Effects of the Use of Rice Grain on Growth Performances, Blood Metabolites, Rumen Fermentation, and Rumen Microbial Community in Fattening Hanwoo Steers.

This study aimed to assess the influence of rice grain in the total mixed ration (TMR) on the growth performance, blood metabolites, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbial community of fattening Hanwoo steers. Two experimental diets were prepared: (i) a TMR containing 33% dry matter (DM) corn grains (Corn TMR) and (ii) a TMR containing 33% DM rice grains (Rice TMR). Twenty-two Hanwoo steers (body weight [BW], 498 ± 32 kg; months, 17 ± 0.

Replacement of corn with rice grains did not alter growth performance and rumen fermentation in growing Hanwoo steers.

Objective: This study was realized to evaluate the nutritional value of rice grains as a replacement for corn grains in the diet of growing Hanwoo steers.

Methods: Two experimental diets were prepared: i) Corn total mixed ration (TMR) consisting of 20% corn grains and ii) Rice TMR consisting of 20% rice grains, in a dry matter (DM) basis. These treatments were used for in vitro rumen fermentation and in vivo growth trials.

Retinal vasculitis associated with CREST syndrome.

Purpose: To report two cases of retinal vasculitis associated with CREST syndrome, a novel ocular finding.

Observations: We report two cases of patients with CREST syndrome with ocular inflammatory disease. Patient 1 presented with a right unilateral panuveitis with extensive retinal vasculitis and evidence of prior uveitis in the contralateral eye.

Isoprenyl carboxyl methyltransferase inhibitors: a brief review including recent patents.

Among the enzymes involved in the post-translational modification of Ras, isoprenyl carboxyl methyltransferase (ICMT) has been explored by a number of researchers as a significant enzyme controlling the activation of Ras. Indeed, inhibition of ICMT exhibited promising anti-cancer activity against various cancer cell lines. This paper reviews patents and research articles published between 2009 and 2016 that reported inhibitors of ICMT as potential chemotherapeutic agents targeting Ras-induced growth factor signaling.

Pyrrole-Derivative of Chalcone, ()-3-Phenyl-1-(2-Pyrrolyl)-2-Propenone, Inhibits Inflammatory Responses via Inhibition of Src, Syk, and TAK1 Kinase Activities.

()-3-Phenyl-1-(2-pyrrolyl)-2-propenone (PPP) is a pyrrole derivative of chalcone, in which the B-ring of chalcone linked to β-carbon is replaced by pyrrole group. While pyrrole has been studied for possible Src inhibition activity, chalcone, especially the substituents on the B-ring, has shown pharmaceutical, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties via inhibition of NF-κB activity. Our study is aimed to investigate whether this novel synthetic compound retains or enhances the pharmaceutically beneficial activities from the both structures.

Immunotoxicological Effects of Aripiprazole: In vivo and In vitro Studies.

Aripiprazole (ARI) is a commonly prescribed medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. To date, there have been no studies regarding the molecular pathological and immunotoxicological profiling of aripiprazole. Thus, in the present study, we prepared two different formulas of aripiprazole [Free base crystal of aripiprazole (ARPGCB) and cocrystal of aripiprazole (GCB3004)], and explored their effects on the patterns of survival and apoptosis-regulatory proteins under acute toxicity and cytotoxicity test conditions.

Anti-inflammatory activity of AP-SF, a ginsenoside-enriched fraction, from Korean ginseng.

Background: Korean ginseng is an ethnopharmacologically valuable herbal plant with various biological properties including anticancer, antiatherosclerosis, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Since there is currently no drug or therapeutic remedy derived from Korean ginseng, we developed a ginsenoside-enriched fraction (AP-SF) for prevention of various inflammatory symptoms.

Methods: The anti-inflammatory efficacy of AP-SF was tested under in vitro inflammatory conditions including nitric oxide (NO) production and inflammatory gene expression.

Antiproliferative and Apoptosis-Inducing Activities of 4-Isopropyl-2,6-bis(1-phenylethyl)phenol Isolated from Butanol Fraction of Cordyceps bassiana.

The Cordyceps species have been widely used for treating various cancer diseases. Although the Cordyceps species have been widely known as an alternative anticancer remedy, which compounds are responsible for their anticancer activity is not fully understood. In this study, therefore, we examined the anticancer activity of 5 isolated compounds derived from the butanol fraction (Cb-BF) of Cordyceps bassiana.

Kaempferol, a dietary flavonoid, ameliorates acute inflammatory and nociceptive symptoms in gastritis, pancreatitis, and abdominal pain.

Kaempferol (KF) is the most abundant polyphenol in tea, fruits, vegetables, and beans. However, little is known about its in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy and mechanisms of action. To study these, several acute mouse inflammatory and nociceptive models, including gastritis, pancreatitis, and abdominal pain were employed.

In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Phyllanthus acidus methanolic extract.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels (Phyllanthaceae) has traditionally been used to treat gastric trouble, rheumatism, bronchitis, asthma, respiratory disorders, and hepatitis. Despite this widespread use, the pharmacological activities of this plant and their molecular mechanisms are poorly understood.

PDK1 disruptors and modulators: a patent review.

Introduction: 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is a master regulator of the AGC protein kinase family and is a critical activator of multiple pro-survival and oncogenic protein kinases, for which it has garnered considerable interest as an oncology drug target.

Areas Covered: This manuscript reviews small molecule patent literature disclosures between October 2011 and September 2014 for both PDK1 activators and inhibitors and restates the selective patents published before September 2011. PDK1 modulators are organized according to pharmaceutical company and chemical structural class.

21-O-angeloyltheasapogenol E3, a novel triterpenoid saponin from the seeds of tea plants, inhibits macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses in a NF-κB-dependent manner.

21-O-Angeloyltheasapogenol E3 (ATS-E3) is a triterpenoid saponin recently isolated from the seeds of the tea tree Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze.

NF-κB/AP-1-targeted inhibition of macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses by depigmenting compound AP736 derived from natural 1,3-diphenylpropane skeleton.

AP736 was identified as an antimelanogenic drug that can be used for the prevention of melasma, freckles, and dark spots in skin by acting as a suppressor of melanin synthesis and tyrosinase expression. Since macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses are critical for skin health, here we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory activity of AP736. The effects of AP736 on various inflammatory events such as nitric oxide (NO)/prostaglandin (PG) E2 production, inflammatory gene expression, phagocytic uptake, and morphological changes were examined in RAW264.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibitors: a review of patents from 2011 to the present.

Introduction: Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are a family of enzymes that play an essential role in synthesizing nitric oxide (NO) by oxidizing l-arginine. As previously reported, NO is a significant mediator in cellular signaling pathways. It serves as a crucial regulator in insulin secretion, vascular tone, peristalsis, angiogenesis, neural development and inflammation.

IKK β -Targeted Anti-Inflammatory Activities of a Butanol Fraction of Artificially Cultivated Cordyceps pruinosa Fruit Bodies.

The inhibitory activities of the Cordyceps pruinosa butanol fraction (Cp-BF) were investigated by determining inflammatory responses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 macrophage cells and by evaluating HCl/ethanol (EtOH)-triggered gastric ulcers in mice. The molecular mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of Cp-BF were investigated by identifying target enzymes using biochemical and molecular biological approaches.

Response to Comment on "Revealing nature's cellulase diversity: the digestion mechanism of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA".

Gusakov critiques our methodology for comparing the cellulolytic activity of the bacterial cellulase CelA with the fungal cellulase Cel7A. We address his concerns by clarifying some misconceptions, carefully referencing the literature, and justifying our approach to point out that the results from our study still stand.

Revealing nature's cellulase diversity: the digestion mechanism of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii CelA.

Most fungi and bacteria degrade plant cell walls by secreting free, complementary enzymes that hydrolyze cellulose; however, some bacteria use large enzymatic assemblies called cellulosomes, which recruit complementary enzymes to protein scaffolds. The thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii uses an intermediate strategy, secreting many free cellulases that contain multiple catalytic domains. One of these, CelA, comprises a glycoside hydrolase family 9 and a family 48 catalytic domain, as well as three type III cellulose-binding modules.

Enzymatic synthesis of piceid glucosides using maltosyltransferase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725.

Piceid is widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals because of its therapeutic benefits. However, the use of piceid as a drug is limited because of its low solubility. To increase solubility, we synthesized piceid glucosides using maltosyltransferase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii.

Insights into plant biomass conversion from the genome of the anaerobic thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725.

Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725 utilizes various polysaccharides and grows efficiently on untreated high-lignin grasses and hardwood at an optimum temperature of ∼ 80 °C. It is a promising anaerobic bacterium for studying high-temperature biomass conversion. Its genome contains 2666 protein-coding sequences organized into 1209 operons.

Classification of 'Anaerocellum thermophilum' strain DSM 6725 as Caldicellulosiruptor bescii sp. nov.

The thermophilic, cellulolytic, anaerobic bacterium 'Anaerocellum thermophilum' strain Z-1320 was isolated from a hot spring almost two decades ago and deposited in the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ) as DSM 6725. The organism was classified as representing a new genus, 'Anaerocellum', primarily on its growth physiology, cell-wall type and morphology. The results of recent physiological studies and of phylogenetic and genome sequence analyses of strain DSM 6725 of 'A.

Robust, high-throughput solution structural analyses by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).

We present an efficient pipeline enabling high-throughput analysis of protein structure in solution with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Our SAXS pipeline combines automated sample handling of microliter volumes, temperature and anaerobic control, rapid data collection and data analysis, and couples structural analysis with automated archiving. We subjected 50 representative proteins, mostly from Pyrococcus furiosus, to this pipeline and found that 30 were multimeric structures in solution.

Genome sequence of the anaerobic, thermophilic, and cellulolytic bacterium "Anaerocellum thermophilum" DSM 6725.

"Anaerocellum thermophilum" DSM 6725 is a strictly anaerobic bacterium that grows optimally at 75 degrees C. It uses a variety of polysaccharides, including crystalline cellulose and untreated plant biomass, and has potential utility in biomass conversion. Here we report its complete genome sequence of 2.

Changes in the catalytic properties of Pyrococcus furiosus thermostable amylase by mutagenesis of the substrate binding sites.

Pyrococcus furiosus thermostable amylase (TA) is a cyclodextrin (CD)-degrading enzyme with a high preference for CDs over maltooligosaccharides. In this study, we investigated the roles of four residues (His414, Gly415, Met439, and Asp440) in the function of P. furiosus TA by using site-directed mutagenesis and kinetic analysis.

Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of the first archaeal maltogenic amylase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium GSS1.

Maltogenic amylases (MAases), a subclass of cyclodextrin (CD)-hydrolyzing enzymes belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 13, have been studied extensively, but their physiological roles in microbes and evolutionary relationships with other amylolytic enzymes remain unclear. Here, we report the biochemical properties of a thermostable archaeal MAase from Thermoplasma volcanium GSS1 (TpMA) for the first time. The primary structure and catalytic properties of TpMA were similar to those of MAases, such as possession of an extra domain at its N-terminal and preference for CD over starch.