We have isolated an intestinal probiotic strain, Pediococcus acidilactici HRQ-1. To improve its gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, transportation and storage stability, and slow-release properties, we employed the extrusion method to prepare the microcapsules with P. acidilactici HRQ-1 as the core material and sodium alginate and chitosan as the wall material. The optimal conditions for preparing the microcapsules were determined by single factor and orthogonal tests, and the optimal ratio was determined by taking the embedding rate, survival rate, storage stability, gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, and release rate as the evaluation indexes. The results showed that under the optimal embedding conditions, the embedding rate reached (89.60±0.02)%. Under the optimal formula of freeze-drying protective agent, the freeze-drying survival rate reached (76.42±0.13)%, and the average size of the microcapsules produced was (1.16±0.03) mm. The continuous gastrointestinal fluid simulation experiments confirmed that the microcapsules ensured the viable bacterial count and can slowly release bacteria in the intestinal fluid. The curve of the viable bacterial count during storage at 4 ℃ and room temperature indicated that the prepared microcapsules achieved strains' live number protection. The formula and preparation process of P. acidilactici microcapsules may provide a technological reserve for the preparation of more live bacterial drugs in the future.
Pediococcus acidilactici/chemistry* ; Probiotics/chemistry* ; Capsules/chemistry* ; Alginates/chemistry* ; Chitosan/chemistry* ; Drug Compounding/methods* ; Glucuronic Acid/chemistry* ; Hexuronic Acids/chemistry* ; Freeze Drying

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore how fermented barley extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) affected the browning in adipocytes and obese rats. METHODS: In vitro, 3T3-L1 cells were induced by LFBE, raw barley extraction (RBE) and polyphenol compounds (PC) from LFBE to evaluate the adipocyte differentiation. In vivo, obese SD rats induced by high fat diet (HFD) were randomly divided into three groups treated with oral gavage: (a) normal control diet with distilled water, (b) HFD with distilled water, (c) HFD with 800 mg LFBE/kg body weight (bw). RESULTS: In vitro, LFBE and the PC in the extraction significantly inhibited adipogenesis and potentiated browning of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, rather than RBE. In vivo, we observed remarkable decreases in the body weight, serum lipid levels, white adipose tissue (WAT) weights and cell sizes of brown adipose tissues (BAT) in the LFBE group after 10 weeks. LFBE group could gain more mass of interscapular BAT (IBAT) and promote the dehydrogenase activity in the mitochondria. And LFBE may potentiate process of the IBAT thermogenesis and epididymis adipose tissue (EAT) browning via activating the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent mechanism to suppress the obesity. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that LFBE decreased obesity partly by increasing the BAT mass and the energy expenditure by activating BAT thermogenesis and WAT browning in a UCP1-dependent mechanism.
3T3 Cells ; Adipocytes ; drug effects ; physiology ; Adipose Tissue, Brown ; drug effects ; physiology ; Adipose Tissue, White ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animal Feed ; analysis ; Animals ; Anti-Obesity Agents ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Diet ; Fermentation ; Hordeum ; chemistry ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Obesity ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Probiotics ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uncoupling Protein 1 ; genetics ; metabolism

Red ginseng is a well-known alternative medicine with anti-inflammatory activity. It exerts pharmacological effects through the transformation of saponin into metabolites by intestinal microbiota. Given that intestinal microflora vary among individuals, the pharmacological effects of red ginseng likely vary among individuals. In order to produce homogeneously effective red ginseng, we prepared probiotic-fermented red ginseng and evaluated its activity using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model in mice. Initial analysis of intestinal damage indicated that the administration of probiotic-fermented red ginseng significantly decreased the severity of colitis, compared with the control and the activity was higher than that induced by oral administration of ginseng powder or probiotics only. Subsequent analysis of the levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α, inflammatory biomarkers that are increased at the initiation stage of colitis, were significantly decreased in probiotic-fermented red ginseng-treated groups in comparison to the control group. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and mRNAs for inflammatory factors in colorectal tissues were also significantly decreased in probiotic-fermented red ginseng-treated groups. Collectively, oral administration of probiotic-fermented red ginseng reduced the severity of colitis in a mouse model, suggesting that it can be used as a uniformly effective red ginseng product.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Colitis ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Colon ; drug effects ; immunology ; Dextran Sulfate ; adverse effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Fermentation ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; immunology ; Lactobacillus plantarum ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Panax ; chemistry ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Powders ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Probiotics ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; immunology

Human breast milk is the most natural and ideal food for the baby. Breastfeeding provides benefits for maternal and child health, child immune function, growth and development, and society. The operation of human milk bank and the use of donor human milk undoubtedly provides a new way of nutrition support for the preterm infants without their own mother's milk and a new kind of treatment for other diseases. Present research on the composition of breast milk focuses on the variety and quantity of proteins, bioactive substances, probiotics and cell population.Future research may focus on the bioactive substances, the mechanism of regulation and effect of cell population, the application of probiotics and the clinical application of donor human milk.
Breast Feeding ; Female ; Humans ; Milk Banks ; Milk, Human ; chemistry ; cytology ; Probiotics ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of water pollution with dexamethasone on intestinal flora in mice.

METHODSTwenty Balb/c mice were randomly divided into control group and low-, moderate- and high-dose dexamethasone groups. The mice in dexamethasone groups were exposed to dexamethasone sodium phosphate in drinking water at doses of 0.035, 0.225, and 2.25 ng for 36 days. The changes in behaviors, fur condition, and feces of the mice were observed daily. All the mice were sacrificed at 36 days and the tissues in the ileocecal region was collected for denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rDNA V6 variable regions of microbes and sequence analysis with BLAST.

RESULTSThe mice in the 3 dexamethasone groups all showed aggressive behaviors. Cluster analysis of DGGE graph showed relatively stable floras in the ileocecal region in all the mice, but principal component analysis identified differences in the dominating flora among the groups. Diversity analysis of the flora revealed significantly increased amount and types of bacteria in the intestinal flora in all the 3 dexamethasone groups (P<0.05 or 0.01) compared with the control group. Sequence analysis of 16S rDNA V6 regions showed 15 common bacterial species and 2 differential species between the dexamethasone groups and the control group with changes in the type and proportion of the dominating bacterium in the dexamethasone groups. Lactobacillus colonization was detected in the control group but not in moderate- and high-dose dexamethasone groups, and Shigella species were found in the latter two groups.

CONCLUSIONSWater contamination with dexamethasone can affect the nervous system of mice, cause changes in the types and amounts of intestinal bacteria and the dominating bacteria, and inhibit the colonization of probiotics in the intestinal floras to increase the risk of invasion by intestinal pathogenic bacteria.

Animals ; Bacteria ; classification ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Drinking Water ; chemistry ; Feces ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; drug effects ; Lactobacillus ; isolation & purification ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Probiotics ; RNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Shigella ; isolation & purification

To assess the ability of the previously selected human vaginal isolates of Lactobacillus crispatus (L. crispatus) T79-3, T90-1 and Lactobacillus jensenii (L. jensenii) T118-3, T231-1 to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and block their adhesion to HeLa cells. The inhibitory bioactive substances produced by these Lactobacillus were also identified. Inhibitory substances interaction tests were carried out by using a streak-diffusion method on agar plates. Three types of interaction were performed to determine the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus on adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus to HeLa cells: Exclusion Group (Lactobacillus and HeLa followed by pathogens), Competition Group (Lactobacillus, HeLa and pathogens together) and Displacement Group (pathogens and HeLa followed by the addition of Lactobacillus). The number of HeLa cells adhered to Staphylococcus aureus was quantified by bacteria colony counts on LB plate. The results showed that lactic acids produced by the Lactobacillus are the main substances that can inhibit Staphylococcus aureus growth and there is variation among the three types of interaction regarding the inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The effects of Lactobacillus on blocking the adhesion to HeLa cells were concentration dependent. All four Lactobacillus isolates displayed the ability to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus growth and block Staphylococcus aureus adherence to HeLa cells. Exclusion Group was the most effective, and T79-3 showed greater capacity to block Staphylococcus aureus adherence compared with the other three isolates. The present study suggests the potential ability of L. crispatus T79-3 as probiotic for the treatment and prevention of urogenital infections in women.
Bacterial Adhesion ; physiology ; Cell Wall ; chemistry ; Female ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Lactobacillus ; classification ; physiology ; Probiotics ; Staphylococcus aureus ; growth & development ; pathogenicity ; Vagina ; microbiology

Urinary tract infections are common clinical problems in children, even though lots of treatment strategies have been tried. Many studies of the application of probiotics for urinary tract infection in female adults exist, but there is a lack of studies in children. The aims of this study were to screen probiotic strains for inhibiting the uropathogens in vitro, to find candidates for in vivo study. Nine strains of E. coli were isolated from children with urinary tract infection and six uropathogens were obtained from Korean Colletion for Type Cultures and American Type Culture Collection. Also 135 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains were isolated from healthy children, and were identified through physiologic, biochemical methods, 16S rDNA PCR, and data analysis. And with agar disk diffusion assay technique the antimicrobial activities of these LAB strains against those uropathogens were examined. Three strains of separated LAB strains demonstrated major antimicrobial activity against all the uropathogens. In the agar disk diffusion assay technique, antimicrobial activities increased most in the 4th day culture broth with separated Lactobacillus. In summary, some LAB can be used as candidates to develop the probiotic microorganisms that inhibit uropathogens in children, and are expected to be applied to treatment and prevention of pediatric urinary tract infection.
Agar/chemistry ; Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology ; Child ; Culture Media/metabolism ; Diffusion ; Escherichia coli/*metabolism ; Feces ; Humans ; Korea ; Lactic Acid/*metabolism ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Probiotics/*metabolism ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/metabolism ; Urinary Tract Infections/*microbiology/therapy