Jianqu fermentation with the isolated fungi significantly improves the immune response in immunosuppressed mice

New insights into the roles of fungi and bacteria in the development of medicinal plant

BACKGROUND

The interaction between microorganisms and medicinal plants is a popular topic. Previous studies consistently reported that microorganisms were mainly considered pathogens or contaminants. However, with the development of microbial detection technology, it has been demonstrated that fungi and bacteria affect beneficially the medicinal plant production chain.

AIM OF REVIEW

Microorganisms greatly affect medicinal plants, with microbial biosynthesis a high regarded topic in medicinal plant-microbial interactions. However, it lacks a systematic review discussing this relationship. Current microbial detection technologies also have certain advantages and disadvantages, it is essential to compare the characteristics of various technologies.

KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW

This review first illustrates the role of fungi and bacteria in various medicinal plant production procedures, discusses the development of microbial detection and identification technologies in recent years, and concludes with microbial biosynthesis of natural products. The relationship between fungi, bacteria, and medicinal plants is discussed comprehensively. We also propose a future research model and direction for further studies.

Identification and Immunomodulatory Effect on Immunosuppressed Mice of Selenium-Enriched Peptides of Egg White

Selenium-enriched egg white peptides (Se-EWP) were prepared by pre-heat treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis in this study. In addition, their selenopeptide sequence identification and immunomodulatory effect were investigated. Results showed that the yield of Se-EWP obtained from alkaline-neutral protease treatment reached 76.90%, and peptides with a molecular weight of 200-1000 Da accounted for 98.33%. Four characteristic selenopeptides, including SeCys-Trp-Leu-Glu, Trp-Ser-SeCys, SeMet-Ala-Pro, and SeMet-Leu, were identified by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS, which were rich in hydrophobic and branched-chain amino acids. Se-EWP (750 mg/kg/d) could effectively retard the decrease of immune organ index in immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide. Moreover, supplementation of Se-EWP could promote a higher content of Se in liver, the number of white blood cells, and the levels of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-2, and TNF-α) as compared with EWP groups, indicating that Se-EWP could effectively alleviate immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide. These findings suggested that Se-EWP exhibited great potential as functional foods for immunomodulatory effect.

Investigation of fungal contamination in medicinal and edible Lycii Fructus through DNA metabarcoding

AIMS

Lycii Fructus (LF) is considered as a 'superfood' due to its health benefits and delicious tastes, which has gained popularity worldwide. However, LF is also a proper host for fungal growth due to its abundant nutrients. Fungal contamination seriously affects the quality and safety of LF and poses threats to consumer health.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, a total of 15 LF samples were collected from five provinces in China, and were divided into five groups based on the collection areas. Fungal contamination in LF was investigated by targeting the internal transcribed spacer 2 region using Illumina Miseq PE300 platform, and the differences of fungal community in groups based on collection areas were compared. Results showed that the fungal contamination was detected in all the 15 LF samples. Ascomycota, Dothideomycetes, Pleosporales and Pleosporaceae were dominant at the phylum, class, order and family levels, respectively. At the genus level, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Fusarium were the three dominant genera. In all, 24 fungal species were identified. Among which, two species, namely Penicillium oxalicum and Trichothecium roseum, were potentially toxigenic.

CONCLUSIONS

All 15 LF samples were detected with fungal contamination. The differences of fungal community in LF samples collected from different areas were observed. DNA metabarcoding was demonstrated as an efficient method to monitor the fungal contamination in LF.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This work comprehensively reveals the fungal diversity and composition in LF and provides early warning for potential mycotoxin contamination.

The immunoenhancement effects of sea buckthorn pulp oil in cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mice

In this study, the immunomodulatory effect of sea buckthorn (SBT) pulp oil was elucidated in immunosuppressed Balb/c mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). The results showed that SBT pulp oil could reverse the decreasing trend of body weight, thymus/spleen index and hematological parameters induced by CTX. Compared with immunosuppressive mice induced by CTX, SBT pulp oil could enhance NK cytotoxicity, macrophage phagocytosis, and T lymphocyte proliferation, and regulate the proportion of T cell subsets in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), and promote the production of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA), IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-12 and TNF-α in the intestines. In addition, SBT pulp oil can promote the production of short fatty acids (SCFAs), increase the diversity of gut microbiota, improve the composition of intestinal flora, increase the abundance of Alistipes, Bacteroides, Anaerotruncus, Lactobacillus, ASF356, and Roseburia, while decreasing the abundance of Mucispirillum, Anaeroplasma, Pelagibacterium, Brevundimonas, Ochrobactrum, Acinetobacter, Ruminiclostridium, Blautia, Ruminiclostridium, Oscillibacter, and Faecalibaculum. This study shows that SBT pulp oil can regulate the diversity and composition of intestinal microflora in CTX-induced immunosuppressive Balb/c mice, thus enhancing the intestinal mucosa and systemic immune response. The results can provide a basis for understanding the function of SBT pulp oil and its application as a new probiotic and immunomodulator.