So far, Bacillus species bacteria are being used as bacteria concentrates, supplementing cleaning preparations in order to reduce odor and expel pathogenic bacteria. Here, we discuss the potential of Bacillus species as ‘natural’ probiotics and evaluate their microbiological characteristics. An industrially used microbiological concentrates and their components of mixed Bacillus species cultures were tested, which may be a promising bacteria source for food probiotic preparation for supplementary diet. In this study, antagonistic activities and probiotic potential of Bacillus species, derived from an industrial microbiological concentrate, were demonstrated. The cell free supernatants (CFS) from Bacillus licheniformis mostly inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, Salmonella Enteritidis KCCM 12021, and Staphylococcus aureus KCCM 11335, while some of Bacillus strains showed synergistic effect with foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, Bacillus strains identified by the MALDI TOF-MS method were found sensitive to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, and rifampicin. B. licheniformis and B. cereus displayed the least sensitivity to the other tested antibiotics, such as ampicillin, ampicillin and sulfbactam, streptomycin, and oxacillin and bacitracin. Furthermore, some of the bacterial species detected extended their growth range from the mesophilic to moderately thermophilic range, up to 54 °C. Thus, their potential sensitivity to thermophilic TP-84 bacteriophage, infecting thermophilic Bacilli, was tested for the purpose of isolation a new bacterial host for engineered bionanoparticles construction. We reason that the natural environmental microflora of non-pathogenic Bacillus species, especially B. licheniformis, can become a present probiotic remedy for many contemporary issues related to gastrointestinal tract health, especially for individuals under metabolic strain or for the increasingly growing group of lactose-intolerant people.

The benefits of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been known in many fields from catalysis through optics to medicine due to their unique size-dependent properties. Recently, there is also a growing interest in novel skincare formulations containing AgNPs. In this work, AgNPs were successfully synthesised and were characterised by UV-Vis spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). In addition, an analysis of particle size distribution (measured by Dynamic Light Scattering – DLS) and zeta potential (using the method Electrophoretic Light Scattering – ELS) were made. The obtained AgNPs were in two sizes: small (20 nm ± 5 nm) and large (100 nm ± 5 nm). The assessment of the cytotoxic effect on human skin cells was done. Smaller AgNPs showed less cytotoxicity and thus greater safety for skin, so they were introduced into new skincare formulations such as oil/water (O/W) emulsion, water/oil (W/O) emulsion and hydrogel. Moreover, the study of release AgNPs from emulsions and hydrogel using Franz diffusion chamber with pig skin as a membrane has been conducted. The receptor fluid measurements were performed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). The last point of the research was the performance of microbiological tests to determine the antibacterial effect of the smaller AgNPs in both solution and cosmetic. Graphical abstract

Physical performance has been the focus of studies examining genetic influences in martial arts. There has been little quantitative analysis of the interaction between psychological traits and gene variants in athletes. This study aimed to determine whether the rs4680 polymorphism of the COMT gene (catechol-O-methyltransferase) was linked to other sports phenotypes such as temperament, mental toughness, and stress tolerance. In our study, we concentrated on the case-control analysis of athletes in the aspect of their personality traits in association with the COMT gene polymorphism. Participants comprised 258 combat sports athletes and 278 healthy male individuals as a control group. Psychometric properties were assessed with the Revised Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R). COMT polymorphism testing was performed using real-time PCR. We found a statistically significant effect of a complex factor COMT rs4680 genotype with combat athletes/controls and novelty seeking (F2,530 = 5.958, p = 0.0028, η2 = 0.022), self-management (F2,530 = 6.772, p = 0.0012, η2 = 0.025), and with self-transcendence skills (F2,530 = 9.387, p = 0.00009, η2 = 0.034). The results are important for encouraging further studies on the genetic makeup of athletes in conjunction with personality traits. Due to the multigene and multifactorial nature of determinants of sports predispositions, we propose to take into account also other features, especially when studying genes related to cerebral neurotransmission. It is a holistic departure, and it clearly illustrates the relationship between the given characteristics of an athlete.

Caffeine is an adenosine A_2A receptor (ADORA2A) antagonist with ergogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies have reported that the ADORA2A gene regulates glutamate metabolism and immune responses, with the ADORA2A rs5751876 TT genotype (with high sensitivity to caffeine) showing larger ergogenic effect following caffeine ingestion. We therefore hypothesized that the TT genotype would be associated with greater anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine in response to exercise, and with higher coffee intake in physically active individuals. The aim of the present study was twofold: (1) to investigate the association of the ADORA2A variant with the anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine in response to intense resistance exercise (RE), and (2) to analyze the association of the rs5751876 with coffee intake in physically active individuals (n = 134). Fifteen resistance-trained athletes participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study, where they consumed 6 mg/kg of caffeine or placebo one hour prior to performing an RE protocol. Blood samples were taken immediately from the arterial vein before, immediately after, and 15 min after RE for the analysis of inflammatory markers myeloperoxidase (MPO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). We found that the ADORA2A TT genotype carriers experienced lower exercise-induced inflammatory responses (p < 0.05 for AchE) when compared to the C allele carriers (i.e., CC/CT) one hour following the ingestion of caffeine. Furthermore, the ADORA2A TT genotype was positively associated with coffee intake (p = 0.0143; irrespective of CYP1A2 rs762551 polymorphism). In conclusion, we found that the ADORA2A gene polymorphism is associated with anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine in response to resistance exercise, as well as with habitual coffee intake in physically active individuals.

There is a wide range of individual variability in the change of body weight in response to exercise, and this variability partly depends on genetic factors. The study aimed to determine DNA polymorphisms associated with fat loss efficiency in untrained women with normal weight in response to a 12-week aerobic training program using the GWAS approach, followed by a cross-sectional study in athletes. The study involved 126 untrained young Polish women (age 21.4 ± 1.7 years; body mass index (BMI): 21.7 (2.4) kg/m²) and 550 Russian athletes (229 women, age 23.0 ± 4.1; 321 men, age 23.9 ± 4.7). We identified one genome-wide significant polymorphism (rs116143768) located in the ACSL1 gene (acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1, implicated in fatty acid oxidation), with a rare T allele associated with higher fat loss efficiency in Polish women (fat mass decrease: CC genotype (n = 122) −3.8%; CT genotype (n = 4) −31.4%; p = 1.18 × 10⁻⁹). Furthermore, male athletes with the T allele (n = 7) had significantly lower BMI (22.1 (3.1) vs. 25.3 (4.2) kg/m², p = 0.046) than subjects with the CC genotype (n = 314). In conclusion, we have shown that the rs116143768 T allele of the ACSL1 gene is associated with higher fat loss efficiency in response to aerobic training in untrained women and lower BMI in physically active men.

The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of vitamin D3 supplementation and aerobic training on regulating the autophagy process in rats with type 2 diabetic induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. A total of 40 Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal control (NC), diabetic control (DC), diabetic + aerobic training (DAT), diabetic + vitamin D3 (DVD), and diabetic + aerobic training + vitamin D3 (DVDAT). The rats underwent eight weeks of aerobic training with an intensity of 60% maximum running speed for one hour, along with weekly subcutaneous injections of 10,000 units of vitamin D3. The protein levels of different autophagy markers were assessed in the left ventricular heart tissue. The results showed that the protein levels of AMPK, pAMPK, mTOR, and pmTOR were significantly lower in the DC group compared to the NC group. Conversely, the levels of ULK, Beclin-1, LC3II, Fyco, and Cathepsin D proteins were significantly higher in the DC group. However, the interventions of aerobic training and vitamin D3 supplementation, either individually or in combination, led to increased levels of AMPK, pAMPK, mTOR, and pmTOR, and decreased levels of ULK, Beclin-1, LC3II, Fyco, and Cathepsin D (p < 0.05). Additionally, the aerobic capacity in the DAT and DVDAT groups was significantly higher compared to the NC, DC, and DVD groups (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that type 2 diabetes is associated with excessive autophagy in the left ventricle. However, after eight weeks of vitamin D3 supplementation and aerobic training, a significant reduction in excessive autophagy was observed in rats with type 2 diabetes.