Metabolomic Profiling of Biolayers on the Surface of Marble in Nature and Urban Environment. Case Study of Karelia and St. Petersburg

The formation of biolayers of various taxonomic and biochemical composition occurs on the rock surfaces under various environmental conditions. The composition of metabolites in various types of biolayers on the marble surface in natural outcrops and urban environment was studied. Metabolome profiling was fulfilled by GC-MS. It was found that communities in urban environment are much less biochemically diverse than in a quarry. The seasonal differences in metabolite network between samples dominate over taxonomic ones in biolayers with predomination of algae and cyanobacteria and in biolayers with predomination of fungi. The biolayers of different stage of soil formation are less susceptible to seasonal variability.

Antibiotic-Induced Dysbiosis of Microbiota Promotes Chicken Lipogenesis by Altering Metabolomics in the Cecum

Elucidation of the mechanism of lipogenesis and fat deposition is essential for controlling excessive fat deposition in chicken. Studies have shown that gut microbiota plays an important role in regulating host lipogenesis and lipid metabolism. However, the function of gut microbiota in the lipogenesis of chicken and their relevant mechanisms are poorly understood. In the present study, the gut microbiota of chicken was depleted by oral antibiotics. Changes in cecal microbiota and metabolomics were detected by 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with MS/MS (UHPLC–MS/MS) analysis. The correlation between antibiotic-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota and metabolites and lipogenesis were analysed. We found that oral antibiotics significantly promoted the lipogenesis of chicken. 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that oral antibiotics significantly reduced the diversity and richness and caused dysbiosis of gut microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Proteobacteria was increased considerably while the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were significantly decreased. At the genus level, the abundances of genera Escherichia-Shigella and Klebsiella were significantly increased while the abundances of 12 genera were significantly decreased, including Bacteroides. UHPLC-MS/MS analysis showed that antibiotic-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota significantly altered cecal metabolomics and caused declines in abundance of 799 metabolites and increases in abundance of 945 metabolites. Microbiota-metabolite network revealed significant correlations between 4 differential phyla and 244 differential metabolites as well as 15 differential genera and 304 differential metabolites. Three metabolites of l-glutamic acid, pantothenate acid and N-acetyl-l-aspartic acid were identified as potential metabolites that link gut microbiota and lipogenesis in chicken. In conclusion, our results showed that antibiotic-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota promotes lipogenesis of chicken by altering relevant metabolomics. The efforts in this study laid a basis for further study of the mechanisms that gut microbiota regulates lipogenesis and fat deposition of chicken.

Metabolomic Changes in Wood Inhabiting Filamentous Fungi during Ontogenesis

GC–MS-based metabolomic profiling of different strains of basidiomycetes Lignomyces vetlinianus, Daedaleopsis tricolor and Sparassis crispa were studied. On different stages of growth in the methanol extracts of mycelium the different compounds including amino acids, organic acid of TCA cycle, sugars, fatty acids, sugar alcohols, and sugar acids were detected. Changes in the metabolite network occurring with age of the mycelium of L. vetlinianus and D. tricolor are discussed. The exponential phase of mycelium growth is characterized by pronounced differences during of growth, which manifests itself both in the analysis of specific compounds and in the modeling of the statistical model of the metabolic network. The metabolomic network in the stationary growth phase is less susceptible to changes over time, and is also characterized by a lower dispersion of samples from one aging group. For some compounds, including biotechnologically significant ones, targeted analysis by GC–MS was performed. 4, 6-dimethoxy-phthalide (4, 6-dimetoxy-1 (3H) -isobenzofuranone) was isolated from the mycelium of Lignomyces vetlinianus, accumulating in the mycelium in the form of large aggregates. The accumulation of sparassol and other orsellinic acid derivatives in Sparassis crispa culture under various conditions is described.

Rapid Profiling of the Marker Components in Artemisia annua L. and their Metabolites in Rats Using an Improved Liquid Chromatography Tandem High-resolution Mass Spectrometry-based Technology

Background: As parasite resistance to the main artemisinin drugs has emerged in Southern Asia, the traditional herb Artemisia annua L. (AAL), from which artemisinin (QHS) is isolated, was found to overcome resistance to QHS. However, the component and metabolite profiles of AAL remain unclear. Objectives: In this study, component profiling of marker compounds in AAL (amorphane sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids) was performed, and their subsequent metabolism was investigated in rats. Methods: For efficient component classification and structural characterization, an improved liquid chromatography tandem high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)-based analytical strategy was applied, i.e., background subtraction (BS) followed by ring-double-bond (RDB) filter in tandem with repeated BS processing. Structures of detected components/metabolites were characterized based on integrated information, including their HRMSn patterns, RDB values, the established component/metabolite network, the biosynthesis pathways of AAL, and/or NMR data. Results: A total of 38 amorphane sesquiterpene lactones and 35 flavonoids were found in AAL as prototype compounds, among which 26 components were previously undescribed. Major compounds were identified by comparing with reference standards. Among 73 AAL prototypes administered, 38 were absorbed in the circulation as the prototype. Moreover, 20 metabolites of amorphane sesquiterpene lactones and 10 metabolites of flavonoids were detected in rats. The major metabolic pathways included oxidation, methylation, glucuronidation, and sulfation. Conclusion: The component and metabolite network were established for marker components in AAL, which will be valuable to understand the synergistic antimalarial potency of QHS in A. annua L. The analytical strategy can also be applied to other herbal medicines.