Comprehensive Metabolite Profiling of Four Different Beans Fermented by Aspergillus oryzae

Comparison analysis of bioactive metabolites in soybean, pea, mung bean, and common beans: reveal the potential variations of their antioxidant property

This study showed the significantly differences of basic nutrients and metabolite compounds in nine types of beans involved in soybean, mung bean, pea, and common beans. The metabolomics results showed that serval metabolites such as histidine, proline, 3-alanine, and myricetin which could be used to identify different beans. The random forest model showed that amino acid and fatty acid could be used as special indexes to distinguish different types of beans in practice. The different expressed metabolites among different types of beans were involved in various pathways including alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and purine metabolism. The antioxidant activity was significantly different among different types of beans, and the contents of amino acid, coumarin, and polyphenol contributed the antioxidant activities of beans. Together, these results will provide a comprehensive understanding of metabolites in different types of beans and theoretical guideline for the future application of beans.

Proposing anti-counterfeiting pharmacopoeia quality markers for Shenlingbaizhu granule based on UHPLC-Q-orbitrap-MS identification

INTRODUCTION

Shenlingbaizhu granule, a Traditional Chinese Medicine prescription comprising Renshen, Gancao, and Shanyao, is widely consumed in China nowadays.

OBJECTIVE

The study tries to propose pharmacopoeia quality markers (Q-markers) to prevent counterfeiting involving Renshen, Gancao, and Shanyao.

METHODOLOGY

A novel strategy, that is, library-based ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry, was used to analyse the lyophilised aqueous powder of Shenlingbaizhu granule. Subsequently, quantum chemistry calculation and UV-vis spectra scanning were also performed through theoretical or experimental approaches.

RESULT

Thirty-two isomers have been strictly distinguished, especially positional isomeric isochlorogenic acid B versus isochlorogenic acid C, positional isomeric schaftoside versus isoschaftoside, positional isomeric ginsenoside Rg2 versus 20S-ginsenoside Rg3, and stereoisomeric 20S-ginsenoside Rg3 versus 20R-ginsenoside Rg3. Seventeen compounds were unexpectedly observed, particularly scoparone and pectolinarigenin, while a total of 76 bioactive compounds have been putatively identified in the study. The quantum chemistry calculation and UV-vis spectra scanning results revealed that glycyrrhizic acid, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, and diosgenin displayed different dipole moment values and maximum absorption wavelengths from each other.

CONCLUSION

The study recommends glycyrrhizic acid, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, and diosgenin as four anti-counterfeiting Q-markers for the pharmacopoeia. The anti-counterfeiting Q-markers can be detected using conventional HPLC. The observation of 17 unexpected compounds updates our knowledge regarding the bioactives of Shenlingbaizhu granule.

Combination of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53 attenuates fat accumulation and alters the metabolome and gut microbiota in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity

This study evaluated the effects of formulations with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53 on adiposity, the alteration of microbiota, and the metabolome in high-fat diet-fed mice. The strains were selected based on their fat and glucose absorption inhibitory activities and potential metabolic interactions. The optimal ratio of the two strains in the probiotic formulation was determined based on their adipocyte differentiation inhibitory activities. Treatment of formulations with BEPC22 and BELP53 for 10 weeks decreased body weight gain at 6 weeks; it also decreased the food efficiency ratio, white adipose tissue volume, and adipocyte size. Moreover, it decreased the expression of the lipogenic gene Ppar-γ in the liver, while significantly increasing the expression of the fat oxidation gene Ppar-α in the white adipose tissue. Notably, treatment with a combination of the two strains significantly reduced the plasma levels of the obesity hormone leptin and altered the microbiota and metabolome. The omics data also indicated the alteration of anti-obesity microbes and metabolites such as Akkermansia and indolelactic acid, respectively. These findings suggest that treatment with a combination of BEPC22 and BELP53 exerts synergistic beneficial effects against obesity.

NMR-Based Metabolomic Study on Phaseolus vulgaris Flour Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeasts

In recent years, fermented foods have attracted increasing attention due to their important role in the human diet, since they supply beneficial health effects, providing important sources of nutrients. In this respect, a comprehensive characterization of the metabolite content in fermented foods is required to achieve a complete vision of physiological, microbiological, and functional traits. In the present preliminary study, the NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with chemometrics has been applied, for the first time, to investigate the metabolite content of Phaseolus vulgaris flour fermented by different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. A differentiation of microorganisms (LAB and yeasts), LAB metabolism (homo- and heterofermentative hexose fermentation), LAB genus (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus), and novel genera (Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, and Lentilactobacillus) was achieved. Moreover, our findings showed an increase of free amino acids and bioactive molecules, such as GABA, and a degradation of anti-nutritional compounds, such as raffinose and stachyose, confirming the beneficial effects of fermentation processes and the potential use of fermented flours in the production of healthy baking foods. Finally, among all microorganisms considered, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species was found to be the most effective in fermenting bean flour, as a larger amount of free amino acids were assessed in their analysis, denoting more intensive proteolytic activity.