Replacing Barley and Soybean Meal With By-products, in a Pasture Based Diet, Alters Daily Methane Output and the Rumen Microbial Community in vitro Using the Rumen Simulation Technique (RUSITEC)

The production of saffron spice generates large quantities of plant by-products: over 90% of the plant material collected is discarded, and a consideration fraction of this waste is plant stamens. This work investigated the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activities of the non-polar fraction extracted from four different saffron flower stamens. The chemical composition of ethereal extracts of the saffron stamens was qualitatively assessed by means of gas–chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. These analyses revealed ethereal extracts to possess a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. In vitro antibacterial activity of stamen extracts showed no large differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in terms of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). In food matrix microbial analysis of the bacterial strains belonging to the main foodborne pathogen species, including Staphylococcus aureus DSM 20231, Escherichia coli DSM 30083, and Listeria monocytogenes DSM 20600, using low-fat UHT milk, revealed a statistically significant reduction in the number of cells (particularly for E. coli and S. aureus with a complete elimination of the population of the two target bacteria following incubation in diethyl ether extracts of saffron stamen (DES) at high concentrations tested, both at 37 °C and 6 °C (for 48 h and 7 days, respectively). A synergic effect was observed when the pathogens were incubated at 6 °C with DES. This work shows these by-products to be excellent sources of bioactive compounds, which could be exploited in high-added-value products, such as food, cosmetics, and drugs.

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The Culturable Mycobiome of Mesophotic Agelas oroides: Constituents and Changes Following Sponge Transplantation to Shallow Water

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7070567 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. 567

Author(s):

Eyal Ben-Dor Cohen ◽

Micha Ilan ◽

Oded Yarden

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Shallow Water ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Hyphal Growth ◽

Marine Sponges ◽

The Core ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Dynamic Components ◽

In Vitro Interactions

Marine sponges harbor a diverse array of microorganisms and the composition of the microbial community has been suggested to be linked to holo-biont health. Most of the attention concerning sponge mycobiomes has been given to sponges present in shallow depths. Here, we describe the presence of 146 culturable mycobiome taxa isolated from mesophotic niche (100 m depth)-inhabiting samples of Agelas oroides, in the Mediterranean Sea. We identify some potential in vitro interactions between several A. oroides-associated fungi and show that sponge meso-hyl extract, but not its predominantly collagen-rich part, is sufficient to support hyphal growth. We demonstrate that changes in the diversity of culturable mycobiome constituents occur following sponge transplantation from its original mesophotic habitat to shallow (10 m) waters, where historically (60 years ago) this species was found. We conclude that among the 30 fungal genera identified as associated with A. oroides, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Trichoderma constitute the core mycobiome of A. oroides, and that they persist even when the sponge is transplanted to a suboptimal environment, indicative of the presence of constant, as well as dynamic, components of the sponge mycobiome. Other genera seemed more depth-related and appeared or disappeared upon host’s transfer from 100 to 10 m.

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Dose–Response Effects of 3-Nitrooxypropanol Combined with Low- and High-Concentrate Feed Proportions in the Dairy Cow Ration on Fermentation Parameters in a Rumen Simulation Technique

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11061784 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1784

Author(s):

Matthias Schilde ◽

Dirk von Soosten ◽

Liane Hüther ◽

Susanne Kersten ◽

Ulrich Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dose Response ◽

Gas Production ◽

Hydrogen Gas ◽

Simulation Technique ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Feed Additive ◽

Future Research ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Dose Dependent

Methane (CH4) from ruminal feed degradation is a major pollutant from ruminant livestock, which calls for mitigation strategies. The purpose of the present 4 × 2 factorial arrangement was to investigate the dose–response relationships between four doses of the CH4 inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) and potential synergistic effects with low (LC) or high (HC) concentrate feed proportions (CFP) on CH4 reduction as both mitigation approaches differ in their mode of action (direct 3-NOP vs. indirect CFP effects). Diet substrates and 3-NOP were incubated in a rumen simulation technique to measure the concentration and production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), fermentation gases as well as substrate disappearance. Negative side effects on fermentation regarding total VFA and gas production as well as nutrient degradability were observed for neither CFP nor 3-NOP. CH4 production decreased from 10% up to 97% in a dose-dependent manner with increasing 3-NOP inclusion rate (dose: p < 0.001) but irrespective of CFP (CFP × dose: p = 0.094). Hydrogen gas accumulated correspondingly with increased 3-NOP dose (dose: p < 0.001). In vitro pH (p = 0.019) and redox potential (p = 0.066) varied by CFP, whereas the latter fluctuated with 3-NOP dose (p = 0.01). Acetate and iso-butyrate (mol %) decreased with 3-NOP dose, whereas iso-valerate increased (dose: p < 0.001). Propionate and valerate varied inconsistently due to 3-NOP supplementation. The feed additive 3-NOP was proven to be a dose-dependent yet effective CH4 inhibitor under conditions in vitro. The observed lack of additivity of increased CFP on the CH4 inhibition potential of 3-NOP needs to be verified in future research testing further diet types both in vitro and in vivo.

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