Aims: The microbial pigment can be the best promising alternative to replace synthetic colorant. However, due to the high cost of synthetic medium for microbial pigment production, there is a need to develop a new low-cost medium of bacterial pigment production. This study aims to investigate the potential of banana and papaya peels as alternative lowcost substrates for a carotenoid-producing bacterium, B12 strain (bacteria strain isolated from Holothuria (Lessonothuria) pardalis). Methodology and results: B12 strain identified as an aerobic bacterium with non-motile, diplobacilli shaped and Grampositive bacteria. The fermentation was optimized with different parameters included the effect of temperature, time, concentrations, pHs, carbon and nitrogen sources to find the optimum relative pigment concentration produced by B12. The results showed that the B12 strain produced the highest relative pigment concentration measured at 450 nm when the strain was cultivated at 37 °C and pH 7 in the culture medium incorporated with the combination of dried papaya peels and banana peels (100% v/v with ratio 1:1) at 72 h of incubation. Lactose, peptone and yeast were observed as the best carbon and nitrogen sources to increase the pigment concentration of B12 strain. Stability of the pigment was studied at different physiochemical stress, and it showed the pigment obtained from dried papaya and banana substrates can tolerate and stable under stress condition. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This can be concluded that the combination of dried papaya and banana peels worked well as substrate and can be utilized as a fermentation medium to replace the synthetic medium which is more expensive and uneconomical for industry application. Besides, it also helps in managing waste and solving the pollution problem due to the increasing of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD).
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections ; Holothuria ; Carica ; Musa

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of sea cucumber cerebroside(SCC) and its long-chain base(LCB) on lipid and glucose metabolism in obese mice.

METHODSThe mouse obese model was established by feeding high fat diet. The mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group, model group, SCC group and LCB group. After 4 weeks, the glucose tolerance test was undertaken. After 5 weeks, the body fat content, organic indexes, serum lipid level, glycemic index and liver lipid level were determined.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, the glucose tolerance in the SCC group and LCB group was ameliorated significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05); glycemic index (P<0.01, P<0.01), the weight of adipose tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01) and the hepatic TG were reduced significantly (P<0.05, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSea cucumber cerebroside and its long-chain base can improve the glucose and lipid metabolism in obese mice.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Cerebrosides ; pharmacology ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Obese ; Obesity ; blood ; drug therapy ; Sea Cucumbers ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect and anticoagulation effect of polysaccharides from the sea cucumber (PSU) on acute incomplete cerebral ischemia (AICI).

METHODSAdult SD rats were randomly divided into 5 group (n = 12): sham operation group, model group, low-dose (30 mg/(kg x d)), middle-dose (60 mg/(kg x d)) and high-dose (120 mg/(kg x d)) groups. The cerebral ischemia rat model was established by permanently ligating the common carotid arteries on both sides of rats. We observed the change of behavior disturbance, brain water content, the levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as the effects on prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen(FIB).

RESULTSDue to the use of polysaccharides, the behavioral disturbance was improved, brain water content and the levels of serum CRP were significantly decreased. Also PSU significantly prolonged APTT, TT and reduced the content of FIB (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPSU has protective effect on acute incomplete cerebral ischemia injured rats and significant anticoagulation effect.

Animals ; Anticoagulants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Brain ; metabolism ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sea Cucumbers ; Thrombin Time

OBJECTIVETo study the antitumor activities of the triterpene glycoside colochiroside A (CA) from the sea cucumber Colochirus anceps.

METHODThe tests of antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo were applied to demonstrate the effect of CA.

RESULTThe preliminary cytotoxic assay of CA exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against 6 types cultured tumor cell lines of p388, HL60, A-549, SpC-A4, MKN-28, and SGC-7901, the mean of IC50 were (3.61 +/- 0.55) mg x L(-1). The preliminary antitumor assay of CA indicated that this saponin exhibited high inhibiting activity against the H22 live cancer and the S180 sarcoma cells in mouse. The inhibition ratio to H22 liver cancer were 34.8%, 43.9% and 52.2%, while the ratio to S180 sarcoma were 36.4%, 70.0%, the immunoregulatory founction study indicated CA has not significant effect on the developments of thymus and spleen.

CONCLUSIONThe saponin CA exhibited remarkable antineoplastic activities in vitro and in vivo, and could not reduce the immunoregulatory founction of mice.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Sea Cucumbers ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

This study is designed to apply for cosmeceutical ingredients with Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus distributed all over the country. The antioxidizing effect of the ethanol extract of Stichopus japonicus displayed stronger inhibition than the Sanguisorba officinalis ethanol extract and mixture of Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus extract. They used in the experiment as 63.28% with the density of 50 microgram/mL, and compared with the ascorbic acid used as positive counterpart. Since the physiological activating ingredient generating the antioxidizing effect was confirmed with the Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus with the experiment results, the possibility for natural antioxidants was implied.
Antioxidants ; Ascorbic Acid ; Cosmetics ; Ethanol ; Sanguisorba ; Stichopus

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of sea cucumber cerebroside (SCC) on the lipid metabolism in rats with orotic acid-induced fatty liver.

METHODSThe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model was established by adding orotic acid to the diets in rats. The rats were randomly assigned to four groups:control group, NAFLD group, NAFLD + low SCC group and NAFLD + high SCC group. After 10 days of feeding, the serum and hepatic lipid concentrations and the aminopherase activities were measured; the composition of hepatic fatty acids was also analyzed.

RESULTThe serum TC and TG levels reduced significantly in the NAFLD group as compared with the controls (P<0.05), while the sea cucumber cereborside feeding raised the serum lipid concentrations (P<0.05). The hepatic TC and TG levels dramatically increased in the NAFLD group in comparison with the controls (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the hepatic lipid accumulations decreased in both SCC groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The ALT and AST activities in the NAFLD group increased markedly when compared with the controls (P<0.05, P <0.01), while the sea cucumber cerebroside feeding attenuated the hepatic injury levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity increased significantly in the NAFLD group (P<0.05), but decreased in SCC groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSea cucumber cerebroside can attenuate the rat fatty liver induced by orotic acid.

Animals ; Cerebrosides ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fatty Acids ; metabolism ; Fatty Liver ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sea Cucumbers ; chemistry

This study is aimed to evaluate skin whitening effects of Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus for cosmeceutical ingredients. The extract of Stichopus japonicus showed 61.78% inhibition of tyrosinase activity, and the mixture of Sanguisorba officinalis extract and Stichopus japonicus extract showed 59.14% inhibition of tyrosinase activity. On the clone M-3 cell meloanocyte, the mixture of Sanguisorba officinalis extract and Stichopus japonicus extract showed remarkable inhibition of melanogenesis. Also, those extracts were not irritable in ocular irritation test. It is concluded from these results that Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus have skin whitening effect. It could be used as natural depigmental material in cosmeceutical ingredients.
Clone Cells ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Sanguisorba ; Skin ; Stichopus

This study is aimed to evaluate skin whitening effects of Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus for cosmeceutical ingredients. The extract of Stichopus japonicus showed 61.78% inhibition of tyrosinase activity, and the mixture of Sanguisorba officinalis extract and Stichopus japonicus extract showed 59.14% inhibition of tyrosinase activity. On the clone M-3 cell meloanocyte, the mixture of Sanguisorba officinalis extract and Stichopus japonicus extract showed remarkable inhibition of melanogenesis. Also, those extracts were not irritable in ocular irritation test. It is concluded from these results that Sanguisorba officinalis and Stichopus japonicus have skin whitening effect. It could be used as natural depigmental material in cosmeceutical ingredients.
Clone Cells ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Sanguisorba ; Skin ; Stichopus

The cDNA of an i type lysozyme was cloned from Stichopus japonicus (named as SjLys). The DNA fragment of the mature SjLys was subcloned into expression vector of pET-32a (+) to construct the recombinant plasmid of pET32a (+)-SjLys. The recombinant plasmid was then transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS and induced by isopropylthio-beta-D-galactoside (IPTG). The recombinant protein expressed as inclusion bodies was denatured, partially purified and refolded to be an active form. The bacteriolytic activity of recombinant protein purified by the metal-chelating was 19.2 U/mg. The antibacterial activity of the purified recombinant SjLys (rSjLys) was analyzed. The rSjLys protein displayed inhibitive effect on the growth of the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In particular, rSjLys had a strong inhibitive activity on Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both the most common pathogenic bacteria in the marine animals. The heat-treated rSjLys exhibited more potent activities against all tested bacteria. These results indicated that the S. japonicus lysozyme was the enzyme with combined enzymatic (glycosidase) and non-enzymatic antibacterial action, and it had a wide antibacterial spectrum. Therefore, it is suggested that the S. japonicus lysozyme should be one of the important molecules against pathogens in the innate immunity of sea cucumbers.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Muramidase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Stichopus ; enzymology

To study the new antifungal active triterpene glycosides of sea cucumber Holothuria scabra. Triterpene glycosides from Holothuria scabra were separated and purified by silica gel chromatography, reversed-phase silica gel chromatography and RP-HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data and chemical evidence. Three triterpene glycosides were identified as scabraside A (1), echinoidea A (2) and holothurin A1 (3). Scabraside A (1) is a new triterpene glycoside, and compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from Holothuria scabra for the first time. They showed antifungal activities (1 < or = MIC80 < or = 16 microg mL(-1)).
Animals ; Antifungal Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Holothuria ; chemistry ; Holothurin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology