Publications by authors named "Min Tze Liong"

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus, whose persistent infection is the main reason for invasive cervical cancer (ICC), which is the fourth most common type of cancer in women, with more than 500 000 new cases every year. After infection, various alterations occur in the host, facilitating the virus's evasion of immune system clearance and promoting its proliferation. Oral probiotic consumption can influence the whole body's immunity, inflammatory reflection, neural, endocrine humoral, metabolic pathways and other organs by adjusting the components of gut microbiota (GM).

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Constipation, which refers to difficulties in defecation and infrequent bowel movement in emptying the gastrointestinal system that ultimately produces hardened fecal matters, is a health concern in livestock and aging animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of dairy-isolated lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains to alleviate constipation as an alternative therapeutic intervention for constipation treatment in the aging model. Rats were aged via daily subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (600 mg/body weight [kg]), prior to induction of constipation via oral administration of loperamide hydrochloride (5 mg/body weight [kg]).

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Skin aging, which affects all living organisms, is associated with oxidative stress. Probiotics exhibit antioxidant properties by producing reactive metabolites that counter oxidative stress. We hypothesized that USM 4189 (LF 4189) has antioxidative properties and may prevent skin aging.

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We previously reported that breast milk from women with (W) or without (WO) vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy differs in its immunological and antimicrobial properties, especially against pathogenic vaginal sp.. Here, we investigated the differences in microbiota profiles of breast milk from these groups.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the different immunological and antimicrobial properties of breast milk from women with (W) or without (WO) vaginal yeast infections during pregnancy in 85 lactating women (W, n = 43; WO, n = 42). Concentrations of IL-10, IgA, IgM, IgG, EGF, and TGF-α were similar in both groups. However, breast milk of women aged below 31 years old from the W-group showed higher concentration of EGF than the WO-group ( = 0.

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The aim of this project was to screen for bacteriocinogenic Bacillus strains with activity versus Staphylococcus spp. with future application in formulation of pharmaceutical antimicrobial preparations. Putative bacteriocinogenic strains, isolated and pre-identified as Bacillus spp.

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Pediococci are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which have been used for centuries in the production of traditional fermented foods. There fermentative abilities were explored by the modern food processing industry in use of pediococci as starter cultures, enabling the production of fermented foods with distinct characteristics. Furthermore, some pediococci strains can produce bacteriocins and other antimicrobial metabolites (AMM), such as pediocins, which are increasingly being explored as bio-preservatives in various food matrices.

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Owing to their long history of safe use, probiotic microorganisms, typically from the genus , have long been recognized, especially in traditional and fermented food industries. Although conventionally used for dairy, meat, and vegetable fermentation, the use of probiotics in health foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals has gradually increased. Over the past two decades, the importance of probiotics in improving gut health and immunity as well as alleviating metabolic diseases has been recognized.

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We previously reported on the effects of a lactobacilli probiotic (SynForU-HerCare; two capsules/day of 9.5 log CFU/capsule) in improving symptoms of vaginal irritation, discharge and burning in pregnant women with vaginal candidiasis upon administration for 8 weeks, accompanied by improved emotional and social quality of life parameters. Thus, the present study aimed to analyse vaginal microbiota and inflammatory changes in hope to better understand the improved clinical symptoms as observed previously.

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Purpose: The development of probiotics has seen tremendous growth over the years, with health benefits ranging from gut health to respiratory. We thus aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis Probio-M8 (2 × 10 log CFU/day) against acute respiratory tract infections (RTI), use of antibiotics, hospitalization period and elucidate the possible mechanisms of action in hospitalized young children.

Method: A prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was performed in RTI-hospitalized children.

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We previously reported on the effects of DR7 on reducing Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI) symptoms' score and frequency in 109 adults upon a 12-week consumption at 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/day, but several limitations were detected in the publication. Thus, the present study re-analyzed some data with the aim to address some of these weaknesses, and presents new data on duration of URTI and consumption of URTI-associated medication, as compared to the placebo. Our re-analyses found probiotic administration significantly reduced the proportion of patient days of URTI and of fever (all < 0.

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Stress has been shown to disturb the balance of human intestinal microbiota and subsequently causes mental health problems like anxiety and depression. Our previous study showed that ingesting the probiotic strain, (.) P-8, for 12 weeks could alleviate stress and anxiety of stressed adults.

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In this study, we hypothesized that different strains of can alleviate hyperlipidemia and liver steatosis via activation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (), an enzyme that is involved in cellular energy homeostasis, in aged rats. Male rats were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) and injected with D-galactose daily over 12 weeks to induce aging. Treatments included ( = 6) (i) normal diet (ND), (ii) HFD, (iii) HFD-statin (lovastatin 2 mg/kg/day), (iv) HFD- DR9 (10 log CFU/day), (v) HFD- DR7 (10 log CFU/day), and (vi) HFD- 8513d (10 log CFU/day).

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The role of microbiota in gut-brain communication has led to the development of probiotics promoting brain health. Here we report a genomic study of a Lactobacillus fermentum PS150 and its patented bioactive protein, elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), which is associated with cognitive improvement in rats. The L.

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We have previously reported that the administration of DR7 for 12 weeks reduced stress and anxiety in stressed adults as compared to the placebo group, in association with changes along the brain neurotransmitters pathways of serotonin and dopamine-norepinephrine. We now aim to evaluate the effects of DR7 on gut functions, gut microbiota compositional changes, and determine the correlations between microbiota changes and the pathways of brain neurotransmitters. The administration of DR7 prevented an increase of defecation frequency over 12 weeks as compared to the placebo ( = 0.

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This study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic administration on obese and ageing models. Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to high-fat diet (HFD) and injected with D-galactose to induce premature ageing. Upon 12 weeks of treatment, the faecal samples were collected and subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) analysis for metabolite detection.

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The dairy products remain as the largest reservoir for isolation of probiotic microorganisms. While probiotics have been immensely reported to exert various health benefits, it is also a common notion that these health potentials are strain and host dependent, leading to the need of more human evidence based on specific strains, health targets, and populations. This randomized, single-blind, and placebo-controlled human study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of putative probiotic strains isolated from kefir on gastrointestinal parameters in fifty-six healthy adults.

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Both aging and diet play an important role in influencing the gut ecosystem. Using premature senescent rats induced by D-galactose and fed with high-fat diet, this study aims to investigate the effects of different potential probiotic strains on the dynamic changes of fecal microbiome and metabolites. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high-fat diet and injected with D-galactose for 12 weeks to induce aging.

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Aging is closely associated with altered gut function and composition, in which elderly were reported with reduced gut microbiota diversity and increased incidence of age-related diseases. Probiotics have been shown to exert beneficial health-promoting effects through modulation of intestinal microflora biodiversity, thus the effects of probiotics administration on D-galactose (D-gal) senescence-induced rat were evaluated based on the changes in gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles. Upon senescence induction, the ratio of Firmicutes/ Bacteroidetes was significantly lowered, while treatment with Lactobacillus helveticus OFS 1515 and L.

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Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance in pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, remains a serious problem for public health, leading to the need for better alternative antimicrobial strategies. The antimicrobial proteins produced by Lactobacillus plantarum USM8613 attributed to its anti-staphylococcal activity were identified as extracellular transglycosylase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH), both with different mechanisms of action. Extracellular transglycosylase, which contains a LysM domain, exerts a cell wall-mediated killing mechanism, while GADPH penetrates into S.

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This four-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of PS128 (PS128) on boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 7-15 in Taiwan. All subjects fulfilled the criteria for ASD diagnosis of DSM-V and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). Questionnaires used for the primary outcome measure include the Autism Behavior Checklist-Taiwan version (ABC-T), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

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The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 isolated from bovine milk against upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying immunomodulatory properties. The DR7 strain (9 log cfu/d) was administered for 12 wk in a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled human study involving 109 adults (DR7, n = 56; placebo, n = 53). Subjects were assessed for health conditions monthly via questionnaires, and blood samples were evaluated for cytokine concentrations, peroxidation and oxidative stress, and gene expression in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells.

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This study aimed to elucidate the targets and mechanisms of anti-staphylococcal effects from bioactive metabolites produced by lactic acid bacteria. We aimed to better understand the safety and efficacy of these bioactive metabolites in in vivo systems, typically at topical sites. The cell-free supernatant and protein-rich fraction from Lactobacillus plantarum USM8613 inhibited staphyloxanthin biosynthesis, reduced (p < 0.

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Aging is an inevitable and ubiquitous progress that affects all living organisms. A total of 18 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were evaluated on the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an intracellular energy sensor mediating lifespan extension. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus fermentum DR9 (LF-DR9), Lactobacillus paracasei OFS 0291 (LP-0291), and Lactobacillus helveticus OFS 1515 (LH-1515) showed the highest activation of AMPK and was further evaluated.

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