Effect of inactivated Bifidobacterium longum intake on obese diabetes model mice (TSOD).

Obesity and diabetes have been increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Studies have shown the futility of chemical drugs in the treatment of obesity and diabetes. Bifidobacterium longum (BL), a common member of the gut microbiota throughout the human lifespan, has been widely reported to play a role in host health and disease. Here, we evaluated the effects of inactivated cells of BL (IBL) on obesity and blood glucose levels in TSOD mice by administering IBL orally for 5 weeks. The treated mice showed a significant decrease of body weight gain, adipose tissue mass and blood glucose levels, as well as a significant reduction in blood glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test. The treatment also resulted in reduced levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and NEFA. Moreover, serum and urine analysis showed low creatinine levels in IBL-treated mice. These data demonstrate that IBL may have the potential to prevent obesity and diabetes.

Sterilized bifidobacteria suppressed fat accumulation and blood glucose level.

Probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium improve the balance of intestinal microflora and have various physiological functions beneficial to human health. It is not always known whether the ingested microbial cells are viable- or killed. However, even sterilized bacterial cells are functional. Bacterial cell functions are strain-specific and their modes of action are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of sterilized bifidobacteria in obesity and lipid metabolism. To this end, mice were orally ingested sterilized bacteria. Male C57BL/6J mice aged 7 wks were raised on a high-fat diet and received oral sterilized bifidobacteria for 4 wks. Although the amount of food they ingested did not change in response to bifidobacteria administration, both weight gain and epididymal body fat mass were significantly reduced. In addition, the elevated blood glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol levels observed in the mice on the high-fat diet all decreased in response to bifidobacteria treatment. Hepatic triglyceride levels also decreased. Furthermore, oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance tests indicated that sterilized bifidobacteria improved glucose tolerance and diminished insulin resistance. Sterilized bifidobacteria also decreased blood lipopolysaccharides and altered intestinal flora. The present study indicates that in mice on a high-fat diet, sterilized bifidobacteria suppressed fat accumulation, improved insulin resistance, and lowered blood glucose levels.

Antimicrobial activity of essential oil and aqueous and ethanol extracts of Teucrium polium L. subsp. gabesianum (L.H.) from Tunisia.

The antimicrobial effects of essential oil, ethanol and aqueous extracts of Teucrium polium L. were investigated against 13 microorganisms. Extracts and essential oil were obtained from maceration, decoction and hydrodistillation respectively. Samples were tested for their antimicrobial activity using the disk diffusion, the agar dilution and the agar incorporation method. Essential oil was analysed using GC/MS, results showed that ß-pinene (35.97%) and α-pinene (13.32%) were the main components. Furthermore, essential oil exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity, it was most effective against Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Citrobacter freundei where inhibition zone ranged between 15 and 25 mm, and with the microbial inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.078-0.156 mg/ml. The oil and ethanol extract showed the best antifungal activity against Microsporum canis, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and Trichophyton rubrum with the inhibition percentage (I%) ranging from 18.94 to 100%. However, none of the samples exhibited antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus. In this study, the obtained results showed significant effects of essential oils and ethanol extracts of T. polium which may used as a substitute to the synthetic drugs against certain microbial diseases.

Antistress Effects of the Ethanolic Extract from Cymbopogon schoenanthus Growing Wild in Tunisia.

This study aimed to investigate the antistress properties of the ethanol extract of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (CSEE), growing wild in the southern part of Tunisia. The effect of extracts on H2O2-induced cytotoxicity and stress in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Its effect on stress-induced in ICR mice was exposed to force swim and tail suspension, in concordance with heat shock protein expression (HSP27 and HSP90), corticosterone, and catecholamine neurotransmitters level. Our results demonstrated that pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with CSEE at 1/2000, 1/1000, and 1/500 v/v dilutions significantly inversed H2O2-induced neurotoxicity. Moreover, CSEE treatments significantly reversed heat shock protein expression in heat-stressed HSP47-transformed cells (42°C, for 90 min) and mRNA expression of HSP27 and HSP90 in H2O2-treated SH-SY5Y. Daily oral administration of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg CSEE was conducted to ICR mice for 2 weeks. It was resulted in a significant decrease of immobility time in forced swimming and tail suspension tests. The effect of CSEE on animal behavior was concordant with a significant regulation of blood serum corticosterone and cerebral cortex levels of catecholamine (dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline). Therefore, this study was attempted to demonstrate the preventive potential of CSEE against stress disorders at in vitro and in vivo levels.

Opuntia ficus indica extract protects against chlorpyrifos-induced damage on mice liver.

This original study investigates the role of Opuntia ficus indica (cactus) cladodes extract against liver damage induced in male SWISS mice by an organophosphorous insecticide, the chlorpyrifos (CPF). Liver damage was evaluated by the measure of its weight and the quantification of some biochemical parameters, such as alanine amino transferase (ALAT), aspartate amino transferase (ASAT), phosphatase alkaline (PAL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cholesterol and albumin in serum by spectrophotometric techniques. The experimental approach lasted 48 h and consisted of 6 treatments of six mice each one; (1) control, (2) 10 mg/kg (b.w) CPF, (3) 10mg/kg (b.w) CPF with 100 mg/kg (b.w) cactus, (4) 150 mg/kg (b.w)CPF, (5) 150 mg/kg (b.w) CPF with 1.5 g/kg cactus, (6) 1.5 g/kg cactus. Both chlorpyrifos and cactus were administrated orally via gavages. Our results showed that CPF affects significantly all parameters studied. However, when this pesticide was administrated associated to cactus, we noticed a recovery of all their levels. In the other hand, cactus alone did not affect the studied parameters. These results allow us to conclude firstly that CPF is hepatotoxic and secondly that Opuntia ficus indica stem extract protects the liver and decreases the toxicity induced by this organophosphorous pesticide.