Diamine Oxidase Activity Research Articles

Cow Placenta Extract Ameliorates Cyclophosphamide-Induced Intestinal Damage by Enhancing the Intestinal Barrier, Improving Immune Function, and Restoring Intestinal Microbiota

Immunosuppression undermines intestinal barrier integrity. Cow placenta extract (CPE) primarily consists of active peptides with immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects. This study aimed to examine the preventive effect of CPE against intestinal damage induced by cyclophosphamide (Cy) in immunosuppressed mice. Thirty-six mice were randomly allocated into three groups: control group (C), model group (M), and treatment group (CPE). The mice in the CPE group were provided with 1500 mg/kg/day of CPE via gavage. In the last 3 days, mice in the groups M and CPE received intraperitoneal injections of 80 mg/kg/day of Cy. The results showed that CPE improved intestinal barrier function by decreasing serum d-Lactate (D-LA) levels and diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, while elevating the relative expression of Occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and mucin-2 (MUC-2) mRNA. Additionally, CPE improved the immune organ index and elevated the levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the intestine, thereby enhancing intestinal mucosal immune function. Furthermore, CPE improved the diversity of intestinal microbiota and increased the abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Psychrobacter, and Enterorhabdus, which promoted the proper functioning of the intestines. These findings suggest that CPE effectively ameliorates Cy-induced intestinal damage by enhancing the intestinal barrier, improving immune function, and restoring intestinal microbiota.

Substituting ethoxyquin with tea polyphenols and propyl gallate enhanced feed oxidative stability, broiler hepatic antioxidant capacity and gut health

The safety of ethoxyquin has garnered increasing attention. This study evaluated the effects of partially substituting ethoxyquin with tea polyphenols and propyl gallate on feed oxidative stability, hepatic antioxidant properties, intestinal morphology and barrier functions, as well as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory profiles of the intestinal mucosa in broilers. A total of 351 one-day-old male Arbor Acres Plus broilers were randomly assigned to 3 groups, each comprising 9 replicates with 13 birds per replicate. The treatments included a control group (CON) fed a basal diet, an ethoxyquin group (EQ) that received the basal diet supplemented with 120 g/t of ethoxyquin, and a substitution group (TP) receiving the basal diet supplemented with 6 g/t of tea polyphenols, 6 g/t of propyl gallate, and 30 g/t of ethoxyquin. In vitro experiments showed that both EQ and TP supplementation significantly reduced the acid value (AV), peroxide value (POV), and total oxidation value (TOV) of the feeds, with the TP group exhibiting lower AV and TOV than the EQ group. In vivo assessments revealed no significant differences in growth performance among the groups. Additionally, the TP group exhibited significantly higher glutathione peroxidase activity, increased glutathione content, and elevated protein expression of Keap1, Nrf2, and NQO1 in the liver compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary TP significantly increased liver catalase activity, glutathione content, and NQO1 protein levels compared to the EQ group (P < 0.05). Both additives effectively reduced malondialdehyde levels in the intestinal mucosa by approximately 50% (P < 0.05) through the activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway, as indicated by increased mRNA expression of TXN, CAT, GPX1, and GPX4 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, compared to the control group, the TP group exhibited greater villus height and villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (VCR) in the jejunum, as well as elevated VCR in the ileum (P < 0.05). The TP group also achieved the lowest serum levels of diamine oxidase activity, D-lactate and lipopolysaccharide contents among all groups (P < 0.05). The inclusion of both EQ and TP increased the mRNA expression of Occludin, Claudin-1, Mucin-2, and E-cadherin in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Moreover, the combination of tea polyphenols and propyl gallate effectively mitigated the proinflammatory effect of ethoxyquin, as evidenced by reductions in TNF-α, IL-18, and IFN-γ expression, potentially mediated by inhibition of the TLR-4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that partially replacing ethoxyquin with tea polyphenols and propyl gallate enhances feed oxidative stability, liver antioxidant capacity, and gut health in broilers, suggesting an efficient alternative with a lower dosage requirement.

Effects of cardamonin on the growth performance, intestinal barrier function and intestinal microbiota of Danzhou chickens under heat stress

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cardamonin (CDN) on the growth performance, intestinal mucosal barrier function and intestinal microbiota of Danzhou chickens under heat stress. A total of 200 one-day-old female Danzhou chickens were randomly divided into 5 groups. The daytime temperature of heat stress (HS) was set at 36 ± 2°C, and the nighttime temperature was kept the same as in the control (CON) group at 25 ± 2°C. The formal experiment lasted for 21 d. The CON and HS groups were fed a basal diet, whereas the L-CDN, M-CDN, and H-CDN groups received a basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg CDN, respectively. Compared with the HS group, the CDN group presented a significantly greater average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.001) but a significantly lower feed-to-gain ratio (F/G) (P = 0.007). CDN supplementation also increased the villus height (VH) and the ratio of the villus height to crypt depth (V/C) (P < 0.001) and reduced intestinal permeability by increasing expression of the ZO-1 (P < 0.001), Occludin (P < 0.001), and Claudin-1 (P = 0.034) proteins and decreasing the content of D-lactic acid (D-LA) and the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) in serum (P < 0.001). Additionally, CDN reduced the levels of the intestinal mucosal inflammatory factors (IL-1β (P = 0.031), IL-6 (P = 0.003), and TNF-α (P = 0.014)) while upregulating IL-10 (P < 0.001). Furthermore, it increased the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (P = 0.004) and catalase (CAT) activity (P < 0.001) and reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P = 0.017), effectively reducing intestinal oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions. Expression of the Nrf2 pathway-related proteins Nrf2 (P = 0.012), HO-1 (P = 0.008), and NQO1 (P = 0.003) was also increased by CDN. Moreover, feeding CDN increased the proportion of beneficial bacteria such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes but decreased the proportion of harmful bacteria such as Proteobacteria, thus protecting the intestinal barrier. In summary, 200 mg/kg CDN in the diet improved growth performance, enhanced intestinal barrier function and improved intestinal flora disorders in heat stress-induced Danzhou chickens, which may be related to the Nrf2/NQO1 signaling pathway.

PSVIII-23 Attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response improves gut integrity in piglets after infection

Abstract Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a primary cause of post-weaning diarrhea in piglets, leading to serious health issues and economic loss in the swine industry. Increased oxidative stress and inflammation have detrimental effects on gut health. The present study aimed to investigate the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in a piglet model challenged with ETEC and to evaluate whether the chosen probiotic could improve intestinal function in piglets. A total of 24 weaned piglets susceptible to ETEC F4 infection were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 (control), Group 2 (E. coli infection), Group 3 (E. coli infection received antibiotic avilamycin), and Group 4 (E. coli infection received B. licheniformis HG76). Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 were infected with E. coli by an oral gavage of ETEC F4 (5 mL, 1 × 106 CFU/mL). Five days after infection, piglets in all groups were euthanized. The blood and intestine samples (a mid-jejunum segment) were collected, and serum was prepared. ETEC infection significantly increased serum and jejunal malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity (P &amp;lt; 0.05). ETEC infection also significantly decreased tight-junction proteins (ZO1, occludin), superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Furthermore, ETEC infection significantly increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interlueken (IL) -6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α] in the intestine (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Antibiotic or probiotic supplementation mitigated oxidative stress and inflammation, as evidenced by decreased oxidative stress biomarkers, increased expression of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, HO-1) and downregulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α; P &amp;lt; 0.05). Antibiotic or probiotic supplementation also improved intestinal integrity, as demonstrated by decreased DAO activity and increased tight-junction proteins expression (P &amp;lt; 0.05). These results suggest that attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory response can improve piglet gut integrity after ETEC infection.

Effect of ultrasound pretreatment combined with different drying methods on the quality and bioactive compounds of broccoli stems

SummaryThe effects of ultrasound (US) pretreatment combined with drying process on storage quality maintenance and bioactive compound accumulation of broccoli stems were investigated. Results indicated that US pretreatment (λ = 8.5 mm) delayed the decline of L* value and ascorbic acid content but inhibited the increase of a* and b* values, browning index, and microbial counts of fresh‐cut broccoli stems. Furthermore, the US application enhanced total phenolics content by activating phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase, cinnamate‐4‐hydroxylase, and 4‐coumarate‐CoA ligase in phenylpropane metabolism. Meanwhile, it also promoted γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation by upregulating activities of diamine oxidase, polyamine oxidase, and aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase in GABA shunt and polyamine degradation pathway, respectively, which in turn, accelerated the biosynthesis of GABA from polyamines and glutamate. In addition, compared with other three drying methods, the combined vacuum freeze drying (VFD) could further retain the sensory attributes and bioactive compounds to a maximum extent in dehydrated broccoli stems. Hence, current findings illustrated that US pretreatment combined with VFD process is beneficial for commercial quality maintenance and nutritional value enhancement, thus providing new perspectives on the comprehensive utilisation of broccoli stems.

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Alleviates Intestinal Inflammation and Cell Apoptosis via the MKK3/6-P38 Pathway in a Piglet Model.

This study investigates the underlying mechanism through which dietary supplementation of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium (PQQ) alleviates intestinal inflammation and cell apoptosis in piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Seventy-two barrows were divided into three groups: control (CTRL), LPS challenged (LPS), and LPS challenged with PQQ supplementation (PQQ + LPS). On d 7, 11, and 14, piglets received intraperitoneal injections of LPS or 0.9% of NaCl (80 μg/kg). After a 4 h interval following the final LPS injection on d 14, blood samples were obtained, and all piglets were euthanized for harvesting jejunal samples. The results showed that dietary supplementation of PQQ improved the damage of intestinal morphology, increased the down-regulated tight junction proteins, and reduced the increase of serum diamine oxidase activity, the intestinal fatty acid binding protein, and TNF-α levels in piglets challenged with LPS (p < 0.05). The proteomics analysis revealed a total of 141 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), consisting of 64 up-regulated DEPs and 77 down-regulated DEPs in the PQQ + LPS group compared to the LPS group. The KEGG pathway analysis indicated enrichment of the tight junction pathway and the apoptosis pathway (p < 0.05). Compared to the LPS group, the piglets in the PQQ + LPS group had increased levels of Bcl-2 protein, reduced positive apoptosis signals, and a decrease in the abundance of MKK 3/6 and p-p38 proteins (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of PQQ could alleviate jejunal inflammatory damage and cell apoptosis in piglets challenged with LPS through the MKK3/6-p38 signaling pathway.

Dietary Zn proteinate with moderate chelation strength alleviates heat stress-induced intestinal barrier function damage by promoting expression of tight junction proteins via the A20/NF-κB p65/MMP-2 pathway in the jejunum of broilers

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine whether and how Zn proteinate with moderate chelation strength (Zn-Prot M) can alleviate heat stress (HS)-induced intestinal barrier function damage of broilers. A completely randomized design was used for comparatively testing the effects of Zn proteinate on HS and non-HS broilers. Under high temperature (HT), a 1 (Control, HT-CON) + 2 (Zn source) × 2 (added Zn level) factorial arrangement of treatments was used. The 2 added Zn sources were Zn-Prot M and Zn sulfate (ZnS), and the 2 added Zn levels were 30 and 60 mg/kg. Under normal temperature (NT), a CON group (NT-CON) and pair-fed group (NT-PF) were included.ResultsThe results showed that HS significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of claudin-1, occludin, junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAMA), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and zinc finger protein A20 (A20) in the jejunum, and HS also remarkably increased serum fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-D), endotoxin and interleukin (IL)-1β contents, serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activities, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 mRNA expression level, and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65 and MMP-2 in the jejunum. However, dietary supplementation with Zn, especially organic Zn as Zn-Prot M at 60 mg/kg, significantly decreased serum FITC-D, endotoxin and IL-1β contents, serum DAO and MMP-2 activities, NF-κB p65 mRNA expression level, and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65 and MMP-2 in the jejunum of HS broilers, and notably promoted mRNA and protein expression levels of claudin-1, ZO-1 and A20.ConclusionsOur results suggest that dietary Zn, especially 60 mg Zn/kg as Zn-Prot M, can alleviate HS-induced intestinal barrier function damage by promoting the expression of TJ proteins possibly via induction of A20-mediated suppression of the NF-κB p65/MMP-2 pathway in the jejunum of HS broilers.

The effect of dietary full-fat Hermetia illucens larvae meal on growth performance and intestine physiology in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different inclusion levels of full-fat Hermetia illucens larvae (HI) meal as a protein source on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, health, and microbiota of largemouth bass. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated by adding HI to replace 0 % (HI0, control), 10 % (HI10), 20 % (HI20), 30 % (HI30) and 40 % (HI40) of fish meal (FM) in diets. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 30 fish per aquarium. Fish were fed two times daily to apparent satiation for 80 days. The results indicated that weight gain rate, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio were not appreciably reduced until more than 30 % of the FM protein was replaced with HI. Fish fed HI40 diet had the lowest fatty acid (C18:3, C20:5, C22:6) contents (P < 0.05). Moreover, the villi height was decreased, villi width and goblet cell number in hindgut was increased in the HI40 group compared with the other groups, respectively. Meanwhile, serum diamine oxidase activity, D-lactate and endotoxin contents increased markedly as the proportion of HI increased (P < 0.05). Notably, the increased dietary HI levels down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of cldnd1b and ocel1 in intestine. Higher malondialdehyde content and down-regulated expression of sod and gpx1a in the intestine were also observed in the HI40 group. Accordingly, the increased dietary HI levels upregulated the expression of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) and down-regulated anti-inflammatory cytokines (transcriptional growth factor-β1 and interleukin-10) (P < 0.05). In addition, the abundance of both intestinal Lactobacillus and Streptococcus increased significantly, while the abundance of Cetobacterium decreased in the HI20 group (P < 0.05). Broken-line model analysis based on weight gain rate against dietary HI replacement level indicated that the optimum replacement level was 26.79 %. However, including too high proportion of HI could induce intestinal dysbiosis, impair the intestine physical barrier, and finally reduced growth of Micropterus salmoides.

Protective Effect of Coated Benzoic Acid on Intestinal Epithelium in Weaned Pigs upon Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Challenge.

The study was designed to investigate the protective effect of dietary supplementation with coated benzoic acid (CBA) on intestinal barrier function in weaned pigs challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Thirty-two pigs were randomized to four treatments and given either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 3.0 g/kg CBA, followed by oral administration of ETEC or culture medium. The results showed that CBA supplementation increased the average daily weight gain (ADWG) in the ETEC-challenged pigs (p < 0.05). CBA also increased the serum activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), as it decreased the serum concentrations of endotoxin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the ETEC-challenged pigs (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the CBA alleviated the ETEC-induced intestinal epithelial injury, as indicated by a reversal of the decrease in D-xylose absorption and a decrease in the serum levels of D-lactate and diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, as well as a decrease in the quantity of apoptotic cells in the jejunal epithelium following ETEC challenge (p < 0.05). Moreover, CBA supplementation significantly elevated the mucosal antioxidant capacity and increased the abundance of tight junction protein ZO-1 and the quantity of sIgA-positive cells in the jejunal epithelium (p < 0.05). Notably, CBA increased the expression levels of porcine beta defensin 2 (PBD2), PBD3, and nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2), while downregulating the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the jejunal mucosa (p < 0.05). Moreover, CBA decreased the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in the ileal mucosa upon ETEC challenge (p < 0.05). These results suggest that CBA may attenuate ETEC-induced damage to the intestinal epithelium, resulting in reduced inflammation, enhanced intestinal immunity and antioxidant capacity, and improved intestinal epithelial function.

Dietary xylo-oligosaccharides alleviates LPS-induced intestinal injury via endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial system pathway in piglets.

The beneficial effects of xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) on the intestine have been widely reported, including anti-inflammation, antioxidant, maintenance of intestinal epithelial barrier, and treatment of intestinal injury. However, the specific mechanism of XOS in mitigating intestinal injury in weaned piglets remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the specific mechanism of XOS in mitigating intestinal injury. The study is a complete randomized design with 24 weaned piglets in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that includes diet treatments (basal diet vs 0.02% XOS) and immunological challenge [saline vs lipopolysaccharide (LPS)]. All piglets were fed a basal diet or a XOS diet for 21 days. On day 22, all piglets received an injection of LPS or saline. In this study, dietary XOS increased jejunal villus height, reduced crypt depth and oxidative stress, and enhanced the gene and protein expression of Claudin-1, Occludin, and zonula occludens 1 (P < 0.05). The piglets fed the XOS diet had lower serum Diamine oxidase activity and D-lactic acid content (P < 0.05). In addition, dietary XOS regulates endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria system function and the expression of key molecules, including mitochondrial dynamics dysfunction [mitofusin (Mfn)-1, optic atrophy 1, fission 1, and dynamin-related protein 1], ER stress [activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), ATF6, C/EBP homologous protein, eukaryotic initiation factor 2α, glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78, GRP94 and protein kinase R-like ER kinase] and the mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) disorders (Mfn2, GRP75 and voltage-dlependent anion channel 1) (P < 0.05). Therefore, the findings to indicate that dietary XOS is effective against LPS-induced jejunal injury may be attributed to its ability to alleviate mitochondrial dynamics dysfunction, ER stress, and MAM disorders.

Effect of serum diamine oxidase activity derived from response to chemotherapy on adverse events and serum amino acid concentrations for esophageal cancer.

55 Background: The relationship between activity of the small intestinal villi and the effectiveness of chemotherapy remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate how serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity affects antitumor effects, adverse events, and amino acid absorption. Methods: We performed a single-center prospective cohort study that enrolled 50 patients with esophageal cancer (EC) receiving docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil therapy. We determined the cut-off value of serum DAO activity contributing to a response to chemotherapy using a generalized additive model. Additionally, we compared adverse events, inflammatory markers, blood amino acid levels, and quality of life between the high and low DAO activity groups during chemotherapy. Results: The cut-off value of serum DAO activity at the first visit that contributed to a chemotherapy response was 6.5 units/L. Leukopenia and neutropenia of Grade ≥3 were significantly higher in the DAO low (&lt;6.5 units/L) group ( p = 0.044, 0.017, respectively). Interleukin-6 was significantly lower in the DAO high (≥6.5 units/L) group at the first visit and at 4 weeks after the end of chemotherapy ( p = 0.039, 0.011, respectively). Glutamine was higher in the DAO high group at all measurement points during chemotherapy. Fatigue was significantly lower in the DAO high group ( p = 0.001). Conclusions: Serum DAO activity may be a predictor of the response to chemotherapy in patients with EC. The absorption capacity of amino acids was maintained in the group with high DAO activity, which may have contributed to the anti-inflammatory effect and provided a background for reducing adverse events. Clinical trial information: UMIN000048273 .

Yinchenhao Decoction mitigates intestinal impairment induced by high carbohydrate diet in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): insights from inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, tight junctions, and microbiota homeostasis.

As a major source of energy, carbohydrates have a protein-saving effect. However, excessive consumption of carbohydrates can lead to the disruption of the intestinal barrier in fish, especially for carnivorous fish. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine component Yinchenhao Decoction (YD), was used to detect the effect on intestinal barriers and microbial community equilibrium for largemouth bass in current research. In this research, a series of NC (normal carbohydrate diet) and HC (high carbohydrate diet) with graded YD treatments during 10 weeks feeding trial. Results suggested that 2% and 4% YD treatments significantly reduced gut inflammation and mucosal loss caused by HC. Compared with NC, HC significantly decreased the relative expression of intestinal tight junction-related genes (zo1, claudin1, claudin7, and occludin). However, with the application of YD, the expression of tight junction-related genes (zo1, claudin1, and claudin7) increased significantly (p < 0.05). Likewise, administration of YD significantly reduced elevated plasma diamine oxidase (DAO) activity caused by HC (p < 0.05). Additionally, YD significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related genes (grp78, atf6, chopα, ire1, xbp1, and eifα) and pro-apoptosis genes (casp3, casp8, and bax) (p < 0.05), while upregulating the anti-apoptosis gene bcl2 (p < 0.05). Moreover, YD significantly increased the mRNA expression of antioxidant genes and the enzyme activities of CAT and GPX, while decreased MDA concentration significantly (p < 0.05). Whereas, YD markedly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory genes (il1β, tnfα, il8, and nf-κB) and the immune enzymes activity (ACP and AKP) (p < 0.05) by up-regulating the expression of anti-inflammatory genes (ikb and il10). Notably, YD modulated the largemouth bass intestinal microbial community, enhanced the diversity and increased the abundance of probiotic microorganisms in the intestinal microbiota. In summary, YD supplementation in HC alleviated inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress, tight-junction injury, and microbiota disequilibrium in the intestine, which suggested that YD could be a valuable functional additive in aquaculture.

Validation of New Micro-spectrophotometric Method to Determine Diamine Oxidase Activity in Serum

Validation of New Micro-spectrophotometric Method to Determine Diamine Oxidase Activity in Serum

Fermented Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) Supplementation Enhances Growth and Immune Function Parallel to the Regulation of Gut Microbial Butyrate Production in Weaned Piglets.

Weaning is a challenging period for piglets, characterized by stress-related growth checks, compromised immunity, and gut dysbiosis. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), known for its rich content of antioxidants, has potential as a functional feed ingredient. This study investigates the effects of feeding fermented purslane (FP) on the growth performance, immune function, intestinal microbiota, and metabolic profiles of weaned piglets. Forty-eight weaned piglets were randomly divided into two groups, with eight pens in each group and three pigs in each pen: a control diet (CON group) and a diet supplemented with 0.20% FP (FP group). The experiment lasted 28 days. The results show that FP supplementation did not affect the average daily feed intake (ADFI) but significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) during the initial 14 days post-weaning. FP supplementation decreased diarrhea occurrence, with a pronounced reduction from days 10 to 13 (p < 0.05). Immunologically, the FP group had a trend towards reduced serum IgA levels on day 14 (p < 0.10). Importantly, the serum concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were significantly reduced on both days 14 and 28 post-weaning. The antioxidative analysis showed increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decreased catalase (CAT) activities on day 14 (p < 0.05). In addition, FP supplementation significantly decreased serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and D-lactate levels by day 28, indicating a potential improvement in gut integrity. Fecal microbiota assessment demonstrated a distinctive clustering of microbial communities between the FP and CON groups, with an increase in the abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Tyzzerella, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group and a decrease in Lactobacillus, Bacillus, and Subdoligranulum in the FP group (p < 0.05). Functional predictions suggested that the relative abundance of microbial butyrate synthesis enzymes (EC 2.7.2.7 and EC 2.3.1.19) was significantly enhanced by FP treatment. This modulation was further corroborated by elevated fecal butyrate levels (p < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with FP promotes early-growth performance and has beneficial effects on immune function and intestinal health in weaned piglets. The enhancements may be attributed to distinct microbiota compositional changes and targeted modulation of microbial butyrate metabolism, which are crucial for piglet post-weaning adaptation and overall health.

Influence of Some Heterocyclic, Cyclic, and Nitrogen-Containing Compounds on Oxidative Deamination of Polyamines in a Cell-Free Test System.

We studied the effects of some nitrogen-containing, heterocyclic, and cyclic compounds on the rate of oxidative deamination of polyamines and putrescine in tissues with a high proliferation rate. For this purpose, the specific activities of the main enzymes of polyamine oxidative degradation - spermine oxidase (SMO), polyamine oxidase (PAO), and diamine oxidase (DAO) were determined using a cell-free test system from regenerating rat liver. The compounds methyl 2-(5-formylfuran-2-yl)benzoate and 2,7-bis-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]-9H-fluoren-9-one (and in the form of dihydrochloride) showed mainly activating effect on oxidative degradation of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, which indirectly indicates their antiproliferative effect. Nitrogen-free compounds inhibited this process, thus exhibiting potentially carcinogenic properties. Correlations were calculated for activity of DAO, PAO, and SMO with 5 topological indices: Wiener (W), Rouvray (R), Balaban (J) in the Trinaistich modification, detour (Ip), and electropy (Ie). The highest dependence was noted for DAO and the Balaban index (R=-0.55), for PAO and the detour index (R=0.78), and for SMO and the electropy index (R=0.53). The remaining dependencies showed insignificant correlation strength.

Establishing the link between D-mannose and juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella): Improved growth and intestinal structure associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitophagy, and apical junctional complexes

D-mannose, essential for protein glycosylation, has been reported to have immunomodulatory effects and to maintain intestinal flora homeostasis. In addition to evaluating growth performance, we examined the impact of D-mannose on the structure of epithelial cells and apical junction complexes in the animal intestine. All 1800 grass carp (16.20 ± 0.01 g) were randomly divided into six treatments with six replicates of 50 fish each and fed with six different levels of D-mannose (0.52, 1.75, 3.02, 4.28, 5.50 and 6.78 g/kg diet) for 70 d. The study revealed that D-mannose increased feed intake (P < 0.001) but did not affect the percent weight gain (PWG), special growth rate, and feed conversion ratio (P > 0.05). D-mannose supplementation at 1.75 g/kg increased crude protein content in fish and lipid production value (P < 0.05). D-mannose supplementation at 4.28 g/kg increased intestinal length, intestinal weight and fold height of grass carp compared to the control group (P < 0.05). This improvement may be attributed to the phosphomannose isomerase (PMI)-mediated enhancement of glycolysis. This study found that D-mannose supplementation at 4.28 or 3.02 g/kg reduced serum diamine oxidase activity or D-lactate content (P < 0.05) and improved cellular and intercellular structures for the first time. The improvement of cellular redox homeostasis involves alleviating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through the inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER kinase (PERK), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) signaling pathways. The alleviation of ER stress may be linked to the phosphomannomutase (PMM)-mediated enhancement of protein glycosylation. In addition, ubiquitin-dependent [PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin] and ubiquitin-independent [BCL2-interacting protein 3-like (BNIP3L), BCL2-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), and FUN14 domain containing 1 (FUNDC1)] mitophagy may play a role in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. The enhancement of intercellular structures includes enhancing tight junction and adherent junction structures, which may be closely associated with the small Rho GTPase protein (RhoA)/the Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway. In conclusion, D-mannose improved intestinal cellular redox homeostasis associated with ER stress and mitophagy pathways, and enhanced intercellular structures related to tight junctions and adherent junctions. Furthermore, quadratic regression analysis of the PWG and intestinal reactive oxygen species content indicated that the optimal addition level of D-mannose for juvenile grass carp was 4.61 and 4.59 g/kg, respectively.

Plant essential oils combined with organic acids restored lipopolysaccharide-induced leaky intestine via gut microbial modulation in weaned piglets

Intestine derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is closely related to systemic inflammation and disorders, yet little is known about its roles in the weanling stress of piglets and its potential as a nutritional intervention target. This study aimed to investigate the potential of essential oils (EO) and organic acids (OA) in mitigating weaning stress in piglets by modulating the circulation of intestine derived LPS. Seventy-two weaned piglets at 21 d old with body weight of 8.12 ± 0.168 kg were randomly divided into a control group (CON) and an experimental group, each consisting of six pens with six piglets per pen, and were fed either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 3 kg/t OA + 500 g/t EO (EO + OA). On the 14th day of the feeding trial, 12 weaned piglets were randomly selected from the CON group, and 6 piglets were selected from the experimental group. Based on diet composition and stress treatment, these 18 piglets were divided into the following three groups: 1) CON group. Piglets were fed a basal diet and received an intraperitoneal injection of saline as a control. 2) LPS group. Piglets were fed a basal diet and received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100 μg/kg body weight) to induce stress. 3) EO + OA + LPS group. Piglets were fed a basal diet supplemented with EO and OA and received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (100 μg/kg body weight) to induce stress. The results showed that EO + OA significantly ameliorated the oxidative imbalance and inflammation disorder induced by LPS in piglets' serum and intestine by inhibiting the activation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Furthermore, compared to the LPS group, supplementation with EO + OA restored LPS-induced reductions in Bcl-2 protein expression in the piglets' intestines (P < 0.05) and mitigated morphological damage; it also enhanced both the protein expression and relative gene expression of the tight junction proteins occludin and claudin-1 (P < 0.05), and reduced the plasma diamine oxidase activity (DAO) and LPS content (P < 0.05). Compared to the CON group, supplementation with EO + OA altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota, increasing beneficial bacteria relative abundance (Faecalibacterium) (P < 0.05) and decreasing harmful bacteria relative abundance [Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (P < 0.01), Negativibacillus (P < 0.05)]. Further analysis revealed that plasma LPS content in piglets was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium (r = −0.662, P = 0.021), Akkermansia (r = −0.492, P = 0.031), and average daily gain (ADG) (r = −0.912, P = 0.041). Plasma LPS content was also positively correlated with the plasma inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β (r = 0.591, P = 0.021), IL-6 (r = 0.623, P = 0.021), IL-12 (r = 561, P = 0.031) contents, and the relative abundance of Negativibacillus (r = 0.712, P = 0.041). In summary, the addition of EO + OA prevents the leakage of intestine derived LPS into the circulation by improving intestinal integrity and microbiota composition, thereby enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities and growth performance of weaned piglets.

Dietary supplementation with a silicate clay mineral (palygorskite) alleviates inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier damage in broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli

This experiment aimed to explore the protective effects of dietary palygorskite (Pal) supplementation on inflammatory responses and intestinal barrier function of broiler chickens challenged with Escherichia coli (E. coli). A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was designed to assess the effects of Pal administration (0 or 5 g/kg of feed) and E. coli challenge (E. coli or bacterial culture medium) on broilers in a 21-d feeding trial. Birds were randomly assigned into one of the 4 groups, and each group had 8 replicates with ten birds each. The challenged chickens were orally gavaged with E. coli suspended in Luria-Bertani broth on 14 d of age, while unchallenged birds were administrated with an equivalent amount of culture medium. The sampling was performed at 21 d of age. Compared with the normal birds, an oral E. coli challenge reduced final body weight, and decreased feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency during the challenge period (P < 0.05). E. coli challenge promoted colonization of E. coli in cecal content and their translocation to internal organs (heart, liver, and spleen) (P < 0.05). E. coli infection also increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in jejunum and ileum possibly through activating the toll-like receptor-4-mediated signaling pathway (P < 0.05). Moreover, E. coli administration increased intestinal mucosal permeability (higher serum D-lactate level and diamine oxidase activity, and lower intestinal mucosal disaccharidase activities), altered intestinal morphology, and downregulated the gene expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (P < 0.05). In contrast, Pal supplementation enhanced growth performance, inhibited colonization of E. coli, reduced intestinal inflammation, decreased intestinal permeability, restored intestinal morphology, and normalized the expression of genes responsible for inflammatory processes and maintenance of intestinal mucosal barrier (P < 0.05), and most of these beneficial effects resulting from Pal administration were independent of bacterial challenge. The results indicated dietary Pal incorporation was effective in improving growth performance and alleviating inflammation and intestinal mucosal barrier damage in broilers challenged with E. coli.

Effects of dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma treatment on quality maintenance, energy and γ-aminobutyric acid accumulation of fresh-cut carrots

The effects of a novel method non-thermal cold plasma (CP) treatment on microbial control, quality maintenance, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation of shred carrots were investigated. Results revealed CP treatment suppressed microbial growth and inhibited the increase in L* value and whiteness index, while stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species. Meanwhile, it also enhanced activities and transcriptions of glutamate decarboxylase and GABA transaminase in GABA shunt, and strengthened the polyamine degradation pathway via enhancing activities of diamine oxidase (DAO), polyamine oxidase (PAO), aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH), and the expression of DcPAO, thus in turn promoting GABA accumulation through facilitating the conversion from glutamate and polyamines into GABA. Moreover, CP treatment improved the energy status and reducing power by upregulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Therefore, these findings indicated that CP treatment was effective for microbial reduction, quality preservation, and GABA accumulation in fresh-cut carrots, thereby providing potential strategies for the preservation and processing of fresh-cut produce.

Protective effects of chlorogenic acid on the intestinal barrier of broiler chickens: an immunological stress model study

This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on inflammatory responses and intestinal health of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers. One hundred and forty-four 1-day-old male broiler chicks were divided into 3 groups with 6 replicates of 8 birds each. The groups were as follows: 1) Control group: birds fed a basal diet; 2) LPS group: LPS-challenged birds fed a basal diet; 3) CGA group: LPS-challenged birds fed a CGA-supplemented diet. The LPS was intraperitoneally administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight. CGA increased the weight gain and feed intake of LPS-challenged birds by 37.05% and 24.29%, respectively (P < 0.05). CGA also alleviated LPS-induced inflammation, as evidenced by lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum and jejunum (tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6), and the decreased myeloperoxidase activity in the jejunum (P < 0.05). These effects were accompanied by a decrease in the mRNA abundance of toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 and an inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B translocation in the jejunum (P < 0.05). CGA reduced circulating diamine oxidase activity and levels of D-lactate and endotoxin, and positively regulated the expression of jejunal claudin-3 and zonula occludens-1 in LPS-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). Compared to the LPS group, CGA reduced the apoptotic rate of epithelial cells and cytochrome c concentration in the jejunum, and normalized the expression of genes responsible for proliferation and apoptosis in jejunal epithelial cells, including cysteine aspartate-specific protease-9, B cell lymphoma-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (P < 0.05). Furthermore, CGA normalized the altered phosphorylation of protein kinase B and glycogen synthase kinase-3β, as well as the translocation of nuclear β-catenin in the jejunum of LPS-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). These results suggested that CGA supplementation improved growth performance, alleviated inflammation, and helped maintain intestinal integrity and barrier function in LPS-challenged broilers, possibly through the regulation of the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B and protein kinase B/Wnt/β-catenin pathways.