Probiotics and Postbiotics as an Alternative to Antibiotics: An Emphasis on Pigs.

Probiotics are being used as feed/food supplements as an alternative to antibiotics. It has been demonstrated that probiotics provide several health benefits, including preventing diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and immunomodulation. Alongside probiotic bacteria-fermented foods, the different structural components, such as lipoteichoic acids, teichoic acids, peptidoglycans, and surface-layer proteins, offer several advantages. Probiotics can produce different antimicrobial components, enzymes, peptides, vitamins, and exopolysaccharides. Besides live probiotics, there has been growing interest in consuming inactivated probiotics in farm animals, including pigs. Several reports have shown that live and killed probiotics can boost immunity, modulate intestinal microbiota, improve feed efficiency and growth performance, and decrease the incidence of diarrhea, positioning them as an interesting strategy as a potential feed supplement for pigs. Therefore, effective selection and approach to the use of probiotics might provide essential features of using probiotics as an important functional feed for pigs. This review aimed to systematically investigate the potential effects of lactic acid bacteria in their live and inactivated forms on pigs.

Protective Effect of Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim. Extract against Ethanol-Induced Gastritis in Rats.

Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim (Korean pear) has been used for hundreds of years as a traditional herbal medicine for asthma, cough, and atopic dermatitis in Korea and China. Although it was originally shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiatopic properties, its gastroprotective effects have not been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effects of Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim extract (PUE) against ethanol-induced gastritis in rats. The bioactive compound profile of PUE was determined by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The gastroprotection of PUE at different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) prior to ethanol ingestion was evaluated using an in vivo gastritis rat model. Several endpoints were evaluated, including gastric mucosal lesions, cellular degeneration, intracellular damage, and immunohistochemical localization of leucocyte common antigen. The gastric mucosal injury and ulcer score were determined by evaluating the inflamed gastric mucosa and by histological examination. To identify the mechanisms of gastroprotection by PUE, antisecretory action and plasma prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), gastric mucosal cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and histamine levels were measured. PUE exhibited significant antioxidant effects with IC50 values of 56.18 and 22.49 µg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'- azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) inhibition (%), respectively. In addition, GC/MS and HPLC analyses revealed several bioactive compounds of PUE. Pretreatment with PUE significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the ulcer index by preventing gastric mucosal lesions, erosion, and cellular degeneration. An immunohistochemical analysis revealed that PUE markedly attenuated leucocyte infiltration in a dose-dependent manner. The enhancement of PGE2 levels and attenuation of cAMP levels along with the inhibition of histamine release following PUE pretreatment was associated with the cytoprotective and healing effects of PUE. In contrast, the downregulation of the H+/K+ ATPase pathway as well as muscarinic receptor (M3R) and histamine receptor (H2R) inhibition was also involved in the gastroprotective effects of PUE; however, the expression of cholecystokinin-2 receptors (CCK2R) was unchanged. Finally, no signs of toxicity were observed following PUE treatment. Based on our results, we conclude that PUE represents an effective therapeutic option to reduce the risk of gastritis and warrants further study.

Review of extralabel use of isoxazolines for treatment of demodicosis in dogs and cats.

Amitraz is presently the only FDA-approved treatment for demodicosis in dogs in the United States. Amitraz treatment involves a protracted course of administration and risks of severe adverse effects such as sedation, bradycardia, and respiratory depression, which are caused by activation of α2-adrenergic receptors. Other treatment options include macrocyclic lactones and lime sulfur, but these products have varied efficacy and high risks of adverse effects. Several recent studies have indicated that isoxazolines are capable of reducing Demodex mite counts in canine and feline patients with demodicosis by ≥ 99% in as little as 1 month with few adverse effects. This article reviews the status of isoxazolines in regard to labeled uses in dogs and cats in the United States, extralabel clinical use for treatment of demodicosis in these species, and safety of orally administered formulations of these drugs.

Hypolipidemic and Hepatic Steatosis Preventing Activities of the Wood Ear Medicinal Mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae (Higher Basidiomycetes) Ethanol Extract In Vivo and In Vitro.

Obesity, a rapidly growing threat to human health worldwide, is responsible for a large proportion of the total burden of disease. Therefore, obesity control could be a vital scheme to prevent many diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the activities and mechanism of Auricularia auricula-judae 70% ethanol extract (AAE) in preventing hypolipidemic and hepatic steatosis. A normal diet (ND) and a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without 0.1% (w/w), 0.3% (w/w), and 1% (w/w) AAE were given to male C57BL/6 mice. Plasma lipids and liver enzymes were measured and tissue sections of liver were examined. Further mechanistic studies of mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes were performed in vitro by verifying triglyceride, glycerol, and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and messenger RNA expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification. Body weight and adipose tissue mass were significantly reduced in mice fed an ND and a HFD plus AAE compared with mice fed an HFD. In AAE-supplemented groups, plasma lipids and liver enzymes decreased dose-dependently. AAE suppressed the expression of adipogenic/lipogenic genes (PPARγ, C/EBPα, FAS) in 3T3-L1 cells without cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that AAE may reduce the risk of hepatic steatosis by modulating plasma lipids via the regulation of adipogenic/lipogenic transcriptional factors. AAE may have interesting applications to improve plasma lipids and liver enzymes.

Arginine vasopressin inhibits adipogenesis in human adipose-derived stem cells.

Intracellular Ca(2+) signaling is important for stem cell differentiation and there is evidence it may coordinate the process. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide hormone secreted mostly from the posterior pituitary gland and increases Ca(2+) signals mainly via V1 receptors. However, the role of AVP in adipogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) is unknown. In this study, we identified the V1a receptor gene in hASCs and demonstrated that AVP stimulation increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentration during adipogenesis. This effect was mediated via V1a receptors, Gq-proteins and the PLC-IP3 pathway. These Ca(2+) signals were due to endoplasmic reticulum release and influx from the extracellular space. Furthermore, AVP supplementation to the adipogenic medium decreased the number of adipocytes and adipocyte marker genes during differentiation. The effect of AVP on adipocyte formation was reversed by the V1a receptor blocker V2255. These findings suggested that AVP may function to inhibit adipocyte differentiation.

Taurine and vitamin E supplementations have minimal effects on body composition, hepatic lipids, and blood hormone and metabolite concentrations in healthy Sprague Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: As prescriptions for off-label pharmaceutical use and autonomous administration of over-the-counter nutraceuticals become mainstream, thorough assessments of these compounds are warranted. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of gemfibrozil, rosiglitazone, metformin, taurine, and vitamin E on body composition, hepatic lipids, and metabolic hormone and blood metabolite concentrations in a healthy, outbred rat cohort. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed a purified 10 kcal% from fat diet for 56 days and assigned to diet alone (control) or diet plus oral administration of gemfibrozil (34 mg/kg), metformin (500 mg/kg), rosiglitazone (3 mg/kg), taurine (520 mg/kg), or vitamin E (200 mg/kg). RESULTS: Rosiglitazone administration resulted in a 56% increase in carcass adiposity, cautioning potential prescriptive off-label use. Taurine supplementation had no adverse effects on evaluated parameters. A modest but significant increase in liver triacylglycerol content was observed with vitamin E supplementation compared with control (Δ 17.2 g triacylglycerol/100 g liver lipid). CONCLUSIONS: The evaluated pharmaceuticals had effects in a healthy population similar to the reported effects in their target population and the nutraceuticals had minimal effects on the measured physiological parameters.