Monolaurin Research Articles

Responses of intestinal morphology, immunity, antioxidant status and cecal microbiota to the mixture of glycerol monolaurate and cinnamaldehyde in laying hens

This study was to determine the effects of the mixture of glycerol monolaurate and cinnamaldehyde (GCM) supplementation on the intestinal morphology, immunity, antioxidant status and cecal microbiota of laying hens. A total of 1,120 healthy laying hens (Jingfen-1 strain) at the age of 14 weeks were randomly divided into 4 groups with 10 replicates of 28 layers in each and layers were fed diets containing 0 (control group), or 250, 500, and 1,000 mg/kg GCM for 12 weeks. The results showed that dietary supplementation with GCM significantly increased intestinal villus height and villus height/crypt depth, duodenal villus area, total superoxide disumutase activities in the liver and jejunum, jejunal glutathione peroxidase activities while decreased duodenal and jejunal crypt depth, hydrogen peroxide content in the liver and jejunal malondialdehyde content of laying hens aging 28 weeks (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, GCM addition significantly increased serum immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin M concentration of layers at the age of 20, 24 and 28 weeks (P < 0.05). Moreover, it was observed in the 16S rRNA sequencing that the addition of GCM elevated the abundance and diversity of gut microbiota in laying hens. The predominant bacteria from each group were Bacteroidota and Firmicutes at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Lactobacillus were the dominant genera. The composition and structure of cecal microflora were changed by the addition of GCM to the diet of laying hens. In conclusion, the addition of GCM (500-1000 mg/kg diet) can improve intestinal morphology, immune function, intestinal and liver antioxidant status and intestinal flora of laying hens, thereby improving intestinal digestion and absorption capacity. These findings provide a new way to further explore the mechanism of GCM improving intestinal health.

Effects of dietary supplementation of glycerol monolaurate on laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and immune function in late-phase laying hens

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and immune function in late-phase laying hens. A total of 480 Hy-Line Variety Brown hens (age 54 wk) were randomly assigned to 5 treatments: the control group (basal diet) and 4 GML groups (basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg GML). Each treatment consisted of 8 replicates with 12 hens each and the trial lasted for 8 wk. The results showed that dietary inclusion of GML increased the ADFI in the entire experimental period and the average egg weight in wk 5 to 8 and wk 1 to 8 of the experiment (linear, P < 0.05). Dietary GML addition linearly increased albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk color, and quadratically increased eggshell thickness (P < 0.05). The serum SOD activity, T-AOC and IgG concentrations in the 200 mg/kg GML group, and GSH-Px activity in 200 and 300 mg/kg GML groups were increased, while the MDA concentration in 200 and 300 mg/kg GML groups was decreased than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The jejunal villus height and villus height: crypt depth in 300 mg/kg GML group were higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of TLR4, IL-1β and TNF-α in spleen and jejunum decreased with the increase of dietary GML concentration (linear, P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary GML supplementation could improve egg quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology and immune function in late-phase laying hens, and dietary 300 mg/kg GML inclusion is suggested.

Decoding a novel green and effective antimicrobial agent: Glycerol monolaurate stable in nanosystem

Food microbiological control is the key to protecting food quality. However, glycerol monolaurate (GML), as a generally recognized safe antimicrobial agent, limits its antibacterial activity due to its poor water solubility. Ultrasound-assisted construction of essential oil nanosystems is an ingenious way to solve the above problems. In this study, essential oil-based nanoemulsions (NEs) were constructed by replacing traditional oil phase with tea tree essential oil (TTO) stabilized GML and enhanced antibacterial properties. The results demonstrated that uniform droplets could only be formed when the GML content in the nanosystem was below 50 mg/mL. NEs showed favorable optical properties with a turbidity below 0.1 and a whiteness index below 35, and they were Newtonian fluids (viscosity <0.005 Pa s). Besides, the nanosystem exhibited excellent stability even at extreme pH (1 or 11) and high salt ion concentration (500 mM), where droplet sizes of above system were still less than 100 nm after 15 d. Notably, GML alone cannot exert effective antibacterial effects against E. coli and S. aureus, whereas the encapsulation of GML into the nanosystem allowed it to exert antibacterial activity successfully. Banana was selected to validate the availability of NEs, and the treated groups maintained their attractive appearances and quality after 20 d. Overall, this work developed a new nanosystem to stabilize GML, allowing it to exert antimicrobial activity effectively.

Unraveling How Antimicrobial Lipid Mixtures Disrupt Virus-Mimicking Lipid Vesicles: A QCM-D Study.

Single-chain lipid amphiphiles such as fatty acids and monoglycerides are promising antimicrobial alternatives to replace industrial surfactants for membrane-enveloped pathogen inhibition. Biomimetic lipid membrane platforms in combination with label-free biosensing techniques offer a promising route to compare the membrane-disruptive properties of different fatty acids and monoglycerides individually and within mixtures. Until recently, most related studies have utilized planar model membrane platforms, and there is an outstanding need to investigate how antimicrobial lipid mixtures disrupt curved model membrane platforms such as intact vesicle adlayers that are within the size range of membrane-enveloped virus particles. This need is especially evident because certain surfactants that completely disrupt planar/low-curvature membranes are appreciably less active against high-curvature membranes. Herein, we conducted quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) measurements to investigate the membrane-disruptive properties of glycerol monolaurate (GML) monoglyceride and lauric acid (LA) fatty acid mixtures to rupture high-curvature, ~75 nm diameter lipid vesicle adlayers. We identified that the vesicle rupture activity of GML/LA mixtures mainly occurred above the respective critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each mixture, and that 25/75 mol% GML/LA micelles exhibited the greatest degree of vesicle rupture activity with ~100% efficiency that exceeded the rupture activity of other tested mixtures, individual compounds, and past reported values with industrial surfactants. Importantly, 25/75 GML/LA micelles outperformed 50/50 GML/LA micelles, which were previously reported to have the greatest membrane-disruptive activity towards planar model membranes. We discuss the mechanistic principles behind how antimicrobial lipid engineering can influence membrane-disruptive activity in terms of optimizing the balance between competitive membrane remodeling processes and inducing anisotropic vs. isotropic spontaneous curvature in lipid membrane systems.

Enhanced Antioxidative Capacity Transfer between Sow and Fetus via the Gut-Placenta Axis with Dietary Selenium Yeast and Glycerol Monolaurate Supplementation during Pregnancy.

This study aims to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation with selenium yeast (SeY) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the transfer of antioxidative capacity between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and its underlying mechanisms. A total of 160 sows with similar body weight and parity of 3-6 parity sows were randomly and uniformly allocated to four groups (n = 40) as follows: CON group, SeY group, GML group, and SG (SeY + GML) group. Animal feeding started from the 85th day of gestation and continued to the day of delivery. The supplementation of SeY and GML resulted in increased placental weight and reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in sow plasma, placental tissues, and piglet plasma. Furthermore, the redox balance and inflammatory markers exhibited significant improvements in the plasma of sows fed with either SeY or GML, as well as in their offspring. Moreover, the addition of SeY and GML activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, while downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins associated with inflammatory pathways (MAPK and NF-κB). Vascular angiogenesis and nutrient transportation (amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose) were upregulated, whereas apoptosis signaling pathways within the placenta were downregulated with the supplementation of SeY and GML. The integrity of the intestinal and placental barriers significantly improved, as indicated by the increased expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, along with reduced levels of DLA and DAO with dietary treatment. Moreover, supplementation of SeY and GML increased the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Clostridium_sensus_stricto_1, and Bacteroidota, while decreasing levels of gut microbiota metabolites LPS and trimethylamine N-oxide. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative relationship between plasma LPS levels and placental weight, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In summary, dietary supplementation of SeY and GML enhanced the transfer of antioxidative capacity between maternal-fetal during pregnancy via gut-placenta axis through modulating sow microbiota composition.

Influence of medium chain fatty acids on selected microbes and on in vitro ruminal fermentation of air-exposed corn silage.

Several medium chain fatty acids and different chemical forms of these acids were evaluated in vitro as treatments of aerobically-exposed corn silage against spoilage and pathogenic microbes and for effects on rumen fermentation. Treatments were control (no additive), myristate (MY), laurate (LA), monolaurin (MLA), methyl ester laurate (MELA), a blend of mono-, di- and triglycerides of laurate (BLA), and monocaprylate (MC). After 24 h of aerobic incubation (37°C), yeast and mold growth were not influenced (P > 0.05) by treatments, while the net growth of lactic acid bacteria was decreased, albeit slightly, compared to that by untreated controls (P < 0.01) by all treatments of the air-exposed corn silage. Compared with controls, wild-type enterococci were decreased (P < 0.01) in MLA, MELA, and BLA. Staphylococcus aureus was reduced (P < 0.01) with MLA, MELA, BLA, and MC. Total aerobes showed reductions (P < 0.01) with MLA, BLA, and MC. Listeria monocytogenes numbers were reduced (P < 0.01) with MELA. Anaerobic incubation (24 h; 39°C) of ruminal fluid (10 mL) with 0.2 g air-exposed and MCFA-treated corn silage revealed higher hydrogen accumulations (P < 0.01) with MLA and MC over the control treatment. Methane was decreased (P < 0.01) solely by MLA. There was an increase (P < 0.01) of acetate with MELA and MC; of propionate with MELA or by BLA; and of butyrate with MLA, MELA, BLA, and MC. Total VFA, hexose fermented, and ammonia were increased (P < 0.01) with MELA, BLA, and MC. The acetate:propionate ratio was increased (P < 0.01) with MC. The results showed that treatment of air-exposed corn silage with esterified MCFA had no effect on yeasts and molds but prevented propagation or reduced populations of some unwanted and potentially desirable bacteria. Modest methane reduction was seen during in vitro incubation of rumen fluid suspensions with MLA-treated silage and ammonia accumulations were increased in esterified MCFA-treated silage. Little, if any, other detrimental effects on beneficial ruminal fermentation characteristics were observed.

Membrane-Disruptive Effects of Fatty Acid and Monoglyceride Mitigants on E. coli Bacteria-Derived Tethered Lipid Bilayers.

We report electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to characterize the membrane-disruptive properties of medium-chain fatty acid and monoglyceride mitigants interacting with tethered bilayer lipid membrane (tBLM) platforms composed of E. coli bacterial lipid extracts. The tested mitigants included capric acid (CA) and monocaprin (MC) with 10-carbon long hydrocarbon chains, and lauric acid (LA) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) with 12-carbon long hydrocarbon chains. All four mitigants disrupted E. coli tBLM platforms above their respective critical micelle concentration (CMC) values; however, there were marked differences in the extent of membrane disruption. In general, CA and MC caused larger changes in ionic permeability and structural damage, whereas the membrane-disruptive effects of LA and GML were appreciably smaller. Importantly, the distinct magnitudes of permeability changes agreed well with the known antibacterial activity levels of the different mitigants against E. coli, whereby CA and MC are inhibitory and LA and GML are non-inhibitory. Mechanistic insights obtained from the EIS data help to rationalize why CA and MC are more effective than LA and GML at disrupting E. coli membranes, and these measurement capabilities support the potential of utilizing bacterial lipid-derived tethered lipid bilayers for predictive assessment of antibacterial drug candidates and mitigants.

Effects of a mixture of glycerol monolaurate and cinnamaldehyde supplementation on laying performance, egg quality, and antioxidant status in laying hens.

This study aimed to determine the effects of a mixture of glycerol monolaurate and cinnamaldehyde (GCM) supplementation on the laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and serum parameters of laying hens. A total of 1120 14-week-old Jingfen-1 strain laying hens with similar performance were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments: control, and GCM groups supplemented with 250, 500, or 1000 mg kg-1 for 12 weeks. Compared with the control group, GCM-supplemented groups significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the rate of unqualified eggs of laying hens aged 17-24 weeks. Supplementation of GCM significantly increased (P < 0.05) yolk color and serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity but decreased (P < 0.05) the hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) content in the serum of laying hens at the age of 20 weeks. Furthermore, groups supplemented with GCM showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in Haugh unit, yolk color, activities of total superoxide dismutase and GSH-Px, and the glucose content in serum, and a decrease (P < 0.05) in the content of urea nitrogen and H2 O2 and malondialdehyde in serum of laying hens at the age of 24 weeks. 500 mg kg-1 GCM supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) the number of large white follicles and 1000 mg kg-1 GCM supplementation decreased the number of large yellow follicles in 28-week-old laying hens. These results indicated that GCM supplementation has positive effects on reducing egg loss and improving egg quality in the early laying period of laying hens. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A novel LC-MS/MS method to characterize the antimicrobial lipid glycerol monolaurate in global human milk

Glycerol monolaurate (GML), a monoglyceride found in human milk (HM), has antimicrobial properties against a broad spectrum of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In this study, an LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantifying GML in HM based on quantification of two distinct isomers, 1-monolaurin and 2-monolaurin. The method validation included assessments of selectivity (no interferences), linearity (r2 range of 0.9954– 0.9985 and 96 of 98 individual points having residual <15%), accuracy (average recovery of 96.4% across both isomers and a range of spiked levels), and precision (total GML repeatability 6.6% RSD and intermediate precision 9.7% RSD). This validated method was used to measure the concentration of GML in unpasteurized HM from 60 mothers and compared geographical locations (Cincinnati and Shanghai), lactation time (weeks 2 and 26), and self-reported maternal allergy status (yes or no). Our findings suggest GML concentration in unpasteurized HM is considerably lower than previously reported in a study characterizing pasteurized HM. The data reported here highlights a novel, validated method used to quantify GML in HM and identified no differences in total GML concentrations when comparing HM from different geographical locations, lactation times, and mother’s allergy status.

Effect of mouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate on oral Helicobacter pylori relating to biofilm eradication, anti-adhesion, and pro-inflammatory cytokine suppression

Background/purposeHelicobacter pylori has been found to be related to periodontitis, and the oral cavity has been considered a reservoir for H. pylori gastritis infection. Thus, this study evaluated the effect of mouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate on inhibiting H. pylori growth, biofilm formation, cell cytotoxicity, adhesion ability, cagA mRNA expression, and pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulated by H. pylori. Materials and methodsNineteen H. pylori strains were isolated from the oral cavity. The effectiveness of mouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate was examined for its ability to inhibit H. pylori growth and biofilm formation and was tested for cell viability in oral epithelial cells (H357), gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS), and periodontal ligament cells (PDL). Additionally, the mouthwash was tested for reducing cagA mRNA expression, adhesion ability to H357 and AGS cells, and pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulated with H. pylori in AGS and PDL cells. ResultsThe mouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate could eradicate the biofilm by 14.9–19.9% after incubation at 5 min, and cell viability revealed 77.2, 79.8, and 100.0% for AGS, H357, and PDL cells, respectively. Moreover, the mouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate could down-regulate cagA mRNA expression, reduce adhesion of H. pylori by approximately 9.5–47.8% for H357 cells and 24.5–62.9% for AGS cells, and decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially interleukin-8, stimulated with H. pylori. ConclusionMouthwash containing poly l-Lysine and glycerol monolaurate could inhibit H. pylori growth and reduce their virulence expression. The mouthwash also revealed low cytotoxicity to oral and gastric cells.

Glycerol monolaurate improves growth, lipid utilization and antioxidative status of white-leg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei fed with varying protein-lipid diets reared in inland saline water

Higher lipid at suboptimum dietary protein level can be a suitable approach to formulate cost-effective feed for cultured fish. However, excess lipid may cause metabolic burden to animals resulted in growth retardation with lipid deposition. Therefore, a feeding trial of 60 days was conducted to assess the effect of glycerol monolaurate (GML) supplemented in varying protein and lipid diets on growth, lipid utilization, antioxidant status and biochemical indices of white-leg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei juveniles reared in inland saline water (ISW). Accordingly, three hetero-lipidic (5–9% lipid), hetero-nitrogenous (30–36% CP), and hetero-energetic (379–400 Kcal DE/100 g) diets with three levels of GML (0%, 0.07% and 0.1%) were formulated for nine diets viz. P36L5G0 (36% CP, 5% lipid and 0% GML), P36L5G0.07 (36% CP, 5% lipid and 0.07% GML), P36L5G0.1 (36% CP, 5% lipid and 0.1% GML), P33L7G0 (33% CP, 7% lipid and 0% GML), P33L7G0.07 (33% CP, 7% lipid and 0.07% GML), P33L7G0.1 (33% CP, 7% lipid and 0.1% GML), P30L9G0 (30% CP, 9% lipid and 0% GML), P30L9G0.07 (30% CP, 9% lipid and 0.07% GML) and P30L9G0.1 (30% CP, 9% lipid and 0.1% GML). Five hundred and forty P. vannamei juveniles (4.02 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed following 3 × 3 factorial design. Highest (p < 0.05) weight gain. Specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, lipid efficiency ratio, whole body protein with lowest feed conversion ratio, whole body lipid, and hepatopancreas–somatic index was recorded in P33L7G0.1 group. Hepatopancreatic amylase and lipase activities increased (p < 0.05) significantly while protease activity decreased in relation to increased levels of dietary lipid. However, supplementing GML resulted in increased (p < 0.05) activity of all digestive enzymes and highest activity was found in 0.1% GML fed group. Lipid metabolic enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 activities were found maximum (p < 0.05) in P33L7G0.1 group and lowest in P36L5G0 group. Hepatopancreatic and branchial superoxide dismutase and catalase activities showed a decreased (p < 0.05) and increased trend with dietary lipid levels, while GML reduced the activities and lowest activity recorded in P33L7G0.1 group. Shrimps of 9% lipid group exhibited highest serum malondialdehyde, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels but 0.1% GML significantly showed the lowest levels that other groups. Higher hemocyanin and total protein observed in 33% dietary protein and 0.1% GML fed group. Therefore, 33% protein, 7% lipid with 0.1% GML is optimum for maximum growth performance, lipid utilization, whole body protein, and antioxidative status of white-leg shrimp, P. vannamei juveniles reared in ISW of 10 ppt.

Glycerol Monolaurate Inhibits Wild-Type African Swine Fever Virus Infection in Porcine Macrophages.

Naturally abundant antimicrobial lipids, such as fatty acids and monoglycerides, that disrupt membrane-enveloped viruses are promising mitigants to inhibit African swine fever virus (ASFV). Among mitigant candidates in this class, glycerol monolaurate (GML) has demonstrated particularly high antiviral activity against laboratory-adapted ASFV strains. However, there is an outstanding need to further determine the effects of GML on wild-type ASFV strains, which can have different virulence levels and sensitivities to membrane-disrupting compounds as compared to laboratory-adapted strains. Herein, we investigated the antiviral effects of GML on a highly virulent strain of a wild-type ASFV isolate (Armenia/07) in an in vitro porcine macrophage model. GML treatment caused a concentration-dependent reduction in viral infectivity, and there was a sharp transition between inactive and active GML concentrations. Low GML concentrations had negligible effect on viral infectivity, whereas sufficiently high GML concentrations caused a >99% decrease in viral infectivity. The concentration onset of antiviral activity matched the critical micelle concentration (CMC) value of GML, reinforcing that GML micelles play a critical role in enabling anti-ASFV activity. These findings validate that GML can potently inhibit wild-type ASFV infection of porcine macrophages and support a biophysical explanation to guide antimicrobial lipid performance optimization for pathogen mitigation applications.

Glycerol monolaurate improves intestinal morphology and antioxidant status by suppressing inflammatory responses and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling in lipopolysaccharide-exposed chicken embryos

Medium-chain fatty acids and their derivatives are natural ingredients that support immunological functions in animals. The effects of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on intestinal innate immunity and associated molecular mechanisms were investigated using a chicken embryo model. Sixty-four Arbor Acres broiler embryos were randomly allocated into four groups. On embryonic day 17.5, the broiler embryos were administered with 9 mg of GML, which was followed by a 12-h incubation period and a 12-h challenge with 32 μg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). On embryonic day 18.5, the jejunum and ileum were harvested. Results indicated that GML reversed the LPS-induced decline in villus height and upregulated the expression of mucin 2 (P < 0.05). GML decreased LPS-induced malondialdehyde production and boosted antioxidant enzyme activity (P < 0.05). GML alleviated LPS-stimulated intestinal secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (P < 0.05). GML also normalized LPS-induced changes in the gene expression of Toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor kappa-B p65 (NF-κB p65), cyclooxygenase-2, NOD-like receptor protein 3, IL-18, zonula occludens 1, and occludin (P < 0.05). GML enhanced as well the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase α1 and claudin 1 (P < 0.05). In conclusion, GML improved intestinal morphology and antioxidant status by alleviating inflammatory responses and modulating NF-κB signaling in LPS-challenged broiler embryos.

Glycerol monolaurate improved intestinal barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota dysbiosis in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) fed with high soybean oil diets

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a potential candidate for regulating metabolic syndrome and inflammatory response. However, the role of GML in modulating intestinal health in fish has not been well determined. In this study, a 70-d feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of GML on intestinal barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota community of large yellow croaker (13.05 ± 0.09 g) fed with high level soybean oil (SO) diets. Two basic diets with fish oil (FO) or SO were formulated. Based on the SO group diet, three different levels of GML 0.02% (SO0.02), 0.04% (SO0.04) and 0.08% (SO0.08) were supplemented respectively. Results showed that intestinal villus height and perimeter ratio were increased in SO0.04 treatment compared with the SO group. The mRNA expressions of intestinal physical barrier-related gene odc and claudin-11 were significantly up-regulated in different addition of GML treatments compared with the SO group. Fish fed SO diet with 0.04% GML addition showed higher activities of acid phosphatase and lysozyme compared with the SO group. The content of malonaldehyde was significantly decreased and activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase were significantly increased in 0.02% and 0.04% GML groups compared with those in the SO group. The mRNA transcriptional levels of inflammatory response-related genes (il-1β, il-6, tnf-α and cox-2) in 0.04% GML treatment were notably lower than those in the SO group. Meanwhile, sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA V4–V5 region showed that GML addition changed gut microbiota structure and increased alpha diversity of large yellow croaker fed diets with a high level of SO. The correlation analysis results indicated that the change of intestinal microbiota relative abundance strongly correlated with intestinal health indexes. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that 0.02%–0.04% GML addition could improve intestinal morphology, physical barrier, antioxidant capacity, inflammatory response and microbiota dysbiosis of large yellow croaker fed diets with a high percentage of SO.

Effects of monolaurin on intestinal barrier, blood biochemical profile, immunity and antioxidant function in porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus-infected piglets.

The effects of monolaurin (ML) on the health of piglets infected with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) have not been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate its role in blood biochemical profile, intestinal barrier function, antioxidant function and the expression of antiviral genes in piglets infected with PEDV. Thirty-two piglets were randomly divided into four groups: control group, ML group, PEDV group and ML + PEDV group. Piglets were orally administrated with ML at a dose of 100 mg/kg·BW for 7 d before PEDV infection. Results showed that PEDV infection significantly decreased D-xylose content and increased intestinal fatty acid-binding protein content, indicating that PEDV infection destroyed intestinal barrier and absorption function. While it could be repaired by ML administration. Moreover, ML administration significantly decreased plasma blood urea nitrogen and total protein content upon PEDV infection. These results suggested ML may increase protein utilisation efficiency. ML administration significantly decreased the number of large unstained cells and Hb and increased the number of leucocytes and eosinophils in the blood of PEDV-infected piglets, indicating ML could improve the immune defense function of the body. In the presence of PEDV infection, ML administration significantly increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in blood and colon, respectively, indicating ML could improve antioxidant capacity. Besides, ML administration reversed the expression of ISG15, IFIT3 and IL-29 throughout the small intestine and Mx1 in jejunum and ileum, indicating the body was in recovery from PEDV infection. This study suggests that ML could be used as a kind of feed additive to promote swine health upon PEDV infection.

Drug-excipient compatibility studies in formulation development: A case study with benznidazole and monoglycerides

Monoglycerides (MGs) such as glycerol monolaurate (GML) and glycerol monostearate (GMS) have been used as excipients in oral formulations because of their emulsifying effect as well as their ability to inhibit the precipitation and intestinal efflux of drugs. Excipient-drug compatibility studies, however, have been underexplored. In this study, benznidazole (BNZ) was selected as a drug model due to the difficulty in improving its solubility and because of the potential impact on public health (it is the only drug currently used to treat Chagas disease). The effect of different processing conditions (maceration, ball milling, and melting) on the physical-chemistry properties of BNZ/MGs mixtures was investigated to guide the rational development of new solid formulations. GML was more effective in improving the solubility of BNZ, which could be due to its more malleable structure, less hydrophobic nature, and greater interaction with BNZ. The formation of hydrogen bonds between the imidazole group of BNZ and the polar region of GML was confirmed by spectroscopy analyses (IR, 1H NMR). The higher the monoglyceride content in the mixture, the higher the BNZ solubility. Regardless of the method of processing the mixture, the drug was found to be crystalline. Polarized light microscopy analysis showed the presence of spherulites. Overall, these findings suggest that preparation methods of BNZ:MGs formulations that involve thermal or/and mechanical treatment have a low impact on the solid properties of the material, and this allows for the production of formulations with reproducible performance.

The Effect of Glycerol Monolaurate on Intestinal Health and Disease Resistance in Cage-Farmed Juvenile Pompano Trachinotus ovatus.

This research studied the effects of glycerol monolaurate (GML) to diets on the digestive capacity, intestinal structure, intestinal microbiota, and disease resistance for juvenile pompano Trachinotus ovatus (mean weight = 14.00 ± 0.70 g). T. ovatus were, respectively, fed six diets containing 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25% GML for 56 days. The highest weight gain rate was observed in the 0.15% GML group. In the intestine, amylase activities in the 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25% GML groups were significantly increased, compared with 0.00% GML group (P < 0.05). Lipase activities in the 0.10 and 0.15% GML groups were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Similar significant elevations in the protease activities were also found in the 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20% GML groups (P < 0.05). Amylase activities were significantly higher in the 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, and 0.25% GML groups than that in the 0.00% GML group (P < 0.05). Villus lengths (VL) and muscle thicknesses (MT) of the 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20% GML groups were significantly enhanced, and the villus widths (VW) in the 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15% groups were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Additionally, 0.15% GML significantly improved the intestinal immunity by upregulating interleukin 10 (il-10), increasing beneficial bacteria abundances (e.g., Vibrio, Pseudomonas, and Cetobacterium), downregulating nuclear factor kappa b (nf-κb) and interleukin 8 (il-8), and decreasing harmful bacteria abundances (e.g., Brevinema and Acinetobacter) (P < 0.05). After challenge test, GML significantly increased the survival rate (80%-96%) (P < 0.05). In addition, ACP and AKP activities in the GML-supplemented groups were significantly higher than those in the 0.00% GML group, and LZM activity was significantly higher in the 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20% GML groups than that in the 0.00% GML group (P < 0.05). In summary, 0.15% GML significantly promoted the intestinal digestibility, improved the intestinal microflora, regulated intestinal immune-related genes, and increased resistance to V. parahaemolyticus of juvenile pompano T. ovatus.

Preventative and therapeutic potential of animal milk components against COVID-19: A comprehensive review.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 is considered one of the most catastrophic events on earth. During the pandemic, food ingredients may play crucial roles in preventing infectious diseases and sustaining people's general health and well-being. Animal milk acts as a super food since it has the capacity to minimize the occurrence of viral infections due to inherent antiviral properties of its ingredients. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection can be prevented by immune-enhancing and antiviral properties of caseins, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, mucin, lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, oligosaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, and glycerol monolaurate. Some of the milk proteins (i.e., lactoferrin) may work synergistically with antiviral medications (e.g., remdesivir), and enhance the effectiveness of treatment in this disease. Cytokine storm during COVID-19 can be managed by casein hydrolyzates, lactoferrin, lysozyme, and lactoperoxidase. Thrombus formation can be prevented by casoplatelins as these can inhibit human platelet aggregation. Milk vitamins (i.e., A, D, E, and B complexes) and minerals (i.e., Ca, P, Mg, Zn, and Se) can have significantly positive effects on boosting the immunity and health status of individuals. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals can also act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antivirals. Thus, the overall effect of milk might be a result of synergistic antiviral effects and host immunomodulator activities from multiple components. Due to multiple overlapping functions of milk ingredients, they can play vital and synergistic roles in prevention as well as supportive agents during principle therapy of COVID-19.

Synergistic lubrication of organic friction modifiers in boundary lubrication regime by molecular dynamics simulations

The synergistic effect of organic friction modifiers (OFMs) combining glycerol monolaurate (GML) and tri-n-octylamine (N888) in base oil is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The adsorption and shear behaviors indicate that the triple-chains N888 molecules intersperse among the long-chain GLM molecules to form an intercoordination adsorption film. The system with a number ratio of 3:1 of GML to N888 shows a better synergistic lubrication with the lowest friction coefficient. The chemisorption of GML molecules on Fe2O3 surface is verified by density function theory. High shear velocity accompanying friction heat causes adsorption film breakage and high friction, while contact pressure conduces to friction reduction. The synergistic lubrication is attributed to the interface slip between base oil and OFM films, rather than the interlaminar shear caused by an imbalanced combination or high shear velocity.

Squid-inspired photonic-ionic skin with anti-freezing, drying-tolerance, and antibacterial abilities for wirelessly interactive multi-sensing

Squid skins can actively transduce complex environmental information into bioelectrical and color-change signals. Here, inspired by squid skins, we present a novel photonic-ionic skin (PIskin) capable of outputting electrical/optical signals synergistically, featuring anti-freezing, drying-tolerance and antibacterial abilities. The PIskin was developed by hierarchical self-assembly strategy of antibacterial glycerol monolaurate (GML) in a poly-(diacetone acrylamide-co-acrylamide) gel matrix, followed by solvent displacement method of introducing PEG200 and ionic liquids (ILs). It demonstrates dual-signal reporting and intelligent identification capabilities for strain, pressure and temperature, using mechanochromism, ionic mechanotransduction and ionic thermosensitivity respectively. Furthermore, PIskin possesses long-term stability (>20 d) in ambient air and maintains high stretchablility, bright structural color and outstanding conductivity even stay at extreme conditions (-20 °C–80 °C). Notably, the GML and ILs endow the PIskin with significant antibacterial ability for Gram-positive bacteria and fungus (>99.9% antibacterial rate). Based on these remarkable capabilities, the PIskin is integrated with Bluetooth transmission system to build an interactive wearable sensor for real-time remote digital/visual feedback of joint motion and tactile sensation (such as temperature and pressure), realizing wirelessly visual multi-sensing. This investigation provides a general and enlightening design strategy for constructing high-performance interactive skins based on photonic gels, and opens up more possibilities for meeting specific requirements in practical applications of wearable flexible devices, soft intelligent robots, human–machine interfaces and so on.