Agaro-oligosaccharides mitigate deoxynivalenol-induced intestinal inflammation by regulating gut microbiota and enhancing intestinal barrier function in mice.

Agarose-derived agaro-oligosaccharides (AgaroS) have been extensively studied in terms of structures and bioactivities; they reportedly possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that maintain intestinal homeostasis and host health. However, the protective effects of AgaroS on deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced intestinal dysfunction remain unclear. We investigated the effects of AgaroS on DON-induced intestinal dysfunction in mice and explored the underlying protective mechanisms. In total, 32 mice were randomly allocated to four treatments (n = 8 each) for 28 days. From day 1 to day 21, the control (CON) and DON groups received oral phosphate-buffered saline (200 µL per day); the AgaroS and AgaroS + DON groups received 200 mg AgaroS per kg body weight once daily by orogastric gavage. Experimental intestinal injury was induced by adding DON (4.8 mg per kg body weight) via gavage from day 21 to day 28. Phosphate-buffered saline was administered once daily by gavage in the CON and AgaroS groups. Herein, AgaroS supplementation led to a higher final body weight and smaller body weight loss and a lower concentration of plasma inflammatory cytokines, compared with the DON group. The DON group showed a significantly reduced ileal villus height and villus height/crypt depth, compared with the CON and AgaroS + DON groups. However, AgaroS supplementation improved DON-induced intestinal injury in mice. Compared with the DON group, ileal and colonic protein expression levels of claudin, occludin, Ki67, and mucin2 were significantly higher in the AgaroS supplementation group. Colonic levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß tended to be higher in the DON group than in the AgaroS + DON group. AgaroS altered the gut microbiota composition, accompanied by increased production of short-chain fatty acids in mice. In conclusion, our findings highlight a promising anti-mycotoxin approach whereby AgaroS alleviate DON-induced intestinal inflammation by modulating intestinal barrier functional integrity and gut microbiota in mice.

Seeing Your Stories: Visualization for Narrative Medicine.

Importance: Narrative medicine (NM), in which patient stories play a crucial role in their diagnosis and treatment, can potentially support a more holistic approach to patient care than traditional scientific ones. However, there are some challenges in the implementation of narrative medicine, for example, differences in understanding illnesses between physicians and patients and physicians' increased workloads and overloaded schedules. This paper first presents a review to explore previous visualization research for narrative medicine to bridge the gap between visualization researchers and narrative medicine experts and explore further visualization opportunities. Highlights: The review is conducted from 2 perspectives: (a) the contexts and domains in which visualization has been explored for narrative medicine and (b) the forms and solutions applied in these studies. Four applied domains are defined, including understanding patients from narrative records, medical communication, medical conversation training in education, and psychotherapy and emotional wellness enhancement. Conclusions: A future work framework illustrates some opportunities for future research, including groups of specific directions and future points for the 4 domains and 3 technological exploration opportunities (combination of narrative and medical data visualization, task-audience-based visual storytelling, and user-centered interactive visualization). Specifically, 3 directions of future work in medical communication (asynchronous online physician-patient communication, synchronous face-to-face medical conversation, and medical knowledge dissemination) were concluded.

11B NMR of the Morphological Evolution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Borax.

This article applies nuclear magnetic resonance technology to the study of boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine, in order to explore the morphological evolution of boron elements in traditional Chinese medicine. Borax is a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-corrosion, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticonvulsant effects. It is made by boiling, removing stones, and drying borax minerals like borate salts. This article introduces an 11B nuclear magnetic resonance method for identifying and characterizing boron-containing compounds in TCM. We applied this technology to borax aqueous solutions in different chemical environments and found that with boron mixed in the form of SP2 hybridization in equilateral triangles and SP3 hybridization in equilateral tetrahedra, the pH changes in alkaline environments significantly affected the ratio of the two. At the same time, it was found that in addition to the raw material peak, boron signals of other boron-containing compounds were also detected in 20 commercially available boron-containing TCM preparations. These new boron-containing compounds may be true pharmaceutical active ingredients, and adding them directly to the formula can improve quality and safety. This article describes the detection of 11B NMR in boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine preparations. It is simple, non-destructive, and can provide chemical fingerprint studies for boron-containing traditional Chinese medicine.

Using low-protein diet in egg production for win-win of productivity and environmental benefits should be prudent: Evidence from pilot test.

A shortage of feed protein resources restricts poultry productivity. Key strategies to alleviate this problem include improvements to the structure of the gut microbiota by the appropriate intake of high-quality protein, improvements to the comprehensive protein utilization rate, and reducing the consumption of protein raw materials. In addition, damage to the environment caused by nitrogen emissions needs to be reduced. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of dietary protein levels on laying performance, host metabolism, ovarian health, nitrogen emissions, and the gut microbial structure and function of laying hens. In total, 360 hens at the age of 38 weeks were randomly allotted four treatments. Each of the groups consisted of nine replicates, with 10 birds per replicate, used for 12 weeks of study. Dietary protein levels of the four groups were 13.85 %, 14.41 %, 15.63 %, and 16.30 %. Results revealed that, compared with the 13.85 % crude protein (CP) group, the 15.63 % CP group experienced significantly enhanced final body weight, average daily gain, egg production, and egg mass. Compared with the 16.30 % CP group, the other groups' serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly reduced. Compared with the 16.30 % CP group, the 13.85 % and 15.63 % groups had increased CP utilization rates but reduced nitrogen emission rate, and daily per egg and per kilogram egg nitrogen emissions rose with increased dietary protein levels. Compared to the 13.85 % and 14.41 % CP groups, the 16.30 % CP group exhibited a significant increase in the expression of genes related to amino acids and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. According to the linear discriminant analysis effect size diagram, the predominant bacteria in the 15.63 % CP group (e.g., Subdoligranulum, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-013) were significantly related to CP utilization. The results of this study emphasize that production performance is significantly reduced when protein levels are too low, whereas too high protein levels lead to gut microbiota imbalance and a reduction in the utilization efficiency of nutrients. Therefore, on the premise of ensuring the health of hens, the structure of the gut microbiota can be improved by appropriately reducing protein levels, which helps to balance the relationships among host health, productivity, resources, and the environment.

A complete chloroplast genome of a traditional Chinese medicine herb, Rubia podantha, and phylogenomics of Rubiaceae.

Rubia podantha Diels is endemic to southwestern China and belongs to the family Rubiaceae. It is used in traditional Chinese medicines. To enrich the genetic data and resolve Rubiaceae's phylogeny, we assembled a complete chloroplast (cp) genome of R. podantha using Illumina HiSeq reads. The whole length of the cp genome was 154,866 bp. Annotation using PGA software found 113 genes, including 79 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The large single-copy region was 84,717 bp, the inverted repeat B (IRa) region was 26,516 bp, the small single copy was 17,117 bp, and the inverted repeats B (IRb) region was 26,516 bp. Moreover, 64 SSRs were identified. Phylogenomic analysis using cp genomes of 109 Rubiaceae species found that R. podantha is closely related to R. cordifola. Rubiaceae was separated into three subfamilies: Ixoroideae, Cinchonoideae, and Rubiodeae. The genus Saprosma was not imbedded within the Spermacoceae alliance as reported in previous studies. Instead, it was imbedded within the Psychotrieae alliance. Divergence time estimation indicated that R. podantha split from its relative R. cordifolia around 1.25 million years ago. The assembled chloroplast genome in this study provided useful molecular information about the evolution of R. podantha and was a basis for phylogenetic analyses of Rubiaceae. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-023-01302-y.

Important Medicinal and Food Taxa (Orders and Families) in Kenya, Based on Three Quantitative Approaches.

Globally, food and medicinal plants have been documented, but their use patterns are poorly understood. Useful plants are non-random subsets of flora, prioritizing certain taxa. This study evaluates orders and families prioritized for medicine and food in Kenya, using three statistical models: Regression, Binomial, and Bayesian approaches. An extensive literature search was conducted to gather information on indigenous flora, medicinal and food plants. Regression residuals, obtained using LlNEST linear regression function, were used to quantify if taxa had unexpectedly high number of useful species relative to the overall proportion in the flora. Bayesian analysis, performed using BETA.INV function, was used to obtain superior and inferior 95% probability credible intervals for the whole flora and for all taxa. To test for the significance of individual taxa departure from the expected number, binomial analysis using BINOMDIST function was performed to obtain p-values for all taxa. The three models identified 14 positive outlier medicinal orders, all with significant values (p < 0.05). Fabales had the highest (66.16) regression residuals, while Sapindales had the highest (1.1605) R-value. Thirty-eight positive outlier medicinal families were identified; 34 were significant outliers (p < 0.05). Rutaceae (1.6808) had the highest R-value, while Fabaceae had the highest regression residuals (63.2). Sixteen positive outlier food orders were recovered; 13 were significant outliers (p < 0.05). Gentianales (45.27) had the highest regression residuals, while Sapindales (2.3654) had the highest R-value. Forty-two positive outlier food families were recovered by the three models; 30 were significant outliers (p < 0.05). Anacardiaceae (5.163) had the highest R-value, while Fabaceae had the highest (28.72) regression residuals. This study presents important medicinal and food taxa in Kenya, and adds useful data for global comparisons.

Dissecting the effect of ethylene in the transcriptional regulation of chilling treatment in grapevine leaves.

Ethylene (ETH) plays important roles in various development programs and stress responses in plants. In grapevines, ETH increased dramatically under chilling stress and is known to positively regulate cold tolerance. However, the role of ETH in transcriptional regulation during chilling stress of grapevine leaves is still not clear. To address this gap, targeted hormone profiling and transcriptomic analysis were performed on leaves of Vitis amurensis under chilling stress with and without aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, a inhibitor of ETH synthesis) treatment. APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTOR (AP2/ERF) and WRKY transcription factors (TF) were only the two highly enriched TF families that were consistently up-regulated during chilling stress but inhibited by AVG. The comparison of leaf transcriptomes between chilling treatment and chilling with AVG allowed the identification of potential ETH-regulated genes. Potential genes that are positively regulated by ETH are enriched in solute transport, protein biosynthesis, phytohormone action, antioxidant and carbohydrate metabolism. Conversely, genes related to the synthesis and signaling of ETH, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA) were up-regulated by chilling treatment but inhibited by AVG. The contents of ETH, ABA and IAA also paralleled with the transcriptome data, which suggests that the response of ABA and IAA during chilling stress may regulate by ETH signaling, and together may belong to an integrated network of hormonal signaling pathways underpinning chilling stress response in grapevine leaves. Together, these findings provide new clues for further studying the complex regulatory mechanism of ETH under low-temperature stress in plants more generally and new opportunities for breeding cold-resilient grapevines.

Short-term Dietary Selenium Deficiency Induced Liver Fibrosis by Inhibiting the Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Rats.

The effects of short-term dietary selenium deficiency on the liver and protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway were evaluated. Fourteen growing rats were randomly divided into control and selenium deficiency groups and fed standard and selenium-deficient diets for 4 weeks, respectively. The serum and liver selenium concentrations were measured to evaluate the construction of animal models with selenium deficiency. Liver tissues were analyzed by transmission electron microscope, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and Masson staining to observe the ultrastructural changes, pathological changes, and severity of liver fibrosis, respectively. Besides, immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was used to analyze the effects of selenium deficiency on the expression of key proteins in the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. The results showed that selenium concentrations in the serum and liver tissue were significantly lower in the selenium deficiency group than in the control group, and the selenium deficiency intervention could affect the morphology and structure of hepatocytes and mitochondria. Meanwhile, the liver tissue showed structural damage and fibrotic changes in the selenium deficiency group. The IHC results showed the positive staining rates of Akt, phosphorylation-modified protein kinase B (p-Akt), mTOR, and phosphorylation-modified mammalian target of the rapamycin (p-mTOR) in the liver of the selenium deficiency group which were significantly lower than that of the control group. In conclusion, short-term selenium deficiency dietary intervention could lead to liver fibrosis by inhibiting the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Betaine Reduces Lipid Anabolism and Promotes Lipid Transport in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet by Influencing Intestinal Protein Expression.

Betaine is more efficient than choline and methionine methyl donors, as it can increase nitrogen storage, promote fat mobilisation and fatty acid oxidation and change body fat content and distribution. Lipid is absorbed primarily in the small intestine after consumption, which is also the basis of lipid metabolism. This study was conducted to establish a mouse model of obesity in Kunming mice of the same age and similar body weight, and to assess the effect of betaine on the intestinal protein expression profile of mice using a proteomic approach. Analysis showed that betaine supplementation reversed the reduction in expression of proteins related to lipid metabolism and transport in the intestine of mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). For example, the addition of betaine resulted in a significant upregulation of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (Mttp), apolipoprotein A-IV (Apoa4), fatty-acid-binding protein 1 (Fabp1) and fatty-acid-binding protein 2 (Fabp2) expression compared to the HFD group (p < 0.05), which exhibited accelerated lipid absorption and then translocation from the intestine into the body's circulation, in addition to a significant increase in Acetyl-CoA acyltransferase (Acaa1a) protein expression, hastening lipid metabolism in the intestine (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, a significant reduction in protein expression of alpha-enolase 1 (Eno1) as the key enzyme for gluconeogenesis in mice in the betaine-supplemented group resulted in a reduction in lipid synthesis in the intestine (p < 0.05). These findings provide useful information for understanding the changes in the protein profile of the small intestine in response to betaine supplementation and the potential physiological regulation of diets' nutrient absorption.

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of the genus Sambucus L. (Viburnaceae).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The genus Sambucus L. (Viburnaceae) consists of about 29 recognized species distributed in all regions of the world except the extremely cold and desert areas. Some species have been used as traditional medicines to treat various disorders such as bone fractures, rheumatism, diabetes, respiratory and pulmonary disorders, skin diseases, inflammatory ailments, diarrhea, and others. However, the currently available data on traditional and pharmacological uses have not been comprehensively reviewed. STUDY AIM: The present review is designed to provide information on the ethnobotanical uses, phytochemistry, toxicity, and the known biological properties of Sambucus, to understand their connotations and provide a scientific basis and gaps for further research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information was obtained from different bibliographic databases, Google Scholar, Springer Link, Web of Science, PubMed, and Science Direct along with other literature sources such as dissertation before August 2021. The scientific names were validated using The Plant List and World Flora Online websites. RESULTS: Twelve Sambucus species were found to be frequently mentioned in ethnomedical uses recorded in China, Korea, Turkey, Iran, and other countries. Traditionally, they have been used as remedies to numerous health complications among others, bone fractures and rheumatism, diabetes, wounds, inflammatory diseases, diarrhea, menstrual pains, respiratory and pulmonary complaints, skin disorders, headaches, snakebites, and urinary tract infections. To date, only eleven species have been studied for their chemical compounds and a total of 425 bioactive constituents, including phenolic compounds, terpenoids, fatty acids, cyanogenic glycosides, phytosterols, lectins, organic acids, alkaloid, coumarin, anthraquinone, and others have been reported. The crude extracts and the isolated chemical constituents exhibited diverse outstanding pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, analgesic, anti-giardial, immunomodulatory, scolicidal, anti-ulcerogenic, antiradical, bone-protective, anti-glycemic, antiosteoporotic, hypolipidemic, anti-glycation, and wound-healing properties. CONCLUSION: This study summarized and scrutinized the data on traditional uses, pharmacological activities, phytochemicals, and toxicity of Sambucus species, which indicate they have interesting chemical compounds with diverse biological activities. Many traditional uses of some species from this genus have now been confirmed by pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, bone-protective, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. However, the currently available data has several gaps in understanding the traditional uses of all Sambucus species. Thus, we strongly recommend further investigations into the scientific connotations between traditional medicinal uses and pharmacological activities, mode of action of the isolated bioactive constituents, and toxicity of other Sambucus species to unravel their efficacy and therapeutic potential for safe clinical application. The current extensive study avails valuable information on therapeutic use of Sambucus species and paves way for further investigations of other useful species, as well as drug discovery.

Concentrations, leachability, and health risks of mercury in green tea from major production areas in China.

Green tea has many health benefits and is the most consumed type in China. However, the heavy metals and contaminants in tea can also pose a great risk to human health. In this study, mercury (Hg) concentration in green tea collected from 11 provinces in China was examined. The leaching characteristics of Hg during brewing and the associated exposure to drinkers were also evaluated. Results indicated a low potential of Hg accumulation in green tea. The Hg content of green tea from Wanshan District, Guizhou Province-which has the largest Hg mine in China and is severely contaminated by Hg-could be limited by controlling the harvest time of tea leaves. The average Hg content of green tea from 43 tea production sites in China was only 6.3 ± 6.4 µg/kg dry weight. The brewing experiments of green tea showed that the leaching ratio of Hg was 22.61 ± 7.58% for 40 min of a single brew, and increased to 32.83 ± 12.37% after four rounds (3 min/ round) of brewing. The leaching of Hg from tea leaves was significantly affected by leaching time, temperature, and solid-liquid ratio but not by water hardness. The risk of Hg exposure from green tea intake was found to be very low, with an average hazard quotient (HQ) value of only 1.82 ± 1.85% for a single brew in 40 min and 2.64 ± 2.68% after four rounds of brewing. However, in some highly contaminated areas, with HQ values as high as 43.12 ± 2.41%, green tea intake may still pose a high risk of Hg exposure, and this risk should not be ignored.

Characterization of Flavonoids and Transcripts Involved in Their Biosynthesis in Different Organs of Cissus rotundifolia Lam.

Cissus rotundifolia Lam. is used as a medicinal herb and vegetable. Flavonoids are the major components for the therapeutic effects. However, flavonoids constituents and expression profiles of related genes in C. rotundifolia organs are unknown. Colorimetric assay showed the highest flavonoid concentration in roots compared to the stem and leaf. Widely target-based metabolome analysis allowed tentative identification of 199 compounds in three organs. Flavonols and flavones were the dominant flavonoids subclasses. Among the metabolites, 171 were common in the three organs. Unique accumulation profile was observed in the root while the stem and leaf exhibited relatively similar patterns. In the root, six unique compounds (jaceosidin, licoagrochalcone D, 8-prenylkaempferol, hesperetin 7-O-(6″malonyl) glucoside, aureusidin, apigenin-4'-O-rhamnoside) that are used for medicinal purposes were detected. In total, 18,427 expressed genes were identified from transcriptome of the three organs covering about 60% of annotated genes in C. rotundifolia genome. Fourteen gene families, including 52 members involved in the main pathway of flavonoids biosynthesis, were identified. Their expression could be found in at least one organ. Most of the genes were highly expressed in roots compared to other organs, coinciding with the metabolites profile. The findings provide fundamental data for exploration of metabolites biosynthesis in C. rotundifolia and diversification of parts used for medicinal purposes.

Comparison of bacterial and archaeal communities in two fertilizer doses and soil compartments under continuous cultivation system of garlic.

Soil microbial communities are affected by interactions between agricultural management (e.g., fertilizer) and soil compartment, but few studies have considered combinations of these factors. We compared the microbial abundance, diversity and community structure in two fertilizer dose (high vs. low NPK) and soil compartment (rhizosphere vs. bulk soils) under 6-year fertilization regimes in a continuous garlic cropping system in China. The soil contents of NO3- and available K were significantly higher in bulk soil in the high-NPK. The 16S rRNA gene-based bacterial and archaeal abundances were positively affected by both the fertilizer dose and soil compartment, and were higher in the high-NPK fertilization and rhizosphere samples. High-NPK fertilization increased the Shannon index and decreased bacterial and archaeal richness, whereas the evenness was marginally positively affected by both the fertilizer dose and soil compartment. Soil compartment exerted a greater effect on the bacterial and archaeal community structure than did the fertilization dose, as demonstrated by both the nonmetric multidimensional scaling and redundancy analysis results. We found that rhizosphere effects significantly distinguished 12 dominant classes of bacterial and archaeal communities, whereas the fertilizer dose significantly identified four dominant classes. In particular, a Linear Effect Size analysis showed that some taxa, including Alphaproteobacteria, Rhizobiales, Xanthomonadaceae and Flavobacterium, were enriched in the garlic rhizosphere of the high-NPK fertilizer samples. Overall, the fertilizer dose interacted with soil compartment to shape the bacterial and archaeal community composition, abundance, and biodiversity in the garlic rhizosphere. These results provide an important basis for further understanding adaptive garlic-microbe feedback, reframing roots as a significant moderating influence in agricultural management and shaping the microbial community.

An Ethnobotanical Survey of a Dryland Botanical Garden and Its Environs in Kenya: The Mutomo Hill Plant Sanctuary.

Mutomo hill plant sanctuary is a ten-hectare piece of land in Kenya listed as a botanical garden under the Botanical Gardens Conservation International, originally established in 1964 with the aim of conserving indigenous flora from destructive anthropogenic activities. This paper presents ethnobotanical documentation of medicinal plants of Mutomo hill plant sanctuary and its environs. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Mutomo hill plant sanctuary and its environs with 48 herbalists aged between 32 and 96 years from July 2018 to February 2019 using a semistructured open-ended questionnaire. The plants were collected through random surveys with each herbalist in different ecotypes around the villages and within the Mutomo hill plant sanctuary. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) for each species reported was calculated to determine the plant species frequently collected. In total, 68 different plant species distributed in 28 families and 54 genera were reported. The frequently used plant families were Leguminosae (13 species), Lamiaceae (6 species), and Euphorbiaceae (6 species). Shrubs (37%) and trees (34%) were the dominant growth habits reported. The most cited plant species were Cassia abbreviata Oliv. (RFC = 0.63), Acacia nilotica (L.). Delile (RFC = 0.54), Strychnos heningsii Gilg (RFC = 0.46), and Aloe secundiflora Engl. (RFC = 0.31). Root (19 species) and bark (19 species) were the frequently collected plant parts. Infectious diseases (33) and digestive system disorders (24) were reported to be managed with the majority of the plant species. This study contributes to safeguarding the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in the study area, which is useful in appreciating and acknowledging the cultural heritage of the Kamba people from the local perspective of Mutomo area in Kenya. It also adds to the knowledge base and documentation of medicinal plants, which is useful information as potential data for drug development.

Medicinal Plants and Their Traditional Uses in Local Communities around Cherangani Hills, Western Kenya.

* Correspondence: zhouyd@wbgcas [...].

Effect of berberine on spleen transcriptome and gut microbiota composition in experimental autoimmune uveitis.

BACKGROUND: Berberine (BBR) was reported to have immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated whether BBR could exert its effects on the development of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), and if so, what was the underlying mechanism? METHODS: EAU was induced in B10R.III mice by immunization with IRBP 161-180, followed by 100 mg/kg/d BBR intragastric administration. Disease severity was assessed by evaluation of clinical and histopathological scores. Blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown was tested by Evans blue. Effector and regulatory T (Treg) cell balance was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Spleen transcriptome was characterized by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Gut microbiota composition was investigated by 16S rRNA analysis. RESULTS: BBR treatment significantly blocked EAU as shown by the decrease of the clinical and histological scores, as well as the inhibition of BRB breakdown. The frequency of splenic Th1 and Th17 cells was decreased, whereas Treg cells were increased in the BBR-treated group. RNA-seq of the spleen revealed 476 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the EAU and EAU-BBR group. GO functional classification, as well as KEGG analysis demonstrated that BBR treatment markedly influences genes belonging to chromatin remodeling and immune-related pathways. Intervention with BBR modified the gut microbiome in EAU mice, increasing the number of bacteria with immunomodulatory capacity. Depletion of gut microbiota affected the efficacy of BBR on EAU. Moreover, the altered bacterial strains showed a significant correlation with the expression of histones. CONCLUSIONS: BBR inhibited IRBP induced EAU, which was associated with a significant change in the spleen transcriptome and intestinal microbial composition.

Traditional knowledge, use and conservation of plants by the communities of Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya.

Rural communities in Kenya largely depend on plant resources for their livelihood. The utilization of these resources depends on the availability of plant resources and the level of knowledge of the residents. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in Tharaka-Nithi County in Kenya to determine the knowledge and utilization of various plant species by the local communities. The study was conducted in four major administrative regions from June 2018 to February 2019, involving interview schedules using semi-structured open-ended questionnaires and guided field collections with 48 informants. A total of 214 plant species distributed in 73 families and 169 genera with 616 Use Reports (URs) were documented. Fabaceae was the highest family cited by the informants (31 species) followed by Lamiaceae and Euphorbiaceae (each with 11 species). Trees (49%) and shrubs (32%) were the top life forms of the plants frequently utilized by the local residents. The general plant uses reported were medicinal, food, fodder, construction, fuel, pesticidal, religious, live fencing, and making crafts. Zanthoxylum gilletii, Prunus africana, and Solanum incanum were found to be highly valued by the local communities. Plant utilization as food and medicinal uses against snake-bite related problems had the highest Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Only 29 (13.6%) of the species reported had their status assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conservation measures, alongside awareness creation in this region, are highly recommended for the species endemic to the region, highly depended on by the community, and those threatened according to IUCN standards.

Population Genetics of Calotropis gigantea, a Medicinal and Fiber Resource Plant, as Inferred from Microsatellite Marker Variation in two Native Countries.

Calotropis gigantea is well known for its aesthetic, medicinal, pharmacological, fodder, fuel, and fiber production potential. Unfortunately, this plant species is still undomesticated, and the genetic information available for crop improvement is limited. For this study, we sampled 21 natural populations of C. gigantea from two key areas of its natural distribution range (Bangladesh and China) and genotyped 379 individuals using nine nuclear microsatellite markers. Population genetic diversity was higher in Bangladesh than that observed in Chinese populations. Overall, a moderate level of genetic diversity was found (Na = 3.73, HE = 0.466), with most of the genetic variation detected within populations (65.49%) and substantial genetic differentiation (FST = 0.345) between the study regions. We observed a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.287, P = 0.001). The Bayesian clustering, UPGMA tree, and PCoA analyses yielded three distinct genetic pools, but the number of migrants per generation was high (NM = 0.52-2.78) among them. Our analyses also revealed that some populations may have experienced recent demographic bottlenecks. Our study provides a baseline for exploitation of the genetic resources of C. gigantea in domestication and breeding programs as well as some insights into the germplasm conservation of this valuable plant.

Clofazimine for Treatment of Extensively Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis in China.

We performed a multicenter, prospective, randomized study to investigate the efficacy and safety of clofazimine (CLO) for treatment of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in China. Forty-nine patients infected with XDR-TB were randomly assigned to either the control group or the CLO group, both of which received 36 months of individually customized treatment. The primary endpoint was the time to sputum culture conversion on solid medium. Clinical outcomes of patients were evaluated at the time of treatment completion. Of the 22 patients in the experimental group, 7 (31.8%) met the treatment criterion of "cure" and 1 (4.5%) "complete treatment," for a total of 8 (36.4%) exhibiting successful treatment outcomes without relapse. In the control group, 6 patients (22.2%) were cured and 6 (22.2%) completed treatment by the end of the study. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in successful outcome rates between the CLO group and the control group. The average sputum culture conversion time for the experimental group was 19.7 months, which was not statistically different from that for the control group (20.3 months; P = 0.57). Of the 22 patients in the CLO group, 12 (54.5%) experienced adverse events after starting CLO treatment. The most frequently observed adverse event was liver damage, with 31.8% of patients (7/22 patients) in the CLO group versus 11.1% (3/27 patients) in the control group exhibiting this adverse event. Our study demonstrates that inclusion of CLO in background treatment regimens for XDR-TB is of limited benefit, especially since hepatic disorders arise as major adverse events with CLO treatment. (This study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry [ChiCTR, www.chictr.org.cn] under identifier ChiCTR1800014800.).

Assessment of macrophyte, heavy metal, and nutrient concentrations in the water of the Nairobi River, Kenya.

Nairobi River tributaries are the main source of the Athi River. The Athi River basin is the fourth largest and important drainage system in Kenya covering 650 km and with a drainage area of 70,000 km2. Its water is used downstream by about four million people not only for irrigation but also for domestic purposes. However, its industrial, raw sewer, and agricultural pollution is alarming. In order to understand distribution and concentration of heavy metals and nutrients in the water of Nairobi River, 28 water samples were collected in the rainy season (October) of 2015 and dry season (June) of 2016. Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, As, Pb, Fe, Ni, Mn, NO3-, and TP were analyzed. Only Cr, Pb, Fe, and Mn had concentrations exceeding the WHO permissible limit for drinking water. Out of the 28 sites examined in the study, one site had Pb exceeding the WHO recommended level. Similarly, three sites exceeded the same level for Cr. Only three sites were within the WHO permissible limits for drinking water for Mn while just four sites were within USEPA limit for Fe. Industrial effluent, domestic sewerage, agricultural activities, and solid waste were the main sources of pollution. Significant spatial variation of both heavy metals and nutrients concentration was observed and emanated from point source pollution. Eleven out of 31 macrophytes species that were identified along the river and its tributaries are effective heavy metal and nutrient bioaccumulators and may be used in phytoremediation.