Association of dietary intake of polyphenols, lignans, and phytosterols with immune-stimulating microbiota and COVID-19 risk in a group of Polish men and women

Network pharmacology and molecular docking identified IL-6 as a critical target of Qing Yan He Ji against COVID-19

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, although have controlled, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is constantly mutating and affects people's health. FDA has approved Paxlovid and Molnupiravir for COVID-19 treatment, however, they have not been approved for children under 12 years old. Therefore, it is urgent to explore new drugs for treating COVID-19 in children. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Qing Yan He Ji (QYHJ) has been widely used as an antiviral in our hospital. Therefore, we presumed that it may be ideal for treating COVID-19 and explored its therapeutic effect in patients with COVID-19. The targets and underlying mechanisms of QYHJ against COVID-19 in children were investigated using bioinformatics. QYHJ target sets, and related target genes of COVID-19 were retrieved from public databases. Subsequently, gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed to investigate the potential mechanism of QYHJ against COVID-19. Finally, molecular docking was carried out to analyze the affinity between the effective molecule and the target protein. A total of 15 bioactive ingredients of QYHJ and 111 predicted potential targets of QYHJ against COVID-19 were screened. A protein-protein interaction network and subnetworks identified 21 core target genes. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that QYHJ functions against COVID-19 primarily through antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. Molecular docking of interleukin-6 (IL-6) revealed that 5 active compounds had relatively stable binding activities with IL-6. Molecular dynamics simulation was performed for molecular docking results, showing IL-6-(4aS,6aR,6aS,6bR,8aR,10R,12aR,14bS)-10-hydroxy-2,2,6a,6b,9,9,12a-heptamethyl-1,3,4,5,6,6a,7,8,8a,10,11,12,13,14b-tetradecahydropicene-4a-carboxylic acid (4aS) complex, IL-6-stigmasterol complex, IL-6-poriferasterol complex, IL-6-sitosterol complex, and IL-6-beta-sitosterol complex had relatively good binding stability. In conclusion, the multi-component and multi-target intervention of QYHJ against COVID-19 is closely related to antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities, which provides a theoretical basis for clinical application.

Environmental Driving of Adaptation Mechanism on Rumen Microorganisms of Sheep Based on Metagenomics and Metabolomics Data Analysis

Natural or artificial selection causes animals to adapt to their environment. The adaptive changes generated by the rumen population and metabolism form the basis of ruminant evolution. In particular, the adaptive drive for environmental adaptation reflects the high-quality traits of sheep that have migrated from other places or have been distant from their origins for a long time. The Hu sheep is the most representative sheep breed in the humid and low-altitude environments (Tai Lake region) in East Asia and has been widely introduced into the arid and high-altitude environments (Tibetan Plateau and Hotan region), resulting in environmental adaptive changes in the Hu sheep. In this study, a joint analysis of the rumen microbial metagenome and metabolome was conducted on Hu sheep from different regions (area of origin and area of introduction) with the objective of investigating the quality traits of Hu sheep and identifying microorganisms that influence the adaptive drive of ruminants. The results demonstrated that the growth performance of Hu sheep was altered due to changes in rumen tissue and metabolism following their introduction to the arid area at relatively high altitude. Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses (five ramsper area) revealed that 3580 different microorganisms and 732 different metabolites were identified in the rumen fluid of arid sheep. Among these, the representative upregulated metabolites were 4,6-isocanedione, methanesulfonic acid and N2-succinyl-L-arginine, while the dominant microorganism was Prevotella ruminicola. The downregulated metabolites were identified as campesterol, teprenone and dihydroclavaminic acid, while the disadvantaged microorganisms were Dialister_succinatiphilus, Prevotella_sp._AGR2160, Prevotella_multisaccharivorax and Selenomonas_bovis. The results of the Pearson analysis indicated that the rumen microbiota and metabolite content of sheep were significantly altered and highly correlated following their relocation from a humid lowland to an arid upland. In particular, the observed changes in rumen microorganisms led to an acceleration of body metabolism, rendering sheep highly adaptable to environmental stress. Prevotella_ruminicola was identified as playing an important role in this process. These findings provide insights into the environmental adaptation mechanisms of sheep.

Negative Association of Lignan and Phytosterol Intake with Stress Perception during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Polish Study on Young Adults

BACKGROUND

There has been an increasing global prevalence of depression and other psychiatric diseases in recent years. Perceived stress has been proven to be associated with psychiatric and somatic symptoms. Some animal and human studies have suggested that consuming foods abundant in lignans and phytosterols may be associated with lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. Still, the evidence is not yet strong enough to draw firm conclusions. Thus, we investigated the association between dietary intake of these phytochemicals and the level of stress experienced by adult individuals.

METHODS

Diet was assessed using self-reported 7-day dietary records. The intakes of lignans and phytosterols were estimated using databases with their content in various food products. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was implemented to measure the level of perceived stress. A logistic regression analysis was used to test for associations.

RESULTS

The odds of elevated PSS were negatively associated with dietary intake of total phytosterols, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, with evidence of a decreasing trend across tertiles of phytochemicals. The analysis for doubling the intake reinforced the aforementioned relationships and found protective effects against PSS for total lignans, pinoresinol, and campesterol.

CONCLUSIONS

Habitual inclusion of lignans and phytosterols in the diet may play a role in psychological health. To address the global outbreak of depression and other mental health issues triggered by stress, it is important to take a holistic approach. There is a need to develop effective strategies for prevention and treatment, among which certain dietary interventions such as consumption of products abundant in lignans and phytosterols may play a substantial role.

Nutrition at the Intersection between Gut Microbiota Eubiosis and Effective Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Nutrition is one of the most influential environmental factors in both taxonomical shifts in gut microbiota as well as in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Emerging evidence has shown that the effects of nutrition on both these parameters is not mutually exclusive and that changes in gut microbiota and related metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) may influence systemic inflammation and signaling pathways that contribute to pathophysiological processes associated with T2DM. With this background, our review highlights the effects of macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, as well as micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, on T2DM, specifically through their alterations in gut microbiota and the metabolites they produce. Additionally, we describe the influences of common food groups, which incorporate varying combinations of these macronutrients and micronutrients, on both microbiota and metabolic parameters in the context of diabetes mellitus. Overall, nutrition is one of the first line modifiable therapies in the management of T2DM and a better understanding of the mechanisms by which gut microbiota influence its pathophysiology provides opportunities for optimizing dietary interventions.