Tea Polyphenols Inhibit the Activity and Toxicity of Staphylococcus aureus by Destroying Cell Membranes and Accumulating Reactive Oxygen Species.

Staphylococcus aureus can cause bacterial food intoxication and seriously affect human health. Tea polyphenols (TP) are a kind of natural, safe, and broad-spectrum bacteriostatic substances, with a wide range of bacteriostatic effects. In the study, we explored the possible bacteriostatic mode of TP. The minimum inhibitory concentration of TP against S. aureus was 64 µg/mL. Protein, DNA, and K+ leak experiments, fluorescence microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy suggested that TP disrupt cell membranes, leading to intracellular component loss. By studying the effect of TP on the toxicity of S. aureus, it was found that the expression levels of two toxin genes, coa and spa, were downregulated by 2.37 and 32.6, respectively. Furthermore, after treatment with TP, a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were propagated and released, leading to oxidative stress in cells. We speculated that the bacteriostatic mechanism of TP may be through the destruction of the cell membrane and ROS-mediated oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the hemolysis activity proved the safety of TP. Our results suggested that TP may be a potential antimicrobial agent for food.

Dietary fiber ameliorates sleep disturbance connected to the gut-brain axis.

Circadian rhythms play an important role in maintaining normal physiological and psychological functions of the body, including regulating sleep patterns. External factors such as poor eating habits and work and rest patterns of modern people can disrupt the circadian rhythm, resulting in sleep disorders such as difficulty falling asleep and frequent waking up. The gut flora uses the "gut-brain axis" as a bridge to establish a connection with sleep, mainly including immune pathways, neural pathways, and endocrine pathways. Meanwhile, this article emphasizes that increasing the intake of dietary fiber in the daily dietary structure is beneficial for ameliorating sleep disorders. This is attributed to the metabolism of dietary fiber in the colon, increasing the type and quantity of probiotics and their representative metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in the gut. They modulate sleep disorders by significantly improving the damaged gut barrier, stimulating the secretion of sleep cytokines, inhibiting inflammatory pathways, and increasing serotonin secretion. These provide new strategies for improving human sleep disorders from the perspective of the gut microbiota.

Plant Polysaccharides Modulate Immune Function via the Gut Microbiome and May Have Potential in COVID-19 Therapy.

Plant polysaccharides can increase the number and variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut and produce a variety of active substances, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Gut microbes and their specific metabolites have the effects of promoting anti-inflammatory activity, enhancing the intestinal barrier, and activating and regulating immune cells, which are beneficial for improving immunity. A strong immune system reduces inflammation caused by external viruses and other pathogens. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still spreading globally, and patients with COVID-19 often have intestinal disease and weakened immune systems. This article mainly evaluates how polysaccharides in plants can improve the immune system barrier by improving the intestinal microecological balance, which may have potential in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.