Complete genome sequence of Levilactobacillus brevis NSMJ23, makgeolli isolate with antimicrobial activity.

We report the complete genome sequence of Levilactobacillus brevis NSMJ23 with probiotic properties. The final genome assembly consisted of a 2,389,998-bp chromosome and seven plasmids with 45.59% GC content, which comprised 2,624 genes including 2,457 protein coding sequences.

Intestinal Immune Cell Populations, Barrier Function, and Microbiomes in Broilers Fed a Diet Supplemented with Chlorella vulgaris.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary Chlorella vulgaris (CV) on the distribution of immune cells, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, antioxidant markers, and the cecal microbiome in 10-day-old broiler chickens. A total of 120 day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were assigned to two dietary treatments using a randomized complete block design, with body weight as the blocking factor. Birds fed a diet containing CV showed an increase in CD4+ T cells (p < 0.05) compared to those fed the control diet. The relative mRNA expression of intestinal epithelial barrier function-related markers (occludin and avian ß-defensin 5) was elevated (p < 0.05) in the CV-supplemented group compared to the control group. The alpha diversity indices (Chao1 and observed features) of the cecal microbiome in 10-day-old birds increased (p < 0.05), indicating higher richness within the cecal bacterial community. In the microbiome analysis, enriched genera abundance of Clostridium ASF356 and Coriobacteriaceae CHKCI002 was observed in birds fed the diet containing CV compared to those fed the control diet. Taken together, dietary CV supplementation might alter intestinal barrier function, immunity, and microbiomes in 10-day-old broiler chickens.

Effect of Dietary Chlorella vulgaris or Tetradesmus obliquus on Laying Performance and Intestinal Immune Cell Parameters.

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Chlorella vulgaris (CV) or Tetradesmus obliquus (TO) on laying performance, egg quality, and gut health indicators of laying hens. A total of 144 Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 21 weeks were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments with eight replicates of six hens. Dietary treatments were as follows: CON, basal diet; CV, basal diet + 5 g C. vulgaris/kg of diet; TO, basal diet + 5 g T. obliquus/kg of diet. The results showed that diets supplemented with CV or TO had insignificant effects on laying performance, egg quality (i.e., Haugh unit and eggshell strength and thickness), jejunal histology, cecal short-chain fatty acids, and antioxidant/immune markers in ileal mucosa samples of laying hens. Compared with the control group, the egg yolk color score was higher (p < 0.05) in laying hens fed on diets containing CV and TO, although the former was a more intense yellow than the latter. Small intestinal lamina propria cells were isolated using flow cytometry to examine the percentages of immune cell subpopulations. Dietary microalgae did not affect B cells or monocytes/macrophages but altered the percentage of CD4+ T cells and CD8- TCR γδ T cells. Collectively, diets supplemented with C. vulgaris or T. obliquus can improve egg yolk color and would modulate host immune development and competence in laying hens.

Mychonastes sp. 246 Suppresses Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth via IGFBP3-PI3K-mTOR Signaling.

Previously, we confirmed that Mychonastes sp. 246 methanolic extract (ME) markedly reduced the viability of BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism ME remained unclear. Hence, we attempted to elucidate the anticancer effect of ME on BxPC-3 human pancreatic cancer cells. First, we investigated the components of ME and their cytotoxicity in normal cells. Then, we confirmed the G1 phase arrest mediated growth inhibitory effect of ME using a cell counting assay and cell cycle analysis. Moreover, we found that the migration-inhibitory effect of ME using a Transwell migration assay. Through RNA sequencing, Gene Ontology-based network analysis, and western blotting, we explored the intracellular mechanisms of ME in BxPC-3 cells. ME modulated the intracellular energy metabolism-related pathway by altering the mRNA levels of IGFBP3 and PPARGC1A in BxPC-3 cells and reduced PI3K and mTOR phosphorylation by upregulating IGFBP3 and 4E-BP1 expression. Finally, we verified that ME reduced the growth of three-dimensional (3D) pancreatic cancer spheroids. Our study demonstrates that ME suppresses pancreatic cancer proliferation through the IGFBP3-PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway. This is the first study on the anticancer effect of the ME against pancreatic cancer, suggesting therapeutic possibilities and the underlying mechanism of ME action.

Improvement of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Production in Mychonastes sp. 247 by Optimizing Light Intensity and Culture Salinity Conditions.

In this study, we sought to improve lutein and zeaxanthin production in Mychonastes sp. 247 and investigated the effect of environmental factors on lutein and zeaxanthin productivity in Mychonastes sp. The basic medium selection and N:P ratio were adjusted to maximize cell growth in one-stage culture, and lutein and zeaxanthin production conditions were optimized using a central composite design for two-stage culture. The maximum lutein production was observed at a light intensity of 60 µE/m2/s and salinity of 0.49%, and the maximum zeaxanthin production was observed at a light intensity of 532 µE/m2/s and salinity of 0.78%. Lutein and zeaxanthin production in the optimized medium increased by up to 2 and 2.6 folds, respectively, compared to that in the basic medium. Based on these results, we concluded that the optimal conditions for lutein and zeaxanthin production are different and that optimization of light intensity and culture salinity conditions may help increase carotenoid production. This study presents a useful and potential strategy for optimizing microalgal culture conditions to improve the productivity of lutein and zeaxanthin, which has applications in the functional food field.

Gossypol Induces Apoptosis of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells via CHOP/Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Signaling Pathway.

Gossypol, a natural phenolic aldehyde present in cotton plants, was originally used as a means of contraception, but is currently being studied for its anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects on various cancers. However, the intracellular mechanism of action regarding the effects of gossypol on pancreatic cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of gossypol on human pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2). Cell counting kit-8 assays, annexin V/propidium iodide staining assays, and transmission electron microscopy showed that gossypol induced apoptotic cell death and apoptotic body formation in both cell lines. RNA sequencing analysis also showed that gossypol increased the mRNA levels of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in pancreatic cancer cell lines. In addition, gossypol facilitated the cleavage of caspase-3 via protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), CHOP, and Bax/Bcl-2 upregulation in both cells, whereas the upregulation of ATF was limited to BxPC-3 cells. Finally, a three-dimensional culture experiment confirmed the successful suppression of cancer cell spheroids via gossypol treatment. Taken together, our data suggest that gossypol may trigger apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells via the PERK-CHOP signaling pathway. These findings propose a promising therapeutic approach to pancreatic cancer treatment using gossypol.

In-Vitro Characterization of Growth Inhibition against the Gut Pathogen of Potentially Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains Isolated from Fermented Products.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are probiotic candidates that may restore the balance of microbiota populations in intestinal microbial ecosystems by controlling pathogens and thereby promoting host health. The goal of this study was to isolate potential probiotic LAB strains and characterize their antimicrobial abilities against pathogens in intestinal microbiota. Among 54 LAB strains isolated from fermented products, five LAB strains (NSMJ15, NSMJ16, NSMJ23, NSMJ42, and NFFJ04) were selected as potential probiotic candidates based on in vitro assays of acid and bile salt tolerance, cell surface hydrophobicity, adhesion to the intestinal epithelium, and antagonistic activity. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA genes showed that they have high similarities of 99.58-100% to Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains NSMJ15 and NFFJ04, Lentilactobacillus parabuchneri NSMJ16, Levilactobacillus brevis NSMJ23, and Schleiferilactobacillus harbinensis NSMJ42. To characterize their antimicrobial abilities against pathogens in intestinal microbiota, the impact of cell-free supernatant (CFS) treatment in 10% (v/v) fecal suspensions prepared using pooled cattle feces was investigated using in vitro batch cultures. Bacterial community analysis using rRNA amplicon sequencing for control and CFS-treated fecal samples at 8 and 16 h incubation showed the compositional change after CFS treatment for all five LAB strains. The changed compositions were similar among them, but there were few variable increases or decreases in some bacterial groups. Interestingly, as major genera that could exhibit pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance, the members of Bacillus, Escherichia, Leclercia, Morganella, and Vagococcus were decreased at 16 h in all CFS-treated samples. Species-level classification suggested that the five LAB strains are antagonistic to gut pathogens. This study showed the probiotic potential of the five selected LAB strains; in particular, their antimicrobial properties against pathogens present in the intestinal microbiota. These strains would therefore seem to play an important role in modulating the intestinal microbiome of the host.

Complete Genome Sequence of Lactobacillus harbinensis Strain NSMJ42, Isolated from Makgeolli, a Traditional Korean Alcoholic Beverage.

In the present work, we report the complete genome sequence of Lactobacillus harbinensis NSMJ42, isolated from makgeolli (a Korean traditional alcoholic beverage) in South Korea. The final genome assembly consists of a 3.29-Mbp chromosome with 3,082 protein-coding sequences and a G+C content of 53.36%.

Development of Carbon-Based Solid Acid Catalysts Using a Lipid-Extracted Alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta, for Esterification.

Novel carbon-based solid acid catalysts were synthesized through a sustainable route from lipid-extracted microalgal residue of Dunaliella tertiolecta, for biodiesel production. Two carbon-based solid acid catalysts were prepared by surface modification of bio-char with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and sulfuryl chloride (SO2Cl2), respectively. The treated catalysts were characterized and their catalytic activities were evaluated by esterification of oleic acid. The esterification catalytic activity of the SO2Cl2-treated bio-char was higher (11.5 mmol Prod.∙h⁻¹âˆ™g Cat. ⁻¹) than that of commercial catalyst silica-supported Nafion SAC-13 (2.3 mmol Prod.∙h⁻¹âˆ™g Cat. ⁻¹) and H2SO4-treated bio-char (5.7 mmol Prod.∙h⁻¹âˆ™g Cat. ⁻¹). Reusability of the catalysts was examined. The catalytic activity of the SO2Cl2-modified catalyst was sustained from the second run after the initial activity dropped after the first run and kept the same activity until the fifth run. It was higher than that of first-used Nafion. These experimental results demonstrate that catalysts from lipid-extracted algae have great potential for the economic and environment-friendly production of biodiesel.

Enhanced Production of Fatty Acids via Redirection of Carbon Flux in Marine Microalga Tetraselmis sp.

Lipids in microalgae are energy-rich compounds and considered as an attractive feedstock for biodiesel production. To redirect carbon flux from competing pathways to the fatty acid synthesis pathway of Tetraselmis sp., we used three types of chemical inhibitors that can block the starch synthesis pathway or photorespiration, under nitrogen-sufficient and nitrogen-deficient conditions. The starch synthesis pathway in chloroplasts and the cytosol can be inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and 1,2-cyclohexane diamine tetraacetic acid (CDTA), respectively. Degradation of glycine into ammonia during photorespiration was blocked by aminooxyacetate (AOA) to maintain biomass concentration. Inhibition of starch synthesis pathways in the cytosol by CDTA increased fatty acid productivity by 27% under nitrogen deficiency, whereas the blocking of photorespiration in mitochondria by AOA was increased by 35% under nitrogen-sufficient conditions. The results of this study indicate that blocking starch or photorespiration pathways may redirect the carbon flux to fatty acid synthesis.

Conditioned medium derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells regenerates atrophied muscles.

We investigated the regenerative effects and regulatory mechanisms of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs)-derived conditioned medium (CM) in atrophied muscles using an in vivo model. To determine the appropriate harvest point of UC-CM, active factor content was analyzed in the secretome over time. A muscle atrophy model was induced in rats by hindlimb suspension (HS) for 2 weeks. Next, UC-CM was injected directly into the soleus muscle of both hind legs to assess its regenerative efficacy on atrophy-related factors after 1 week of HS. During HS, muscle mass and muscle fiber size were significantly reduced by over 2-fold relative to untreated controls. Lactate accumulation within the muscles was similarly increased. By contrast, all of the above analytical factors were significantly improved in HS-induced rats by UC-CM injection compared with saline injection. Furthermore, the expression levels of desmin and skeletal muscle actin were significantly elevated by UC-CM treatment. Importantly, UC-CM effectively suppressed expression of the atrophy-related ubiquitin E3-ligases, muscle ring finger 1 and muscle atrophy F-box by 2.3- and 2.1-fold, respectively. UC-CM exerted its actions by stimulating the phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling cascade. These findings suggest that UC-CM provides an effective stimulus to recover muscle status and function in atrophied muscles.

Enhancing Photon Utilization Efficiency for Astaxanthin Production from Haematococcus lacustris Using a Split-Column Photobioreactor.

A split-column photobioreactor (SC-PBR), consisting of two bubble columns with different sizes, was developed to enhance the photon utilization efficiency in an astaxanthin production process from Haematococcus lacustris. Among the two columns, only the smaller column of SC-PBR was illuminated. Astaxanthin productivities and photon efficiencies of the SC-PBRs were compared with a standard bubble-column PBR (BC-PBR). Astaxanthin productivity of SC-PBR was improved by 28%, and the photon utilization efficiencies were 28-366% higher than the original BC-PBR. The results clearly show that the effective light regime of SC-PBR could enhance the production of astaxanthin.

Seasonal Assessment of Biomass and Fatty Acid Productivity by Tetraselmis sp. in the Ocean Using Semi-Permeable Membrane Photobioreactors.

A green microalga, Tetraselmis sp., was cultivated in the coastal seawater of Young-Heung Island using semi-permeable membrane photobioreactors (SPM-PBRs) in different seasons. The microalgae in the SPM-PBRs were able to grow on nutrients diffused into the PBRs from the surrounding seawater through SPMs. The biomass productivity varied depending on the ion permeabilities of the SPMs and environmental conditions, whereas the quality and quantity of fatty acids were constant. The temperature of seawater had a greater influence than solar radiation did on productivity of Tetraselmis sp. in SPM-PBRs. SPM-PBRs could provide technologies for concurrent algal biomass and fatty acids production, and eutrophication reduction in the ocean.

Specific light uptake rates can enhance astaxanthin productivity in Haematococcus lacustris.

Lumostatic operation was applied for efficient astaxanthin production in autotrophic Haematococcus lacustris cultures using 0.4-L bubble column photobioreactors. The lumostatic operation in this study was performed with three different specific light uptake rates (q(e)) based on cell concentration, cell projection area, and fresh weight as one-, two- and three-dimensional characteristics values, respectively. The q(e) value from the cell concentration (q(e1D)) obtained was 13.5 × 10⁻8 µE cell⁻¹ s⁻¹, and the maximum astaxanthin concentration was increased to 150 % compared to that of a control with constant light intensity. The other optimum q e values by cell projection area (q(e2D)) and fresh weight (q( e3D)) were determined to be 195 µE m⁻² s⁻¹ and 10.5 µE g⁻¹ s⁻¹ for astaxanthin production, respectively. The maximum astaxanthin production from the lumostatic cultures using the parameters controlled by cell projection area (2D) and fresh weight (3D) also increased by 36 and 22% over that of the controls, respectively. When comparing the optimal q e values among the three different types, the lumostatic cultures using q(e) based on fresh weight showed the highest astaxanthin productivity (22.8 mg L⁻¹ day⁻¹), which was a higher level than previously reported. The lumostatic operations reported here demonstrated that more efficient and effective astaxanthin production was obtained by H. lacustris than providing a constant light intensity, regardless of which parameter is used to calculate the specific light uptake rate.

Development of a floating photobioreactor with internal partitions for efficient utilization of ocean wave into improved mass transfer and algal culture mixing.

Culturing microalgae in the ocean has potentials that may reduce the production cost and provide an option for an economic biofuel production from microalgae. The ocean holds great potentials for mass microalgal cultivation with its high specific heat, mixing energy from waves, and large cultivable area. Suitable photobioreactors (PBRs) that are capable of integrating marine energy into the culture systems need to be developed for the successful ocean cultivation. In this study, prototype floating PBRs were designed and constructed using transparent low-density polyethylene film for microalgal culture in the ocean. To improve the mixing efficiency, various types of internal partitions were introduced within PBRs. Three different types of internal partitions were evaluated for their effects on the mixing efficiency in terms of mass transfer (k(L)a) and mixing time in the PBRs. The partition type with the best mixing efficiency was selected, and the number of partitions was varied from one to three for investigation of its effect on mixing efficiency. When the number of partitions is increased, mass transfer increased in proportion to the number of partitions. However, mixing time was not directly related to the number of partitions. When a green microalga, Tetraselmis sp. was cultivated using PBRs with the selected partition under semi-continuous mode in the ocean, biomass and fatty acid productivities in the PBRs were increased by up to 50 % and 44% at high initial cell density, respectively, compared to non-partitioned ones. The results of internally partitioned PBRs demonstrated potentials for culturing microalgae by efficiently utilizing ocean wave energy into culture mixing in the ocean.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned media prevent muscle atrophy by suppressing muscle atrophy-related proteins and ROS generation.

The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (MSC-CM) has been reported with various types of disease models. Here, we examine the therapeutic effect of umbilical cord MSC-CM (UCMSC-CM) on muscle-related disease, using a dexamethasone (Dex)-induced muscle atrophy in vitro model. The expressions of muscle atrophy-related proteins (MuRF-1 and MAFbx) and muscle-specific proteins (desmin and myogenin) were evaluated by Western blot analysis. The level of production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using a 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) dye assay. The expression of antioxidant enzymes (copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1), and catalase (CAT)) was verified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). When L6 cells were exposed to Dex, the expression of muscle atrophy-related proteins was increased by 50-70%, and the expression of muscle-specific proteins was in turn decreased by 23-40%. Conversely, when the L6 cells were co-treated with UCMSC-CM and Dex, the expression of muscle atrophy-related proteins was reduced in a UCMSC-CM dose-dependent manner and the expression of muscle-specific proteins was restored to near-normal levels. Moreover, ROS generation was effectively suppressed and the expression of antioxidant enzymes was recovered to a normal degree. These data imply that UCMSC-CM clearly has the potential to prevent muscle atrophy. Thus, our present study offers fundamental data on the potential treatment of muscle-related disease using UCMSC-CM.

A composite dermal filler comprising cross-linked hyaluronic acid and human collagen for tissue reconstruction.

In this study, we developed a composite filler comprising cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) and human collagen (COL) derived from the human umbilical cord with the aim of improving its biocompatibility and longevity compared with commercially available fillers. After HA/ COL composite fillers were made in two different ratios (10:1 and 5:1), the physical properties of the fillers were evaluated. The interior morphologies and in vivo weight change of these hydrogels were also characterized at 1-16 weeks after injection into mice. To evaluate their biocompatibility and durability in vivo, we injected the composite fillers into nude mice subcutaneously. The variations of injected gel weight were measured and compared with the commercial dermal fillers (Restylane and TheraFill). The composites showed improved or similar physical properties (complex viscosity of 19-22 × 10(5) cP, and injection force of 10- 12 N) over the commercial dermal fillers. Sixteen weeks following the injection, the ratio of remaining composite filler weight to initial weight (75.5 ± 16.9%; 10:1) was shown to be greater than that of the commercial fillers (43.2 ± 8.1%, Restylane; 12.3 ± 5.3%, TheraFill). In addition, immunohistochemical analysis with angiogenesis-related markers such as isolectin and vWF revealed newly formed blood vessels and cellular influx into the composite filler, which were not observed in the other fillers. These results clearly suggest that the HA/COL composite filler is a superior candidate for soft tissue reconstruction. The filler we developed may be a suitable candidate as an injectable dermal filler for tissue augmentation in humans.