Alterations in Intestinal Brush Border Membrane Functionality and Bacterial Populations Following Intra-Amniotic Administration (Gallus gallus) of Nicotinamide Riboside and Its Derivatives

HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS based untargeted metabolomics authentication of Taxus × media six tissues

INTRODUCTION

Taxus media (Taxus × media Rehder) is renowned for its high paclitaxel content, serving as a major source for industrial paclitaxel production. In addition to paclitaxel, T. media contains a diverse range of metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids, which have been shown to possess antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, these compounds have not been thoroughly studied as key metabolites in T. media.

OBJECTIVE

The untargeted metabolomics analysis of six T. media tissues provides new insights into the development and utilization of T. media metabolites.

METHOD

The extracts from six tissues of T. media were analyzed and subjected to analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) and chemometric techniques.

RESULTS

Using a reliable HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method, we identified 312 compounds in six T. media tissues, including 214 previously unreported in T. media. To identify characteristic compounds across different tissues, 34 metabolites were further screened. KEGG metabolic pathway analysis revealed that these compounds primarily occur in the metabolic pathways of terpene glycosides, flavans, and O-methylated flavonoids.

CONCLUSION

This study initially utilized an HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics approach to assess the metabolites in different tissues of T. media, providing a basis for their utilization and management.

Oil soluble iron: Curcumin derivatives and their complex

Curcumin dibutanoate (CUDB) is a new oil soluble bidentate ligand which shows higher stability against heat and oxidation compared to curcumin. The oil solubility of this ligand increased an order of magnitude over curcumin. This biomolecule showed high digestibility in a simulated intestinal trial and was hydrolyzed in the presence of porcine pancreatin releasing ∼ 91% of the curcumin. When curcumin dibutanoate was complexed with Fe2+, Fe(CUDB)2 was formed as a new iron (II) complex. Due to the high hydrophobicity of the curcumin dibutanoate ligand, the solubility of Fe(CUDB)2 was found to be 2.8 mg/mL in canola oil. The steric hindrance afforded by the CUDB ligand, coupled with its hydrophobicity stabilized the iron (II) oxidation state within the complex compared to FeSO4·7H2O as measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Fe(CUDB)2 has potential to be a new form of oil-soluble iron supplement which co-delivers iron (II) and curcumin.

Nicotinamide Riboside, a Promising Vitamin B3 Derivative for Healthy Aging and Longevity: Current Research and Perspectives

Many studies have suggested that the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is involved in an extensive spectrum of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiomyopathy, obesity, and diabetes. Further, healthy aging and longevity appear to be closely related to NAD+ and its related metabolites, including nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). As a dietary supplement, NR appears to be well tolerated, having better pharmacodynamics and greater potency. Unfortunately, NR is a reactive molecule, often unstable during its manufacturing, transport, and storage. Recently, work related to prebiotic chemistry discovered that NR borate is considerably more stable than NR itself. However, immediately upon consumption, the borate dissociates from the NR borate and is lost in the body through dilution and binding to other species, notably carbohydrates such as fructose and glucose. The NR left behind is expected to behave pharmacologically in ways identical to NR itself. This review provides a comprehensive summary (through Q1 of 2023) of the literature that makes the case for the consumption of NR as a dietary supplement. It then summarizes the challenges of delivering quality NR to consumers using standard synthesis, manufacture, shipping, and storage approaches. It concludes by outlining the advantages of NR borate in these processes.

NAD+ Precursors and Intestinal Inflammation: Therapeutic Insights Involving Gut Microbiota

The oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a critical metabolite for living cells. NAD+ may act either as a cofactor for many cellular reactions as well as a coenzyme for different NAD+-consuming enzymes involved in the physiological homeostasis of different organs and systems. In mammals, NAD+ is synthesized from either tryptophan or other vitamin B3 intermediates that act as NAD+ precursors. Recent research suggests that NAD+ precursors play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier. Indeed, its deficiency has been associated with enhanced gut inflammation and leakage, and dysbiosis. Conversely, NAD+-increasing therapies may confer protection against intestinal inflammation in experimental conditions and human patients, with accumulating evidence indicating that such favorable effects could be, at least in part, mediated by concomitant changes in the composition of intestinal microbiota. However, the mechanisms by which NAD+-based treatments affect the microbiota are still poorly understood. In this context, we have focused specifically on the impact of NAD+ deficiency on intestinal inflammation and dysbiosis in animal and human models. We have further explored the relationship between NAD+ and improved host intestinal metabolism and immunity and the composition of microbiota in vivo. Overall, this comprehensive review aims to provide a new perspective on the effect of NAD+-increasing strategies on host intestinal physiology.

Intra-Amniotic Administration of Cashew Nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) Soluble Extract Improved Gut Functionality and Morphology In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

Cashew nuts are rich in dietary fibers, monounsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherols, flavonoids, catechins, amino acids, and minerals that offer benefits for health. However, the knowledge of its effect on gut health is lacking. In this way, cashew nut soluble extract (CNSE) was assessed in vivo via intra-amniotic administration in intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) morphology, functionality, and gut microbiota. Four groups were evaluated: (1) no injection (control); (2) H₂O injection (control); (3) 10 mg/mL CNSE (1%); and (4) 50 mg/mL CNSE (5%). Results related to CNSE on duodenal morphological parameters showed higher Paneth cell numbers, goblet cell (GC) diameter in crypt and villi, depth crypt, mixed GC per villi, and villi surface area. Further, it decreased GC number and acid and neutral GC. In the gut microbiota, treatment with CNSE showed a lower abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and E. coli. Further, in intestinal functionality, CNSE upregulated aminopeptidase (AP) gene expression at 5% compared to 1% CNSE. In conclusion, CNSE had beneficial effects on gut health by improving duodenal BBM functionality, as it upregulated AP gene expression, and by modifying morphological parameters ameliorating digestive and absorptive capacity. For intestinal microbiota, higher concentrations of CNSE or long-term intervention may be necessary.

Emerging Dietary Bioactives in Health and Disease

This monograph, based on a Special Issue of Nutrients, contains 16 manuscripts-2 review manuscripts and 14 original research manuscripts-that reflect the wide spectrum of currently conducted research in the field of Emerging Dietary Bioactives in Health and Disease [...].

Glycerol Monolaurate Alleviates Oxidative Stress and Intestinal Flora Imbalance Caused by Salinity Changes for Juvenile Grouper

Groupers with an initial body weight of 9.10 ± 0.03 g were selected to investigate whether dietary addition of 0 (G0) and 1800 mg/kg glycerol monolaurate (GML, G1800) could alleviate the oxidative stress response and intestinal flora imbalance after 0, 6, 12, and 24 h of salinity change in grouper. Experimental results show that the dietary addition of GML significantly reduced the liver MDA content and increased the SOD activity of grouper. The gene expression of CAT and SOD increased and then decreased with time after adding 1800 mg/kg GML, and the highest values were significantly higher than those of the control group. Salinity change had a slight effect on the top four intestinal flora composition of grouper at 0, 12, and 24 h, with changes occurring only at 6 h when Cyanobacteria replaced Actinobacteria. The addition of dietary GML slowed down the intestinal flora disorder, inhibited the colonization of harmful bacterium Vibrio, and promoted the abundance of beneficial bacterium Bacillus. In conclusion, dietary GML significantly reduced the oxidative damage caused by sudden changes in salinity, improved the antioxidant capacity, and alleviated the intestinal flora imbalance in juvenile grouper.

Intra-Amniotic Administration-An Emerging Method to Investigate Necrotizing Enterocolitis, In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal disease in premature infants and a leading cause of death in neonates (1-7% in the US). NEC is caused by opportunistic bacteria, which cause gut dysbiosis and inflammation and ultimately result in intestinal necrosis. Previous studies have utilized the rodent and pig models to mimic NEC, whereas the current study uses the in vivo (Gallus gallus) intra-amniotic administration approach to investigate NEC. On incubation day 17, broiler chicken (Gallus gallus) viable embryos were injected intra-amniotically with 1 mL dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) in H₂O. Four treatment groups (0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75% DSS) and two controls (H₂O/non-injected controls) were administered. We observed a significant increase in intestinal permeability and negative intestinal morphological changes, specifically, decreased villus surface area and goblet cell diameter in the 0.50% and 0.75% DSS groups. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in pathogenic bacterial (E. coli spp. and Klebsiella spp.) abundances in the 0.75% DSS group compared to the control groups, demonstrating cecal microbiota dysbiosis. These results demonstrate significant physiopathology of NEC and negative bacterial-host interactions within a premature gastrointestinal system. Our present study demonstrates a novel model of NEC through intra-amniotic administration to study the effects of NEC on intestinal functionality, morphology, and gut microbiota in vivo.

Effects of Plant-Derived Glycerol Monolaurate (GML) Additive on the Antioxidant Capacity, Anti-Inflammatory Ability, Muscle Nutritional Value, and Intestinal Flora of Hybrid Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus♂)

In a context where the search for plant-derived additives is a hot topic, glycerol monolaurate (GML) was chosen as our subject to study its effect on grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus♂). Seven gradient levels of GML (0, 600, 1200, 1800, 2400, 3000, and 3600 mg/kg) were used for the experiment. Based on our experiments, 1800 mg/kg GML significantly increased the final body weight (FBW) and weight gain rate (WGR). GML increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA). Adding 1800 mg/kg GML also significantly increased the levels of lauric acid (C12:0) (LA), n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA), and the n-6 PFA-to-n-3/n-6 ratio, while significantly decreasing the levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Dietary supplementation with GML significantly inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and reduced the occurrence of inflammation. GML improved intestinal flora and the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Bacillus, Psychrobacter, Acinetobacter, Acinetobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Glutamicibacter). It provides a theoretical basis for the application of GML in aquafeed and greatly enhances the possibility of using GML in aquafeed. Based on the above experimental results, the optimum level of GML in grouper feed is 1800 mg/kg.

Alterations in Intestinal Brush Border Membrane Functionality and Bacterial Populations Following Intra-Amniotic Administration (Gallus gallus) of Catechin and Its Derivatives

Catechin is a flavonoid naturally present in numerous dietary products and fruits (e.g., apples, berries, grape seeds, kiwis, green tea, red wine, etc.) and has previously been shown to be an antioxidant and beneficial for the gut microbiome. To further enhance the health benefits, bioavailability, and stability of catechin, we synthesized and characterized catechin pentaacetate and catechin pentabutanoate as two new ester derivatives of catechin. Catechin and its derivatives were assessed in vivo via intra-amniotic administration (Gallus gallus), with the following treatment groups: (1) non-injected (control); (2) deionized H2O (control); (3) Tween (0.004 mg/mL dose); (4) inulin (50 mg/mL dose); (5) Catechin (6.2 mg/mL dose); (6) Catechin pentaacetate (10 mg/mL dose); and (7) Catechin pentabutanoate (12.8 mg/mL dose). The effects on physiological markers associated with brush border membrane morphology, intestinal bacterial populations, and duodenal gene expression of key proteins were investigated. Compared to the controls, our results demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in Clostridium genera and E. coli species density with catechin and its synthetic derivative exposure. Furthermore, catechin and its derivatives decreased iron and zinc transporter (Ferroportin and ZnT1, respectively) gene expression in the duodenum compared to the controls. In conclusion, catechin and its synthetic derivatives have the potential to improve intestinal morphology and functionality and positively modulate the microbiome.