Detection of typical indigenous gut bacteria related to kanpyo var. powder in murine caecum and human faecal cultures.

Kanpyo (KP) is an edible dried product produced by peeling the fruit of the gourd var; it is used in the traditional Japanese cuisine. The health functionality of KP due to its rich dietary fibre is expected to include a possible combined effect of KP-responsive indigenous gut bacteria (KP-RIB). However, its effect on the gut microbiota is unclear.

Effects of Sichuan pepper (huājiāo) powder on disease activity and caecal microbiota of dextran sodium sulphate-induced inflammatory bowel disease mouse model.

Background: Sichuan pepper [Zanthoxylum bungeanum; huājiāo (HJ)] is a widely used spice in China and has better antioxidative, anti-glycation, and bile acid-lowering properties than cumin and coriander seeds. HJ affects inflammation-related cytokines and caecal microbiota in mice fed a low-fibre and high-sucrose diet.

Methods And Results: To determine the ameliorative effect of HJ on inflammatory bowel disease, C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups and fed distilled water (control) or 3% (w/v) dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) in drinking water with normal chow containing 0% or 5% (w/w) HJ powder for seven days.

The effect of Sichuan pepper on gut microbiota in mice fed a high-sucrose and low-dietary fibre diet.

Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum bungeanum, HJ), a spice widely used in China, has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-obesity properties. In this study, to confirm the value of HJ as a functional food, the in vitro antioxidant and bile acid-lowering capacities, as well as the effects on caecal microbiota, were compared with those of cumin (Cuminum cyminum, CM) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum, CR) seeds in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice fed a high-sucrose and low-dietary fibre diet. The total phenolic content, superoxide anion radical-scavenging capacity, and Fe-reducing power of the HJ aqueous solution were higher than those of CM and CR (p < 0.

Detection of typical indigenous gut bacteria related to turmeric (Curcuma longa) powder in mouse caecum and human faecal cultures.

Background: Turmeric (Curcuma longa; TM) is widely used as a spice and possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. The relationship between TM functions and gut microbiota is still unclear.

Methods And Results: To investigate the effect of TM on gut microbiota and to identify indigenous gut bacteria that are responsive to TM, we fed Institute of Cancer Research mice a diet containing either no fibre (NF, n = 6) or 5% (w/w) TM (n = 6) for 14 days.

Detection of indigenous gut bacteria related to red chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum) in murine caecum and human faecal cultures.

Background: Red chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum; RP) is a popular spice containing the active compound capsaicin. Indigenous gut bacteria and metabolism can affect host health. The functions of capsaicin, including the regulation of metabolic health and anti-oxidant properties, may be correlated with the gut microbiota.

Detection of low-mineral- and high-salt responsible caecal indigenous bacteria in ICR mice.

Both deficiency and overdose of minerals and salts negatively affect health. Changes in the dietary composition have immediate effects on the gut microbiota. This study was performed to clarify the presence of indigenous gut bacteria responsible for minerals and/or salts (MS-RIB).

Belief in a Just World and Moral Personality as Mediating Roles Between Parenting Emotional Warmth and Internet Altruistic Behavior.

This study explores the influence of parental emotional warmth (PEW) on college students' Internet altruistic behavior (IAB), and the mediating roles of personal belief in a just world (PBJW) and positive moral personality traits (PMPT). A total of 893 college students were assessed using questionnaires. Results: (1) PEW, PBJW, PMPT, and IAB are positively correlated with each other; (2) PEW can directly predict the IAB of college students; and (3) PEW can indirectly predict IAB through the mediating effect of PMPT and PBJW-PMPT.

Effects of an industrial passive assistive exoskeleton on muscle activity, oxygen consumption and subjective responses during lifting tasks.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an industrial passive assisted exoskeleton (IPAE) with simulated lifting tasks on muscle activity, oxygen consumption, perceived level of exertion, local perceived pressure, and systemic usability. Eight workers were required to complete two lifting tasks with and without the IPAE, that were single lifting tasks (repeated 5 times) and 15 min repeated lifting tasks respectively. Both of the tasks required subjects to remove a toolbox from the ground to the waist height.

Detection and isolation of the typical gut indigenous bacteria from ddY mice fed a casein-beef tallow-based or egg yolk-based diet.

The effects of whole egg on the cecal microbiome of ddY mice has been reported. To investigate the existence of susceptible indigenous bacteria (SIB) to egg yolks (EY), mice were fed a diet containing either 20% (w/w) milk casein and 17% beef tallow (CT) or 12% milk casein and 27% EY for 14 days, and then, the cecal microbiome was analyzed by 16S rRNA (V4) amplicon sequencing. To isolate the typical species in each diet group, culture-dependent viable bacterial counts were determined on Blood Liver (BL) and Gifu Anaerobic Medium (GAM) agar plates.

Detection and isolation of protein susceptible indigenous bacteria affected by dietary milk-casein, albumen and soy-protein in the caecum of ICR mice.

In this study, we fed ICR mice with a high-sucrose diet containing 20% w/w of milk-casein (MC), egg-white (EW), or soy-protein (SP) for 14 days in order to detect the presence of protein-susceptible gut indigenous bacteria (P-SIB). The caecal microbiome was examined by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing using a next-generation MiSeq system. Principal coordinate analysis of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) revealed that the microbiomes differed among the three groups.