Publications by authors named "XiangKai Li"

Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem driven by the irrational use of antibiotics in different areas (such as agriculture, animal farming, and human healthcare). Sub-lethal concentrations of antibiotic residues impose selective pressure on environmental, plant-associated, and human microbiome leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). This review summarizes all sources of antibiotic resistance in agricultural soils (including manure, sewage sludge, wastewater, hospitals/pharmaceutical industry, and bioinoculants).

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Female crabs enter a stage of rapid ovarian development after mating, and cholesterol is a substrate for steroid hormone synthesis. Therefore, in this experiment, an 8-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of mating treatments (mated crab and unmated crab) and three dietary cholesterol levels (0·09 %, 0·79 % and 1·40 %) on ovarian development, cholesterol metabolism and steroid hormones metabolism of adult female swimming crab (). The results indicated that crabs fed the diet with 0·79 % cholesterol significantly increased gonadosomatic index (GSI) and vitellogenin (VTG) content than other treatments in the same mating status.

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Mealworms () larvae can degrade both plastics and lignocellulose through synergistic biological activities of their gut microbiota because they share similarities in chemical and physical properties. Here, a total of 428 genes encoding lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were screened from the gut microbiome of larvae to identify poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-degrading activities. Five genes were successfully expressed in , among which a feruloyl esterase-like enzyme named Fae-PETase demonstrated the highest PET degradation activity, converting PET into MHET (0.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bacterial therapy, particularly using the probiotic Limosilactobacillus fermentum GR-3, shows promise in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) by enhancing antioxidant capacity and reducing inflammation.
  • In a mouse model, GR-3 improved various CRC symptoms, such as weight loss and intestinal barrier disruption, while significantly lowering tumor rates by 51.2% compared to controls.
  • The treatment also positively influenced gut microbiome composition, increased beneficial metabolites, and upregulated important antioxidant and butyrate synthesis genes.
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  • The study reveals significant ecological risks posed by mask waste contamination in soil, highlighting its presence in landfills and minimal morphological changes.* -
  • Collected mask wastes were found to bind various metals and organic pollutants, leading to stunted growth in plants like alfalfa and Elymus nutans, and negatively impacting soil bacteria and functional genes responsible for essential processes like nitrogen transformation and ATP production.* -
  • Findings suggest that improper disposal of masks severely disrupts soil health and metabolic functions, with potential risks from pathogenic viruses also identified, emphasizing the need for better waste management.*
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A rich diversity of radiation-resistant (Rr) and desiccation-resistant (Dr) bacteria has been found in arid habitats of the world. Evidence from scientific research has linked their origin to reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates. Rr and Dr.

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  • - A new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was developed for detecting microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) using resonance energy transfer (RET) and surface plasmon coupling (SPC) for enhanced sensitivity.
  • - The biosensor involved coating a glassy carbon electrode with Cu-Zn-In-S quantum dots and modifying it with a hairpin DNA structure attached to gold nanoparticles that quenched ECL signals via RET.
  • - The sensor showed a 6.97-fold increase in ECL intensity through changing DNA structures and the use of Au dimers, allowing for precise detection of miRNA-21 in concentrations ranging from 10 fM to 10 pM, with applications in human serum sample
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Microplastics (MPs) pose an emerging threat to soil ecological function, yet effective solutions remain limited. This study introduces a novel approach using magnetic biochar immobilized PET hydrolase (MB-LCC-FDS) to degrade soil polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs). MB-LCC-FDS exhibited a 1.

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  • - Ibuprofen (IBU) and naproxen (NPX) are widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that are frequently detected in water environments, making their microbial transformation an important topic of study, particularly with the isolated fungus Apiotrichum sp. IB-1.
  • - This fungus demonstrates impressive transformation efficiencies for IBU (95.77%) and NPX (88.31%), both in co-removal conditions and mono-substrate situations, surpassing the capabilities of many other tested microorganisms.
  • - Transcriptome analysis reveals that IBU promotes basic metabolic processes and upregulates various genes related to transport, respiration, and specific enzyme functions, suggesting that this fungus could be a valuable
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Numerous animal studies have demonstrated the toxicity of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] and the bioremediative effects of probiotics on the composition and functions of gut microbiota. Since the precise mechanisms of Cr(VI) detoxification and its interactions with human gut microbiota were unknown, a novel dual-chamber simulated intestinal (DCSI) system was developed to maintain both the stability of the simulated system and the composition of the gut microbiota. Probiotic GR-1 was found to regulate intestinal gut microbiota, thereby reducing the toxicity of Cr(VI) within the DCSI system.

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Scope: Gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis and dysregulated bile acids (BAs) metabolism have been linked to ulcerative colitis (UC) pathogenesis. The possibility of utilizing live probiotics with a defined BAs-metabolizing capability to modify the composition BAs for UC treatment remains unexplored.

Methods And Results: In this study, Strain GR-4 is sourced from traditional Chinese fermented food, "Jiangshui," and demonstrated the ability to deconjugate two common conjugated BAs by over 69% and 98.

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Low efficiency is one of the main challenges for the application of aerobic denitrification technology in wastewater treatment. To improve denitrification efficiency, a synthetic microbial community (SMC) composed of denitrifiers Acinetobacter baumannii N1 (AC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa N2 (PA) and Aeromonas hydrophila (AH) were constructed. The nitrate (NO-N) reduction efficiency of the SMC reached 97 % with little nitrite (NO-N) accumulation, compared to the single-culture systems and co-culture systems.

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Probiotics hold promise as a potential therapy for colorectal cancer (CRC), but encounter obstacles related to tumor specificity, drug penetration, and dosage adjustability. In this study, genetic circuits based on the E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) chassis were developed to sense indicators of tumor microenvironment and control the expression of therapeutic payloads.

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The Green Revolution of the mid-20th century transformed agriculture worldwide and has resulted in environmental challenges. A new approach, the Second Green Revolution, seeks to enhance agricultural productivity while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Plant microbiomes play critical roles in plant growth and stress responses, and understanding plant-microbiome interactions is essential for developing sustainable agricultural practices that meet food security and safety challenges, which are among the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how mixed probiotics can help restore sperm production affected by Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental chemical that disrupts hormones and can harm male reproductive health.
  • - Probiotics Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus plantarum were tested on BPA-exposed male mice, showing effective reduction of BPA levels and improvements in gut health, including balanced gut bacteria and enhanced absorption of nutrients.
  • - The results indicated that probiotics repaired testicular structures, boosted sperm cell development, and improved testosterone levels, suggesting that gut microbiota modulation could be a promising solution for addressing male subfertility linked to BPA exposure.
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Limited application in protecting lung health is attributed to the low levels of active compounds in lily plant bulbs. This study focused on enhancing the active compounds by fermenting Lilium davidii (Lanzhou Lily) bulbs with Limosilactobacillus fermentum GR-3, isolated from Jiangshui. Lily fermented bulbs with strain GR-3 (LFB+GR-3) increased the bioavailability of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 22-tetrahydroxy-5alpha-cholestan-6-one-3-O-beta-d-allopyranoside, 22-O-(6-deoxy-Alpha-l-mannopyranosyl)-3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-pregn-5-en-20-one, 1-O-trans-feruloylglycerol, and 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid.

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Biochar is a by-product of thermochemical conversion of biomass or other carbonaceous materials. Recently, it has garnered extensive attention for its high application potential in microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems owing to its high conductivity and low cost. However, the effects of biochar on MFC system performance have not been comprehensively reviewed, thereby necessitating the evaluation of the efficacy of biochar application in MFCs.

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The gut microbiota and its homeostasis play a crucial role in human health. However, for some diseases related to the gut microbiota, current traditional medicines can only relieve symptoms, and it is difficult to solve the root causes or even cause side effects like disturbances in the gut microbiota. Increasing clinical studies and evidences have demonstrated that probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics can prevent and treat various diseases, but currently they can only be used as dietary supplements rather than medicines, which restricts the application of probiotics in the field of medicine.

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The gut microbes thrive by utilizing host energy and, in return, provide valuable benefits, akin to the symbiotic relationship. To study the mutualistic association between the gut microbiota and host, a range of gut microbe populations (85 %, 66 %, 45 % and 38 % at the normal level) with comparable structures were constructed in broiler model. The results revealed that reductions in gut microbial population led to decreased energy consumption, resulting in increased host weight (10.

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Gluten accumulation damages the proximal small intestine and causes celiac disease (CeD) which has not been effectively treated except by using a gluten-free diet. In this study, strain Bacillus subtilis LZU-GM was isolated from Pakistani traditional fermented sourdough and could degrade 73.7% of gluten in 24 h in vitro.

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Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and is common in most developed countries. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) that uses abiraterone acetate (AA) is an effective second-line treatment for prostate cancer. However, approximately 20-40% of patients develop primary resistance to abiraterone post-treatment.

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Background: Some insects can degrade both natural and synthetic plastic polymers, their host and gut microbes play crucial roles in this process. However, there is still a scientific gap in understanding how the insect adapted to the polystyrene (PS) diet from natural feed. In this study, we analyzed diet consumption, gut microbiota responses, and metabolic pathways of Tenebrio molitor larvae exposed to PS and corn straw (CS).

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  • - The study evaluated the toxic effects of five bisphenols (BPs) on the freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana, revealing that BPAF, BPB, and BPZ are more toxic than BPS and BPF.
  • - C. mexicana effectively removed a high percentage of BPs after 14 days, demonstrating its potential for bioremediation, with recorded removal rates of 61% to 99% for different bisphenols.
  • - The biotransformed products of the BPs were found to be less toxic than the original compounds, and the biomass generated could potentially be used as a biodiesel feedstock based on its fatty acid composition.
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Aims: Preliminary studies have identified the use of probiotics as a potential treatment strategy against colorectal cancer (CRC). However, natural probiotics lack direct tumor-targeting and tumor-killing activity in the intestine. This study aimed to construct a tumor-targeting engineered probiotic to combat CRC.

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