Increasing evidence points to the effect of the gut microbiota on central nervous system functions. Supplementation of certain microbial strains has been demonstrated to alleviate depressive behaviors and neurological abnormalities. This study took the approach to screen for an anti-depressive Bifidobacterium longum strain from fourteen candidates and systematically verified its effect in a chronic stress-induced depression mice model. B. longum subsp. infantis strain CCFM687 could significantly enhance the biosynthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP) in vitro in RIN14B cells through up-regulation of the Tph1 gene expression. Administration of CCFM687 in mice significantly improved the scores in behavioral tests and increased the level of 5-HTP and serotonin (5-HT) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the brain. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the PFC was also increased, possibly through the 5-HT1A-CREB-BDNF pathway. In addition, CCFM687 alleviated the hyperactivity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis response and accordingly reversed the peripheral inflammation status. Moreover, the stress-induced structural and functional dysbiosis of the gut microbiome was improved by CCFM687, through increased alpha diversity and abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, in conjunction with inhibition of pathogenic gene expression. In summary, these results indicate that supplementation of B. longum subsp. infantis strain CCFM687 may prevent the onset of depression from chronic stress, and RIN14B could serve as an efficient cell model for rapid screening of anti-depressive probiotics.

TX100 (Triton X-100) is a typical nonionic surfactant that is widely used in biology. However, the detailed aggregated conformation of TX100, such as the boundary between the polar region and the nonpolar region, and the arrangement of hydrophobic chains in micelles, are still controversial. In the manuscript, the aggregation pattern of TX100 has been studied using sPREs (solvent Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancements)-based NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy). It was found that the average positions of the protons in the TX100 micelle are consistent with those in the multilayer staggered spherical micelle model with the p-tertoctylphenyl groups dispersing in the different layers.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc; Zingiberaceae family) is an herb commonly used as a spice and remedy for a broad spectrum of diseases. The essential oil extracted from ginger is an effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal agent. The present study has investigated the variations in yield and chemical composition of essential oils of two cultivars (Chinese and Thailand) of ginger locally available in Pakistan. Two different drying pretreatments were employed to observe the changes in compositional variations of the essential oils of ginger. The essential oil extracted from fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried samples of two different cultivars of ginger was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil yield was found to be highest for the sun-dried sample of each variety. The major compounds (>4%) overall in the essential oil of fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried ginger samples from Thailand origin were camphene, 3-carene, o-cymene, caryophyllene, α-curcumene, sabinol trans, citral, and santalol. Major compounds overall in the essential oil of fresh, oven-dried, and sun-dried ginger samples of Chinese origin were α-pinene, Camphene, limonene, longicyclene, copaene, longifolene, β-sesquiphellandrene, alloaromadendrene, γ-muurolene, α-curcumene, α-farnesene, and citral. The inter-varietal variations and pretreatment methods considerably affected yield and chemical composition. Cluster analysis was performed to validate the results further. Significantly varying compounds responsible for the significant variation among varieties and treatments of the ginger were identifies by using the heat map. There was clear differentiation among Chinese and Thailand varieties due to the variation in the concentrations of the volatile compounds. The results obtained can be helpful for the ginger growers and end users to choose the ginger variety and the way of use that is more beneficial.