This study aimed to investigate the supplemental effects of probiotic Bacillus subtilis fmbJ (BS fmbJ) on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, a

The gastrointestinal tract is considered as one of the main target organs affected by heat stress. Phytogenic feed additives containing phenolics and

TLR4/NF-κB is a key inflammatory signaling transduction pathway, closely involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and pro-inflammatory response. Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), the first mammalian TLR to be characterized, is the innate immune receptor that plays a key role in inflammatory signal transductions. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), the TLR4 downstream, is the key to accounting for the expression of multiple genes involved in inflammatory responses, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in humans is a chronic inflammatory disease with high incidence and prevalence worldwide. Targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway might be an effective strategy to alleviate intestinal inflammation. Polyphenol phytochemicals have shown noticeable alleviative effects by acting on the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in intestinal inflammation. This review summarizes the pharmacological effects of more than 20 kinds of polyphenols on intestinal inflammation via targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. We expected that polyphenol phytochemicals targeting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway might be an effective approach to treat IBD in future clinical research applications.

Background: Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a common problem in human and other species and increases the risk of death of the fetus and newborn during the perinatal period. Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the influences of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) on development of the gastrointestinal tract in newborn pigs. Methods: Ten animals from five litters were divided into five piglets with IUGR and five with normal birth-weight (NW). The IUGR category comprised animals with a birth weight 2 SD below the mean birth weight of the total population, while the NW category included animals with a birth weight within one SD of the mean birth weight in the total population. Animals were anesthetized and sampled within 2–4 h after birth and without suckling. The morphological changes of intestine and stomach of IUGR piglets were compared with NW ones. The expressions of IGF-I and receptors for growth hormone and insulin in intestinal mucosa were semiquantified using reverse transcription PCR. Results: The results of our study indicated that the weights of the stomach, small intestine and small intestinal mucosa were significantly lower in IUGR compared with NW piglets (p < 0.01). In addition, the lengths of the small intestine and colon in IUGR pigs were also significantly less than those of NW (p < 0.05). Furthermore, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA level in intestinal mucosa of IUGR piglets was increased significantly (p < 0.05), and the expression mRNA levels of insulin receptor and growth hormone (GH) receptor in the mucosa in IUGR piglets showed a tendency to be lower (p = 0.17 and p = 0.11, respectively) than those of the NW animals. Conclusion: We conclude from the data that IUGR affects intestinal growth and morphology and is in associated with altered gene expression of growth-related proteins. We speculate that the morphological change and associated altered endocrine homeostasis contribute to lower growth rates of pigs affected by IUGR.

The object of this study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on modulating the glutathione (GSH)-related antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant re