Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RS20D Alleviates Male Reproductive Toxicity Induced by Pubertal Exposure to Di-n-butyl Phthalate and Mono-n-butyl Phthalate.

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) and their metabolites, such as di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), are known to cause male reproductive damage. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RS20D has demonstrated the ability to remove both DBP and MBP in vitro, suggesting its potential as a detoxifying agent against these compounds. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of RS20D on DBP or MBP-induced male reproductive toxicity in adolescent rats. Oral administration of RS20D significantly mitigated the histological damage to the testes caused by MBP or DBP, restored sperm concentration, morphological abnormalities, and the proliferation index in MBP-exposed rats, and partially reversed spermatogenic damage in DBP-exposed rats. Furthermore, RS20D restored serum levels of estradiol (E2) and testosterone, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in DBP-exposed rats, significantly increased testosterone levels in MBP-exposed rats, and restored copper (Cu) concentrations in the testes after exposure to DBP or MBP. Additionally, RS20D effectively modulated the intestinal microbiota in DBP-exposed rats and partially ameliorated dysbiosis induced by MBP, which may be associated with the alleviation of reproductive toxic effects induced by DBP or MBP. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that RS20D administration can alleviate male reproductive toxicity and gut dysbacteriosis induced by DBP or MBP exposure, providing a dietary strategy for the bioremediation of PAEs and their metabolites.

Untargeted Metabolomics and Physicochemical Analysis Revealed the Quality Formation Mechanism in Fermented Milk Inoculated with Lactobacillus brevis and Kluyveromyces marxianus Isolated from Traditional Fermented Milk.

Traditional fermented milk from the western Sichuan plateau of China has a unique flavor and rich microbial diversity. This study explored the quality formation mechanism in fermented milk inoculated with Lactobacillus brevis NZ4 and Kluyveromyces marxianus SY11 (MFM), the dominant microorganisms isolated from traditional dairy products in western nan. The results indicated that MFM displayed better overall quality than the milk fermented with L. brevis NZ4 (LFM) and K. marxianus SY11 (KFM), respectively. MFM exhibited good sensory quality, more organic acid types, more free amino acids and esters, and moderate acidity and ethanol concentrations. Non-targeted metabolomics showed a total of 885 metabolites annotated in the samples, representing 204 differential metabolites between MFM and LFM and 163 between MFM and KFM. MFM displayed higher levels of N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid, cysteinyl serine, glaucarubin, and other substances. The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in pathways such as glycerophospholipid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and beta-alanine metabolism. This study speculated that L. brevis affected K. marxianus growth via its metabolites, while the mixed fermentation of these strains significantly changed the metabolism pathway of flavor-related substances, especially glycerophospholipid metabolism. Furthermore, mixed fermentation modified the flavor and quality of fermented milk by affecting cell growth and metabolic pathways.

Purification and characterization of neutral protease from Aspergillus oryzae Y1 isolated from naturally fermented broad beans.

The strain Y1, with a notably high production of neutral protease, was isolated from naturally fermented broad beans and subsequently identified as Aspergillus oryzae, through the analysis of its morphology characteristics and 18S rDNA sequence. Naturally fermented broad beans are the main raw material in Sichuan broad-bean sauce. The neutral protease from Aspergillus oryzae Y1 was purified using ammonium sulphate precipitation and DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography, which resulted in a 10.0-fold increase in the specific activity (2264.3 U/mg) and a recovery rate of 21%. The estimated molecular mass of the purified protease was approximately 45 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified protease were 7.0 and 55 °C, respectively. The heat resistance of the purified protease was significantly higher than the commercial protease. The effect of metal ions on the activity of the purified protease approximated that of commercial neutral protease. Furthermore, the maximum hydrolysis rate (Vmax) and apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) values of the purified protease were 256.4103 µg/mL min and 20.0769 mg/mL, respectively. The purified protease had a higher affinity for the substrate than the commercial neutral protease. All the results suggest that this neutral protease exhibits the potential for application in industry due to its good resistance to high temperatures and wide range of acids and bases.

Modelling Growth and Bacteriocin Production by Lactobacillus plantarum BC-25 in Response to Temperature and pH in Batch Fermentation.

The use of bacteriocin-producing probiotics to improve food fermentation processes seems promising. However, lack of fundamental information about their functionality and specific characteristics may hinder their industrial use. Predictive microbiology may help to solve this problem by simulating the kinetics of bacteriocin-producing strains and optimising the cell growth and production of beneficial metabolites. In this study, a combined model was developed which could estimate, from a given initial condition of temperature and pH, the growth and bacteriocin production of Lactobacillus plantarum BC-25 in MRS broth. A logistic model was used to model the growth of cells, and the Luedeking-Piret model was used to simulate the biomass and bacteriocin production. The parameters generated from these primary models were used in a response surface model to describe the combined influence on cell growth, biomass and bacteriocin production. Both the temperature and pH influenced cell and bacteriocin production significantly. The optimal temperature and pH for cell growth is 35 °C and 6.8, and the optimal bacteriocin production condition is a range dependent on two growth-associated constants (YA/X and K), where temperature is from 27 to 34 °C, and pH is 6.35 to 6.65. The developed model is consistent with similar studies and could be a useful tool to control and increase the production of lactic acid bacteria in bioreactors.

Airflow-directed in situ electrospinning of a medical glue of cyanoacrylate for rapid hemostasis in liver resection.

Rapid hemostasis of solitary organs is still a big challenge in surgical procedures or after major trauma in both civilians and on the battlefield. Here, we report the first use of an airflow-directed in situ electrospinning method to precisely and homogeneously deposit a medical glue of n-octyl-2-cyanoacrylate (OCA) ultrathin fibers onto a wound surface to realize rapid hemostasis in dozens of seconds. In vivo and in vitro experiments on pig liver resection demonstrate that the self-assembled electrospun OCA membrane with high strength, good flexibility and integrity is very compact and no fluid seeping is observed even under a pressure of 147 mm Hg. A similar effect has been achieved in an in vivo experiment on pig lung resection. The results provide a very promising alternative for rapid hemostasis of solitary organs as well as other traumas, providing evidence that the postoperative drainage tube may not be always necessary for surgery in the near future.

Fabrication of curled conducting polymer microfibrous arrays via a novel electrospinning method for stretchable strain sensors.

Stretchable strain sensors based on aligned microfibrous arrays of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)-poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PEDOT:PSS-PVP) with curled architectures have been fabricated by a novel reciprocating-type electrospinning setup with a spinneret in straightforward simple harmonic motion. The incorporation of PEDOT:PSS into PVP is confirmed by Raman spectra, which improves the room-temperature conductivity of the composite fibers (1.6 × 10(-5) S cm(-1)). Owing to the curled architectures of the as-spun fibrous polymer arrays, the sensors can be stretched reversibly with a linear elastic response to strain up to 4%, which is three times higher than that from electrospun nonwoven mats. In addition, the stretchable strain sensor with a high repeatability and durability has a gauge factor of about 360. These results may be helpful for the fabrication of stretchable devices which have potential applications in some fields such as soft robotics, elastic semiconductors, and elastic solar cells.

Isolation and identification of the antibacterial active compound from petroleum ether extract of neem oil.

From a petroleum ether extract of neem oil (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) the new tetrahydrofuranyl diester 1 was isolated as an anti-bacterial constituent. 1 showed significant activities against three standard bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella enteritidis CMCC (B) 50041.