Organic Acid Profiles Research Articles

Legume Integration Augments the Forage Productivity and Quality in Maize-Based System in the Loess Plateau Region

The changing climate, inadequate water supply, insufficient agricultural inputs, decreasing in agricultural arable land areas under forage crops of Northwestern Loess Plateau region, expanding livestock population, increasing demands for meat and milk production, and food and feed security concerns all insist on a necessary requirement in forage quality production. Cereal–legume mixed-cropping is a biological approach to enhancing herbage yield and quality of upgraded animal feed (forage and silage). However, little information exists about the appropriate mixing seeding ratios and its impacts on yield and quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the forage yield and nutritional quality of maize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in mono-and mixed-cropping approaches at the seeding proportions of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 45:55, 25:75, and 0:100 in 2019 and 2020 in Northwestern Loess Plateau region. A randomized complete block design with four replicates was used in this experiment. The results indicated that forage quality was significantly affected by the mixture ratios. The land equivalent ratio (LER) of all mixed-cropping treatments greater than 1.0, in which maize–common bean at the 50:50 seeding ratio achieved higher LER (1.46) than that of other treatments, showing that mixed-cropping combination systems are better users of land resources. Laboratory forage quality analysis and Pearson correlation analysis showed that the relative feed value had highly positive correlation with total digestible nutrients and relative forage quality in mixed-cropping treatments. Our results showed that fresh forage yield and dry matter yield were higher in monocropped maize forage than in other intercropped forages, whereas crude protein yield was lower compared with other mixed cropping forages. After 60 days of ensiling, the highest organic acid profile and ammonia-nitrogen were observed in M25:CB75 silage compared with other silages. The highest ensilability of fermentation coefficient was also found in M50:CB50 compared with other intercropped silages. Regarding forage preservation, silage showed higher contents of crude protein, relative feed value and lower crude fiber, water-soluble carbohydrate neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents than forage. This study determined that the ratios of maize–common bean 25:75 and 50:50 were the most desirable mixture ratios among mixed-cropped forage and silage based on chemical composition and quality analysis for livestock feeding.

Aspergillus spp. isolated from the bovine gastrointestinal tract improve organic acid profiles in Urochloa decumbens fermentation

During the dry season, high productivity of cattle cannot be sustained through the supply of tropical forage alone, and microbial additives or probiotics represent potential alternatives to improve the performance of animals raised on pastures. In the present study, we evaluated organic acid profiles following the in vitro fermentation of Urochloa decumbens mediated by Aspergillus spp. isolated from the bovine digestive tract. Twenty fungal isolates were evaluated after 96 and 144 h of fermentation of U. decumbens hay (UDH) in saline solution, Sabouraud dextrose broth, or ruminal fluid. Following fermentation, organic acids in the culture media were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography. The production of major fermentation acids differed across fermentation times, fungal isolates, and culture media. Using UDH in saline solution as the sole substrate, gluconic acid was the major fermentation product of fungal isolates. Fermentation of UDH in Sabouraud dextrose broth produced butyric, citric, and propionic acids. Fermentation of UDH in ruminal fluid produced acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, with significant and positive correlations among their production. Five selected isolates increased propionate proportion relative to the control, indicating potential as additives or probiotics for ruminants receiving fiber-rich diets.

Cytokinin and abscisic acid alleviate drought stress through changing organic acids profile, ion immolation, and fatty acid profile to improve yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars.

There is an increasing interest for plant hormones to modulate the harmful effects of drought on crops. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of foliar-applied cytokin (CK) and abscisic acid (ABA) on yield, organic acids, minerals, and fatty acid profile of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (MV17 and Pishgam) in response to drought stress. The results showed drought significantly decreased grain yield and biomass, but they were enhanced by CK and ABA application. Acetic acid increased under drought stress conditions, and the remarkable increase (~ twofold) in succinic acid content was observed with ABA application under drought stress in MV17 cultivar. In general, droughtstress decreased malic acid, pyruvic acid, and citric acid, but CK enhanced them. The leaf accumulations of potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), iron (Fe2+), and zinc (Zn2+) decreased by drought, where its reduction in MV17 was greater than Pishgam. However, an increased sodium (Na+) content was observed in plants experiencing drought with non-foliar application of ABA and CK. The plant growth hormones especially CK increased K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+, but decreased Na+. Fatty acid profile showed increased polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids upon the drought stress. According to heat map, organic acids represented the maximum variations but fatty acids showed the minimum change during the treatments. The present study recommended foliar-applied CK to alleviate drought stress on wheat yield.

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce Grown in Different Mixtures of Monogastric-Based Manure With Lunar and Martian Soils.

The supplementation of bioactive compounds in astronaut’s diets is undeniable, especially in the extreme and inhospitable habitat of future space settlements. This study aims to enhance the Martian and Lunar regolith fertility (testing two commercial simulants) through the provision of organic matter (manure) as established by in situ resource utilization (ISRU) approach. In this perspective, we obtained 8 different substrates after mixing Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1) or Lunar Highlands Simulant (LHS-1), with four different rates of manure (0, 10, 30, and 50%, w/w) from monogastric animals. Then, we assessed how these substrates can modulate fresh yield, organic acid, carotenoid content, antioxidant activity, and phenolic profile of lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.). Regarding fresh biomass production, MMS-1-amended substrates recorded higher yields than LHS-1-ones; plants grown on a 70:30 MMS-1/manure mixture produced the highest foliar biomass. Moreover, we found an increase in lutein and β-carotene content by + 181 and + 263%, respectively, when applying the highest percentage of manure (50%) compared with pure simulants or less-amended mixtures. The 50:50 MMS-1/manure treatment also contained the highest amounts of individual and total organic acids, especially malate content. The highest antioxidant activity for the ABTS assay was recorded when no manure was added. The highest content of total hydroxycinnamic acids was observed when no manure was added, whereas ferulic acid content (most abundant compound) was the highest in 70:30 simulant/manure treatment, as well as in pure LHS-1 simulant. The flavonoid content was the highest in pure-simulant treatment (for most of the compounds), resulting in the highest total flavonoid and total phenol content. Our findings indicate that the addition of manure at specific rates (30%) may increase the biomass production of lettuce plants cultivated in MMS-1 simulant, while the phytochemical composition is variably affected by manure addition, depending on the stimulant. Therefore, the agronomic practice of manure amendment showed promising results; however, it must be tested with other species or in combination with other factors, such as fertilization rates and biostimulants application, to verify its applicability in space colonies for food production purposes.

Association between EEG Paroxysmal Abnormalities and Levels of Plasma Amino Acids and Urinary Organic Acids in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abnormalities in the plasma amino acid and/or urinary organic acid profile have been reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activity has been proposed as a mechanism to explain dysfunctional brain networks in ASD, as also suggested by the increased risk of epilepsy in this disorder. This study explored the possible association between presence of EEG paroxysmal abnormalities and the metabolic profile of plasma amino acids and urinary organic acids in children with ASD. In a sample of 55 children with ASD (81.8% male, mean age 53.67 months), EEGs were recorded, and 24 plasma amino acids and 56 urinary organic acids analyzed. EEG epileptiform discharges were found in 36 (65%) children. A LASSO regression, adjusted by age and sex, was applied to evaluate the association of plasma amino acids and urinary organic acids profiles with the presence of EEG epileptiform discharges. Plasma levels of threonine (THR) (coefficient = −0.02, p = 0.04) and urinary concentration of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaric acid (HMGA) (coefficient = 0.04, p = 0.02) were found to be associated with the presence of epileptiform discharges. These results suggest that altered redox mechanisms might be linked to epileptiform brain activity in ASD.

Effect of Genetics and Climate on Apple Sugars and Organic Acids Profiles

Apple is widely cultivated in temperate regions. The beneficial properties of apple for preventing several illnesses are widely known. Nevertheless, qualitative variables such as sweetness or sourness may influence consumer satisfaction; they are critical factors for fruit consumption and essential in plant breeding. In the present work, 155 apple accessions were assessed during five consecutive years (2014–2018). Four individual sugars and seven organic acids were analysed by HPLC. A mixed-effects model was fitted with accessions and the years’ climatic features as independent variables. A cluster analysis was applied on the mixed-effects model coefficients. Four groups were considered as optimum. Genetics seemed to have the strongest effect and showed clear differences between accession groups, while climate effects were strong only for certain compounds and had a more horizontal behaviour equally affecting the different accession groups. In fact, non-Spanish cultivars tended to concentrate, while autochthone accessions had a much wider spread. Individual sugars and acids concentrations correlated negatively with precipitation and positively with temperature range and solar radiation in all accession groups. The geographic region where the orchard is grown is thus very important in the resulting metabolites profiles. Moreover, apple genetics would also play a decisive role as highlighted in the cluster analysis.

How native and exotic Brazilian fruits affect the profile of organic acids and the yeast performance during the mead fermentation process?

AbstractBackgroundA preliminary investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of the addition of pulps of feijoa, uvaia, and blackberry on the aliphatic organic acids (AOA) profile and on the yeast activity during the fermentation of meads.ResultsA multivariate analysis showed a clear distinction between the samples. The addition of pulps promoted a noticeable increase in malic, lactic, and succinic acids throughout fermentation. Furthermore, these additions resulted in beverages with lower levels of acetic acid. Gluconic acid was predominant in all samples. The mead containing feijoa showed high levels of citric acid. The meads containing blackberry and uvaia reached maximum yeast activity in the first 3 days of fermentation while the control sample and the mead with feijoa showed their highest activity after 7 days.ConclusionThe use of the feijoa, uvaia, and blackberry in mead can represent a good natural source of AOA, thereby improving its fermentative process, besides being an alternative for the valuation of underexploited species of Brazilian fruits.

Goat Milk Foodomics. Dietary Supplementation of Sunflower Oil and Rapeseed Oil Modify Milk Amino Acid and Organic Acid Profiles in Dairy Goats.

The dietary supplementation of vegetable oils is known to improve the dietary energy density as well as milk fatty acid profile; however, the impacts on the milk foodome is largely unknown. This study investigated the effect of two different sources of unsaturated fatty acids, rapeseed oil and sunflower oil, as a feeding supplement on the milk foodome from dairy goats. Nine Danish Landrace goats at 42 ± 5 days in milk were allocated to three treatment groups for 42 days with three animals per group. A control group received a basal diet made of forage and concentrate at an 85:15 ratio. On top of the basal diet, the second and third groups received rapeseed oil or sunflower oil supplements at 4% of dry matter, respectively. Goat milk was sampled on days 14, 21, and 42. The milk foodome was measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The milk levels of 2-hydroxyisovaleric acid, oxaloacetic acid, and taurine were higher in the milk from goats fed with sunflower oil compared to the control group. More glucose-1-phosphate was found in the milk from goats fed with rapeseed oil compared to the control group. Amino acids, valine and tyrosine, and 2-hydroxyisovaleric acid and oxaloacetic acid were higher in the sunflower group compared to the rapeseed group, while the milk from the rapeseed-fed goats had greater levels of ethanol and 2-oxoglutaric acid compared to the sunflower group. Thus, results show that foodomics is suitable for studying how milk chemistry changes as a function of feeding regime.

Urinary metabolomics using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry: potential biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundDiagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is generally made phenotypically and the hunt for ASD-biomarkers continues. The purpose of this study was to compare urine organic acids profiles of ASD versus typically developing (TD) children to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and exploration of ASD etiology.MethodsThis case control study was performed in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in collaboration with the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Pakistan. Midstream urine was collected in the first half of the day time before noon from the children with ASD diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist based on DSM-5 criteria and TD healthy controls from August 2019 to June 2021. The urine organic acids were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. To identify potential biomarkers for ASD canonical linear discriminant analysis was carried out for the organic acids, quantified in comparison to an internal standard.ResultsA total of 85 subjects were enrolled in the current study. The mean age of the ASD (n = 65) and TD groups (n = 20) was 4.5 ± 2.3 and 6.4 ± 2.2 years respectively with 72.3% males in the ASD group and 50% males in the TD group. Parental consanguinity was 47.7 and 30% in ASD and TD groups, respectively. The common clinical signs noted in children with ASD were developmental delay (70.8%), delayed language skills (66.2%), and inability to articulate sentences (56.9%). Discriminant analysis showed that 3-hydroxyisovalericc, homovanillic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, and indole acetic were significantly different between ASD and TD groups. The biochemical classification results reveal that 88.2% of cases were classified correctly into ASD& TD groups based on the urine organic acid profiles.Conclusion3-hydroxy isovaleric acid, homovanillic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, and indole acetic were good discriminators between the two groups. The discovered potential biomarkers could be valuable for future research in children with ASD.

STUDY OF ORGANIC ACIDS PROFILE OF GENUS PERSICARIA MILL SPECIES

The genus Persicaria Mill. species belonging to the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae Juss.) and widespread in Russia, are weeds. The chemical composition’s main components of the genus Persicaria Mill. species, are flavonoid glycosides (rutin, avicularin, hyperoside, etc.). The data concerning a comparative study of the organic acids in the herb representatives of genus Persicaria Mill., have not been detected in the available literature.The aim of the research is a comparative study of the organic acids qualitative and quantitative composition in the genus Persicaria Mill. species growing in the Voronezh region.Materials and methods. The objects of the study were dried herb samples of the genus Persicaria Mill. species. All the species were harvested in the Voronezh region during the blooming period. The quantitative content of ascorbic acid and the amount of organic acids in terms of malic (hydroxy-succinic) acid was carried out according to the titrimetric methods of the Russian Federation State Pharmacopeia, the XIVth ed. The study of the qualitative composition of the organic acids profile and their quantitative content assessment in the studied objects, the herbs, was carried out by the method of capillary electrophoresis (“Kapel”, St. Petersburg, Russia).Results. With the help of pharmacopoeial titrimetric methods, it was established that the highest content of the organic acids total amount is characteristic of the Persicaria maculosa Mill. herb (5,60%), the lowest one – of the Persicaria tomentósa (Schrank) E. P. Bicknell herb (4.03%). Persicaria maculosa S. F. Gray and Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre are the richest in ascorbic acid (0.17% and 0.15%, respectively). Using the method of capillary electrophoresis, the composition of the total amount of the studied organic acids has been established. It is represented by oxalic, formic, citric, malic, wine, propionic, lactic, benzoic and other acids.Conclusion. The study of the organic acids of the genus Persicaria Mill. species has been carried out. It has been established that in the studied species, the organic acids total amount in terms of malic acid and the amount of ascorbic acid are similar. By the method of capillary electrophoresis, a complete composition of organic acids has been studied, and the quantitative content of each component has been established. In all the studied Persicaria Mill. species, the predominance of oxalic, formic and malic acids has been revealed.

Metabolic Profiling of Sugars and Organic Acids, and Expression Analyses of Metabolism-Associated Genes in Two Yellow-Peel Pitaya Species.

Sugar and organic acids are important factors determining pitaya fruit quality. However, changes in sugars and acids, and expressions of metabolism-associated genes during fruit maturation of yellow-peel pitayas are not well-documented. In this study, metabolic and expression analyses in pulps of different fruit developmental stages of ‘Wucihuanglong’ (‘WCHL’, Hylocereus undatus) and ‘Youcihuanglong’ pitaya (‘YCHL’, Hylocereus megalanthus) were used to explore the sugar and organic acid metabolic process. Total phenols and flavonoids were mainly accumulated at S1 in pitaya pulps. Ascorbic acid contents of ‘WCHL’ pitaya were higher than that of ‘YCHL’ pitaya during fruit maturation. Starch was mainly accumulated at early fruit development stages while soluble sugars were rich in late stages. Sucrose, fructose, and glucose were the main sugar components of ‘YCHL’ pitaya while glucose was dominant in ‘WCHL’ pitaya. Malic and citric acids were the main organic acids in ‘WCHL’ and ‘YCHL’ pitayas, respectively. Based on the transcriptome analyses, 118 genes involved in pitaya sugar and organic acid metabolism were obtained. Results from the correlation analyses between the expression profiling of candidate genes and the contents of sugar and organic acid showed that 51 genes had a significant correlation relationship and probably perform key role in pitaya sugar and organic acid metabolism processes. The finding of the present study provides new information for quality regulation of pitayas.

Impact of seasonal, geographical and varietal variations on amino acid profile of Sri Lankan rice varieties (Oryza sativa L.)

With the aim of assessing the feasibility of utilization of amino acid (AA) profiles in characterization of rice varieties grown under distinct influential conditions, the impact of seasonal, geographical and varietal variations on AA and organic acid profiles in rice was investigated. Seven traditional rice varieties with diverse grain and agronomic characteristics were cultivated in two major distinct agro ecological regions of Sri Lanka across the two major cultivation seasons. The AA and organic acid compositions were determined using liquid chromatographic technique. Rice grains contained twenty AAs (41.2–75.1 mg/100 g) including Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) in free form and sixteen AAs in bound form (70.0–105.4 g/kg). Rice grains contained low levels (4.3–103.3 mg/kg) of fumaric, succinic and malic acids while citric acid (314.6–534.5 mg/kg) being the major organic acid present. Wet agro-ecological conditions favored total AA formation in rice. The impact caused from the season was found pronounced over the impact arising from the geographical location on the AAs in free form in rice. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicated that AA profile could be used for differentiation of rice based on the season and the variety.

Multiple acyl-Coa dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) – adult and neonatal presentation

Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD), or glutaric acidemia type II, is an autosomal recessive disorder of oxidative metabolism. MADD has a wide clinical spectrum with clinical presentation in the neonatal period with or without congenital malformations, through to later onset. Episodes of clinical decompensation may be triggered by catabolic stressors such as intercurrent illnesses and prolonged fasting. The diagnosis of MADD is made according to the profiles of urine organic acids and plasma or dried blood spot (DBS) acylcarnitines.

Oenological Characterization of Native Hanseniaspora uvarum Strains

The utilization of native yeast strains associated with a distinct terroir for autochthonous grape types represents a novel trend in winemaking, contributing to the production of unique wines with regional character. Hence, this study aimed to isolate native strains of the yeast H. uvarum from the surface of various fruits and to characterize its fermentation capability in Prokupac grape must. Out of 31 yeasts, 8 isolates were identified as H. uvarum. The isolates were able to grow at low (4 °C) temperatures, SO2 concentrations up to 300 ppm and ethanol concentrations up to 5%. Additionally, they provided a good profile of organic acids during the microvinification of sterile grape must. Although the content of acetic acid (0.54–0.63 g/L) was relatively high, the sniffing test proved that the yeast isolates developed a pleasant aroma characterized as fruity. All H. uvarum isolates produced twice the concentration of glycerol compared to commercial wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, contributing to the fullness and sweetness of the wine. The results for pure and sequential fermentation protocols confirmed that the selected S-2 isolate has good oenological characteristics, the capability to reduce the ethanol content (up to 1% v/v) and a potential to give a distinctive note to Prokupac-grape wines.

Unraveling seasonings impact on cooked rice quality: Technological and nutritional implications for sushi

Sushi has become a worldwide consumed exotic dish, due to its flavor and texture, provided by the Koshihikari rice and the sushi seasoning (vinegar, sugar and salt). Nevertheless, limited information exists on the seasoning and cooked rice characteristics. Aim was to understand the effect of sushi seasoning, made with different vinegars from cereals and fruits, on the technological quality and in vitro digestibility of cooked rice. Raw and cooked Koshihikari rice were characterized, besides the vinegars used for making sushi seasoning, and their effect on the texture and hydrolysis of cooked rice. Koshihikari rice showed 66.4 °C gelatinization temperature and enthalpy (ΔH) of 4.09 ± 0.61 J/g. While vinegars presented differences in acidity (2.9–7.0%), sugar content and organic acid profile. The chemical composition of the vinegar affected the acidity, texture properties and in vitro starch hydrolysis (extension of hydrolysis) of flavored cooked rice. Sherry vinegar produced the highest acidity and adhesiveness, and citrus vinegar increased the extent of starch hydrolysis, likely due to its low acetic acid and high citric and tartaric acid contents. Using different type of vinegars for seasoning cooked rice allows extending the food quality characteristics with significant impact on health aspects.

Comparison of the Effects of High Pressure Processing, Pasteurization and High Temperature Short Time on the Physicochemical Attributes, Nutritional Quality, Aroma Profile and Sensory Characteristics of Passion Fruit Purée.

The study investigated the effects of high-pressure processing (HPP) (600 MPa/5 min), pasteurization (PT) (85 °C/30 s), and high-temperature short time (HTST) (110 °C/8.6 s) on physicochemical parameters (sugar, acid, pH, TSS), sensory-related attributes (color, aroma compounds), antioxidants (phenolics, vitamin C, carotenoids, antioxidant capacity), and sensory attributes of yellow passion fruit purée (PFP). Compared to the PT and HTST, HPP obtained the PFP with better color, sugar, and organic acid profiles. Although PT was equally effective preservation of antioxidants and antioxidant capacity of PFP compared to HPP, high temperature inevitable resulted in the greater degradation of the aroma profile. The amounts of esters, alcohols, and hydrocarbon in PFP were significantly increased by 11.3%, 21.3%, and 30.0% after HPP, respectively. All samples were evaluated by a panel comprising 30 panelists according to standard QDA (quantitative descriptive analysis) procedure, and the result showed that HPP-treated PFP was rated the highest overall intensity score with 7.06 for its sensory attributes, followed by control (6.96), HTST (6.17), and PT (6.16). Thus, HPP is a suitable alternative technology for achieving the good sensory quality of PFP without compromising their nutritional properties.

Metabolic Profiling of Organic Acids Reveals the Involvement of HuIPMS2 in Citramalic Acid Synthesis in Pitaya

Pitayas are rich in organic acids, especially citramalic acid, which is significantly higher than the plants. However, the mechanism of citramalic acid biosynthesis remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, organic acid compositions and contents, as well as expression patterns of key genes related to organic acid metabolism were analyzed during fruit maturation of four different pitaya cultivars i.e., ‘Guanhuabai’ (GHB), ‘Guanhuahong’ (GHH), ‘Wucihuanglong’ (WCHL), and ‘Youcihuanglong’ (YCHL). The total organic acid contents increased first and then declined during fruit maturation. The main organic acids were citramalic acid during the early stages of GHB, GHH, and WCHL pitayas, and dominated by malic acid as fruit maturation. In comparison, citric acid and malic acid were main organic acid for ‘YCHL’ pitaya. Citramalate synthase (IPMS) was involved in the synthesis of citramalic acid, and three types of HuIPMS i.e., HuIPMS1, HuIPMS2, and HuIPMS3, were obtained in our study. Highest expression levels of HuIPMS1 were detected in sepals, while HuIPMS2 and HuIPMS3 exhibited preferential expression in tender stems and ovaries. The expression levels of HuIPMS2 and HuIPMS3 were positively correlated with the content of citramalic acid in the four pitaya cultivars. HuIPMS2 was a chloroplast-localized protein, while HuIPMS3 presented a cytoplasmic-like and nuclear subcellular localization. These findings provide an important basis for further understanding of the molecular mechanism that leads to citramalic acid metabolism during pitaya fruit maturation.

Characteristics of gut microbiome, organic acid profiles and viral antibody indexes of healthy Japanese with live Lacticaseibacillus detected in stool.

To estimate the health-promoting effects of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei (previously Lactobacillus casei) strain Shirota (LcS) that reached the lower gastrointestinal tract alive, we investigated the characteristics of gut microbiome, organic acid profiles, defecatory symptoms and serum viral antibody indexes of healthy Japanese adults between the group in whom live LcS was detected or not from stool. The β-diversity index of the gut microbiome constituted a significant difference between the live-LcS-detected-group (LLD) and the live-LcS-not-detected-group (LLnD). In the LLD, the Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Coriobacteriaceae counts were significantly higher, and the succinate concentration was significantly lower than that in the LLnD. The serum herpes simplex virus (HSV) immunoglobulin (Ig)M antibody index in the LLD tended to be lower than that of the LLnD in HSV IgG-positive subjects. Of the LLD, those in the fermented milk products containing LcS (FML)-high-frequency-group (FML-HF) and those in the FML-low-frequency-group (FML-LF) had different gut microbiome and organic acid profiles. However, the pattern of differences between FML-HF and FML-LF was dissimilar those between LLD and LLnD. In contrast, among subjects with FML-LF, those in the group with LLD in stool (LF-LLD) and those in the LLnD in stool (LF-LLnD) showed a similar pattern of differences in their gut microbiome and organic acid profiles as those in the LLnD and LLD. The LLD and LF-LLD commonly had lower caloric and carbohydrate intakes from the diet than their respective control groups. In this study, we found that the presence of live LcS in stool is associated with a healthy gut environment and inhibition of the reactivation of latently infected viruses in the host. However, these health-promoting effects on the host were not related to the frequency of FML intake. Furthermore, dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and diet including caloric intake was related to the viability of ingested LcS in the gut.

Clinico-Biochemical Presentation of Classical Organic Aciduria Presenting as Intoxication in Tertiary Care Hospital of Peshawar

Background: About 5 million children died in 2017 in developing countries alone, amongst them 15-20% are due to inherited metabolic disorders. Inherited metabolic disorders like Methyl Malonic Aciduria, Isovaleric aciduria, Glutaric Aciduria type 1, Urea cycle defects, Maple syrup urine disease & multiple carboxylase deficiency present mostly as intoxication, ataxia and convulsions Objective:To find the pattern of classical organic aciduria in children of different age and gender Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at Paediatrics department of Town Women & Children Hospital, Peshawar from Aug 2018- Aug 2020. Patients aged 0-24 months were included in the study based on inclusion criteria.Clinical data, preliminary investigations and urinary organic acids profile were collected. Data were analysed using SPSS version 21. Results: Out of 178 total patients, 36 patients were diagnosed with classical Organic aciduria in this present study. Mean age of the study population was 0.865+/- 1.07654 years and range of 1 - 2 years. About 20(53%) cases were males, while 16(47%) cases were females. Major clinical and biochemical findings included seizures, feeding difficulties, developmental delay, neurological impairment, and motor weakness, hypoglycemic and metabolic acidosis. Conclusion: The cases positive for inherited metabolic disorder showed a significant prevalence. Methyl Malonic Aciduria was the commonest of the OAs found in Northern areas of Pakistan followed by 3- Methyl Glutaconic aciduria.Simple heel prick test alongside blood gas analysis and confirmatory test by urinary Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry were helpful in diagnosis of such inherited metabolic disorder. Keywords: Intoxication; Organic aciduria;Ethyl Malonic aciduria; Fumaric Aciduria

Application of melatonin and PGPR alleviates thiamethoxam induced toxicity by regulating the TCA cycle in Brassica juncea L

Thiamethoxam, a broad spectrum, neonicotinoid insecticide, is used on various crops including Brassica juncea L. to protect from intruding insects such as leaf-hoppers, aphids, thrips and white-flies. Exposure to thiamethoxam causes acute malady such as tumour development, cell apoptosis, liver damage and neurotoxicity. Melatonin is entailed in umpteen developmental processes of plants, including stress responses. The pleiotropic effects of melatonin in modulating plant growth validate it’s imperative contribution as multi-regulatory substance. Exiguous information is known about the role of Pseudomonas putida in improving plant growth under thiamethoxam stress. Taking these aspects into consideration the contemporary study investigates the role of melatonin and Pseudomonas putida strain MTCC 3315 in alleviating the thiamethoxam induced toxicity in B. juncea plant. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis uncloaked that thiamethoxam induced stress primarily affects the protein content of plant as compared to lipids, carbohydrates and cell wall components. Organic acid profiling of the treated samples carried-out by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), reported an upregulation in the level of organic acids, malic acid (110%), citric acid (170%), succinic acid (81%), fumaric acid (40%) and ascorbic acid (55%) in thiamethoxam treated plants compared to the investigational untreated plants. The melatonin treated seedlings grown under thiamethoxam stress, exhibit increased level of malic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid and ascorbic acid by 81%, 0.94%, 11%, 21% and 6% respectively. Further, thiamethoxam stressed plants inoculated with Pseudomonas putida showed stupendous up-regulation by 161% (malic acid), by 14% (citric acid), by 33% (succinic acid), by 30% (fumaric acid), by 100% (oxalic acid) respectively. Lastly, the combinatorial application of melatonin and Pseudomonas putida resulted in prodigious upsurge of malic acid by 165%, succinic acid by 69%, fumaric acid by 42% respectively in contrast to distinct melatonin and Pseudomonas putida treatments. The accumulation of organic acids ascertains the defence against thiamethoxam stress and corresponds to meet the energy generation requirement to skirmish thiamethoxam mediated abiotic stress in Brassica juncea plant.