The Role of Prebiotics in Modulating Gut Microbiota: Implications for Human Health.

The human gut microbiota, an intricate ecosystem within the gastrointestinal tract, plays a pivotal role in health and disease. Prebiotics, non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of beneficial microorganisms, have emerged as a key modulator of this complex microbial community. This review article explores the evolution of the prebiotic concept, delineates various types of prebiotics, including fructans, galactooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, chitooligosaccharides, lactulose, resistant starch, and polyphenols, and elucidates their impact on the gut microbiota composition. We delve into the mechanisms through which prebiotics exert their effects, particularly focusing on producing short-chain fatty acids and modulating the gut microbiota towards a health-promoting composition. The implications of prebiotics on human health are extensively reviewed, focusing on conditions such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, immune function, and mental health. The review further discusses the emerging concept of synbiotics-combinations of prebiotics and probiotics that synergistically enhance gut health-and highlights the market potential of prebiotics in response to a growing demand for functional foods. By consolidating current knowledge and identifying areas for future research, this review aims to enhance understanding of prebiotics' role in health and disease, underscoring their importance in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and overall well-being.

Identification of novel SNP markers for kinship analysis in the Korean population.

Kinship testing using genetic markers such as short tandem repeats (STRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is crucial for forensic analysis. Although STR markers have superior discriminatory power due to their highly polymorphic properties, they have several weak points in determining extended distant or complex relationships because of high mutation rates and low success rates in degraded samples. Therefore, SNPs are regarded as promising tools in forensic science because they have low mutation rates and small amplicon sizes. Herein, we propose an SNP panel consisting of 1400 autosomal SNPs obtained from the Korean National Standard Reference Variome (KoVariome) database. To evaluate its performance, in-silico analysis was performed using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from 21 Korean families. Subsequently, to estimate pairwise relatedness, kinship coefficients were calculated using PLINK, and Welch's one-way ANOVA test with Games-Howell's pairwise comparison test was performed. As a result, the average kinship coefficients of first- (parent-offspring and full siblings), second- (grandparent-grandchildren and aunt/uncle-niece/nephew), and third- (first cousin and grandniece/grandnephew) degree relatives, and unrelated were 0.24, 0.11, - 0.054, and - 0.0082, respectively. Consequently, relatives (first and second degree) were distinguished from non-relatives; however, further studies are required to investigate more effective SNP markers for discriminating extended kinship. Nevertheless, the results of this study go beyond the scope of screening using the discovered 1400 SNPs in Korean families and suggest the applicability of kinship analysis in the Korean population.

A plausible mode of action of pseudin-2, an antimicrobial peptide from Pseudis paradoxa.

The search for new antibiotic agents is continuous, reflecting the continuous emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Among the new agents are the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which have the potential to become a leading alternative to conventional antibiotics. Studies for the mechanisms of action of the naturally occurring parent peptides can provide the structural and functional information needed for the development of effective new antibiotic agents. We therefore characterized pseudin-2, an AMP isolated from the skin of the South American paradoxical frog Pseudis paradoxa. We found that pseudin-2 organized to an aggregated state in aqueous solution, but that it dissociated into monomers upon binding to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), even though it did not neutralize LPS in Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, pseudin-2 assumed an α-helical structure in the presence of biological membranes and formed pores in both bacterial and fungal membranes, through which it entered the cytoplasm and tightly bound to RNA. Thus, the potent antimicrobial activity of pseudin-2 likely results from both the formation of pores capable of collapsing the membrane potential and releasing intracellular materials and its inhibition of macromolecule synthesis through its binding to RNA.

Effect of acidic pH on antibacterial action of peptide isolated from Korean pen shell (Atrina pectinata).

Recently, the rapid emergence of microbial pathogens which are resistant to currently available antibiotics has triggered considerable interest searching for naturally occuring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Because AMPs from food organisms are comparatively nontoxic, a number of them are used as sources, purified in new antibiotics. Herein, an antibacterial peptide (heat-stable KPS-1) was isolated from Korean pen shell (Atrina pectinata) by the following procedures: solvent-extraction, heating, ultrafiltration, and RP-HPLC. The molecular weight of KPS-1 (4549.1 Da) was revealed by MALDI-TOF/MS analysis. Interestingly, KPS-1 inhibited in vitro growth of Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, E. coli O157, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter sakazakii, and Salmonella typhimurium, at pH 5.2, rather than at pH 7.2. Its minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were ranged from 20 to 80 µg/ml; however, it was not effective against human red blood cells at a concentration of 500 µg/ml. This suggests that this peptide is useful as a clinical agent for some human organs in an acidic environment.

Antibiotic and synergistic effect of Leu-Lys rich peptide against antibiotic resistant microorganisms isolated from patients with cholelithiasis.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has eventually developed resistance against flomoxef sodium, isepamicin and cefpiramide. Therefore, in this study, the antibacterial activity and synergistic effects of the amphipathic-derived P5-18mer antimicrobial peptide were tested against pathogens associated with cholelithiasis that have developed resistance against commonly used antibiotics. The results were then compared with the activities of the amphipathic-derived peptide, P5-18mer, melittin and common antibiotics. Growth inhibition of planktonic bacteria was tested using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). The bactericidal activity of the antimicrobial peptides was measured using time-kill curves. Synergistic effects were evaluated by testing the effects of P5-18mer alone and in combination with flomoxef sodium, isepamicin or cefpiramide at 0.5xMIC. P5-18mer peptide displayed strong activity against pathogens and flomoxef sodium, isepamicin and cefpiramide-resistant bacteria cell lines obtained from a patient with gallstones; however, it did not exert cytotoxicity against the human keratinocyte HaCat cell line. In addition, the results of time-kill curves indicated that P5-18mer peptide exerted bactericidal activity against four strains of P. aeruginosa. Finally, the use of P5-18mer and antibiotics exerted synergistic effects against cell lines that were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. These results indicate that this class of peptides has a rapid microbicidal effect on flomoxef sodium, isepamicin and cefpiramide-resistant strains of P. aeruginosa. Therefore, these peptides may be used as a lead drug for the treatment of acquired pathogens from patients with cholelithiasis who are affected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Synthetic diastereomeric-antimicrobial peptide: antibacterial activity against multiple drug resistant clinical isolates.

Increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics is a serious problem in health care system and has intensified the search for potent novel drugs. Cationic antibacterial peptides are the most abundant antibiotics in nature and have been frequently proposed as new anti-infective agents. In this study, a set of diastereomeric peptides is researched about their antibiotic activity against multiple drug resistant clinical isolates and their modes of action against gram-positive cocci. MIC was suggested by the NCCLS against ten clinically isolated antibiotic-resistant strains. Mode of action studies included killing kinetics and a series of experiments designed to characterize the impact of the diastereomeric peptides on bacterial membranes. The tested diastereomers displayed high antimicrobial and broad spectrum activity with D-P5-18mer. The antimicrobial activity of diastereomeric-P5-18mer was two times stronger against gram-negative bacteria than either CA-MA-20mer or P5-18mer. When tested against ten clinically isolated antibiotic-resistant strains in the presence of 0, 150, or 300 mM NaCl, diastereomeric-P5-18mer retained strong activity against all bacteria, yet showed little or no cytotoxicity against the HaCaT human keratinocyte cell line. Finally, D-P5-18mer showed resistance against trypsin digestion unlike other analogues.