Gastrodia elata Blume extract ameliorates exercise-induced fatigue

To investigate the effect of Gastrodia elata Blume (GEB) extract on exercise-induced fatigue recovery, 120 mice were divided at random into four experimental groups (3 GEB administered groups and the normal control group). The normal control group were gavaged with distilled water and the GEB administered groups were gavaged with GEB extract (1000, 500 and 200 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days. The effect of GEB extract on the performance of forced swimming time and blood biochemical parameters related to fatigue blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood lactate were measured after forced swimming test (FST). The results indicated that the administration of GEB extract could elevate the endurance of the mice, lower the blood lactate produced and prevent the increase of serum BUN of mice after swimming. GEB extract ameliorates exercise-induced fatigue.Keywords: Gastrodia elata Blume, exercise, fatigueAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 9(36), pp. 5978-5982, 6 September, 201

Two-Component Systems in the Regulation of Sulfur and Ferrous Iron Oxidation in Acidophilic Bacteria

The two-component system (TCS) is a regulatory system composed of a sensor histidine kinase (HK) and a cytoplasmic response regulator (RR), which participates in the bacterial adaptation to external stimuli. Sulfur oxidation and ferrous iron oxidation are basic energy metabolism systems for chemoautotrophic acidophilic bacteria in acid mine environments. Understanding how these bacteria perceive and respond to complex environmental stimuli offers insights into oxidization mechanisms and the potential for improved applications. In this chapter, we summarized the TCSs involved in the regulation of sulfur and ferrous iron metabolic pathways in these acidophilic bacteria. In particular, we examined the role and molecular mechanism of these TCSs in the regulation of iron and sulfur oxidation in Acidithiobacillus spp.. Moreover, research perspectives on TCSs in acidophilic bacteria are discussed in this section

Head-to-Head Comparison of TB-LAMP, Mycobacterial Culture and Adenosine Deaminase for Diagnosis of Pleural Tuberculosis in China

Objectives: The objective of the prospective single-center study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of Loop-Mediated Amplification test (TB-LAMP), mycobacterial culture and adenosine deaminase (ADA) for diagnosing pleural tuberculosis (TB) from the pleural effusions in a TB-endemic setting. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients suspected of having pleural TB in Weifang between March 2018 and October 2019. The PE samples were evaluated by smear microscopy, mycobacterial culture, TB-LAMP and ADA assay. Results: Overall, 170 patients with suggestive of pleural TB were retrospectively reviewed in this study, of which 125 were diagnosed as pleural TB. Among 125 pleural TB cases, 52 cases were identified by TB-LAMP, resulting in a sensitivity of 41.6%. When combing MGIT and TB-LAMP, 13 additional positive cases were detected compared to MGIT culture alone, demonstrating a sensitivity of 56.8%. The mean ADA levels were corelated with age, and the mean ADA value of <35 years group was significantly higher than that of ≥70 years group (p=0.0214). Conclusion: In conclusion, our data demonstrate the promising effectiveness of TB-LAMP in detection of MTB in concentrated PE specimens. The ADA levels are decreased with advanced age, highlighting the urgent need for confirmation of different cut-off values for various age group

Carotenoids synthesis affects the salt tolerance mechanism of Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 is a Gram-negative, purple non-sulfur, metabolically diverse bacterium with wide-ranging habitats. The extraordinary ability of R. palustris to decompose a variety of raw materials and convert them into high-value products makes it an attractive host for biotechnology and industrial applications. However, being a freshwater bacterium R. palustris has limited application in highly-saline environments. Therefore, it is of great significance to obtain the salt-tolerant strain of R. palustris and understand its tolerance mechanism. In this study, R. palustris CGA009 was successfully evolved into eight salt-tolerant strains using an adaptive laboratory evolution technique. RPAS-11 (R. palustris anti-salt strain 11) was selected as the best salt-tolerant strain and was used in further studies to explore the salt-tolerance mechanism. The expression of most genes associated with the carotenoid synthesis in RPAS-11 increased significantly under high concentration of salt stress, suggesting that carotenoid synthesis is one of the reasons for the salt tolerance of RPAS-11. Gene overexpression and knockout experiments were performed to get clear about the role of carotenoids in salt stress tolerance. RPAS-11-IDI, the mutant with overexpression of IDI (Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase) exhibited enhanced salt tolerance, whereas the knockout mutant CGA009-∆crtI showed a decline in salt tolerance. In addition, the results indicated that rhodopin, a carotenoid compound, was the key pigment responsible for the salt tolerance in R. palustris. Furthermore, the production of lycopene, a widely-used carotenoid, was also increased. Taken together, our research helps to deepen the understanding of the salt tolerance mechanism of R. palustris and also widens the application of R. palustris in highly-saline environments

The succession of rhizosphere microbial community in the continuous cropping soil of tobacco

Introduction: Flue-cured tobacco is an important economic crop that is not tolerant of continuous cropping and can be influenced by planting soil conditions including rhizosphere microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties. The relationship between rhizosphere microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties under continuous cropping conditions is unclear.Methods: This study investigated the succession of rhizosphere microbial community in continuous tobacco cropping soil for 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, and 30 years. The physicochemical properties of the soil were measured, high-throughput sequencing was performed on the rhizosphere microbial community, and correlation analysis was conducted.Results: The results suggested that continuous cropping could significantly enrich soil available nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, and organic matter. Meanwhile, the alpha diversity of the bacterial community was significantly reduced with continuous cropping, indicating significant changes in the structure of bacterial and fungal communities. Based on linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), 173 bacterial and 75 fungal genera were identified with significant differences. The bacterial genera, Sphingomonas, Streptomyces, and Microvirga, were significantly positively correlated with continuous cropping years. The fungal genera, Tausonia, Solicocozyma, Pseudomycohila, and Fusarium, also showed significant positive correlation with continuous cropping years. Meanwhile, the fungal genera, Olpidium, Cephaliophora, and Cercophora, presented an opposite correlation. However, there are differences in the correlation between these bacterial and fungal genera related to continuous cropping years and other different soil physicochemical properties.Discussion: In summary, this work could provide a reference for soil management and scientific fertilization of tobacco under continuous cropping conditions

Relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae and updates on antibiofilm therapeutic strategies

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium within the Enterobacteriaceae family that can cause multiple systemic infections, such as respiratory, blood, liver abscesses and urinary systems. Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat and K. pneumoniae warrants special attention due to its resistance to most modern day antibiotics. Biofilm formation is a critical obstruction that enhances the antibiotic resistance of K. pneumoniae. However, knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and its relation with antibiotic resistance in K. pneumoniae is limited. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and its correlation with antibiotic resistance is crucial for providing insight for the design of new drugs to control and treat biofilm-related infections. In this review, we summarize recent advances in genes contributing to the biofilm formation of K. pneumoniae, new progress on the relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance, and new therapeutic strategies targeting biofilms. Finally, we discuss future research directions that target biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of this priority pathogen

Peregrine and saker falcon genome sequences provide insights into evolution of a predatory lifestyle

As top predators, falcons possess unique morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow them to be successful hunters: for example, the peregrine is renowned as the world's fastest animal. To examine the evolutionary basis of predatory adaptations, we sequenced the genomes of both the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and saker falcon (Falco cherrug), and we present parallel, genome-wide evidence for evolutionary innovation and selection for a predatory lifestyle. The genomes, assembled using Illumina deep sequencing with greater than 100-fold coverage, are both approximately 1.2 Gb in length, with transcriptome-assisted prediction of approximately 16,200 genes for both species. Analysis of 8,424 orthologs in both falcons, chicken, zebra finch and turkey identified consistent evidence for genome-wide rapid evolution in these raptors. SNP-based inference showed contrasting recent demographic trajectories for the two falcons, and gene-based analysis highlighted falcon-specific evolutionary novelties for beak development and olfaction and specifically for homeostasis-related genes in the arid environment–adapted saker

Effects of Ginkgo Biloba Extract on Free Radical Metabolism of Liver in Mice During Endurance Exercise

This study investigated the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on Free Radical Metabolism of Liver in mice during endurance exercise. Forty-eight mice were divided into the quiet group and the exercised group. And the two groups were both grouped again, including the control group and the drug-treated group. After exhaustive exercise, the exercised groups were subdivided into the immediate group and the recovery group. The swimming time to exhaustion significantly prolonged in the exercised drug-treated group as compared with the exercised control group (P <0.05); The SOD activity of drug-treated groups significantly increased (P <0.05) as compared with the control groups and MDA content was significantly lower (P <0.05). The SOD activity and MDA content of exercised control groups significantly increased (P <0.05) as compared with the quiet control group. The SOD activity and MDA content of exercised drug-treated groups significantly increased (P <0.05) as compared with the quiet drug-treated group. The results indicated that Ginkgo biloba extract can obviously increase the body's endurance exercise capacity in mice and delay fatigue; Ginkgo biloba extract can help to increase the activity of the antioxidant enzymes in liver tissue, reduce the lipid peroxidation injury in liver tissue caused by free radicals, improve athletic ability, and promote the recovery process after exercise in mice