Impact of Rapeseed and Soy Lecithin on Postprandial Lipid Metabolism, Bile Acid Profile, and Gut Bacteria in Mice

SCOPE

Synthetic emulsifiers have recently been shown to promote metabolic syndrome and considerably alter gut microbiota. Yet, data are lacking regarding the effects of natural emulsifiers, such as plant lecithins rich in essential α-linolenic acid (ALA), on gut and metabolic health.

METHODS AND RESULTS

For 5 days, male Swiss mice are fed diets containing similar amounts of ALA and 0, 1, 3, or 10% rapeseed lecithin (RL) or 10% soy lecithin (SL). Following an overnight fast, they are force-fed the same oil mixture and euthanized after 90 minutes. The consumption of lecithin significantly increased fecal levels of the Clostridium leptum group (p = 0.0004), regardless of origin or dose, without altering hepatic or intestinal expression of genes of lipid metabolism. 10%-RL increased ALA abundance in plasma triacylglycerols at 90 minutes, reduced cecal bile acid hydrophobicity, and increased their sulfatation, as demonstrated by the increased hepatic RNA expression of Sult2a1 (p = 0.037) and cecal cholic acid-7 sulfate (CA-7S) concentration (p = 0.05) versus 0%-lecithin.

CONCLUSION

After only 5 days, nutritional doses of RL and SL modified gut bacteria in mice, by specifically increasing C. leptum group. RL also increased postprandial ALA abundance and induced beneficial modifications of the bile acid profile. ALA-rich lecithins, especially RL, may then appear as promising natural emulsifiers.

Use of rosemary, oregano, and a commercial blend of essential oils in broiler chickens: in vitro antimicrobial activities and effects on growth performance

The present study was conducted to characterize the in vitro antimicrobial activities of 3 essential oils [oregano, rosemary, and a commercial blend of essential oils (BEO)] against pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria and to evaluate their effects on broiler chicken performances. The chemical composition of the essential oils was determined using the gas chromatography interfaced with a mass spectroscopy. The disc diffusion method, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were applied for the determination of antimicrobial activities of essential oils. In vivo study, a total of seven hundred fifty 1-d-old male broiler chickens were assigned to 6 dietary treatment groups: basal diet (control; CON), CON + 44 mg of avilamycin/kg (A), CON + 100 mg of rosemary essential oil/kg (ROS), CON + 100 mg of oregano essential oil/kg (OR), CON + 50 mg of rosemary and 50 mg of oregano essential oils/kg (RO), and CON + 1,000 mg of BEO/kg (essential oil mixture, EOM). The essential oils isolated from rosemary and oregano were characterized by their greater content of 1,8-cineole (49.99%) and carvacrol (69.55%), respectively. The BEO was mainly represented by the aldehyde (cinnamaldehyde) and the monoterpene (1,8-cineole) chemical groups. The results of the disc diffusion method indicated that the rosemary essential oil had antibacterial activity (P ≤ 0.05) against only 3 pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli (8 mm), Salmonella indiana (11 mm), and Listeria innocua (9 mm). The essential oil of oregano had antimicrobial activities (P ≤ 0.05) on the same bacteria as rosemary but also on Staphylococcus aureus (22 mm) and Bacillus subtilis (12 mm). Oregano essential oil had greater (P ≤ 0.05) antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacteria than rosemary essential oil but they had no synergism between them. The BEO showed an increased antimicrobial activity (P ≤ 0.05) against all studied bacteria (pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria) except for Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The supplementation of the basal diet with avilamycin or essential oils improved (P ≤ 0.05) broiler chicken BW, BW gain, and G:F compared with the CON diet. There were no differences in growth performances among birds fed A, ROS, OR, RO, or EOM diets. In general, essential oils contained in rosemary, oregano, and BEO can substitute for growth promoter antibiotics. Although the 3 essential oils had different antimicrobial activities, they exhibited the same efficiency in broiler chickens.

Lactobacillus plantarum 299v surface-bound GAPDH: a new insight into enzyme cell walls location

The aim of this study was to provide new insight into the mechanism whereby the housekeeping enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) locates to cell walls of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. After purification, cytosolic and cell wall GAPDH (cw-GAPDH) forms were characterized and shown to be identical homotetrameric active enzymes. GAPDH concentration on cell walls was growth-time dependent. Free GAPDH was not observed on the culture supernatant at any time during growth, and provoked cell lysis was not concomitant with any reassociation of GAPDH onto the cell surface. Hence, with the possibility of cw-GAPDH resulting from autolysis being unlikely, entrapment of intracellular GAPDH on the cell wall after a passive efflux through altered plasma membrane was investigated. Flow cytometry was used to assess L. plantarum 299v membrane permeabilization after labeling with propidium iodide (PI). By combining PI uptake and cw-GAPDH activity measurements, we demonstrate here that the increase in cw-GAPDH concentration from the early exponential phase to the late stationary phase is closely related to an increase in plasma membrane permeability during growth. Moreover, we observed that increases in both plasma membrane permeability and cw-GAPDH activity were delayed when glucose was added during L. plantarum 299v growth. Using a double labeling of L. plantarum 299v cells with anti-GAPDH antibodies and propidium iodide, we established unambiguously that cells with impaired membrane manifest five times more cw-GAPDH than unaltered cells. Our results show that plasma membrane permeability appears to be closely related to the efflux of GAPDH on the bacterial cell surface, offering new insight into the understanding of the cell wall location of this enzyme.

Bacillus subtilis isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract

As part of an ongoing study to determine the true habitat of Bacillus species, we report here the isolation and characterisation of Bacillus subtilis from the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Strains were obtained from ileum biopsies as well as from faecal samples and their biotypes defined. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that most isolates of B. subtilis were highly conserved, in contrast to RAPD-PCR fingerprinting that showed greater diversity with 23 distinct RAPD types. The majority of B. subtilis strains examined possessed features that could be advantageous to survival within the GIT. This included the ability to form biofilms, to sporulate anaerobically and secretion of antimicrobials. At least one isolate was shown to form spores that carried an exosporium, a loosely attached outer layer to the mature endospore, this being the first report of B. subtilis spores carrying an exosporium. This study reinforces a growing view that B. subtilis and probably other species have adapted to life within the GIT and should be considered gut commensals rather than solely soil microorganisms.

Composition and gene expression of the cag pathogenicity island in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from gastric carcinoma and gastritis patients in Costa Rica

The composition and in vitro expression of the cag pathogenicity island genes in a group of Helicobacter pylori strains obtained from patients suffering from chronic gastritis-associated dyspepsia (n = 26) or gastric carcinoma (n = 17) were analyzed. No significant difference in the distribution of the 10 studied regions was found between the cases and the controls. Nine strains did not harbor any of the selected regions: eight (30.8%) isolated from patients with gastritis only and one (5.9%) from a patient with gastric carcinoma. No association was found between the number of repeated sequences at the 3' end of the cagA gene or the presence of tyrosine phosphorylation motifs and the clinical origin of the strains. The virB10 homolog gene was the sole gene studied to be significantly expressed more often in cancer strains than in gastritis strains (P = 0.03).

Purification and characterization of a keratinolytic serine proteinase from Streptomyces albidoflavus

Streptomyces strain K1-02, which was identified as a strain of Streptomyces albidoflavus, secreted at least six extracellular proteases when it was cultured on feather meal-based medium. The major keratinolytic serine proteinase was purified to homogeneity by a two-step procedure. This enzyme had a molecular weight of 18,000 and was optimally active at pH values ranging from 6 to 9.5 and at temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees C. Its sensitivity to protease inhibitors, its specificity on synthetic substrates, and its remarkably high level of NH2-terminal sequence homology with Streptomyces griseus protease B (SGPB) showed that the new enzyme, designated SAKase, was homologous to SGPB. We tested the activity of SAKase with soluble and fibrous substrates (elastin, keratin, and type I collagen) and found that it was very specific for keratinous substrates compared to SGPB and proteinase K.

Macrolide resistance in Helicobacter pylori: rapid detection of point mutations and assays of macrolide binding to ribosomes

Resistance of Helicobacter pylori to macrolides is a major cause of failure of eradication therapies. Single base substitutions in the H. pylori 23S rRNA genes have been associated with macrolide resistance in the United States. Our goal was to extend this work to European strains, to determine the consequence of this mutation on erythromycin binding to H. pylori ribosomes, and to find a quick method to detect the mutation. Seven pairs of H. pylori strains were used, the parent strain being naturally susceptible to macrolides and the second strain having acquired an in vivo resistance during a treatment regimen that included clarithromycin. The identity of the strains was confirmed by random amplified polymorphic DNA testing with two different primers, indicating that resistance was the result of the selection of variants of the infecting strain. All resistant strains were found to have point mutations at position 2143 (three cases) or 2144 (four cases) but never on the opposite DNA fragment of domain V of the 23S rRNA gene. The mutation was A-->G in all cases except one (A-->C) at position 2143. Using BsaI and BbsI restriction enzymes on the amplified products, we confirmed the mutations of A-->G at positions 2144 and 2143, respectively. Macrolide binding was tested on purified ribosomes isolated from four pairs of strains with [14C]erythromycin. Erythromycin binding increased in a dose-dependent manner for the susceptible strain but not for the resistant one. In conclusion we suggest that the limited disruption of the peptidyltransferase loop conformation, caused by a point mutation, reduces drug binding and consequently confers resistance to macrolides. Finally, the macrolide resistance could be detected without sequencing by performing restriction fragment length polymorphism with appropriate restriction enzymes.

Alteration of a yeast SH3 protein leads to conditional viability with defects in cytoskeletal and budding patterns

Mutations in genes necessary for survival in stationary phase were isolated to understand the ability of wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae to remain viable during prolonged periods of nutritional deprivation. Here we report results concerning one of these mutants, rvs167, which shows reduced viability and abnormal cell morphology upon carbon and nitrogen starvation. The mutant exhibits the same response when cells are grown in high salt concentrations and other unfavorable growth conditions. The RVS167 gene product displays significant homology with the Rvs161 protein and contains a SH3 domain at the C-terminal end. Abnormal actin distribution is associated with the mutant phenotype. In addition, while the budding pattern of haploid strains remains axial in standard growth conditions, the budding pattern of diploid mutant strains is random. The gene RVS167 therefore could be implicated in cytoskeletal reorganization in response to environmental stresses and could act in the budding site selection mechanism.

Yeast mutant affected for viability upon nutrient starvation: characterization and cloning of the RVS161 gene

In yeast, nutrient starvation leads to entry into stationary phase. Mutants that do not respond properly to starvation conditions have been isolated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among them the rvs161 mutant (RVS for Reduced Viability upon Starvation) is sensitive to carbon, nitrogen and sulphur starvation. When these nutrients are depleted in the medium, mutant cells show cellular viability loss with morphological changes. The mutation rvs161-1 is very pleiotropic, and besides the defects in stationary phase entry, the mutant strain presents other alterations: sensitivity to high salt concentrations, hypersensitivity to amino acid analogs, no growth on lactate or acetate medium. The addition of salts or amino acid analogs leads to the same morphological defects observed in starved cells, suggesting that the gene could be implicated mainly in the control of cellular viability. The gene RVS161 was cloned; it codes for a 30,252 daltons protein. No homology was detected with the proteins contained in the databases. Moreover, Southern analysis revealed the presence of other sequences homologous to the RVS161 gene in the yeast genome.

Direct detection of yeast mutants with reduced viability on plates by erythrosine B staining

In this paper we report a rapid method to screen yeast mutants exhibiting reduced viability directly on plates. This method avoids the need for replica plating and is based on the addition of the vital dye erythrosine B in nutrient medium. After 2 or 3 days of culture, colonies containing a large proportion of dead cells show a pink or a dark pink color whereas normal colonies are practically white.