Dietary chamomile flowers extract improved performance and mitigated aflatoxin B1 toxicity in rabbits.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is among the poisonous mycotoxins that contaminate food and feed. Limited studies are available on the efficacy of chamomile (Cha) against oxidative stress, liver damage and pro-inflammatory response induced by AFB1. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of Cha on the performance and protective effects against AFB1 in growing rabbits. The experimental rabbits were divided into four different groups, including Cha (70 mg kg day-1), AFB1 (AF; 30 µg kg day-1), AFB1+Cha (AFLCha) and control (CON). The results indicated that the AFB1 treatment had lower values of performance, and carcass parameters compared to the Cha and AFLCha treatments. Furthermore, the Cha and AFLCha groups had lower values of liver and kidney function activities compared to the AFB1 treatment. The higher values of antioxidant enzymes were observed in Cha and AFLCha treatments than in the AFB1 treatment. AFB1 treatments had higher levels of malondialdehyde and liver functions with lower levels of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione and superoxide dismutase) compared to Cha and CON groups. In conclusion, dietary Cha could mitigate the oxidative stress of AFB1-induced liver deterioration.

Hemofiltration as an Alternative for IL-6 Inhibitors in COVID-19 Cytokines Storm Associated with Underlaying Bacterial Infections: A Review Article.

SARS-CoV-2 causes mostly mild cases. However, a considerable number of patients develop fatal acute respiratory distress syndrome due to the cytokine storm and imbalanced immune response. Several therapies depending on immunomodulation have been used, including glucocorticoids and IL-6 blockers. However, their efficacy is not perfect with all patients and patients with concomitant bacterial infections and sepsis. Accordingly, studies on different immunomodulators, including extracorporeal techniques, are crucial to save this category of patients. In this review, we overviewed the different immunomodulation techniques shortly, with a brief review of extracorporeal methods.

LC/MS analysis of mushrooms provided new insights into dietary management of diabetes mellitus in rats.

Mushrooms possess antihyperglycemic effect on diabetic individuals due to their nonfibrous and fibrous bioactive compounds. This study aimed to reveal the effect of different types of mushrooms on plasma glucose level and gut microbiota composition in diabetic individuals. The effects of five different mushroom species (Ganoderma lucidum, GLM; Pleurotus ostreatus, POM; Pleurotus citrinopileatus, PCM; Lentinus edodes, LEM; or Hypsizigus marmoreus, HMM) on alloxan-induced diabetic rats were investigated in this study. The results indicated that LEM and HMM treatments showed lower plasma glucose levels. For the microbiota composition, ACE, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson were significantly affected by PCM and LEM treatments (p < .05), while ACE, Shannon, and Simpson indexes were affected by HMM treatment (p < .01). Simpson index was affected in positive control (C+) and POM groups. All these four indices were lower in GLM treatment (p < .05). Dietary supplementation of mushrooms reduced plasma glucose level directly through mushrooms' bioactive compounds (agmatine, sphingosine, pyridoxine, linolenic, and alanine) and indirectly through stachyose (oligosaccharide) and gut microbiota modulation. In conclusion, LEM and HMM can be used as food additives to improve plasma glucose level and gut microbiome composition in diabetic individuals.

The apoptotic effects of soybean agglutinin were induced through three different signal pathways by down-regulating cytoskeleton proteins in IPEC-J2 cells.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is a main anti-nutritional factor in soybean. SBA exhibits its anti-nutritional functions by binding to intestinal epithelial cells. Keratin8 (KRT8), Keratin18 (KRT18) and Actin (ACTA) are the representative SBA-specific binding proteins. Such cytoskeletal proteins act a crucial role in different cell activities. However, limited reports reveal what the signal transduction pathway of apoptosis caused by SBA when binding to KRT8, KRT18 and ACTA. We aimed to evaluate the effects of SBA on cell apoptosis and the expression of the cytoskeletal protein (KRT8, KRT18 and ACTA), reveal the roles of these cytoskeletal proteins or their combinations on SBA-induced cell apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cell line, evaluate the influences of SBA on the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum stress and death receptor-mediated apoptosis signal pathway and to show the roles of KRT8, KRT18 and ACTA in different apoptosis signal pathways induced by SBA. The results showed that SBA induced the IPEC-J2 cell apoptosis and decreased the mRNA expression of KRT8, KRT18 and ACTA (p < 0.05). The degree of effect of three cytoskeleton proteins on cell apoptosis was ACTA > KRT8 > KRT18. The roles of these three cytoskeletal proteins on IPEC-J2 apoptotic rates had a certain accumulation effect. SBA up-regulated mitochondrial fission variant protein (FIS1) and fusion protein (Mfn2) promoted CytC and AIF in mitochondria to enter the cytoplasm, activated caspase-9 and caspase-3, damaged or declined mitochondrial function and reduced ATP synthesis (p < 0.05). Also, SBA up-regulated the expression of GRP78, XBP-1, eIF2α, p-eIF2α and CHOP (p < 0.05), down-regulated the expression level of ASK1 protein (p < 0.05). SBA led to the recruitment of FADD to the cytoplasmic membrane and increased the expression of FasL, resulting in caspase-8 processing. SBA up-regulated the expression level of Bax protein and decreased cytosolic Bcl-2 and Bid (p < 0.05). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between the gene expression of cytoskeleton proteins and apoptosis, as well as the expression of key proteins of apoptosis-related signal transduction pathways. In conclusion, SBA induced the activation of the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum stress and the death receptor-mediated apoptosis signal pathway and the crosstalk between them. The effect of SBA on these three pathways was mainly exhibited via down-regulation of the mRNA expression of the three cytoskeletal expressions. This study elucidates the molecular mechanism and signaling pathway of SBA that lead to apoptosis from the perspective of cell biology and molecular biology and provides a new perspective on the toxicity mechanism of other food-derived anti-nutrients, medical gastrointestinal health and related cancer treatment.

Apitherapy combination improvement of blood pressure, cardiovascular protection, and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses in dexamethasone model hypertensive rats.

Hypertension-induced ventricular and vascular remodeling causes myocardial infarction, heart failure, and sudden death. Most available pharmaceutical products used to treat hypertension lead to adverse effects on human health. Limited data is available on apitherapy (bee products) combinations for treatment of hypertension. This study aims to evaluate the antihypertensive effects of combinations of natural apitherapy compounds used in the medical sector to treat a variety of diseases. Rats were assigned into six groups consisting of one control group and five hypertensive groups where hypertension (blood pressure > 140/90) was induced with dexamethasone. One of these groups was used as a hypertension model, while the remaining four hypertensive groups were treated with a propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom combination (PRV) at daily oral doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg, and with losartan 10 mg/kg. The PRV combination at all doses decreased arterial blood pressure below the suboptimal value (p < 0.001), and PRV combination treatment improved dexamethasone-induced-ECG changes. The same treatment decreased angiotensin-II, endothelin-1, and tumor growth factor ß serum levels in hypertensive rats. Additionally, PRV combination improved histopathological structure, and decreased serum levels of NF-kB and oxidative stress biomarkers. We concluded that PRV combination therapy may be used as a potential treatment for a variety of cardiovascular diseases.

Feeding Corn Oil in a Nanoemulsified Form Alters the Unsaturated Fatty Acids in the Milk of Zaraibi Dairy Goats.

Oil in water nanoemulsion represents a new and unstudied form of oil supplementation to the ruminant diet; that is why the aim was to evaluate the potential of nanoemulsified corn oil in dairy goats' diets on milk productivity and fatty acid proportion. Twenty-four lactating Zaraibi goats in early lactation were randomly allocated to the following treatments: control-a basal diet without any supplementation, CO-the control diet + corn oil supplied at 3% on a dry matter basis (DM), NCO-the control diet + nanoemulsified corn oil provided at 3% on a DM basis. A completely randomized design that lasted 30 days (25 days of adaptation + 5 days of sampling) was used with eight goats in each treatment. The control diet consisted of 50% concentrate and 50% Egyptian berseem clover. The NCO increased the milk production, fat percentage, and yield compared to the CO and the control. The proportions of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were higher in the NCO compared to the control and CO. The NCO had less effect on the biohydrogenation intermediates' profile than the CO; noticeably, higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) were associated with the NCO. In conclusion, the NCO increased milk production and decreased the transformation rate of UFA to saturated fatty acids in the biohydrogenation environment.

Biological Mechanisms Induced by Soybean Agglutinin Using an Intestinal Cell Model of Monogastric Animals.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) has a toxic effect on most animals. The anti-nutritional mechanisms of SBA are not fully understood, in terms of cell survival activity and metabolism of intestinal cells. This study aims to investigate the effects of SBA on the cell cycle, apoptosis, and to verify the mechanism of SBA anti-nutritional characters based on proteomic-based analysis. The IPEC-J2 cell line was cultured with medium containing 0.0, 0.5, or 2.0 mg/mL SBA. With increasing SBA levels, the percentage of the cells at G0/G1 phase, cell apoptosis rates, expressions of Bax and p21, and the activities of Casp-3 and Casp-9 were increased, while cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 expressions were declined (p < 0.05). The proteomic analysis showed that the numbers of differentially expressed proteins, induced by SBA, were mainly enriched in different pathways including DNA replication, base excision repair, nucleus excision repair, mismatch repair, amide and peptide biosynthesis, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, as well as structures and functions of mitochondria and ribosome. In conclusion, the anti-nutritional mechanism of SBA is a complex cellular process. Such process including DNA related activities; protein synthesis and metabolism; signal-conducting relation; as well as subcellular structure and function. This study provides comprehensive information to understand the toxic mechanism of SBA in monogastrics.

Milk production potential and reproductive performance of Egyptian buffalo cows.

Limited data are available on the phenotypic factors related to the productive and reproductive performance of Egyptian buffalo cows, based on a large sample size. This study aims to estimate the effect of phenotypic factors on productive and reproductive traits of Egyptian buffaloes. Data were collected from five dairy buffalo stations and include 3787 lactation records. For the analysis of variance, four seasons were considered in each year, and the parity included seven classes. Dry periods were divided into three intervals (< 90, 90-170, and > 170 d). Birth weight was divided into four categories (<25, 25-30, 31-35, and >35 kg). The results indicated that winter-calving buffaloes had the highest total milk yield (TMY) of the whole lactation, with the shortest (p<0.001) lactation length (LL), days open (DO), and calving interval (CI). Both, total milk TMY/kg and LL/days were increased (p<0.001), but the CI was linearly decreased (p<0.001). Overall, buffaloes with age at first mating (AFM<25month), age at first calving (AFC<35 month), and a dry period (DP<90days), produced the highest TMY (p<0.001) and maintained the longest LL (p<0.001). By increasing the body weight at birth (BWB), milk production level significantly increased. Buffaloes of BWB<25kg had the shortest DO (p<0.004; 168.10±3.598 days) and CI (p<0.006; 17.01±.135 months). In conclusion, body weight at birth, season, parity, DO, CI, AFM, AFC, and DP could be used as predictors to improve reproductive and productive traits in buffalo breeding programs. The wide range in milk yield and reproductive traits indicated significant potential in increasing the productive and reproductive performances of Egyptian buffalo cows.

Effect of Dietary Fiber Sources on In-Vitro Fermentation and Microbiota in Monogastrics.

Feed fiber composition is usually considered as one of the factors that have an impact on digestive tract microbiota composition. The investigations on the level of fermentation and in-vitro digestibility of different fibers are not well understood. The aim of the current study is to determine the effect of different fiber sources on intestinal nutrient digestibility, hindgut fermentation, and microbial community composition under in vitro conditions using pigs' hindgut as a model. The experimental treatment diets contained alfalfa hay, cornstalk, and rice straw. Cornstalk treatment displayed higher digestibility compared to alfalfa hay and rice straw; similar results were observed with in-vitro digestibility using intestinal digesta. Firmicutes were the most abundant phyla (Firmicutes = 89.2%), and Lactobacillus were the prominent genera (75.2%) in response to alfalfa compared to rice straw and cornstalk treatments. In simulated in-vitro digestion, corn stalk fiber improved dry matter digestibility; rice straw fiber improved volatile fatty acid content and fermentation efficiency. Alfalfa fiber improved the thickness of deposited Firmicutes and Lactobacillus.

Identification of Allergic Epitopes of Soybean ß-Conglycinin in Different Animal Species.

Soybean can cause allergy in both humans and animals. The herein study aims to identify the antigenic determinants (epitopes) of ß-conglycinin that lead to allergy in different animal species (swine, bovine, and rats). The epitopes of ß-conglycinin were identified through co-immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. The binding abilities of seven identified epitope peptides to allergic sera of three animal species were compared by ELISA and dot-blot techniques. Some epitope peptides could be recognized by the three animal allergic sera, while most epitopes showed some differences in binding abilities to the different animal sera. The strongest reaction using swine sera was detected with peptides α2, ß2, and ß3, but the biggest sensitive regions for bovine and rats were peptides α2, ß1, and ß4. Most epitopes of ß-conglycinin exhibited different binding abilities to the three animal sera, in which the biggest sensitive regions were peptides α2, ß2, and ß3 for swine, but peptides α2, ß1, and ß4 were detected for bovine and rats.

Effect of different forage-to-concentrate ratios on ruminal bacterial structure and real-time methane production in sheep.

Emission from ruminants has become one of the largest sources of anthropogenic methane emission in China. The structure of the rumen flora has a significant effect on methane production. To establish a more accurate prediction model for methane production, the rumen flora should be one of the most important parameters. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship among changes in rumen flora, nutrient levels, and methane production in sheep fed with the diets of different forage-to-concentration ratios, as well as to screen for significantly different dominant genera. Nine rumen-cannulated hybrid sheep were separated into three groups and fed three diets with forage-to-concentration ratios of 50:50, 70:30, and 90:10. Three proportions of the diets were fed according to a 3 × 3 incomplete Latin square, design during three periods of 15d each. The ruminal fluid was collected for real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR), high-throughput sequencing and in vitro rumen fermentation in a new real-time fermentation system wit. Twenty-two genera were screened, the abundance of which varied linearly with forage-to-concentration ratios and methane production. In addition, during the 12-hour in vitro fermentation, the appearance of peak concentration was delayed by 26-27min with the different structure of rumen bacteria. The fiber-degrading bacteria were positively correlated with this phenomenon, but starch-degrading and protein-degrading bacteria were negative correlated. These results would facilitate macro-control of rumen microorganisms and better management of diets for improved nutrition in ruminants. In addition, our findings would help in screening bacterial genera that are highly correlated with methane production.

N-Acetyl-d-galactosamine prevents soya bean agglutinin-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction in intestinal porcine epithelial cells.

Soya bean agglutinin (SBA) is a glycoprotein and the main anti-nutritional component in most soya bean feedstuffs. It is mainly a non-fibre carbohydrate-based protein and represents about 10% of soya bean-based anti-nutritional effects. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of N-Acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc or D-GalNAc) on the damage induced by SBA on the membrane permeability and tight junction proteins of piglet intestinal epithelium (IPEC-J2) cells. The IPEC-J2 cells were pre-cultured with 0, 0.125 × 10-4 , 0.25 × 10-4 , 0.5 × 10-4 , 1.0 × 10-4 and 2.0 × 10-4  mmol/L GalNAc at different time period (1, 2, 4 and 8 hr) before being exposed to 0.5 mg/ml SBA for 24 hr. The results indicate that pre-incubation with GalNAc mitigates the mechanical barrier injury as reflected by a significant increase in trans-epithelial electric resistance (TEER) value and a decrease in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in cell culture medium pre-treated with GalNAc before incubation with SBA as both indicate a reduction in cellular membrane permeability. In addition, mRNA levels of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-3 were lower in the SBA-treated groups without pre-treatment with GalNAc. The mRNA expression of occludin was reduced by 17.3% and claudin-3 by 42% (p < 0.01). Moreover, the corresponding protein expression levels were lowered by 17.8% and 43.5% (p < 0.05) respectively. However, in the GalNAc pre-treated groups, occludin and claudin-3 mRNAs were reduced by 1.6% (p > 0.05) and 2.7% (p < 0.01), respectively, while the corresponding proteins were reduced by 4.3% and 7.2% (p < 0.05). In conclusion, GalNAc may prevent the effect of SBA on membrane permeability and tight junction proteins on IPEC-J2s.

How Can Xenosensors Act in Chemical Detoxification Metabolism?

There are some disparities between pharmacological and toxicological xenobiotic receptor (xenosensors) pathways. These variations include receptor models that indicate several toxic patterns. Such models have demanded some update from traditional medical receptor relations studied by pharmacologists. These may include the response time, the molecular level, and unclear directions of toxicological metabolism. Xenosensors activities were affected by many factors that include genetic elements, physiological status, xenobiotic complication, and species-specific variations. Thus, this review aims to highlight the most advanced features of xenosensors related to toxicant biotransformations and other patterns such as characteristics, recognition, and the relations between different xenosensors.

Novel Biosynthesis, Metabolism and Physiological Functions of L-Homoarginine.

L-Homoarginine (hArg) ((2S)-amino-6-Carbamimidamidohexanoic acid) is a non-essential cationic amino acid that may be synthesised from the lysine catabolism or the transamination of its precursor (Arginine: Arg). These processes involve the use of the ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC), an enzyme from the urea cycle or the arginine: glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT), an enzyme from the creatine biosynthesis pathway. These enzymes are tissue-specific, hence they synthesised L-hArg in animals and human organs such as the liver, kidneys, brains, and the small intestines. L-hArg plays some important roles in the pathophysiological conditions, endothelial functions, and the energy metabolic processes in different organs. These functions depend on the concentrations of the available LhArg in the body. These different concentrations of the L-hArg in the body are related to the different disease conditions such as the T2D mellitus, the cardiovascular and the cerebrovascular diseases, the chronic kidney diseases, the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and the preeclampsia (PE) in pregnancy disorders, and even mortality. However, the applications of the L-hArg in both human and animal studies is in its juvenile stage, and the mechanism of action in this vital amino acid is not fully substantiated and requires more research attention. Hence, we review the evidence with the perspective of the LhArg usage in the monogastric and human nutrition and its related health implications.

The Impact of Carnitine on Dietary Fiber and Gut Bacteria Metabolism and Their Mutual Interaction in Monogastrics.

Carnitine has vital roles in the endogenous metabolism of short chain fatty acids. It can protect and support gut microbial species, and some dietary fibers can reduce the available iron involved in the bioactivity of carnitine. There is also an antagonistic relationship between high microbial populations and carnitine bioavailability. This review shows the interactions between carnitine and gut microbial composition. It also elucidates the role of carnitine bacterial metabolism, mitochondrial function, fiber fermentability, and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

The Influences of Soybean Agglutinin and Functional Oligosaccharides on the Intestinal Tract of Monogastric Animals.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is a non-fiber carbohydrate-related protein and the main anti-nutritional factor that exists in soybean or soybean products. SBA possesses a specific binding affinity for N-glyphthalide-d-galactosamine or galactose and has a covalently linked oligosaccharide chain. SBA mediates negative effects on animal intestinal health by influencing the intestinal structure, barrier function, mucosal immune system, and the balance of the intestinal flora. Functional oligosaccharides are non-digestible dietary oligosaccharides that are commonly applied as prebiotics since the biological effects of the functional oligosaccharides are to increase the host health by improving mucosal structure and function, protecting the integrity of the intestinal structure, modulating immunity, and balancing the gastrointestinal microbiota. The purpose of this review is to describe the structure and anti-nutritional functions of SBA, summarize the influence of SBA and functional oligosaccharides on the intestinal tract of monogastric animals, and emphasize the relationship between SBA and oligosaccharides. This review provides perspectives on applying functional oligosaccharides for alleviating the anti-nutritional effects of SBA on the intestinal tract.

The Integrins Involved in Soybean Agglutinin-Induced Cell Cycle Alterations in IPEC-J2.

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is an anti-nutritional factor of soybean, affecting cell proliferation and inducing cytotoxicity. Integrins are transmembrane receptors, mediating a variety of cell biological processes. This research aims to study the effects of SBA on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression of the intestinal epithelial cell line from piglets (IPEC-J2), to identify the integrin subunits especially expressed in IPEC-J2s, and to analyze the functions of these integrins on IPEC-J2 cell cycle progression and SBA-induced IPEC-J2 cell cycle alteration. The results showed that SBA lowered cell proliferation rate as the cell cycle progression from G0/G1 to S phase (P < 0.05) was inhibited. Moreover, SBA lowered mRNA expression of cell cycle-related gene CDK4, Cyclin E and Cyclin D1 (P < 0.05). We successfully identified integrins α2, α3, α6, ß1, and ß4 in IPEC-J2s. These five subunits were crucial to maintain normal cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in IPEC-J2s. Restrain of either these five subunits by their inhibitors, lowered cell proliferation rate, and arrested the cells at G0/G1 phase of cell cycle (P < 0.05). Further analysis indicated that integrin α2, α6, and ß1 were involved in the blocking of G0/G1 phase induced by SBA. In conclusion, these results suggested that SBA lowered the IPEC-J2 cell proliferation rate through the perturbation of cell cycle progression. Furthermore, integrins were important for IPEC-J2 cell cycle progression, and they were involved in the process of SBA-induced cell cycle progression alteration, which provide a basis for further revealing SBA anti-proliferation and anti-nutritional mechanism.

Effects of Dietary Non-Fiber Carbohydrates on Composition and Function of Gut Microbiome in Monogastrics: A Review.

Non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) have a crucial function on the gut health of monogastrics. This paper aims to review the relevant published materials on the influence of NFCs on the gut's microbial population and composition in monogastrics, and points out the areas of the required research. Total bacteria count and Lactobacillus sp. were decreased with an increase in composition of dietary NFC intake, as well as accompanied by a decrease in the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels. Consequently, some metabolites were affected by the accumulation of the bile acids, including molecules which control different gene expression levels, as regulators involved in glucose (FXR and TGR5) and fat metabolism (cholesterol). Cell proliferation rate of both gastrointestinal epithelium and microbiome cells was negatively correlated with the dietary NFC levels in many species of monogastric animals. Low levels of NFC diet are negatively associated with digestibility, total gut weight, and gastrointestinal secretions. High levels of dietary NFC have negative effects on the digestion and absorption of macronutrients, with an increase of the contact time of the carcinogens in the intestinal lumen. The data obtained from different animals' studies did not give the same results. In conclusion, dietary NFC should be adjusted to the optimal consumption levels as the human and the monogastric animals are anatomically and physiologically different. Digestion, metabolism, host wellbeing, and host behavior were negatively affected by the administration of high NFC levels. The relations between sulphate-reducing bacteria and some metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and obesity need further exploration.