Chemical Composition and Nutritive Benefits of Chicory (Cichorium intybus) as an Ideal Complementary and/or Alternative Livestock Feed Supplement

Unlocking the Potential of Brewers' Spent Grain: A Sustainable Model to Use Beer for Better Outcome in Chronic Kidney Disease

The rising global incidence of chronic inflammatory diseases calls for innovative and sustainable medical solutions. Brewers' spent grain (BSG), a byproduct of beer production, presents a unique opportunity in this regard. This review explores the multifaceted health benefits of BSG, with a focus on managing chronic kidney disease (CKD). BSG is identified as a potent prebiotic with potential as a therapeutic agent in CKD. We emphasize the role of gut dysbiosis in CKD and discuss how BSG could help mitigate metabolic derangements resulting from dysbiosis and CKD. Fermentation of BSG further enhances its positive impact on gut health. Incorporating fermented BSG as a key component in preventive health care could promote a more sustainable and healthier future. By optimizing the use of this typically discarded byproduct, we can align proactive health-care strategies with responsible resource management, benefiting both people and the environment.

Chicory supplementation improves growth performance in juvenile ostriches potentially by attenuating enteritis

Introduction

Enteritis and dysbiosis are the major causes of high morbidity and mortality of juvenile ostriches. Chicory (CC) has been proven to have excellent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. However, it's unclear whether CC could improve the survival rate of juvenile ostriches by relieving enteritis and correcting dysbiosis.

Materials and methods

South African ostrich hatchlings (Struthio camelus domesticus) were fed with and without a CC-supplemented diet, and the body weight gain and mortality were compared over 4 months of age. Fresh fecal samples of clinically healthy ostriches were collected, and 16S DNAs were analyzed. Moreover, ostrich chicks with LPS-induced enteritis were fed with different dosages (0, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) of chicoric acid (CA), a major bioactive component of CC, for five consecutive days. The expression levels of tight junction (TJ)-related proteins and inflammatory mediators in the ilea were detected with western blot and immunofluorescence.

Results

The ostrich chicks fed on the CC-supplemented diet began to increase in weight at the 1st month of age and became remarkably heavier at the fourth month (p < 0.01) compared with those fed on the non-CC-supplemented diet. Additionally, the mortality percentage was lower in the chicks fed on the CC-supplemented diet than those fed on the non-CC-supplemented diet (19% vs. 36%, respectively). The diet with the CC supplementation significantly increased the abundance of Phascolactobacteria (linear discriminant analysis; LDA >4) and Bacteroidota (26.7% vs. 17.7%, respectively) as well as decreased the enrichment of Clostridium (5.0% vs. 9.1%, respectively) in the ostrich ilea compared to the diet without CC. The supplementation of CA at a dose of 80 mg/kg significantly increased the expression level of ZO-1 and claudin-3 (p < 0.0001) and suppressed the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (p < 0.0001) in ostriches with LPS-induced ileitis.

Conclusion

Our results substantiate that CC or CA supplementation in a diet could effectively improve growth performance and reduce mortality in juvenile ostriches via modulating the gut microbiota and attenuating enteritis.

Phytochemical Characterization and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation for Some Plant Extracts in Conjunction with Pharmacological Mechanism Prediction: Insights into Potential Therapeutic Applications in Dyslipidemia and Obesity

Lipid metabolism dysregulation can lead to dyslipidemia and obesity, which are major causes of cardiovascular disease and associated mortality worldwide. The purpose of the study was to obtain and characterize six plant extracts (ACE-Allii cepae extractum; RSE-Rosmarini extractum; CHE-Cichorii extractum; CE-Cynarae extractum; AGE-Apii graveolentis extractum; CGE-Crataegi extractum) as promising adjuvant therapies for the prevention and treatment of dyslipidemia and its related metabolic diseases. Phytochemical screening revealed that RSE was the richest extract in total polyphenols (39.62 ± 13.16 g tannic acid/100 g dry extract) and phenolcarboxylic acids (22.05 ± 1.31 g chlorogenic acid/100 g dry extract). Moreover, the spectrophotometric chemical profile highlighted a significant concentration of flavones for CGE (5.32 ± 0.26 g rutoside/100 g dry extract), in contrast to the other extracts. UHPLC-MS quantification detected considerable amounts of phenolic constituents, especially chlorogenic acid in CGE (187.435 ± 1.96 mg/g extract) and rosmarinic acid in RSE (317.100 ± 2.70 mg/g extract). Rosemary and hawthorn extracts showed significantly stronger free radical scavenging activity compared to the other plant extracts (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis and the heatmap correlation matrix indicated significant correlations between phytochemical contents and in vitro antioxidant activities. Computational studies were performed to investigate the potential anti-obesity mechanism of the studied extracts using target prediction, homology modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics approaches. Our study revealed that rosmarinic acid (RA) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) can form stable complexes with the active site of carbonic anhydrase 5A by either interacting with the zinc-bound catalytic water molecule or by directly binding Zn2+. Further studies are warranted to experimentally validate the predicted CA5A inhibitory activities of RA and CGA and to investigate the hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of the proposed plant extracts in animal models of dyslipidemia and obesity.

Medicinal Use of Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)

The aim of this review is to discuss the numerous health-promoting properties of Cichorium intybus L. and bring together a range of publications to broaden knowledge and encourage further research and consideration of the plant use as treatment for a range of conditions. A comprehensive search of articles in Polish and English from 1986–2022 years was carried out in PubMed, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect using the keywords chicory, Cichorium intybus L., sesquiterpene lactones and their synonyms. Articles were checked for titles, abstracts, and full-text reviews. The first part of the review article discusses chicory, the countries in which it is found, its life cycle or modern cultivation methods, as well as its many uses, which will be discussed in more detail later in the article. The increased interest in plants as medicines or supplements is also briefly mentioned, as well as some limits that are associated with the medical use of plants. In the Results and Discussion section, there is a discussion of the numerous health-promoting properties of Cichorium intybus L. as a whole plant, with its collection of all the components, and we then examine the structure and the individual constituents of Cichorium intybus L. Among these, this article discusses those that can be utilized for causal applications in medicine, including sesquiterpene lactones and polyphenols, mainly known for their anti-cancer properties, although, in this article, their other health-promoting properties are also discussed. The article also examines inulin, a major component of Cichorium intybus L. The Discussion and the Conclusions sections propose directions for more detailed research and the range of factors that may affect specific results, which may have safety implications when used as supplements or medications.

Edible wild plants, chicory and purslane, alleviated diabetic testicular dysfunction, and insulin resistance via suppression 8OHdg and oxidative stress in rats

Testicular dysfunction is a prevalent health problem frequently reported in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). Oxidative-inflammatory reactions, hormonal and spermatic abnormalities often accompany this illness. Herbal remedies "particularly wild plants" including chicory (Chicorium Intybus) and purslane (Portulaca Oleracea) are emerging as popular agents for people dealing with these issues due to their ability to act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and exhibit antidiabetic effects. According to the collected data, the daily administration of chicory (Ch) seed-extract (250 mg/kg) or purslane (Pu) seed-extract (200 mg/kg) to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (50 mg/kg) for 30 days resulted in the normalization of fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum fructosamine, insulin levels, and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), as well as reducing lipid peroxidation end-product malondialdehyde (MDA) level, aldehyde oxidase (AO) and xanthene oxidase (XO) activities. While caused a considerable improvement in glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) when compared to diabetic rats. Ch and Pu extracts had a substantial impact on testicular parameters including sperm characterization, testosterone level, vimentin expression along with improvements in body and testis weight. They also mitigated hyperlipidemia by reducing total lipids (TL), total cholesterol (TC) levels, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Furthermore, oral administration of either Ch or Pu notably attuned the elevated proinflammatory cytokines as tumor necrotic factor (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) together with reducing apoptosis and DNA damage. This was achieved through the suppression of DNA-fragmentation marker 8OHdG, triggering of caspase-3 immuno-expression, and elevation of Bcl-2 protein. The histological studies provided evidence supporting the preventive effects of Ch and Pu against DM-induced testicular dysfunction. In conclusion, Ch and Pu seed-extracts mitigate testicular impairment during DM due to their antihyperglycemic, antilipidemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties.

Herbal-based compounds: A review on treatments of cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidium, a monoxenous apicomplexan coccidia, is a prevalent diarrhetic and an opportunistic agent, mainly in immunocompromised individuals. As there are few chemotherapeutic compounds that have limited efficacy, we need to identify new compounds or specific parasite targets for designing more potent drugs to treat cryptosporidiosis. Herbal products with low toxicity, environmental compatibility, wide therapeutic potential, and abundant resources can be considered alternatives for treatment. The current review tried to summarize the studies on plants or herbal bioactive constituents with anti-cryptosporidial activities. Based on constituents, plants act via different mechanisms, and further investigations are needed to clarify the exact mechanisms by which they act on the developmental stages of the parasite or host-parasite relationships.

Biocatalytic Regioselective O-acylation of Sesquiterpene Lactones from Chicory: A Pathway to Novel Ester Derivatives

We report the first biocatalytic modification of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) found in the chicory plants, specifically lactucin (Lc), 11β,13-dihydrolactucin (DHLc), lactucopicrin (Lp), and 11β,13-dihydrolactucopicrin (DHLp). The selective O-acylation of their primary alcohol group was carried out by the lipase B from Candida antarctica (CAL-B) using various aliphatic vinyl esters as acyl donors. Perillyl alcohol, a simpler monoterpenoid, served as a model to set up the desired O-acetylation reaction by comparing the use of acetic acid and vinyl acetate as acyl donors. Similar conditions were then applied to DHLc, where five novel ester chains were selectively introduced onto the primary alcohol group, with conversions going from >99 % (acetate and propionate) to 69 % (octanoate). The synthesis of the corresponding O-acetyl esters of Lc, Lp, and DHLp was also successfully achieved with near-quantitative conversion. Molecular docking simulations were then performed to elucidate the preferred enzyme-substrate binding modes in the acylation reactions with STLs, as well as to understand their interactions with crucial amino acid residues at the active site. Our methodology enables the selective O-acylation of the primary alcohol group in four different STLs, offering possibilities for synthesizing novel derivatives with significant potential applications in pharmaceuticals or as biocontrol agents.

The agavins (Agave carbohydrates) story

Fructans, are carbohydrates defined as fructose-based polymers with countable degree of polymerization (DP) ranging so far from DP3 to DP60. There are different types of fructans depending on their molecular arrangement. They are categorized as linear inulins and levans, neoseries of inulin and levan, branched graminans, and highly branched neofructans, so called agavins (Agave carbohydrates). It is worth to note that agavins are the most recently described type of fructans and they are also the most complex ones. The complexity of these carbohydrates is correlated to their various isomers and degree of polymerization range, which is correlated to their multifunctional application in industry and human health. Here, we narrate the story of the agavins' discovery. This included their chemical characterization, their benefits, biotechnological applications, and drawbacks over human health. Finally, a perspective of the study of agavins and their interactions with other metabolites through metabolomics is proposed.

In vivo comprehensive metabolite profiling of esculetin and esculin derived from chicory in hyperuricemia rats using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry

Chicory, renowned for its multifaceted benefits, houses two vital coumarins, esculetin and esculin, both instrumental in reducing uric acid. This study emphasizes the metabolic pathways of esculetin and esculin under both standard and hyperuricemia conditions. Hyperuricemia was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats using oxonic acid potassium salt (300 mg·kg-1 ) and a 10% fructose water regimen over 21 days. Leveraging the ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry, we analyzed the fragmentation behaviors of esculetin and esculin in rat bio-samples. Post oral-intake of esculetin or esculin, a notable dip in serum uric acid levels was observed in hyperuricemia rats. The investigation unveiled 24 esculetin metabolites and 14 for esculin. The metabolic pathways of both compounds were hydrolysis, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydroxylation, glucuronidation, sulfation, and methylation. Interestingly, certain metabolites presented variations between standard and hyperuricemia rats, indicating that elevated levels of uric acid may affect enzyme activity linked to these metabolic reactions. This is the first systematic study on comparison of metabolic profiles of esculetin and esculin in both normal and hyperuricemia states, which was helpful to enrich our understanding of the complicated structure-activity relationships between esculin and esculetin and shed light to their action mechanism.

Reviewing the potential of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics: advancements in treatment of ulcerative colitis

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis (UC) are multifactorial pathologies caused by environmental factors and genetic background. UC is a chronic inflammatory disorder that specifically targets the colon, resulting in inflammation. Various chemical interventions, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biological therapies, have been extensively employed for the purpose of managing symptoms associated with UC. Nevertheless, it is important to note that these therapeutic interventions may give rise to undesirable consequences, including, but not limited to, the potential for weight gain, fluid retention, and heightened vulnerability to infections. Emerging therapeutic approaches for UC are costly due to their chronic nature. Alternatives like synbiotic therapy, combining prebiotics and probiotics, have gained attention for mitigating dysbiosis in UC patients. Prebiotics promote beneficial bacteria proliferation, while probiotics establish a balanced gut microbiota and regulate immune system functionality. The utilisation of synbiotics has been shown to improve the inflammatory response and promote the resolution of symptoms in individuals with UC through the stimulation of beneficial bacteria growth and the enhancement of intestinal barrier integrity. Hence, this review article aims to explore the potential benefits and underlying reasons for incorporating alternative approaches in the management of UC with studies performed using prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics to treat ulcerative colitis and to highlight safety and considerations in UC and future perspectives. This will facilitate the utilisation of novel treatment strategies for the safer and more efficacious management of patients with UC.

Probiotic Lactobacillus paragasseri K7 Nanofiber Encapsulation Using Nozzle-Free Electrospinning

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can have beneficial effects on humans. Encapsulation offers them a better chance of survival. Therefore, nozzle-free electrospinning was introduced for their embedding in nanofibrous material. Probiotic Lactobacillus paragasseri K7 in lyophilized and fresh form, with and without inulin as prebiotic, was added to a polymer solution of sodium alginate (NaAlg) and polyethylene oxide (PEO). Conductivity, viscosity, pH, and surface tension were determined to define the optimal concentration and volume ratio for smooth electrospinning. The success of the formed nanoscale materials was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the entrapment of probiotics in the nanofibrous mats was detected by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spontaneous diffusion of bacteria from electrospun samples in PBS buffer pH 7.4 was studied by plate counting on MRS agar. By exposing polymer solutions containing L. paragasseri K7 and inulin to a high electric field, the nanofilm was formed on a polypropylene substrate, used as collecting material. When polymer solutions without inulin were used, the bead-like nanofibers may have become visible. The SEM results suggest that inulin, in addition to K7 strain, additionally lowers the conductivity of spinning macromolecular solution and hinders the nanofiber formation. The results of ATR-FTIR confirmed the presence of L. paragasseri K7 embedded in nanocomposites by the appearance of characteristic peaks. The samples containing the probiotic regardless of its form with inulin had similar surface composition, except that the sodium content was higher in the samples with fresh probiotic, probably due to greater and thus less easy embedding of the bacteria in NaAlg. Within 2 h, the largest amount of probiotic strain K7 was spontaneously released from the electrospun sample containing the inulin and probiotic in freeze-dried form (44%), while the amount released from the nanofibrous sample, which also contained the inulin and probiotic in fresh form, was significantly lower (21%). These preliminary results demonstrate the potential of nozzle-free electrospinning technology for the development of probiotic delivery systems for short-term use, such as feminine hygiene materials (tampons, pads, napkins).

The effects of chicory supplementation on liver enzymes and lipid profiles in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical evidence

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The beneficial effects of Cichorium intybus L., chicory, in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are controversial. This review aimed to systematically summarize the evidence on the effects of chicory on liver function and lipid profile in patients with NAFLD.

METHODS

Online databases of Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and grey literature were searched for relevant randomized clinical trials. Weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used as effect sizes and a random-effects model was used to pool the data. Besides, sensitivity analyses and publication bias analysis were performed.

RESULTS

In total, five articles containing 197 patients with NAFLD were included. The study showed that chicory significantly decreased the levels of both aspartate transaminase (WMD: -7.07 U/L, 95%CI: -13.82 to -0.32) and alanine transaminase (WMD: -17.53 U/L, 95%CI: -32.64 to -2.42). However, no significant effects on alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels and the components of the lipid profile were observed with the use of chicory.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis showed that chicory supplementation may exert potential hepatoprotective effects in patients with NAFLD. However, for widespread recommendations, more studies with a higher number of patients and longer periods of intervention are mandatory.

Discovery of potential mTOR inhibitors from Cichorium intybus to find new candidate drugs targeting the pathological protein related to the breast cancer: an integrated computational approach

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. It is a complex condition with many subtypes based on the hormone receptor. The mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) pathway regulates cell survival, metabolism, growth, and protein synthesis in response to upstream signals in both normal physiological and pathological situations, primarily in cancer. The objective of this study was to screen for a potential target to inhibit the mTOR using a variety of inhibitors derived from Cichorium intybus and to identify the one with the highest binding affinity for the receptor protein. Initially, AutoDock Vina was used to perform structure-based virtual screening, as protein-like interactions are critical in drug development. For the comparative analysis, 110 components of Cichorium intybus were employed and ten FDA-approved anticancer medicines, including everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor. Further, the drug-likeness and ADMET properties were investigated to evaluate the anti-breast cancer activity by applying Lipinski's rule of five to the selected molecules. The promising candidates were then subjected to three replica molecular dynamics simulations run for 100 ns, followed by binding free energy estimation using MM-GBSA. The data were analyzed using root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), and protein-ligand interactions to determine the stability of the protein-ligand complex. Based on the results, taraxerone (98) revealed optimum binding affinities with mTOR, followed by stigmasterol (110) and rutin (104), which compared favorably to the control compounds. Subsequently, bioactive compounds derived from Cichorium intybus may serve as lead molecules for developing potent and effective mTOR inhibitors to treat breast cancer.

Cichorium intybus L. “hairy” roots as a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds

The present study aimed to determine the bioactive profile of various extracts of Cichorium intybus L. "hairy" roots. In particular, the total content of flavonoids as well as the reducing power, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous and ethanolic (70%) extracts were evaluated. The total content of flavonoids the ethanolic extract of the dry "hairy" root reached up to 121.3 mg (RE)/g, which was twofold greater than in the aqueous one. A total of 33 diverse polyphenols were identified by the LC-HRMS method. The experimental results showed a high amount of gallic (6.103 ± 0.008 mg/g) and caffeic (7.001 ± 0.068 mg/g) acids. In the "hairy" roots, the presence of rutin, apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, and its derivatives was found in concentrations of 0.201±0.003 - 6.710±0.052 mg/g. The broad spectrum of pharmacological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, etc.) of the key flavonoids identified in the chicory "hairy" root extract was predicted by the General Unrestricted Structure-Activity Relationships algorithm based on in the substances detected in the extract. The evaluation of the antioxidant activity showed that the EC₅₀ values of the ethanol and the aqueous extracts were 0.174 and 0.346 mg, respectively. Thus, the higher ability of the ethanol extract to scavenge the DPPH radical was observed. The calculated Michaelis and inhibition constants indicated that the ethanolic extract of C. intybus "hairy" roots is an efficient inhibitor of soybean 15-Lipoxygenase activity (IC₅₀ = 84.13 ± 7.22 μM) in a mixed mechanism. Therefore, the obtained extracts could be the basis of herbal pharmaceuticals for the therapy of human diseases accompanied by oxidative stress and inflammation, including the pandemic coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Chemometric Discrimination of Cichorium glandulosum Boiss. et Huet and Cichorium intybus L. via Their Metabolic Profiling, Antioxidative, and Hypoglycemic Activities

Cichorium glandulosum Boiss. et Huet (CG) and Cichorium intybus L. (CI) are widely used as the main raw material of functional food with hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic effects. Due to the lack of comparison on the chemical ingredients and efficacy, they were often used imprecisely and interchangeably. It is necessary to distinguish between them. With the plant metabolomics based on high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS) and multivariate chemometric techniques, the chemical ingredients were characterized and 59 compounds between CG and CI were classified. As for antioxidative and hypoglycemic activities in vitro, CI extraction exhibited better antioxidant activity than CG, while CG extraction showed stronger hypoglycemic activity. Furthermore, a bivariate correlation between the chemical composition and efficacy of the extract was also analyzed, and three differentially strong correlation components between CI and CG were prepared, and the antioxidative and hypoglycemic efficacies were compared in vivo and different active phenotypes were obtained. Finally, we revealed chemical and biological differences between CG and CI, providing a basis for achieving better quality control and developing more effective functional foods.

A Novel Approach Based on Gut Microbiota Analysis and Network Pharmacology to Explain the Mechanisms of Action of Cichorium intybus L. Formula in the Improvement of Hyperuricemic Nephropathy in Rats

Background

Cichorium intybus L. formula (CILF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) widely used in the treatment of gout and hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN). The aim of this research was to investigate the potential protective effect of CILF against HN and elucidated the underlying mechanism.

Methods

CILF water extract was administered to an HN rat model established by adenine combined with ethambutol. The levels of uric acid (UA), serum urea nitrogen (UREA), and creatinine (CREA) were detected. Changes in the pathology and histology of the kidney were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The 16S rRNA of the gut microbiota was sequenced. The binding ability of the main ingredients of CILF to key targets was analyzed by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The expression levels of the related mRNAs and proteins in the kidney were evaluated by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry analysis.

Results

CILF administration significantly alleviated increases in UA, UREA, and CREA, structural damage, and kidney dysfunction. Gut microbiota analysis was applied to explore the pharmacological mechanism of the effects of CILF on bacterial diversity and microbiota structure in HN. CILF decreased the abundance of Bacteroides. In addition, it increased the abundance of Lactobacillaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Bifidobacterium. Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis, CILF profoundly influenced the IL17, TNF and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Additionally, CILF inhibited the expression of STAT3, VEGFA and SIRT1 to improve the symptoms of nephropathy. Our research suggested that CILF protects against kidney dysfunction in rats with HN induced by adenine combined with ethambutol.

Conclusion

Our findings on the anti-HN effects of CILF and its mechanism of action, from the viewpoint of systems biology, and elaborated that CILF can alter the diversity and community structure of the gut microbiota in HN, providing new approaches for the prevention and treatment of HN.

Antiparasitic Tannin-Rich Plants from the South of Europe for Grazing Livestock: A Review

Internal parasites are one of the main causes of health threats in livestock production, especially in extensive livestock farming. Despite the environmental toxic effects (loss of dung beetles, biodiversity, and other issues) and resistance phenomenon derived from their prolonged use, anti-parasitic chemical pharmaceuticals are frequently used, even in organic farming. Such a situation within the context of climate change requires urgent exploration of alternative compounds to solve these problems and apparent conflicts between organic farming objectives regarding the environment, public health, and animal health. This review is focused on some plants (Artemisia spp., Cichorium intybus L., Ericaceae family, Hedysarum coronarium L., Lotus spp., Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) that are well known for their antiparasitic effect, are voluntarily grazed and ingested, and can be spontaneously found or cultivated in southern Europe and other regions with a Mediterranean climate. The differences found between effectiveness, parasite species affected, in vitro/in vivo experiments, and active compounds are explored. A total of 87 papers where antiparasitic activity of those plants have been studied are included in this review; 75% studied the effect on ruminant parasites, where gastrointestinal nematodes were the parasite group most studied (70%), and these included natural (31%) and experimental (37%) infections.

Effect of Cichorium intybus on production performance, carcass quality and blood lipid profile of hybrid duck

OBJECTIVE

One hundred hybrid male ducks (Mojosari×Alabio) were used to examine the efficacy of chicory supplementation as nutritional feed manipulation on production performance, and blood lipid profile of hybrid ducks.

METHODS

The ducks were tagged, weighed, and then allotted randomly to one of the four treatment diets using a completely randomized design. The experimental diets were: i) P0 (100% basal diets+0% chicory as control), ii) P1 (95% basal diets+5% chicory), iii) P2 (90% basal diets+10% chicory) and iv) P3 (85% basal diets+15% chicory). For each treatment group, there were 5 replicates of 5 birds each. All experimental diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric using locally available ingredients.

RESULTS

Hybrid ducks with fed diets supplemented fresh chicory (5%, 10%, and 15%) showed increased feed intake and body weight gain, as well as feed conversion ratio to be smaller than those ducks fed diets without chicory supplementation (control). The ducks fed 10% chicory supplementation contained significantly (p<0.05) lower ash and higher organic matter contents of meat than those ducks fed other diets. The ducks fed 15% chicory supplementation showed the lowest crude protein and cholesterol content of meat among the treatment diets. Ducks fed chicory supplementation showed lower (p<0.05) blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels than those ducks fed without chicory supplementation, while dietary interventions had no major (p>0.05) influence on low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein levels in duck blood.

CONCLUSION

In this study, 10% chicory supplementation showed the best results characterized by an increase in growth performance, carcass quality, small intestinal histomorphology, and lower cholesterol levels of meat.

Influence of Drought Stress on Physiological Responses and Bioactive Compounds in Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.): Opportunity for a Sustainable Agriculture

Food production from agriculture depends on irrigation, mainly in poor rainfall zones, such as the Mediterranean region. Chicory is an important food crop component of the Mediterranean diet. Considering the increasing incidence of drought due to climate change, this study was carried out in order to investigate the effect of moderate drought stress on photosynthesis, leaf gaseous exchange, growth, and tocol and carotenoid composition of chicory under field conditions. Chicory was subjected to rainfed condition stress in a randomized block design. At 50 days of treatment, drought stress caused about 48% reduction in dry matter, 30% in leaf relative water content, and about 25% in photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, whereas mesophyll conductance was not affected. A strong relationship between photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance was observed. In the rainfed chicory, at the end of treatment, an increase (about 20%) in carotenoid and tocopherol content was found, thus, giving further insight into the positive effect of moderate drought stress on these compounds. This finding suggests that under proper rainfed conditions, it is possible to increase and save the quality of dry chicory, although yield loss occurs.

Bioactive, Mineral and Antioxidative Properties of Gluten-Free Chicory Supplemented Snack: Impact of Processing Conditions

This study aimed to investigate the impact of chicory root addition (20-40%) and extrusion conditions (moisture content from 16.3 to 22.5%, and screw speed from 500 to 900 rpm) on bioactive compounds content (inulin, sesquiterpene lactones, and polyphenols) of gluten-free rice snacks. Chicory root is considered a potential carrier of food bioactives, while extrusion may produce a wide range of functional snack products. The mineral profiles were determined in all of the obtained extrudates in terms of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu contents, while antioxidative activity was established through reducing capacity, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) tests. Chicory root addition contributed to the improvement of bioactive compounds and mineral contents, as well as antioxidative activities in all of the investigated extrudates in comparison to the pure-rice control sample. An increase in moisture content raised sesquiterpene lactones and minerals, while high screw speeds positively affected polyphenols content. The achieved results showed the important impact of the extrusion conditions on the investigated parameters and promoted chicory root as an attractive food ingredient in gluten-free snack products with high bioactive value.

Optimization of the Accelerated Solvent Extraction of Caffeoylquinic Acids from Forced Chicory Roots and Antioxidant Activity of the Resulting Extracts

Forced chicory roots (FCR) are the main but also the least valued by-products of Belgian endive culture. However, they contain molecules of interest for industry such as caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs). This study aims to investigate accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) as a green technique to recover chlorogenic acid (5-CQA) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), the main CQAs. A D-optimal design was used to determine the influence of temperature and ethanol percentage on their extraction. Optimal extraction conditions were determined using response surface methodology (RSM) and allow the recovery of 4.95 ± 0.48 mg/gDM of 5-CQA at 107 °C, 46% of ethanol and 5.41 ± 0.79 mg/gDM of 3,5-diCQA at 95 °C, 57% of ethanol. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was also optimized by RSM. The highest antioxidant activity was achieved at 115 °C with 40% ethanol (more than 22mgTrolox/gDM). Finally, correlation between the antioxidant activity and the amount of CQAs was determined. FCR can be a great source of bioactive compounds with potential use as biobased antioxidant.

Dietary Inclusion of Dried Chicory Root Affects Cecal Mucosa Proteome of Nursery Pigs

Simple Summary

A well-balanced diet seems to play a key role in disease prevention and health promotion in young animals. Therefore, many attempts have been made to supplement feeds with novel nutritional components, with potential prebiotic capacity. It seems that chicory root fulfils those criteria as it contains high amounts of inulin-type fructans. Hence, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation with 4% dried chicory root on the cecal mucosa proteome of piglets. It is shown that this feed additive may affect cellular metabolism in the cecal epithelium and may be beneficial for gut health.

Abstract

Prebiotics are known to have many beneficial effects on intestinal health by modulating the gut microbiota composition, thereby affecting epithelial cell proliferation and metabolism. This study had two aims: (1) to identify the protein constituents in the cecal mucosa of 50-day-old healthy (PIC × Penarlan P76) barrows, and (2) to assess the effects of 4% inclusion of dried chicory root in a cereal-based diet on the cecal mucosa proteome changes. Pigs (eight per group) were randomly allotted to the groups and were fed a control diet from the tenth day of life (C) or a diet supplemented with 4% of died chicory root (CR), for 40 days. At the age of 50 days, animals were sacrificed and cecal tissue samples were collected. It was found that feeding a CR diet significantly decreased the expression of 16 cecal mucosa proteins. Among them, fifteen proteins were down-regulated, while only one (KRT20) was shown to be up-regulated when compared to the C group. Dietary supplementation with CR caused down-expression of metabolism-associated proteins including enzymes involved in the process of glycolysis (G6PD, TPI1, ALDH9A1, CKMT1 and AKR1A1) as well as those engaged in transcriptional and translational activity (PRPF19, EEF1G) and several structural proteins (ACTR3, KRT77, CAP1 and actin). From our findings, it is possible to conclude that dietary chicory root at 4% had beneficial effects on the gut health of pigs as indicated by a changed abundance of certain cecal proteins such as KRT20, SERPINB1, HSP27, ANAXA2 and ANAXA4.

The Synergetic Effect of Egyptian Portulaca oleracea L. (Purslane) and Cichorium intybus L. (Chicory) Extracts against Glucocorticoid-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Rats through Attenuation of Oxidative Reactions and Autophagy

Long-term glucocorticoids can alter sperm motility, vitality, or morphology, disrupting male reproductive function. This study scrutinized the synergistic benefits of two Egyptian plants against dexamethasone (Dexa)-induced testicular and autophagy dysfunction in male rats. Phytochemical ingredients and the combination index were estimated for Purslane ethanolic extract (PEE) and Chicory water extract (CWE). Four control groups received saline and 100 mg/kg of each PEE, CWE, and PEE/CWE, daily for 8 weeks. Dexa (1 mg/kg daily for 6 weeks) induced infertility where PEE, CWE, and PEE/CWE were given. Seminal analysis, male hormones, glycemic and oxidative stress markers, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers (Sigma 1R and GRP78), and autophagy regulators (Phospho-mTOR, LC3I/II, PI3KC3, and Beclin-1, P62, ATG5, and ATG7) were measured. The in vitro study illustrated the synergistic (CI < 1) antioxidant capacity of the PEE/CWE combination. Dexa exerts testicular damage by inducing oxidative reactions, a marked reduction in serum testosterone, TSH and LH levels, insulin resistance, ER stress, and autophagy. In contrast, the PEE and CWE extracts improve fertility hormones, sperm motility, and testicular histological alterations through attenuating oxidative stress and autophagy, with a synergistic effect upon combination. In conclusion, the administration of PEE/CWE has promised ameliorative impacts on male infertility and can delay disease progression.

Leydig Cells in Immunocastrated Polish Landrace Pig Testis: Differentiation Status and Steroid Enzyme Expression Status

Porker immunocastration against gonadoliberin (GnRH) secretion has been utilized since 2009; however, consumers are still skeptical of it. This is due to not having full information available on the problem of a boar taint, as well as a lack of research on morphological and molecular changes that may occur in the animal reproductive system and other body systems. The present study aimed to explore the functional status of steroidogenic Leydig cells of the testicular interstitial tissue in immunocastrated Polish Landrace pigs. Analyses were performed using Western blot, immunohistochemistry for relaxin (RLN), insulin-like 3 protein (INSL3), pelleted growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα), cytochrome P450scc, 3β- and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3β-HSD, 17β-HSD), cytochrome P450arom, and 5α-reductase (5α-RED). Immunoassay ELISA was used to measure the androstenone, testosterone, and estradiol levels in the testis and serum of immunocastrates. We revealed disturbances in the distribution and expression of (i) RLN, indicating an inflammatory reaction in the interstitial tissue; (ii) INSL3 and PDGFRα, indicating alterations in the differentiation and function of fetal, perinatal, or adult Leydig cell populations; (iii) P450scc, 3β-HSD, 17β-HSD, P450arom, and 5α-RED, indicating disturbances in the sex steroid hormone production and disturbed functional status of Leydig cells; as well as (iv) decreased levels of androstenone, testosterone, and estradiol in testicular tissue and serum, indicating the dedicated action of Improvac to reduce boar taint at both the hypothalamic-hypophysis-gonadal axis and local level (Leydig cells). In summary, our study provides a significant portion of knowledge on the function of Leydig cells after immunocastration, which is also important for the diagnosis and therapy of testis dysfunction due to GnRH action failure and/or Leydig cell differentiational-functional alterations.

Assessment of Feed Value of Chicory and Lucerne for Poultry, Determination of Bioaccessibility of Their Polyphenols and Their Effects on Caecal Microbiota

Chicory and lucerne possess high feed value for poultry being good sources of protein and fiber. In addition, they are rich in polyphenols that help the body build an integrated antioxidant system to prevent damage from free radicals and positively modulate microbial populations in the gastrointestinal tract. These health-promoting effects of polyphenols depend on their bioaccessibility and absorption in the animal body. The present paper aimed to study the bioaccessibility of polyphenols from chicory and lucerne after subjecting the samples to gastric and intestinal phases of digestion in an in vitro model of chicken gut and assessment of their feed value by measuring the presence of fermentable substrates (in terms of gas production), SCFAs produced and their effects on gut microbiota population during in vitro cecal fermentation. Results revealed that the bioaccessibility of polyphenols varied with different polyphenol compounds. The highest bioaccessibility was recorded for p-hydroxybenzoic acid (90.8%) from chicory following the intestinal phase of digestion. The lowest bioaccessibility was observed for quercetin-3-rhamnoside (12.6%) from chicory after the gastric phase of digestion. From lucerne, the highest bioaccessibility was recorded for kaempferol-3-glucoside (77.5%) after the intestinal phase of digestion. Total gas production was higher for lucerne (39.9 mL/g) than chicory (28.1 mL/g). Similarly, total SCFAs production was higher after 24 h of cecal fermentation with lucerne (42.2 mmol L−1) as compared to chicory (38.1 mmol L−1). Results also revealed that the relative abundance of Clostridium was reduced with chicory (0.225%) and lucerne (0.176%) as compared to the control (0.550%) after 24 h of cecal fermentation. The relative abundance of Streptococcus was reduced by lucerne (4.845%) but was increased with chicory (17.267%) as compared to the control (5.204%) after 24 h of fermentation. These findings indicated that chicory and lucerne differentially affected the microbial populations during in vitro cecal fermentation.

Optimization of Extraction Conditions to Improve Chlorogenic Acid Content and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Forced Witloof Chicory Roots

Chlorogenic acids are major phenolic constituents in many herbal medicines and exhibit various bioactivities that explain the growing interest in extracting chlorogenic acids from biomass. In this context, the present study aims to maximize 3-O-Caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA) and 3,5-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA) contents from forced witloof chicory roots and to analyze the extraction kinetic modelling. First, the solid–liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, extraction time and temperature were studied. The extraction conditions were optimized to maximize the extraction of these compounds. The maximum yields reached 5 ± 0.11 and 5.97 ± 0.30 mg/g dry matter (DM) for 3-O-Caffeoylquinic acid and 3,5-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid, respectively, in less than 6 min at 70 °C. Extraction with water as a solvent was assessed with the aim of proposing a second greener and less-expensive solvent. This extraction is very fast from 90 °C, with a maximum of 6.22 ± 0.18 mg/g_DM of 3-O-Caffeoylquinic acid, and instantaneous for 3,5-O-di-caffeoylquinic acid with a maximum of 6.44 ± 0.59 mg/g_DM. In the second step, response surface methodology was employed to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction of antioxidants. The higher antioxidant activities were found at temperatures from 40 °C and at percentages of ethanol in the range of 35–70%.

Antiosteoporosis Studies of 20 Medicine Food Homology Plants Containing Quercetin, Rutin, and Kaempferol: TCM Characteristics, In Vivo and In Vitro Activities, Potential Mechanisms, and Food Functions

Dietary nutraceutical compounds have been evidenced as backbone for bone health in recent years. It is reported that medicine food homology (MFH) plants have multiple nutraceutical compounds. Based on our literature research, 20 MFH plants caught our attention because they contain three popular antiosteoporosis compounds simultaneously: quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), their characteristics including natures, flavors, attributive to meridian tropism, and efficacies were listed. The relationships between TCM efficacies, such as “heat clearing,” “tonic,” and “the interior warming,” and antiosteoporosis pharmacological actions such as antioxidant and immune regulation were discussed. The in vivo antiosteoporosis effects of the 20 MFH plants were summarized. The in vitro antiosteoporosis activities and related mechanisms of the 20 plants and quercetin, rutin, kaempferol were detailed. The TGF-β-Smad signaling, fibroblast growth factor, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling on bone formation and the RANKL signaling, NF-κB signaling, and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor on bone resorption were identified. From food point, these 20 MFH plants could be classified as condiment, vegetable, fruit, tea and related products, beverage, etc. Based on the above discussion, these 20 MFH plants could be used as daily food supplements for the prevention and treatment against osteoporosis.

Consumer's acceptability and health consciousness of probiotic and prebiotic of non-dairy products

Human gut microbiota is a protective agent of intestinal and systemic health, and its modulation is of great interest for human wellbeing. In the world of biotics, besides probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, also appears the denomination of "postbiotics" and "psychobiotics". Fermented dairy products are, traditionally, the major source of probiotics. Nevertheless, due to the increasing number of lactose-intolerant individuals and strict vegetarians, there is a need for innovative non-dairy products. Non-dairy biotics are being included in the normal diet and due to technological advances, many products are created using non-conventional food matrices like kombucha tea, herbal tea, baking mix, and cereal-based products. The microorganisms most used as probiotics in many of the non-dairy products are strains belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, and Bacillus, and some yeast strains namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii. Recently, several other yeasts have been described as having probiotic properties. This review describes gut-derived effects in humans of possible microorganisms, such as yeasts, and bacteria, isolated from non-dairy fermented and non-fermented foods and beverages. The microorganisms responsible for the processing of these non-dairy fermented products, together with the prebiotics, form a class of nutrients that have been proven to be beneficial for our gut health.

Valuable Hepatoprotective Plants - How Can We Optimize Waste Free Uses of Such Highly Versatile Resources?

Humans used plants for thousand of years as food, drugs, or fuel to keep homes warm. People commonly used fruits and roots, and other parts of the plant were often wasted. This review aims to discuss the potential of rational stem-to-stern use of three highly versatile and valuable plants with hepatoprotective properties. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. Gaertn.), artichoke (Cynara cardunculus), and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) have well-characterized hepatoprotective properties. These plants have been chosen since liver diseases are significant diseases of concern worldwide, and all parts of plants can be potentially utilized. Artichoke and chicory are commonly used as food or dietary supplements and less often as phytodrugs. Various dietary supplements and phytodrugs prepared from milk thistle (MT) fruits/seeds are well-known to consumers as remedies supporting liver functions. However, using these plants as functional food, farm animal feed, is not well-described in the literature. We also discuss bioactive constituents present in various parts of these plants, their pharmacological properties. Distinct parts of MT, artichoke, and chicory can be used to prepare remedies and food for humans and animals. Unused plant parts are potentially wasted. To achieve waste-free use of these and many other plants, the scientific community needs to analyze the complex use of plants and propose strategies for waste-free technologies. The government must stimulate companies to utilize by-products. Another problem associated with plant use as a food or source of phytodrug is the overharvesting of wild plants. Consequently, there is a need to use more active cultivation techniques for plants.

Varied diets: implications for lamb performance, rumen characteristics, total antioxidant status, and welfare

Intensive pastoral systems have moved away from diverse and varied diets towards overly simple monotonous diets. Feed choice through time is an obsolete way of providing forage to animals, as intensive management schemes generally allocate a single herbage or a dyad mixed sward. Monotonous feeding regimes impose nutritional repetition, which may impair animal performance and welfare. The objective of this experiment was to determine the impact of a diverse diet [DIV; free choice from perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) at all times], a varied diet [VAR; choice from ryegrass and plantain in the AM (0700-1600 h), and chicory and alfalfa in PM (1600-0700 h)], and a single forage diet of alfalfa [SFA; alfalfa at all times], on DMI, performance, and welfare of lambs. Six-month-old Coopworth ram lambs (n = 21) were offered their respective fresh-forage treatment (n = 7) diet indoors for 20 d. The DIV lambs consumed 1.64 ± 0.03 kg DM/d (mean ± SEm), which was 6% more (P < 0.05; 1.54 ± 0.03 kg DM/d) than the SFA and were not different (P > 0.05; 1.59 ± 0.03 kg DM/d) to the VAR lambs. Average daily gain (ADG) of DIV (296 g/d) and VAR (378 g/d) was 30% and 67% greater (P < 0.05) than that in the SFA lambs (227 g/d), respectively. The VAR lambs had 28% greater (P < 0.05) ADG than the DIV lambs. Differences among treatments were detected (P < 0.05) for the proportion of the day spent conducting the following behaviors: eating, ruminating, idling, lying, and standing. In addition, the number of bouts of stereotypic behaviors recorded from the SFA lambs (13.2 ± 2.2) was 150% greater (P < 0.05) than the DIV (5.1 ± 1.0) and VAR (5.5 ± 1.0) lambs. Our results suggest that the varied diet offered can improve animal performance and welfare compared to a monotonous SFA diet. Feeding management to provide a varied diet can improve performance relative to giving lambs free choice from taxonomically diverse forage options. Moreover, performance is affected by more than the primary chemical composition of the diet consumed, but how the diet is presented through time and the herbage species and quantities of each that are consumed to reach that chemical composition.

A comprehensive mechanistic and therapeutic insight into the effect of chicory (Cichorium intybus) supplementation in diabetes mellitus: A systematic review of literature

BACKGROUND

Cichorium intybus is a rich source of terpenoids and phenolic compounds, one of the effective methods in managing and reducing the complications of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the evidence obtained from animal and human studies on the effects of chicory on metabolic indicators (such as inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar and dyslipidaemia) of diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic search was performed in ProQuest, PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase and Science Direct databases and on articles published until August 2021. All of the animal studies and clinical trials included in this systematic review that assessed the effect of chicory on metabolic risk markers in diabetes were published in English language journals.

RESULTS

Finally, amongst 686 articles, only 23 articles met the needed criteria for further analysis. Out of 23 articles, 3 studies on humans and 20 studies on animals have been carried out. Fifteen of the 19 studies that evaluated the effect of chicory on the glycaemic index showed that Cichorium intybus improved blood glucose index (it had no effect in two human studies and three animal studies). Ten of the 13 studies evaluating the effect of Cichorium intybus on lipid profiles showed that it improved dyslipidaemia. Also, all 12 studies showed that chicory significantly reduces oxidative stress and inflammation.

CONCLUSION

According to the available evidence, Cichorium intybus might improve the glycaemic status, dyslipidaemia, oxidative stress and inflammation. However, further studies are recommended for a comprehensive conclusion about the exact mechanism of chicory in diabetic patients.

Tapping Into the Environmental Co-benefits of Improved Tropical Forages for an Agroecological Transformation of Livestock Production Systems

Livestock are critical for incomes, livelihoods, nutrition and ecosystems management throughout the global South. Livestock production and the consumption of livestock-based foods such as meat, cheese, and milk is, however, under global scrutiny for its contribution to global warming, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water use, pollution, and land/soil degradation. This paper argues that, although the environmental footprint of livestock production presents a real threat to planetary sustainability, also in the global south, this is highly contextual. Under certain context-specific management regimes livestock can deliver multiple benefits for people and planet. We provide evidence that a move toward sustainable intensification of livestock production is possible and could mitigate negative environmental impacts and even provide critical ecosystem services, such as improved soil health, carbon sequestration, and enhanced biodiversity on farms. The use of cultivated forages, many improved through selection or breeding and including grasses, legumes and trees, in integrated crop-tree-livestock systems is proposed as a stepping stone toward agroecological transformation. We introduce cultivated forages, explain their multi-functionality and provide an overview of where and to what extent the forages have been applied and how this has benefited people and the planet alike. We then examine their potential to contribute to the 13 principles of agroecology and find that integrating cultivated forages in mixed crop-tree-livestock systems follows a wide range of agroecological principles and increases the sustainability of livestock production across the globe. More research is, however, needed at the food system scale to fully understand the role of forages in the sociological and process aspects of agroecology. We make the case for further genetic improvement of cultivated forages and strong multi-disciplinary systems research to strengthen our understanding of the multidimensional impacts of forages and for managing agro-environmental trade-offs. We finish with a call for action, for the agroecological and livestock research and development communities to improve communication and join hands for a sustainable agri-food system transformation.

Large Inter- and Intraspecies Variability of Polyphenols and Proanthocyanidins in Eight Temperate Forage Species Indicates Potential for Their Exploitation as Nutraceuticals

Substantial efforts have been made in incorporating tannin-rich forages into grassland-based livestock production systems. However, the structural and functional diversity of tannins in different species limits their potential use at the field scale. We conducted a greenhouse experiment with 17 cultivars from 8 forage species and their cultivars. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze their polyphenolic profile and proanthocyanidin (PA) structural features in leaves. Our results highlight large inter- and intraspecies variability of plants in terms of polyphenol and tannin concentrations in the leaves. A concomitant and significant variation was also registered in the structural features of PA-rich forages such as the mean degree of polymerization and prodelphinidin percentage. The concentration of PA also varied within plant organs; the highest concentration was in flowers, but leaves had the highest contribution to harvestable PA biomass. Our research highlights that identifying these variations helps in identifying the representativeness of bioactivity and provides the basis for targeted breeding programs.

Conversion of inulin-rich raw plant biomass to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA): Progress and challenge towards biorenewable plastics

The current commercial plastic manufactures have been produced using petroleum-based resource. However, due to concerns over the resource depletion and the environmental sustainability, bioresource-based manufacturing processes have been developed to cope against these concerns. Bioresource-derived 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) can be utilized as a building block material for plastic manufactures. To date, numerous technologies have been developed for the production of FDCA using various types of bio-based feedstocks such as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), 6-C sugars, and polysaccharides. The commercial companies produce FDCA using HMF-based production processes due to their high production efficiency, but the high price of HMF is a problem bottleneck. Our review affords important information on breakthrough approaches for the cost-efficient and sustainable production of FDCA using raw plant feedstocks rich in inulin. These approaches include bioprocessing technology based on the direct use of raw plant feedstocks and biomodification of the target plant sources. For the former, an ionic liquid-based processing system is proposed for efficient pretreatment of raw plant feedstocks. For the latter, the genes encoding the key enzymes; sucrose:sucrose 1-fructoyltransferase (1-SST), fructan:fructan 1-fryuctosyltransferase (1-FFT), fructan 1-exohydrolase (1-FEH), and microbe-derived endoinulinase, are introduced for biomodification conducive to facilitating bioprocess and improving inulin content. These approaches would contribute to cost-efficiently and sustainably producing bio-based FDCA.

Up-regulation of chemokine receptor type 4 expression in the ischemic reperfused heart by alcoholic extract of Cichorium intybus rescue the heart from ischemia injury in male rat

OBJECTIVES

Cichorium intybus is used in traditional medicine for various diseases including heart disease. This study aimed at evaluating the chemokine receptor type 4 up-regulation and cardioprotective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of C. intybus in a rat model of ischemic reperfusion.

METHODS

Animals in four groups of eight rats each received vehicle or one of three doses of C. intybus (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/d) for 14 days. Then they were subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 7 days of reperfusion. At the end of the experiment, blood specimens were prepared for serum assays. The level of myocardium chemokine receptor type 4 was also measured using RT-PCR.

KEY FINDINGS

Cichorium intybus (CI-50) improved infarct size, episodes of the ventricular ectopic beat, ventricular tachycardia, and duration of ventricular tachycardia, QTc shortening. It also stabilized the ST segment changes and increased heart rate during ischemia. The blood pressure decreased in CI-50 group in comparison to the control and CI-200 group. C. intybus increased serum superoxide dismutase and reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity, Cardiac Troponin I and malondialdehyde levels. C. intybus led to an increase in the expression of chemokine receptor type 4.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that C. intybus administration before ischemia is able to induce cardioprotective effect against ischemic reperfusion injury, probably through chemokine receptor type 4 over-expression and antioxidant activity.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas: Safeguarding Medical Practices and Traditional Uses of Kashmir Regions

The present study was carried out to enlist the medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants of developing countries such as India, and the district of Kupwara of the Kashmir Himalaya has been targeted. Our research is one of the first study focusing on the statistical evaluation of the cross-cultural analysis between three different communities i.e., Dard, Kashmiri and Gujjar, of the study area. Sampling was carried out in eight villages in 2017 to 2020, and data were collected from 102 informants based on walking transects, to collect plant specimens, and semi-structured interviews. The medical usages of all collected taxa were grouped into 15 disease categories and 81 biomedical ailments. In this study, we documented around 107 plant taxa belonging to 52 families from the local inhabitants of the Kashmir Himalaya, which regulate the livelihood of the people and support cultural ecosystem services. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Ranunculaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae, Polygonaceae, Plantaginaceae and Brassicaceae are the top most dominant families. Herbaceous groups of plants were more common than trees and shrubs, and 71.96% of herb taxa were employed as medicine. Liliaceae, Caprifoliaceae and Portulacaceae (FUV = 0.24 each) have the highest family use value (FUV). The most prominent family was Asteraceae (seven genera, nine taxa), followed by Rosaceae and Lamiaceae (six genera, six taxa each). Persicaria Mill., Rheum L., Aconitum L. and Artemisia L. were prominent genera. Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb. (47UR), Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (45UR), Arisaema jacquemontii Blume (37UR), Asparagus racemosus Willd. (36UR) and Rumex acetosa L. (35UR) were the most important plant taxa with reference to use-reports. The ethnomedicinal applications of Aesculus indica Wall. ex Cambess., Solanum pseudocapsicum L., Ranunculus hirtellus Royle and Cormus domestica (L.) Spach plant taxa are reported here for the first time from the Himalayan Kashmiri people. We recommend further research on ethnopharmacological application of these newly recorded ethnobotanical plants. The medical usage of the plant was limited to different parts of the plant. In terms of the usage percentage, whole plant (26.17%), leaves (24.30%) and roots (19.63%) were found to have the highest utilization. The powder form (40.19%) was the most frequently employed method of drug/medicine preparation, followed by the utilization of extracted juice and/or other extracts (22.43%). The ICF values range from 0.85 to 1.00. Their use to remedy parasitic problems (PAR) and insect bites (IB) (ICF = 1.0 each) had the maximum consensus mentioned by the informants, although the number of taxa employed under this category was very limited. The different plant taxa used for the treatment of the gastrointestinal problems (GAS) was the most prominent disease category (262 URs, 16.19%, 25 taxa, ICF = 0.90). About 65% of the plant taxa studied is indigenous to the Asia or Himalayan regions, and around 35% is found to be exotic in nature. A strong positive correlation was found between age, gender, educational qualification and medicinal plant knowledge. No significant association was between people of different communities interviewed in terms of medical knowledge of the plants, p = 0.347 (>0.05) and χ2 = 2.120. No significant difference was found between the number of species documented concerning gender as p = 0.347 (>0.05) and χ2 =0.885. This study provides the comprehensive status of ethnomedicinal knowledge among three different communities of the study area. This study provided an impetus in discovering the baseline primary data for molecules which would help in drug discovery and management of various diseases, apart from conserving the genepool of plants in the investigated area.

Inulin as a Delivery Vehicle for Targeting Colon-Specific Cancer

Natural polysaccharides, as well as biopolymers, are now days widely developed for targeting colon cancer using various drug delivery systems. Currently, healing conformations are being explored that can efficiently play a multipurpose role. Owing to the capability of extravagance colonic diseases with the least adverse effects, biopolymers for site specific colon delivery have developed an increased curiosity over the past decades. Inulin (INU) was explored for its probable application as an entrapment material concerning its degradation by enzymes in the colonic microflora and its drug release behavior in a sustained and controlled manner. INU is a polysaccharide and it consists of 2 to 1 linkage having an extensive array of beneficial uses such as a carrier for delivery of therapeutic agents as an indicative/investigative utensil or as a dietary fiber with added well-being aids. In the main, limited research, as well as information, is available on the delivery of therapeutic agents using inulin specifically for colon cancer because of its capability to subsist in the stomach's acidic medium. This exceptional steadiness and robustness properties are exploited in numerous patterns to target drugs securely for the management of colonic cancer, where they effectively act and kills colonic tumor cells easily. In this review article, recent efforts and inulin-based nano-technological approaches for colon cancer targeting are presented and discussed.

Ethnoveterinary botanical survey of medicinal plants used in Pashto, Punjabi and Saraiki communities of Southwest Pakistan

Medicinal plants are highly used in the ethnoveterinary practice as considerable livestock resources in remote areas. The aim of the present study is to explore the ethnoveterinary medicinal practices in three different communities and discuss the cross‐cultural consensus on the usage of medicinal plants for the treatment of animals. The field survey was conducted by the animal healers of the area during the different seasons of plant growth. A total of 83 informants were interviewed through Semi‐structured interview involving experts of traditional knowledge in 21 localities of the three regions (Zhob, D. I. Khan and Mianwali) were conducted. Findings of the study were quantitatively analyzed through the informant consensus factors to identify the homogeneity information provided by the informants. Furthermore, cross‐culture consensuses were analyzed and recorded data were represented in a tabulated and Venn diagrams. In particularly, 59 species of plants were documented in the comparative analysis. Among them, 32 plant species were recorded in Pashto community, while Punjabi and Sarakai communities exhibited nine and four plant species, respectively. Whereas cross‐cultural analysis showed 14 medicinal plants that were commonly utilized by three different ethnic communities, that indicated low interregional consensus in regard to ethnoveterinary practices of medicinal plants. The current study showed that different communities and ethnic groups sharing some traditional knowledge and cross‐culturally approaches have been reported from traditional uses of plants against livestock's diseases. Therefore, current findings are the opportunities to scrutinize the plants for the discovery of new drug sources for humans and animals.

LC-ESI/QTOF-MS Profiling of Chicory and Lucerne Polyphenols and Their Antioxidant Activities

Chicory and lucerne are used as specialised forages in sheep or dairy production systems in some parts of the world. Recently, these plants are gaining attention as raw materials in the search for natural antioxidants for use in animal feeds, human foods and nutraceutical formulations. The antioxidant potential of these plants is credited to polyphenols, a subgroup of phytochemicals. Therefore, phenolic characterisation is an essential step before their use as ingredients in animal feeds, human food or nutraceutical preparations. In this study, we performed qualitative and quantitative analysis of polyphenols in chicory and lucerne. Profiling of polyphenols from chicory and lucerne was performed by LC-ESI/QTOF-MS with a total of 80 phenolic compounds identified in chicory and lucerne. The quantification of polyphenols was achieved by high performance liquid chromatography, coupled with a photo diode array (HPLC-PDA). Chicoric acid was the major phenolic acid found in chicory, with the highest concentration (1692.33 ± 0.04 µg/g DW) among all the polyphenols quantified in this study. 2-hydroxybenzoic acid was the major phenolic acid found in lucerne, with the highest concentration of 1440.64 ± 0.04 µg/g DW. Total phenolic, flavonoids and total tannin contents were measured, and the antioxidant potential was determined by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power, 2,2-Azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic Acid, Hydroxyl (OH⁻) Radical Scavenging Activity, Chelating Ability of Ferrous Ion (Fe²⁺) and Reducing Power (RPA) assays. Both chicory (8.04 ± 0.33 mg AAE/g DW) and lucerne (11.29 ± 0.25 mg AAE/g DW) showed high values for Hydroxyl (OH⁻) Radical Scavenging Activity. The current study allowed us to draw a profile of polyphenols from chicory and lucerne. They provided a molecular fingerprint useful for the application of these plant materials in human foods, animal feeds and pharmaceutical formulations.

Laying Performance, Egg Quality Characteristics, and Egg Yolk Fatty Acids Profile in Layer Hens Housed with Free Access to Chicory- and/or White Clover-Vegetated or Non-Vegetated Areas

Simple Summary

Outdoor-based systems can improve the product quantity and quality in laying hens. This study investigated the laying performance and several egg quality characteristics in layer hens fed on a conventional diet with free access to a soil area (control, C), a chicory (CI)- or white clover (TR)-vegetated area, or a CI and TR mixture (MIX)-vegetated area. The C hens consumed more concentrate feed, without affecting the laying rate, than did TR and MIX hens. Herbage intake (HI) of the TR and MIX hens was higher than that of the CI birds. The C hens produced eggs with thicker shells than the CI, TR, and MIX hens. The decrease in the feed intake and the improvement in fatty acid (FA) profiles of the egg yolk was related to the HI. Concerning the TR and MIX vegetation, the FA composition of herbage contributed to the production of eggs with preferred FA attributes, such as polyunsaturated FAs and a favourable n-6 to n-3 ratio.

Abstract

This study investigated the laying performance, egg quality, and egg yolk fatty acids (FAs) and cholesterol content in layer hens housed with free access to chicory- and/or white clover-vegetated areas. During a 16-week study, 400 Lohmann Brown hens (32 weeks old) housed with free outdoor access were allocated randomly into four groups, each with four replicates of 25 hens. Control hens were fed a conventional diet with free access to a soil area (C), whereas other hens were fed on a conventional diet with free access to a chicory (CI)- or white clover (TR)-vegetated area or a CI and TR mixture (MIX)-vegetated area. The C hens consumed more concentrate feed (p = 0.018) than the TR and MIX hens, which had a higher herbage intake than the CI birds (p < 0.001). The C hens produced eggs with a thicker shell than those in the other treatment groups (p = 0.013). Compared with C, the saturated FAs of egg yolk decreased for MIX (p = 0.010). The polyunsaturated FAs were higher in the MIX eggs than in the C and TR eggs (p < 0.001). Although FAs were distributed in all quadrants of the principal component analysis (PCA), three main FA profiles could be identified based on the loadings of natural groupings in the PC2 versus PC1 plot. The present study shows clear evidence for the contribution of herbage to the hen diet without affecting laying performance. In addition, the FA composition of the CI and MIX vegetation contributed to the production of eggs with preferred FA attributes, such as polyunsaturated FAs and a favourable n-6 to n-3 ratio.

Synbiotic formulation of Cichorium intybus root powder with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 and Lactobacillus reuteri BFE7 improves growth performance in Murrah buffalo calves via altering selective gut health indices

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of synbiotic formulation of Cichorium intybus root powder (C) with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 (LA) and Lactobacillus reuteri BFE7 (LR) on growth performance in Murrah buffalo calves via monitoring selective gut health indices. Twenty-four Murrah buffalo calves of 5-7 days old and 33 ± 2.0 kg of body weight were distributed randomly into three groups adopting complete randomized design (CRD) as follows: (1) group I served as control (CON) provided with a basal diet alone; (2) group II supplemented with synbiotic formulation of 200 mL L. acidophilus NCDC15 fermented milk with 8 g of Cichorium intybus root powder (LAC) along with basal diet; (3) group III supplemented with synbiotic formulation of 200 mL L. reuteri BFE7 fermented milk with 8 g of Cichorium intybus root powder (LRC) along with basal diet. The final body weight (BW), average dry matter intake (DMI) and structural body measurements were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in LAC and LRC groups by synbiotic as compared to the CON. No effect was registered on apparent nutrient digestibility coefficient of various nutrients in supplemented groups. Faecal score was reduced by the supplementation of synbiotic being lowest in LRC followed by LAC and CON. Calves supplemented synbiotic showed lower (P < 0.05) faecal pH and ammonia with a concomitant increase in faecal lactate levels and faecal short chain fatty acids (SCFA) as compared to control. The faecal Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium population was increased (P < 0.05) in synbiotic fed groups as compared to control. Additionally, coliform and clostridia count was decreased (P < 0.05) in treatment groups compared to CON. Overall, it may be concluded that synbiotic supplementation was effective in improving the growth performance in Murrah buffalo calves via altering selective gut health indices.

The Common Cichory (Cichorium intybus L.) as a Source of Extracts with Health-Promoting Properties-A Review

Natural products are gaining more interest recently, much of which focuses on those derived from medicinal plants. The common chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), of the Astraceae family, is a prime example of this trend. It has been proven to be a feasible source of biologically relevant elements (K, Fe, Ca), vitamins (A, B1, B2, C) as well as bioactive compounds (inulin, sesquiterpene lactones, coumarin derivatives, cichoric acid, phenolic acids), which exert potent pro-health effects on the human organism. It displays choleretic and digestion-promoting, as well as appetite-increasing, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action, all owing to its varied phytochemical composition. Hence, chicory is used most often to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Chicory was among the plants with potential against SARS-CoV-2, too. To this and other ends, roots, herb, flowers and leaves are used. Apart from its phytochemical applications, chicory is also used in gastronomy as a coffee substitute, food or drink additive. The aim of this paper is to present, in the light of the recent literature, the chemical composition and properties of chicory.

Plant Prebiotics and Their Role in the Amelioration of Diseases

Prebiotics are either natural or synthetic non-digestible (non-)carbohydrate substances that boost the proliferation of gut microbes. Undigested fructooligosaccharides in the large intestine are utilised by the beneficial microorganisms for the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids for their own growth. Although various food products are now recognized as having prebiotic properties, several others, such as almonds, artichoke, barley, chia seeds, chicory, dandelion greens, flaxseeds, garlic, and oats, are being explored and used as functional foods. Considering the benefits of these prebiotics in mineral absorption, metabolite production, gut microbiota modulation, and in various diseases such as diabetes, allergy, metabolic disorders, and necrotising enterocolitis, increasing attention has been focused on their applications in both food and pharmaceutical industries, although some of these food products are actually used as food supplements. This review aims to highlight the potential and need of these prebiotics in the diet and also discusses data related to the distinct types, sources, modes of action, and health benefits.

The Plants of the Asteraceae Family as Agents in the Protection of Human Health

The Asteraceae family is one of the largest flowering plant families, with over 1600 genera and 2500 species worldwide. Some of its most well-known taxa are lettuce, chicory, artichoke, daisy and dandelion. The members of the Asteraceae have been used in the diet and for medicine for centuries. Despite their wide diversity, most family members share a similar chemical composition: for example, all species are good sources of inulin, a natural polysaccharide with strong prebiotic properties. They also demonstrate strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, as well as diuretic and wound healing properties. Their pharmacological effects can be attributed to their range of phytochemical compounds, including polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, acetylenes and triterpenes. One such example is arctiin: a ligand with numerous antioxidant, antiproliferative and desmutagenic activities. The family is also a source of sesquiterpene lactones: the secondary metabolites responsible for the bitter taste of many plants. This mini review examines the current state of literature regarding the positive effect of the Asteraceae family on human health.

Natural lactucopicrin alleviates importin-α3-mediated NF-κB activation in inflammated endothelial cells and improves sepsis in mice

Lactucopicrin, a bitter sesquiterpene lactone of leafy vegetables, such as chicory, curly escarole, and lettuce, possesses anti-malarial, anti-cancer and analgesic properties. However, it remains unknown whether lactucopicrin could inhibit vascular endothelial nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, a hallmark of vascular inflammatory diseases including sepsis. In tumor necrosis factor-α-stimulated human or mouse aortic endothelial cells, lactucopicrin dose-dependently inhibited NF-κB activation, and concomitantly repressed both vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)-mediated monocyte adhesion. The lactucopicrin effect was not due to modulation of inhibitor of NF-κB kinases (IKK) α/β/γ, inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα), and NF-κB/p65 DNA binding activity. Instead, lactucopicrin inhibited importin-α3 expression by destabilization of its mRNA, an effect mediating the lactucopicrin effect on NF-κB activity. More importantly, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-elicited septic mice, oral gavage with lactucopicrin decreased mortality by 30.5% as compared with the control treatment. This effect was associated with inhibited importin-α3 expression, suppressed NF-κB activation and VCAM-1/ICAM-1 expression, and inhibited leukocyte influx in the vascular endothelium of both lung and aorta. Collectively, our novel data suggest that dietary supplementation with lactucopicrin inhibits endothelial NF-κB activation by down-regulation of importin-α3 and thereby improves sepsis.

The Effectiveness of Dietary Byproduct Antioxidants on Induced CYP Genes Expression and Histological Alteration in Piglets Liver and Kidney Fed with Aflatoxin B1 and Ochratoxin A

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a byproduct mixture derived from grapeseed and sea buckthorn oil industry to mitigate the harmful damage produced by ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 at hepatic and renal level in piglets after weaning. Forty cross-bred TOPIGS-40 hybrid piglets after weaning were assigned to three experimental groups (E1, E2, E3) and one control group (C), and fed with experimental diets for 30 days. The basal diet was served as a control and contained normal compound feed for starter piglets without mycotoxins. The experimental groups were fed as follows: E1-basal diet plus a mixture (1:1) of two byproducts (grapeseed and sea buckthorn meal); E2-the basal diet experimentally contaminated with mycotoxins (479 ppb OTA and 62ppb AFB1); and E3-basal diet containing 5% of the mixture (1:1) of grapeseed and sea buckthorn meal and contaminated with the mix of OTA and AFB1. After 4 weeks, the animals were slaughtered, and tissue samples were taken from liver and kidney in order to perform gene expression and histological analysis. The gene expression analysis showed that when weaned piglets were fed with contaminated diet, the expression of most analyzed genes was downregulated. Among the CYP450 family, CYP1A2 was the gene with the highest downregulation. According to these results, in liver, we found that mycotoxins induced histomorphological alterations in liver and kidney and had an effect on the expression level of CYP1A2, CYP2A19, CYP2E1, and CYP3A29, but we did not detect important changes in the expression level of CY4A24, MRP2 and GSTA1 genes.

Diet supplemented either with dried chicory root or chicory inulin significantly influence kidney and liver mineral content and antioxidative capacity in growing pigs

According to the Regulation No. 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and European Union Council, the use of antibiotics as a dietary supplements has been prohibited. It seems that the administration of prebiotics, instead of antibiotics, into the pig's diet, may regulate the intestinal microbiota and has a long-term health-related impact on the host. Inulin-type fructans can stimulate mineral absorption from the gut. Additionally, it may regulate energy metabolism and activate enzymatic mechanisms preventing oxidative stress. The goal of the present study was to estimate the influence of dietary supplementation with dried chicory root or native chicory inulin on 1) liver histology; 2) liver and kidney lipid metabolism indices, activity of selected enzymes, concentration of macro- and micronutrients and heavy metals; 3) blood plasma, liver and kidney oxidative stress biomarkers and 4) blood plasma water-electrolyte homeostasis indices in growing pigs. The nutritional study was conducted on 24 piglets assigned to 3 dietary groups (n = 8): control (C) fed a basal diet and two experimental groups receiving basal diet supplemented with 2% of inulin (IN) either 4% of dried chicory root (CR). The animals were fed with a group-specific diets for 40 days and then subjected to euthanasia. Subsequently, blood, liver and kidney samples were harvested for further processing. In the control and experimental groups, no apparent morphological abnormalities in the liver tissues were seen. The percent of periodic acid Schiff positive glycogen liver cells was significantly lower in the CR group as compared to C and IN groups (P < 0.001). Chicory root supplementation improved blood plasma prooxidative-antioxidative balance - PAB (P < 0.001) and liver PAB (P < 0.01) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances - thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (P < 0.05). Feeding the CR diet increased calcium (P < 0.001) and potassium (P < 0.05) and decreased cadmium (P ≥ 0.05) content in the liver when compared to the C group. Administration of the CR and IN diets increased selenium (Se) and sodium concentrations, whereas decreased zinc content both in the liver (P < 0.01; P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively) and in the kidney (P < 0.01; P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) of pigs. Additionally, a higher concentration of lead (P < 0.05) was observed in the kidney of pigs fed the CR diet. In conclusion, both dietary supplements had a potential to significantly improve the Se status and oxidoreductive homeostasis in growing pigs.