Exploring the diversity and role of microbiota during material pretreatment of light-flavor Baijiu.

Baijiu (Chinese liquor) is a type of traditional distilled alcoholic beverage produced through spontaneous solid-state fermentation with sorghum as the primary material. Material processing, including sorghum soaking, steaming and cooling which is carried out in an open environment, is an integral part of Baijiu manufacturing. However, the microbiota involved in material pretreatment and its associate with the alcoholic fermentation is unclear. This research is aimed to exploring the diversity and role of microbiota during material pretreatment of light-flavor Baijiu. Results showed that Cyanobacteria, Epicoccum, and Cladosporium predominated in the sorghum at the beginning of soaking. Lactobacillus and Pichia became the predominant bacterial and fungal genera by the end of soaking. With the dynamics of microbiota, the pH declined sharply and the categories and concentration of volatile flavors such as alcohols, esters, acids, phenols, ketones, and aldehydes increased. Correlation analysis indicated that Lactobacillus and Pichia showed positive correlation with various flavors during soaking. Furthermore, SourceTracker analysis revealed that the microbiota involved during cooling processing was an important source of the Lactobacillus during fermentation of light-flavor Baijiu. This study illustrates the role of microbiota during material pretreatment and the association with alcoholic fermentation, which contributes to reveal the mechanism of Baijiu manufacturing.

Diagnostic value of osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) in detecting high-risk populations for osteoporosis among elderly Chinese men.

This study aims to evaluate an osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and quantitative bone ultrasound (QUS) and their combination in detecting populations at high risk for osteoporosis, and to determine the best cutoff value for the diagnosis of osteoporosis among elderly Chinese men. A group of Chinese men, aged ≥ 60 years, recruited from the health checkup population of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, were included. The OSTA index was calculated from age and weight. Bone mineral density (BMD) at left hip (femoral neck, internal, and total hip) and lumbar spine (L1-L4, L-Total) was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and calcaneal BMD was measured with QUS. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine the best cutoff values, sensitivity, and specificity. The area under the curve (AUC) between the different screening tools was compared. Our study included 472 men with mean age of 78.0 years. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 27.7%.The best cutoff for OSTA was -3.5 for predicting men with osteoporosis at any site; this yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 47.3% and 76.8%, respectively. The AUC for OSTA was 0.676. The optimal cutoff for QUS-T score was -1.25, with a sensitivity of 80.4% and specificity of 59.7%. The AUC for QUS-T score was 0.762. Combining QUS with OSTA improved the specificity to 92.9% but reduced sensitivity to 36.1%. A new variable derived from a combination of OSTA and the QUS-T score gave a better performance, with sensitivity of 70.1% and specificity of 72.1%; the AUC for this variable was 0.771, which was greater than OSTA but not different from QUS alone. In conclusion, OSTA and QUS, respectively, and their combination may help find populations at high risk for osteoporosis, which could be an alternative method for diagnosing osteoporosis, especially in areas where DXA measurement is not accessible.

The relationship of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) gene polymorphisms with serum SHBG level and metabolic syndrome in Chinese Han males.

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological studies have shown that circulating sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels are lower in metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients than in non-MetS individuals. In this study, we investigated the relationship of polymorphisms in the SHBG gene with the serum SHBG levels and MetS in Han Chinese. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 316 subjects who were recruited from a health checkup population at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, lipid levels, total testosterone, and SHBG levels were obtained in addition to the seven SHBG single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). RESULTS: The variant allele (AG or AA) carriers in rs6259, compared to the wild-type allele carriers (GG), have a lower risk for MetS [OR 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.33-0.96] and higher serum SHBG and TT levels (P = 0.016, 0.004). CT or TT allele carriers in rs3760213, compared to CC allele carriers, also have a lower risk for MetS (OR 0.59, 95 % CI 0.34-1.00) and significantly higher SHBG and TT levels (P = 0.029, 0.009). Carriers having both of the variant alleles had the lowest risk of MetS (OR 0.51, 95 % CI 0.275-0.950) and the highest SHBG levels. The risk of MetS rose with the decrease in serum SHBG levels for rs6259 and rs376021 carriers. CONCLUSION: rs6259 and rs3760213 SNPs are associated with the risk of MetS and lower serum SHBG level in Chinese Han males.

Plantaricin BM-1 decreases viability of SW480 human colorectal cancer cells by inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Plantaricin BM-1 is a class IIa bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus plantarum BM-1 that has significant antimicrobial activity against food-borne bacteria. In this study, a cell proliferation assay and scanning electron microscopy were used to detect changes in the viability of SW480, Caco-2, and HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells treated with plantaricin BM-1. We found that plantaricin BM-1 significantly reduced the viability of all colorectal cancer cell lines tested, especially that of the SW480 cells. Scanning electron microscopy showed that plantaricin BM-1 treatment reduced the number of microvilli and slightly collapsed the morphology of SW480 cells. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry demonstrated that plantaricin BM-1 induced apoptosis of SW480 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting further showed that plantaricin BM-1-induced apoptosis of SW480 cells was mediated by the caspase pathway. Finally, transcriptomic analysis showed that 69 genes were differentially expressed after plantaricin BM-1 treatment (p < 0.05), of which 65 were downregulated and four were upregulated. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that expression levels of genes involved in the TNF, NF-κB, and MAPK signaling pathways, as well as functional categories such as microRNAs in cancer and transcriptional misregulation in cancer, were affected in SW480 cells following the treatment with plantaricin BM-1. In conclusion, plantaricin BM-1 induced death in SW480 cells via the caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway. Our study provides important information for further development of plantaricin BM-1 for potential applications in anti-colorectal cancer.

Hypoglycemic effects of space-induced Lactobacillus plantarum SS18-5 on type 2 diabetes in a rat model.

Probiotics can improve dyslipidemia and promote metabolic control as a therapeutic approach for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The hypoglycemic effects of space-induced Lactobacillus plantarum SS18-5 on T2DM were explored in 4-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats. The normal (N) group was fed a basal diet, while the other groups received a high glucose fat diet. T2DM was established by streptozotocin injection and the T2DM rats were randomly divided into three groups, a diabetic (D) group (T2DM rats treated with saline only), GS18 group (T2DM rats treated with 109  CFU/ml of L. plantarum GS18), and SS18-5 group (T2DM rats treated with 109  CFU/ml of L. plantarum SS18-5). After continuous gavage for 6 weeks, blood biochemical indices were measured and livers were collected for histopathological examination. The colon contents were collected for counting of Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Lactobacillus sp. The results showed that L. plantarum SS18-5 effectively controlled the weight of rats, reduced levels of fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and insulin, increased liver glycogen levels, improved abnormal metabolism of blood lipids, enhanced the effect of anti-lipid peroxidation, alleviated chronic inflammation and fatty liver disease, and regulated the intestinal microbiota by reducing the numbers of E. coli and C. perfringens, and increasing the numbers of Lactobacillus sp. From these results, we conclude that space-induced L. plantarum SS18-5 has the potential to improve T2DM by alleviating hypoglycemia and regulating the intestinal microbiota. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: With the exploration of the universe, a large number of studies have observed the changes of microorganisms in space flight, which provided a new method for high-quality microbial pharmaceuticals in the space environment. In this study, the space environment mutated. Lactobacillus plantarum SS18-5 can effectively improve the blood glucose of rats with type 2 diabetes, relieve oxidative stress, reduce blood lipid content, enhance immune capacity, and regulate intestinal microflora, which has potential use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Composition and Metabolic Functions of the Microbiome in Fermented Grain during Light-Flavor Baijiu Fermentation.

The metabolism and accumulation of flavor compounds in Chinese Baijiu are driven by microbiota succession and their inter-related metabolic processes. Changes in the microbiome composition during Baijiu production have been examined previously; however, the respective metabolic functions remain unclear. Using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics, we examined the microbial and metabolic characteristics during light-flavor Baijiu fermentation to assess the correlations between microorganisms and their potential functions. During fermentation, the bacterial abundance increased from 58.2% to 97.65%, and fermentation resulted in the accumulation of various metabolites, among which alcohols and esters were the most abundant. Correlation analyses revealed that the levels of major metabolites were positively correlated with bacterial abundance but negatively with that of fungi. Gene annotation showed that the Lactobacillus species contained key enzyme genes for carbohydrate metabolism and contributed to the entire fermentation process. Lichtheimia ramosa, Saccharomycopsis fibuligera, Bacillus licheniformis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pichia kudriavzevii play major roles in starch degradation and ethanol production. A link was established between the composition and metabolic functions of the microbiota involved in Baijiu fermentation, which helps elucidate microbial and metabolic patterns of fermentation and provides insights into the potential optimization of Baijiu production.

Effect of the environment microbiota on the flavour of light-flavour Baijiu during spontaneous fermentation.

Light-flavour Baijiu is a type of Chinese liquor with a pure and mild flavour produced by traditional spontaneous solid-state fermentation. The flavour of this liquor has been found to vary in the different periods of annual production. To explore the factors affecting flavour, the microbiota of the surrounding environment, starter and fermentation process in different periods were investigated. Results showed that the ester content and acidity of light-flavour Baijiu were significantly lower when annual production was resumed after a summer break. HCA plot of volatile flavour profile and bacterial PCoA results indicated that the differences occurred at later stages, mainly due to different structures of Lactobacillus. Correlation analysis by O2PLS indicated that Lactobacillus positively correlated with esters. Species-level analysis showed that the lack of L. acetotolerans on the surface of the jar might cause a lag in fermentation and lower ester content. Thereafter, L. acetotolerans was revived during fermentation and enriched on the surface of the jar, which promoted ester formation. As important sources of L. acetotolerans, the air and fermentation jars played a critical role during fermentation. Therefore, this systematic study on environmental microbial ecology is valuable for quality control and to explore environmental microbiota functions during spontaneous fermentation.

A Comprehensive Review of Spirit Drink Safety Standards and Regulations from an International Perspective.

Standards and regulations related to spirit drinks have been established by different countries and international organizations to ensure the safety and quality of spirits. Here, we introduce the principles of food safety and quality standards for alcoholic beverages and then compare the key indicators used in the distinct standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the European Union, the People's Republic of China, the United States, Canada, and Australia. We also discuss in detail the "maximum level" of the following main contaminants of spirit drinks: methanol, higher alcohols, ethyl carbamate, hydrocyanic acid, heavy metals, mycotoxins, phthalates, and aldehydes. Furthermore, the control measures used for potential hazards are introduced. Harmonization of the current requirements based on comprehensive scope analysis and the risk assessment approach will enhance both the trade and quality of distilled spirits. This review article provides valuable information that will enable producers, traders, governments, and researchers to increase their knowledge of spirit drink safety requirements, control measures, and research trends.

The association between sex hormone-binding globulin gene polymorphism with bone mineral density.

To investigate the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SHBG gene the neighboring genes on SHBG levels, bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in Chinese males. A group of Chinese men, aged ⩾ 45 years were included in the analysis. BMD was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), SHBG and total testosterone (TT) was measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay, and free testosterone (FT) was calculated. SNPs of SHBG gene and the neighboring genes were studied by means of improved multiple ligase detection reaction (iMLDR). A total of 404 men were included in our study. In the single locus analysis, significant associations were found between SHBG levels and four polymorphisms (rs11078701, rs9901675, rs9898876 and rs2541012) in age- and BMI-adjusted models. In addition, statistically significant difference was found between osteoporosis patients and control subjects in genotype distributions of rs9898876, rs2541012, rs6259 and rs3853894. In the models with or without adjustment for confounders (age, BMI, SHBG and free testosterone (FT) levels), carriers of variant genotype of rs9898876, rs2541012 and rs6259 had lower BMD and were more likely to suffer from osteoporosis, as compare to carriers of common genotype. Subjects with variant genotype of rs3853894 had higher BMD and were less likely to suffer from osteoporosis, as compared to subjects with common genotype. In the haplotypes analysis, CCGGT (constituted by rs11078701C, rs1017163C, rs9898876G, rs62059836G and rs2541012T) and haplotype CGGT (constituted by rs858521C, rs858518G, rs6259G and rs727428T) was associated with a significant risk effect for osteoporosis. Polymorphisms of SHBG or the neighboring genes were associated with SHBG levels or BMD and osteoporosis, suggesting the involvement of genetic variation of SHBG in bone health.

Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) as an independent determinant of bone mineral density (BMD) among Chinese middle-aged and elderly men.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) on bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover among Chinese middle-aged and elderly men. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 404 Chinese men aged over 45 years. BMD was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and participants' blood was collected for bone-specific alkaline phosphates (BSAP), SHBG and testosterone assay. Osteoporotic men had lower free testosterone (FT) and higher levels of SHBG, and BSAP than the osteopenia and normal groups. When SHBG levels were divided into quartiles, FT levels decreased and prevalence of osteoporosis increased with higher SHBG levels. Compared with subjects in the lowest quartile of SHBG levels (<36.55 nmol/l), subjects in the third quartile [OR (95 % CI) 2.998 (1.460-6.157), p = 0.002] and the highest quartile [OR (95 % CI) 4.439 (2.192-8.991), p < 0.001] were more likely to suffer with osteoporosis. FT was significantly positive related to total hip BMD and total lumbar BMD, whereas there was no association between TT and BMD after adjusting for age, BMI and FT. SHBG levels were also inversely related to BMD. SHBG could explain 1.4-2.1 % of the BMD variance after adjustment for age, BMI and FT. No association was found between BSAP and SHBG, TT and FT. Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, smoking and FT or SHBG was independently associated with the presence of osteoporosis. Serum FT levels were positively correlated with BMD, while SHBG levels were inversely related to BMD. Increasing SHBG level was an independent risk factor for osteoporosis among Chinese men.

Lower levels sex hormone-binding globulin independently associated with metabolic syndrome in pre-elderly and elderly men in China.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in pre-elderly and elderly men in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among 437 men, aged 45 to 94 years old. Early morning fasting sera were assayed for total testosterone (TT), SHBG and other biochemical markers. Free testosterone (FT) was calculated. RESULTS: The SHBG level of the MetS group was significantly lower than those without MetS 35.70 (25.18, 47.10) nmol/L vs. 41.90 (31.80, 55.20) nmol/L; P < 0.001). As the number of MetS components increases, SHBG and TT levels became lower. SHBG correlated with age, as did TT and most of metabolic components. Body mass index (BMI), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and TT remained independently associated with SHBG by multivariate regression analysis. In a logistic regression taking MetS as the dependent variable, SHBG (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.975-0.994, P = 0.018) and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (95%CI: 1.535-2.647, P < 0.001) were included in the final model. CONCLUSIONS: Lower SHBG is independently associated with MetS among pre-elderly and elderly men. SHBG may be an independent predictor of MetS, but the mechanism of how SHBG is involved in MetS requires further studied.