Baoding Jizhong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

A novel mycotoxin-degrading enzyme complex (MDE), developed via a microcapsule coating process and containing three degrading enzymes, exhibits the ability to biodegrade aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of MDE against AFB₁, DON, and ZEN through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro simulated digestion experiments revealed that the MDE degraded the concentrations of AFB₁, DON, and ZEN by 76.27 %, 74.04 %, and 60.77 %, respectively. In vivo experiments were conducted using 39 one-day-old male Cobb broilers allocated into three groups: a basal diet group (BD; CON), a BD group supplemented with 50 μg/kg AFB₁, 3.0 mg/kg DON, and 1.5 mg/kg ZEN (Toxins), and a BD plus Toxins diet with 0.02 % MDE (Toxins + MDE), with the experiment lasting for 14 days. Compared to the Toxins group, the Toxins + MDE group showed a tendency to increase (P = 0.09) the body weight on day 7. Moreover, the Toxins treatment increased the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations, and decreased creatinine (CREA) concentrations. Interestingly, dietary supplementation with 0.02 % MDE alleviated these adverse effects. Additionally, the Toxins and Toxins + MDE groups exhibited slight lymphocytic infiltration and mucosal epithelial detachment in the glandular stomach and the villi layer. Notably, dietary supplementation with 0.02 % MDE decreased gastric AFB₁, DON, and ZEN concentrations by 40.1 %, 37.7 %, and 29.1 %, respectively. In conclusion, MDE effectively degrades the concentrations of AFB₁, DON, and ZEN through in vitro simulated pig digestion and in vivo chick experiments.

Cold-active cellulases attract significant attention for their potential in energy-efficient bioprocesses under low-temperature conditions. In this study, a psychrotolerant bacterial strain, Pseudomonas fragi HsL3-1, was isolated from Hengshui Lake sediments and found to produce a novel endoglucanase, EG-22SJ. The enzyme demonstrated optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 25°C, retaining over 80% and 60% of peak activity at 15°C and 5°C, respectively, and exhibited exceptional tolerance to 20% organic solvents (e.g. n-hexane enhanced activity by 29.8%) and 1% surfactants (e.g. Tween 80). Kinetic analysis revealed high substrate affinity for CMC–Na with a Km of 0.583 mg·ml−1 and Vmax of 401 μmol·l−1·min−1. Activity was significantly activated by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ but inhibited by Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺. Culture optimization via response surface methodology increased cellulase production to 8.71 U·ml−1 under conditions of 15.24 g·l−1 CMC–Na, 20.54°C, pH 6.85, and 1.95% inoculation, yielding a 1.24-fold improvement. These integrated properties position EG-22SJ as a robust biocatalyst for sustainable low-temperature applications such as biofuel production, food processing, and detergent formulation, highlighting the potential of nonextreme environments for enzyme discovery.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Herba Origani, the dried whole herb of Origanum vulgare L., on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice and explore its mechanisms of action through analyzing the intestinal microbiota in cecum contents and metabolites in colonic tissues. HOEP alleviated colitis symptoms, colonic inflammation and pathological injury as well as repaired intestinal barrier function in DSS-induced UC mice. The intestinal microbiota analysis showed that HOEP restored the gut microbiota dysbiosis in DSS-treated mice by increasing the alpha diversity of the intestinal microbiota, increasing the abundance of the Bacteroidota community and adjusting short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which maintain mucosal immunity and intestinal barrier. Metabolomic analysis revealed that HOEP promoted bile acids absorption and regulated bile acids metabolism in the intestine, thereby maintaining intestinal mucosal immune homeostasis. In addition, HOEP might also regulate the intestinal immune system through the phosphatidylinositol signaling system. These findings suggested that HOEP exerted promising protection against DSS-induced ulcerative mice through remolding gut microbiota to regulate bile acid and SCFA metabolism, and that HOEP have a potential to be utilized for the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases.