Isolation of β-glucan from Eleusine coracana and its antibiofilm, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and biocompatible activities

β-Glucan extracts as high-value multifunctional ingredients for skin health: A review

β-Glucans, which are naturally present in cereals, yeast, and mushrooms, have gained attention as a potential natural source for functional foods and pharmaceuticals. Due to the availability of β-glucans from several sources, different extraction methods can be employed to obtain high purity extracts that can be further modified to enhance their solubility or other biological properties. Apart from their known ability to interact with the immune system, β-glucans possess specific properties that could benefit overall skin health and prevent age-related signs, including soothing and antioxidant activities. As a result, the use of β-glucans to mitigate damage caused by environmental stressors or skin-related issues that accelerate skin aging or trigger chronic inflammation may represent a promising, natural, eco-friendly, and cost-effective approach to maintaining skin homeostasis balance. This review outlines β-glucan extraction methodologies, molecular structure, functionalization approaches, and explores skin-related benefits of β-glucans, along with an overview of related products in the market.

Bioactive compounds: a goldmine for defining new strategies against pathogenic bacterial biofilms?

Most human infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms growing as biofilms. These three-dimensional self-organized communities are embedded in a dense matrix allowing microorganisms to persistently inhabit abiotic and biotic surfaces due to increased resistance to both antibiotics and effectors of the immune system. Consequently, there is an urgent need for novel strategies to control biofilm-associated infections. Natural products offer a vast array of chemical structures and possess a wide variety of biological properties; therefore, they have been and continue to be exploited in the search for potential biofilm inhibitors with a specific or multi-locus mechanism of action. This review provides an updated discussion of the major bioactive compounds isolated from several natural sources - such as plants, lichens, algae, microorganisms, animals, and humans - with the potential to inhibit biofilm formation and/or to disperse established biofilms by bacterial pathogens. Despite the very large number of bioactive products, their exact mechanism of action often remains to be clarified and, in some cases, the identity of the active molecule is still unknown. This knowledge gap should be filled thus allowing development of these products not only as novel drugs to combat bacterial biofilms, but also as antibiotic adjuvants to restore the therapeutic efficacy of current antibiotics.

Anti-diabetic prospects of dietary bio-actives of millets and the significance of the gut microbiota: A case of finger millet

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a staple food in several parts of the world because of its high nutritional value. In addition to its high nutrient content, finger millet contains numerous bioactive compounds, including polyphenol (10.2 mg/g TAE), flavonoid (5.54 mg/g CE), phytic acid (0.48%), and dietary fiber (15-20%). Polyphenols are known for their anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic role. Phytic acid, previously considered an anti-nutritive substance, is now regarded as a nutraceutical as it reduces carbohydrate digestibility and thus controls post-prandial glucose levels and obesity. Thus, finger millet is an attractive diet for patients with diabetes. Recent findings have revealed that the anti-oxidant activity and bio-accessibility of finger millet polyphenols increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the colon, confirming the role of the gut microbiota. The prebiotic content of finger millet was also utilized by the gut microbiota, such as Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium, and Roseburia, to generate colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and probiotic Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, which are known to be anti-diabetic in nature. Notably, finger millet-induced mucus-degrading Akkermansia muciniphila can also help in alleviate diabetes by releasing propionate and Amuc_1100 protein. Various millet bio-actives effectively controlled pathogenic gut microbiota, such as Shigella and Clostridium histolyticum, to lower gut inflammation and, thus, the risk of diabetes in the host. In the current review, we have meticulously examined the role of gut microbiota in the bio-accessibility of millet compounds and their impact on diabetes.

In vitro elucidation of antioxidant, antiproliferative, and apoptotic potential of yeast-derived β-1,3-glucan particles against cervical cancer cells

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and in particular is the fourth most common cause of mortality in women every year. Conventional treatments for cancer are chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which have various kinds of side effects. Hence, there is a high need to develop alternative, efficient, and safer therapies for cancer treatment. β-Glucan, a novel polysaccharide isolated from baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shows noteworthy cytotoxicity toward a variety of cancer cell lines in vitro. In this research, we characterized the β-glucan with high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis and found that d-glucose units with β-1,3 links are the major component of the extracted β-glucan particles. Fourier transform IR (FTIR) analysis confirmed a β-(1→3)-linked glucan structure. In vitro cell cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT with IC₅₀ 136 μg/ml, and therapeutic potential was assessed by various assays using values below and above the IC₅₀. A significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at 50–150 μg/ml of concentrations indicated the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Along with ROS generation, these concentrations were also found to induce morphological changes such as fragmentation in DNA upon staining HeLa cells with DAPI. Mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly reduced after increasing the dose of treatment, assessed with the help of MitoTracker dye. Hence, by all these experimental supports, we observed that β-glucan has the potential to slow down the growth of cervical cancer cells, and it can be further investigated for unfolding its complete anticancer potential.

Effectiveness of Physical Activity and Finger Millet-Based Food Supplement on Biochemical Parameters and Bone Mineral Density among Premenopausal Women

The effectiveness of physical activity and finger millet-based food supplement on biochemical parameters and bone mineral density (BMD) among premenopausal women were studied. Serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and BMD of 720 women (30-40 years) were analyzed. From them, 150 women with low BMD (t-score, -1 to -2.5) and low calcium (<9.0 mg/dL) were randomized to control and experimental groups, equally. The experimental group was given 5 days per week physical activity, for 3 months, and a diet supplement of finger millet-based sweet balls (ragi laddu), 3 days per week for 3 months. The above parameters were measured as the posttest. Physical activity was assessed by the General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire. A 24 h recall assessment was carried out for the diet supplement, and self-reported activity checklist was maintained for physical activity. Among 720 women, 163 (22.6%) showed BMD, t-score < -1.0, and calcium <9.0 mg/dL (p < 0.001). The serum phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were also low (p < 0.001). After the supplementation to the experimental group, all the biochemical parameters, BMD, and physical activity score showed significant improvement in the posttest (p < 0.001). This study showed significantly low BMD and calcium among premenopausal women. Physical activity and finger millet supplement improved the calcium level and BMD.

Potential of underutilized millets as Nutri-cereal: an overview

In this current scenario with changing food habits, escalating population and unrestricted use of natural resources, there are lacking of resources to provide nutritious food to all. Natural plant resources are fast depleting and need to explore new alternatives. Besides the staple rice and wheat; lots of underutilized crops are being consumed that are having great potential to replace the staple crops. Millets are one of the major underutilized crops with a Nutri-cereal potential. Millets are highly nutritive, non-acid-forming, gluten-free and having dietary properties. Despite the fact that millets are highly nutritious, their consumption is still limited to the conventional and poor population due to lack of awareness towards its nutritional values. There is lack of processing technologies, lack of food subsidies and inconvenience in food preparations which makes millets more obsolete. Millets are Nutri-cereals and rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibres, energy, essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamin-B and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc, which helps to prevent from post-translational diseases like, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and celiac diseases, etc. Millets help in controlling blood pressure, blood sugar level and thyroid but inspite of these functional properties, millets consumption is still declining. Millets utilization in-combination with other staple food crops to develop food alternatives has become an emerging area for food industries. Besides, to strengthen our fight against malnutrition in children and adolescents, consumption of millets can help to foster immunity and health. Here, author's have reviewed the potential of millets for their Nutri-cereal qualities.

β-1,3-Glucan from Euglena gracilis as an immunostimulant mediates the antiparasitic effect against Mesanophrys sp. on hemocytes in marine swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus)

β-1,3-glucans, natural polysaccharide groups, exert immunomodulatory effects to improve the innate response and disease resistance in aquatic species and mammals. However, this β-glucan stimulant is yet to be assayed in swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) hemocytes. In this study, we explored the immunomodulatory effect of β-1,3-glucans (derived from Euglena gracilis) via in vitro 24 h stimulation assays in swimming crab hemocytes. We found that this algal β-1,3-glucans in crab hemocytes significantly elevated cellular enzymes related parameters, including phenoloxidase (PO), lysozyme, acid phosphatase (ACP) activities, and superoxide anion generation (O₂^-) rate both at intracellular (P < 0.05) and extracellular (P < 0.05) levels. Besides, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) in hemocytes exhibited no significant differences across the groups (P > 0.05). β-glucan significantly influenced (P < 0.05) the activities of the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hemocytes. Moreover, the relative mRNA expression of numerous immune-related genes, including proPO, TLR-2, Alf-1, NOX, Lysozyme, Crustin-1, and Cuznsod, was significantly higher stimulated hemocytes than in control (P < 0.05). We also reported the dose-dependent antiparasitic activity against Mesanophyrs sp., in stimulated hemocytes than in the control (P < 0.05). The present study collectively demonstrated that β-glucan potentially stimulates innate immunity by elevating cellular enzyme responses and up-regulating the mRNA expression of genes associated with crab innate immunity. Thus, β-glucan is a promising immunostimulant for swimming crab farming in crustaceans aquaculture.

Characterization of the complete plastome of Eleusine coracana (Gramineae), an annual crop

Eleusine coracana is a hardy crop that can grow in diverse environments. In this study, the complete plastome of E. coracana was determined. The plastome was 135,144 bp in size. It consists of a large single-copy region (80,666 bp), a small single-copy region (12,640 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (20,919 bp). The overall guanine-cytosine (GC) content was 38.2%. A total of 111 unique genes were annotated, including 77 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 30 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Eleusine was sister to Dactyloctenium.

Identification of a novel antibacterial protein from hemolymph of freshwater zooplankton Mesocyclops leuckarti

Bacterial infections are the most important problem of health care worldwide. The hemolymph antibacterial proteins of Mesocyclops leuckarti was isolated for the first time and its antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against four different human pathogenic microbes viz., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia and Shigella flexneri. The antibacterial potential of the antimicrobial proteins of hemolymph samples from plankton cultured in water enriched with Cow Urine Distillate (CUD) was compared with normal ones. The results indicated that the hemolymph proteins were more potential against Gram negative bacteria than Gram positive bacteria. Klebsiella pneumonia was more susceptible to the hemolymph proteins exhibiting a zone of inhibition measuring 27 mm. The supplement of CUD to the culture media further enriched the antibacterial activity of the hemolymph proteins (29 mm). The SDS-PAGE analysis indicated two different types of clear bands representing proteins of 53 kDa and 19 kDa. Overall, this investigation signified that the microcrustaceans have a defence mechanism hemolymph of Mesocyclops leuckarti have a potential agent for novel antibiotics.