Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.21 (beta-glucosidase)
 3,280 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The safety assessment of Bifidobacterium longum SPM1205 isolated from healthy Koreans and this strain's inhibitory effects on fecal harmful enzymes of intestinal microflora were investigated. The overall safety of this strain was investigated during a feeding trial. Groups of SD rats were orally administered a test strain or commercial reference strain B. longum 1 x 10(9) CFU/kg body weight/day for four weeks. Throughout this time, their feed intake, water intake and live body weight were monitored. Fecal samples were periodically collected to test harmful enzyme activities of intestinal microflora. At the end of the four-week observation period, samples of blood, liver, spleen, kidney, and gut tissues were collected to determine for hematological parameters and histological differences. The results obtained in this experiment demonstrated that four weeks of consumption of this Bifidobacterium strain had no adverse effects on rat's general health status, blood biochemical parameters or histology. Therefore, it is likely to be safe for human use. Fecal harmful enzymes such as beta-glucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, tryptophanase and urease, were effectively inhibited during the administration of the B. longum SPM1205. These results suggested that this B. longum SPM 1205 could be used for humans as a probiotic strain.
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PMID:Safety assessment of potential lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium longum SPM1205 isolated from healthy Koreans. 1641 Jul 64

Due to its low digestibility in the small intestine, a major fraction of the polyol isomalt reaches the colon. However, little is known about effects on the intestinal microflora. During two 4-week periods in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, nineteen healthy volunteers consumed a controlled basal diet enriched with either 30 g isomalt or 30 g sucrose daily. Stools were collected at the end of each test phase and various microbiological and luminal markers were analysed. Fermentation characteristics of isomalt were also investigated in vitro. Microbiological analyses of faecal samples indicated a shift of the gut flora towards an increase of bifidobacteria following consumption of the isomalt diet compared with the sucrose diet (P<0.05). During the isomalt phase, the activity of bacterial beta-glucosidase decreased (P<0.05) whereas beta-glucuronidase, sulfatase, nitroreductase and urease remained unchanged. Faecal polyamines were not different between test periods with the exception of cadaverine, which showed a trend towards a lower concentration following isomalt (P=0.055). Faecal SCFA, lactate, bile acids, neutral sterols, N, NH3, phenol and p-cresol were not affected by isomalt consumption. In vitro, isomalt was metabolized in several bifidobacteria strains and yielded high butyrate concentrations. Isomalt, which is used widely as a low-glycaemic and low-energy sweetener, has to be considered a prebiotic carbohydrate that might contribute to a healthy luminal environment of the colonic mucosa.
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PMID:Effect of isomalt consumption on faecal microflora and colonic metabolism in healthy volunteers. 1644 15

A number of Lactobacillus species, Bifidobacterium sp, Saccharomyces boulardii, and some other microbes have been proposed as and are used as probiotic strains, i.e. live microorganisms as food supplement in order to benefit health. The health claims range from rather vague as regulation of bowel activity and increasing of well-being to more specific, such as exerting antagonistic effect on the gastroenteric pathogens Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter jejuni, Helicobacter pylori and rotavirus, neutralising food mutagens produced in colon, shifting the immune response towards a Th2 response, and thereby alleviating allergic reactions, and lowering serum cholesterol (Tannock, 2002). Unfortunately, most publications are case reports, uncontrolled studies in humans, or reports of animal or in vitro studies. Whether or not the probiotic strains employed shall be of human origin is a matter of debate but this is not a matter of concern, as long as the strains can be shown to survive the transport in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract and to colonise the human large intestine. This includes survival in the stressful environment of the stomach - acidic pH and bile - with induction of new genes encoding a number of stress proteins. Since the availability of antioxidants decreases rostrally in the GI tract production of antioxidants by colonic bacteria provides a beneficial effect in scavenging free radicals. LAB strains commonly produce antimicrobial substance(s) with activity against the homologous strain, but LAB strains also often produce microbicidal substances with effect against gastric and intestinal pathogens and other microbes, or compete for cell surface and mucin binding sites. This could be the mechanism behind reports that some probiotic strains inhibit or decrease translocation of bacteria from the gut to the liver. A protective effect against cancer development can be ascribed to binding of mutagens by intestinal bacteria, reduction of the enzymes beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase, and deconjugation of bile acids, or merely by enhancing the immune system of the host. The latter has attracted considerable interest, and LAB have been tested in several clinical trials in allergic diseases. Characteristics ascribed to a probiotic strain are in general strain specific, and individual strains have to be tested for each property. Survival of strains during production, packing and storage of a viable cell mass has to be tested and declared.
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PMID:Lactic acid bacteria as probiotics. 1687 22

The gut anaerobic fungi,Neocallimastix hurleyensis and aOrpinomyces sp., were grown in 100 mL batch and continuous-flow cultures on wheat straw at a concentration of 80 g dry matter/L of culture liquid. In batch cultures,N. hurleyensis and Orpinomyces sp. degraded only ca. 9% and 5% of the wheat straw, respectively. In continuous-flow cultures, however, the two fungi degraded 52-56% of the apparent dry matter of wheat straw. Both fungi were able to produce greater quantities (up to x 30) of cell-wall degrading enzymes (CMCase, xylanase, beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase) in continuous-flow cultures than in the corresponding batch cultures. Increasing the dilution rate in continuous-flow culture resulted in the production of increased enzyme activity for all the measured cell-wall degrading enzymes, with proportional relationships between dilution rate and the cumulative activities of beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase. Dilution rates, however, had no consistent effect on the cumulative production of the fermentation end-products, acetate, formate, D- and L-lactate from both fungi. In addition to acetate and formate,N. hurleyens is produced D- and L-lactate in both batch and continuous-flow cultures, whereas only trace amounts of L-lactate were detected in the Orpinomyces sp. cultures.
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PMID:Dilution rate increases production of plant cell-wall degrading enzymes by anaerobic fungi in continuous-flow culture. 1688 62

Cellulose is the most abundant polymer in nature and constitutes a large pool of carbon for microorganisms, the main agents responsible for soil organic matter decomposition. Cellulolysis occurs as the result of the combined action of fungi and bacteria with different requirements. Earthworms influence decomposition indirectly by affecting microbial population structure and dynamics and also directly because the guts of some species possess cellulolytic activity. Here we assess whether the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny 1826) digests cellulose directly (i.e., with its associated gut microbiota) and also whether the effects of E. fetida on microbial biomass and activity lead to a change in the equilibrium between fungi and bacteria. By enhancing fungal communities, E. fetida would presumably trigger more efficient cellulose decomposition. To evaluate the role of E. fetida in cellulose decomposition, we carried out an experiment in which pig slurry, a microbial-rich substrate, was treated in small-scale vermireactors with and without earthworms. The presence of earthworms in vermireactors significantly increased the rate of cellulose decomposition (0.43 and 0.26% cellulose loss day(-1), with and without earthworms, respectively). However, the direct contribution of E. fetida to degradation of cellulose was not significant, although its presence increased microbial biomass (C(mic)) and enzyme activity (cellulase and beta-glucosidase). Surprisingly, as fungi may be part of the diet of earthworms, the activity of E. fetida triggered fungal growth during vermicomposting. We suggest that this activation is a key step leading to more intense and efficient cellulolysis during vermicomposting of organic wastes.
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PMID:Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) activates fungal growth, triggering cellulose decomposition during vermicomposting. 1694 46

Parnassius apollo (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) declines on numerous localities all over Europe. Its local subspecies frankenbergeri, inhabiting the Pieniny Mts (southern Poland) and successfully recovered from extinction, is monophagous in larval stage. In natural conditions, it completes development on the orpine Sedum telephium ssp. maximum. Since proper quality and quantity of necessary nutritional compounds of the food plant ensure developmental success, the digestive processes in the insect midgut should reflect adaptation to a specific food source. The paper presents, for the first time, the activity of detected glycolytic enzymes in midgut tissue and liquid gut contents of the L4 and L5 instars of P. apollo larvae. alpha-Amylase plays the main role in utilization of carbohydrates, contrary to cellulase activity. Saccharase seems to be the main disaccharidase, and high activity of beta-glycosidase enables hydrolysis of the plant glycosides. Trehalase activity was unexpectedly low and comparable to those of cellobiase and lactase. alpha-Amylolytic and other glycolytic activities indicate that larvae utilize starch and other carbohydrate compounds as energy sources. Possible use of some plant allelochemicals as energy sources by Apollo larvae is discussed.
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PMID:Midgut glycosidases activities in monophagous larvae of Apollo butterfly, Parnassius apollo ssp. frankenbergeri. 1702 37

The development of perimicrovillar membranes (PMM) from midgut cells of starved and fed Dysdercus peruvianus was studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and assays for specific enzymatic markers of the perimicrovillar membranes (alpha-glucosidase), perimicrovillar space (aminopeptidase) and microvillar membranes (beta-glucosidase). High activities of these enzymes were observed 6h post-feeding and significant production of membranes was observed at 30 h post-feeding. In the gut cells of starved insects, the rough endoplasmic reticulum was organized in concentric bundles, with a greater number of mitochondria in the cellular apex. The presence of electron dense double-membrane vesicles and the production of PMM were not observed in this condition. Thirty hours post-feeding, a disorganization of the rough endoplasmic reticulum was observed, and it was possible to see double-membrane vesicles close to the cell apex. The membrane system formation was evident with a significant development of PMM in the midgut lumen. The luminal surface of the midgut during starvation and up to 48 h post-feeding was monitored using SEM. It was demonstrated that in the starved condition, the PMM was virtually absent from gut cells, except at the base of the microvilli. At 6h post-feeding, the microvilli were already completely covered with PMM, but with a maximum of PMM formation seen at 30 h post-feeding. Signals of PMM degradation were observed 48 h after pulse feeding.
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PMID:Biphasic perimicrovillar membrane production following feeding by previously starved Dysdercus peruvianus (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae). 1745 41

Immunosuppressive and antibacterial regimens in children after liver transplantation create a gut microflora imbalance that can be indirectly measured by the activity of fecal enzymes. The aim of this study was to specify the influence of diet supplementation with probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN on the activity of beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, and urease. Twenty-five children after liver transplantation (13 girls, 12 boys) ages 3 to 17 years were enrolled in the study. Two months after bacteria application the levels of all 3 enzymes decreased, reaching statistical significance for beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase. Complete rebound in enzyme activity was observed months after the end of probiotic supplementation. We concluded that Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 consumption decreased fecal enzyme activity, a beneficial effect limited to the period of bacteria intake.
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PMID:Effect of Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 application on the activity of fecal enzymes in children after liver transplantation. 1808 57

Here we studied how the transit through the gut of the earthworm Eisenia fetida affects the microbial and nutrient stabilization of pig and cow manure, by analyzing fresh casts. Earthworms reduced the pools of dissolved organic C and N in casts from both types of manure, as wells as mineral N. Microbial biomass was enhanced only in casts from pig manure and did not change in casts from cow manure, and fungal populations only raised in casts from cow manure. Earthworms reduced microbial activity in casts from cow manure and did not modify in casts from pig slurry. Enzyme activities in casts also depended on the manure ingested; there were no changes in dehydrogenase and beta-glucosidase activities, whereas acid and alkaline phosphatases increased. The results indicate that the first stage in vermicomposting of pig and cow manure by E. fetida, i.e. casting, produced a microbial stabilization decreasing the activity of microorganisms; this stabilization occurred despite of the increase in microbial biomass. The strong reduction in nutrient pools of manures may be the responsible of this contradiction. These changes will influence the dynamics of the organic matter degradation by reducing forms of C and N available to microorganisms and hence restricting their growth and multiplication. Nevertheless, casts were also characterized by an increased enzyme potential that might lead to a further thorough degradation of pig and cow manure.
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PMID:Microbial and nutrient stabilization of two animal manures after the transit through the gut of the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). 1851 Nov 87

beta-Glycosidase activities present in the human colonic microbiota act on glycosidic plant secondary compounds and xenobiotics entering the colon, with potential health implications for the human host. Information on beta-glycosidases is currently limited to relatively few species of bacteria from the human colonic ecosystem. We therefore screened 40 different bacterial strains that are representative of dominant bacterial groups from human faeces for beta-glucosidase and beta-glucuronidase activity. More than half of the low G+C% Gram-positive firmicutes harboured beta-glucosidase activity, while beta-glucuronidase activity was only found in some firmicutes within clostridial clusters XIVa and IV. Most of the Bifidobacterium spp. and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron carried beta-glucosidase activity. A beta-glucuronidase gene belonging to family 2 glycosyl hydrolases was detected in 10 of the 40 isolates based on degenerate PCR. These included all nine isolates that gave positive assays for beta-glucuronidase activity, suggesting that the degenerate PCR could provide a useful assay for the capacity to produce beta-glucuronidase in the gut community. beta-Glucuronidase activity was induced by growth on d-glucuronic acid, or by addition of 4-nitrophenol-glucuronide, in Roseburia hominis A2-183, while beta-glucosidase activity was induced by 4-nitrophenol-glucopyranoside. Inducibility varied between strains.
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PMID:Distribution of beta-glucosidase and beta-glucuronidase activity and of beta-glucuronidase gene gus in human colonic bacteria. 1853 37


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