Contribution of Gut Microbiome to Human Health and the Metabolism or Toxicity of Drugs and Natural Products

Trillions of microorganisms with a complex and diverse community are in the human gastrointestinal tract. Gut microbial genomes have much more genes than human genome, thus having a variety of enzymes for many metabolic activities; therefore, gut microbiota is recognized as an “organ” that has essential functions to human health. There are interactions between host and gut microbiome, and there are correlations between gut microbiome in the healthy state and in certain disease states, such as cancer, liver diseases, diabetes, and obesity. Gut microbiota can produce metabolites from nutrients of dietary sources and from drug metabolisms; these metabolites, for example, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), have substantial effects on human health. Drug-microbiome interactions play a crucial role in therapeutic efficiency. Some drugs are able to change compositions of gut microbiota, which can lead to either enhance or reduce therapeutic efficiency. This chapter provides an overview of roles of gut microbiota in human health and diseases and recent research studies on the metabolism or toxicity of drugs and natural products. Since gut bacteria considerably contribute to drug metabolism, research on the influence of gut microbiome on drug candidates (or natural products) should be part of the drug development processes

(E)-2,4,7-Trichloro-3-hydr­oxy-8-meth­oxy-1,9-dimethyl-6-(1-methyl-1-propen­yl)-11H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]dioxepin-11-one monohydrate (nidulin monohydrate)

In the title compound, C20H17Cl3O5·H2O, the nidulin mol­ecule consists of three rings, the folded central dioxepin-11-one ring being fused on both sides to phenyl rings. The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by intra­molecular O—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds that generate S(6) ring motifs. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular O—H⋯O and O—H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds mediated by two inversion-related water mol­ecules, generating R 4 2(8) ring and C 2 2(4) chain motifs. Weak inter­molecular Cl⋯O halogen bonds are also present with Cl⋯O distances of 3.071 (1) and 3.182 (2) Å

Fatty acid compositions in mucus and roe of haruan, Channa striatus, for wound healing

1. Fatty acid profiles in the external mucus extract and roe of Channa striatus were determined using gas chromatography (GC). 2. The mucus samples were collected by inducing hypothermic stress (−20°C) for about 1 hr, and the roe were collected from gravid females at night soon after they liberated their eggs in a spawning program. 3. All mucus and roe samples were freeze-dried, except a part of roe which was not. 4. The mucus extract contained unsaturated fatty acid (oleic acid, C18:1 and linoleic acid, C18:2) as a major component, 21.25% and 22.47% of total lipid. 5. For the freeze- and nonfreeze-dried roe, the major components of fatty acid were somewhat similar to the mucus but with higher percentages: 58.56%, 26.08% and 45.76%, 20.94%. Interestingly, the nonfreeze-dried roe contained a large proportion of arachidic acid, C20:0 (22.16%), which was totally absent in the freeze-dried roe samples. 6. This profiling of the fatty acid mucus extract and roe is useful in strengthening the earlier claims that haruan possesses a potential remedy for wound healing (Mat Jais et al. 1994). Therefore, we are discussing the possibility of getting an optimum amount of the essential fatty acid for wound healing from various other parts of the fish without sacrificing the fish

Paraherquamide E

In the title compound, C28H35N3O4, also known as 14-de­oxy­paraherquamide A,the two pyrrolidine rings adopt envelope conformations. The piperazine ring of the diaza­bicyclo­[2.2.2]octan-3-one unit adopts a boat conformation whereas the two piperidine rings are in distorted boat conformations. Intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are observed. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are linked into chains along the b axis by inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds