Differential growth enhancement followed by notable microbiota modulation in growing-finishing pigs by Bacillus subtilis strains ps4060, ps4100, and a 50:50 strain mixture.

A 50:50 blend of two Bacillus subtilis strains positively impacted the productivity of finishing pigs. Given this observed effect, we hypothesized that each strain has distinct effects on weight gain and their influence on gut microbiota. In a 16-week test, 160 pigs were divided into four groups: basal diet, B. subtilis ps4100, B. subtilis ps4060, and 50:50 mixture supplemented. Subsequently, we compared body weight and fecal microbiota. Among the supplements, ps4100, ps4060, and the 50:50 mix yielded respective average daily weight gains (ADG) of 3.6%, 4.6%, and 3.9% by the 6th week. The weight difference was maintained through the 16th week. At the 11th week, the difference in α-diversity among the fecal microbiota was marginal, and 17 of 229 genera showed differential abundance between the control and either of the treatment groups. A total of 12 of the 17 genera, including Lactobacillus, showed differential abundance between the ps4100 and ps4060-fed groups, and only Eubacterium consistently decreased in abundance in both the ps4100 and ps4060 groups. In comparison, microbial diversity was significantly different at the 16th week (p < 0.05), with 96 out of 229 genera exhibiting differential abundance. A total of 42 of the 96 genera exhibited similar patterns in both the ps4100 and ps4060 groups compared to the control group. Additionally, 236 of 687 microbial enzymes with differential abundance deduced from 16S rRNA reads showed similar differential abundance in both groups compared to the control group. We concluded that the overall microbial balance, rather than the dominance or significant decrease of a few specific genera, likely caused the enhanced ADG until the 11th week. Substantial changes in microbiota manifested at the 16th week did not cause dramatically increased ADG but were a consequence of weight gain and could positively affect animal physiology and health afterward.

Rapid Diagnostic PCR Assay Method for Species Identification of Mantidis Ootheca (Sangpiaoxiao) Based on Cytochrom C Oxidase I (COI) Barcode Analysis.

Mantidis Ootheca (sangpiaoxiao), the egg case of the mantis, is a type of insect-derived traditional medicine widely used in East Asia. However, species identification based on egg morphology is challenging, leading to the distribution of counterfeit and adulterated products. The use of inauthentic ingredients can pose serious health risks to consumers. This study aimed to develop PCR markers that can rapidly and accurately differentiate between authentic and counterfeit Mantidis Ootheca. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) region was sequenced in thirteen samples from four mantis species: Tenodera angustipennis, Statilia maculata, Hierodula patellifera, and T. sinensis. Four sets of SCAR primers were designed based on species-specific nucleotide polymorphisms, and a multiplex SCAR assay was developed by combining all sets of the primers. The sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) primers successfully produced amplicons for each target species, even with low-DNA templates or templates containing DNA from multiple samples. No amplification was observed for nontarget species. This study presents a novel approach for identifying authentic Mantidis Ootheca species using DNA-based diagnostic marker assays, which enable rapid and precise species identification. The SCAR assays developed in this study will aid in maintaining quality control and promoting the standardization of commercial Mantidis Ootheca products.

An Integrative Study of Scrophularia takesimensis Nakai in an Ovalbumin-Induced Murine Model of Asthma: The Effect on T Helper 2 Cell Activation.

Scrophularia have traditionally been used as herbal medicines to treat neuritis, sore throats, and laryngitis. In particular, S. takesimensis, a Korean endemic species with restricted distribution on Ulleung Island, holds significant resource and genetic value. However, its pharmacological properties have not been thoroughly evaluated. Thus, we provide detailed morphological characteristics and genomic information for S. takesimensis in this study. Moreover, its pharmacological activity was evaluated in an ovalbumin-induced asthma rat model, using extracts of S. takesimensis roots (100 or 200 mg/kg). The distinguishing features of S. takesimensis from related species include the presence or absence of stem wings, leaf shape, and habitat. The chloroplast (cp) genome of this species is 152,420 bp long and exhibits a conserved quadripartite structure. A total of 114 genes were identified, which included 80 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 4 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. The gene order, content, and orientation of the S. takesimensis cp genome was highly conserved and consistent with the general structure observed in S. buergeriana and S. ningpoensis cp genomes. Confirming the anti-inflammatory effects of S. takesimensis extract (STE) using an established mouse model of ovalbumin-induced asthma, we observed reduced asthmatic phenotypes, including inflammatory cell infiltration, mucus production, and suppression of T helper 2 (Th2) cell. Furthermore, STE treatment reduced Th2 cell activation and differentiation. This study underscores the medicinal value of S. takesimensis. The importance of preserving S. takesimensis was revealed and crucial insights were provided for further research on its utilization as a medicinal resource.

Flower morphology of Allium (Amaryllidaceae) and its systematic significance.

Allium is a complicated genus that includes approximately 1000 species. Although its morphology is well studied, the taxonomic importance of many morphological traits, including floral traits, are poorly understood. Here, we examined and measured the floral characteristics of 87 accessions of 74 Allium taxa (belonging to 30 sections and nine subgenera) from Central to Eastern Asian countries. We then examined the taxonomic relationships between select flower characteristics and a phylogenetic tree based on ITS sequences. Our results confirm that floral morphology provides key taxonomic information to assess species delimitation in Allium. We found that perianth color is an important characteristic within the subg. Melanocrommyum, Polyprason, and Reticulatobulbosa. In subg. Allium, Cepa, and Rhizirideum, significant characteristics include ovary shape, perianth shape, and inner tepal apex. For species in subg. Angunium, the key taxonomic character is ovule number (only one ovule in per locule). In the subg. Allium, Cepa, Polyprason, and Reticulatobulbosa, which belong to the third evolutionary line of Allium, hood-like appendages occur in the ovary, although these do not occur in subg. Rhizirideum. Our results also indicated that the flower morphology of several species in some sections are not clearly distinguished, e.g., sect. Sacculiferum (subg. Cepa) and sect. Tenuissima (subg. Rhizirideum). This study provides detailed photographs and descriptions of floral characteristics and information on general distributions, habitats, and phenology of the studied taxa.

Comparative Morphology of Island and Inland Agastache rugosa and Their Gastroprotective Effects in EtOH/HCl-Induced Gastric Mucosal Gastritis.

Agastache rugosa Kuntze (Lamiaceae; Labiatae), a medicinal and functional herb used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, grows well both on islands and inland areas in South Korea. Thus, we aimed to reveal the morphological and micromorphological differences between A. rugosa grown on island and inland areas and their pharmacological effects on gastritis in an animal model by combining morphological and mass spectrophotometric analyses. Morphological analysis showed that island A. rugosa had slightly smaller plants and leaves than inland plants; however, the density of all types of trichomes on the leaves, petioles, and stems of island A. rugosa was significantly higher than that of inland plants. The essential oil component analysis revealed that pulegone levels were substantially higher in island A. rugosa than in inland A. rugosa. Despite the differences between island and inland A. rugosa, treatment with both island and inland A. rugosa reduced gastric damages by more than 40% compared to the gastritis induction group. In addition, expression of inflammatory protein was reduced by about 30% by treatment of island and inland A. rugosa. The present study demonstrates quantitative differences in morphology and volatile components between island and inland plants; significant differences were not observed between the gastritis-inhibitory effects of island and inland A. rugosa, and the efficacy of island A. rugosa was found to be similar to that of A. rugosa grown in inland areas.

A Frameshift Mutation in the Mg-Chelatase I Subunit Gene OsCHLI Is Associated with a Lethal Chlorophyll-Deficient, Yellow Seedling Phenotype in Rice.

Chlorophyll biosynthesis is a crucial biological process in plants, and chlorophyll content is one of the most important traits in rice breeding programs. In this study, we identified a lethal, chlorophyll-deficient, yellow seedling (YS) phenotype segregating in progeny of CR5055-21, an F2 plant derived from a backcross between Korean japonica variety 'Hwaseong' (Oryza sativa) and CR5029, which is mostly Hwaseong with a small amount of Oryza grandiglumis chromosome segments. The segregation of the mutant phenotype was consistent with a single gene recessive mutation. Light microscopy of YS leaf cross-sections revealed loosely arranged mesophyll cells and sparse parenchyma in contrast to wildtype. In addition, transmission electron microscopy showed that chloroplasts did not develop in the mesophyll cells of the YS mutant. Quantitative trait loci (QTL)-seq analysis did not detect any significant QTL, however, examination of the individual delta-SNP index identified a 2-bp deletion (AG) in the OsCHLI gene, a magnesium (Mg)-chelatase subunit. A dCAPs marker was designed and genotyping of a segregating population (n = 275) showed that the mutant phenotype co-segregated with the marker. The 2-bp deletion was predicted to result in a frameshift mutation generating a premature termination. The truncated protein likely affects formation and function of Mg-chelatase, which consists of three different subunits that together catalyze the first committed step of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Transcriptome analysis showed that photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were significantly altered although expression of OsCHLI was not. Chlorophyll- and carotenoid-related genes were also differentially expressed in the YS mutant. Our findings demonstrated that OsCHLI plays an important role in leaf pigment biosynthesis and leaf structure development in rice.

Tributyrin and anise mixture supplementation improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility, jejunal villus height, and fecal microbiota in weaned pigs.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of tributyrin and anise mixture (TA) on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emission, fecal score, jejunal villus height, hematology parameters, and fecal microbiota of weaned pigs. Methods: A total of 150 21-day-old crossbred weaned pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] were used in a randomized complete block design experiment. All pigs were randomly assigned to 3 groups based on the initial body weight (6.19 ± 0.29 kg). Each group had 10 replicate pens with 5 pigs (three barrows and two gilts) per pen. The experimental period was 42 days and consisted of 3 phases (phase 1, days 1-7; phase 2, days 8-21; phase 3, days 22-42). Dietary treatments were based on a corn-soybean meal-basal diet and supplemented with 0.000, 0.075, or 0.150% TA. Results and discussion: We found that dietary supplementation of graded levels of TA linearly improved body weight, body weight gain, average daily feed intake, and feed efficiency (P < 0.05). TA supplementation also had positive effects on apparent dry matter, crude protein, and energy digestibility (P < 0.05) and jejunal villus height (P < 0.05). The emission of ammonia from feces decreased linearly with the dose of TA increased (P < 0.05). Moreover, TA supplementation was capable to regulate the fecal microbiota diversity, manifesting in a linearly increased Chao1 index and observed species and a linearly decreased Pielou's index (P < 0.05). The abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus amylovorus, Clostridium butyricum were increased, while the abundance of Prevotella copri was decreased, by treatment (P < 0.05). Therefore, we speculated that TA supplementation would improve growth performance and reduce fecal ammonia emission through improving nutrient digestibility, which was attributed to the increase of jejunal villus height and the regulation of fecal microbiota.

Beneficial Role of Inherently Formed Residual Lithium Compounds on the Surface of Ni-Rich Cathode Materials for All-Solid-State Batteries.

This study validates the beneficial role of residual Li compounds on the surface of Ni-rich cathode materials (LiNixCoyMnzO2, NCM). Residual Li compounds on Ni-rich NCM are naturally formed during the synthesis procedure, which degrades the initial Coulombic efficiency and generates slurry gelation during electrode fabrication in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) using liquid electrolytes. To solve this problem, washing pretreatment is usually introduced to remove residual Li compounds on the NCM surface. In contrast to LIBs, we found that residual Li compounds can serve as a functional layer that suppresses the interfacial side reactions of the NCM in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). The formation of resistive phosphate-based compounds from the undesirable side reaction during the initial charging step is suppressed by the residual Li compounds on the surface of the NCM, thereby reducing polarization growth in ASSBs and enhancing rate performances. The advantageous effects of the intrinsic residual Li compounds on the NCM surface suggest that the essential washing process of the NCM for the liquid-based LIB system should be reconsidered for ASSB systems.

Anti-Periodontitis Effects of Dendropanax morbiferus H.Lév Leaf Extract on Ligature-Induced Periodontitis in Rats.

Periodontitis is caused by pathogens in the oral cavity. It is a chronic infectious disease that causes symptoms including gingival bleeding and tooth loss resulting from the destruction of periodontal tissues coupled with inflammation. Dendropanax morbiferus H.Lév (DM) is a natural product that exhibits various biological activities with few side effects. In this study, the potential of DM leaf hot-water extracts (DMWE) as a treatment for periodontitis was determined and its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated. Compounds in DMWE were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production was measured in RAW 264.7 cells. We measured the gingival index and gingival sulcus depth, and micro-CT was performed in vivo using a ligature-induced periodontitis rat model, which is similar to human periodontitis. The DMWE-treated group exhibited a decrease in cytokine concentration and relieved the gingival index and gingival sulcus depth compared with the periodontitis-induced control group. In addition, micro-CT and histological analysis revealed that DMWE exhibited anti-inflammatory effects and improved alveolar bone loss in periodontitis-induced rats. These findings suggest that DMWE has excellent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that protect and prevent periodontal tissue damage and tooth loss caused by the inflammatory response.

Floral micromorphological, palynological, and carpological characteristics of the rare endemic Korean species Peucedanum miroense (Apiaceae).

Peucedanum miroense K. Kim, H.-J. Suh & J.-H. Song, recently reported as a new species endemic to South Korea, is distributed on mountains Duta-san and Swinum-san in Gangwon Province, South Korea. Given its conspicuously limited habitat range and small populations, this species qualifies as an endangered Red List species. In this study, we undertook a detailed investigation of the floral micromorphological, palynological, and carpological characters of P. miroense based on a range of microscopic analyses. Examination of the floral micromorphology of P. miroense revealed that the surface patterns of bractlets have potential utility in taxonomy studies of the genus Peucedanum. In addition, we established that this plant is characterized a papillose conical-tabular rugose pattern of petal epidermal cells and bears sunken nectary slits on the stylopodium. Also identified were simple spherical orbicules bearing psilate surface ornamentation, as well as small tricolporate prolate to perprolate pollen grains characterized by verrucate and gemmate ornamentation. Moreover, we verified pollen wall stratification and presence of pollenkitt. The mericarps had colliculate-striate surface patterns with trichomes and eight or nine vittae, and prismatic crystals were detected in different layers of the pericarp. We believe that the findings of this study will contribute to an evaluation of the taxonomic significance of this species within the genus Peucedanum, and also provide valuable information for the conservation of this rare endemic species. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We provided the first detailed descriptions of the floral micromorphological, palynological, and carpological characters of the rare endemic Korean species Peucedanum miroense K. Kim, H.-J. Suh & J.-H. Song, based on different microscopic analyses. Our findings provide valuable information regarding the epidermal cell patterns of bractlets, petals, stylopodium, gynoecium, and anthers. We believe our study makes a significant contribution to the literature, as our findings will contribute to enhancing the taxonomical classification of species within the genus Peucedanum, and will provide a basis for the conservation of this rare endemic species. This results will be of value to researchers studying the future biology and taxonomy of species within the family Apiaceae, particularly those using different microscopic techniques, including FE-SEM, digital slide scanning, and TEM.