Effects of blackcurrant extract on indole and ammonia productions in an in vitro human fecal culture model

Blackcurrant is available as a traditional medicine in Europe. However, the detailed effects of blackcurrant on the human gut microbiota remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the prebiotic effects of a blackcurrant extract using a human fecal culture model in six healthy subjects. Feces were individually inoculated into a medium with or without the blackcurrant extract and then fermented for 48 hr under anaerobic conditions. The results obtained from analysis of samples from the fermented medium demonstrated that after 48 hr of fermentation, the pH of the medium with the blackcurrant extract was significantly decreased (control, 6.62 ± 0.20; blackcurrant extract, 6.41 ± 0.33; p=0.0312). A 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis of the microbiota of the fermented medium showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae. In measuring the concentrations of putrefactive components in the fermented medium, we found that the blackcurrant extract significantly reduced ammonia levels and displayed a tendency toward reduced indole levels. Our results suggest that blackcurrant extract could be a potential ingredient for relief of putrefactive components in the gut.

Prediction of epidemic cholera due to Vibrio cholerae O1 in children younger than 10 years using climate data in Bangladesh

To determine if a prediction of epidemic cholera using climate data can be made, we performed autoregression analysis using the data recorded in Dhaka City, Bangladesh over a 20-year period (1983-2002) comparing the number of children aged <10 years who were infected with Vibrio cholerae O1 to the maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall. We formulated a simple autoregression model that predicts the monthly number of patients using earlier climate variables. The monthly number of patients predicted by this model agreed well with the actual monthly number of patients where the Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.95. Arbitrarily defined, 39.4% of the predicted numbers during the study period were within 0.8-1.2 times the observed numbers. This prediction model uses the climate data recorded 2-4 months before. Therefore, our approach may be a good basis for establishing a practical early warning system for epidemic cholera.

Adenosine diphosphate requirement in the creatine phospate-induced contraction of the glycerinated rabbit psoas

Glycerinated rabbit psoas fibers were tested for their ability to contract under the influence of creatine phosphate and creatine kinase in the absence of free nucleotide. Tension development by the fibers was observed upon addition of creatine phosphate to the medium containing creatine kinase purified to the first lyophilization stage. However, when the enzyme was washed free of nucleotides by treatment with the anion exchange resin Dowex 1, no contraction occurred until free nucleotide was supplied. In all experiments, contractile activity of the psoas fibers was the criterion for determining the enzyme activity concerned. Using this criterion, creatine kinase activity native to the glycerinated fibers was also demonstrated. No evidence for direct transphosphorylation of the bound nucleotide of the fiber was found.