Indole Content Research Articles

Imperata cylindrica polysaccharide ameliorates intestinal dysbiosis and damage in hyperuricemic nephropathy

In this study, a combination of adenine and potassium oxonate was utilized to establish a hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN) mouse model, aiming to elucidate the effect through which Imperata Cylindrica polysaccharide (ICPC-a) ameliorates HN. In HN mice, an elevation in the abundance of Erysipelatoclostridium, Enterococcus, Prevotella, and Escherichia-Shigella was observed, whereas Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium declined. Additionally, the systemic reductions in the levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate, along with a significant increase in indole content, were noted. HN mice demonstrated intestinal barrier impairment, as evidenced by diminished mRNA expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1 and increased Mmp-9 levels. The pro-inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ, and COX-2 were overexpressed. Subsequent gavage intervention with ICPC-a markedly mitigated the inflammatory response and ameliorated colon tissue damage. ICPC-a effectively regulated the abundance of gut microbiota and their metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs), and indole, promoting the correction of metabolic and gut microbiota imbalances in HN mice. These findings underscored the capacity of ICPC-a as a prebiotic to modulate gut microbiota and microbial metabolites, thereby exerting a multi-pathway and multi-targeted therapeutic effect on HN.

Application of Highly Digestible Fermented Corn Protein Powder in Fecal Low-Odor Adult Dog Feed

This study aimed to develop fecal low-odor adult dog feed using processed corn protein powder as the primary raw material and evaluate its effectiveness through feeding experiments. The objectives included analyzing the fundamental nutritional indicators, comparing the quality of fecal low-odor adult dog feed with commercially available dog feed, and assessing the changes in the eating behavior, physical condition, and physiological and biochemical indicators before and after feeding on the fecal low-odor adult dog feed. This study involved formulating dog feed using processed fermented corn protein powder and conducting nutritional analyses to compare moisture, crude protein, ash, crude fat, and starch contents. Physical properties such as hardness and cohesion were also evaluated. Feeding experiments were conducted with adult dogs to monitor the changes in the eating behavior and physical condition. Physiological and biochemical indicators, including ammoniacal nitrogen and putrefactive odor in feces, were measured both before and after feeding to assess the impact of the fecal low-odor adult dog feed. The analysis showed no significant difference in moisture (p > 0.05), crude protein (p > 0.05), ash (p > 0.05), crude fat (p > 0.05), and starch (p > 0.05) contents between the fecal low-odor adult dog feed and commercially available dog feed. Similarly, no significant difference was noted in the hardness (p > 0.05) and cohesion (p > 0.05) between the two types of dog feed. Both types of dog feed contained rich volatile compounds with varying compositions. The commercially available dog feed had a sour odor, whereas the fecal low-odor adult dog feed had a barbecue and resin-like smell. After feeding with the fecal low-odor adult dog feed, the liquid nitrogen content significantly decreased (p < 0.01). Also, the indole content, a major contributor to fecal odor, based on the data, decreased after feeding.

The influence of potassium nanoparticles as a foliar fertilizer on onion growth, production, chemical content, and DNA fingerprint

Potassium is an important macro-fertilizer for plant growth but can be lost from the soil after application via irrigation. Slow-release nano-fertilizers can achieve sustainable crop cultivation and production, so this study evaluated the influence of potassium nanoparticles (K-NPs) with various concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/l) on onion development, production, pigments, chemical content, and DNA fingerprint during two sequential agriculture seasons in 2021 and 2022 at a private farm in Zagazig, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Spraying onion plants with K-NPs (200 mg/l) significantly improved the vegetative characteristics of onion plant growth and production, as well as increasing the plant pigments and the content of carbohydrate, oil, total indole, and phosphorus in onion bulbs. Similarly, 50 mg/l of K-NPs considerably increased the content of nitrogen, potassium, protein, antioxidant activity, and phenols in the onion bulbs. The content of total flavonoids and anthocyanin was increased with 100 mg/l of K-NPs. In conclusion, the foliar application of K-NPs improves the onion plant yield and quality and can achieve agricultural sustainability.

Multi-wavelength Fluorescence Monitoring of Faecal Contamination in Waters: A Laboratory-based Quantification

Near real-time monitoring of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) in waters is currently not feasible, and current monitoring methods require field sampling and laboratory testing that inhibits decision-making within a relevant timeframe. While recent studies identified the potential of using specific fluorescence regions for FIB monitoring, sufficient accuracy often requires site-specific calibration due to minor variations in fluorescence peak locations. In this study, a series of lab experiments were completed to address some of the selectivity issues. Specifically, the study explored correlations between wavelength-specific fluorescence signals acquired through fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEM) and the amount of E. coli K-12 (E. coli) and E. faecalis (enterococci) in exponential and stationary phase broth cultures. Subsequently, the experiments quantified how the addition of known concentrations of L-tryptophan amplifies an indole pulse, specifically its concentration and the corresponding fluorescence properties. Results show unique peak excitation/emission (λex/λem) wavelengths (± 5 nm) in EEMs for E. coli cell pellet and in M9 broth (~ 280/ ~ 327 nm), enterococci cell pellet (~ 276/ ~ 324 nm), L-tryptophan (~ 278/ ~ 343 nm and ~ 298/ ~ 344 nm), and indole (~ 232/ ~ 321 nm). The findings demonstrate that L-tryptophan concentrations in E. coli broth were reduced. At the same time, the indole content increased throughout the initiation phase to the stationary phase of the bacteria growth curve, with the peak indole pulse occurring approximately at the time of transition from the exponential to stationary phase. Such unique fluorescence signatures for not only FIB but also indole (whose pulse can be triggered by L-tryptophan) provide foundations for developing reliable and near real-time in situ FIB sensors.

The regulatory effects of (p)ppGpp and indole on cAMP synthesis in Escherichia coli cells.

Bacterial stress adaptive response is formed due to changes in the cell gene expression profile in response to alterations in environmental conditions through the functioning of regulatory networks. The mutual influence of network signaling molecules represented by cells' natural metabolites, including indole and second messengers (p) ppGpp and cAMP, is hitherto not well understood, being the aim of this study. E. coli parent strain BW25141 ((p) ppGpp+) and deletion knockout BW25141ΔrelAΔspoT which is unable to synthesize (p)ppGpp ((p)ppGpp0) were cultivated in M9 medium supplemented with different glucose concentrations (5.6 and 22.2 mM) in the presence of tryptophan as a substrate for indole synthesis and in its absence. The glucose content was determined with the glucose oxidase method; the indole content, by means of HPLC; and the cAMP concentration, by ELISA. The onset of an increase in initially low intracellular cAMP content coincided with the depletion of glucose in the medium. Maximum cAMP accumulation in the cells was proportional to the concentration of initially added glucose. At the same time, the (p) ppGpp0 mutant showed a decrease in maximum cAMP levels compared to the (p)ppGpp+ parent, which was the most pronounced in the medium with 22.2 mM glucose. So, (p)ppGpp was able to positively regulate cAMP formation. The promoter of the tryptophanase operon responsible for indole biosynthesis is known to be under the positive control of catabolic repression. Therefore, in the cells of the (p)ppGpp+ strain grown in the tryptophan-free medium that were characterized by a low rate of spontaneous indole formation, its synthesis significantly increased in response to the rising cAMP level just after glucose depletion. However, this was not observed in the (p)ppGpp0 mutant cells with reduced cAMP accumulation. When tryptophan was added to the medium, both of these strains demonstrated high indole production, which was accompanied by a decrease in cAMP accumulation compared to the tryptophan-free control. Thus, under glucose depletion, (p)ppGpp can positively regulate the accumulation of both cAMP and indole, while the latter, in its turn, has a negative effect on cAMP formation.

Seasonal changes in melatonin in peptic ulcer disease

Melatonin is the main neuroendocrine hormone of the pineal gland. A distinctive feature of melatonin indole is its ability to regulate physiological processes related to the circadian rhythm. Numerous scientific data demonstrate the importance of melatonin in the development of organic and functional pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), due to the close relationship between the hormone and intestinal structures. The paper presents the results of our study and shows dynamic variations in seasonal gradations of melatonin levels in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers. The studies have shown that in patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers, the level of the hormone melatonin varied depending on the season. During the period of long daylight hours (spring and summer), the content of indole in the blood was ≥1 pg/ml, while during the period of minimal daylight (autumn and winter), the content of melatonin was ≤1 pg/ml. Therefore, if the melatonin level is less than 1 pg/ ml in spring and summer, and more than 1 pg/ml in autumn and winter, it can be concluded that an individual does not have peptic ulcer disease. Thus, the melatonin shift in the blood at different time limits relative to light illumination can be used as a laboratory biomarker of desynchronosis associated with the risk of developing acid-related diseases, in particular seasonal exacerbation of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Accordingly, revealing the causes and mechanism of development of seasonal exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease can help in early prediction and prevention of this nosology.

Fungal communities are more sensitive to mildew than bacterial communities during tobacco storage processes.

Mildew poses a significant threat to tobacco production; however, there is limited information on the structure of the abundant and rare microbial subcommunities in moldy tobacco leaves. In this study, we employed high-throughput sequencing technology to discern the disparities in the composition, diversity, and co-occurrence patterns of abundant and rare fungal and bacterial subcommunities between moldy and normal tobacco leaves collected from Guizhou, Shanghai, and Jilin provinces, China. Furthermore, we explored the correlation between microorganisms and metabolites by integrating the metabolic profiles of moldy and normal tobacco leaves. The results showed that the fungi are more sensitive to mildew than bacteria, and that the fungal abundant taxa exhibit greater resistance and environmental adaptability than the rare taxa. The loss of rare taxa results in irreversible changes in the diversity, richness, and composition of the fungal community. Moreover, rare fungal taxa and abundant bacterial taxa played crucial roles in maintaining the stability and functionality of the tobacco microecosystem. In moldy tobacco, however, the disappearance of rare taxa as key nodes resulted in reduced connectivity and stability within the fungal network. In addition, metabolomic analysis showed that the contents of indoles, pyridines, polyketones, phenols, and peptides were significantly enriched in the moldy tobacco leaves, while the contents of amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and other compounds were significantly reduced in these leaves. Most metabolites showed negative correlations with Dothideomycetes, Alphaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria, but showed positive correlations with Eurotiales and Bacilli. This study has demonstrated that abundant fungal taxa are the predominant biological agents responsible for tobacco mildew, while bacteria may indirectly contribute to this process through the production and degradation of metabolites. KEY POINTS: • Fungi exhibited greater sensitivity to mildew of tobacco leaf compared to bacteria • Rare fungal taxa underwent significant damage during the mildew process • Mildew may damage the defense system of the tobacco leaf microecosystem.

Calosidade do solo de mudas de uva enxertadas como uma característica positiva para as mudanças climáticas

Abstract Nowadays, some relative warming temperatures related to climate change may be provided at the grafting time. Therefore, this study was conducted during two seasons (2018-2019) to study the effect of three callusing method (callusing room, callusing soil, callusing tunnel) and four grafting date (15 Jan., 1Feb., 15 Feb., 1 Mar.) for early (Flame seedless), medium (Thompson seedless) and late (Crimson seedless) grape varieties on grafted grape cuttings as short methods for transplant production. The results indicated that, the early grapes variety achieved higher grafting success on 1st Feb. grafting date as well as the late grape variety in callusing room and callusing soil methods. Also, Callusing soil achieved grafted success by 72.9%, 68.55% and 77.94% compared to callusing tunnel 37.3%, 45.9% and 55% for Flame seedless, Thompson seedless and Crimson seedless, respectively as mean of both seasons. High grafting success resulted from the high content of indole and sugars, along with low phenol content before callusing stage, as well as high indole and low sugars of grafts partner after callusing stage. while, higher phenols was accumulated in rootstock after callusing stage. There is no antagonistic effect between grafts partners. Callusing soil may be considered as an eco-friendly, sustainable and cheaper alternative tool for callusing of grafts cuttings.

Efficient separation of indole from fossil fuel pyrolysis products by carboxylic acid non-aromatic ring ionic liquids: Experiment and mechanism exploration

Indole is a nitrogen-containing compound that is obtained from fossil fuel pyrolysis products. Its usage is not only related to the production of fine chemicals and medicines, but it also has the potential to benefit environmental protection. To separate indole through liquid–liquid extraction with ionic liquids, two types of carboxylic acid non-aromatic ring ionic liquids (CNILs) were successfully synthesized and characterized in this work. The effects of stirring time, mCNILs: mmixtures, and extraction temperature were extensively investigated in this work. The results indicate that the adopted CNIL, [N-tmg][Bpc], which processes multifunctional sites, exhibited better extraction performance for indole. Under the optimized conditions (mCNILs: mmixtures = 1:5, temperature, 25 °C, stirring time, 30 min) and initial indole content, mindole: moil = 5:100, the extraction efficiency of indole was found to be 97.08% using the CNIL [N-tmg][Bpc]. Additionally, the molecular polarity, bond length, interaction energy, and non-covalent interaction were evaluated via quantum chemistry calculation, and found that the non-covalent interaction between the CNIL anions and indole was the primary driver of extraction, and the multifunctional sites in CNIL anions improved the ability of CNILs to extract indole. Finally, the reusability of CNIL, [N-tmg][Bpc], was tested through repeated extraction experiments, and the recovered [N-tmg][Bpc] was found to efficiently extract indole. The successful synthesis of CNILs with high extraction performance for indole provides a novel route to develop new ionic liquid separation agents. The finding in this work contributes to the chemical industry's efforts to develop appropriate and sustainable technologies for indole separation.

Effects of cumin, coriander, and sichuan pepper on microbiota and the antioxidant capacities of human faecal cultures

Spices have been reported to have several health-promoting effects. In this study, we investigated the effects of cumin seeds (CM), coriander seeds (CR), and Sichuan pepper (HJ) on human gut microbiota using human stool samples from healthy volunteers. The samples were incubated with or without addition of these spices, and the microbiota were analysed using 16S rRNA (V4) gene amplicon sequencing. After anaerobic fermentation for 24 h, pH was slightly lowered under HJ addition, although this varied across individuals. Acetate, propionate, and total short chain fatty acid levels increased under CM and CR addition. Indole content was low in cultures with HJ. Fermentation of the faecal samples increased in vitro superoxide anion (O2-) radical-scavenging and Fe-reducing capacities under CM and CR addition, although antioxidant capacities were still higher in cultures with HJ. Genera regarded as butyrate producers (Faecalibacterium and Roseburia) were high in HJ cultures, but the genera, species, and amplicon sequence variants of butyrate producers were different across individuals. In contrast, Enterobacteriaceae presence was lowered with CM and HJ addition. These results suggest that compounds contained in the investigated spices, particularly in HJ, which reach the human colon affect the gut microbiota. Further studies on the mechanisms of the interaction between spice components and spice-responsive gut indigenous bacteria, both desirable (butyrate producers) and undesirable (inflammation-related commensals), are needed.

Change in fat skatole and indole content in lambs switched from a concentrate-based diet indoors to alfalfa grazing for various durations before slaughter

Meat from lambs fattened on alfalfa is at risk of excessive pastoral flavours due to high levels of in-fat volatile indolic compounds (especially, skatole). Skatole has also been identified as a potential marker of interest for authenticating pasture-fed lamb meat. Here, we investigated the change in skatole and indole concentrations in kidney fat from lambs switched from an indoor-fed concentrate based diet to outdoor alfalfa grazing for various durations (0, 21, 42, 63 days) before slaughter. The study used a total of 219 lambs over 3 consecutive years. Kidney-fat skatole and indole concentrations increased from as early as 21 days on alfalfa, and then reached a plateau. Similarly, the proportion of lambs that had a kidney fat-skatole concentration above 0.15 μg/g liquid fat, a value that has been established as a sensory rejection threshold for pork, increased significantly from as early as 21 days on alfalfa and then reached a plateau. This value was reached or exceeded in a significant proportion of lambs fattened on alfalfa pastures (45.1%). However, skatole was not detected in kidney fat from 20 out of 164 alfalfa-fattened lambs (i.e., 12.2%) but was detected in 15 out of 55 concentrate-fed lambs (i.e., 27.3%). We thus conclude that while skatole content in kidney fat can inform on dietary changes made shortly before slaughter, it does not have the discrimination power needed to reliably authenticate pasture-fed lamb meat, let alone duration of finishing on pasture.

Proteomic analysis reveals the adaptation of Vibrio splendidus to an iron deprivation condition

Vibrio splendidus is a ubiquitous Gram-negative marine bacterium that causes diseases within a wide range of marine cultured animals. Since iron deprivation is the frequent situation that the bacteria usually encounter, we aimed to explore the effect of iron deprivation on the proteomic profile of V. splendidus in the present study. There were 425 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) responded to the iron deprivation condition. When the cells were grown under iron deprivation condition, the oxidation‒reduction processes, single-organism metabolic processes, the catalytic activity, and binding activity were downregulated, while the transport process, membrane cell component, and ion binding activity were upregulated, apart from the iron uptake processes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that various metabolism pathways, biosynthesis pathways, energy generation pathways of tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation were downregulated, while various degradation pathways and several special metabolism pathways were upregulated. The proteomic profiles of cells at a OD600 ≈ 0.4 grown under iron deprivation condition showed high similarity to that of the cells at a OD600 ≈ 0.8 grown without iron chelator 2,2'-bipyridine. Correspondingly, the protease activity, the activity of autoinducer 2 (AI-2), and indole content separately catalyzed by LuxS and TnaA, were measured to verify the proteomic data. Our present study gives basic information on the global protein profiles of V. splendidus grown under iron deprivation condition and suggests that the iron deprivation condition cause the cell growth enter a state of higher cell density earlier. KEY POINTS: • Adaptation of V. splendidus to iron deprivation was explored by proteomic analysis. • GO and KEGG of DEPs under different iron levels or cell densities were determined. • Iron deprivation caused the cell enter a state of higher cell density earlier.

Metabolic profiling of Apis mellifera larvae treated with sublethal acetamiprid doses

Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide used in crop protection worldwide. Such widespread application can pose risks to pollinator insects, particularly to honeybees (Apis mellifera); therefore, the evaluation of the harmful effects of acetamiprid is necessary. Recent studies report behavior and gene expression dysfunction in honeybees, related to acetamiprid contamination. However, most studies do not consider potential metabolism disorders. To examine the effects of sublethal acetamiprid doses on the hemolymph metabolism of honeybees, worker bee larvae(2 days old) were fed with sucrose water containing different concentrations of acetamiprid (0, 5, and 25 mg/L) until capped (6 days old). The hemolymph (200 μL) of freshly capped larvae was collected for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Overall, increasing acetamiprid exposure induced greater metabolic variations in worker bee larvae(treated groups compared to untreated). In the positive ion mode, 36 common differential metabolites in the acetamiprid-treated groups were screened from the identified differential metabolites. Of these, 19 metabolites were upregulated, and 17 were downregulated. 10 common differential metabolites were screened in the negative ion mode. 3 metabolites were upregulated, and 7 metabolites were downregulated. These common metabolites included traumatic acid, indole etc. These commonly differentiated metabolites were classified as compounds with biological roles, lipids, and phytochemical compounds, and others. The metabolic pathways of common differentiated metabolites with significant differences (P < 0.05) included the metabolism of tryptophan, purines, phenylalanine, etc. As the concentration of acetamiprid increased, the content of traumatic acid increased, the content of tryptophan metabolite l-kynurenine and indole decreased, and the content of lipids also decreased. Our results revealed that the damage to honeybee larvae increased when the acetamiprid solution formulations residue in their food had a concentration higher than 5 mg/L, causing metabolic disorders in various substances in larvae. Analysis of these metabolic processes can provide a theoretical basis for further research on the metabolism of acetamiprid-treated honeybees and elucidate the detoxification mechanisms.

Non-targeted metabolomics analyze dough fermented by S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum to reveal the formation of flavor substances of bread

Bread made from dough fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has better quality. The accumulation curve of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum in dough was measured during the fermentation. The non-targeted metabolomics was used to learn the metabolites in dough fermentation by S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum for 3 h. A total of 604 metabolites were identified for the positive mode. Compared with dough fermented by S. cerevisiae, 139 differential metabolites were detected in dough fermented by S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum, in which 83 and 56 metabolites were significantly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. The content of amines, pyrazine substances, amide, amino acids, acetamide and other substances having special aroma to improve the quality of bread increased and accumulated, and the content of indole with unpleasant taste decreased and consumed in the metabolic process in the dough samples fermentation by S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum. Tryptophan metabolism was the most enriched metabolic pathway of differential metabolites through the KEGG database enrichment. This indicated that S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum fermented dough was closely associated with the taste quality, the generation of flavor substances of bread and tryptophan metabolism.

SUPERIORITY OF NANO-SILVER NITRATE AND NANO-CHITOSAN IN CONTROLLING BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION AND PROMOTING GROWTH OF In vitro DATE PALM CULTURES

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) a perennial monocotyledonous tree it’s have an ecological importance and economical role in several countries of Middle East and North Africa, date palm can’t be propagate by seeds, meanwhile the offshoots produced low numbers of offshoots for the given period, so tissue culture technique become a great important for produced the huge demand plantlets, the in vitro technique facing a problem as the contamination by bacterial and fungus that lead to loss the cultures, for eliminate this problem many treatments were used as chitosan 5 and 15 ml/l, AgNO3 4.0 and 7.0 ml/l, Zn 4.0 and 7.0 mg/l and cu 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l. as the main forms or as a nanoparticles NPs in addition to streptomycin 40 and 50 mg/l and AgNO3 + Sodium thiosulfate 0.5 and 1.0 ml/l were added to rooting stage medium for 3 subcultures for each, then these plantlets were acclimatized under greenhouse condition. Collected data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the means were compared following t-test using LSD values at 5%. The percentage of cultures contamination was to be found zero % with the treatments chitosan, silver nitrate AgNO3, in addition to the combination of Chitosan + AgNO3, chitosan + Zn and finally chitosan + Cu at all tested levels produced, while the treatments Zn and Cu at two tested levels produced 11% contamination, the observation of the vegetative growth and leaves contents of indoles and amino acids mg/g f.w. were found highest values under chitosan and AgNO3 and the combination in between as the main forms or as NPs treatments, as well as, the acclimatization stage presented the great survival percentage % under Chitosan and AgNO3 and combination in between as the main form or as NPs. The present study have been suggest that NPs chitosan, AgNO3 and the combination in between might be a promising method for reduced or eliminate the in vitro microbes, reduced the harmful effects on the valuable date palm plantlets and increasing growth parameters.

Fecal descriptor in honey: indole from a floral source as an explanation.

Animal odor, is one of the most common aroma defects described in the honey odor aroma wheel. It comprises two secondary descriptors: 'fecal' and 'cowshed'. However, the compounds responsible for these honey defects have not been fully identified. In this context, the aim of this work was to identify the compounds responsible for the aromatic defect 'fecal' in Uruguayan honeys by means of gas chromatography coupled to olfactometry (GC-O). Samples of honey described by beekeepers as having fecal aroma were analyzed by GC-O and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Through GC-O, it was possible to establish the region of the chromatogram corresponding to the fecal descriptor, while the GC-MS analysis allowed to identify indole as the compound responsible for the fecal descriptor. The content of indole in the analyzed samples ranged between 132 and 414 μg kg-1 . The melissopalynological analysis indicated the presence of Scutia buxifolia ('quebracho' or 'coronilla') pollen in all samples studied. The volatile profile of Scutia buxifolia flowers was evaluated during the full day, enabling the identification of indole as one of its components. The detection threshold value for indole in honey was experimentally determined as 64 μg kg-1 of honey, a value lower than the concentration found in the evaluated samples. Results from the study allowed the identification of indole as the compound responsible for the 'fecal' aroma defect in Scutia buxifolia honeys. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Arazyme in combination with dietary carbohydrolases influences odor emission and gut microbiome in growing-finishing pigs

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing feed with arazyme and dietary carbohydrolases derived from invertebrate gut-associated symbionts on the noxious gas emissions, gut microbiota, and host-microbiome interactions of pigs. Here, 270 and 260 growing pigs were assigned to control and treatment groups, respectively. The tested feed additives contained a mixture of arazyme (2,500,000 Unit/kg) and synergetic enzymes, xylanase (200,000 Unit/kg) and mannanase (200,000 Unit/kg), derived from insect gut-associated symbionts in a 7.5:1:1 ratio. The control group was fed a basal diet and the treatment group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.1 % enzyme mixture (v/v) for 2 months. Odorous gases were monitored in ventilated air from tested houses. Fecal samples were collected from steel plate under the cage at the completion of the experiment to determine chemical composition, odor emissions, and bacterial communities. There was a significant decrease in the concentration of NH3 (22.5 vs. 11.2 ppm; P < 0.05), H2S (7.35 vs. 3.74 ppm; P < 0.05), trimethylamine (TMA) (0.066 vs. 0.001 ppm; P < 0.05), and p-cresol (0.004 ppm vs. 0 ppm; P < 0.05) at 56 d in treatment group compared with the control group. Moreover, fecal analysis results showed that exogenous enzyme supplementation caused a reduction in VFAs and indole content with approximately >60 % and 72.7 %, respectively. The result of gas emission analysis showed that NH3 (9.9 vs. 5.3 ppm; P < 0.05) and H2S (5.8 vs. 4.1 ppm; P < 0.05) were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the control group. The gut microbiota of the treatment group differed significantly from that of the control group, and the treatment group altered predicted metabolic pathways, including sulfur and nitrogen related metabolism, urea degradation. The results demonstrated that supplementing feed with arazyme with dietary carbohydrolases effectively controls noxious gas emissions and improves health and meat quality of pigs.

Is a short concentrate-finishing period in lambs raised on alfalfa pasture effective at reducing fat indoles contents and lightening meat colour?

Pasture-feeding in lambs has been associated with dark-coloured meat and high meat contents of volatile indoles (skatole and indole), which may be responsible for sensory defects. The risk of off-flavours is even higher when lambs graze alfalfa, because it is particularly rich in rapidly degradable proteins. Here, we investigated whether a short concentrate stall-finishing period in lambs that previously grazed alfalfa influences meat sensory quality traits. We compared three feeding treatments, using three groups of 10 male Romane lambs: grazing alfalfa (A), stall-feeding with concentrate and straw (S), and stall-finishing with concentrate and straw for 21 days after previously grazing alfalfa (AS). During stall-feeding, the concentrate was given at a level adjusted to achieve a similar growth pattern in all treatment groups, and the length of the trough was sufficient for all lambs to have access to the feeds at the same time. Lamb live weight and age at slaughter, and carcass conformation and fatness were similar for all treatment groups. Perirenal fat skatole content was lower in AS and S lambs than in A lambs (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), and not significantly different between AS and S lambs. Perirenal fat indole and dorsal fat skatole concentrations were lower in AS lambs than in A lambs (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005, respectively), the other pairwise comparisons being not significant. There was no treatment effect on dorsal fat indole content. Longissimus et lumborum muscle colour coordinates differed between pasture-fed and stall-fed lambs, with a lower lightness (P < 0.005) and greater redness and hue angle (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively) in pasture-fed lambs, but muscle colour coordinates did not differ between A and AS lambs. A 21-d concentrate-based stall-finishing period in lambs previously raised on alfalfa pasture therefore markedly reduced fat indoles concentrations compared to lambs grazed on alfalfa until slaughter but did not change meat colour.

Microbiological properties of Beejamrit, an ancient Indian traditional knowledge, uncover a dynamic plant beneficial microbial network.

Beejamrit is an ancient organic formulation commonly used as a seed treatment in organic and natural farming in India. This low-cost formulation is primarily a product of dairy excreta (e.g., cow dung and cow urine) and forest soil, often supplemented with limestone. Growing data suggest that dairy excreta are the potential sources of enriched microbial niche, including several plant growth-promoting bacteria capable of synthesizing plant growth regulators. However, the microbiological properties of Beejamrit and their temporal changes after different incubation periods, delineating its application in seed treatment, remain largely unexplored. Here, we aimed to analyze the decomposition rate of Beejamrit over 7-consecutive days of incubation. This study further elucidates the microbial niche and their dynamics in Beejamrit, including the plant beneficial bacteria. We have shown that the population of plant beneficial bacteria, such as the free-living nitrogen fixers (FNFs) and the phosphate solubilizers (PSBs), proliferates progressively up to 4- and 5-days of incubation, respectively (p < 0.0001). This study also reports the total indolic content of Beejamrit, including indole 3-acetic acid (IAA), which further tends to oscillateinconcentration based on the incubationperiods incurred during the Beejamrit preparation. Our analyses, together, establish that Beejamrit provides a dynamic, microbe-based metabolic network and may, therefore, act as a plant biostimulant to crop plants. A plant-based bioassay finally demonstrates the role of Beejamrit in the seed treatment to improve seed germination, seedling survival rate, and shoot length trait in French beans (p < 0.01). In conclusion, this study highlights, for the first time, the scientific insights of Beejamrit as a potential seed priming agent in agriculture.

Impact of water logging condition on seedling of five timber tree species

Under natural conditions, plants are frequently exposed to transient or permanent soil waterlogging. Flooding of the soil with water with poor drainage drastically influences the soil physico-chemical properties, most notably soil oxidation-reduction potential, pH and O2 level. Thus, conditions of hypoxia or anoxia are commonly encountered by plant root systems. These O2 restrictive conditions dramatically have an effect on plant growth, development and survival. One in every of the simplest characterized plant responses to soil waterlogging is that the metabolic switch from aerobic respiration to anaerobic fermentation. In this study the effects of waterlogged were examined on seedling growth, metabolic, physiological and morphological responses of five species of timber trees (Casuarina cunninghamiana, C. glauca, Eucalyptus rostrata, Cupressus sempevirens and E. citrodora). The results indicated a wide variation among these timber tree species in their response to water logging. Casuarina cunninghamiana and C. glauca were more tolerant to waterlogging than the other species, followed by Eucalyptus rostrata then Cupres sussempevirens. E. citrodora was the least tolerant waterlogging species. Waterlogging treatment decreased the seedling growth and the leaf contents from carbohydrates, total and free phenols, chlorophylls and carotenoids as well as N, P and K contents in the leaves. On the other hand, waterlogging treatment increased both epinastic leaf angles, contents of total indoles, total free amino acids, chloride, sodium, calcium and magnesium in the leaves. Moreover, total free amino acids, total indoles, carbohydrates, total and free phenols contents were also increased in stems and roots of waterlogged seedlings.