguay. BToV was detected in 7.9% (22/278) of fecal samples, being identified in dairy (9.2%, 22/239) but not beef (0.0%, 0/39) calves. BToV was detected in both diarrheic (14%, 6/43) and non-diarrheic (13.2%, 5/38) dairy calves. In addition, BToV was detected in the intestinal contents of 14.9% (7/47) of naturally deceased dairy calves. A complete genome (28,446 nucleotides) was obtained, which was the second outside Asia and the first in Latin America. In addition, partial S gene sequences were obtained to perform evolutionary analyses. Nucleotide and amino acid substitutions within and between outbreaks/farms were observed, alerting the continuous evolution of the virus. Through Bayesian analysis using BEAST, a recent origin (mid-60s) of BToV, possibly in Asia, was estimated, with two introductions into Uruguay from Asia and Europe in 2004 and 2013, respectively. The estimated evolutionary rate was 1.80 × 10 substitutions/site/year. Our findings emphasize the importance of continued surveillance and genetic characterization for the effective management and understanding of BToV's global epidemiology and evolution.
Topics: Animals; Uruguay; Cattle; Phylogeny; Genome, Viral; Torovirus; Feces; Cattle Diseases; Torovirus Infections; Diarrhea; Evolution, Molecular
PubMed: 38932127
DOI: 10.3390/v16060835 -
Pharmaceutics May 2024Paediatric infectious diseases contribute significantly to global health challenges. Conventional therapeutic interventions are not always suitable for children, as they... (Review)
Review
Paediatric infectious diseases contribute significantly to global health challenges. Conventional therapeutic interventions are not always suitable for children, as they are regularly accompanied with long-standing disadvantages that negatively impact efficacy, thus necessitating the need for effective and child-friendly pharmacotherapeutic interventions. Recent advancements in drug delivery technologies, particularly oral formulations, have shown tremendous progress in enhancing the effectiveness of paediatric medicines. Generally, these delivery methods target, and address challenges associated with palatability, dosing accuracy, stability, bioavailability, patient compliance, and caregiver convenience, which are important factors that can influence successful treatment outcomes in children. Some of the emerging trends include moving away from creating liquid delivery systems to developing oral solid formulations, with the most explored being orodispersible tablets, multiparticulate dosage forms using film-coating technologies, and chewable drug products. Other ongoing innovations include gastro-retentive, 3D-printed, nipple-shield, milk-based, and nanoparticulate (e.g., lipid-, polymeric-based templates) drug delivery systems, possessing the potential to improve therapeutic effectiveness, age appropriateness, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles as they relate to the paediatric population. This manuscript therefore highlights the evolving landscape of oral pharmacotherapeutic interventions for leading paediatric infectious diseases, crediting the role of innovative drug delivery technologies. By focusing on the current trends, pointing out gaps, and identifying future possibilities, this review aims to contribute towards ongoing efforts directed at improving paediatric health outcomes associated with the management of these infectious ailments through accessible and efficacious drug treatments.
PubMed: 38931836
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060712 -
Nutrients Jun 2024The immune system is affected by the dietary products humans intake. Immune system regulation by nutrition has uses in the clinical context, but it can also benefit... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Parallel Group Nutritional Study to Evaluate the Effects of Routine Intake of Fresh vs. Pasteurized Yogurt on the Immune System in Healthy Adults.
The immune system is affected by the dietary products humans intake. Immune system regulation by nutrition has uses in the clinical context, but it can also benefit healthy populations by delaying or preventing the emergence of immune-mediated chronic illnesses. In this study, the purpose was to describe and compare the modulator effects on the immune system of the routine ingestion of fresh vs. pasteurized yogurt. A unicentral, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel group 8-week nutritional study was carried out comparing the ingestion of 125 g of the products in healthy adults three times a day. A complete battery of in vitro tests on the activity of the immune system, processes and phenomena was performed. Exclusive immune-modulatory effects of fresh yogurt with respect to base line were found in terms of increased systemic IgM (primary immune responses), increased synthesis of IFN-gamma upon stimulation (Th1) and increased peripheral T cells (mainly "naive" CD4s). In the three interventions, we observed an increased phagocytic activity and burst test in granulocytes, together with increased secretion of IL-6, IL-1 β and IL-8 (pro-inflammatory) and increased CD16 expression (FcR favoring phagocytosis) in granulocytes. Overall, it is concluded that regardless of bacteria being alive or thermally inactivated, yogurt has common effects on the innate system, but the presence of live bacteria is necessary to achieve a potentiating effect on the specific immune response.
Topics: Yogurt; Humans; Double-Blind Method; Adult; Male; Female; Prospective Studies; Pasteurization; Phagocytosis; Cytokines; Young Adult; Immunoglobulin M; Interferon-gamma; Middle Aged; Granulocytes; Immune System; Receptors, IgG
PubMed: 38931322
DOI: 10.3390/nu16121969 -
Nutrients Jun 2024Approximately 30% of milk protein is β-casein. We aimed to determine whether lactose maldigesters who chronically consumed two cups of A1/A2 milk (containing 75% A1... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Approximately 30% of milk protein is β-casein. We aimed to determine whether lactose maldigesters who chronically consumed two cups of A1/A2 milk (containing 75% A1 β-casein and 25% A2 β-casein) would adapt to have fewer intolerance symptoms, lower serum inflammatory markers, and/or altered glutathione levels similar to those consuming A2 milk (containing 100% A2 β-casein). A double-blinded, randomized, crossover trial was conducted. Sixteen confirmed lactose maldigesters consumed 250 mL of A1/A2 milk and A2 milk twice daily with meals for two weeks. At the end of the adaptation period on day 15, lactose maldigestion was measured after a challenge with the same milk used for adaptation (0.5 g of lactose per kg of body weight) with a hydrogen breath test. Fecal urgency was higher during the two-week consumption of A1/A2 milk compared to A2 milk ( = 0.04, = 16). Bloating ( = 0.03, = 16) and flatulence ( = 0.02, = 16) were also higher on the 15th day with A1/A2 milk compared to A2 milk challenge. However, day-to-day symptoms, hydrogen, serum inflammatory markers, and antioxidant concentrations were not different after A1/A2 and A2 milk consumption adaptation periods. Adaptation over two weeks did not improve lactose digestion or tolerance of A1/A2 milk to match that of A2 milk.
Topics: Humans; Lactose Intolerance; Caseins; Milk; Cross-Over Studies; Female; Double-Blind Method; Adult; Animals; Male; Lactose; Middle Aged; Biomarkers; Flatulence; Breath Tests; Adaptation, Physiological
PubMed: 38931316
DOI: 10.3390/nu16121963