Drosophila models of the anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity mechanisms of kombucha tea produced by Camellia sinensis leaf fermentation.

Kombucha tea is a traditional beverage originating from China and has recently gained popularity worldwide. Kombucha tea is produced by the fermentation of tea leaves and is characterized by its beneficial properties and varied chemical content produced during the fermentation process, which includes organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and other biologically active compounds. Kombucha tea is often consumed as a health drink to combat obesity and inflammation; however, the bioactive effects of kombucha tea have not been thoroughly researched. In this study, we reveal the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial properties of kombucha tea and how they protect against obesity and inflammation by studying Drosophila models. We established an inflammatory Drosophila model by knocking down the lipid storage droplet-1 gene, a human perilipin-1 ortholog. In this model, dysfunction of lipid storage droplet-1 induces inflammation by enhancing the infiltration of hemocytes into adipose tissues, increasing reactive oxygen species production, elevating levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and promoting the differentiation of hemocytes into macrophages. These processes are regulated by the c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) pathway. Using this unique Drosophila model that mimics mammalian inflammation, we verified the beneficial effects of kombucha tea on reducing tissue inflammation. Our data confirms that kombucha tea effectively improves inflammatory conditions by suppressing the expression of cytokines and proinflammatory responses induced by lipid storage droplet-1 dysfunction. It was found that kombucha tea consumption alleviated the production of reactive oxygen species and activated the JNK signaling pathway, signifying its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent against systemic inflammatory responses connected to the JNK pathway. Kombucha tea reduced triglyceride accumulation by increasing the activity of Brummer (a lipase), thereby promoting lipolysis in third-instar larvae. Therefore, kombucha tea could be developed as a novel, functional beverage to protect against obesity and inflammation. Our study also highlights the potential use of this innovative model to evaluate the effects of bioactive compounds derived from natural products.

Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Vietnamese sour-fermented fish product

Aims@#To isolate and characterize the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from the “mam chua ca ro” (sour fermented fish) in the South of Vietnam and investigate their potential anti-bacterial properties.@*Methodology and results@#Four LAB strains (MCR1, MCR2, MCR3 and MCR4) were isolated from the "mam chua ca ro" product and their anti-bacterial activity was determined using the spot assay and the paper disc diffusion method. The isolated LABs can inhibit Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphyloccocus aureus ATCC 25923 and Vibrio parahaemolyticus BV016 and produce bacteriocin to control the growth of E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 25923, except V. parahaemolyticus. MCR2 was chosen to sequence 16S rRNA of Pediococcus acidilactic.@*Conclusion, significance and impact of study@#On the basis of their prominent anti-pathogenic bacteria activity, LAB strains isolated from Vietnamese sour-fermented fish products were verified as prospective probiotics.