Xylo-oligosaccharides and lactitol promote the growth of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus species in pure cultures

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Mäkeläinen ◽  
M. Saarinen ◽  
J. Stowell ◽  
N. Rautonen ◽  
A. Ouwehand
Keyword(s):  
High Specificity ◽  
Lactobacillus Species ◽  
Limited Extent ◽  
Bifidobacterium Lactis ◽  
Screening Study ◽  
Pure Cultures ◽  
Pathogenic Microbes ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Current Screening

The current screening study aimed at identifying promising prebiotic and synbiotic candidates. The fermentation of xylo-oligosaccharides, xylan, galacto-oligosaccharide, fructo-oligosaccharide, polydextrose, lactitol, gentiobiose and pullulan was investigated in vitro. The ability of these established and potential prebiotic candidates to function as a sole carbon source for probiotic (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus), intestinal and potential pathogenic microbes (Eubacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus) was assessed in pure cultures. Xylo-oligosaccharides were fermented with high specificity by the tested Bifidobacterium lactis strains and lactitol by lactobacilli, whereas galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and gentiobiose were utilised by a larger group of microbes. Xylan, polydextrose and pullulan were utilised to a limited extent by only a few of the tested microbes. The results of this screening study indicate that xylo-oligosaccharides and lactitol support the growth of a limited number of beneficial microbes in pure cultures. Such a high degree of specificity has not been previously reported for established prebiotics. Based on these results, the most promising prebiotics and synbiotic combinations can be selected for further testing.

scholarly journals Aptamers: Novel Molecules as Diagnostic Markers in Bacterial and Viral Infections?

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávia M. Zimbres ◽  
Attila Tárnok ◽  
Henning Ulrich ◽  
Carsten Wrenger
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infections ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Virus Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Factors ◽  
Therapeutic Tools ◽  
Pathogenic Agents ◽  
Exponential Enrichment ◽  
High Degree

Worldwide the entire human population is at risk of infectious diseases of which a high degree is caused by pathogenic protozoans, worms, bacteria, and virus infections. Moreover the current medications against pathogenic agents are losing their efficacy due to increasing and even further spreading drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover novel diagnostic as well as therapeutic tools against infectious agents. In view of that, the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) represents a powerful technology to target selectively pathogenic factors as well as entire bacteria or viruses. SELEX uses a large combinatorial oligonucleic acid library (DNA or RNA) which is processed a by high-fluxin vitroscreen of iterative cycles. The selected ligands, termed aptamers, are characterized by high specificity and affinity to their target molecule, which are already exploited in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. In this minireview we will discuss the current status of the SELEX technique applied on bacterial and viral pathogens.

A Physiologic Regulator of Collagen-Induced Platelet Aggregation: Inhibition by Clq

1981 ◽  
Vol 45 (02) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
György Csákó ◽  
Eva A Suba
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Human Platelet ◽  
Platelet Reactivity ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Turbidimetric Method ◽  
Specific Manner ◽  
Aggregation Inhibition ◽  
Different Tissues

SummaryPlatelet aggregations were studied by a turbidimetric method in citrated human platelet-rich plasmas (PRP) in vitro. Human Clq inhibited the aggregations caused by collagens derived from different tissues and species. Clq was needed by weight in comparable quantities to collagen for neutralizing the aggregating effect. The dependence of the inhibitory reaction on the preincubation of platelets with Clq and the differences in the occurrence of aggregating substances in supernatants of PRP triggered with collagen in the presence or absence of Clq, confirmed that Clq exerts its effect by preventing fixation of collagen to platelets. In addition, the high specificity of the inhibitory action of Clq for collagen-induced platelet aggregation was demonstrated by results obtained for testing a variety of aggregating agents in combination with Clq and/or collagen.Since normal concentrations of Clq in the blood are in the range of inhibitory doses of Clq for collagen-induced platelet aggregations in vitro and upon activation of complement Clq is known to dissociate from Cl, it is proposed that Clq may participate in a highly specific manner in regulating platelet reactivity to collagen in vivo.

Enzyme Promiscuous Activity: How to Define it and its Evolutionary Aspects

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 400-410
Author(s):  
Valentina De Luca ◽  
Luigi Mandrich
Keyword(s):  
Gene Evolution ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Enzyme Promiscuity ◽  
Primary Activity ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Main Activity

: Enzymes are among the most studied biological molecules because better understanding enzymes structure and activity will shed more light on their biological processes and regulation; from a biotechnological point of view there are many examples of enzymes used with the aim to obtain new products and/or to make industrial processes less invasive towards the environment. Enzymes are known for their high specificity in the recognition of a substrate but considering the particular features of an increasing number of enzymes this is not completely true, in fact, many enzymes are active on different substrates: this ability is called enzyme promiscuity. Usually, promiscuous activities have significantly lower kinetic parameters than to that of primary activity, but they have a crucial role in gene evolution. It is accepted that gene duplication followed by sequence divergence is considered a key evolutionary mechanism to generate new enzyme functions. In this way, promiscuous activities are the starting point to increase a secondary activity in the main activity and then get a new enzyme. The primary activity can be lost or reduced to a promiscuous activity. In this review we describe the differences between substrate and enzyme promiscuity, and its rule in gene evolution. From a practical point of view the knowledge of promiscuity can facilitate the in vitro progress of proteins engineering, both for biomedical and industrial applications. In particular, we report cases regarding esterases, phosphotriesterases and cytochrome P450.

Prospective Application of Aptamer-based Assays and Therapeutics in Bloodstream Infections

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 831-840
Author(s):  
Weibin Li
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Peptide Sequence ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Specificity And Sensitivity ◽  
Prospective Application ◽  
Small Molecule Therapeutics

Sepsis is still a severe health problem worldwide with high morbidity and mortality. Blood bacterial culture remains the gold standard for the detection of pathogenic bacteria in bloodstream infections, but it is time-consuming, and both the sophisticated equipment and well-trained personnel are required. Immunoassays and genetic diagnosis are expensive and limited to specificity and sensitivity. Aptamers are single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) oligonucleotide or peptide sequence generated in vitro based on the binding affinity of aptamer-target by a process known as Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX). By taking several advantages over monoclonal antibodies and other conventional small-molecule therapeutics, such as high specificity and affinity, negligible batch-to-batch variation, flexible modification and production, thermal stability, low immunogenicity and lack of toxicity, aptamers are presently becoming promising novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents. This review describes the prospective application of aptamerbased laboratory diagnostic assays and therapeutics for pathogenic bacteria and toxins in bloodstream infections.

Standardization of in vitro nervous tissue culture for honeybee: A high specificity toxicological approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 189 ◽  
pp. 110040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Azevedo ◽  
Nicole Pavan Butolo ◽  
Luciano Delmondes de Alencar ◽  
Hellen Maria Soares-Lima ◽  
Victor Ribeiro Sales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Culture ◽  
Nervous Tissue ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Nervous Tissue Culture

scholarly journals Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles—Toxicity and Effect of In Ovo Inoculation on Chicken Embryo Development, Broiler Performance and Bone Status

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 932
Author(s):  
Arkadiusz Matuszewski ◽  
Monika Łukasiewicz ◽  
Jan Niemiec ◽  
Maciej Kamaszewski ◽  
Sławomir Jaworski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Embryo Development ◽  
Bone Quality ◽  
Chicken Embryo ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Selection Procedure ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
In Ovo

The use of intensive selection procedure in modern broiler chicken lines has led to the development of several skeletal disorders in broiler chickens. Therefore, current research is focused on methods to improve the bone quality in birds. In ovo technology, using nanoparticles with a high specificity to bones, is a potential approach. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo inoculation (IOI) of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CCN) on chicken embryo development, health status, bone characteristics, and on broiler production results and bone quality. After assessing in vitro cell viability, the IOI procedure was performed with an injection of 500 μg/mL CCN. The control group was not inoculated with CCN. Hatchability, weight, and selected bone and serum parameters were measured in embryos. Part of hatchlings were reared under standard conditions until 42 days, and production results, meat quality, and bone quality of broilers were determined. CCN did not show cytotoxicity to cells and chicken embryo and positively influenced bone parameters of the embryos and of broilers later (calcification) without negatively affecting the production results. Thus, the IOI of CCN could modify the molecular responses at the stage of embryogenesis, resulting in better mineralization, and could provide a sustained effect, thereby improving bone quality in adult birds.

scholarly journals A molecularly defined skin test reagent for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis compatible with vaccination against Johne’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Middleton ◽  
Sabine Steinbach ◽  
Michael Coad ◽  
Kevina McGill ◽  
Colm Brady ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skin Test ◽  
Recombinant Proteins ◽  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Synthetic Peptides ◽  
Blood Test ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Interferon Gamma Release Assays ◽  
Skin Responses

AbstractTuberculin Purified Protein Derivatives (PPDs) exhibit multiple limitations: they are crude extracts from mycobacterial cultures with largely unknown active components; their production depends on culture of mycobacteria requiring expensive BCL3 production facilities; and their potency depends on the technically demanding guinea pig assay. To overcome these limitations, we developed a molecularly defined tuberculin (MDT) by adding further antigens to our prototype reagent composed of ESAT-6, CFP-10 and Rv3615c (DIVA skin test, DST). In vitro screening using PBMC from infected and uninfected cattle shortlisted four antigens from a literature-based list of 18 to formulate the MDT. These four antigens plus the previously identified Rv3020c protein, produced as recombinant proteins or overlapping synthetic peptides, were formulated together with the three DST antigens into the MDT to test cattle experimentally and naturally infected with M. bovis, uninfected cattle and MAP vaccinated calves. We demonstrated significant increases in MDT-induced skin responses compared to DST in infected animals, whilst maintaining high specificity in unvaccinated or MAP vaccinated calves. Further, MDT can also be applied in in vitro blood-based interferon-gamma release assays. Thus, MDT promises to be a robust diagnostic skin and blood test reagent overcoming some of the limitations of PPDs and warrants full validation.

scholarly journals Engineering subtilisin proteases that specifically degrade active RAS

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingwei Chen ◽  
Eric A. Toth ◽  
Biao Ruan ◽  
Eun Jung Choi ◽  
Richard Simmerman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Active Form ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Kinetic Properties ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
Reporter System ◽  
Human Cell Culture ◽  
Conserved Sequence ◽  
Cofactor Binding ◽  
Selective Proteolysis

AbstractWe describe the design, kinetic properties, and structures of engineered subtilisin proteases that degrade the active form of RAS by cleaving a conserved sequence in switch 2. RAS is a signaling protein that, when mutated, drives a third of human cancers. To generate high specificity for the RAS target sequence, the active site was modified to be dependent on a cofactor (imidazole or nitrite) and protease sub-sites were engineered to create a linkage between substrate and cofactor binding. Selective proteolysis of active RAS arises from a 2-step process wherein sub-site interactions promote productive binding of the cofactor, enabling cleavage. Proteases engineered in this way specifically cleave active RAS in vitro, deplete the level of RAS in a bacterial reporter system, and also degrade RAS in human cell culture. Although these proteases target active RAS, the underlying design principles are fundamental and will be adaptable to many target proteins.

scholarly journals Chromatography-Independent Fractionation and Newly Identified Molecular Features of the Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis Willd.) β-vignin Protein

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3018
Author(s):  
Biane Philadelpho ◽  
Victória Souza ◽  
Fabiani Souza ◽  
Johnnie Santos ◽  
Fabiana Batista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metal Binding ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Binding Capacity ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Electrophoretic Analysis ◽  
Adzuki Bean ◽  
Molecular Features ◽  
Health Promoting ◽  
High Degree

Adzuki seed β-vignin, a vicilin-like globulin, has proven to exert various health-promoting biological activities, notably in cardiovascular health. A simple scalable enrichment procedure of this protein for further nutritional and functional studies is crucial. In this study, a simplified chromatography-independent protein fractionation procedure has been optimized and described. The electrophoretic analysis showed a high degree of homogeneity of β-vignin isolate. Furthermore, the molecular features of the purified protein were investigated. The adzuki bean β-vignin was found to have a native size of 146 kDa, and the molecular weight determined was consistent with a trimeric structure. These were identified in two main polypeptide chains (masses of 56–54 kDa) that are glycosylated polypeptides with metal binding capacity, and one minor polypeptide chain with a mass 37 kDa, wherein these features are absent. The in vitro analysis showed a high degree of digestibility of the protein (92%) and potential anti-inflammatory capacity. The results lay the basis not only for further investigation of the health-promoting properties of the adzuki bean β-vignin protein, but also for a possible application as nutraceutical molecule.

scholarly journals The Antibacterial Effects of Resin-Based Dental Sealants: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Studies

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Saad Saeed AlShahrani ◽  
Mana’a Saleh AlAbbas ◽  
Isadora Martini Garcia ◽  
Maha Ibrahim AlGhannam ◽  
Muath Abdulrahman AlRuwaili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Agents ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Dental Sealants ◽  
Medium Risk ◽  
Metabolic Activities ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Phosphate Buffered Saline ◽  
Full Text Screening

This review aimed to assess the antimicrobial effects of different antibacterial agents/compounds incorporated in resin-based dental sealants. Four databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus) were searched. From the 8052 records retrieved, 275 records were considered eligible for full-text screening. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and quality assessment was performed by two independent reviewers. Six of the nineteen included studies were judged to have low risk of bias, and the rest had medium risk of bias. Compounds and particles such as zinc, tin, Selenium, chitosan, chlorhexidine, fluoride and methyl methacrylate were found to be effective in reducing the colony-forming unit counts, producing inhibition zones, reducing the optical density, reducing the metabolic activities, reducing the lactic acid and polysaccharide production and neutralizing the pH when they are added to the resin-based dental sealants. In addition, some studies showed that the antibacterial effect was not significantly different after 2 weeks, 2 months and 6 months aging in distilled water or phosphate-buffered saline. In conclusion, studies have confirmed the effectiveness of adding antibacterial agents/compounds to dental sealants. However, we should consider that these results are based on laboratory studies with a high degree of heterogeneity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document