Antibacterial Activity of Four Plant Extracts Extracted from Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plants against Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis

Impact of Liposomal Hesperetin in Broilers: Prospects for Improving Performance, Antioxidant Potential, Immunity, and Resistance against Listeria monocytogenes

Liposomal encapsulated phytogenics, such as liposomal hesperetin, are considered novel substitutes for antibiotics in the broilers industry owing to their improved nutritional and therapeutic properties. Therefore, our key goal was to investigate liposomal hesperetin impact on broilers' growth performance, health, antioxidant status, tight junction proteins (TJP), and resistance against Listeria monocytogenes. Four broilers' groups were fed 0, 150, 250, and 400 mg/kg of liposomal hesperetin-supplemented diets and experimentally infected with L. monocytogenes strain. Herein, liposomal hesperetin, especially at higher concentrations, augmented broilers FCR with upregulation of genes encoding TJP (occludin, JAM-2, MUC-2), and antioxidant attributes (GPX-1, SOD-1, CAT, HO-1, NQO1, COX2), which reflect enhancing health and welfare of broilers. Muscle antioxidant biomarkers were enhanced; meanwhile, muscle MDA, ROS, and H2O2 levels were reduced in response to 400 mg/kg of liposomal hesperetin. Liposomal hesperetin fortification reduced L. monocytogenes loads and its virulence-related genes expression levels (flaA, hlyA, and ami). Remarkably, histopathological alterations in intestinal and brain tissues of L. monocytogenes infected broilers were restored post-inclusion at higher levels liposomal hesperetin, which reflects increasing the bird's resistance to L. monocytogenes infection. Transcription levels of genes encoding cytokines/chemokines (MyD88, AVBD6, CCL20, IL-1β, IL-18), and autophagy (Bcl-2, LC3, AMPK, AKT, CHOP, Bip, p62, XBP1) were ameliorated following dietary liposomal hesperetin fortification, which suggests enhancing the birds' immunity and health. Collectively, our research recommends liposomal hesperetin application in broilers` diets owing to its promoting impact on growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, health, and welfare besides its antibacterial, and antivirulence characteristics to fight against L. monocytogenes.

Advances in the chemical constituents, pharmacological activity, and clinical application of Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma: A review and predictive analysis of quality markers (Q-markers)

Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR) is recognized in traditional Chinese medicine for its distinctive therapeutic properties and abundant supply. Its phytochemical profile is diverse, encompassing flavonoids, steroids, saccharides, phenolic glycosides, volatile constituents, organic acids, phenylpropanoids, stilbenoids, among others. Recent pharmacological investigations reveal that SGR possesses a broad spectrum of pharmacological effects with multifaceted clinical applications. This review collates the current knowledge on SGR's chemical composition, pharmacological activities, and its clinical utility. Utilizing network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches, this study provides a preliminary identification of potential quality markers (Q-Markers) within SGR. The findings suggest that compounds such as astilbin, isoengelitin, neoisoastilbin, neoastilbin, astragaloside, diosgenin, resveratrol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and quercetin in SGR are promising candidates for Q-Markers. While flavonoids are the most extensively studied, there is a pressing need to further explore the active monomeric compounds within SGR. The introduction of Q-Markers is instrumental in developing standardized quality metrics. Specifically, astilbin has been noted for its antitumor, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-hyperuricemic, and hepatoprotective potential, warranting further research for therapeutic applications.

Cytoprotective, antimutagenic/antirecombinogenic and antibacterial properties of Lallemantia iberica extracts

BACKGROUND

Plants have important chemical compounds to protect organisms from many mutagens but they may also have dangerous toxic substances that must be tested before use. Lallemantia iberica has been used by local people for treatment of some diseases but it was never tested for its cell protective and antimutagenic/antirecombinogenic properties. In this study, it was aimed to determine the cytoprotective, antimutagenic/antirecombinogenic, antibacterial, antioxidant and phenolic profile of L. iberica by MTS assay, micronucleus test/somatic mutation recombination test (SMART), disc diffusion method, ABTS/DPPH tests and liquid chromatography (LC), respectively.

RESULTS

MTS assay results showed that both of the extracts supported the normal growth of healthy human lymphocytes and there was no significant difference between extracts. Although there was no significant increase in micronucleus concentration (‰) of the cultures treated with ethanol or methanol extracts, methanol extract caused slightly lower micronucleus concentration (12.64 ± 3.65‰) than the ethanol extract (24.46 ± 4.50‰). SMART results showed that ethanol and methanol extracts prevented harmful mitotic recombination. Lallemantia iberica also showed antibacterial activity against all of the strains tested, and the largest inhibition zones were observed with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17.9 mm) and Enterobacter aerogenes (13.8 mm). Methanol extracts showed better antioxidant activities (ABTS IC₅₀ : 104.07 μg mL^-1 , DPPH IC₅₀ : 58.8 μg mL^-1 ) than ethanol extracts (ABTS IC₅₀ : 344.03 μg mL^-1 , DPPH IC₅₀ : 233.7 μg mL^-1 ). According to the LC results, the most abundant phenolic compounds were rutin hydrate (1796.4 ± 62.9 mg kg^-1 ) and p-coumaric acid (228.1 ± 7.60 mg kg^-1 ).

CONCLUSION

Lallemantia iberica extracts had cell-protective, antimutagenic/antirecombinogenic, antibacterial and strong antioxidant characteristics in relation to their rich phenolic content. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Identifying treponemal disease in early East Asia

Objectives

Historic records suggest that a virulent form of treponematosis, sexually transmitted syphilis was introduced to Asia from Europe by the da Gama crew, who landed in India in 1498. Our objective is to assess the gross pathology of human skeletal remains from the Tang dynasty of China to test the presence of treponemal infection in East Asia before 1498. We interpret this paleopathological evidence in the context of site ecology and sociocultural changes during the Tang dynasty.

Materials and methods

We examined the gross pathology of 1598 human skeletons from Xingfulindai (AD 618 to AD 1279) archeological site located on the Central Plain of China. Using the modified diagnostic criteria defined by Hackett's classical work, we classify the pathology as consistent, strongly suggestive, or pathognomonic for treponemal infection.

Results

Twelve adult individuals from Xingfulindai had bone lesions suggestive of systemic pathology. Two of these individuals displayed a combination of lesion patterns pathognomonic of treponemal disease and one had lesions consistent with treponematosis. The radiocarbon dates for the bone samples from these skeletons place them before AD 1200.

Conclusions

The location of Xingfulindai in a continental climatic zone is not typical for yaws and bejel ecology, because these strains occur in the tropics, or in hot, dry environments, respectively. The urban setting, where there is documented evidence for increased interaction between multiple ethnic groups and a developed institution of courtesans during the Tang dynasty, favors sexually transmitted syphilis as the more likely diagnosis. This study supports an earlier spread of syphilis to China than 1498.

The Effects of Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb, Anemone chinensis Bunge, and Smilax glabra Roxb on Broiler Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Gastrointestinal Tract Microorganisms

Poultry farming is growing globally, particularly in developing countries, to meet the demands of growing populations for poultry meat and eggs. This is likely to lead to an increase in the use of antibiotics in poultry feed, thus contributing to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance which, poses a serious threat to human and animal health worldwide. One way of reducing this threat is to reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry production by finding effective and sustainable antibiotic alternatives that can be used to support poultry health and productivity. Therefore, this study evaluates the incorporation of three medicinal plants, Anemone chinensis Bunge, Smilax glabra Roxb, and Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb, in poultry feed on production performance, nutrient digestibility, and bacteria in the chicken caecum in a 35-day performance trial with 420-day-old male Ross 308 broilers. Groups of randomly selected chicks received one of six dietary treatments. These included five experimental diets of reduced nutrient specifications as a negative control (NC); with amoxicillin as a positive antibiotic control (PC1); with A. pilosa Ledeb (NC1); with A. chinensis Bunge (NC2); and with S. glabra Roxb (NC3). One other positive control diet contained the recommended nutrient specification (PC2). Weight gain and feed intake were measured weekly and used to calculate the feed conversion ratio as performance parameters. Bacteria were enumerated from chicken caecum using a traditional plating method and selective agar. S. glabra Roxb and A. chinensis Bunge showed comparable effects to amoxicillin with significantly increased weight gain in birds offered these diets, compared to those offered the negative control from days 0 to 35 (p < 0.001). S. glabra Roxb exhibited effects similar to the amoxicillin control group with an improved feed conversion ratio (p < 0.001). In addition, S. glabra Roxb decreased numbers of E. coli and Campylobacter spp. on days 21 (p < 0.05) and 35 (p < 0.01) and increased numbers of lactic acid bacteria comparable to the antibiotic group on days 14 (p < 0.001) and 35 (p < 0.01). The findings of this in vivo trial highlight the potential of S. glabra Roxb and A. chinensis Bunge as beneficial feed material to promote poultry health and productivity in the absence of antibiotics.

Honeybee and Plant Products as Natural Antimicrobials in Enhancement of Poultry Health and Production

The quality and safety attributes of poultry products have attracted increasing widespread attention and interest from scholarly groups and the general population. As natural and safe alternatives to synthetic and artificial chemical drugs (e.g., antibiotics), botanical products are recently being used in poultry farms more than 60% of the time for producing organic products. Medicinal plants, and honeybee products, are natural substances, and they were added to poultry diets in a small amount (between 1% and 3%) as a source of nutrition and to provide health benefits for poultry. In addition, they have several biological functions in the poultry body and may help to enhance their welfare. These supplements can increase the bodyweight of broilers and the egg production of laying hens by approximately 7% and 10% and enhance meat and egg quality by more than 25%. Moreover, they can improve rooster semen quality by an average of 20%. Previous research on the main biological activities performed by biotics has shown that most research only concentrated on the notion of using botanical products as growth promoters, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial agents. In the current review, the critical effects and functions of bee products and botanicals are explored as natural and safe alternative feed additives in poultry production, such as antioxidants, sexual-stimulants, immuno-stimulants, and for producing healthy products.

Antibacterial mechanisms of Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.), Chaenomeles superba Lindl. and Cornus mas L. leaf extracts

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro antibacterial mechanisms of Aronia melanocarpa, Chaenomeles superba, and Cornus mas leaf extracts towards meat spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The extracts decreased bacterial viability after 24 h and 48 h of incubation. Acting as prooxidants, the extracts induced intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation in bacteria cells, with C. mas having the strongest influence. The leaf extracts increased the release of UV intracellular absorbing components, suggesting a reduction in membrane integrity. They also increased the outer-membrane permeability of the Gram-negative bacteria, with C. superba extract being the most active. Following exposure to the leaf extracts, morphological changes in the bacteria were observed, including the formation of aggregates, EPS synthesis, irregular forms, wrinkled cell surfaces, pores in the cell wall, and shriveling of cells. The leaf extracts inhibited DNA synthesis in E. coli cells by suppressing DNA gyrase activity.