Explore the vast range of titles available.

Urine metabolomics is gaining traction as a means of identifying metabolic signatures associated with health and disease states. Thirty-one (31) late preterm (LP) neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and 23 age-matched healthy LPs admitted to the maternity ward of a tertiary hospital were included in the study. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was employed for urine metabolomic analysis on the 1st and 3rd days of life of the neonates. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. A unique metabolic pattern of enhanced metabolites was identified in the NICU-admitted LPs from the 1st day of life. Metabolic profiles were distinct in LPs presenting with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The discrepancies likely reflect differences in the gut microbiota, either due to variations in nutrient intake or as a result of medical interventions, such as the administration of antibiotics and other medications. Altered metabolites could potentially serve as biomarkers for identifying critically ill LP neonates or those at high risk for adverse outcomes later in life, including metabolic risks. The discovery of novel biomarkers may uncover potential targets for drug discovery and optimal periods for effective intervention, offering a personalized approach.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is considered as a major public health problem as it can lead to end-stage kidney failure, which requires replacement therapy. A prompt and accurate diagnosis, along with the appropriate treatment, can delay CKD’s progression, significantly. Herein, we sought to determine whether CKD etiology can be reflected in urine metabolomics during its early stage. This is achieved through the analysis of the urine metabolic fingerprint from 108 CKD patients by means of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy metabolomic analysis. We report the first NMR—metabolomics data regarding the three most common etiologies of CKD: Chronic Glomerulonephritis (IgA and Membranous Nephropathy), Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) and Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis (HN). Analysis aided a moderate glomerulonephritis clustering, providing characterization of the metabolic fluctuations between the CKD subtypes and control disease. The urine metabolome of IgA Nephropathy reveals a specific metabolism, reflecting its different etiology or origin and is useful for determining the origin of the disease. In contrast, urine metabolomes from DN and HN patients did not reveal any indicative metabolic pattern, which is consistent with their fused clinical phenotype. These findings may contribute to improving diagnostics and prognostic approaches for CKD, as well as improving our understanding of its pathology.

One of the most critical medical conditions occurring after preterm birth is neonatal sepsis, a systemic infection with high rates of morbidity and mortality, chiefly amongst neonates hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Neonatal sepsis is categorized as early-onset sepsis (EOS) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) regarding the time of the disease onset. The accurate early diagnosis or prognosis have hurdles to overcome, since there are not specific clinical signs or laboratory tests. Herein, a need for biomarkers presents, with the goals of aiding accurate medical treatment, reducing the clinical severity of symptoms and the hospitalization time. Through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) based metabolomics, we aim to investigate the urine metabolomic profile of septic neonates and reveal those metabolites which could be indicative for an initial discrimination between the diseased and the healthy ones. Multivariate and univariate statistical analysis between NMR spectroscopic data of urine samples from neonates that developed EOS, LOS, and a healthy control group revealed a discriminate metabolic profile of septic newborns. Gluconate, myo-inositol, betaine, taurine, lactose, glucose, creatinine and hippurate were the metabolites highlighted as significant in most comparisons.

Sea buckthorn berries (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) (SB) are considered as a fruit with a high nutritional value with a plethora of bioactive ingredients. The present work focusses on the analysis of the whole NMR metabolic profile of SB berries grown in an organic orchard of Meteora/Greece. In parallel, this study validates/highlights qualitative characteristics of the osmotic processed berries according to the fresh fruit. The composition in bioactive metabolites of SB berries was elucidated through sophisticated high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. The lipophilic profile maintains the vitamins, flavonoid glycosides, phenolic esters and the essential lipid components of SB, while the polar profile reveals a variety of flavonoids, saccharides, organic acids, amino acids and esterified glycosides. This approach towards identification of SB bioactive ingredients may serve as basis for simultaneous profiling and quality assessment and may be applied to monitor fresh food quality regarding other food preservation methods.

Introduction The diagnosis of Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) during childhood has been the subject of much controversy over the last few years. Aiming to accurate medical treatment, there is a need for biomarker discovery. Objective To characterize the metabolic profile of GHD children, examine the effect of GH administration on the metabolic signature, and investigate the correlations between metabolites and IGF-1. Methods Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based untargeted and targeted metabolomic approach applied to study the metabolic profiles of children with GHD. Plasma, serum, and urine samples were collected from twenty-two children diagnosed with GHD and forty-eight age matched controls from the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit of the University Hospital of Patras. Experimental data were examined by both multivariate and univariate statistical analysis. Results The results of this pilot study revealed a different metabolic fingerprint of children with GHD in comparison to age-matched healthy individuals. However, the detected alterations in the metabolite patterns before and after GH treatment were subtle and of minor discriminative statistical power. Conclusions This study provides evidence that metabolome plays a pivotal role in GHD, but large-scale multicenter studies are warranted to validate the results.

IntroductionPremature adrenarche (PA) for long time was considered a benign condition but later has been connected to various diseases in childhood and adulthood which remains controversial.ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of premature adrenarche on the metabolic phenotype, and correlate the clinical and biochemical data with the metabolic profile of children with PA.MethodsNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based untargeted and targeted metabolomic approach in combination with multivariate and univariate statistical analysis applied to study the metabolic profiles of children with PA. Plasma, serum, and urine samples were collected from fifty-two children with Idiopathic PA and forty-eight age-matched controls from the division of Pediatric Endocrinology of the University Hospital of Patras were enrolled.ResultsMetabolomic results showed that plasma and serum glucose, myo-inositol, amino acids, a population of unsaturated lipids, and esterified cholesterol were higher and significantly different in PA children. In the metabolic profiles of children with PA and age-matched control group a gradual increase of glucose and myo-inositol levels was observed in serum and plasma, which was positively correlated their body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS) values respectively. Urine 1H NMR metabolic fingerprint of PA children showed positive correlation and a clustering-dependent relationship with their BMI and bone age (BA) respectively.ConclusionThis study provides evidence that PA driven metabolic changes begin during the childhood and PA may has an inductive role in a BMI–driven increase of specific metabolites. Finally, urine may be considered as the best biofluid for identification of the PA metabolism as it reflects more clearly the PA metabolic fingerprint.

BackgroundA major challenge from the moment a child is delivered is the adaptation to the extrauterine life, where rapid metabolic changes take place. The study of these changes during the first days of human life may assist in the understanding of the metabolic processes that occur at this critical period, which is likely to provide significant clinical insights. To date, metabolomics has become a powerful field, ideal for the monitoring of such dynamic variations, since it offers the possibility to identify alterations in metabolic profiles, even on daily basis.MethodsThe study included 253 healthy newborns (GA 35 to 40 weeks) from the region of Western Greece. Urine samples were collected immediately after birth and at the third day of life. NMR-based metabolomics was used to compare the metabolic urinary profiles of newborns from the first and third day of their life, assessing the impact of six perinatal factors; delivery mode, prematurity, maternal smoking, gender, nutrition and neonatal jaundice.ResultsAnalysis of urine metabolic fingerprint from the first and third day of life, coupled with multivariate statistics, provides insights into the details of early life metabolic profile differentiation. Αt the third day of life metabolic adaptations are evident, as many differences were noted in urine of healthy neonates within the first 72 h postpartum. Trends in differentiation of metabolites levels between the two groups, late preterm and term newborns, have been also observed.ConclusionsNewborn’s urine metabolic profiles confirmed the rapid changes in their metabolism after birth. Further, ongoing research will enable us to develop one reference model of urinary metabolomics in healthy newborns during the period of adaptation to the extra-uterine life.

Aberrant angiogenesis is a hallmark for cancer and inflammation, a key notion in drug repurposing efforts. To delineate the anti-angiogenic properties of amifostine in a human adult angiogenesis model via 3D cell metabolomics and upon a stimulant-specific manner, a 3D cellular angiogenesis assay that recapitulates cell physiology and drug action was coupled to untargeted metabolomics by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The early events of angiogenesis upon its most prominent stimulants (vascular endothelial growth factor-A or deferoxamine) were addressed by cell sprouting measurements. Data analyses consisted of a series of supervised and unsupervised methods as well as univariate and multivariate approaches to shed light on mechanism-specific inhibitory profiles. The 3D untargeted cell metabolomes were found to grasp the early events of angiogenesis. Evident of an initial and sharp response, the metabolites identified primarily span amino acids, sphingolipids, and nucleotides. Profiles were pathway or stimulant specific. The amifostine inhibition profile was rather similar to that of sunitinib, yet distinct, considering that the latter is a kinase inhibitor. Amifostine inhibited both. The 3D cell metabolomics shed light on the anti-angiogenic effects of amifostine against VEGF-A- and deferoxamine-induced angiogenesis. Amifostine may serve as a dual radioprotective and anti-angiogenic agent in radiotherapy patients.

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is considered as the primary NO receptor across several known eukaryotes. The main interest regarding the biological role and its function, focuses on the H-NOX domain of the β1 subunit. This domain in its active form bears a ferrous b type heme as prosthetic group, which facilitates the binding of NO and other diatomic gases. The key point that still needs to be answered is how the protein selectively binds the NO and how the redox state of heme and coordination determines H-NOX active state upon binding of diatomic gases. H-NOX domain is present in the genomes of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, either as a stand-alone protein domain or as a partner of a larger polypeptide. The biological functions of these signaling modules for a wide range of genomes, diverge considerably along with their ligand binding properties. In this direction, we examine the prokaryotic H-NOX protein domain from Nostoc punctiforme (Npun H-NOX). Herein, we first report the almost complete NMR backbone and side-chain resonance assignment (1H, 13C, 15 N) of Npun H-NOX domain together with the NMR chemical shift-based prediction of the domain’s secondary structure elements.

Synthetic surfactants are used in several industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical and cosmetic’s, food and feed, agriculture, petroleum and environmental remediation for their ability to adsorb to fluid and solid-water interfaces. However, their widespread use and their synthetic preparation through environmentally unfavorable processes counterbalances the value of this class of reagents. This fact has stimulated new efforts to exploit natural sources of surfactants, such as new classes of bacterial systems or manipulation of existing biological systems, that may produce, through an environmentally friendly process, new biodegradable surfactants and emulsifiers of high commercial value. A downside of microbial production of biobased chemicals such as these types of chemicals, is that their fermentation often yields crude materials consisting of several bioproducts with complex physical and chemical properties. Extraction, identification, and efficient characterization of biosurfactants from a crude mixture of biomolecules requires carefully designed, and detailed analytical processes using state-of-the-art methods. The purpose of this review article is to present the current state-of-the-art and future outlook on the various multidisciplinary biophysical methods applied in the discovery, extraction identification, and in-depth characterization of microbially-produced surface‐active compounds.