Search Results (2)

This study aims to investigate the influence of adding Lonicera japonica (L. japonica) and Radix Puerariae crude extracts and their mixture to the diet of finishing pigs on their fecal microbes and nutrient apparent digestibility. A total of 72 healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred barrows without significant differences in body weight (93 ± 2 kg) were selected and randomly divided into four groups (18 in each group). Three replicate pens per group (six pigs per pen) were used, and two pigs were evaluated for each pen. The groups were fed the following diets: control group (CON), basic diet; chlorogenic acid group (CGA group), basic diet + 1 kg/ton L. japonica crude extract; Pueraria flavonoid group (PF group), basic diet + 1 kg/ton Radix Puerariae crude extract; and mix group (Mix group), basic diet + 0.5 kg/ton L. japonica crude extract + 0.5 kg/ton Radix Puerariae crude extract. The following results were obtained: (1) At the phylum level, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, Proteobacteria, Fibrobaeteres, and Kiritimatiellaeota were the main components of the fecal microbiota (top 5); the relative abundance of bacteria from phyla Firmicutes significantly increased in the Mix group than in the CON group (p < 0.05). At the genus level, Treponema_2, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, uncultured_bacterium_f_Lachnospiraceae, uncultured_bacterium_f_Prevotellaceae, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group were the main components of the fecal microbiota (top 5); the relative abundance of bacteria from genus Lactobacillus significantly increased in the Mix group than in the CON group (p < 0.05). Chao1 and Ace counts were significantly higher in group CGA than in the CON group and group Mix (p < 0.05). The alpha and beta diversities and the relative abundance of fecal microbes were higher in all test groups than in the CON group. (2) The protein digestibility was significantly higher in the CGA and PF groups than in the CON group, and the TP digestibility was significantly higher in the CGA than in the CON and Mix groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Lonicera japonica and Radix Puerariae crude extract supplementation in the diet significantly changed fecal microbiota and improved the protein and TP digestibility of finishing pigs. Full article

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 200 million people worldwide, and 75% of HCV cases progress into chronic infections, which consequently cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV infection is treated with currently considered standard drugs, including direct anti-viral agents (DAAs), alone or in combination with peginterferon-α plus ribavirin. However, sustained viral responses vary in different cohorts, and high costs limit the broad use of DAAs. In this study, the ethanol and water extracts of 12 herbs from Lingnan in China were examined in terms of their inhibitory effect on HCV replication. Among the examined extracts, Spatholobus suberectus ethanol extracts suppressed HCV replication. By comparison, Extracts from Fructus lycii, Radix astragali (root), Rubus chingii Hu (fruit), Flos chrysanthemi Indici (flower), Cassia obtusifolia (seed), Lonicera japonica Thunb (flower), Forsythia suspense Thunb (fruit), Poria cocos (sclerotia), Carthamus tinctorius L. (flower), Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. (fruit), and Leonurus japonicas Houtt. (leaf) extracts failed to show a similar activity. Active S. suberectus fractions containing tannins as the major component also inhibited the in vitro translation of HCV RNA. The combination treatments of single compounds, such as epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate, were not as potent as crude S. suberectus fractions; therefore, crude S. suberectus extract may be a potential alternative treatment against HCV either alone or in combination with other agents. Full article