In recent years, chemokines have generated intense investigations due to their involvement in both physiological and pathological processes of inflammation, particularly in ovarian biology. The physiological process of ovulation in the normal ovary involves various chemokines that mediate the healing of the ruptured endometrium. It is now being reported that many of these chemokines are also associated with the cancer of the ovary. Chronic inflammation underlies the progression of ovarian cancer; therefore, it raises the possibility that chemokines are involved in the inflammatory process and mediate immune responses that may favour or inhibit tumour progression. Ovarian cancer is a gynaecological cancer responsible for highest rate of mortality in women. Although there have been several investigations and advances in surgery and chemotherapy, the survival rate for this disease remains low. This is mainly because of a lack of specific symptoms and biomarkers for detection. In this review, we have discussed the emerging role of the CXC chemokines in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The CXC group of chemokines is gaining importance in the field of ovarian cancer for being angiostatic and angiogenic in function. While there have been several studies on the angiogenesis function, emerging research shows that ELR⁻ CXC chemokines, CXCL9 and CXCL10, are angiostatic. Importantly, the angiostatic chemokines can inhibit the progression of EOC. Given that there are currently no biomarkers or specific therapeutic targets for the disease, these chemokines are emerging as promising targets for therapy. Abstract In recent years, chemokines have generated intense investigations due to their involvement in both physiological and pathological processes of inflammation, particularly in ovarian biology. The physiological process of ovulation in the normal ovary involves various chemokines that mediate the healing of the ruptured endometrium. It is now being reported that many of these chemokines are also associated with the cancer of the ovary. Chronic inflammation underlies the progression of ovarian cancer; therefore, it raises the possibility that chemokines are involved in the inflammatory process and mediate immune responses that may favour or inhibit tumour progression. Ovarian cancer is a gynaecological cancer responsible for highest rate of mortality in women. Although there have been several investigations and advances in surgery and chemotherapy, the survival rate for this disease remains low. This is mainly because of a lack of specific symptoms and biomarkers for detection. In this review, we have discussed the emerging role of the CXC chemokines in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The CXC group of chemokines is gaining importance in the field of ovarian cancer for being angiostatic and angiogenic in function. While there have been several studies on the angiogenesis function, emerging research shows that ELR⁻ CXC chemokines, CXCL9 and CXCL10, are angiostatic. Importantly, the angiostatic chemokines can inhibit the progression of EOC. Given that there are currently no biomarkers or specific therapeutic targets for the disease, these chemokines are emerging as promising targets for therapy.

An approach is described for use in the varietal characterization of hop (Humulus lupulus L.) varieties. The study focuses on commercial hop varieties and was timed to coincide with the 2008 commercial hop harvest in Tasmania, Australia. Analysis of hop extracts was performed using GC–MS. A 60 m capillary column was employed to increase efficiency to permit the use of a quadrupole mass spectrometer in place of a time of flight mass spectrometer that is more commonly used for this type of analysis. A set of characterization functions were derived from discriminant analysis which were highly suitable for varietal characterization of the eight commercial varieties included in the study, namely Willamette, Victoria, Pride of Ringwood, Cascade, Southern Hallertau, Millennium, Southern Saaz, and Super Pride.

We here report a study characterizing the potential for edible insects to act as a prebiotic by altering the bacterial composition of the human fecal microbiome, using batch cultures inoculated with fecal adult human donors. Black field cricket nymphs, grass grub larvae, and wax moth larvae were subjected to an in vitro digestion to simulate the oral, gastric, and small intestinal stages of digestion. The digested material was then dialyzed to remove small molecules such as amino acids and free sugars to simulate removal of nutrients through upper gastrointestinal tract digestion. The retentate, representing the digestion resistant constituents, was then fermented in fecal batch cultures for 4, 7, and 15 h to represent rapid and longer fermentation times. Batch cultures without any added substrates were also set up to act as controls. Additionally, phosphate-buffered saline was used as a no-protein control and milk powder as “standard” protein control. At the end of the incubation period, the bacterial pellets were collected for microbiome analysis by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Analysis of fecal cultures showed striking differences in community composition. Each substrate led to significant differences across a wide range of taxa compared to each other and PBS controls. Among the differences observed, digested grass grub larvae increased proportions of Faecalibacterium and the Prevotella 2 group. Black field crickets increased the prevalence of the Escherichia–Shigella group, Dialister genus, and a group of unclassified Lachnospiraceae. Wax moth larvae promoted the expansion of the same group of unclassified Lachnospiraceae and the Escherichia/Shigella group. The increased Faecalibacterium observed in the cultures with grass grub larvae represents a noteworthy finding as this bacterium is widely thought to be beneficial in nature, with demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties and associations with gut health. We conclude that insects can differentially modulate the microbiome composition in batch cultures inoculated with adult fecal material after simulated in vitro digestion. Although the physiological impact in vivo remains to be determined, this study provides sound scientific evidence that investigating the potential for consuming insects for gut health is warranted.