Gastro-protective potentials of Spirulina: role of vitamin B12

The utility of algae as sources of high value nutritional ingredients, particularly for alternative/complementary proteins to improve human health

As the global population continues to grow, the demand for dietary protein is rapidly increasing, necessitating the exploration of sustainable and nutritious protein sources. Algae has emerged as a promising food source due to their high value ingredients such as proteins, as well as for their environmental sustainability and abundance. However, knowledge gaps surrounding dietary recommendations and food applications restrict algae's utilization as a viable protein source. This review aims to address these gaps by assessing the suitability of both microalgae and macroalgae as alternative/complementary protein sources and exploring their potential applications in food products. The first section examines the potential suitability of algae as a major food source by analyzing the composition and bioavailability of key components in algal biomass, including proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, and micronutrients. Secondly, the biological effects of algae, particularly their impact on metabolic health are investigated with an emphasis on available clinical evidence. While evidence reveals protective effects of algae on glucose and lipid homeostasis as well as anti-inflammatory properties, further research is required to understand the longer-term impact of consuming algal protein, protein isolates, and concentrates on metabolic health, including protein metabolism. The review then explores the potential of algal proteins in food applications, including ways to overcome their sensory limitations, such as their dark pigmentation, taste, and odor, in order to improve consumer acceptance. To maximize algae's potential as a valuable protein source in the food sector, future research should prioritize the production of more acceptable algal biomass and explore new advances in food sciences and technology for improved consumer acceptance. Overall, this paper supports the potential utility of algae as a sustainable and healthy ingredient source for widespread use in future food production.

Vitamin B12 produced by Cetobacterium somerae improves host resistance against pathogen infection through strengthening the interactions within gut microbiota

BACKGROUND

Pathogen infections seriously affect host health, and the use of antibiotics increases the risk of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and also increases environmental and health safety risks. Probiotics have received much attention for their excellent ability to prevent pathogen infections. Particularly, explaining mechanism of action of probiotics against pathogen infections is important for more efficient and rational use of probiotics and the maintenance of host health.

RESULTS

Here, we describe the impacts of probiotic on host resistance to pathogen infections. Our findings revealed that (I) the protective effect of oral supplementation with B. velezensis against Aeromonas hydrophila infection was dependent on gut microbiota, specially the anaerobic indigenous gut microbe Cetobacterium; (II) Cetobacterium was a sensor of health, especially for fish infected with pathogenic bacteria; (III) the genome resolved the ability of Cetobacterium somerae CS2105-BJ to synthesize vitamin B12 de novo, while in vivo and in vitro metabolism assays also showed the ability of Cetobacterium somerae CS2105-BJ to produce vitamin B12; (IV) the addition of vitamin B12 significantly altered the gut redox status and the gut microbiome structure and function, and then improved the stability of the gut microbial ecological network, and enhanced the gut barrier tight junctions to prevent the pathogen infection.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, this study found that the effect of probiotics in enhancing host resistance to pathogen infections depended on function of B12 produced by an anaerobic indigenous gut microbe, Cetobacterium. Furthermore, as a gut microbial regulator, B12 exhibited the ability to strengthen the interactions within gut microbiota and gut barrier tight junctions, thereby improving host resistance against pathogen infection. Video Abstract.

Versatile Applications of Cyanobacteria in Biotechnology

Cyanobacteria are blue-green Gram-negative and photosynthetic bacteria which are seen as one of the most morphologically numerous groups of prokaryotes. Because of their ability to fix gaseous nitrogen and carbon dioxide to organic materials, they are known to play important roles in the universal nutrient cycle. Cyanobacteria has emerged as one of the promising resources to combat the issues of global warming, disease outbreaks, nutrition insecurity, energy crises as well as persistent daily human population increases. Cyanobacteria possess significant levels of macro and micronutrient substances which facilitate the versatile popularity to be utilized as human food and protein supplements in many countries such as Asia. Cyanobacteria has been employed as a complementary dietary constituent of feed for poultry and as vitamin and protein supplement in aquatic lives. They are effectively used to deal with numerous tasks in various fields of biotechnology, such as agricultural (including aquaculture), industrial (food and dairy products), environmental (pollution control), biofuel (bioenergy) and pharmaceutical biotechnology (such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant, anticoagulant and antitumor); recently, the growing interest of applying them as biocatalysts has been observed as well. Cyanobacteria are known to generate a numerous variety of bioactive compounds. However, the versatile potential applications of cyanobacteria in biotechnology could be their significant growth rate and survival in severe environmental conditions due to their distinct and unique metabolic pathways as well as active defensive mechanisms. In this review, we elaborated on the versatile cyanobacteria applications in different areas of biotechnology. We also emphasized the factors that could impede the implementation to cyanobacteria applications in biotechnology and the execution of strategies to enhance their effective applications.

Bioactive Metabolites Produced by Cyanobacteria for Growth Adaptation and Their Pharmacological Properties

Cyanobacteria are the most abundant oxygenic photosynthetic organisms inhabiting various ecosystems on earth. As with all other photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria release oxygen as a byproduct during photosynthesis. In fact, some cyanobacterial species are involved in the global nitrogen cycles by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Environmental factors influence the dynamic, physiological characteristics, and metabolic profiles of cyanobacteria, which results in their great adaptation ability to survive in diverse ecosystems. The evolution of these primitive bacteria resulted from the unique settings of photosynthetic machineries and the production of bioactive compounds. Specifically, bioactive compounds play roles as regulators to provide protection against extrinsic factors and act as intracellular signaling molecules to promote colonization. In addition to the roles of bioactive metabolites as indole alkaloids, terpenoids, mycosporine-like amino acids, non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, ribosomal peptides, phenolic acid, flavonoids, vitamins, and antimetabolites for cyanobacterial survival in numerous habitats, which is the focus of this review, the bioactivities of these compounds for the treatment of various diseases are also discussed.

Microalgae as source of functional ingredients in new-generation foods: challenges, technological effects, biological activity, and regulatory issues

Microalgae feasibility as food ingredients or source of nutrients and/or bioactive compounds and their health effects have been widely studied. This review aims to provide an overview of the use of microalgae biomass in food products, the technological effects of its incorporation, and their use as a source of health-promoting bioactive compounds. In addition, it presents the regulatory aspects of commercialization and consumption, and the main trends and market challenges Microalgae have stood out as sources of nutritional compounds (polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber) and biologically active compounds (asthaxanthin, β-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids). The consumption of microalgae biomass proved to have several health effects, such as hypoglycemic activity, gastroprotective and anti-steatotic properties, improvements in neurobehavioral and cognitive dysfunction, and hypolipidemic properties. Its addition to food products can improve the nutritional value, aroma profile, and technological properties, with important alterations on the syneresis of yogurts, meltability in cheeses, overrun values and melting point in ice creams, physical properties and mechanical characteristics in crisps, and texture, cooking and color characteristics in pastas. However, more studies are needed to prove the health effects in humans, expand the market size, reduce the cost of production, and tighter constraints related to regulations.

Unique Novel Role of Adropin in a Gastric Ulcer in a Rotenone-Induced Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, frequently associated with a gastric ulcer. We aimed to investigate the adropin neuroprotective/gastroprotective potential in the indomethacin (IND)-induced gastric ulcer in a rotenone-induced PD model. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, rotenone/IND treated (PD /Ulcer) group, adropin treated PD/Ulcer group, and l-dopa/omeprazole (Om) treated PD/Ulcer group. There were ten rats selected for the normal control group. Striatal dopamine (DA), apoptosis/redox status, and motor/behavioral impairments were evaluated. Gastric oxidative stress, H⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity, prostaglandin E2, mucin content, and von Willebrand factor were measured. Gastric/striatal phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphorylated Akt and gastric vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/striatal P53 immunoreactivities were checked. Striatal P53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (Puma)/gastric vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (Vegfr-2) expressions were evaluated. Adropin successfully restored striatal DA and attenuated rotenone-induced motor/behavior deficits along with strong gastroprotective potential, possibly through antioxidant activity via reduction in malondialdehyde level and upregulated superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and serum ferric reducing antioxidant power. Adropin restored the delicate balance between the defective pro-survival PI3K/Akt/murine double minute 2 signals and apoptotic P53/Puma pathways. Adropin can be considered as a uniquely attractive therapeutic target in PD and its associated gastric ulcer.