Search Results (28)

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), a highly contagious enteric disease caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration, leading to high mortality in newborn piglets and significant economic losses in the swine industry. The shortage of effective PED vaccines emphasizes the need to explore potent natural compounds for therapeutic intervention. It has been shown that glycerol monolaurate (GML) effectively inhibits PEDV replication in vivo and in vitro. Further investigation is needed to assess whether complex medium-chain triglycerides (CMCTs), composed of glyceryl tricaprylate/caprate (GTCC) and GML, offer an efficient anti-PEDV activity. In this study, piglets were orally infected with PEDV and exhibited typical clinical signs, including diarrhea and vomiting, accompanied by intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue damage. CMCTs were administered orally twice daily for one week. In vivo findings indicate that CMCT treatment alleviated clinical signs and prevented weight loss. It significantly increased serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) and intestinal mucosal sIgA and MUC-2 levels, while reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-17) and increasing antiviral interferons (IFN-α and IFN-γ), anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10), and IL-22. Antioxidant enzyme activities (T-AOC, SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT) were elevated, whereas oxidative stress markers (iNOS, NO, and MDA) were decreased. Expression of intestinal tight junction proteins claudin-1 and ZO-1 was restored. Moreover, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell populations increased, and the functions of regulatory T cells (Tregs) were restored. Gut microbiota analysis showed increased beneficial genera (Streptococcus and Ligilactobacillus) and decreased pathogenic Escherichia-Shigella. These results demonstrate that CMCTs mitigate PEDV infection by enhancing anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and intestinal barrier function, as well as modulating gut microbiota composition. This study improves the understanding of the pathogenesis of PEDV and highlights CMCTs as a promising therapeutic candidate for PED. Full article

This study investigates the effects of three dietary additives—microencapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB), glycerol monolaurate (GML), and tributyrin (TB)—on the growth performance, various physiological parameters, gene expression, intestinal morphology, and microflora in Acanthopagrus schlegelii (black sea bream). The experiment utilized a 43.5% soybean meal (SBM) inclusion diet with four isonitrogenous and isoenergetic formulations: a control diet, and diets supplemented with MSB (0.24%), GML (0.04%), or TB (0.22%). The growth trial spanned eight weeks, and triplicate tanks were randomly assigned to each diet, with each tank containing 30 fish, each having an initial weight of 1.55 ± 0.01 g. Key outcomes included measurements of weight gain, specific growth rate, digestive enzyme activity, serum immune markers, antioxidant status, and intestinal morphology and, gut microbiota. Additionally, gene expression and microbiota analysis were conducted on intestinal tissues to assess the impact of these additives on gut health and immune response. The findings revealed that all three additives enhanced growth performance and improved intestinal health and gut microbiota but GML exhibited the most pronounced effects on intestinal barrier function and immune modulation, gene expression, and microflora, followed by MSB and TB. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of MSB, GML, and TB as feed additives for black sea bream, offering insights into their potential for improving fish health and optimizing aquaculture feed formulations. Full article

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with glycerol monolaurate (GML) on Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). A basal diet was formulated containing 100 g fish meal, while four additional GML-supplemented diets were prepared: GML1 (0.25 g), GML2 (0.50 g), GML3 (0.75 g), and GML4 (1.00 g). Each diet was given to triplicate tanks containing 50 shrimp, each weighing 1.67 ± 0.25 g. GML2 supplementation enhanced the final body weight, weight gain, condition factor, specific growth rate, and viscerosomatic index of the shrimp compared to the other diets (p < 0.05). The whole-body amino acid profile was significantly high in the GML3 group. The antioxidant and immune indicators in the serum, like total protein, triglyceride, and aspartate aminotransferase, were significantly high in the GML2-supplemented group. The immune and antioxidant indicators in the hepatopancreas of the shrimp, like total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and complement protein 3, were significantly high in the GML2 group. However, the malondialdehyde in their livers and serum were significantly high in the control group. Digestive enzymes were significantly high in the GML2 group. In conclusion, this study confirms that GML may benefit the health of Pacific white shrimp, offering new insights into aquaculture. Full article

The development of sustainable and mechanically versatile polymeric materials is essential to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly, high-performance products. This study investigates the mechanical properties of blends comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and glycerol diacetate monolaurate, a bio-based plasticizer derived from waste cooking oil, addressing the underexplored combined effects of these components. By varying the proportions, the blends’ tensile strength, elasticity, elongation at break, and hardness were tailored for diverse applications. Incorporating the bio-plasticizer significantly enhanced the PVC’s flexibility and elongation at break, while reducing its tensile strength and rigidity. The addition of TPU further enhanced the elasticity, toughness, and resilience, with the final properties governed by synergistic interactions between PVC’s rigidity, TPU’s elasticity, and the plasticizer’s softening effects. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) confirmed that the bio-plasticizer enhanced the compatibility between the PVC and TPU, leading to ternary PVC/TPU/bio-plasticizer blends with an improved elasticity and elongation at break, without a significant loss in tensile strength. These blends exhibited a broad range of tunable properties, enabling applications from flexible films to impact-resistant components. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of PVC/TPU/bio-plasticizer systems to deliver high-performance materials with enhanced sustainability. This work offers valuable insights for developing greener polymer systems and advancing the creation of tailored materials for diverse industrial applications in alignment with global sustainability goals. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal glycerol monolaurate complex (GML) and antibiotic (acetylisovaleryltylosin tartrate, ATLL) supplementation during late gestation and lactation on the reproductive performance of sows and the growth performance of piglets. In total, 64 pregnant sows were randomly divided into control, antibiotic, 0.1% GML, and 0.2% GML groups. The GML shortened their delivery interval and farrowing duration. The ATLL increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in sows and piglets and enhanced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in piglets, while reducing the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level in sows. The GML tended to increase milk protein in the colostrum and decreased the TNF-α of sows at lactation. Meanwhile, 0.2% GML increased the serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and interleukin-6 level in weaned piglets and decreased the TNF-α level in sows and weaned piglets. Furthermore, ATLL decreased the microbial diversity of sows, and GML tended to increase the microbial diversity of sows and piglets. The ATLL group had an increased relative abundance of Bacteroidota in weaned piglets. The GML decreased the relative abundance of Peptostreptococcales-Tissierellales, Proteobacteria, and the harmful bacteria Romboutsia in sows. Compared with the ATLL group, the 0.2% GML reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroidota in weaned piglets. Interestingly, both ATLL and GML supplementation decreased the relative abundance of harmful bacteria Peptostreptococcaceae in sows. Correlation analysis also found positive effects of ATLL and GML in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant aspects. In conclusion, GML enhanced reproductive and growth performance by improving antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status and maintaining intestinal flora balance, making it a promising alternative to ATLL in future applications. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the combination effects of α-glycerol monolaurate (GML) and glyceryl tributyrate (TB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota, and immune function in weaned piglets. A total of 120 weaned piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 6.88 kg were randomly allocated to one of the three dietary treatments: (1) CON: a basal diet; (2) 0.1%: a basal diet with 0.1% MSCFA (GML/TB = 1:1); (3) 0.2%: a basal diet with 0.2% MSCFA (GML/TB = 1:1). The experiment lasted 28 days. There were no differences on average daily growth (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Supplementation with 0.1% MSCFA increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein (CP) and gross energy (GE, p < 0.05) on d 14 and increased GE (p < 0.05) on d 28 compared with the CON group. The ATTD of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) of piglets supplemented with 0.1% MSCFA was higher (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, supplementation with 0.1% MSCFA increased immunoglobulin M (IgM) concentration, decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6) content (p < 0.05) on d 14 and decreased malonaldehyde (MDA), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6 concentrations (p < 0.05) on d 28. Supplementation with 0.1% MSCFA increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) concentration (p < 0.05), decreased GSH-Px, MDA content (p < 0.05) in jejunum compared with the CON group. Moreover, supplementation with MSCFA increased the activity of duodenal lipase (p < 0.05) and the abundance of firmicutes and decreased the abundance of proteobacteria compared with the CON group. Overall, supplementation with MSCFA can improve nutrient digestibility, enhance immunity and antioxidant capacity, and improve the intestinal health of piglets. The combined use of MSCFA is a nutrition regulation strategy worthy of further exploration in modern animal husbandry. Full article

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to examine the impact of dietary supplementation with glycerol monolaurate (GML) on juvenile black sea bream. A basal diet was formulated containing 24% fish meal, while five additional diets were prepared, each supplemented with varying levels of GML: GML1 (0.01%), GML2 (0.02%), GML3 (0.04%), GML4 (0.08%), and GML5 (0.16%). Triplicate tanks were randomly allocated to each diet, each containing 20 fish with an initial weight of 1.55 ± 0.05 g. By the trial’s end, the GML3 group displayed a notably higher final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared to the other groups (p < 0.05), but the FCR was significantly higher in the control group. However, no significant differences were observed in the MFI, PPV, CF, HSI, IPF, VSI, or SR among the groups (p > 0.05). Regarding the proximate compositions of the dorsal muscle and whole body, no substantial differences were observed across the groups (p > 0.05). Additionally, there were no significant variations in digestive enzyme activity (p > 0.05), serum immune, or biochemical parameters in the midgut and hindgut among the treatment groups. But in the serum immune response IgM, C3 and C4 were significantly higher in the GML3 group as compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). However, the GML3 group exhibited significantly greater fore-intestinal villus height, crypt depth, villus height per crypt depth, and the number of goblet cells per villus compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Overall, GML supplementation, particularly GML3, significantly improved growth indicators like the final body weight and intestinal morphology. While certain parameters remained unaffected, these findings suggest GML’s potential as a beneficial dietary supplement in fish diets. Full article

This study assessed the nutritional profile of camellia oil through its fatty acid composition, highlighting its high oleic acid content (81.4%), followed by linoleic (7.99%) and palmitic acids (7.74%), demonstrating its excellence as an edible oil source. The impact of beeswax (BW) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) on camellia oil oleogels was investigated, revealing that increasing BW or GML concentrations enhanced hardness and springiness, with 10% BW oleogel exhibiting the highest hardness and springiness. FTIR results suggested that the structure of the oleogels was formed by interactions between molecules without altering the chemical composition. In biscuits, 10% BW oleogel provided superior crispness, expansion ratio, texture, and taste, whereas GML imparted a distinct odor. In sausages, no significant differences were observed in color, water retention, and pH between the control and replacement groups; however, the BW group scored higher than the GML group in the sensory evaluation. The findings suggest that the BW oleogel is an effective fat substitute in biscuits and sausages, promoting the application of camellia oil in food products. Full article

To decrease the lipid content in water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, high internal phase Pickering W/O emulsions (HIPPE) were fabricated using magnetic stirring using a combination of monoglyceride (MAG) oleogel and polyglycerol polyacrylate oleate (PGPR) as stabilizers. Effects of MAGs (glyceryl monostearate-GMS, glycerol monolaurate-GML and glycerol monocaprylate-GMC) and internal phase components on the formation and properties of HIPPEs were investigated. The results showed that milky-white stabilized W/O HIPPE with up to 85 wt% aqueous phase content was successfully prepared, and the droplet interfaces presented a network of MAG crystals, independent of the MAG type. All HIPPEs exhibited great stability under freeze–thaw cycles but were less plastic. Meanwhile, GML-oleogel-based HIPPEs had larger particle size and were less thermal stable than GMS and GMC-based HIPPEs. Compared to guar gum, the internal phase components of sodium chloride and sucrose were more effective in reducing the particle size of HIPPEs, improving their stability and plasticity, and stabilizing them during 100-day storage. HIPPEs presented great spreadability, ductility and plasticity after whipping treatment. This knowledge provides a new perspective on the use of oleogels as co-stabilizers for the formation of W/O HIPPEs, which can be used as a potential substitute for creams. Full article

Single-chain lipid amphiphiles such as fatty acids and monoglycerides are promising antimicrobial alternatives to replace industrial surfactants for membrane-enveloped pathogen inhibition. Biomimetic lipid membrane platforms in combination with label-free biosensing techniques offer a promising route to compare the membrane-disruptive properties of different fatty acids and monoglycerides individually and within mixtures. Until recently, most related studies have utilized planar model membrane platforms, and there is an outstanding need to investigate how antimicrobial lipid mixtures disrupt curved model membrane platforms such as intact vesicle adlayers that are within the size range of membrane-enveloped virus particles. This need is especially evident because certain surfactants that completely disrupt planar/low-curvature membranes are appreciably less active against high-curvature membranes. Herein, we conducted quartz crystal microbalance–dissipation (QCM-D) measurements to investigate the membrane-disruptive properties of glycerol monolaurate (GML) monoglyceride and lauric acid (LA) fatty acid mixtures to rupture high-curvature, ~75 nm diameter lipid vesicle adlayers. We identified that the vesicle rupture activity of GML/LA mixtures mainly occurred above the respective critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each mixture, and that 25/75 mol% GML/LA micelles exhibited the greatest degree of vesicle rupture activity with ~100% efficiency that exceeded the rupture activity of other tested mixtures, individual compounds, and past reported values with industrial surfactants. Importantly, 25/75 GML/LA micelles outperformed 50/50 GML/LA micelles, which were previously reported to have the greatest membrane-disruptive activity towards planar model membranes. We discuss the mechanistic principles behind how antimicrobial lipid engineering can influence membrane-disruptive activity in terms of optimizing the balance between competitive membrane remodeling processes and inducing anisotropic vs. isotropic spontaneous curvature in lipid membrane systems. Full article

This study aims to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation with selenium yeast (SeY) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the transfer of antioxidative capacity between the mother and fetus during pregnancy and its underlying mechanisms. A total of 160 sows with similar body weight and parity of 3–6 parity sows were randomly and uniformly allocated to four groups (n = 40) as follows: CON group, SeY group, GML group, and SG (SeY + GML) group. Animal feeding started from the 85th day of gestation and continued to the day of delivery. The supplementation of SeY and GML resulted in increased placental weight and reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in sow plasma, placental tissues, and piglet plasma. Furthermore, the redox balance and inflammatory markers exhibited significant improvements in the plasma of sows fed with either SeY or GML, as well as in their offspring. Moreover, the addition of SeY and GML activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, while downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory genes and proteins associated with inflammatory pathways (MAPK and NF-κB). Vascular angiogenesis and nutrient transportation (amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose) were upregulated, whereas apoptosis signaling pathways within the placenta were downregulated with the supplementation of SeY and GML. The integrity of the intestinal and placental barriers significantly improved, as indicated by the increased expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1, along with reduced levels of DLA and DAO with dietary treatment. Moreover, supplementation of SeY and GML increased the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Clostridium_sensus_stricto_1, and Bacteroidota, while decreasing levels of gut microbiota metabolites LPS and trimethylamine N-oxide. Correlation analysis demonstrated a significant negative relationship between plasma LPS levels and placental weight, oxidative stress, and inflammation. In summary, dietary supplementation of SeY and GML enhanced the transfer of antioxidative capacity between maternal-fetal during pregnancy via gut–placenta axis through modulating sow microbiota composition. Full article

We report electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements to characterize the membrane-disruptive properties of medium-chain fatty acid and monoglyceride mitigants interacting with tethered bilayer lipid membrane (tBLM) platforms composed of E. coli bacterial lipid extracts. The tested mitigants included capric acid (CA) and monocaprin (MC) with 10-carbon long hydrocarbon chains, and lauric acid (LA) and glycerol monolaurate (GML) with 12-carbon long hydrocarbon chains. All four mitigants disrupted E. coli tBLM platforms above their respective critical micelle concentration (CMC) values; however, there were marked differences in the extent of membrane disruption. In general, CA and MC caused larger changes in ionic permeability and structural damage, whereas the membrane-disruptive effects of LA and GML were appreciably smaller. Importantly, the distinct magnitudes of permeability changes agreed well with the known antibacterial activity levels of the different mitigants against E. coli, whereby CA and MC are inhibitory and LA and GML are non-inhibitory. Mechanistic insights obtained from the EIS data help to rationalize why CA and MC are more effective than LA and GML at disrupting E. coli membranes, and these measurement capabilities support the potential of utilizing bacterial lipid-derived tethered lipid bilayers for predictive assessment of antibacterial drug candidates and mitigants. Full article

Naturally abundant antimicrobial lipids, such as fatty acids and monoglycerides, that disrupt membrane-enveloped viruses are promising mitigants to inhibit African swine fever virus (ASFV). Among mitigant candidates in this class, glycerol monolaurate (GML) has demonstrated particularly high antiviral activity against laboratory-adapted ASFV strains. However, there is an outstanding need to further determine the effects of GML on wild-type ASFV strains, which can have different virulence levels and sensitivities to membrane-disrupting compounds as compared to laboratory-adapted strains. Herein, we investigated the antiviral effects of GML on a highly virulent strain of a wild-type ASFV isolate (Armenia/07) in an in vitro porcine macrophage model. GML treatment caused a concentration-dependent reduction in viral infectivity, and there was a sharp transition between inactive and active GML concentrations. Low GML concentrations had negligible effect on viral infectivity, whereas sufficiently high GML concentrations caused a >99% decrease in viral infectivity. The concentration onset of antiviral activity matched the critical micelle concentration (CMC) value of GML, reinforcing that GML micelles play a critical role in enabling anti-ASFV activity. These findings validate that GML can potently inhibit wild-type ASFV infection of porcine macrophages and support a biophysical explanation to guide antimicrobial lipid performance optimization for pathogen mitigation applications. Full article

Oleogels have been shown as a promising replacer of hydrogenated vegetable oil. Fatty acid glycerides, including some typical mono- and di-glycerides, were used to form oleogels. The concentration effects of fatty acid glycerides on the crystallization behavior and physical properties of oleogels were investigated by using different analysis techniques. The results showed that all the oleogels formed by saturated fatty acid glycerides (glyceryl monostearate (GMS), glyceryl monolaurate (GML), glycerol monocaprylate (GMC)) exhibited a solid-like behavior and were thermally reversible systems, while a higher amount of unsaturated fatty acid glycerides (monoolein (GMO), diolein (GDO)) were needed to form oleogels. The onset gelation concentration of GMS and GMC was found to be 2 wt% (w/w), while that of GML was 4 wt% by the inverted tube method. The crystallization results illustrated that the GMS and GMC formed small needle-like crystals with the presence of β and β′ crystals, while GML formed large flake-like crystals with α crystals in oleogels, and faster cooling rates caused smaller crystals. GMS- and GMC-based oleogels had higher crystallinity, resulting in higher thermal stability and better mechanical properties than GML-based ones at the same monoglyceride (MAG) level. With the increasing MAG content, the oleogels showed a more compact three-dimensional network leading to higher mechanical properties and better thermal stability and resistance to deformations. Hence, MAG-based oleogels, especially GMC ones with medium chain fatty acid, could be a promising replacer for hydrogenation vegetable oils. Full article

The principal purpose of this research was to study the effects of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the production performance; egg quality; health state of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; and gut microbiota of laying hens in the later stage. The laying hens were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group and an experiment group, for which 1000 mg/kg of GML was added to a control diet. The results showed that GML increased the laying rate, average egg weight, albumen height, yolk color and Haugh unit and decreased the feed conversion ratio and defective eggs (p < 0.05). GML increased the intestinal villi height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.05). Moreover, GML improved the contents of cytokines in the oviduct, ovary and ileum mucosa; ameliorated the expression of TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, IL-4, IL-1β and TNF-α; and increased the expression of Occludin and Muc-2 in the ileal mucosa. The supplementation of GML increased the volatile fatty acids in the cecal contents, such as acetic acid and propionic acid, and up-regulated Bacteroides (p < 0.01) and Alistipes (p < 0.05) richness in the cecal contents. In summary, GML improved production performance, egg quality and immunity; ameliorated the health status of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; enhanced the intestinal barrier function; improved the content of intestinal volatile fatty acids; and regulated the abundance of cecal flora. Full article