Fermented Soybean Dregs by Neurospora crassa: a Traditional Prebiotic Food

Investigation of supplementation with a combination of fermented bean dregs and wheat bran for improving the growth performance of the sow

To investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with a fermented mixture of bean dregs and wheat bran (FBW) on sow performance. FBW was given to sows during late gestation and lactation; in total, 24 sows were randomly assigned to 4 groups (control diet; 3% FBW diet; 6% FBW diet; 9% FBW diet, n = 6). The weight ratio of bean dregs (wet) to wheat bran was 4:6. Sows were fed different diets from 85 d of gestation until weaning. The results showed that supplementation with FBW increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) during lactation (p < 0.05). FBW supplementation also increased litter weight and milk yield (p < 0.05). The contents of Escherichia coli in the feces of the treatment groups were significantly reduced by FBW supplementation (p < 0.01). FBW supplementation significantly improved the fecal morphology (p < 0.05), alleviating sows' constipation. In conclusion, FBW could increase the ADFI, improve lactation and piglet litter weight in sows and reduce the pathogenic bacterial content in sow feces and constipation.

The Identification of a Strain for the Biological Purification of Soy Molasses to Produce Functional Soy Oligosaccharides and Optimize Purification Conditions

Soy molasses is rich in oligosaccharides like sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose, with stachyose and raffinose being functional oligosaccharides. Harnessing soy molasses for the production of functional soy oligosaccharides (FSO) can significantly elevate its value. Biological purification, a method leveraging the selective utilization of different carbon sources by microorganisms, allows for the specific removal of sucrose from soy molasses while preserving stachyose and raffinose, thereby increasing the FSO content. This research identified a yeast named YT312 with strong purification capabilities for soy molasses and optimized the purification conditions. The study revealed that yeast YT312 was Wickerhamomyces anomalus, exhibiting a broad range of growth temperatures and pH levels alongside a high tolerance to glucose, sucrose, and NaCl. Through single-factor and orthogonal experiments, it was established that under specific conditions-0.375% inoculum size, 30 °C fermentation temperature, 150 rpm shaking speed, 10-fold dilution ratio, pH of 7, and 12 h of fermentation-sucrose was completely removed from soy molasses, while functional raffinose and stachyose were retained at rates of 96.1% and 90.2%, respectively. Consequently, W. anomalus YT312 displayed exceptional characteristics for the biological purification of soy molasses and the production of FSO.

Bioavailability and provitamin A activity of neurosporaxanthin in mice

Various species of ascomycete fungi synthesize the carboxylic carotenoid neurosporaxanthin. The unique chemical structure of this xanthophyll reveals that: (1) Its carboxylic end and shorter length increase the polarity of neurosporaxanthin in comparison to other carotenoids, and (2) it contains an unsubstituted β-ionone ring, conferring the potential to form vitamin A. Previously, neurosporaxanthin production was optimized in Fusarium fujikuroi, which allowed us to characterize its antioxidant properties in in vitro assays. In this study, we assessed the bioavailability of neurosporaxanthin compared to other provitamin A carotenoids in mice and examined whether it can be cleaved by the two carotenoid-cleaving enzymes: β-carotene-oxygenase 1 (BCO1) and 2 (BCO2). Using Bco1-/-Bco2-/- mice, we report that neurosporaxanthin displays greater bioavailability than β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin, as evidenced by higher accumulation and decreased fecal elimination. Enzymatic assays with purified BCO1 and BCO2, together with feeding studies in wild-type, Bco1-/-, Bco2-/-, and Bco1-/-Bco2-/- mice, revealed that neurosporaxanthin is a substrate for either carotenoid-cleaving enzyme. Wild-type mice fed neurosporaxanthin displayed comparable amounts of vitamin A to those fed β-carotene. Together, our study unveils neurosporaxanthin as a highly bioavailable fungal carotenoid with provitamin A activity, highlighting its potential as a novel food additive.

Safety evaluation of Neurospora crassa mycoprotein for use as a novel meat alternative and enhancer

Cultivation of filamentous fungi to produce sustainable, nutrient rich meat replacements has recently attracted significant commercial and research interest. Here, we report evidence for the safety and nutritional value of Neurospora crassa mycoprotein, a whole mycelium food ingredient produced by fermentation and minimal downstream processing. N. crassa has a long history of human use in fermented foods and in molecular biology research. A survey of studies that used N. crassa in animal feed revealed no adverse effects to the health of the animals. Furthermore, a review of the literature found no reports of confirmed allergenicity or toxicity in humans involving N. crassa. Genomic toxigenicity analysis and in vitro testing did not identify any toxins in N. crassa mycoprotein. Two independent genomic allergenicity studies did not identify proteins that would be considered a particular risk for allergenic potential. Furthermore, nutritional analysis demonstrated that N. crassa mycoprotein is a good source of complete protein and is rich in fiber, potassium, and iron. Taken together, the presented data and the history of human use without evidence of human or animal harm indicate that foods containing N. crassa can generally be regarded as safe.

Preparation and Hydrogelling Performances of a New Drilling Fluid Filtrate Reducer from Plant Press Slag

Plant press slag (PPS) containing abundant cellulose and starch is a byproduct in the deep processing of fruits, cereals, and tuberous crops products. PPS can be modified by using caustic soda and chloroacetic acid to obtain an inexpensive and environmentally friendly filtrate reducer of drilling fluids. The optimum mass ratio of m_NaOH:m_MCA:m_PPS is 1:1:2, the optimum etherification temperature is 75 °C, and the obtained product is a natural mixture of carboxymethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl starch (CMCS). PPS and CMCS are characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The filtration loss performance of CMCS is stable before and after hot-rolling aging at 120 °C in 4.00% NaCl and saturated NaCl brine base slurry. The minimum filtration loss value of CMCS is 5.28 mL/30 min at the dosage of 1.50%. Compared with the commercial filtrate reducers with a single component, i.e., carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and low viscosity sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (LV-CMC), CMCS have a better tolerance to high temperature of 120 °C and high concentration of NaCl. The filtration loss performance of low-cost CMCS can reach the standards of LV-CMC and CMS of the specification of water-based drilling fluid materials in petroleum industry.

Production, purification and characterization of a novel antithrombotic and anticoagulant serine protease from food grade microorganism Neurospora crassa

A novel thrombolytic enzyme was produced by food grade microorganism Neurospora crassa using agro-industrial by-products as substrates. Process parameters were optimized using Plackett-Berman and Box-Benhken design. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, high fibrinolytic activity of 403.59 U/mL was obtained. It was purified with a specific activity of 3572.4 U/mg by ammonium sulfate precipitation and SP Sepharose chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was approximately 32 kDa. It exhibited maximum activity at 40 °C and pH 7.4. Its activity was enhanced by Cu²⁺, Na⁺, Zn²⁺, and completely inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, soybean trypsin inhibitor, aprotinin, which indicates it could be a serine protease. The enzyme could degrade fibrin clot directly without the need of plasminogen activator, and effectively cleaved Aα, Bβ, γ chains of fibrinogen. It could inhibit the formation of blood clots in vitro and acts as an anticoagulant. Compared to heparin the purified enzyme showed extended anticoagulant activity. Blood clots were dissolved effectively and dissolution rate was increased with time. Based on these results, this novel enzyme has the potential to be developed as a thrombolytic agent.

A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4-22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0-14.2 MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9-39.1%), crude fiber (12.2-61.3%), crude fat (4.9-21.5%), and ash (3.4-5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.

Diet supplemented with fermented okara improved growth performance, meat quality, and amino acid profiles in growing pigs

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of fermented okara on performance and meat quality, and to explore the feasibility of its partial substitution for corn-soybean meal in pig production. A total of 48 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average body weight of 58.60 ± 0.65 kg were randomly assigned to 2 groups, Control group and Fermented okara (FO) group. There were 8 replicate pens each with 3 pigs per treatment. Control pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet, treatment pigs were fed a basal diet supplemented with FO throughout the 55-d experimental period. Results showed that fermentation of okara using probiotics increased its microporous structure, polysaccharides, lactic acid, and free amino acids (FAA) by 46.06%, 150%, and 66.45% compared with unfermented okara, respectively (p < .05). The diet supplemented with FO significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) by 8.70% (p < .01), but decreased the feed gain ratio (F/G) by 5.56% of growing pigs compared to the control diet (p < .05). Furthermore, dietary FO improve meat color, FAA, and the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in the serum and muscles (p < .05). Collectively, probiotics-fermented okara improved growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant capacity, and it can be used to substitute partial corn-soybean meal in pig industry.

Effects of soluble dietary fiber from soybean residue fermented by Neurospora crassa on the intestinal flora in rats

In this study, soluble dietary fiber (SDF, including oligosaccharides and polysaccharides) of soybean residue (SR) fermented by Neurospora crassa was used as a research object. In vitro fermentation technology was used to analyze the fermentation properties of SDF from fermented soybean residue (FSR). Moreover, the effects of SDF from FSR on the composition and diversity of intestinal microflora of rats were studied by high-throughput sequencing technology. Results showed that the SDF content of fermented soybean residue was 27.21%. The addition of SDF in the range 2 to 10 g L-1 could increase the levels of gas production and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as well as decrease the pH and ammonia N concentration after 24 h fermentation in the fermentation broth compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The animal-based experiments showed that Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the major dominant phyla in all the groups. Compared with the control group, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides of FSR changed the relative abundance and diversity of the bacterial community, and increased the numbers of beneficial flora, such as Prevotellaceae and Lactobacillales. It was shown that SDF of SR fermented by Neurospora crassa had great effects on the intestinal environment and the composition of intestinal flora in rats.