Optimal fermentation time for Nigrospora-fermented tea rich in bostrycin

Fermentation: improvement of pharmacological effects and applications of botanical drugs

Fermentation is an important concoction technique for botanical drugs. Fermentation transforms and enhances the active ingredients of botanical drugs through specific microbiological processes, ultimately affecting their pharmacological effects. This review explores the use of fermented botanical drugs in areas such as anti-tumor, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, cosmetology, and intestinal flora regulation. It elucidates the potential pharmacological mechanisms and discusses the benefits of fermentation technology for botanical drugs, including reducing toxic side effects, enhancing drug efficacy, and creating new active ingredients. This article also discussesdelves into the common strains and factors influencing the fermentation process, which are crucial for the successful transformation and enhancement of these drugs. Taken together, this study aimed to provide a reference point for further research and wider applications of botanical drug fermentation technology.

Fermented Astragalus and its metabolites regulate inflammatory status and gut microbiota to repair intestinal barrier damage in dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis

Fermentation represents an efficient biotechnological approach to increase the nutritional and functional potential of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum was used to ferment traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus, the differential metabolites in the fermented Astragalus (FA) were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Exactive-MS), and the ameliorating effect of FA on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice were further explored. The results showed that 11 differential metabolites such as raffinose, progesterone and uridine were identified in FA, which may help improve the ability of FA to alleviate colitis. Prophylactic FA supplementation effectively improved DAI score, colon length and histopathological lesion in DSS-treated mice. The abnormal activation of the intestinal immune barrier in mice was controlled after FA supplementation, the contents of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and IgE were reduced and the contents of IgA were increased. The intestinal pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 were down-regulated and the anti-inflammatory factors IL-10 and TGF-β were up-regulated, suggesting that FA can intervene in inflammatory status by regulating the balance of Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg related cytokines. In addition, FA supplementation modified the structure of the intestinal microbiota and enriched the abundance of Akkermansia and Alistipes, which were positively associated with the production of short-chain fatty acids. These microbes and their metabolites induced by FA also be involved in maintaining the intestinal mucosal barrier integrity by affecting mucosal immunity. We observed that intestinal tight junction protein and mucous secreting protein ZO-1, occludin, and MUC2 genes expression were more pronounced in mice supplemented with FA compared to unfermented Astragalus, along with modulation of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) apoptosis, verifying the intestinal mucosal barrier repaired by FA. This study is the first to suggest that FA as a potential modulator can more effectively regulate the inflammatory status and gut microbiota to repair the intestinal barrier damage caused by colitis.

Modulation effects of microorganisms on tea in fermentation

Tea is a popular traditional drink and has been reported to exhibit various health-promoting effects because of its abundance of polyphenols. Among all the tea products, fermented tea accounts for the majority of tea consumption worldwide. Microbiota plays an important role in the fermentation of tea, which involves a series of reactions that modify the chemical constituents and thereby affect the flavor and bioactivities of tea. In the present review, the microorganisms involved in fermented tea and tea extracts in the recent studies were summarized and the modulation effects of microorganisms on tea in fermentation, including polyphenols composition and content, biological activities and sensory characteristics, were also critically reviewed. It is expected that the data summarized could provide some references for the development of microbial fermented tea drinks with specific nutrition and health benefits.

Secondary metabolites of the genus Nigrospora from terrestrial and marine habitats: Chemical diversity and biological activity

Secondary metabolites produced by the ascomycetes have attracted wide attention from researchers. Their diverse chemical structures and rich biological activities are essential in medicine, food, and agriculture. The monophyletic Nigrospora genus belongs to the Apiosporaceae family and is a rich source of novel and diverse bioactive metabolites. It occurs as a common plant pathogen, endophyte, and saprobe distributed in many ecosystems worldwide. Researchers have focused on discovering new species and secondary metabolites in the past ten years. The host diseases caused by Nigrospora species are also investigated. This review describes 50 references from Web of Science, CNKI, Google Scholar and PubMed related to the secondary metabolites from Nigrospora. Here, a total of 231 compounds isolated from five known species and 21 unidentified species of Nigrospora from January 1991 to June 2022 are summarized. Their structures are attributed to polyketides, terpenoids, steroids, N-containing compounds, and fatty acids. Meanwhile, 77 metabolites exhibited various biological activities like cytotoxic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antileukemic, antimalarial, phytotoxic, enzyme inhibitory, etc. Notably, this review presents a comprehensive literature survey focusing on the chemistry and bioactivity of secondary metabolites from Nigrospora.

Optimized Ensiling Conditions and Microbial Community in Mulberry Leaves Silage With Inoculants

Mulberry leaves (ML) are a promising alternative fodder source due to their high protein content and the abundance of active components. A test of three inoculants in various combinations revealed that high-quality ML silage was produced at an inoculum ratio of 1:1:0 (50% Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 50% Lactobacillus plantarum, and 0% Bacillus subtilis). Using dry matter (DM) loss, pH, ammonia-N and amino acid contents, total antioxidant activity, and total flavonoids content to evaluate silage quality, this inoculant mixture was shown to produce high-quality silage within a range of inoculum size (5–15%), moisture contents (50–67%), ensiling temperatures (27–30°C), and ensiling duration (14–30 days). A third trial comparing silages produced after 30 days at 28°C and 50% moisture content revealed that silage E, prepared using an L. plantarum inoculant alone, displayed the lowest DM loss and pH, and low bacterial diversity, and it was dominated by Lactobacillus (88.6%), with low abundance of Enterobacter (6.17%). In contrast, silage B5, prepared with equal ratios of L. plantarum and S. cerevisiae, was dominated by Enterococcus (67.16%) and Lactobacillus (26.94%), with less marked yeast persistence, and reducing the DM content from 50 to 40% altered these relative abundances to 5.47 and 60.61, respectively. Control silages produced without an inoculant had the highest pH and ammonia-N content (indicative of poor quality), had the lowest antioxidant activity, had higher bacterial diversity, and were dominated by Carnobacterium (74.28%) and Enterococcus (17.3%). In summary, ensiling of ML conditions with proper inoculants yielded high-quality silage with a favorable microbial community composition.