Search Results (47)

Probiotics, as live microbial agents, play a pivotal role in modulating host microbiota balance, enhancing immunity, and improving gastrointestinal health. However, their application is hindered by critical challenges, such as inactivation during processing, storage, and gastrointestinal delivery, as well as low colonization efficiency. This article comprehensively reviews recent advances in probiotic delivery systems, focusing on innovative technologies, including hydrogels, nanocoatings, emulsions, and core–shell microgels. It provides an in-depth analysis of natural polyphenol-based nanocoatings and metal–phenolic network (MPN) single-cell encapsulation strategies for enhancing bacterial survival rates while highlighting the unique potential of microalgae-based bio-carriers in targeted delivery. Research demonstrates that well-designed edible delivery systems can effectively preserve probiotic viability and enable controlled intestinal release, offering novel strategies to reshape a healthy gut microbiome. While these systems show promise in maintaining probiotic activity and gut colonization, challenges remain in safety, scalable production, and clinical translation. Overcoming these barriers is crucial to fully harnessing probiotics for human health. Full article

This study reports, for the first time, the successful application of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) and 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) coatings on electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) materials for the immobilization of non-conventional yeast strains with fungal biocontrol potential. The coatings enhanced the surface wettability of PHB fibers, facilitating efficient yeast adhesion and viability maintenance. Among the tested strains, Pichia acaciae YD6 was newly isolated and characterized, while Pichia fermentans YP6 and Zygosaccharomyces bailii YE1 had previously been identified as endophytic colonizers. All three strains demonstrated high adaptability, efficient immobilization, and antagonistic activity, confirming their potential for biocontrol applications. COS-coated PHB fibers promoted greater colony expansion than those coated with HEC. Antifungal assays of the yeast-containing biocarriers showed significant inhibition of F. graminearum growth. These findings underscore the potential of PHB-based fibrous materials as sustainable, bioactive carriers for yeast immobilization, with desirable biological properties. This approach offers a promising and eco-friendly strategy for pest control and bioactive agent delivery in agricultural applications. Full article

To investigate the dietary effects of Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) on the growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and non-specific immunity of Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) during the domestication stage, fish were randomly allocated into quadruplicate groups receiving Tenebrio molitor-based diets supplemented with Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs) at graded concentrations of 0 (CON), 700 (APS1), 1400 (APS2), and 2100 (APS3) mg/kg body weight for 28 days. The results showed that dietary APSs at 700–1400 mg/kg·bw significantly enhanced the weight gain rate (WG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of M. albus (p < 0.05). Concurrently, hematological analysis revealed that hemoglobin levels increased by 19.9% and 23.0% in the 700 and 1400 mg/kg APS groups, respectively (p < 0.05). In terms of lipid metabolism, supplementation with APSs significantly increased the serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) content in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Lower serum triglyceride (TG) levels were found in the APS2 group (p < 0.05), and decreased triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were displayed in the APS3 group (p < 0.05). Among the antioxidant parameters, the supplementation with 700 mg/kg·bw APSs significantly increased the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activity levels of M. albus (p < 0.05). The APS2 group had a significantly increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and CAT activity levels (p < 0.05), and the APS3 group had significantly increased CAT activity levels (p < 0.05). In addition, the APS1 and APS3 groups had significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p < 0.05). In terms of non-specific immunity, the APS1 and APS2 groups showed significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lysozyme (LZM) activity levels of M. albus (p < 0.05), and the addition of 700 mg/kg·bw APSs significantly increased the levels of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the levels of acid phosphatase (ACP) activity were significantly increased in all experimental groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the optimal APS addition for T. molitor as biocarrier bait is 700 mg/kg, corresponding to 352 mg/kg, which elicits improvements in the growth parameters, lipid homeostasis regulation, oxidative stress mitigation, and innate immune potentiation of M. albus during the domestication stage. Full article

Mariculture wastewater is an intractable wastewater, owing to its high salinity inhibiting microbial metabolism. The biocarrier bacterial–microbial consortium (BBM) and bacterial–microbial consortium (BM) were developed to investigate the mechanism of pollutant degradation and microbial community evolution. The BBM exhibited excellent mariculture wastewater treatment, with the highest removal for TOC (91.78%), NH₄⁺-N (79.33%) and PO₄³⁻-P (61.27%). Biocarriers accelerated anaerobic region formation, with the levels of denitrifying bacteria accumulation improving nitrogen degradation in the BBM. Moreover, the biocarrier enhanced the production of soluble microbial products (SMPs) (11.53 mg/L) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) (370.88 mg/L), which accelerated the formation of bacterial and microalgal flocs in the BBM. The fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) results demonstrated that the addition of biocarriers successfully decreased the production of aromatic-like components in anoxic and aerobic supernatants. Additionally, the biocarrier shifted the bacterial community constitutions significantly. Biocarriers provided an anoxic microenvironment, which enhanced enrichments of Rhodobacteraceae (66%) and Ruegeria (70%), with a satisfying denitrification in the BBM. This study provided a novel biocarrier addition to the BBM system for actual mariculture wastewater treatment. Full article

This research investigates suitable bio-carriers for the anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) process. This study evaluates the efficiency of the anammox process by assessing nitrogen removal efficiency using five different bio-carriers: fine and coarse polyurethane (PU) sponges, a melamine sponge, Scotch Brite, and a loofah. Among the tested carriers, the reactor of the fine PU sponge media exhibited the highest nitrogen removal efficiency, achieving an 87% removal rate. This high efficiency was attributed to the substantial biomass containment, evidenced by a measured mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS) amount of 1414 mg/L. Subsequently, the fine PU sponge, exhibiting the highest efficiency, was selected for further modification with a polyvinyl alcohol–sodium alginate (PVA-SA) gel coating to study the impact of methanol inhibition on nitrogen removal efficiency. An optimal modification condition was determined, utilizing concentrations of 8% PVA and 1.8% SA for the fine PU sponge media. The modified PU reactor exhibited the highest resistance to methanol inhibition, followed by the attached growth fine PU sponge reactor and suspended growth reactor. These findings suggest that there are benefits to using modified PU media for the anammox process in the field. Full article

During wastewater reclamation, organic matter is considered the dominant foulant that shortens the lifetime of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes during operation. Additionally, the mineralization efficiency of organic matter in secondary effluent is typically low due to nonbiodegradable carbon sources. Herein, a combination of ozone and a porous biocarrier reactor was applied as a novel pretreatment system to enhance organic matter removal in the effluent in a lab-scale evaluation and pilot test. The results indicated that 70% of the biopolymer was removed, and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was 1.8 times higher in this combined process than in the process with a porous biocarrier alone. The UF flux increased by 16% after the combined ozonation and porous biocarrier pretreatment process compared with the process with no pretreatment. Interestingly, the genus Flavobacterium (15.59%), containing biopolymer-degrading bacteria, was observed only in the combined ozone plus porous biocarrier process. Moreover, the results show that biopolymers can be removed through the combined ozone and porous biocarrier process due to partial ozone degradation, confirming that this combined process is one of the better pretreatment procedures for organic matter removal and improves the flux of UF during the wastewater reclamation process. Full article

To investigate the dietary effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on the growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, and non-specific immunity of Asian swamp eel (Monopterus albus) during the domestication stage, a 28-day feeding experiment was conducted to supplement with CGA at levels of 0 (Cont.), 250 (CGA 0.50%), 500 (CGA 1.00%), and 750 (CGA 1.50%) mg/kg·bw by feeding with yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor). Compared with the control group, the addition of 250–750 mg/kg of CGA significantly increased the weight-gain rate (WG) of M. albus, and the CGA 1.0% group displayed the highest value. The content of hemoglobin and high-density lipoprotein in all CGA groups was markedly elevated (p < 0.05), while the triglyceride, glucose, low-density lipoprotein, and glycosylated serum protein levels were lowered (p < 0.05). Among the antioxidant enzymes, the glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity was significantly higher in all experimental groups than that of the control group, whereas the malondialdehyde activity was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). For a non-specific immune enzyme system, the lysozyme and alkaline phosphatase activity in all treatments and the superoxide dismutase and acid phosphatase activity in the CGA 0.5% group was markedly increased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with CGA can enhance the growth performance and improve the lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and non-specific immunity of M. albus during the domestication stage, and the optimal CGA supplementation for T. molitor as biocarrier bait is 500 mg/kg, corresponding to 405 mg/kg. Full article

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of livestock blood represents a sustainable solution for the management of waste generated by the meat processing industry while simultaneously generating renewable energy. The improper treatment of livestock blood, which is rich in organic matter and nutrients, can result in environmental risks such as water pollution, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. This review examines a range of AD strategies, with a particular focus on technological advances in reactor design, pretreatment, and co-digestion, with the aim of optimizing process efficiency. While the high protein content of blood has the potential to enhance biogas production, challenges such as ammonia inhibition and process instability must be addressed. Innovations such as bio-carriers, thermal pretreatment, and co-digestion with carbon-rich substrates have demonstrated efficacy in addressing these challenges, resulting in stable operation and enhanced methane yields. The advancement of AD technologies is intended to mitigate the environmental impact of livestock blood waste and facilitate the development of a circular bioeconomy. Furthermore, the possibility of utilizing slaughterhouse blood for the recovery of valuable products, including proteins, heme iron, and bioactive peptides, was evaluated with a view to their potential applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Furthermore, the potential of utilizing protein-rich blood as a substrate for mixed culture fermentation in volatile fatty acid (VFA) biorefineries was explored, illustrating its viability in biotechnological applications. Full article

This study aimed to assess pumpkin leaves as a protein source and determine the feasibility of these proteins to form complexes with alginate for the encapsulation of folic acid. Different isolation protocols, two based on isoelectric precipitation (one with thermal pretreatment and the other with alkali pre-extraction) and one based on stepwise precipitation with ammonium sulfate, were compared regarding the yield and structural properties of the obtained leaf protein concentrates (LPC). The highest purity of protein was achieved using the thermal-acid protocol and the salting-out protocol at 40% saturation. RuBisCO protein was detected by SDS-PAGE in all LPCs, except for the fractions obtained through salting-out at saturation level ≥ 60%. Complexation of the LPC solutions (1 mg/mL) and sodium alginate solution (10 mg/mL) was monitored as a function of LPC:alginate ratio (2:1, 5:1, and 10:1) and pH (2–8) by zeta-potential measurements and confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Based on the results, the strongest interaction between LPCs and alginate occurred at a pH between 2.20 and 2.80 and an LPC:alginate ratio of 10:1. Complexation resulted in particle yields of 42–71% and folic acid entrapment of 46–92%. The LPC-folic acid interactions elucidated by computational protein–ligand docking demonstrated the high potential of RuBisCO as a biocarrier material for folic acid. The in vitro release study in the simulated gastrointestinal fluids indicated that complexes would be stable in gastric conditions, while folic acid would be gradually released in the intestinal fluids. Full article

The production of biogas is achieved during anaerobic digestion (AD) using organic matter as a substrate. In Mediterranean countries, a promising substrate is lignocellulose biomass of perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus, due to its potentially high biogas yields, which could be comparable to maize silage. During AD, bacteria convert biomass into more minor compounds, which are further converted to methane by methanogenic archaea. The selection of appropriate microbes for the degradation of the substrate is crucial, and the enhancement of this step lies in the immobilization of microbes on biocarriers. Described here, a microbial consortium, de novo isolated and conditioned to degrade the Mischantus biomass, was immobilized onto several natural biocarriers: natural zeolitized tuff, ZeoSand^® (Velebit Agro, Zagreb, Croatia), perlite, and corncob. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of immobilized bacteria across the different materials. Therefore, all proved to be suitable for the immobilization of the consortium. In the consortium, five bacterial species with different shares in the consortium were identified: Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter asburiae, Leclercia adecarboxylata, and Exiguobacterium indicum. After immobilization on each carrier, the share of each species changed when compared to starting conditions, and the most dominant species was E. cloacae (71–90%), while the share for other species ranged from 2 to 23%. The share of E. indicum was 14% at the start. However, it diminished to less than 1% because it was overgrown during the competition with other bacterial species, not due to an inability to immobilize. Full article

Cation exchange resin (CER) has been reported to promote sludge fermentation. However, previous studies have typically focused on the effects of CER on sludge properties to enhance fermentation, and the role of CER as a biocarrier for anaerobic consortia during fermentation has been overlooked. Thus, in this study, the potential of gel-type and macro-reticular type CERs to serve as biocarriers in fermentation was investigated. A significant number of anaerobes appeared to be attached to the surfaces of CER during 2-day fermentation. However, an extended fermentation time negatively affected the attachment of anaerobic consortia, suggesting that CER may be a suitable carrier for short-term fermentation processes, such as biohydrogen fermentation. Electrochemical analyses revealed that the electron transfer capacities of CER with attached anaerobes were enhanced after both 2-day and 28-day fermentation periods, with the macro-reticular type CER exhibiting higher electron transfer capacity than the gel-type CER. Fermentation experiments using mixing model substrates with macro-reticular and gel-type CERs with attached anaerobes showed that the macro-reticular type CER was more beneficial for biohydrogen fermentation than the gel-type CER. Further analyses of microbial communities revealed that hydrogen-producing bacteria (i.e., Caloramator, unclassified_f_Caloramatoraceace, and Sporanaerobacter) were more likely to adhere to the macro-reticular type CERs. This outcome confirmed that macro-reticular type CERs have significant potential as a carrier for anaerobic consortia to promote the generation of hydrogen and volatile fatty acids. These findings are expected to provide a reference for using materials as biocarriers to enhance the biohydrogen fermentation of sludge. Full article

To improve the nitrogen removal and reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of a full-scale wastewater treatment plant, two sequential batch reactor devices were used to treat chemical wastewater with biocarriers in low carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio conditions. The results showed that the addition of biocarriers to the anoxic tank reduced the average concentration of COD in the effluent from 98.1 mg/L to 80.7 mg/L and increased total nitrogen (TN) removal by 9.4%. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to study the composition and function of microbial community samples taken from anoxic sludge and anoxic-carrier biofilms in this wastewater treatment plant. The results showed that Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the dominant phyla in the two samples, ensuring their capability for organic matter removal. The anoxic-carrier biofilms were mainly enriched with denitrifying bacteria such as Thauera (10.7%) and Comammonas (2.2%) and the anammox bacteria Candidatus Kuenenia (0.03%). Meanwhile, the nitrogen metabolism pathway was elaborated and the abundance of the functional genes involved in the nitrogen metabolism pathway was quantified. In addition, results from qPCR showed increased copy numbers of denitrification and anammox genes in the anoxic-carrier biofilms compared to those in the anoxic sludge, further confirming the enrichment of functional bacteria. Full article

Nitrogen-rich wastewater is a major environmental issue that requires proper treatment before disposal. This comprehensive overview covers biological, physical, and chemical nitrogen removal methods. Simultaneous nitrification–denitrification (SND) is most effective in saline water when utilizing both aerobic and anoxic conditions with diverse microbial populations for nitrogen removal. Coupling anammox with denitrification could increase removal rates and reduce energy demand. Suspended growth bioreactors effectively treated diverse COD/N ratios and demonstrated resilience to low C/N ratios. Moving biofilm bioreactors exhibit reduced mortality rates, enhanced sludge–liquid separation, increased treatment efficiency, and stronger biological structures. SND studies show ≥90% total nitrogen removal efficiency (%RE_TN) in diverse setups, with Defluviicoccus, Nitrosomonas, and Nitrospira as the main microbial communities, while anammox–denitrification achieved a %RE_TN of 77%. Systems using polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate as a growth medium showed a %RE_TN ≥ 75%. Air-lift reflux configurations exhibited high %RE_TN and %RE_NH4, reducing costs and minimizing sludge formation. Microwave pretreatment and high-frequency electric fields could be used to improve the %RE_NH4. Adsorption/ion exchange, membrane distillation, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration exhibit promise in industrial wastewater treatment. AOPs and sulfate-based oxidants effectively eliminate nitrogen compounds from industrial wastewater. Tailoring proposed treatments for cost-effective nitrogen removal, optimizing microbial interactions, and analyzing the techno-economics of emerging technologies are crucial. Full article

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles released from various cell types that have emerged as powerful new therapeutic option for a variety of diseases. EVs are involved in the transmission of biological signals between cells and in the regulation of a variety of biological processes, highlighting them as potential novel targets/platforms for therapeutics intervention and/or delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate new aspects of EVs’ biogenesis, biodistribution, metabolism, and excretion as well as safety/compatibility of both unmodified and engineered EVs upon administration in different pharmaceutical dosage forms and delivery systems. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of essential physiological and pathological roles of EVs in different organs and organ systems. We provide an overview regarding application of EVs as therapeutic targets, therapeutics, and drug delivery platforms. We also explore various approaches implemented over the years to improve the dosage of specific EV products for different administration routes. Full article

The oral delivery of peptide pharmaceuticals has long been a fundamental challenge in drug development. A new chemical platform was designed based on branched piperazine-2,5-diones for creating orally available biologically active peptidomimetics. The platform includes a bio-carrier with “built-in” functionally active peptide fragments or bioactive molecules that are covalently attached via linkers. The developed platform allows for a small peptide to be taken with a particular biological activity and to be transformed into an orally stable compound displaying the same activity. Based on this approach, various peptidomimetics exhibiting hemostimulating, hemosuppressing, and adjuvant activity were prepared. In addition, new examples of a rare phenomenon when enantiomeric molecules demonstrate reciprocal biological activity are presented. Finally, the review summarizes the evolutionary approach of the short peptide pharmaceutical development from the immunocompetent organ separation to orally active cyclopeptides and peptidomimetics. Full article