Comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic insights into simultaneous CO2 sequestration and nitrate removal by the Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudomonas sp. consortium.

Simultaneous CO2 sequestration and nitrate removal can be achieved by co-cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris with Pseudomonas sp. However, a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic mechanism between C. vulgaris and Pseudomonas sp. remains unknown. In this study, transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis were employed to elucidate the synergistic mechanism of C. vulgaris and Pseudomonas sp. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses identified 3664 differentially expressed genes and 314 metabolites. Transcriptome analysis revealed that co-culture with Pseudomonas sp. promoted the photosynthesis of C. vulgaris by promoting the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments and photosynthesis-antenna proteins. Furthermore, it stimulated pathways associated with energy metabolism from carbon sources, such as the Calvin cycle, glycolytic pathway, and TCA cycle. Additionally, Pseudomonas sp. reduced nitrate levels in the co-culture system by denitrification, and microalgae regulated nitrate uptake by down-regulating the transcript levels of nitrate transporter genes. Metabolomic analysis indicated that nutrient exchange was conducted between algae and bacteria, and amino acids, phytohormones, and organic heterocyclic compounds secreted by the bacteria promoted the growth metabolism of microalgae. After supplementation with differential metabolites, the carbon fixation rate and nitrate removal rate of the co-culture system reached 0.549 g L-1 d-1 and 135.4 mg L-1 d-1, which were increased by 20% and 8%, respectively. This study provides a theoretical insight into microalgae-bacteria interaction and its practical application, as well as a novel perspective on flue gas treatment management.

Effects of Pueraria Extract and Curcumin on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status and Intestinal Integrity of Broiler Chickens.

The current study was carried out to examine the effects of pueraria extract (PE) and curcumin (CUR) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and intestinal integrity in broiler chickens. A complete randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was employed to assign 200 one-day-old Ross-308 broilers to four groups, each including five replicates of ten birds. Chickens in the control group (CON) were fed the basal diet, while the PE, CUR and PE+CUR groups were supplemented with 200 mg/kg PE or 200 mg/kg CUR or 200 mg/kg PE+ 200 mg/kg CUR. This trial lasted for 28 days. The PE supplementation decreased the average daily gain during the whole period (p < 0.05). The PE+CUR group had a higher feed conversion ratio than that of the PE and CUR groups during days 14-28 and 1-28 (p < 0.05). Dietary CUR supplementation increased duodenal T-SOD activity (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the other three groups increased the duodenal GSH-Px activity, the PE+CUR group reduced the duodenal H2O2 level, and the CUR and PE groups elevated the ileal GSH-Px activity and the ratio of jejunal villus height to crypt depth, respectively (p < 0.05). The addition of PE decreased crypt depth and increased villus area and mucin-2 mRNA level in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary supplementation with PE, CUR, or a combination of these, enhanced the antioxidant status and intestinal integrity of broilers.

Incorporation of tissue factor-integrated liposome and silica nanoparticle into collagen hydrogel as a promising hemostatic system.

Bleeding complications are associated with substantial tissue morbidities and mortalities. Biomimetic composite materials that possess the ability to sufficiently stimulate and augment different physiological mechanisms of hemostasis are highly desirable to reduce bleeding-related casualties, which, however, are still largely under-explored. This study aims to develop a composite hemostatic system by combining collagen hydrogel with tissue factor (TF)-integrated liposome and silica nanoparticle, which could integrate the platelet plug-promoting capacity of collagen with the abilities of the latter two components to activate the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of coagulation respectively. Several hydrogel compositions were synthesized and characterized. We show that lipidated TF and silica were evenly distributed in the collagen-based hydrogels, while exhibiting tunable release kinetics in simulated body fluid. Time-to-coagulation test revealed that each component in the TF-liposome/silica/collagen ternary hydrogels was hemostasis-active, and their combination showed enhanced and potent procoagulant performance, without detectable cytotoxicity against NIH/3T3 model cells. These results suggest that collagen hydrogels with embedded TF-liposome and silica nanoparticle may serve as a platform for an effective hemostatic composite that incorporates all the basic known pathways of coagulation.