Nostoc flagelliforme is an edible cyanobacterium with excellent food and herbal values. It has been used as food in China for more than 2000 years. Many studies have been focused on improving the yield and bioactivity of Nostoc flagelliforme polysaccharides although these have ignored the functional properties. In this study, we extracted and purified three polysaccharides (WL-CPS, NaCl-CPS and Glu-CPS) from Nostoc flagelliforme under normal, salt stress and mixotrophic culture conditions, respectively, in order to change the physicochemical properties of polysaccharides with the aim of obtaining better functional properties. Both salt stress and mixotrophic culture conditions increased the specific yield of polysaccharides. Their functional properties were comparatively investigated and the results showed that NaCl-CPS exhibited the highest emulsification activity and flocculation capability, which was also higher than that of some commercial products. In contrast, Glu-CPS exhibited the highest water and oil holding capacities, foaming property, intrinsic viscosity and bile acids binding capacity. Our results indicated that both NaCl-CPS and Glu-CPS could be considered to be functional polysaccharides according to their respective characteristics, which have great potential in numerous applications, such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical and mineral industries. These findings also demonstrated the potential application of the proper regulation of culture conditions in the development of polysaccharides with desired functional properties.

The activated sludge process can effectively remove polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from wastewater via biodegradation. However, the degradable microorganisms and functional enzymes involved in this process remain unclear. In this study, we successfully employed a laboratory-scale sequential batch reactor to investigate variations in microbial community and protein expression in response to the addition of different PAHs and process time. The analysis of bacterial community structure by 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that bacteria from Burkholderiales order were dominant in PAHs treated sludge. Mass spectrometry performed with 2D protein profiles of all sludge samples demonstrated that most proteins exhibiting differential expression profiles during the process were derived from Burkholderiales populations; these proteins are involved in DNA replication, fatty acid and glucose metabolism, stress response, protein synthesis, and aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism. Nevertheless, the protein expression profiles indicated that naphthalene, but not anthracene, can induce the expression of PAH-degrading proteins and accelerate its elimination from sludge. Though only naphthalene and anthracene were added into our experimental groups, the differentially expressed enzymes involved in other PAHs (especially biphenyl) metabolism were also detected. This study provides apparent evidence linking the metabolic activities of Burkholderiales populations with the degradation of PAHs in activated sludge processes. Overall, our findings highlighted the successful application of metaproteomics integrated with microbial diversity analysis by high-throughput sequencing technique on the analysis of environmental samples, which could provide a convenience to monitor the changes in proteins expression profiles and their correlation with microbial diversity.

Enteroviruses are found in most environments and cause several diseases in humans. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was adapted and evaluated for the rapid detection of enteroviruses. Based on the highly conserved 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) of the human enteroviruses (HEVs), particularly human enterovirus A (HEV-A) and HEV-B, a set of universal primers was designed. The LAMP amplification was carried out under isothermal conditions at 61 °C, depending on the template concentration results were obtained within 45–90 min. The detection limits were found to be 10¹ copies of cloned enterovirus 71 fragments, more sensitive than conventional PCR. Nine water samples collected from drinking water sources during three seasons and 19 stool specimens collected from HFMD patients were analyzed. By using the LAMP assay, the majority of samples was tested positive, 9/9 (100 %) and 18/19 (94.7 %), respectively. LAMP is a practical method for the rapid detection of enteroviruses in environmental and clinical samples.

Background: The human skin microbiome and lipidome are essential for skin homeostasis and barrier function, and have become a focus in both dermatological and cosmetic fields. However, the influence of surfactants commonly used in cosmetic products on the skin resident microbiome and lipidome remains poorly characterized.Methods: We conducted self‐control experiments to systematically study the effects of surfactant (sodium lauroyl sarcosinate [SLS]) on facial skin. Wrinkles, pores, porphyrins, and superficial lipids were examined to evaluate the biophysical state of skin. Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to detect the numbers of bacteria and fungi. The diversity and structure of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiomes were assessed using 16S rDNA and ITS amplicon sequencing, respectively. Moreover, 22 lipids were identified to evaluate lipidome variations. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis.Results: SLS in facial cleanser did not extensively influence skin biophysical parameters, but caused a decrease in porphyrin. After using the SLS‐added facial cleanser for 3 weeks, the alpha diversity of the prokaryotic microbial community decreased significantly, while the eukaryotic microbial community showed a continuous downward trend but no statistically significant. A shift in the structure of prokaryotic microbiome was observed as a result of SLS exposure, mainly reflected by the increase in Acinetobacter, Escherichia‐Shigella, Streptococcus, and Ralstonia, while the SLS had little effect on the structure of the eukaryotic microbiome. Furthermore, SLS exposure had a great impact on skin lipidome, mainly manifested by the increase of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), and the decrease of ceramides. Spearman's correlations analysis showed that Escherichia‐Shigella, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter are positively correlated with PG and PC; however, the correlation is not statistically significant.Conclusion: In this study, we found the SLS in facial cleanser primarily affected lipidome and the prokaryotic microbiome of facial skin. These findings are useful for reminding us to be vigilant about the ingredients in personal care products, even the common ingredients, and designing effective formulations for repairing ecological balance of skin.

Increasing attention has been paid to the toxicity and hazards of antibiotics on non-target organisms in soil ecosystems because redundant antibiotics in the excretion of treated animals are being brought into the soil by way of manure and sewage irrigation. In order to understand the toxic mechanisms of antibiotics in soil ecosystems, the earthworm Eisenia fetida was exposed to 500 mg kg⁻¹ of oxytetracycline (OTC) as a typical antibiotic for 7, 14 and 21 days. The total proteins of E. fetida in each treatment were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and differential expressed proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. A total of 30 proteins were successfully identified and divided into four categories based on the function. It was surprisingly found that more than 50% of identified proteins belong to the actin family, and all of them were down-regulated more than 2.0-fold. In the meantime, the fibrinolytic enzymes, an important protease with plasminogen activator activity, were suppressed in the last two weeks. The validations in the mRNA level were performed using RT-PCR. However, due to the incomplete genome sequence of E. fetida, we failed to identify more proteins response to OTC stress. This study may provide a new insight into the discovery of novel biomarkers for continuous-poured and low-toxicity pollutants.

Background: Skin aging is a complex multifactorial progressive process. With age, intrinsic and extrinsic factors cause the loss of skin elasticity, with the formation of wrinkles, resulting in skin sagging through various pathways. A combination of multiple bioactive peptides could be used as a treatment for skin wrinkles and sagging.Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the cosmetic efficacy of a multi‐peptide eye serum as a daily skin‐care product for improving the periocular skin of women within the ages of 20–45 years.Methods: The stratum corneum skin hydration and skin elasticity were assessed using a Corneometer CM825 and Skin Elastometer MPA580, respectively. The PRIMOS CR technique based on digital strip projection technology was used for skin image and wrinkle analysis around the “crow's feet” area. Self‐assessment questionnaires were filled on Day 14 and 28 of product use.Results: This study included 32 subjects with an average age of 28.5 years. On Day 28, there was a significant decrease in the number, depth, and volume of wrinkles. Skin hydration, elasticity, and firmness increased continuously during the study period, consistent with typical anti‐aging claims. A majority of the participants (75.00%) expressed overall satisfaction with their skin appearance after using the product. Most participants noted a visible skin improvement, with an increase in skin elasticity and smoothness, and confirmed the extensibility, applicability, and temperance of the product. No adverse reactions related to product use were observed.Conclusions: The multi‐peptide eye serum uses a multi‐targeted mechanism against skin aging to improve the skin appearance, making it an ideal choice for daily skincare.