Gut Microbial Community

In the presented study, natural rice containing high resistant starch content was used as a raw material to produce rice resistant starch (RRS) through enzymatic hydrolysis with heat-stable α-amylase and glucoamylase. The chemical composition, structural characteristics and in vitro glycemic index (GI) of RRS were evaluated. The effects of RRS at different doses on the body weight, serum biochemical levels, pathological indexes, production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the gut and the intestinal microbial composition in T2DM mice were investigated. The results of physiochemical characterization indicated that, relative to rice flour, RRS mainly comprising resistant starch had higher crystallinity (25.85%) and a more stable structure, which contributed to its lower digestibility and decreased GI in vitro. Compared with the model control group, 1 g per kg BW and 2 g per kg BW oral gavage dosages of RRS effectively enhanced the SCFA productivity in the T2DM mouse gut, as well as alleviating T2DM symptoms, involving an increase in body weight, reduction in fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase, and an increase in serum insulin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Besides, 1 g per kg BW and 2 g per kg BW dosages of RRS mitigated T2DM-induced pancreas damage. Furthermore, up-regulation in the abundance of probiotics (Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, etc.) and down-regulation in the number of harmful bacteria (Desulfovibrio, Prevotella, etc.) were observed in all RRS-treated groups. In summary, this work suggested that RRS prepared using heat-stable α-amylase and glucoamylase could be a potential functional component for amelioration of T2DM applied in the fields of food and pharmaceutics.

The effects of feeding Artemia nauplii enriched with or without poly-b-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and/or highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) on Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) larvae were investigated. Feeding larvae with PHB-enriched nauplii (PHB, PHB + HUFA) decreased the growth performance of the larvae. PHB affected the body composition by increasing the lipid content of the whole body and decreasing total saturated, monoenoic, n3, n6 and decosahexanoeic acid (DHA) in the larvae, indicating that the PHB addition affected lipid metabolism. A high activity of pepsin was observed in the digestive extracts of PHB treatments (PHB, PHB + HUFA), while PHB suppressed amylase activity in the intestine of the larvae. Based on molecular analysis, PHB changed the microbial community in the distal intestine of the larvae. The highest counts of goblet cells were observed in the HUFA-containing treatments (HUFA, PHB + HUFA), indicating that HUFA addition may improve the mucosal barrier defence system. The overall quality of the larvae was evaluated by exposing them to different salinities and ammonia stress levels. PHB decreased survival rates in these challenges. Our results show that optimal PHB doses for bio-encapsulation into Artemia remain to be determined for further application at the earliest larval stages of sturgeon.

In recent decades, wild sable (Carnivora Mustelidae Martes zibellina) habitats, which are often natural forests, have been squeezed by anthropogenic disturbances such as clear-cutting, tilling and grazing. Sables tend to live in sloped areas with relatively harsh conditions. Here, we determine effects of environmental factors on wild sable gut microbial communities between high and low altitude habitats using Illumina Miseq sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Our results showed that despite wild sable gut microbial community diversity being resilient to many environmental factors, community composition was sensitive to altitude. Wild sable gut microbial communities were dominated by Firmicutes (relative abundance 38.23%), followed by Actinobacteria (30.29%), and Proteobacteria (28.15%). Altitude was negatively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes, suggesting sable likely consume more vegetarian food in lower habitats where plant diversity, temperature and vegetation cover...

Background Recent advances in culture-independent approaches have enabled insights into the diversity, complexity, and individual variability of gut microbial communities. Objectives To examine the effect of oral administration of Saccharomyces (S.) boulardii and mode of delivery on the intestinal microbial community in preterm infants.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious illness of unknown etiology, characterized by debilitating exhaustion, memory impairment, pain and sleep abnormalities. Viral infections are believed to initiate the pathogenesis of this syndrome although the definite proof remains elusive. With the unfolding of COVID-19 pandemic, the interest in this condition has resurfaced as excessive tiredness, a major complaint of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, often lingers for a long time, resulting in disability, and poor life quality. In a previous article, we hypothesized that COVID-19-upregulated angiotensin II triggered premature endothelial cell senescence, disrupting the intestinal and blood brain barriers. Here, we hypothesize further that post-viral sequelae, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, are promoted by the gut microbes or toxin translocation from the gastrointestinal tract into other tissues, including the brain. This mode...

In recent decades, wild sable (Carnivora Mustelidae Martes zibellina) habitats, which are often natural forests, have been squeezed by anthropogenic disturbances such as clear-cutting, tilling and grazing. Sables tend to live in sloped areas with relatively harsh conditions. Here, we determine effects of environmental factors on wild sable gut microbial communities between high and low altitude habitats using Illumina Miseq sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Our results showed that despite wild sable gut microbial community diversity being resilient to many environmental factors, community composition was sensitive to altitude. Wild sable gut microbial communities were dominated by Firmicutes (relative abundance 38.23%), followed by Actinobacteria (30.29%), and Proteobacteria (28.15%). Altitude was negatively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes, suggesting sable likely consume more vegetarian food in lower habitats where plant diversity, temperature and vegetation cover...