The purpose of this research is to identify and characterize lactic acid bacteria (LAB) species in bee bread produced by honey bees (Apis Cerana) in the east mountain area of Suzhou, China. We isolated three strains, Apilactobacillus kunkeei (S1), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (S2), and Lacticaseibacillus pentosus (S3), with S2 producing the highest amount of lactic acid. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these isolates, along with the type strain, formed a distinct sub-cluster within the LAB group. The strains exhibited non-hemolytic activity, lacked functional virulence factors, demonstrated high acid and bile tolerance, strong adhesion to intestinal cells, and antimicrobial activity against pathogens, collectively indicating their safety and high probiotic potential for therapeutic applications. Our studies demonstrated that S2 and S3 grew well in the presence of stevia leaf powder and steviosides, while S1 showed reduced growth and inhibitory effects. Importantly, the stevia-fermented strains exhibited strong probiotic potential along with significant antidiabetic, antioxidant, and antifungal properties in vitro. These findings highlight their potential applications in the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. Future research should focus on in vivo experiments to validate these results and evaluate compatibility among the strains before their application in functional foods.
The production of biofuels through biological processes has garnered increasing attention due to their potential benefits over conventional fuels, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, higher energy output, and reduced-price fluctuations. However, the metabolic processes of primitive microorganisms used in biofuel production are not compatible with those of fossil fuels. To address this, scholars have employed metabolic engineering techniques to modify the metabolisms of various microorganisms, including S. cerevisiae, for enhanced biofuel production. Specifically, overexpression of enzymes involved in bioethanol and biobutanol production, knockouts of competing pathways, improvements in carbon flux and tolerance have been applied to maximize the potential of S. cerevisiae for bioethanol and biobutanol production. This review focuses on the current state of metabolic engineering of S. cerevisiae for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulose and biobutanol from all kind of substrates, along with the potential use of cell surface technology in this field.
Stingless bee (Hymenoptera, Apidae, and Trigona) honey is a remarkable "miracle liquid" with a wide range of medical benefits for conditions including gastroenteritis, cataracts, and wound healing. Our study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize acid-resistant Lactobacillus spp. from sour honey distributed in Yunnan, China. To assess the safety of an entirely novel Lactobacillus pentosus strain, S4 (OM618128), based on probiotic property evaluation and whole-genome sequencing analysis. A 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that Lactobacillus was abundant at the genus level in sour honey. Seven Lactobacillus strains (viz. S1-7) were isolated from sour honey using a multiple-anaerobic culture enrichment method. One potential acid-resistant isolate, Lactobacillus sp. S4, was obtained after screening the seven Lactobacillus isolates, and it had the highest lactic acid production (17.62 g/L), followed by Lactobacillus sp. S3 (17.07 g/L). Phylogenetic and comparative analyses of conserved sequence regions have shown that all seven strains are phylogenetically located in the Lactobacillus pentosus sub-cluster. In L. pentosus SYBC-MI, there is a circular chromosome (3288615 bps) and 11,466 bps plasmids. GC content is 44.03%. The number of predicted genes is 3,129, with 16 rRNAs and 74 tRNAs present. During the fermentation of foxtail millet by seven Lactobacillus pentosus (S1-7) strains isolated from sour honey, a potential tryptophan accumulating isolate, Lactobacillus pentosus S4, was obtained, which could reach a maximum tryptophan content of 238.43 mgL-1 that is 1.80 times the initial tryptophan content in the fermentation broth. This strain has strong acid tolerance, salt tolerance, and fermentation acid production abilities. This strain degrades nitrite at a rate of over 99%, and it has high probiotic potential as well. This project has established a solid foundation for further exploring the excellent lactic acid bacteria in sour honey. It is also investigating the key taxa and their role in the environment. According to the results of our studies, these LAB isolates provide a lot of potential for use in the future, as a source of probiotics for human, animals, and starter cultures for food applications.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major contributor to the global cancer burden. It affects millions of people in Pakistan on a yearly basis. Furthermore, HCC is linked to viral infections Hepatitis B and C, which account for roughly 87 percent of HCC cases in Pakistan. HCC is identified using imaging techniques such as MRI, Ultrasound, and histology, which have radiation hazards and frequently need expensive healthcare systems that are less available in most of the developing countries. Novel HCC biomarkers are being developed as part of a large research project aimed at detecting the disease early. These include the creation of biomarkers based on HCC patients' transcriptome and proteomic profiles. Circulating proteins, which are easily detected in body fluids, including blood serum, may thus provide an opportunity for the development of HCC biomarkers. Blood-based serum biomarkers must be developed for easy, non-invasive, and early detection of HCC. In conjunction with imaging techniques, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been used to detect HCC, although it has little clinical usefulness. Also, the reported AFP negative results make its utility meager. Multiple circulating proteins have been studied as biomarker possibilities for HCC diagnosis in recent years. In this study, Blood serum was used to validate three novel protein biomarker candidates to detect HBV induced HCC that had previously been predicted using a bioinformatics methodology. Proteins named C6, C8A and C8B were measured in the serum of 22 HCC patients infected with HBV in Pakistani population and compared to AFP levels using quantitative ELISA. C8A possesses considerable biomarker potential, with 95.45 percent specificity and 77.27% sensitivity with 0.933 Area Under the Curve (AUC), whereas C6 and C8B showed poor biomarker potential. Hence, C8A demonstrated great promise as a circulating blood-based protein biomarker for HBV induced HCC diagnosis.
Vitamin C stands as an essential water-soluble vitamin, antioxidant and has been shown to enhance immunity. SARS-CoV-2 has been spreading rapidly across the worldwide, several cellular processes of innate and adaptive immunity are aided by vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system overall. Multiple lines of evidence in the literature associate vitamin C with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and immunomodulatory actions. Pneumonia and sepsis patients had poor ascorbic acid status and high oxidative stress, according to many studies. Pneumonia patients who get vitamin C may have less severe symptoms and a longer course of the illness if they do. To standardize plasma levels in sepsis patients, gram measurements of the vitamin must be administered intravenously (IV). This intervention has been shown in a few trials to reduce mortality. COVID-19 management in China and the United States has exhibited remarkable results when using a high percentage of intravenous vitamins C. It's acceptable to include vitamin C in the COVID-19 treatment protocol as a secondary measure based on the current active clinical studies looking at the impact of vitamin C on the management of COVID-19. Patients with hypovitaminosis C or severe respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19, may benefit from taking vitamin C, due to its good safety profile, simplicity of use, and potential for rapid production scaling. The study's goal was to see whether high dosage intravenous vitamin C had any impact on individuals with severe COVID-19 (HDIVC). Finally we discuss recent research that has been published on the efficacy of vitamin C administration in the treatment of viral infection and life-threatening conditions. The purpose of this manuscript is to summarise existing research on the efficacy of vitamin C as a treatment for COVID-19 and to discuss possible explanations for why it may work in some individuals but not in others.