Phytobiotic-Prebiotic Feed Additive Containing a Combination of Carob Pulp, Chicory, and Fenugreek Improve Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Fecal Microbiota of Fattening Pigs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a phytobiotic-prebiotic feed additive (PPFA, which contains a combination of chicory and extracts of carob pulp and fenugreek) in the diets of fattening pigs on growth indicators, carcass characteristics, and fecal microbiota. A total of 329 crossbred pigs were randomly divided into two dietary treatments, including a basal diet without additives as the control group and a basal diet supplemented with 1 kg/T PPFA as the trial group. The PPFA supplementation led to a significant increase in the body weight gain and average daily gain of the trial group compared to those of the control group after 70 days of feeding. Through the S-EUROP evaluation system, we also found that the fattening pigs fed PPFA significantly improved their carcass indicators. Furthermore, it was shown that PPFA regulated porcine intestinal microbiota, including promoting the growth of the beneficial commensal bacteria (i.e., Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) while inhibiting some potential pathogen bacteria (i.e., Bacteroidaceae and Campylobacteraceae). Our work revealed that the phytobiotic-prebiotic feed additive containing carob pulp, chicory, and fenugreek positively influences the intestinal microbiota, growth performance, and carcass traits in fattening swine.

Determining the In Vivo Efficacy of Plant-Based and Probiotic-Based Antibiotic Alternatives against Mixed Infection with Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli in Domestic Chickens.

Restrictions on the use of antimicrobial compounds have led to a surge of interest in alternative solutions, such as natural, plant-based compounds. In our study, we investigated the efficacy of three feed supplements containing different additives, namely, probiotics (Lactobacillus spp., "Test substance A"), turmeric (Curcuma longa L., "Test substance B"), and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum, "Test substance C"). In the experiment, we tested 180 birds of the Bábolna Tetra-SL laying hybrid breed that were infected with Salmonella enteritidis strains. The birds were randomly divided into six groups: three groups treated with the different additives, a negative control group, a positive control group, and an antibiotic-treated group using enrofloxacin. We examined the maturation and the time course of shedding of Salmonella; at the end of rearing, pathological and histopathological examinations were performed. When Salmonella was isolated from the cloacal swab samples, the enrofloxacin-treated group had a high number of animals shedding Salmonella by day 9, which was like the group treated with test material C. The greatest reduction in Salmonella shedding was observed in the groups treated with test materials A and B. In terms of pathological parameters, villus length and crypt depth were significantly better in the group treated with test material C compared to the positive and negative controls, and when comparing the body weight of the tested animals, the group treated with test material B had a significantly larger absorption surface area compared to the positive control group. Overall, the supplement with test material C proved to be the most effective. In the future, it is worthwhile to investigate the combination of the tested active substances for their possible synergistic effects and to perform a dose-response study to select the optimal dosage.

Optimization Workflow of Fumonisin Esterase Production for Biocatalytic Degradation of Fumonisin B1.

Industrial enzyme production with the Pichia pastoris expression system requires a well-characterized production strain and a competitively priced fermentation medium to meet the expectations of the industry. The present work shows a workflow that allows the rapid and reliable screening of transformants of single copy insertion of the target production cassette. A constitutive expression system with the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter (pGAP) with homology arms for the glycerol kinase 1 (GUT1) was constructed for the targeted integration of the expression plasmid in a KU70 deficient Pichia pastoris and the production of a bacterial fumonisin esterase enzyme (CFE). A robust colony qPCR method was developed for the copy number estimation of the expression cassette. Optimization of the protein production medium and the scale-up ability was aided by design of experiments (DOE) approach resulting in optimized production conditions at a semi-industrial scale. A novel fermentation medium containing 3% inactivated yeast and 2% dextrose in an ammonium-citrate buffer (IYD) was shown to be a promising alternative to YPD media (containing yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose), as similar protein titers could be obtained, while the cost of the medium was reduced 20-fold. In a demonstration-scale 48 h long fed-batch fermentation, the IYD media outperformed the small-scale YPD cultivation by 471.5 ± 22.6%.

Alternative to ZnO to establish balanced intestinal microbiota for weaning piglets.

A wide range of phytobiotic feed additives are available on the market claiming to have beneficial effects on the growth of the host animal and to promote the development of a balanced microflora. The present study investigated the effects of the phytobiotic-prebiotic mixture of curcumin, wheat germ, and chicory on the growth performance and on the intestinal microflora composition of weaning piglets. Post weaning diarrhea causes significant losses for the producers, most commonly it is prevented by feeding high doses of zinc oxide (ZnO). The effect of a phytobiotic-prebiotic feed additive (1 kg T-1) was compared to a positive control (3.1 kg T-1 ZnO) and to a negative control (no feed supplement) in an in vivo animal trial. There was no significant difference in the final body weight and average daily gain of the trial and positive control groups, and both groups showed significantly (P<0.05) better results than the negative control. The feed conversion ratio of the phytobiotic-prebiotic supplemented group was significantly improved (P<0.05) compared to both controls. Both phytobiotic-prebiotic mixture and ZnO were able to significantly reduce (P<0.05) the amount of coliforms after weaning, even though ZnO reduced the amount of coliforms more efficiently than the trial feed additive, it also reduced the amount of potentially beneficial bacteria. Metagenomic data also corroborated the above conclusion. In the trial and positive control groups, the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae decreased by 85 and 88% between 3 weeks and 6 weeks of age, while in the negative control group a slight increase occurred. Lactobacillaceae were more abundant in the trial group (29.98%) than in the positive (8.67%) or in the negative (22.45%) control groups at 6 weeks of age. In summary, this study demonstrated that a phytobiotic-prebiotic feed additive may be a real alternative to ZnO for the prevention of post weaning diarrhea and promote the development of a balanced gut system.

The Association of Periodontitis and Alzheimer's Disease: How to Hit Two Birds with One Stone.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of cognitive impairment in the elderly. Recent evidence suggests that preventive interventional trials could significantly reduce the risk for development of dementia. Periodontitis is the most common dental disease characterized by chronic inflammation and loss of alveolar bone and perialveolar attachment of teeth. Growing number of studies propose a potential link between periodontitis and neurodegeneration. In the first part of the paper, we overview case-control studies analyzing the prevalence of periodontitis among AD patients and healthy controls. Second, we survey observational libraries and cross-sectional studies investigating the risk of cognitive decline in patients with periodontitis. Next, we describe the current view on the mechanism of periodontitis linked neural damage, highlighting bacterial invasion of neural tissue from dental plaques, and periodontitis induced systemic inflammation resulting in a neuroinflammatory process. Later, we summarize reports connecting the four most common periodontal pathogens to AD pathology. Finally, we provide a practical guide for further prevalence and interventional studies on the management of cognitively high-risk patients with and without periodontitis. In this section, we highlight strategies for risk control, patient information, dental evaluation, reporting protocol and dental procedures in the clinical management of patients with a risk for periodontitis and with diagnosed periodontitis. In conclusion, our review summarizes the current view on the association between AD and periodontitis and provides a research and intervention strategy for harmonized interventional trials and for further case-control or cross-sectional studies.

[Considerations of elderly patient's dental rehabilitation treated with bisphophonate]. / A fogpótláskészítés szempontjai biszfoszfonáttal kezelt idos páciens esetén.

Recently, drugs targeting the remodelling, vascular circulation and homeostasis of bone are frequently applied with an unquestionable benefit in the therapy of numerous severe medical conditions. Besides bisphosphonates, other antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs are also used, however, limited publications are focusing on data of their results. Increasing number of patients arrives the mentioned medication is increasing in the daily dental practice, especially when accurate anamnesis is taken. Our aim is to highlight the preventive considerations that help minimize the occurence of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw by presentating a complex dental rehabilitation of a patient at risk. The synchronization of dental surgery, conservative and prosthodontic treatment is essential in the case of an elderly patient having many concomitant disorders. Our aim is also to draw the attention of our colleagues working on different medical fields to the timing of dental procedures. The best and simplest way to prevent jaw necrosis is to achieve good oral health and hygiene before the introduction of antiresorptive therapy. If, however, our patient is already taking this medication, we still have a chance to prevent the appearance of this devastating condition by following the preventive measures. The medication-related necrosis of the jaw is a severe condition leading to a decreased life quality and having a reduced healing expectancy. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(48): 2031-2036.

A Methylidene Group in the Phosphonic Acid Analogue of Phenylalanine Reverses the Enantiopreference of Binding to Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyases.

Aromatic amino acid ammonia-lyases and aromatic amino acid 2,3-aminomutases contain the post-translationally formed prosthetic 3,5-dihydro-4-methylidene-5H-imidazol-5-one (MIO) group. MIO enzymes catalyze the stereoselective synthesis of α- or ß-amino acid enantiomers, making these chemical processes environmentally friendly and affordable. Characterization of novel inhibitors enables structural understanding of enzyme mechanism and recognizes promising herbicide candidates as well. The present study found that both enantiomers of the aminophosphonic acid analogue of the natural substrate phenylalanine and a novel derivative bearing a methylidene at the ß-position inhibited phenylalanine ammonia-lyases (PAL), representing MIO enzymes. X-ray methods unambiguously determined the absolute configuration of all tested enantiomers during their synthesis. Enzyme kinetic measurements revealed the enantiomer of the methylidene-substituted substrate analogue as being a mirror image relation to the natural l-phenylalanine as the strongest inhibitor. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) confirmed the binding constants and provided a detailed analysis of the thermodynamic driving forces of ligand binding. Molecular docking suggested that binding of the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers is possible by a mirror image packing.

Identical active sites in hydroxynitrile lyases show opposite enantioselectivity and reveal possible ancestral mechanism.

Evolutionarily related hydroxynitrile lyases from rubber tree (HbHNL) and from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtHNL) follow different catalytic mechanisms with opposite enantioselectivity toward mandelonitrile. We hypothesized that the HbHNL-like mechanism evolved from an enzyme with an AtHNL-like mechanism. We created ancestor-like composite active-sites in each scaffold to elucidate how this transition may have occurred. Surprisingly, a composite active site in HbHNL maintained (S)-selectivity, while the identical set of active site residues in AtHNL maintained (R)-selectivity. Composite active-site mutants that are (S)-selective without the Lys236 and Thr11 that are required for the classical (S)-HNL mechanism suggests a new mechanism. Modeling suggested a possibility for this new mechanism that does not exist in modern enzymes. Thus, the last common ancestor of HbHNL and AtHNL may have used an extinct mechanism, not the AtHNL-like mechanism. Multiple mechanisms are possible with the same catalytic residues and residues outside the active site strongly influence mechanism and enantioselectivity.