The interaction between gut microbiota and flavonoid extract from Smilax glabra Roxb. and its potent alleviation of fatty liver.

Fatty liver is associated with intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and low-grade chronic inflammation. Herein we report the interaction of the flavonoid extract from Smilax glabra Roxb. (FSGR) with gut microbiota. Then, FSGR's function of modulating microbiota in a rat model of high-fat diet (HFD) induced fatty liver has been explored. These investigations indicated that the main compound in FSGR, such as astilbin and its isomers, could be metabolized to aglycone, while further splitting resulted in some phenolic acid compounds through a redox reaction. The data obtained clearly showed that FSGR not only alleviated the steatosis degree of liver cells and modulated the contents of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal tract, but also reversed gut dysbiosis induced by HFD as prognosticated by the decreased ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) and altered gene expression. The results demonstrated that FSGR probably could be used as a prebiotic agent to impede gut dysbiosis and fatty liver-related metabolic disorders.

Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) for high-throughput proteome analyses of Mycoplasma bovis.

Expression proteomics approaches do not only directly confirm protein coding genes of sequenced genomes but also facilitate resolution of minute qualitative protein differences and improve the quality of genome annotation. Despite development of many tools, use of 2-DE coupled with MS in proteomics is not uncommon. With an accelerated trend of genome sequencing of microorganisms, proteome analysis of animal pathogens with 2-DE has gained more attention in the last decade. Therefore, in this study primarily the protein extraction, sample preparation and loading, IPG strip rehydration, IEF, and SDS-PAGE conditions were improved for high throughput resolution and reproducible 2-DE map of proteins of Mycoplasma bovis HB0801 (M. bovis HB0801- Chinese Strain), a pneumonia pathogen in feedlot cattle, and its attenuated strains. Literally, higher amount of proteins was extracted exploiting the French pressure cell coupled with TCA precipitation when compared to the sonication method. Total protein concentration was determined using a 2D quant Kit. About 330-380 µg TCA treated protein sample, solubilized in calibrated rehydration solution, loaded on 17 cm IPG gel strip (pH 3-10 NL) followed by active rehydration at 50V and isoelectric focusing at final 10 000 Volt (33 uA/gel strip) for 80kVh had revealed well resolved proteins spots on 10% gel stained by CBB R250 (0.15%), representing 83-89% of the total protein coding genes of M. bovis HB0801, estimated by PD Quest (Bio-Rad, USA). Conclusively, this effort attempted to provide more precise 2-DE platform and suitable conditions, after extensive calibration, for future comprehensive proteome and immunoproteome analyses and future research on the elucidation of factors related to pathogenesis of M. bovis in cattle.

Potent leishmanicidal and antibacterial metabolites from Olea ferruginea.

Inspired from the leishmanicidal and antibacterial potential of the fractions obtained from the crude extract of Olea ferruginea stem, the anti-leishmanial ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to chromatographic separation, leading to the isolation of a new compound ferruginan (1) and a known compound (+)- cycloolivil (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by various spectroscopic techniques and were assayed for their in vitro antibacterial and leishmanicidal potential. Compound 1 showed 75% inhibition after 24 h of incubation and 98% inhibition after 48 h of incubation against Leishmania tropica KWH23 promastigotes at 100 µg/mL concentration, while compound 2 exhibited 73% and 96% inhibition at the same concentration and incubation time. Compound 1 also showed good activity against various bacterial pathogens.