Genipin Activates Autophagy and Promotes Myoblast Differentiation by Activating AMPK Pathway.

Cultured meat technology is expected to solve problems such as resource shortages and environmental pollution, but the muscle fiber differentiation efficiency of cultured meat is low. Genipin is the active compound derived from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, which has a variety of activities. Additionally, genipin serves as a noncytotoxic agent for cross-linking, which is suitable as a foundational scaffold for in vitro tissue regeneration. However, the impact of genipin on myoblast differentiation remains to be studied. The research revealed that genipin was found to improve the differentiation efficiency of myoblasts. Genipin improved mitochondrial membrane potential by activating the AMPK signaling pathway of myoblasts, promoting mitochondrial biogenesis, and mitochondrial network remodeling. Genipin activated autophagy in myoblasts and maintained cellular homeostasis. Autophagy inhibitors blocked the pro-differentiation effect of genipin. These results showed that genipin improved the differentiation efficiency of myoblasts, which provided a theoretical basis for the development of cultured meat technology.

Potential Hydrothermal-Humification of Vegetable Wastes by Steam Explosion and Structural Characteristics of Humified Fractions.

In this work, steam explosion (SE) was exploited as a potential hydrothermal-humification process of vegetable wastes to deconstruct their structure and accelerate their decomposition to prepare humified substances. Results indicated that the SE process led to the removal of hemicellulose, re-condensation of lignin, degradation of the cellulosic amorphous region, and the enhancement of thermal stability of broccoli wastes, which provided transformable substrates and a thermal-acidic reaction environment for humification. After SE treatment, total humic substances (HS), humic acids (HAs), and fulvic acids (FAs) contents of broccoli samples accounted for up to 198.3 g/kg, 42.3 g/kg, and 166.6 g/kg, and their purification were also facilitated. With the increment of SE severity, structural characteristics of HAs presented the loss of aliphatic compounds, carbohydrates, and carboxylic acids and the enrichment of aromatic structures and N-containing groups. Lignin substructures were proved to be the predominant aromatic structures and gluconoxylans were the main carbohydrates associated with lignin in HAs, both of their signals were enhanced by SE. Above results suggested that SE could promote the decomposition of easily biodegradable matters and further polycondensation, aromatization, and nitrogen-fixation reactions during humification, which were conducive to the formation of HAs.

Different Molecular Weight Black Garlic Melanoidins Alleviate High Fat Diet Induced Circadian Intestinal Microbes Dysbiosis.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of different molecular weight black garlic melanoidins (MLDs) on high fat diet (HFD) induced dysrhythmia of intestinal microorganisms. The results showed that a HFD disturbed the periodic fluctuation of the gut microbiome and that oral gavage of low molecular weight melanoidin (LMM) or high molecular weight melanoidin (HMM) reversed these cyclical variations in part, which resulted in an increase in the number of bacteria producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and a decrease in the oscillation of inflammation-related bacteria within a specific time period over the course of 1 day. Moreover, structural analysis showed different structure characterizations of LMM and HMM, which are related to the differences in flora oscillation. Therefore, the data showed that LMM and HMM relieve the circadian rhythm disorder of intestinal microbiota induced by a HFD in mice, which supported the further study of MLDs as a new dietary assistant strategy to improve chronic diseases.

Black garlic melanoidins prevent obesity, reduce serum LPS levels and modulate the gut microbiota composition in high-fat diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice.

The objective of this study is to assess the potential anti-obesity effects of black garlic melanoidins (MLDs) and gut microbiota changes in an animal model, hypothesizing that the effects of oral administration of MLDs can be partially mediated by the modulation of intestinal microbiota via inhibiting the formation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The effects of MLDs in C57BL/6J mice with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity were investigated for 12 weeks with low (50 mg kg-1 day-1), medium (100 mg kg-1 day-1) and high (200 mg kg-1 day-1) doses. The results indicated that oral administration of MLDs markedly reduced high fat diet-induced weight gain and white adipose tissue weights and reversed glucose tolerance, especially at high doses. Besides, MLDs could alleviate dyslipidaemia, significantly suppress hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis and effectively ameliorate lipid metabolism. The plasma LPS reduced significantly and the SCFAs increased in a dose-dependent manner. The MLDs could down-regulate the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and up-regulate the expression of adipose triacylglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) in adipose tissues and livers at mRNA levels. Moreover, after the oral administration of MLDs, the intestinal microbial environment improved in the sense that bacterial diversity and richness increased. Intervention with MLDs modified the gut microbiota in mice with HFD-induced obesity, increasing the number of SCFA-producing bacteria (Bacteroidaceae) and reducing opportunistic pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae). An increased abundance of other probiotics including Lactobacillaceae and Akkermansiaceae was also observed. In conclusion, MLDs could improve glucose tolerance, induce the production of SCFAs and inhibit the production of endotoxin LPS, most likely mediated by modulating the gut microbiota. Therefore, it seems that MLDs exhibit anti-obesity effects and might be used as potential agents against obesity.