A crosswalk on the genetic and conventional strategies for enhancing astaxanthin production in Haematococcus pluvialis.

Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring xanthophyll with powerful: antioxidant, antitumor, and antibacterial properties that are widely employed in food, feed, medicinal and nutraceutical industries. Currently, chemical synthesis dominates the world's astaxanthin market, but the increasing demand for natural products is shifting the market for natural astaxanthin. Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis) is the factory source of natural astaxanthin when grown in optimal conditions. Currently, various strategies for the production of astaxanthin have been proposed or are being developed in order to meet its market demand. This up-to-date review scrutinized the current approaches or strategies that aim to increase astaxanthin yield from H. pluvialis. We have emphasized the genetic and environmental parameters that increase astaxanthin yield. We also looked at the transcriptomic dynamics caused by environmental factors (phytohormones induction, light, salt, temperature, and nutrient starvation) on astaxanthin synthesizing genes and other metabolic changes. Genetic engineering and culture optimization (environmental factors) are effective approaches to producing more astaxanthin for commercial purposes. Genetic engineering, in particular, is accurate, specific, potent, and safer than conventional random mutagenesis approaches. New technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9 coupled with omics and emerging computational tools, may be the principal strategies in the future to attain strains that can produce more astaxanthin. This review provides accessible data on the strategies to increase astaxanthin accumulation natively. Also, this review can be a starting point for new scholars interested in H. pluvialis research.

Therapeutic potential and nutritional significance of Ganoderma lucidum - a comprehensive review from 2010 to 2022.

With a long history in traditional Asian medicine, Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a mushroom species suggested to improve health and extend life. Its medicinal reputation has merited it with numerous attributes and titles, and it is evidenced to be effective in the prevention and treatment of various metabolic disorders owing to its unique source of bioactive metabolites, primarily polysaccharides, triterpenoids, and polyphenols, attributed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic activities, etc. These unique potential pharmaceutical properties have led to its demand as an important resource of nutrient supplements in the food industry. It is reported that the variety of therapeutic/pharmacological properties was mainly due to its extensive prebiotic and immunomodulatory functions. All literature summarized in this study was collated based on a systematic review of electronic libraries (PubMed, Scopus databases, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar) from 2010-2022. This review presents an updated and comprehensive summary of the studies on the immunomodulatory therapies and nutritional significance of G. lucidum, with the focus on recent advances in defining its immunobiological mechanisms and the possible applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. In addition, toxicological evidence and the adoption of standard pharmaceutical methods for the safety assessment, quality assurance, and efficacy testing of G. lucidum-derived compounds will be the gateway to bringing them into health establishments.

Potential functionality of ß-conglycinin with subunit deficiencies: soy protein may regulate glucose and lipid metabolism.

Although the cholesterol-lowering effect of soybean protein has long been widely recognized, little is known about the protein structural characteristics important for its cholesterol-lowering activity. In this process, ß-conglycinin (7S) was obviously superior to glycinin (11S). However, the potential ability of 7S protein components to influence obesity and metabolism is still unclear. Therefore, we examined the lipid metabolism ability of 3T3-L1 adipocytes using different 7S subunit deletions to determine their lipid metabolism potential. In this study, we detected the content of cellular triglycerides to evaluate and explore possible potential capabilities. The α-lack group showed low TG accumulation, and the preliminary results show that α-lack had better potential lipid metabolism ability. The difference in protein expression was determined via proteomics analysis. Compared with the HF group, α-lack regulated lipid metabolism through specific mechanisms in the high-fat model, with four pathways significantly up-regulated and 13 pathways down-regulated. It was also found to have the ability to regulate glucose metabolism. The α-lack group could regulate the glucolipid metabolism of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes by participating in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, preventing obesity and diabetes. Finally, in vitro, the accumulation of fats as verified by Oil Red O dyeing is reduced compared with the normal group, and both glucose consumption and glycerol release were significantly reduced (p < 0.01), which further confirmed that α-deficiency played a vital role in lipid metabolism and sugar metabolism. In short, our results indicate that α-lack has potential glycolipid metabolic capacity and is preferable in the preparation of products for human nutritional purposes. These results are also significant for understanding the molecular mechanism of soybean protein in glycolipid metabolism.

Oat ß-glucan and L-arabinose synergistically ameliorate glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells and exert anti-diabetic activity via activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway in db/db mice.

Oat ß-glucan (OBG) and L-arabinose (LA) have exhibited positive effects on diabetes and its complications. However, it is unclear whether OBG and LA have a synergistic effect. We investigated the effect of variable compositions (OBG : LA = 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 4,1 : 6, 1 : 8, 1 : 10, 2 : 1, 4 : 1, 6 : 1, 8 : 1, 10 : 1) on glucose uptake in IR-HepG2 cells induced by dexamethasone (DEX) to find out the optimal composition showing synergistic effects. Furthermore, this study evaluated the anti-diabetic activity of the optimal composition in db/db mice. In vitro, the OBG : LA = 1 : 1 group showed the strongest synergistic effects among the varied compositions, outperforming OBG and LA alone. In vivo, there were more beneficial effects in the OBG : LA = 1 : 1 group compared with the OBG and LA single-dosing groups. OBG : LA = 1 : 1 supplementation markedly decreased the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin (INS) in serum, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lowered blood lipid levels, and reduced liver lipid accumulation. Moreover, the western blot results indicated that the OBG : LA = 1 : 1 group up-regulated the protein expression of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and phospho-protein kinase B (p-AKT), while down-regulating the protein expression of phospho-phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 (p-IRS1) to enhance insulin transduction in liver tissues. These findings suggest that OBG : LA = 1 : 1 synergistically ameliorated glucose metabolism disorders and alleviated insulin resistance by promoting the PI3K/AKT pathway in the liver.

Structural Characteristics of Insoluble Dietary Fiber from Okara with Different Particle Sizes and Their Prebiotic Effects in Rats Fed High-Fat Diet.

Dietary fiber, which is utilized to make functional meals, is an important component for promoting human health and managing calorie consumption. In this study, three different particle sizes of OIDF (Okara insoluble dietary fiber) were characterized. Their lipid-lowering effects and the impacts on gut microbiota were determined by OIDF intervention in high-fat diet rats. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the three particle sizes of OIDF have different morphologies. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results showed that the three sources of IDF samples have similar active groups, but the thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that three different particle sizes of OIDF have different retention and crystallinity. Among the three OIDFs, OIDF-10 exhibited the stronger WSC, OHC, CAC, and SCAC. The results after the feeding showed that the OIDF of three particle sizes could improve the elevation of blood lipids and the disturbance of gut microbiota caused by the high-fat diet. Therefore, this study demonstrated the functional significance of the three particle sizes of OIDF and provided a reference for its application in functional food processing, aiming at maintaining healthy blood lipid and intestinal flora levels.

Intake of high-purity insoluble dietary fiber from Okara for the amelioration of colonic environment disturbance caused by acute ulcerative colitis.

High-purity insoluble dietary fiber from okara (okara-HPIDF) is a raw material with a potentially positive effect on colon health. However, the mechanisms of the effect are far from clear. In this study, okara-HPIDF and low-purity dietary fiber from okara (okara-LPDF) were fed to C57BL/6 mice with acute ulcerative colitis induced by DSS. The levels of inflammatory factors, bacterial 16S rDNA sequencing, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and bioinformatics were analyzed with the colonic tissue status. The results showed that the intake of HPIDF affected the proliferation of the key bacteria Shigella, Lactobacillus, and Peptostreptococcaceae in the PWY-2941 pathway and AEROBACTINSYN-PWY pathway, and then affected the synthesis of SCFAs, providing a positive role for colon health. However, the intake of HPIDF was unable to repair colonic injury caused by DSS-induced acute ulcerative colitis mainly owing to the abundance of Shigella in the colon. This study demonstrates that the recommended intake content of HPIDF can ameliorate colonic environment disturbance caused by acute ulcerative colitis, but not enough to relieve it.

Preparation and characterization of soybean insoluble dietary fiber and its prebiotic effect on dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis in high fat-fed C57BL/6J mice.

The potential benefits of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) in the regulation of lipid metabolism have been reported in large prospective cohort studies although the molecular regulatory mechanism is still unclear. Okara is a by-product obtained during soybean processing for soy milk and soybean curd (tofu), which is rarely utilized and can be a cheap potential dietary fiber (DF) resource. In this study, the structure and physicochemical properties of insoluble dietary fiber (SIDF) extracted from okara were characterized, and the prebiotic effects on fat metabolism were investigated in vivo. The results showed that the main monosaccharides of SIDF (90.50%) identified were galactose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose and glucose. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses suggested that SIDF had a loose and porous structure, polysaccharide functional groups, and a typical crystalline cellulose I structure. In addition, SIDF had ideal oil-adsorption capacity (OAC; 7.95 g g-1) and significantly improved cholesterol adsorption (11.14 mg g-1) at pH 7.0. In vivo, IDF supplementation reduced the serum lipid levels and inhibited hepatic fat accumulation. Additionally, SIDF administration improved hepatic steatosis by stimulating lipolysis via upregulation of PPARα, CYP4a10 and CPT1a. This is the first systematic study on the composition, structure, physicochemical properties, adsorption function and biological effects of SIDF. The above results show that SIDF could be used as an ideal functional ingredient in food processing as well as play a positive role in improving the added value of okara and promoting its comprehensive utilization.

Structure, properties and potential bioactivities of high-purity insoluble fibre from soybean dregs (Okara).

High-purity insoluble dietary fibre (HPIDF) was obtained from low-purity dietary fibre (LPDF) of Okara using a combined-enzyme method. For exploring the value of HPIDF as a functional food material, the structure, physicochemical properties, adsorption properties, potential bioactivities of HPIDF and their changes in different stages of digestion were explored in vitro. The results show that HPIDF shows a high perfect oil-holding capacity, higher viscosity, better cation exchange capacity, α-amylase activity ratio due to smaller particle size and larger specific surface area. The heavy metals-adsorption (Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+) shows the same, especially in simulated gastric fluid, which is similar to the adsorbability of glucose, cholesterol and acrylamide. Beyond the structure, the dissociation degree of some functional groups result from different digestive environments is the possible cause. Okara is an ideal material for the recovery of HPIDF, which has the potential to be processed into functional food materials.

Synergistic Two-Way Interactions of Dietary Polyphenols and Dietary Components on the Gut Microbial Composition: Is There a Positive, Negative, or Neutralizing Effect in the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Diseases?

Polyphenol is an intricate bioactive molecule abundant in humans/animals' diet particularly plant foods, and has been evidenced in numerous reports with health-promoting functions, owing to its free radical scavenging properties and a broad spectrum of bioactivities. However, the beneficial functions are linked and restricted to bioavailability, which is dictated by the diversity of the gut microbiota. The human/animal's gut harbours a complex community of trillions of microbial species and their symbiotic relationship goes beyond mere aiding the host's digestive system, with important functions such as host nutrition and health by encouraging nutrient metabolism and absorption, regulation of the gastrointestinal development, protection against pathogens, maintenance of the gut mucosal barrier functions and host immune system. The disruption of the gut community (i.e., dysbiosis) is suggested to reflect several pathological processes, such as diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic-related comorbidities. Recent improvements in deep-sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have enabled a more complex understanding of the reciprocal interactions of dietary polyphenols and gut microbiota, as well as their metabolic impact. Hence this review seeks to discuss the two-way synergistic interactions of dietary polyphenols and dietary constituents on the gut microbial composition with an updated and pivotal finding from literature suggesting whether these interactions depict a positive, negative, or neutralizing effect in the prevention of metabolic diseases.

Prebiotic Impacts of Soybean Residue (Okara) on Eubiosis/Dysbiosis Condition of the Gut and the Possible Effects on Liver and Kidney Functions.

Okara is a white-yellow fibrous residue consisting of the insoluble fraction of the soybean seeds remaining after extraction of the aqueous fraction during the production of tofu and soymilk, and is generally considered a waste product. It is packed with a significant number of proteins, isoflavones, soluble and insoluble fibers, soyasaponins, and other mineral elements, which are all attributed with health merits. With the increasing production of soy beverages, huge quantities of this by-product are produced annually, which poses significant disposal problems and financial issues for producers. Extensive studies have been done on the biological activities, nutritional values, and chemical composition of okara as well as its potential utilization. Owing to its peculiar rich fiber composition and low cost of production, okara might be potentially useful in the food industry as a functional ingredient or good raw material and could be used as a dietary supplement to prevent varied ailments such as prevention of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, as well as to stimulate the growth of intestinal microbes and production of microbe-derived metabolites (xenometabolites), since gut dysbiosis (imbalanced microbiota) has been implicated in the progression of several complex diseases. This review seeks to compile scientific research on the bioactive compounds in soybean residue (okara) and discuss the possible prebiotic impact of this fiber-rich residue as a functional diet on eubiosis/dysbiosis condition of the gut, as well as the consequential influence on liver and kidney functions, to facilitate a detailed knowledge base for further exploration, implementation, and development.

Antioxidant Potential Overviews of Secondary Metabolites (Polyphenols) in Fruits.

The rise in consumption of energy-dense foods has resulted in the displacement of several essential dietary gaps, causing numerous long-lasting diseases, including obesity, stroke, hypertension, and several forms of cancer. Epidemiological studies encourage more fruit consumption to prevent these diseases. The defensive mechanisms provided by these fruits against illness are due to the existence of several antioxidants. Recent studies proved that (poly) phenolic compounds are ideally the core phytochemicals with both functional and health-promoting properties found in the plant's kingdom, and low intake could result in the risk of certain diseases. Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that can modify metabolic activation and detoxification of carcinogens. The ideal motive of this review is to provide an overview as well as illuminate the polyphenolic merits of fruits in general. Fruits have several merits, including weight maintenance, proper health development, and satiety. There are many analytical methods for determining and measuring the phenolic content of different products. Phenolic compounds are of nutritional interest since they aid in the retardation and inhibition of lipids by acting as scavengers that prevent and protect the proliferation of oxidative chains. Future studies are required to help identify the physiological metabolic activities as well as to improve human health.