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Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2023Inhibitory compounds generated from lignocellulose pretreatment would inhibit Poly (malic acid) (PMA) production by , but the tolerance mechanism of to lignocellulosic...
Inhibitory compounds generated from lignocellulose pretreatment would inhibit Poly (malic acid) (PMA) production by , but the tolerance mechanism of to lignocellulosic inhibitor is poorly understood. In this study, the cellular response of to lignocellulosic inhibitor stress was studied. Among the three groups of inhibitors (furans, weak acids and phenolic aldehydes), phenolic aldehyde was the dominant inhibitor for PMA production. Phenolic aldehyde was mainly converted into phenolic alcohol by , and phenolic alcohol also exhibited severe inhibition on PMA production. Furthermore, the effect of detoxification methods on inhibitor-removal and PMA fermentation was investigated, both CaCO and overliming presented poor detoxification effect, whereas resin H103 could remove both furan derivatives and phenolic compounds efficiently, thereby producing 26.27 g/L of PMA with a yield of 0.30 g/g in batch fermentation. This study will be beneficial for the development of PMA production from lignocellulosic biomass.
PubMed: 38152284
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1339982 -
Life (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023Consumers today seek safe functional foods with proven health-promoting properties. Current evidence shows that a healthy diet can effectively alleviate oxidative stress...
Consumers today seek safe functional foods with proven health-promoting properties. Current evidence shows that a healthy diet can effectively alleviate oxidative stress levels and reduce inflammatory markers, thereby preventing the occurrence of many types of cancer, hypertension, and cardiovascular and neurological pathologies. Nevertheless, as fruits and vegetables are mainly consumed fresh, they can serve as vectors for the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms associated with various disease outbreaks. As a result, there has been a surge in interest in the microbiome of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, given the growing interest in sweet cherries, and since their microbial communities have been largely ignored, the primary purpose of this study is to investigate their culturome at various maturity stages for the first time. A total of 55 microorganisms were isolated from sweet cherry fruit, comprising 23 bacteria and 32 fungi species. Subsequently, the selected isolates were molecularly identified by amplifying the 16S rRNA gene and ITS region. Furthermore, it was observed that the communities became more diverse as the fruit matured. The most abundant taxa included and among the bacteria, and , , and among the fungi.
PubMed: 38137924
DOI: 10.3390/life13122323 -
JAAD Case Reports Dec 2023
PubMed: 38090661
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdcr.2023.09.025 -
IBRO Neuroscience Reports Dec 2023This exploratory case-control study is to evaluate the effects of supplementation of -N-163 strain produced 1,3-1,- 6 beta glucan in young patients with Duchenne...
Beneficial immune-modulatory effects of the N-163 strain of -produced 1,3-1,6 Beta glucans in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Results of an open-label, prospective, exploratory case-control clinical study.
BACKGROUND
This exploratory case-control study is to evaluate the effects of supplementation of -N-163 strain produced 1,3-1,- 6 beta glucan in young patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
METHODS
Twenty-seven male subjects aged 5-19 years with DMD were included, nine in the control arm and 18 in the treatment arm to receive N-163 beta glucan along with conventional therapies for 45 days. While performing the analysis, steroid usage was also taken into consideration, those not administered steroids (Steroid -ve) (Control, n = 5; treatment, n = 9), those administered steroids (Steroid +ve) (Control, n = 4; treatment, n = 9).
RESULTS
IL-6 showed a significant decrease in the treatment groups, especially the N-163 Steroid -ve group. IL-13 decreased in both treatment groups and TGF-β levels showed a significant decrease in the treatment groups, especially the N-163 Steroid -ve group, (p < 0.05). Dystrophin levels increased by up to 32% in the treatment groups compared to the control. Medical research council (MRC) grading showed slight improvement in muscle strength improvement in 12 out of 18 patients (67%) in the treatment group and four out of nine (44%) subjects in the control group.
CONCLUSION
Supplementation with the N-163 beta glucan food supplement produced beneficial effects: a significant decrease in inflammation and fibrosis markers, increase in serum dystrophin and slight improvement in muscle strength in DMD subjects over 45 days, thus making this a potential adjunct treatment for DMD after validation.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The study was registered in Clinical trials registry of India, CTRI/2021/05/033346. Registered on 5th May, 2021.
PubMed: 38053632
DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.06.007 -
Heliyon Nov 2023In an attempt to enhance the value of sugarcane leaf, xylan was extracted and used for xylooligosaccharide (XO) production via enzymatic hydrolysis using xylanase from...
In an attempt to enhance the value of sugarcane leaf, xylan was extracted and used for xylooligosaccharide (XO) production via enzymatic hydrolysis using xylanase from the black yeast . The xylan was extracted from sugarcane leaf using alkali extraction according to the response surface methodology. The highest xylan yield (99.42 ± 4.05 % recovery) was obtained using 14.32 % (w/v) NaOH, 13.25:1 liquid: solid ratio, at 121 °C and 15 lb.in for 32 min. Sugar composition and FTIR spectrum analyses confirmed its structure as arabinoxylan. The extracted arabinoxylan had a relatively high molecular weight compared to previous studies. Crude endoxylanase from NRRL 58523 was selected for enzymatic hydrolysis of the xylan. The enzyme hydrolyzed well at 50 °C, pH 4.0 and was relatively stable under this condition (87.38 ± 1.26 % of the activity remained after 60 h). XOs, especially xylobiose and xylotriose, were obtained at the maximum yield of 237.51 ± 17.69 mg/g xylan via endoxylanase hydrolysis under the optimum conditions (50 °C, pH 4.0, 65.31 U/g xylan, 53 h). XOs exhibited species-specific prebiotic activity toward three strains of spp. but not toward spp.
PubMed: 38034795
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22107 -
Heliyon Nov 2023Red dragon fruit (RDF) is well-known for its high nutritional content, especially the red pigment betacyanins that possess high antioxidant activity. Natural...
Red dragon fruit (RDF) is well-known for its high nutritional content, especially the red pigment betacyanins that possess high antioxidant activity. Natural fermentation is an ancient yet outstanding technique that relies on the autochthonous microbiota from fruits and vegetables surfaces to preserve and improve the nutritional values and quality of the food product. The present study was to evaluate and identify the indigenous microbial community (bacteria and fungi) that are involved in the natural fermentation of RDF. Results revealed a total of twenty bacterial pure cultures and nine fungal pure cultures were successfully isolated from fermented red dragon fruit drink (FRDFD). For the first time, the PCR amplification of 16S rRNA and ITS regions and sequence analysis suggested nine genera of bacteria and three genera of fungi (, , and ) present in the FRDFD. Four dominant (≥10 % isolates) bacteria species identified from FRDFD were , , and . The carbohydrate fermentation test showed that all the indigenous microbes identified were able to serve as useful starter culture by fermenting sucrose and glucose, thereby producing acid to lower the pH of FRDFD to around pH 4 for better betacyanins stability. The present study provides a more comprehensive understanding of the indigenous microbial community that serves as the starter culture in the fermentation of RDF. Besides, this study provides a useful guide for future research to be conducted on studying the rare bacterial strains (such as ) identified from the FRDFD for their potential bioactivities and applications in medical treatment and functional foods industries.
PubMed: 38027851
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21940 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2023(), a commonly found yeast-like fungus, exhibits adaptability to a wide range of pH environments. However, the specific mechanisms and regulatory pathways through which...
(), a commonly found yeast-like fungus, exhibits adaptability to a wide range of pH environments. However, the specific mechanisms and regulatory pathways through which respond to external pH remain to be fully understood. In this study, we first sequenced the whole genome of using Nanopore technology and generated a circle map. Subsequently, we explored the biomass, pullulan production, melanin production, and polymalic acid production of when cultivated at different pH levels. We selected pH 4.0, pH 7.0, and pH 10.0 to represent acidic, neutral, and alkaline environments, respectively, and examined the morphological characteristics of using SEM and TEM. Our observations revealed that predominantly exhibited hyphal growth with thicker cell walls under acidic conditions. In neutral environments, it primarily displayed thick-walled spores and yeast-like cells, while in alkaline conditions, it mainly assumed an elongated yeast-like cell morphology. Additionally, transcriptome analysis unveiled that orchestrates its response to shifts in environmental pH by modulating its cellular morphology and the expression of genes involved in pullulan, melanin, and polymalic acid synthesis. This research enhances the understanding of how regulates itself in diverse pH settings and offers valuable guidance for developing and applying engineered strains.
Topics: Ascomycota; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Melanins; Gene Expression Profiling; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Fermentation
PubMed: 38003294
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216103 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Nov 2023One of the major barriers of fungal infections of mammals is the inability to grow and/or survive at mammalian body temperature, typically around 37°C. This has...
One of the major barriers of fungal infections of mammals is the inability to grow and/or survive at mammalian body temperature, typically around 37°C. This has provided mammals an advantage over fungi. However, environmental fungi may soon adapt to persist at higher temperatures, consistent with mammalian body temperature, due to thermal selection pressures imposed by climate change, global warming, and increased frequency of extreme heat events. Consequently, there is a need for more updated information about the thermal tolerance range of fungi near humans, such as in urban areas. The heat island effect suggests that cities are up to 8°C warmer than their suburban counterparts because of increased heat production, asphalt coatings and reduced greenspace among other factors, and it is more common in lower income and marginalized urban communities. Thus, urban centers are at increased risk for the emergence of heat tolerant fungi. In this study, we developed a methodology to collect and archive fungal isolates from sidewalk and soil samples in both warmer and cooler neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. We demonstrate a novel methodology for fungal sample collection from sidewalks, employing the use of standardized and commercially available taffy. Analysis of fungal isolates collected from warmer neighborhoods revealed greater thermal tolerance and lower pigmentation, suggesting local adaptation to heat. Lower pigmentation in hotter areas is consistent with the notion that fungi use pigmentation to help regulate their temperature. Further, we identified the robust presence of the polyextremotolerant fungus from the warmest neighborhood in Baltimore further showing that the extreme conditions of cities can drive proliferation of extremotolerant fungi. This study develops new techniques for environmental fungal collection and provides insight on the fungal census in an urban setting that can inform future work to study how urban environments may drive stress/thermotolerance in fungi, which could alter fungal interactions with humans and impact human health.
PubMed: 37986923
DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566554 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023The Korean fir tree , an endangered species in Korea, faces threats primarily from climate change-induced stress and drought. This study proposed a sustainable method to...
The Korean fir tree , an endangered species in Korea, faces threats primarily from climate change-induced stress and drought. This study proposed a sustainable method to enhance drought tolerance using a black yeast-like fungus identified as (AK10). The 16S/ITS metabarcoding analysis assessed the impact of drought and AK10 treatment on the seedlings' rhizosphere microbiome. Results revealed a profound drought influence on the microbiome, particularly affecting fungal mycobiota. Drought-stressed seedlings exhibited elevated Agaricaceae levels, opportunistic fungi generally associated with decomposition. AK10 treatment significantly mitigated this proliferation and increased the relative abundance of beneficial fungi like and , known biocontrol agents and phosphate solubilizers. A notable reduction in the phytopathogenic levels was observed with AK10, alongside an increase in beneficial bacteria, including and . Furthermore, the conducted correlation analysis shed light on microbial interrelationships within the rhizosphere, elucidating potential co-associations and antagonisms. Taken together, the isolated AK10 identified in this study serves as a potential biostimulant, enhancing the drought tolerance in through beneficial alterations in the rhizosphere microbiome. This approach presents a promising strategy for the conservation of this endangered species.
PubMed: 37896116
DOI: 10.3390/plants12203653 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023and are important pathogenic fungi that pose a serious threat because of their ability to produce mycotoxins, including ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs). The...
and are important pathogenic fungi that pose a serious threat because of their ability to produce mycotoxins, including ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins (AFs). The main method of reducing these pathogens is the use of chemical fungicides, though recently there has been a focus on finding biological control agents. The obtained results from this study indicate the great potential of two wild yeast strains, PP3 and D10, in the biological control of and and reductions in the amount of OTA and AFs they produce. In vitro, the growth of the mycelium of pathogens was reduced by 41.21% to 53.64%, and spore germination was inhibited by 58.39% to 71.22%. Both yeast strains produced the enzymes chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, and amylase, and PP3 additionally produced protease and cellulase. This yeast strain also had the ability to grow over a wide range of temperature (4-30 °C), salinity (0-12%) and pH (4-11) conditions. No growth of the yeast was observed at 37 °C, nor any biogenic amines or hydrogen sulfide production. Adding the tested yeast inoculum to the dough reduced OTA (within 14.55-21.80%) and AFs (within 18.10-25.02%) in the model bread.
PubMed: 37893764
DOI: 10.3390/foods12203871