Effects of a Curcumin/Silymarin/Yeast-Based Mycotoxin Detoxifier on Redox Status and Growth Performance of Weaned Piglets under Field Conditions.

The aim of this in vivo study was to investigate the effects of a novel mycotoxin detoxifier whose formulation includes clay (bentonite and sepiolite), phytogenic feed additives (curcumin and silymarin) and postbiotics (yeast products) on the health, performance and redox status of weaned piglets under the dietary challenge of fumonisins (FUMs). The study was conducted in duplicate in the course of two independent trials on two different farms. One hundred and fifty (150) weaned piglets per trial farm were allocated into two separate groups: (a) T1 (control group): 75 weaned piglets received FUM-contaminated feed and (b) T2 (experimental group): 75 weaned piglets received FUM-contaminated feed with the mycotoxin-detoxifying agent from the day of weaning (28 days) until 70 days of age. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), protein carbonyls (CARBs) and the overall antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed in plasma as indicators of redox status at 45 and 70 days of age. Furthermore, mortality and performance parameters were recorded at 28, 45 and 70 days of age, while histopathological examination was performed at the end of the trial period (day 70). The results of the present study reveal the beneficial effects of supplementing a novel mycotoxin detoxifier in the diets of weaners, including improved redox status, potential hepatoprotective properties and enhanced growth performance.

The Gut-Organ Axis within the Human Body: Gut Dysbiosis and the Role of Prebiotics.

The human gut microbiota (GM) is a complex microbial ecosystem that colonises the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and is comprised of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. The GM has a symbiotic relationship with its host that is fundamental for body homeostasis. The GM is not limited to the scope of the GIT, but there are bidirectional interactions between the GM and other organs, highlighting the concept of the "gut-organ axis". Any deviation from the normal composition of the GM, termed "microbial dysbiosis", is implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Only a few studies have demonstrated a relationship between GM modifications and disease phenotypes, and it is still unknown whether an altered GM contributes to a disease or simply reflects its status. Restoration of the GM with probiotics and prebiotics has been postulated, but evidence for the effects of prebiotics is limited. Prebiotics are substrates that are "selectively utilized by host microorganisms, conferring a health benefit". This study highlights the bidirectional relationship between the gut and vital human organs and demonstrates the relationship between GM dysbiosis and the emergence of certain representative diseases. Finally, this article focuses on the potential of prebiotics as a target therapy to manipulate the GM and presents the gaps in the literature and research.

Effects of a Multi-Component Mycotoxin-Detoxifying Agent on Oxidative Stress, Health and Performance of Sows.

This in vivo study aimed to investigate the effects of a multi-component mycotoxin-detoxifying agent, containing clays (bentonite, sepiolite), phytogenic feed additives (curcumin, silymarin) and postbiotics (yeast cell wall, hydrolyzed yeast) on the antioxidant capacity, health and reproductive performance of pregnant and lactating sows challenged by mycotoxins. Eighty (80) primiparous sows (mean age 366 ± 3 days) per each of the two trial farms were divided into two groups in each farm: a) T1 (control group): 40 sows received the contaminated feed and b) T2 group (experimental group): 40 sows received the contaminated feed plus the mycotoxin-detoxifying agent, one month before farrowing until the end of the lactation period. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls (CARBS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated as biomarkers of oxidative stress. Clinical and reproductive parameters were recorded. Our results indicate that the administration of a multi-component mycotoxin-detoxifying agent's administration in sow feed has beneficial effects on oxidative stress biomarkers and can improve sows' health and performance.

Reintegration of Food Industry By-Products: Potential Applications.

Numerous studies have indicated that fruits and vegetables are considered as significant sources of bioactive compounds. The generated by-products, which are derived from the food industry, reveal similar or higher antioxidant activity. On the other hand, intense industrialization results in the production of large volumes of by-products, raising serious environmental issues. Therefore, this situation creates the necessity to develop new strategies in order to exploit the generated wastes, securing the ability to develop new high-added-value products. This review aims to summarize the exploitation of fruit wastes, namely, apple and citrus, as well as vegetable by-products which are derived from tomato, potato and carrot cultivation. All the aforementioned by-products have found wide applications in the development of new high-added-value products in the food and feed industry owing to their improved nutritional profiles. Furthermore, these wastes are characterized by a strong antioxidant activity, justifying their valorization in other fields such as cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Transformation of mixtures of olive mill stone waste and oat bran or Lathyrus clymenum pericarps into high added value products using solid state fermentation.

The main objective of this study concerns the bioconversion of agro-industrial wastes into high added value products, such as proteinaceous animal feed, using Solid State Fermentation process (SSF). For this purpose, the Olive Mill Stone Waste (OMSW) which is known to contain low amounts of proteins and a high concentration of anti-nutritional substances was used as substrate. Subsequently, OMSW was fermented with Oat Bran (OB) or Lathyrus clymenum pericarp (LP) in proportions varying from 10 %w/w to 30 %w/w, applying SSF process initiated by Pleurotus ostreatus utilizing latter's secreted enzymes for their degradation. The respective results indicated that the addition of 30 %w/w of OB, resulted in a 39% increase of the protein content at the end of fermentation (Day 21). In addition, we observed a 5-fold increase of 1,3-1,6 ß-glucan content and a simultaneous decrease of unwanted lignin of 24%. The addition of 20 %w/w of LP afforded, at the end of fermentation (Day 21), an increased protein content of 57%, a 3-fold increase in 1,3-1,6 ß-glucans and a decrease in lignin concentration of 13%. These findings demonstrate the potential of the LP utilization by using SSF process, for the production of high nutritional value dietary supplements for animal feed. This endeavor constitutes the first literature report for the utilization of the agro-industrial waste LP. The developed methodology herein is considered as crucial for the circular economy since it refers to the reuse of agro-industrial wastes and the production of a high added-value product.

Effect of Fortification with Mushroom Polysaccharide ß-Glucan on the Quality of Ovine Soft Spreadable Cheese.

In the present work, a fresh spreadable cheese from ovine milk with or without (control) fortification with ß-glucan was manufactured. ß-Glucan was extracted from the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus and its concentration in the cheese was 0.4% (w/w). The composition, biochemical, and sensory properties of the cheeses during 21 days of storage were determined. At the end of storage, cheese fortified with beta-glucan had 75.26% moisture content, 10.30% fat, 1.71% salt, and 8.50% protein. Generally, the addition of ß-glucan at this concentration did not significantly affect the composition, color, and viscosity measurements or the level of proteolysis and lipolysis and the antioxidant activity of the cheeses. However, cheese fortified with ß-glucan showed a higher moisture content than control cheese on the 1st and 21st day of storage while the levels of proteolysis and the sensory properties of the cheeses were unaffected. During the sensory evaluation, panelists evaluated cheese with ß-glucan with higher scores regarding the flavor characteristic compared to control cheese. The major free fatty acid was acetic acid in both cheeses and its concentration was higher in cheese with ß-glucan. The results of the present study could be used by the dairy industry for manufacturing new products with improved health benefits.

Mushroom and cereal ß-D-glucan solid state NMR and FTIR datasets.

In the associated published article Kremmyda et al. (2021), the C1 region of the NMR spectra were examined in detail, as the C1 carbon was common to the crucial linkages in the glucan, and the most clearly separated region in the spectra. We provide the original measurement data here in topspin format, in order that different authors can examine the regions corresponding to the other carbons and in addition repeat our processing of the FID's using different parameters. Mushroom, Cereal, Reference and other samples, such as salts and salt hydrates have been measured. A series of different experiments on individual samples is also given. All of the samples and experiments available in the database are summarised in the Table below. We also provide an FTIR database in the form of an excel workbook with spectra in frequency/absorbence pairs.

Conversion of brewers' spent grain into proteinaceous animal feed using solid state fermentation.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) represents the 85% of the total residue produced during the beer brewing process, with a global annual production volume exceeding 30 Mtons. The current study concerns the application of solid state fermentation (SSF) as a bioprocess where the nutritional value of BSG is improved for further use as animal feed with increased value. The investigated SSF procedure was initiated by the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus, which constitutes a natural source of proteins, ß-glucans, and various metabolites (vitamins, nutrients, etc.). Herein, the SSF of BSG resulted in a significant increase of protein content by 49.49%, a 10-fold increase of 1,3-1,6 ß-glucans, and a respective reduction of cellulose by 11.42%. The application of this method is expected to provide some useful information on the utilization of BSG as substrate for fungi-initiated SSF, a bioprocess allowing the significant reduction of the environmental impact caused by the beer brewing industry and simultaneously producing animal feed with higher protein content and improved nutritional characteristics. Such studies contribute to confront the unavailability of proteinaceous animal feed observed in the last decade.

The detection, purity and structural properties of partially soluble mushroom and cereal ß-D-glucans: A solid-state NMR study.

ß-D-glucans are proposed to have many health benefits. It is therefore important to have methods which can distinguish these from other carbohydrates present in natural products, as well as giving glucan content and structural information. Correlations between features in the CP/MAS spectra of ß-D-glucans and enzyme assay determined ß-D-glucan content were generally found to be poor. The ß-D-glucan in dry and hydrated forms of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum was investigated in detail by spectral peak fitting to the anomeric carbon C1 region in CP/MAS NMR spectra. Hydrated samples gave spectra with enhanced resolution and suggested that a clear distinction between ß-D-glucans and other carbohydrates could be possible in the anomeric carbon C1 region. Chemical shift values for a range of carbohydrate polymers, which can be found alongside ß-D-glucans, as well as the values for various linkages are given. Contamination by other carbohydrates and buffer salts is discussed.

Manufacture of Reduced Fat White-Brined Cheese with the Addition of ß-Glucans Biobased Polysaccharides as Textural Properties Improvements.

ß-Glucan, isolated from the mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, at a concentration of 0.4%, was used in the manufacture of reduced-fat white-brined cheese from sheep milk. Control reduced-fat cheese was also produced from the same milk without the addition of ß-glucan. The resultant cheeses were examined for their physicochemical characteristics, color and textural properties, and level of proteolysis and lipolysis. Furthermore, cheeses were evaluated organoleptically. In general, there were no statistical differences in the physicochemical characteristics and proteolysis levels found between both cheeses. The addition of ß-glucan improved textural properties, and the cheeses received favorable grades for all the organoleptic characteristics. There were no flavor defects (such as a bitter taste) described by the panellists in this study. Generally, the addition of ß-glucan did not significantly affect total free fatty acid content; however, at 180 days of ripening and storage, cheeses with the addition of ß-glucan had a higher (p < 0.05) content than cheeses without ß-glucan. The major fatty acids were acetic acid and capric acid.