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Purpose We previously determined that the intake of beef extract for 4 weeks increases skeletal muscle mass in rats. Thus, this study aimed to clarify whether beef extract has a hypertrophic effect on muscle cells and to determine the signaling pathway underlying beef extract-induced myotube hypertrophy. Methods We assessed the effects of beef extract supplement on mouse C2C12 skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation and myotube growth. In addition, the phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, and mTOR following beef extract supplementation was examined by western blotting. Furthermore, the bioactive constituents of beef extract were examined using amino acid analysis and dialysis. Results In the proliferative stage, beef extract significantly increased myoblast proliferation. In the differentiation stage, beef extract supplementation did not promote myoblast differentiation. In mature myotubes, beef extract supplementation increased myotube diameter and promoted protein synthesis. Although Akt and ERK1/2 levels were not affected, beef extract supplementation increased mTOR phosphorylation, which indicated that the mTOR pathway mediates beef extract-induced myotube hypertrophy. The hypertrophic activity was observed in fractions of > 7000 Da. Conclusions Beef extract promoted C2C12 myoblast proliferation and C2C12 myotube hypertrophy. Myotube hypertrophy was potentially induced by mTOR activation and active components in beef extract were estimated to be > 7000 Da.

Beef extract (BE) is a nutritional supplement obtained by cooking beef meat. Compared with traditional chicken essence or clam extract, BE is cheaper to produce and may be used for wound healing, as a chemotherapy supplement, or to prevent fatigue. In this study, we evaluated the potential beneficial effects of BE on exercise performance and the related role of the gut microbiota. Pathogen-free male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups to receive vehicle or BE (0, 12.3, or 24.6 mL/kg) by oral gavage for 28 days. Exercise performance was evaluated using forelimb grip strength, swimming time to exhaustion, and physiological levels of fatigue-related biomarkers (serum lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and glucose levels) after physical challenges. BE supplementation elevated endurance and grip strength in a dose-dependent manner; significantly decreased lactate and blood urea nitrogen levels after physical challenge; and significantly increased muscle glycogen content. The germ-free mice supplemented with BE or an equal-calorie portion of albumin did not show significant differences from the other groups in exercise performance and levels of related biomarkers. Therefore, BE supplementation improved endurance and reduced fatigue, which might be related to BE composition, but had no correlation with the gut microbiota.

In this study, novel cellulolytic fungal strains were isolated, purified, and identified. The ability of these isolates to biodegrade cellulosic materials was examined. The potential of the isolates to produce cellulolytic enzymes and optimize the cellulose degradation process was also investigated. The nylon net bag technique was used to separate cellulose-degrading fungi from soil. A total of 37 species were isolated and tested for their capacity to break down rice straw as a cellulose source. Qualitative assays for cellulase were carried out by Congo red plate assay, while quantitative assays were carried out using the dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method at 546 nm. Following morphological and molecular identification, the isolates that exhibited the highest cellulase activities were identified as Neurospora intermedia (Assiut University Mycological Center (AUMC) 14359), Fusarium verticillioides (AUMC 14360), and Rhizopus oryzae (AUMC 14361). For N. intermedia, the optimal conditions for maximum activity were a 2% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) concentration, beef extract and peptone as nitrogen sources, pH 7, 30 °C, and an inoculum size of 2.5 (v/v). For F. verticillioides, the optimal conditions were 2.5% CMC concentration, yeast extract as a nitrogen source, pH 6, 30 °C, and an inoculum size of 2 (v/v). For R. oryzae, the optimal conditions were 2% CMC concentration, beef extract as a nitrogen source, pH 7, 30 °C and an inoculum size of 2.5 (v/v). The identified strains represent new starter strains with high efficiency under optimum conditions for prospective large-scale application in cellulose degradation and nanocellulose production-dependent water purification.

Abstract Taxol production by fungi is one of the promising alternative approaches, regarding to the natural and semisynthetic sources; however, the lower yield and rapid loss of Taxol productivity by fungi are the major challenges that halt their further industrial implementation. Thus, searching for fungal isolates with affordable Taxol-production stability, in addition to enhance its anticancer activity via conjugation with gold nanoparticles, is the main objectives of this study. Twenty-four endophytic fungal isolates were recovered from the barks, twigs, and leaves of jojoba plant, among these fungi, Aspergillus flavus MW485934.1 was the most potent Taxol producer (88.6 µg/l). The chemical identity of the extracted Taxol of A. flavus was verified by the TLC, HPLC, HNMR, and FTIR analyses. The yield of Taxol produced by A. flavus was optimized by the response surface methodology (RSM) using Plackett–Burman (PBD) and faced central composite designs (FCCD). The yield of Taxol by A. flavus was increased by about 3.2 folds comparing to the control cultures (from 96.5 into 302.7 µg/l). The highest Taxol yield by was obtained growing A. flavus on a modified malt extract medium (g/l) (malt extract 20.0, peptone 2.0, sucrose 20.0, soytone 2.0, cysteine 0.5, glutamine 0.5, and beef extract 1.0 adjusted to pH 6.0) and incubated at 30 °C for 16 days. From the FCCD design, the significant variables affecting Taxol production by A. flavus were cysteine, pH, and incubation time. Upon A. flavus γ-irradiation at 1.0 kGy, the Taxol yield was increased by about 1.25 fold (375.9 µg/l). To boost its anticancer activity, the purified Taxol was conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) mediated by γ-rays irradiation (0.5 kGy), and the physicochemical properties of Taxol-AuNPs composite were evaluated by UV–Vis, DLS, XRD, and TEM analyses. The IC50 values of the native-Taxol and Taxol-AuNPs conjugates towards HEPG-2 cells were 4.06 and 2.1 µg/ml, while the IC50 values against MCF-7 were 6.07 and 3.3 µg/ml, respectively. Thus, the anticancer activity of Taxol-AuNPs composite was increased by 2 folds comparing to the native Taxol towards HEPG-2 and MCF-7 cell lines. Also, the antimicrobial activity of Taxol against the multidrug resistant bacteria was dramatically increased upon conjugation with AuNPs comparing to authentic AuNPs and Taxol, ensuring the higher solubility, targetability, and efficiency of Taxol upon AuNPs conjugation.

Trichoderma longibrachiatum UN32 is known for its efficient production of dendrobine-type total alkaloids (DTTAs). This study aimed to determine the optimal medium composition for the UN32 strain using response surface methodology. Key factors, including glucose, beef extract, and CoCl 2 , were selected through the Plackett–Burman design. Subsequently, a factorial optimization approach was employed using the steepest ascent design, and 17 trial sets were completed via the Box-Behnken design. The optimal medium composition was found to consist of 29.4 g/L of glucose, 17.3 g/L of beef extract, and 0.28 mmol/L of CoCl 2 . This optimized medium resulted in an impressive 80.8% increase in mycelial dry weight (reaching 12.303 g/L) and a substantial 76.4% boost in DTTA production (reaching 541.63 ± 46.95 μg). Furthermore, the fermentation process was scaled up to a 5-L bioreactor, leading to a DTTA production approximately 1.95 times than the control. Transcriptome analysis of strain UN32 in response to CoCl 2 supplementation revealed significant changes in the expression of critical genes associated with the TCA cycle and L-valine, L-leucine, and L-isoleucine biosynthesis changed. These alterations resulted in a heightened influx of acetyl-CoA into DTTA production. Additionally, the expression of genes related to antioxidant enzymes was modified to maintain homeostasis of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A potential mechanism for the accumulation of DTTAs based on ROS as a signal transduction was proposed. These findings provide valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of DTTA biosynthesis, potentially offering a method to enhance the production of secondary metabolites in the UN32 strain. Key points • After the RSM optimization, there is a substantial increase of 80.8% in biomass production and a significant 76.4% rise in DTTA production. • Transcriptome analysis revealed that the inclusion of CoCl 2 supplements resulted in an enhanced influx of acetyl-CoA. • Proposed a mechanism for the accumulation of DTTAs for the role of ROS as a signal transduction pathway.

Biomaterials and biopolymers, such as bacterial cellulose (BC), are becoming increasingly important as sustainable materials with a wide range of potential applications. However, BC industrial production is associated with several difficulties such as low BC production yields and high production costs; therefore, cheap alternative growth media, e.g. apple juice are being studied intensively. The aim of this study is to evaluate BC synthesis under static conditions on apple juice medium (AJM). The optimal concentration of apple juice in unsupplemented AJM for Novacetimonas hansenii MSCL 1646 was shown by its dilution 1:6 with water, which resulted in 0.89 ± 0.01 g/L of dry BC weight after 10 cultivation days. Low BC synthesis can be associated with insufficient N concentration in apple juice; therefore, different organic and inorganic N sources were evaluated in combination with AJM, and beef extract (5 g/L) was found to be the most suitable. Further, AJM optimisation experiment showed the optimal apple juice and beef extract concentrations as 1:2 and 15 g/L respectively, which resulted in 17.27 ± 0.07 g/L of dry BC weight, which is significantly higher than in standard Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium (4.07 ± 0.02 g/L). Analysis of mechanical and physical properties showed that use of AJM results in changes in BC properties compared with the standard HS medium. Results of the study indicate that apple juice is an effective and cheap C source that in combination with appropriate N source leads to high BC synthesis and makes it suitable for industrial BC production. Key points • Low quality apples can be used as raw material for BC production; • Beef extract improves BC synthesis in apple juice medium; • Use of apple juice and beef extract affect mechanical properties of BC.

This study employs Taguchi design of experiments (DOE) to optimize biosurfactant yield by analyzing the impact of various input parameters. Signal-to-noise ratio analysis was utilized for optimization, corroborated by ANOVA findings. Regression equations depicted response behaviour and are validated through a confirmation test. Taguchi methodology identified optimal conditions for maximum biosurfactant yield: agitation (180 rpm), inoculum size (2%), beef extract (5 g/L), diesel (20 ml/L), peptone (5 g/L), NaCl (7 g/L), incubation time (4 days), pH (7.9), and yeast extract (6 g/L). This yielded an 8.33% increase to 1.53 g/L, with initial optimum parameters projecting 1.41 g/L. ANOVA ranked and quantified control factor contributions, revealing agitation's significant (31.41%) impact on yield. The study underscores the viability of Taguchi's optimal conditions for substantial yield improvement within specific ranges. The strong alignment between expected and experimental yields affirmed the reliability of developed models for optimal yield selection. This study underscores the power of statistical techniques like Taguchi DOE and ANOVA in systematically enhancing biosurfactant production by Bacillus aryabhattai SPS1001 and paves the way for future advancements in bioprocess optimization.

The current study aimed to produce an amyloglucosidase enzyme from the fungal consortium. The best amylolytic fungal consortia were identified as Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus niger through the 18S rDNA technique. Fermentation kinetics and various nutritional and cultural parameters were analyzed. Maximum production was obtained in M4 media, pH 5.5, 30 °C, and 4 mL inoculum at 150 rpm after 72 h of incubation. Along with that, sodium nitrate at 2.5%, maltose, beef extract 1%, zinc sulfate (0.1%), and Tween 80 (0.1%) supported the maximum amyloglucosidase production. Amyloglucosidase was partially purified up to 1.6 purification fold with a specific activity of 1.84 Umg −1 in a stepwise manner by ammonium sulfate purification, dialysis, and ion exchange chromatography. The AMG enzyme also revealed maximum activity at 50 °C with 5.0 pH. Upon the kinetic analysis, the specific yield coefficient Yp/x and volumetric rates Qp and Qx were also found to be significant in the above optimized conditions. The Km value 0.33 mg mL −1 and Vmax 26.31 U mL −1 were obtained at 1% soluble starch substrate. Thermodynamic parameters for soluble starch hydrolysis were as follows: Δ H  = 48.78 kJ mol −1 , (Ea) =  − 46.0 kJ mol −1 , and Δ S  =  − 43.10 J mol −1  K −1 . This finding indicates the indigenously isolated fungal consortium can be the best candidate for industrial applications.

A thermostable l -asparaginase was produced from Bacillus licheniformis UDS-5 (GenBank accession number, OP117154). The production conditions were optimized by the Plackett Burman method, followed by the Box Behnken method, where the enzyme production was enhanced up to fourfold. It secreted l -asparaginase optimally in the medium, pH 7, containing 0.5% (w/v) peptone, 1% (w/v) sodium chloride, 0.15% (w/v) beef extract, 0.15% (w/v) yeast extract, 3% (w/v) l -asparagine at 50 °C for 96 h. The enzyme, with a molecular weight of 85 kDa, was purified by ion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography with better purification fold and percent yield. It displayed optimal catalysis at 70 °C in 20 mM Tris–Cl buffer, pH 8. The purified enzyme also exhibited significant salt tolerance too, making it a suitable candidate for the food application. The l -asparaginase was employed at different doses to evaluate its ability to mitigate acrylamide, while preparing French fries without any prior treatment. The salient attributes of B. licheniformis UDS-5 l -asparaginase, such as greater thermal stability, salt stability and acrylamide reduction in starchy foods, highlights its possible application in the food industry.

Enormous aggregates of keratinous wastes are produced annually by the poultry and leather industries which cause environmental degradation globally. To combat this issue, microbially synthesized extracellular proteases known as keratinase are used widely which is effective in degrading keratin found in hair and feathers. In the present work, keratinolytic bacteria were isolated from poultry farm soil and feather waste, and various cultural conditions were optimized to provide the highest enzyme production for efficient keratin waste degradation. Based on the primary and secondary screening methods, the potent keratinolytic strain (HFS_F2T) with the highest enzyme activity 32.65 ± 0.16 U/mL was genotypically characterized by 16S rRNA sequencing and was confirmed as Bacillus velezensis HFS_F2T ON556508. Through one-variable-at-a-time approach (OVAT), the keratinase production medium was optimized with sucrose (carbon source), beef extract (nitrogen source) pH-7, inoculum size (5%), and incubation at 37 °C). The degree of degradation (%DD) of keratin wastes was evaluated after 35 days of degradation in the optimized keratinase production medium devoid of feather meal under submerged fermentation conditions. Further, the deteriorated keratin wastes were visually examined and the hydrolysed bovine hair with 77.32 ± 0.32% degradation was morphologically analysed through Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) to confirm the structural disintegration of the cuticle. Therefore, the current study would be a convincing strategy for reducing the detrimental impact of pollutants from the poultry and leather industries by efficient keratin waste degradation through the production of microbial keratinase.