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Frontiers in Immunology 2021Lauric acid (LA) is a crucial medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) that has many beneficial effects on humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LA on...
Lauric acid (LA) is a crucial medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) that has many beneficial effects on humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LA on the intestinal barrier, immune functions, serum metabolism, and gut microbiota of broilers under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. A total of 384 one-day-old broilers were randomly divided into four groups, and fed with a basal diet, or a basal diet supplemented with 75 mg/kg antibiotic (ANT), or a basal diet supplemented with 1000 mg/kg LA. After 42 days of feeding, three groups were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mg/kg - derived LPS (LPS, ANT+LPS and LA+LPS groups) for three consecutive days, and the control (CON) group was injected with the same volume of saline. Then, the birds were sacrificed. Results showed that LA pretreatment significantly alleviated the weight loss and intestinal mucosal injuries caused by LPS challenge. LA enhanced immune functions and inhibited inflammatory responses by upregulating the concentrations of immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgY), decreasing IL-6 and increasing IL-4 and IL-10. Metabolomics analysis revealed a significant difference of serum metabolites by LA pretreatment. Twenty-seven serum metabolic biomarkers were identified and mostly belong to lipids. LA also markedly modulated the pathway for sphingolipid metabolism, suggesting its ability to regulate lipid metabolism. Moreover,16S rRNA analysis showed that LA inhibited LPS-induced gut dysbiosis by altering cecal microbial composition (reducing , and , and increasing and ), and modulating the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Pearson's correlation assays showed that alterations in serum metabolism and gut microbiota were strongly correlated to the immune factors; there were also strong correlations between serum metabolites and microbiota composition. The results highlight the potential of LA as a dietary supplement to combat bacterial LPS challenge in animal production and to promote food safety.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Inflammation; Intestines; Lauric Acids; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Metabolomics; Weight Loss
PubMed: 34721434
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.759323 -
Heliyon Nov 2023Ethanol (EtOH) is most widely used in alcoholic beverages to prepare alcohol. As EtOH is mainly metabolised in the liver, the excessive consumption of EtOH forms a...
Ethanol (EtOH) is most widely used in alcoholic beverages to prepare alcohol. As EtOH is mainly metabolised in the liver, the excessive consumption of EtOH forms a primary toxic metabolic product called acetaldehyde, as the gradual increase in acetaldehyde leads to liver injury, as reported. Lauric acid (LA) is rich in antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral properties. LA is an edible component highly present in coconut oil. However, no report on LA protective effects against the EtOH-instigated hepatotoxicity exists. Therefore, the experiment is carried out to investigate the potency effects of LA on EtOH-instigated hepatotoxicity in thirty male albino rats. Rats were divided into five groups (n-6): control DMSO alone, EtOH -intoxicated, EtOH + LA 180 mg/kg, EtOH + LA 360 mg/kg, and LA alone were administered orally using oral gavage. The study measured body weight every weekend in all rat groups. The rats were sacrificed and assessed for serum markers (alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase), antioxidant activity (superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase), lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), histopathological, cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6), protein expression (caspase 3 and caspase 8 and Bcl-2 and HNF4α) were evaluated after the 56-days study period. The impact of EtOH intoxication reduces the rat's body weight by 90 g, upregulates the liver enzyme markers, depletes the antioxidant levels, produces malondialdehyde, changes the histoarchitecture (periportal inflammation and hepatocyte damage), downregulates the Bcl-2 expressions and HNF4α, and elevates the expression of cytokines and apoptotic markers. LA alleviated EtOH-induced liver toxicity by significant (p < 0.05) modulation of biochemical levels, caspase-8/3 signalling, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and restoring the normal histoarchitecture, upregulating the Bcl-2 and HNF4α Expressions. In conclusion, LA treatment can protect the liver against EtOH-induced hepatotoxicity, evidenced by alleviating Oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, inflammation, apoptosis, and upregulation of HNF4α.
PubMed: 37908709
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21267 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2023Peach ( (L.) Batsch) is a fruit tree of economic and nutritional importance, but it is very sensitive to drought stress, which affects its growth to a great extent....
Peach ( (L.) Batsch) is a fruit tree of economic and nutritional importance, but it is very sensitive to drought stress, which affects its growth to a great extent. Lauric acid (LA) is a fatty acid produced in plants and associated with the response to abiotic stress, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, physiological analysis showed that 50 ppm LA pretreatment under drought stress could alleviate the growth of peach seedlings. LA inhibits the degradation of photosynthetic pigments and the closing of pores under drought stress, increasing the photosynthetic rate. LA also reduces the content of O, HO, and MDA under drought stress; our results were confirmed by Evans Blue, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), and DAB(3,3-diaminobenzidine) staining experiments. It may be that, by directly removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and improving enzyme activity, i.e., catalase (CAT) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, the damage caused by reactive oxygen species to peach seedlings is reduced. Peach seedlings treated with LA showed a significant increase in osmoregulatory substances compared with those subjected to drought stress, thereby regulating osmoregulatory balance and reducing damage. RNA-Seq analysis identified 1876 DEGs (differentially expressed genes) in untreated and LA-pretreated plants under drought stress. In-depth analysis of these DEGs showed that, under drought stress, LA regulates the expression of genes related to plant-pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, the MAPK signaling pathway, cyanoamino acid metabolism, and sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis. In addition, LA may activate the Ca signaling pathway by increasing the expressions of CNGC, CAM/CML, and CPDK family genes, thereby improving the drought resistance of peaches. In summary, via physiological and transcriptome analyses, the mechanism of action of LA in drought resistance has been revealed. Our research results provide new insights into the molecular regulatory mechanism of the LA-mediated drought resistance of peach trees.
PubMed: 37050118
DOI: 10.3390/plants12071492 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2023Camphene, C12-C18 fatty acids, and titanium sulfate were used as raw materials to study the synthesis of long-chain fatty acid isobornyl esters. Products were analyzed...
Camphene, C12-C18 fatty acids, and titanium sulfate were used as raw materials to study the synthesis of long-chain fatty acid isobornyl esters. Products were analyzed quantitatively by gas chromatography (GC), characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (hydrogen and carbon), and evaluated using toxicity tests. The optimum reaction conditions were as follows: n(lauric acid):n(camphene) = 2.5:1, m(titanium sulfate):m(camphene) = 0.25:1, reaction temperature of 80 °C, and reaction time of 25 h. Under these conditions, the content of isobornyl laurate in the product was 74.49%, and the content of purified product was 95.02%. The reaction kinetics for isobornyl laurate showed an apparent first-order reaction in the first 9 h with an activation energy of 31.01 kJ/mol. The reaction conditions of myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid were similar to those of lauric acid, but the reaction time had to be increased as the molecular weight of the fatty acid increased. Toxicity tests for four types of long-chain fatty acid isobornyl esters showed that the samples had low toxicity.
PubMed: 38005232
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227510 -
Cureus Sep 2023The present study explored the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of a combination of chitosan thiocolchicoside and lauric acid (CTLA)...
AIM
The present study explored the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of a combination of chitosan thiocolchicoside and lauric acid (CTLA) nanogel. Materials and methods: A nanogel formulation of thiocolchicoside and lauric acid was developed and tested for potential applications. The antimicrobial activity was assessed using the well diffusion method, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and hydrogen peroxide (HO) antioxidant assay methods. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined through the egg albumin denaturation method, the bovine serum albumin denaturation method, and the membrane stabilization assay. A brine shrimp lethality assay was used to study the cytotoxic effect of the nanogel.
RESULTS
We identified significant positive outcomes for the CTLA nanogel. The results showed a percentage of inhibition of 81% at 50μg/mL, which showed the nanogel's significant anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting bovine serum albumin denaturation. The anti-inflammatory properties of the nanogel were comparable to the standard diclofenac sodium at all tested concentrations. The egg albumin denaturation assay results revealed a percentage inhibition of 76% at 50 μg/mL. In the membrane stabilization assay, a percentage inhibition of 86% was obtained at a concentration of 50 μg/mL against 89% for the standard drug. The nanogel exhibited a zone of inhibition of 20 mm against and 22 mm with a dilution of 100 µg/mL of CTLA nanogel against . The antioxidant activity was studied by using the DPPH method, 50 μg/ml has an 89% inhibition, which was similar to the standard. The inhibitory activity of CTLA nanogel at 50 μg/ml was 81.6% in the hydroxyl free radical scavenging assay, which was comparable to the standard drug. At 5 μg/mL concentration of CTLA nanogel, approximately 90% of the nauplii remained alive after 48 hours.
CONCLUSION
The CTLA nanogel showed excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties suggesting its potential for managing inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress-related disorders.
PubMed: 37900405
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46003 -
PeerJ 2020Lauric acid (LA), a common constituent of coconut oil, is used as food additives and supplements in various formulations. Despite various potential pharmacological...
BACKGROUND
Lauric acid (LA), a common constituent of coconut oil, is used as food additives and supplements in various formulations. Despite various potential pharmacological properties, no scientific evidence on its dose-related toxicity and safety is available till date.
OBJECTIVE
The current study was conducted to evaluate acute oral toxicity of LA on normal rats.
METHODS
The study was conducted in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines (OECD 423) with slight modifications. LA was administered orally to female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats ( = 6/group) at a single dose of 300 and 2,000 mg/kg body weight, respectively, while normal control received vehicle only. Animals from all the three groups were monitored for any behavioural and toxicological changes and mortality for two weeks. Food and fluid consumption, body weight was monitored on daily basis. At the end (on day 15th) of the experimental period, blood was collected for haematological and biochemical analysis. Further, all the animals were euthanized, and internal organs were harvested for histopathological investigation using four different stainings; haematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome, Periodic Acid Schiff and Picro Sirius Red for gross pathology through microscopical observation.
RESULTS
The study results showed no LA treatment-related mortality and morbidity at two different dosages. Daily food and water consumption, body weight, relative organ weight, haematological, and biochemical analysis were observed to be normal with no severe alterations to the internal tissues.
CONCLUSION
The current finding suggests that single oral administration of LA, even up to 2,000 mg/kg body weight, did not exhibit any signs of toxicity in SD rats; thus, it was safe to be used on disease models in animals.
PubMed: 32266118
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8805 -
Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering Sep 2021Virgin coconut oil is a useful substance in our daily life. It contains a high percentage of lauric acid which has many health benefits. The current industry has... (Review)
Review
Virgin coconut oil is a useful substance in our daily life. It contains a high percentage of lauric acid which has many health benefits. The current industry has developed several methods to extract the oil out from the coconut fruit. This review paper aims to highlight several common extraction processes used in modern industries that includes cold extraction, hot extraction, low-pressure extraction, chilling, freezing and thawing method, fermentation, centrifugation, enzymatic extraction and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. Different extraction methods will produce coconut oil with different yields and purities of lauric acid, thus having different uses and applications. Challenges that are faced by the industries in extracting the coconut oil using different methods of extraction are important to be explored so that advancement in the oil extraction technology can be done for efficient downstream processing. This study is vital as it provides insights that could enhance the production of coconut oil.
Topics: Coconut Oil; Cocos; Fruit; Lauric Acids
PubMed: 34009462
DOI: 10.1007/s00449-021-02577-9 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2022It has been reported that coconut oil supplementation can reduce neuroinflammation. However, coconut oils are available as virgin coconut oil (VCO), crude coconut oil...
It has been reported that coconut oil supplementation can reduce neuroinflammation. However, coconut oils are available as virgin coconut oil (VCO), crude coconut oil (ECO), and refined coconut oil (RCO). The impact of coconut oil extraction process (and its major fatty acid component lauric acid) at cellular antioxidant level, redox homeostasis and inflammation in neural cells is hitherto unexplained. Herein, we have shown the antioxidant levels and cellular effect of coconut oil extracted by various processes in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) cultured . Results indicate VCO and ECO treated cells displayed better mitochondrial health when compared to RCO. Similar trend was observed for the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), key oxidative stress response genes (GCLC, HO-1, and Nqo1) and inflammatory genes (IL6, TNFα, and iNOS) in SH-SY5Y cells. Our results signified that both VCO and ECO offer better neural health primarily by maintaining the cellular redox balance. Further, RCO prepared by solvent extraction and chemical refining process lacks appreciable beneficial effect. Then, we extended our study to find out the reasons behind maintaining the cellular redox balance in neuroblastoma cells by VCO and ECO. Our GC-MS results showed that lauric acid (C14:0) (LA) content was the major difference in the fatty acid composition extracted by various processes. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of LA in SH-SY5Y cells. The LA showed dose-dependent effect. At IC concentration (11.8 μM), LA down regulated the oxidative stress response genes and inflammatory genes. The results clearly indicate that the LA inhibited the neuroinflammation and provided an efficient cellular antioxidant activity, which protects the cells. The efficiency was also evaluated in normal cell line such as fibroblasts (L929) to cross-validate that the results were not false positive. Different concentration of LA on L929 cells showed high compatibility. From our observation, we conclude that VCO and ECO offers better cellular protection owing to their powerful antioxidant system. Therefore, we advocate the inclusion of either VCO and/or ECO in the diet for a healthy lifestyle.
PubMed: 35360165
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.833630 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2017is a Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic human gastrointestinal pathogen. infection (CDI) is a major health concern worldwide, with symptoms ranging from diarrhea...
is a Gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic human gastrointestinal pathogen. infection (CDI) is a major health concern worldwide, with symptoms ranging from diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis, toxic megacolon, sepsis, and death. CDI onset and progression are mostly caused by intestinal dysbiosis and exposure to spores. Current treatment strategies include antibiotics; however, antibiotic use is often associated with high recurrence rates and an increased risk of antibiotic resistance. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have been revealed to inhibit the growth of multiple human bacterial pathogens. Components of coconut oil, which include lauric acid, have been revealed to inhibit growth . In this study, we demonstrated that lauric acid exhibits potent antimicrobial activities against multiple toxigenic isolates . The inhibitory effect of lauric acid is partly due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cell membrane damage. The administration of lauric acid considerably reduced biofilm formation and preformed biofilms in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, in a mouse infection model, lauric acid pretreatment reduced CDI symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production. Our combined results suggest that the naturally occurring MCFA lauric acid is a novel inhibitor and is useful in the development of an alternative or adjunctive treatment for CDI.
PubMed: 29387044
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02635 -
Poultry Science Aug 2023A total of 480 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 20 chicks per replicate. A basal diet was administered...
A total of 480 one-day-old male yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 20 chicks per replicate. A basal diet was administered to the control group (CON), whereas CML350, CML500, and CML1000 groups were fed with basal diet supplemented with 350, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex, respectively. However, adding 500 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex improved weight gain (P < 0.01), enhanced intestinal morphology, increased serum total protein and albumin content, and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.01), and significantly increased the Chao1 and Ace indices (P < 0.01), indicating an increase in the richness of the gut microbiota. At the phylum level, CML500 group reduced the abundance of Fusobacteriota at 21 d and Proteobacteria at 42 d (P < 0.01). At the genus level, CML500 group increased the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Alistipes at 42 d (P < 0.01) and decreased the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella (P < 0.01). At the species level, CML500 group reduced the abundance of Escherichia coli at 42 d (P < 0.01) and increased the abundance of Alistipes_sp_CHKCI003 at 42 d (P < 0.01). According to these results, adding 500 mg/kg of lauric acid monoglyceride and cinnamaldehyde complex in feed can improve the growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers.
Topics: Male; Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Chickens; Monoglycerides; Organic Chemicals; Bacteroidetes; Dietary Supplements; Escherichia coli; Animal Feed; Diet
PubMed: 37356297
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102825