Lithium is widely recognized for its benefits as a medication to treat mood disorders. Low-dose lithium has been commercially available for decades as a nutritional supplement, but there is little research on its effects. Emerging evidence suggests that low-dose lithium may offer therapeutic benefits in mood disorders and cognition, with better tolerability and accessibility than higher doses. To explore individuals' willingness to consider taking lithium supplements, and to explore the experiences of those currently taking lithium supplements. Qualitative study. Two qualitative studies were undertaken. First, a focus group was conducted with those who had not taken lithium supplements before and were concerned about their own or another individual's cognitive health. Second, individual semi-structured interviews were undertaken with participants who were currently taking lithium supplements. Data from each study were analyzed separately using thematic analysis. Four overall findings emerged. These relate to lithium supplement effects on mood stability, anxiety, and cognition, as well as distrust toward unfamiliar supplements. Participants taking lithium supplements perceived improvements in balancing and enhancing mood, reductions in anxiety and stress, and improved ability to cope with challenging situations. Three-quarters reported perceived improvement in cognition, particularly concentration and memory. Participants from both groups noted that, initially, lithium supplements elicited feelings of unease and wariness, partly due to association with lithium as a medication, as well as lack of information about its supplement form and an unawareness that lithium is a naturally occurring mineral. Results suggest that there may be benefits from lithium supplements. Participants reported a wide range of perceived benefits across mood, anxiety, and cognition, but also displayed skepticism toward lithium supplements. This research is limited by its size and likely lack of generalizability to the wider population; clinical trials are needed to clarify the safety and efficacy of lithium supplements. What do people think about lithium supplements? Lithium is an effective medication used to treat mood disorders like bipolar disorder and depression. It is also available as a food supplement, where the dose is much lower. There is some new evidence that this ‘low-dose’ lithium could also help people with mood disorders, as well as thinking skills (known as cognition), without some of the side effects that medication lithium has. In this study, we asked some people about their thoughts on lithium supplements. Some of these people had never taken lithium supplements, and they were worried about their, or someone else’s, cognition. The other people were taking lithium supplements. We found that people taking lithium felt like their mood was better and more balanced, with less anxiety and stress too. Most people also felt their cognition was better, like concentration and memory. Both groups of people said that were initially sceptical of lithium supplements, feeling intimation, unease, and wariness when thinking about lithium supplements. We need more scientific studies to look into the safety and benefits of lithium supplements.
The present study evaluated the effect of intermittent folic acid supplementation administered via drinking water on the productive and reproductive performance of Ross 308 breeder flocks. The experiment was conducted in two houses (A and B). Birds from house A received folic acid supplementation (10 mg/L for 5 consecutive days at selected ages: 27, 31, 35, 39, 43, 47, 51, and 55 weeks), while the birds from control group (house B) received no supplementation. Egg production, body weight of hens and roosters, egg weight, fertility, hatchability, egg quality traits, and early embryonic mortality were analyzed during the laying period (24-56 weeks of age). The results showed a typical breeder pattern of decreasing egg production and hatchability with advancing age, accompanied by an increase in body weight of birds and egg weight in both groups. Folic acid supplementation resulted in variable and inconsistent effects depending on bird age and the analyzed trait. At specific production weeks, improvements in fertility, hatchability, and early embryonic survival were observed in the supplemented group; however, these effects were not consistently maintained throughout the entire experimental period. Moreover, some egg quality traits, including cracked and deformed eggs, showed an unfavorable or variable response to supplementation in certain weeks. Overall, no uniform effect of intermittent folic acid supplementation was observed across all reproductive and production parameters. While some beneficial effects on selected early embryonic development traits were identified, these responses were age-dependent and inconsistent. However, these effects are age-dependent and not consistently expressed throughout the laying period, indicating the need for further research to determine the optimal dose and supplementation scheme under commercial production conditions.
Favipiravir, an antiviral flu drug used in COVID-19 management, was selected to study the adverse effects on neuropsychological stress and neurobehavior in an adult zebrafish model. The ability of vitamin D to act as a supplement and counteract the side effects was studied. Exposure of favipiravir may affect the gut-liver-brain axis and cause neurobehavioral and neuropsychological changes along with increase in oxidative stress parameter. Vitamin D might provide supplementary actions against them and restore homeostasis. Zebrafish were exposed to three different sub-lethal concentrations of the drug (60.45 mg/L, 6.05 mg/L, 0.60 mg/L) based on LC50, and additional exposure group of combination of sub-lethal concentrations of favipiravir with vitamin D (3000 IU/g) were carried out. Acute exposure (60.45 mg/L, 6.05 mg/L, 0.60 mg/L) was given for 5 days, and then exposure was ceased, followed by maintenance of the zebrafish for 10 days to study the long-term effects of favipiravir. The highest concentration of favipiravir (60.54 mg/L) showed a significant decrease in oxidative stress parameters-superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase activities and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes with vitamin D and favipiravir (60.45 mg/L) groups was observed. Favipiravir (60.45 mg/L) showed reduced BDNF gene expression, serotonin levels, and AChE activity. There was an upregulation of CRH and TSHβ gene and an increase in whole body cortisol levels. Exposure to favipiravir induces gut dysbiosis, leading to an increase in abundance of Proteobacteria and a decrease in Fusobacteriota, altering the gut-brain axis. The changes cause reduced locomotion, impaired memory function, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, favipiravir exposure in sub-lethal doses causes neurotoxicity in the zebrafish model, and vitamin D showed a supplementary effect by restoring homeostasis. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-025-06255-6.
This research project addressed the effect of commercial, liquid phytase (Ronozyme®HiPhos- 20,000 FYT g- 1) (dsm-firmenich, Switzerland), produced by Aspergillus niger, on growth performance, economic return, enzymatic activities, and immune defense in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) raised in a commercial tilapia farm. Adult, all-male fish, weighing 75.28 ± 0.66 g on average, were housed in triplicate in 2-m3 hapas, placed in an earthen fishpond, at a density of 40 fish hapa- 1. The fish were offered a basal commercial, extruded (floating) tilapia diet (3 mm diameter, 30% CP and 18.6 MJ kg- 1), supplemented with 10 g monocalcium phosphate (MCP) kg- 1 (control), 2000 FYT phytase kg- 1 or 50% of both MCP and phytase (5 g MCP + 1000 FYT kg- 1) for 80 days. performance, muscle composition, and the activities of digestive and liver enzymes were not affected (P > 0.05) in all treatments. Phosphorus (P) content in fish flesh and bones significantly increased in individuals fed phytase-based diets compared to the MCP-based feed. Phytase-based diets at 2000 FYT kg- 1 (with no MCP supplementation) and 1000 FYT kg- 1 plus 5 g MCP kg- 1 were more profitable than the reference diet. Exogenous phytase significantly increased (p < 0.05) blood erythrocytes (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), and leukocytes (WBCs), while mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), packed cell volume (PCV), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) remained unchanged. Immune and antioxidant parameters were also enhanced in fish fed the phytase-based feed, as evidenced by significant increases in alternative complement activity (ACH50), lysozyme activity, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, alongside reduced malondialdehyde concentrations (P < 0.05). Overall, these findings suggest that supplemental phosphorus (P) can be completely excluded from commercial tilapia feeds when the phytase enzyme (Ronozyme®HiPhos) is added at approximately 2000 FYT kg- 1. Phytase could also enhance the immune response and reduce the environmental impacts that would otherwise result from P release into the environment.
Oocyte maturation requires substantial ATP, and the resulting oxidative stress may impair follicular development. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), an antioxidant compound, protects mitochondria and promotes follicular development in animal models; however, its effects on human ovarian function remain unclear. This single-arm, open-label study prospectively evaluated the effects of oral PQQ supplementation on ovarian reserve and related clinical and biochemical outcomes. The primary outcome was serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). Secondary outcomes included luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, biological antioxidant potential, reactive oxygen metabolites-derived compounds (d-ROMs), and Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) scores. Fifty healthy women aged 25-42 years with regular menstrual cycles and baseline serum AMH levels of 0.5 ≤ AMH < 3.0 ng/mL received 20 mg/day of PQQ for 90 ± 10 days. Blood samples were collected on menstrual cycle days 1-7 before and after supplementation. Exploratory subgroup analyses were performed using combined stratification by age and baseline AMH. Analyses were conducted in the per-protocol set (n = 35). AMH did not change significantly overall (1.561 ± 0.689 vs. 1.439 ± 0.772 ng/mL, p = 0.182). In younger participants with lower baseline AMH (n = 7), AMH showed a non-significant increase (1.121 ± 0.379 vs. 1.361 ± 0.604 ng/mL, p = 0.056), accompanied by a significant decrease in d-ROMs (351.3 ± 43.5 vs. 305.3 ± 34.3 U. CARR, p = 0.027). In contrast, older participants with lower baseline AMH (n = 13) showed a significant decrease in AMH (1.066 ± 0.296 vs. 0.852 ± 0.312 ng/mL, p = 0.033), while d-ROMs remained unchanged. Across the overall cohort, d-ROMs showed a non-significant reduction (334.2 ± 59.7 vs. 321.5 ± 63.9 U. CARR, p = 0.090). PQQ supplementation did not alter AMH levels in the overall cohort. Subgroup findings were inconsistent and should be interpreted cautiously given the small sample sizes and absence of a control group. These exploratory results do not permit conclusions regarding clinical efficacy. Larger, placebo-controlled trials with imaging-based and clinical reproductive endpoints are needed to determine whether PQQ has measurable effects on ovarian biology. https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000056669, identifier UMIN000049793.
Diet-induced inflammation is a major cause of muscle degeneration impacting human and animal health. Owing to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, polyphenols have attracted considerable interest as feed additives. Using a combined immunohistochemical, western blotting (WB), and proteomic approach, we tested the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory diet in zebrafish (Danio rerio) induces skeletal muscle degeneration, and that dietary polyphenols can prevent or reverse this effect. Fish were supplemented with a blend of polyphenol extracts, tannins from Castanea sativa shells and apigenin from Verbascum macrurum, administered before (PVpreI), during (PVwithI), or after (PVpostI) the inflammatory diet. Inflammation led to muscle fiber degeneration, expanded intercellular space, and increased TNF-α, COX2, and caspase 3 expression. Polyphenol supplementation prevented or attenuated these alterations and reduced expression of inflammatory markers. WB revealed changes in IκBα phosphorylation, desmin, and titin levels in inflamed muscle, fully or partially restored in PVpreI and PVwithI groups. Proteomics of inflamed muscles showed quantitative alterations in structural and regeneration-related proteins, connective tissue components, inflammatory and immune mediators, and metabolite transporters, reflecting the observed morphological and molecular changes, which were in most cases reverted in polyphenol-treated groups. These outcomes demonstrate that dietary supplementation with a specific polyphenol blend counteracts muscle atrophy by modulating the proteomic landscape. Among treatments, polyphenol pre-treatment was the most effective in preventing inflammation-induced damage, followed by co- and post-treatment, which showed partial recovery. These findings strongly support the use of dietary polyphenols as a robust nutritional strategy to preserve muscle integrity during systemic inflammation. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
We investigated the mTOR pathway in relation to gut microbiome composition and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) in aged male Wistar rats undergoing resistance exercise and multi-nutrient supplementation. Thirty-five male rats (OC, YC, OS, OR, ORS; n = 7/group) underwent 8-week moderate-intensity resistance training and/or supplementation (Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, vitamin D, leucine). Muscle samples were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot; fecal DNA by 16S rRNA sequencing (p < 0.05). Finding revealed significant increases in the mTOR/IGF-1/S6K1 protein content and gene expression in the ORS group compared to OS and OR groups (mTORC1: ORS vs. OR, p = 0.011; ORS vs. OS, p < 0.001; IGF-1: ORS vs. OR, p = 0.008; ORS vs. OS, p = 0.001), which showed only mild increases. The F/B ratio decreased in all intervention groups, with ORS reaching levels comparable to YC (p = 0.207). Resistance training alone did not significantly affect Fn, but the ORS group had the lowest Fn levels, comparable to YC (p = 0.069) and significantly lower than OR and OS (p = 0.001). The study provides novel evidence that combined resistance training and multi-nutrient supplementation (L. plantarum, B. bifidum, vitamin D, leucine) upregulates mTOR/IGF-1/S6K1 signaling and reduces Fusobacterium nucleatum in aged male rats. The ORS group outperformed either intervention alone; Fn correlates strongly with S6K1 (r = -0.85) and IGF-1 (r = -0.81), supporting the gut-muscle axis as a therapeutic target for sarcopenia.
The overuse of antibiotics in poultry production has raised global concerns on antimicrobial resistance thereby increasing the need for effective and sustainable alternatives such as probiotics. Although previous research reveals that Lactobacillus reuteri and Streptomyces coelicolor supplementation improves performance metrics in broiler chickens, the molecular mechanisms contributing to these outcomes remain unclear. The goal of this study was to assess the transcriptomic and metabolomic responses of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with L. reuteri, S. coelicolor, or their combination. A total of 240-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments and raised under standard commercial conditions for eight weeks. Liver and intestine samples collected at weeks 4 and 8 were subjected to RNA isolation, sequencing and differential gene expression analysis. Transcriptome profiling revealed unique gene expression patterns associated with each probiotic treatment and organ. Functional enrichment analyses highlighted the modulation of key immune pathways including cytokine signaling and lymphocyte activation, as well as metabolic pathways related to lipid processing and electrolyte balance. Metabolomics revealed that the combination treatment produced the largest unique number of detected metabolites. Together, we demonstrate that the combination of L. reuteri and S. coelicolor induced a synergistic transcriptional and metabolomic response that affects both immune regulation and nutrient metabolism. These findings provide insight into the host-probiotic interaction at the molecular level and support the potential use of targeted probiotics as functional feed additives in poultry.
Obesity induced by high‑fat, high‑sucrose diets (HFSD) remains a major global health challenge, disrupting lipid metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gut microbial balance. These disturbances underscore the need for safe interventions capable of restoring metabolic regulation. Senna alexandrina (SA), traditionally used for weight reduction, has recently been shown to modulate the gut microbiota beyond its laxative effects. To enhance efficacy while minimizing adverse outcomes, this study investigated the effects of a low and safe dose of SA combined with intermittent fasting (IF), a strategy that reshapes nutrient availability and microbial dynamics. HFSD‑induced obese rats were treated for four weeks with SA leaf powder (300 mg/kg/day), IF, or both. Bioactive constituents of SA were characterized using LC‑HRMS, alongside systematic evaluation of physiological and metabolic parameters-including adiposity, morphometry, lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity markers, and gut-endocrine axis indicators. SA supplementation showed improvements across all parameters, surpassing those achieved with IF alone. Importantly, the combined intervention (SA+IF) yielded complementary benefits, notably enhancing GLUT4 expression, short‑chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, peptide YY (PYY) secretion, and reducing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. These findings highlight the complementary roles of SA and IF in metabolic regulation, providing experimental evidence for a potential dietary approach to mitigate obesity‑related dysfunction.
Probiotics have emerged as promising modulators of bone metabolism. This study evaluated the bone-protective effects of Streptococcus thermophilus Yilife-SST01 alone or in combination with Bifidobacterium bifidum BL-99 using MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and a hindlimb unloading-induced osteoporosis model in Sprague-Dawley rats. S. thermophilus Yilife-SST01 promoted osteoblast mineralization and significantly inhibited osteoclast activity in both cancellous and cortical bone. Micro-CT analysis demonstrated marked improvements in bone microarchitecture, with bone mineral density increasing by 38.70% in the SST01 group and by 78.30% in the combined treatment group. Probiotic supplementation also increased fecal short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyrate and propionate, and reduced unloading-induced inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10. Whole-genome analysis confirmed the safety of both probiotic strains, with no classical virulence or acquired antimicrobial resistance genes detected. These findings indicate that S. thermophilus Yilife-SST01, especially when combined with B. bifidum BL-99, effectively alleviates unloading-induced osteoporosis by promoting bone formation, suppressing bone resorption, enhancing SCFA production, and modulating inflammatory responses, supporting its potential as a probiotic strategy for improving bone health.
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is characterised by chronic cutaneous wounds and gastrointestinal complications, including constipation. Aim to identify factors that impacted stool frequency and laxative use in paediatric patients with severe subtypes of EB. Retrospective data collection on demographics, type of EB, total fibre intake (food, enteral formula and supplements), probiotic supplementation, laxative use, iron supplementation, opioid-based pain medication, stool consistency and frequency using the Bristol Stool Chart. Data collected on 37 patients. The mean total fibre intake was 16.67 g/day (10.67 SD). Twenty-seven of 37 (73%) children were on macrogol osmotic laxatives. Children who were taking fibre supplementation were also more likely to be on macrogol compared to children not taking fibre supplementation (p = 0.047). No significant association was found between total fibre intake g/day or fibre reference nutrient intake (%) on stool consistency, r = -0.04 and r = -0.3, respectively. Children taking iron supplements were more likely to take macrogol compared to children not on iron supplements. Eight of 37 patients were on regular probiotics, but there was not a significant reduction in the need for macrogol osmotic laxatives compared to children not taking probiotics (χ2 0.025, p-value 0.87). Patients who were on fibre supplementation were also more likely to take laxatives. Patients on iron supplements had a greater reliance on laxatives than those patients not taking iron supplements, further demonstrating the impact iron has within the intestines. The potential benefits of probiotics in the management of constipation may be suppressed in children with EB due to regular antibiotic administration.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation to diets with different energy levels on growth performance, carcass traits, and gut health status in broiler chickens. A total of 9500 1-day-old Ross 308 broilers (equal numbers of males and females) were allocated to 1 of 5 dietary treatments (10 replicate pens per treatment; 190 broilers per pen) for 41 days. Experimental diets included a positive control (PC) with standard metabolizable energy (ME); negative controls with PC -50 kcal/kg ME (NC1) or -75 kcal/kg ME (NC2); and NC1 and NC2 supplemented with 0.06% GAA. Reducing dietary ME by both 50 and 75 kcal/kg significantly increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) during the finisher phase (25-41 days) and across the entire growth period (0-41 days) (p < 0.05). GAA supplementation in the low-energy diets significantly decreased FCR (p < 0.05), but did not differ significantly from the PC group (p > 0.05) during the respective periods. Dietary treatments had no significant effects on carcass yield, cut yields and abdominal fat percentage (p > 0.05). The relative liver weight increased significantly in all treatment groups compared to the positive control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the PC diet, the villus surface area was significantly reduced in both the NC1 and NC2 diets, while only the NC2 diet resulted in a significant decrease in the number of goblet cells (p < 0.05). GAA supplementation to NC2 significantly improved the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, villus surface area and goblet cell number in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Lactobacillus and coliform counts were not affected by dietary treatments (p > 0.05), whereas total aerobic counts increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the NC2 + GAA group compared with NC1. Reducing dietary energy by 50 kcal/kg led to a significant decrease in short-chain fatty acid levels, whereas GAA supplementation increased those levels in both low-energy diets (p < 0.05). Conversely, branched-chain fatty acid concentrations were not significantly affected by dietary treatments (p > 0.05). The results indicate that dietary energy reduction adversely affected growth performance and gut health, whereas GAA supplementation compensated for these effects. Furthermore, the inclusion of 0.06% GAA can spare up to 75 kcal ME/kg in broiler diets, while maintaining growth performance and, to some extent, improving gut health.
Cortisol is a key glucocorticoid hormone involved in the physiological stress response of animals. Its secretion, largely regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, is essential for animal welfare and growth. Recent studies have shown that this stress-regulatory system operates in coordination with the gut microbiota, communicating with the brain through the gut-brain axis. Given that the diet can modulate microbial composition, dietary interventions thus offer potential in modulating HPA activity. Inulin is a prebiotic that promotes beneficial gut microbiota such as Lactobacilli and enhances intestinal health. Microbial fermentation exerts anti-inflammatory effects and strengthens the gut barrier through short-chain fatty acids, potentially influencing stress physiology via the gut-brain axis. In this study, we focused on the effects of inulin on cortisol in saliva and hair samples of pigs as indicators of acute and chronic stress responses, respectively. Animals were housed at low or high density and received inulin supplementation or none. Mixing at weaning and at the start of fattening was used as an acute social stressor. Saliva samples were collected from 3 pens per experimental group, from 84 animals before and after animal mixing. Due to contamination, only 153 samples were retained for analysis. Hair samples were collected from 48 animals at the end of the post-weaning phase and 5 weeks into the fattening phase. Due to insufficient hair material, only 53 samples were suitable for analysis. Cortisol quantification was done by ELISA. Data were analysed using a Four Parameter Logistic (4PL) calibration curve, and linear mixed-effects models (LLMs) were performed on the obtained results to verify significance. Inulin reduced basal salivary cortisol levels before the second animal mixing (P < 0.05) but pre- and post-mixing cortisol levels did not differ significantly at either phase, nor did cortisol elevation differ between groups. For chronic stress, a significant interaction between animal density and diet was observed at the end of the post-weaning period (P < 0.05), where inulin mitigated the effect of high density. Overall, environmental and dietary factors jointly influenced stress responses. To conclude, beyond its well-established benefits for intestinal health, inulin may serve as a promising dietary strategy to enhance animal welfare by modulating circulating cortisol levels and mitigating stress responses in pigs. Cortisol is a key hormone released when animals experience stress. When cortisol rises too high or too often, negative consequences for welfare and development may occur. Because the gut and the brain are tightly connected, an animal’s diet can influence how it responds to stress. This study examined whether supplementing pig diets with inulin could influence cortisol levels. Salivary cortisol was measured to assess short-term stress and hair cortisol evaluated longer-term stress. Pigs were kept in either high or low housing density and were mixed at weaning and at the start of the fattening phase to induce stress. The results indicated that pigs receiving inulin showed lower baseline salivary cortisol before the second mixing event. With respect to longer-term stress, hair cortisol levels were elevated by the housing density, but this effect was reduced by the inulin supplementation when measured during the post-weaning phase. Overall, these findings suggest that inulin supplementation can help reduce cortisol levels in pigs and may contribute to improved animal welfare.
Malnutrition and treatment-related catabolism undermine outcomes in oncology. This study aimed to characterize nutritional modalities, outcomes, and contextual effectiveness in cancer management. Following a predefined scope, a comprehensive search was conducted across three academic databases to identify relevant literature. Eligible study designs for inclusion were randomized controlled trials, pilot/feasibility studies, and matched cohort studies in adults with cancer that reported patient/clinical outcomes. Data were charted on population, intervention components, comparators, outcomes, feasibility, and further synthesized narratively. Fifteen studies conducted in countries such as Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and India were included. The interventions were clustered as follows: (i) dietitian-led counselling with quantified energy/protein targets; (ii) oral nutrition supplements such as whey protein, ω-3/EPA-enriched formulas, and adapted foods; (iii) dietary patterns (modified Atkins); and (iv) multimodal prehabilitation including nutrition plus exercise/psychosocial, and sometimes anti-inflammatory medication. During chemotherapy, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-enriched oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) improved appetite, intake, and treatment tolerability, whereas survival remained unchanged. Cachexia programs were feasible and safe, but adherence to supplements lagged behind exercise and medication. Culturally appropriate foods were also found to enhance acceptability and quality of life. Nutritional therapy is a feasible and clinically meaningful component of cancer care. Impact varied by context and fidelity; however, harmonized outcomes, adherence optimization, and cost-effectiveness data are needed to inform commissioning, scale-up, and evaluation strategies.
This study investigates the impact of dietary supplementation with nanoparticles of Arthrospira platensis (previously known as Spirulina platensis) on the performance of the mullet Mugil cephalus during a 63-day feeding trial. Fish (14.75 ± 0.23 g/fish) were randomly distributed into five groups of 30 fish per hapa, with three replicates per group. Five experimental diets were prepared to assess nano-A. platensis supplementation at three inclusion levels: 0.5, 5, and 10 g/kg (SN0.05%, SN0.5%, and SN1%). Two control groups were included for comparison: a negative control without additives (S0%) and a positive control with 1% non-nanoform A. platensis (S1%). Among all SN groups, the fish fed the SN0.05% diet showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) values for final weight (FW), specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and feed efficiency ratio (FER). Also, the middle intestine showed marked improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in villus height and width, muscularis mucosa thickness, and the number of goblet cells when fish were fed the various SN levels or the S1% diet. Moreover, fish treated with A. platensis nanoparticles showed a noticeable enhancement in hepatic histomorphology, with the SN0.05% group exhibiting the most intact hepatic structure. However, the S0% diet had the highest alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) compared to other diets supplemented with different A. platensis levels. No significant difference (p > 0.05) in albumin levels was observed. Non-nano A. platensis improved immunoglobulin M (IgM) activity compared with the control (S0%). The nanoform diets resulted in the highest lysozyme (LYZ) activity, with the SN0.05% treatment showing the highest values of all groups. Fish fed A. platensis, either as nanoparticles or in its non-nano form, showed significantly lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (p ≤ 0.05) than those that were fed the control diet (S0%). Additionally, all diets containing either nano- or non-nanoform A. platensis (SN0.05%, SN0.5%, SN1%, and S1%) resulted in increased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), alongside decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, in comparison to S0%. In general, our findings showed that A. platensis nanoparticles improve M. cephalus growth performance, intestinal and hepatic histomorphology, immune response, feed utilization, and antioxidant enzyme activity. Therefore, nano-A. platensis could be an efficient feed additive for M. cephalus, making mullet farming more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.
Heat stress is a major environmental challenge that impairs growth performance, hepatic redox homeostasis, and meat quality in broilers, primarily through oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Dimethylglycine sodium salt (DMG-Na), a methyl donor involved in one-carbon metabolism, is known to regulate redox balance and mitochondrial function, indicating its potential to alleviate heat stress-induced physiological disturbances. This study evaluated the protective effects of dietary DMG-Na on heat stress-induced physiological and metabolic disturbances in broilers. Eight hundred 21-day-old chicks were randomly assigned to a thermoneutral control group (TN) or heat stress groups receiving a basal diet supplemented with 0, 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg DMG-Na (HS, HSD2, HSD4, HSD6). Heat stress significantly reduced average daily gain and feed intake, increased feed conversion ratio, elevated serum ALT and AST activities, disrupted redox balance, impaired mitochondrial antioxidant capacity and energy metabolism, and deteriorated meat quality (P < 0.05). Dietary DMG-Na supplementation markedly alleviated these adverse effects by improving growth performance, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities, reducing oxidative damage, restoring mitochondrial respiratory chain function and ATP production, and improving meat quality parameters (P < 0.05). Transcriptomic and quantitative gene expression analyses further demonstrated that DMG-Na partially reversed heat stress-induced alterations in genes related to redox regulation, cell adhesion, and mitochondrial function. Overall, these findings indicate that dietary DMG-Na supplementation effectively mitigates heat stress-induced oxidative and metabolic disturbances in broilers, with 200 mg/kg appearing sufficient to achieve most protective effects, suggesting a plateau response at higher inclusion levels.
The use of complementary health products (CHPs), including Chinese Proprietary Medicines (CPMs), health supplements, traditional medicines and homeopathic medicines, has become increasingly prevalent in Singapore's multicultural society. While these products are widely used for maintaining health and treating minor ailments and are generally safe, potential adverse effects have been reported. This study analyzes adverse event reports related to CHPs submitted to Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) from 2017 to 2023. AE reports involving CHPs assessed by the Vigilance and Compliance Branch (VCB) of HSA from 2017 to 2023 were collated and analyzed. The analysis included patient demographics, AE details, suspected product information, medical history, laboratory results, concomitant therapies, and reporter's profession. Of the 182,131 AE reports associated with pharmaceutical products and CHPs, 727 reports (0.4%) were associated with CHPs. Health supplements accounted for the highest number of reports (68% of total). "Skin and appendages disorders" were the most commonly reported system organ class, with glucosamine-containing products accounting for the highest number of adverse events. Patients primarily used CHPs for pain relief (33.1%), general health and wellbeing (20.6%), and weight management (8.8%). Products found to contain undeclared illegal substances were most frequently indicated for pain relief. The three most common adulterants were dexamethasone, chlorpheniramine, and prednisolone. While CHPs are generally safe, adulterated products, especially those from dubious sources, pose real health risks. Healthcare professionals and consumers should remain vigilant about potential adulteration and report suspected CHPs related AEs. Even when causality remains unclear, reporting supports timely regulatory actions when concerning patterns emerge. This study examined 727 adverse event reports associated with CHPs between 2017 and 2023, accounting for 0.4% of all reported adverse events. Health supplements were the most frequently reported category, with glucosamine-containing products accounting for the highest number of adverse events, predominantly affecting the skin. Products found to contain undeclared illegal substances were most frequently indicated for pain relief, with dexamethasone, chlorpheniramine, and prednisolone being the most common adulterants found. These findings highlight the need for continued vigilance in the monitoring of CHPs to safeguard public health.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in horses has become sufficiently efficient to be considered for clinical and commercial application; however, several factors influencing its efficiency remain poorly understood. This study evaluated whether incubating equine sperm under capacitating conditions induces capacitation-associated changes and affects embryo development following homologous equine ICSI, as well as oocyte activation, early cleavage, and 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels following heterologous ICSI using bovine oocytes. Equine spermatozoa were incubated for 45 min in either unsupplemented Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate (TALP), representing non-capacitating conditions (NC), or TALP supplemented with bicarbonate and polyvinyl alcohol to support capacitating conditions (CAP), before being used for ICSI. Quantitative data were analyzed using a paired t-test, whereas binomial data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05. Following equine ICSI, cleavage rates, blastocyst rates, and total cell number were comparable between treatments. Similarly, after heterologous ICSI, pronuclear formation and cleavage did not differ between groups. However, levels of 5-methylcytosine at the 8-cell stage were significantly higher in embryos derived from CAP sperm compared with NC sperm. In conclusion, the capacitation conditions evaluated in this study induced capacitation-associated events in equine sperm but did not affect the in vitro developmental competence of equine embryos produced by ICSI. Further studies are warranted to investigate the biological significance of differential DNA methylation levels during early embryo development after sperm incubation. Overall, these findings provide new insight into male factors influencing the efficiency of ICSI in horses.
Precision nutrition in critical illness should be understood as a longitudinal clinical strategy rather than a fixed prescription for calorie and protein delivery. This structured narrative review used PubMed/MEDLINE as the primary database and supplemented the search through Web of Science Core Collection and Google Scholar. Publications from January 2020 to January 2026 were prioritized, while earlier landmark trials, guidelines, and consensus papers were retained when relevant. Evidence from 73 references, including guidelines, randomized trials, systematic reviews, and relevant observational or mechanistic studies, was synthesized. We propose an operational framework with bedside indicators for early acute illness, stabilization/prolonged ICU care, and post-ICU recovery. During early acute instability, safe initiation and tolerance-based progression are favored over immediate completion of calculated targets. During stabilization and recovery, greater emphasis is placed on correcting persistent deficits, preserving lean mass, and supporting rehabilitation. Feeding intolerance is interpreted as gastrointestinal dysfunction, avoidable interruption, aspiration risk, or persistent inability to sustain enteral nutrition. Post-pyloric feeding and supplemental parenteral nutrition are selective escalation strategies, with safeguards against overfeeding and metabolic complications. After ICU discharge, quantified intake, swallowing function, muscle mass, functional trajectory, and participation in rehabilitation should guide continued support. The framework contextualizes existing recommendations and requires prospective validation.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by motor symptoms, with treatment responses varying widely across patients. To address the growing need for individualized treatment strategies, this paper introduces a practical framework for constructing optimal individualized treatment strategies using weighted support vector machines (SVMs). We construct an optimal rule as a function of patients' clinical profiles and demographics using two methods: Outcome-Weighted Learning (OWL), which assumes no unmeasured confounders, and Instrumental Variable Outcome-Weighted Learning (IV-OWL), which accounts for potential unmeasured confounders. To illustrate the application of these methods, we use harmonized and curated clinical data from the NET-PD LS1 and PRECEPT/POSTCEPT studies to estimate the optimal second-line therapy decision rule for supplementing levodopa with either monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors or dopamine receptor agonists (DRA) based on patient characteristics. As an illustrative application, we analyzed two cohorts of patients who initiated second-line therapy within 90 and 180 days of baseline, with sample sizes of 84 and 121, respectively. Although the estimated improvements were not statistically significant, likely due in part to the small sample sizes, the learned IV-OWL rule showed improvement in annualized UPDRS III change compared with the observed treatment strategy and other static treatment strategies. This case study demonstrates the feasibility of applying weighted support vector machines to individualized second-line therapy selection in PD and illustrates the potential value of instrumental variable-based methods in addressing unmeasured confounders.