Chrysoeriol (CHE) is a flavonoid substance that exists in many plants. It has various physiological and pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and protective activity, especially for the cardiovascular system and liver. Among common livestock embryos, porcine embryos are often considered high-quality objects for studying the antioxidant mechanisms of oocytes. Because porcine embryos contain high levels of lipids, they are more vulnerable to external stimuli, which affect development. Our study explored the influence of CHE supplementation on oxidative stress in porcine oocytes and its possible mechanisms. Different concentrations of CHE (0, 0.1, 1, and 3 µM) were supplemented in the in vitro culture medium of the porcine oocytes. The results showed that supplementation with 1 µM CHE significantly increased the blastocyst rate and total cell number of embryos in vitro. After finding the beneficial effects of CHE, we measured reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) when the oocytes reached the 4-cell stage of development and determined the levels of apoptosis, cell proliferation, and autophagy at the blastocyst stage of development. The expression levels of some related genes were preliminarily detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the apoptosis of blastocysts in the CHE-treated culture also decreased compared with the untreated culture. Furthermore, CHE downregulated intracellular ROS and increased GSH in the embryos. CHE was also shown to improve the activity of mitochondria and inhibit the occurrence of autophagy. In addition, antioxidant-related genes (SOD1, SOD2, and CAT) and cell pluripotency-related genes (SOX2, OCT4, and NANOG) were upregulated. At the same time, apoptosis-related (Caspase 3) and autophagy-related (LC3B) genes showed a downward trend after supplementation with CHE. These results indicate that CHE improved the development of porcine embryos in vitro by reducing oxidative stress and autophagy levels.

Our previous study established that chrysoeriol (CHE) can reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, apoptosis, and autophagy in vitro culture (IVC) of porcine embryos. However, the role of CHE in oocyte maturation and lipid homeostasis is unclear. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the effect of CHE on porcine oocyte competence in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent embryo development. The study chooses parthenogenetic activated porcine oocytes as the research model. The study revealed that the cumulus expansion index and related gene expressions are significantly elevated after supplementing 1 μM CHE. Although there were no significant differences in nuclear maturation and cleavage rates, the blastocyst formation rate and total cell numbers were significantly increased in the 1 μM CHE group. In addition, CHE improved the expression of genes related to oocyte and embryo development. ROS was significantly downregulated in all CHE treatment groups, and intracellular GSH (glutathione) was significantly upregulated in 0.01, 0.1, and 1 μM CHE groups. The immunofluorescence results indicated that mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and lipid droplet (LD), fatty acid (FA), ATP, and functional mitochondria contents significantly increased with 1 μM CHE compared to the control. Furthermore, CHE increased the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, and β-oxidation.

Widely used as a flame retardant, 2,2′4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is a persistent environmental pollutant with toxicological effects, including hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and endocrine disruption. To investigate the toxicological effects of BDE-47 on early porcine embryogenesis in vitro, cultured porcine embryos were exposed to BDE-47 during early development. Exposure to 100 μM BDE-47 decreased the blastocyst rate and mRNA level of pluripotency genes but increased the level of LC3 and the expression of autophagy-related genes. After BDE-47 exposure, porcine embryos’ antioxidant capability decreased; ROS levels increased, while glutathione (GSH) levels and the expression of antioxidant-related genes decreased. In addition, BDE-47 exposure reduced mitochondrial abundance and mitochondrial membrane potential levels, downregulated mitochondrial biogenesis-associated genes, decreased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) abundance, increased the levels of GRP78, a marker of ER stress (ERS), and upregulated the expression of ERS-related genes. However, ER damage and low embryo quality induced by BDE-47 exposure were reversed with the ERS inhibitor, the 4-phenylbutyric acid. In conclusion, BDE-47 inhibits the development of early porcine embryos in vitro by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and ERS. This study sheds light on the mechanisms of BDE-47-induced embryonic toxicity.

Chrysoeriol (CHE) is a flavonoid substance that exists in many plants and has various physiological and pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and protective activity, especially for the cardiovascular system and liver. This study aimed to analyze the results and possible mechanisms of CHE on early porcine embryo development. Adding CHE to the culture media can improve the development quality of early porcine embryos. CHE significantly increased the blastocyst rate and total cell number of embryos in vitro. The apoptosis of blastocyst in CHE-treated culture also decreased significantly compared with untreated culture. Furthermore, CHE downregulated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased glutathione (GSH) in embryos. CHE was also shown to improve the activity of mitochondria and inhibit the occurrence of autophagy. In addition, antioxidant-related genes (SOD1, SOD2, and CAT) and cell pluripotency-related genes (SOX2, OCT4, and NANOG) were upregulated, while those related to apoptosis (Caspase 3) and autophagy (LC3B) showed a downward trend after supplementation with CHE. These results indicated that CHE improved the development of porcine embryos in vitro by reducing oxidative stress and autophagy levels.

Aging‐related metabolic decline, particularly impaired glucose tolerance, represents a growing challenge in aging populations. Probiotics are promising modulators of host metabolism; however, how sex differences influence their efficacy in mitigating metabolic aging remains poorly understood. Here, we administered Lactiplantibacillus plantarum AS21 to naturally aged male and female mice for 6 months. We observed a pronounced sexual dimorphism in metabolic decline, with aged males exhibiting more severe glucose intolerance than females. Concurrently, circulating citrulline levels were depleted in males but elevated in females. AS21 intervention significantly ameliorated glucose intolerance in aged males, while exerting minimal effects on metabolically stable females. Microbiota analysis revealed that AS21 reshaped the mucosa‐associated microbial communities in males, an effect accompanied by increased abundance of microbial citrulline biosynthesis genes ( argF , argI ) and restoration of circulating citrulline. In contrast, females maintained stable metabolic and citrulline profiles alongside limited microbial alterations. Furthermore, direct citrulline supplementation recapitulated these metabolic benefits, improving glucose tolerance, enhancing glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), and stimulating glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) release. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AS21 alleviates age‐related glucose dysregulation in male mice—a benefit closely associated with the restoration of microbiota‐driven citrulline metabolism. This highlights its potential as a sex‐specific, microbiota‐targeted strategy for managing metabolic aging.