Journal articles on the topic 'Prebiotic organic matter'
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1
Ehrenfreund, Pascale, Andreas Elsaesser, and J. Groen. "Prebiotic Matter in Space." Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 10, H16 (August 2012): 709–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1743921314013015.
Abstract:
AbstractA significant number of molecules that are used in contemporary biochemistry on Earth are found in interstellar and circumstellar regions as well as solar system environments. In particular small solar system bodies hold clues to processes that formed our solar system. Comets, asteroids, and meteorite delivered extraterrestrial material during the heavy bombardment phase ~3.9 billion years ago to the young planets, a process that made carbonaceous material available to the early Earth. In-depth understanding of the organic reservoir in different space environments as well as data on the stability of organic and prebiotic material in solar system environments are vital to assess and quantify the extraterrestrial contribution of prebiotic sources available to the young Earth.
2
Martins, Zita, and Matthew A. Pasek. "Delivery of Organic Matter to the Early Earth." Elements 20, no. 1 (February 1, 2024): 19–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.2138/gselements.20.1.19.
Abstract:
The inner Solar System—including the planet Earth—was heavily bombarded by comets, asteroids, and their fragments (i.e., meteorites, micrometeorites, and interplanetary dust particles) from 4.56 to about 3.5 billion years ago. This bombardment resulted in a rich assortment of organics delivered to the Earth, as comets and many asteroids contain carbonaceous material. These organic compounds were likely further processed on the early Earth (e.g., by impact-shock reactions), providing a feedstock of prebiotic molecules to the crust and oceans. In this chapter, we review the mechanisms of organic matter delivery to the primitive Earth, further reactions and processing, and the importance of exogenous material in the evolution of our planet and life.
3
Ehrenfreund, Pascale, Marco Spaans, and Nils G. Holm. "The evolution of organic matter in space." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 369, no. 1936 (February 13, 2011): 538–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0231.
Abstract:
Carbon, and molecules made from it, have already been observed in the early Universe. During cosmic time, many galaxies undergo intense periods of star formation, during which heavy elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon and iron are produced. Also, many complex molecules, from carbon monoxide to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are detected in these systems, like they are for our own Galaxy. Interstellar molecular clouds and circumstellar envelopes are factories of complex molecular synthesis. A surprisingly high number of molecules that are used in contemporary biochemistry on the Earth are found in the interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres and surfaces, comets, asteroids and meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. Large quantities of extra-terrestrial material were delivered via comets and asteroids to young planetary surfaces during the heavy bombardment phase. Monitoring the formation and evolution of organic matter in space is crucial in order to determine the prebiotic reservoirs available to the early Earth. It is equally important to reveal abiotic routes to prebiotic molecules in the Earth environments. Materials from both carbon sources (extra-terrestrial and endogenous) may have contributed to biochemical pathways on the Earth leading to life’s origin. The research avenues discussed also guide us to extend our knowledge to other habitable worlds.
4
Jenniskens, P. "Meteor Storms as a Window on the Delivery of Extraterrestrial Organic Matter to the Early Earth." Symposium - International Astronomical Union 213 (2004): 281–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0074180900193416.
Abstract:
The unique rarefied flow and flash heating in meteors creates physical conditions that can change exogenous organic matter into unique prebiotic molecules. with the exception of rare giant comet impacts, most infalling matter at the time of the origin of life was deposited in the atmosphere during the meteor phase. Much new data has been obtained from observations in the Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign; a series of NASA and USAF sponsored Astrobiology missions that explored the 1998–2002 Leonid meteor storms. Here, we provide an overview of some of this recent insight, which provides a framework in which the prebiotic chemistry can be studied.
5
Sephton, Mark A. "Organic matter in carbonaceous meteorites: past, present and future research." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 363, no. 1837 (October 20, 2005): 2729–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2005.1670.
Abstract:
Carbonaceous meteorites are fragments of ancient asteroids that have remained relatively unprocessed since the formation of the Solar System. These carbon-rich objects provide a record of prebiotic chemical evolution and a window on the early Solar System. Many compound classes are present reflecting a rich organic chemical environment during the formation of the planets. Recent theories suggest that similar extraterrestrial organic mixtures may have acted as the starting materials for life on Earth.
6
Sukani, N.br Ketaren, and S.Mutia R.M. "Effect of Adding Synbiotic Isolate Pediococcus Pentosaceus Strain N6 and Cassava Peel Flour on the Digestibility of Dry Matter and Organic Matter of Super Native Chickens." Jurnal Peternakan Integratif 11, no. 3 (April 1, 2024): 189–200. http://dx.doi.org/10.32734/jpi.v11i3.15767.
Abstract:
Public awareness of healthy food is currently getting stronger. Food should be free from antibiotics. As consequence the use of antibiotics as feed additives should be prohibited because it has the potential to produce residues in livestock products and indirectly impact consumers. An alternative substitute for antibiotics that has been widely developed is the administration of synbiotics. Synbiotics are a combination of probiotics and prebiotics. The purpose of this study is to investigate Pediococcus pentosaceus strain N6 isolate as a probiotic and cassava peel as a prebiotic. The research design used was a non-factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications. Each replication consisted of 5 chickens with treatments; P0: Basal ration without additive feed (control), P1: Basal ration + additive feed 150 ml/kg ration, P2: Basal ration + additive feed 300 ml/kg ration and P3: Basal ration + additive feed 450 ml/kg ration. The best digestibility of dry matter and organic matter of super native chicken was obtained in treatment the addition of feed additives of 450 ml/kg ration. In conclusion feed additives of 450 ml/kg ration give good effect on digestibility as well as on feed consumption, dry matter consumption and organic matter consumption
7
Kompanichenko, Vladimir. "The Rise of A Habitable Planet: Four Required Conditions for the Origin of Life in the Universe." Geosciences 9, no. 2 (February 16, 2019): 92. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9020092.
Abstract:
The advanced version of the author’s inversion concept of the origin of terrestrial life and its application for life in the Universe has been substantiated. A key step in the transition to life consists in the thermodynamic inversion of non-living prebiotic microsystems when the contributions of free energy (F) and information (I) become prevalent over the contribution of entropy (S). It is based the thermodynamic corridor that is mandatory for all chemical scenarios for the origin of life: F + I < S (prebiotic microsystem) → F + I ≈ S (intermediate stage, inversion moment) → F + I > S (primary living unit). A prebiotic organic microsystem can reach the intermediate state between non-life and life only under high-frequency and multilevel oscillations of physic-chemical parameters in hydrothermal environments. The oscillations are considered the fourth required condition for the origin of life, in addition to the three well-known ones: the availability of organic matter, an aqueous medium, and a source of energy. The emergence of initial life sparks in nonequilibrium prebiotic microsystems (being at the intermediate state) proceeds through the continuous response (counteraction) of prebiotic microsystems to incessant physic-chemical oscillations (stress). The next step of laboratory simulations on the origin of life directed to the exploration of the microsystems’ response to high-frequency oscillations (>10−10 s–<30 min) is proposed. Finally, some fragments of the general scenario of the origin of life in the Universe based on the whole four required conditions have been outlined.
8
Lavado, Nieves, Juan García de la Concepción, Mario Gallego, Reyes Babiano, and Pedro Cintas. "From prebiotic chemistry to supramolecular oligomers: urea–glyoxal reactions." Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 17, no. 23 (2019): 5826–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9ob01120j.
9
Herd, C. D. K., A. Blinova, D. N. Simkus, Y. Huang, R. Tarozo, C. M. O. Alexander, F. Gyngard, et al. "Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter As Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite." Science 332, no. 6035 (June 9, 2011): 1304–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1203290.
10
Ghiorghita, Gogu, and Gheorghe Surpateanu. "The Prebiotic Stage and the Evolution of Life on Earth." Environment and Natural Resources Research 9, no. 2 (May 16, 2019): 86. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/enrr.v9n2p86.
Abstract:
The paper is a synthesis of the information collected so far on the origin and evolution of life on Earth. The life appearance and its evolution is correlated to matter evolution in univers: Big Bang, inorganic, organic, prebiotic, unicellular and multicellular stages. Concerning prebiotic stage in life evolution we present our theory based on syntone chemistry. Three syntones-methylene, nitrene and carbon monoxid carried by molecular nitrogen at law temperature could furnish the prebiotic bricks (sugars, lipids, proteins) at the contact to primary atmosphere components. Also, we think that these syntones could be considered as sources of great number of organic molecules. All organisms on Earth descend from a last universal common ancestor (LUCA). Two branches were derived from LUCA: one led to bacteria and the other to archaea and eukaryotes. The appearance of photosynthesis determined a transition from the oxygen-free atmosphere to the oxic atmosphere. Due to a series of endosymbioses, Eukaryotes emerged as organisms with nucleated cells and aerobic metabolism (which significantly increased the efficiency of cellular energy production). At about the same time appeared the first multicellular organisms. The paper also presents other important moments in the evolution of life on Earth, including the major biological crises in certain periods, resulting in the mass extinction of some groups of organisms. The evolution of the living world on Earth culminated with the emergence of man, the most complex being with language, superior thinking, emotions, creativity, etc.
11
Meléndez-López, A., M. F. García-Hurtado, J. Cruz-Castañeda, A. Negrón-Mendoza, S. Ramos-Bernal, and A. Heredia. "Gamma Irradiation of Aqueos Solution of L-Aspartic Acid, L-Aspartic Acid in Solid State, and L-Aspartic Acid Adsorbed into Na-Montmorillonite: Its Relevance in Chemistry Prebiotic." Journal of Nuclear Physics, Material Sciences, Radiation and Applications 8, no. 2 (February 10, 2021): 105–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.15415/jnp.2021.82012.
Abstract:
Aspartic acid is an amino acid present in the modern proteins, however, is considered a primitive amino acid hence its importance in prebiotic chemistry experiments studies. In some works of prebiotic chemistry have been studied the synthesis and the stability of organic matter under high energy sources, and the role of clays has been highlighted due to clays that can affect the reaction mechanisms in the radiolytic processes. The present work is focused on the study of the role of Namontmorillonite in the gamma radiolysis processes of L-aspartic acid. Gamma radiolysis processes were carried out in three different systems a) L-aspartic acid in aqueous solution; b) L-aspartic acid in solid-state; and c) L-aspartic acid adsorbed into Na-montmorillonite. L-aspartic acid was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization−mass spectrometry (HPLCESI-MS). The results showed that the decomposition of L-aspartic acid considerably decreased in the presence of clay thus highlighting the protector role of clays and favors the stability of organic matter even under the possible high energy conditions of primitive environments. The principal product ofgamma radiolysis of L-aspartic acid was succinic acid produced by deamination reaction. On the other hand, when aspartic acid was irradiated in solid-state the main product was the L-aspartic acid dimer. Both radiolysis products are important for chemical evolution processes for L-aspartic acid in primitive environments.
12
Nogueira, Juliana Paschoalin De Souza, Fei He, Heather F. Mangian, Patricia Massae Oba, and Maria R. C. De Godoy. "Dietary supplementation of a fiber-prebiotic and saccharin-eugenol blend in extruded diets fed to dogs." Journal of Animal Science 97, no. 11 (October 21, 2019): 4519–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skz293.
Abstract:
Abstract Prebiotics and dietary fibers are nondigestible ingredients that may confer benefits to the host by selectively stimulating beneficial intestinal bacteria and microbial-derived metabolites that support gut and host health. This experiment evaluated the effects of a blend of prebiotics and dietary fibers on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and fecal metabolites related to gastrointestinal health in adult dogs. Four diets containing either 5% cellulose (control; CT), 5% dietary fiber and prebiotic blend (FP), 0.02% saccharin and eugenol (SE), or 5% fiber blend plus 0.02% saccharin and eugenol (FSE) were formulated to meet or exceed the AAFCO (2017) nutritional requirements for adult dogs. Eight adult female beagles (mean age 4.2 ± 1.1 yr; mean BW = 10.8 ± 1.4 kg; mean BCS = 5.8 ± 0.6) were randomly assigned to 1 of the 4 dietary treatments using a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Each experimental period consisted of 14 d (10 d of diet adaptation and 4 d of total and fresh fecal and total urine collection). All animals remained healthy throughout the study, with serum metabolites being within reference ranges for adult dogs. All diets were well accepted by the dogs, resulting in similar (P > 0.05) daily food intakes among treatments. Likewise, fecal output and scores did not differ (P > 0.05) among dietary treatments, with the latter being within the ideal range (2.5–2.9) in a 5-point scale. All diets were highly digestible and had similar (P > 0.05) ATTD of dry matter (81.6%–84.4%), organic matter (86.4%–87.3%), and crude protein (86.6%–87.3%). However, total dietary fiber (TDF) digestibility was greater for dogs fed the FSE diet (P < 0.05) in contrast with dogs fed the CT and SE diets, whereas dogs fed FP diets had intermediate TDF digestibility, but not different from all other treatments. Fecal acetate and propionate concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) for dogs fed FP and FSE diets. Fecal concentrations of isobutyrate and isovalerate were greater for dogs fed CT (P < 0.05) compared with dogs fed the other three treatments. No shifts in fecal microbial richness and diversity were observed among dietary treatments. Overall, the data suggest that dietary supplementation of fiber and prebiotic blend was well tolerated by dogs, did not cause detrimental effects on fecal quality or nutrient digestibility, and resulted in beneficial shifts in fecal metabolites that may support gut health.
13
Segré, D., Y. Pilpel, and D. Lancet. "Mutual catalysis in sets of prebiotic organic molecules: Evolution through computer simulated chemical kinetics." Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications 249, no. 1-4 (January 1998): 558–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0378-4371(97)00516-5.
14
Mayer, Christian. "Life in The Context of Order and Complexity." Life 10, no. 1 (January 18, 2020): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life10010005.
Abstract:
It is generally accepted that life requires structural complexity. However, a chaotic mixture of organic compounds like the one formed by extensive reaction sequences over time may be extremely complex, but could just represent a static asphalt-like dead end situation. Likewise, it is accepted that life requires a certain degree of structural order. However, even extremely ordered structures like mineral crystals show no tendency to be alive. So neither complexity nor order alone can characterize a living organism. In order to come close to life, and in order for life to develop to higher organisms, both conditions have to be fulfilled and advanced simultaneously. Only a combination of the two requirements, complexity and structural order, can mark the difference between living and dead matter. It is essential for the development of prebiotic chemistry into life and characterizes the course and the result of Darwinian evolution. For this reason, it is worthwhile to define complexity and order as an essential pair of characteristics of life and to use them as fundamental parameters to evaluate early steps in prebiotic development. A combination of high order and high complexity also represents a universal type of biosignature which could be used to identify unknown forms of life or remnants thereof.
15
Paschek, Klaus, Dmitry A. Semenov, Ben K. D. Pearce, Kevin Lange, Thomas K. Henning, and Ralph E. Pudritz. "Meteorites and the RNA World: Synthesis of Nucleobases in Carbonaceous Planetesimals and the Role of Initial Volatile Content." Astrophysical Journal 942, no. 1 (January 1, 2023): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aca27e.
Abstract:
Abstract Prebiotic molecules, fundamental building blocks for the origin of life, have been found in carbonaceous chondrites. The exogenous delivery of these organic molecules onto the Hadean Earth could have sparked the polymerization of the first RNA molecules in Darwinian ponds during wet-dry cycles. Here, we investigate the formation of the RNA and DNA nucleobases adenine, uracil, cytosine, guanine, and thymine inside parent body planetesimals of carbonaceous chondrites. An up-to-date thermochemical equilibrium model coupled with a 1D thermodynamic planetesimal model is used to calculate the nucleobase concentrations. Different from previous studies, we assume the initial volatile concentrations more appropriate for the formation zone of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies. This represents more accurately cosmochemical findings that these bodies have formed inside the inner, ∼2–5 au, warm region of the solar system. Due to these improvements, our model represents the concentrations of adenine and guanine measured in carbonaceous chondrites. Our model did not reproduce per se the measurements of uracil, cytosine, and thymine in these meteorites. This can be explained by transformation reactions between nucleobases and the potential decomposition of thymine. The synthesis of prebiotic organic matter in carbonaceous asteroids could be well explained by a combination of (i) radiogenic heating, (ii) aqueous chemistry involving a few key processes at a specific range of radii inside planetesimals where water can exist in the liquid phase, and (iii) a reduced initial volatile content (H2, CO, HCN , and CH2O) of the protoplanetary disk material in the parent body region compared to the outer region of comets.
16
Muñoz Caro, G. M., and E. Dartois. "A tracer of organic matter of prebiotic interest in space, made from UV and thermal processing of ice mantles." Astronomy & Astrophysics 494, no. 1 (December 11, 2008): 109–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:200810309.
17
Adam, Z. R., D. Zubarev, M. Aono, and H. James Cleaves. "Subsumed complexity: abiogenesis as a by-product of complex energy transduction." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 375, no. 2109 (November 13, 2017): 20160348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2016.0348.
Abstract:
The origins of life bring into stark relief the inadequacy of our current synthesis of thermodynamic, chemical, physical and information theory to predict the conditions under which complex, living states of organic matter can arise. Origins research has traditionally proceeded under an array of implicit or explicit guiding principles in lieu of a universal formalism for abiogenesis. Within the framework of a new guiding principle for prebiotic chemistry called subsumed complexity , organic compounds are viewed as by-products of energy transduction phenomena at different scales (subatomic, atomic, molecular and polymeric) that retain energy in the form of bonds that inhibit energy from reaching the ground state. There is evidence for an emergent level of complexity that is overlooked in most conceptualizations of abiogenesis that arises from populations of compounds formed from atomic energy input. We posit that different forms of energy input can exhibit different degrees of dissipation complexity within an identical chemical medium. By extension, the maximum capacity for organic chemical complexification across molecular and macromolecular scales subsumes, rather than emerges from, the underlying complexity of energy transduction processes that drive their production and modification. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Reconceptualizing the origins of life’.
18
Cao, Kailin, Yuanyuan Wang, Menglu Li, Chunyan Zhang, Ludovic Lahaye, M. A. Kabir Chowdhury, Xiaoqin Li, and Xiangjun Leng. "Supplementation of a Multienzyme Complex, an Organic Acid-Essential Oil Complex, and Prebiotic Alone or in Combination Affects Growth, Nutrient Utilization, and Immune Function of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)." Aquaculture Nutrition 2022 (April 11, 2022): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/1068537.
Abstract:
Dietary supplementation of functional additives is an effective strategy to improve the nutritive value of low fish meal diets for fishes. The present study is aimed at investigating the dietary effects of a multienzyme complex, an organic acid-essential oil complex and prebiotic on growth, immune function, and intestinal health of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A positive control diet (PC) and a negative control diet (NC) were formulated to contain 200 g/kg and 100 g/kg of fishmeal, respectively. Seven other diets were formulated by supplementing a multienzyme complex (MC, 0.125 g/kg), organic acid-essential oil complex (OEC, 0.5 g/kg), and prebiotic (P, 2 g/kg) alone or in combination to the NC diet (MC, OEC, P, MC+OEC, MC+P, OEC+P, MC+OEC+P). All diets were formulated to be isoproteic (434.3 g/kg-439.1 g/kg) and isolipidic (119.2 g/kg-125.9 g/kg) and fed to rainbow trout of 7.66 ± 0.05 g for 56 days. The weight gain, apparent digestibility coefficient of dry matter, protein efficiency ratio, and protein retention efficiency were significantly increased, and feed conversion ratio was significantly decreased by the three additives alone or in combination ( P < 0.05 ) compared to the NC. No significant differences in growth performance and feed utilization were observed among the treatment groups. Compared to the NC group, serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transferase activities, and malondialdehyde content reduced significantly, while serum superoxide dismutase increased in all except for the MC group, and alkaline phosphatase and lysozyme activity increased in all except for the MC and MC+P groups ( P < 0.05 ). The foregut protease activity of the MC+P and OEC+P groups and the amylase activity of the OEC and MC+OEC groups were significantly higher than those of the NC group ( P < 0.05 ). The villus height of P, MC+OEC, and OEC+P groups, the villus width of MC group, and the muscle thickness of MC, MC+OEC, and MC+OEC+P groups were also significantly higher than those of the NC group ( P < 0.05 ). Compared to the PC group, the richness and diversity of intestinal microorganisms in the NC group and all the supplemented groups were significantly reduced ( P < 0.05 ), but no differences among them ( P > 0.05 ). In conclusion, the individual or combined supplementation of multienzyme complex, organic acid-essential oil complex, and prebiotic in a low fish meal diet (100 g/kg) improved the growth performance, nutrient utilization, and immune function of rainbow trout, but no synergistic effects were observed in the combination of the three supplements.
19
Kompanichenko, V. N. "Three stages of the origin of life process: bifurcation, stabilization and inversion." International Journal of Astrobiology 7, no. 1 (January 2008): 27–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550407003953.
Abstract:
AbstractThe principal succession of transformations of a prebiotic microsystem leading to its transition into the primary living state is theoretically substantiated. For the first stage of the succession, a significant change in the external conditions constrains an organic microsystem to leave the current stable state with the following transition into a new stable state through the unstable critical (bifurcation) point. At the bifurcation point the microsystem acquires the original properties without which life cannot exist (self-maintaining heterogeneous structure, incessant fluctuations and rearrangement of molecules, exchange with the surroundings by matter and energy, etc.). During the second stage its unstable state stabilizes relatively by means of the balanced oscillations around the bifurcation point (the paradoxical state of ‘stabilized instability’ appears). The third stage is characterized with the radical turn in the network of chemical reactions: the free energy contribution begins to prevail over the entropy contribution. As a result, constructive transformations proceed faster than destructive transformations. At this stage the key properties of biological organization appear: the ability to concentrate free energy and information, intensified counteraction to external influences, expedient behaviour and persistent self-renovation. On the early Earth, such successive transformation of organic matter occurred in the changeable conditions of a hydrothermal medium. Some new methods for experimental and theoretical research in the origin of life field are suggested.
20
Strube, Mikael Lenz, Helle Christine Ravn, Hans-Christian Ingerslev, Anne Strunge Meyer, and Mette Boye. "In SituPrebiotics for Weaning Piglets:In VitroProduction and Fermentation of Potato Galacto-Rhamnogalacturonan." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 81, no. 5 (December 19, 2014): 1668–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.03582-14.
Abstract:
ABSTRACTPostweaning diarrhea (PWD) in pigs is a leading cause of economic loss in pork production worldwide. The current practice of using antibiotics and zinc to treat PWD is unsustainable due to the potential of antibiotic resistance and ecological disturbance, and novel methods are required. In this study, anin vitromodel was used to test the possibility of producing prebiotic fiberin situin the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the piglet and the prebiotic activity of the resulting fiber in the terminal ileum. Soluble fiber was successfully produced from potato pulp, an industrial waste product, with the minimal enzyme dose in a simulated upper GI tract model extracting 26.9% of the initial dry matter. The fiber was rich in galactose and galacturonic acid and was fermented at 2.5, 5, or 10 g/liter in a glucose-free medium inoculated with the gut contents of piglet terminal ileum. Fermentations of 5 g/liter inulin or 5 g/liter of a purified potato fiber were used as controls. The fibers showed high fermentability, evident by a dose-dependent drop in pH and an increase in the organic acid content, with lactate in particular being increased. Deep sequencing showed a significant increase in the numbers ofLactobacillusandVeillonellaorganisms and an insignificant increase in the numbers ofClostridiumorganisms as well as a decrease in the numbers ofStreptococcusorganisms. Multivariate analysis showed clustering of the treatment groups, with the group treated with purified potato fiber being clearly separated from the other groups, as the microbiota composition was 60%Lactobacillusand almost free ofClostridium. For animal studies, a dosage corresponding to the 5-g/liter treatment is suggested.
21
Kim, Hee Seong, Evan C. Titgemeyer, and Charles Gregory Aldrich. "Evaluation of Fermentability of Whole Soybeans and Soybean Oligosaccharides by a Canine In Vitro Fermentation Model." Fermentation 9, no. 5 (April 26, 2023): 414. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9050414.
Abstract:
Soybean oligosaccharides (OS) have been recognized as a prebiotic that can be fermented in the colon, resulting in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production that can be used as an energy source for colonocytes, supporting cell differentiation and gut health. The objective was to determine the effects of WSBOS on in vitro fermentation, using dog feces as inoculum. Treatments included total dietary fiber (TDF) residues from WSB, soybean hulls (SH), pea fiber (PF), and beet pulp (BP), as well as WSB TDF residue plus soybean OS (WSBOS) and WSB TDF residue plus raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose (WSBRSV). Fresh fecal samples were collected from dogs and maintained in anaerobic conditions until substrate inoculation. Test tubes containing fiber sources and inoculum were incubated for 4, 8, and 12 h at 39 °C. Organic matter disappearance (OMD), pH, and SCFA were measured. The WSBOS and WSBRSV had greater (p < 0.05) OMDs than BP. Butyrate production was greatest (p < 0.05) for WSBOS (294.7 µmol/g) and WSBRSV (266.1 µmol/g), followed by BP (130.3 µmol/g) and WSB (109.2 µmol/g), and lowest (p < 0.05) for PF (44.1 µmol/g). The production of total SCFA was greatest (p < 0.05) for BP and WSBOS, followed by WSB, and lowest (p < 0.05) for PF. In conclusion, WSB has the potential as a prebiotic demonstrating greater butyrate production than BP in a canine in vitro fermentation model due to the fermentation of both OS and fiber in WSB. Further animal feeding studies are needed to determine the appropriate amount of WSB in canine diets.
22
Getenet, Melese, Juan Manuel García-Ruiz, Cristóbal Verdugo-Escamilla, and Isabel Guerra-Tschuschke. "Mineral Vesicles and Chemical Gardens from Carbonate-Rich Alkaline Brines of Lake Magadi, Kenya." Crystals 10, no. 6 (June 1, 2020): 467. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060467.
Abstract:
Mineral vesicles and chemical gardens are self-organized biomimetic structures that form via abiotic mineral precipitation. These membranous structures are known to catalyze prebiotic reactions but the extreme conditions required for their synthesis has cast doubts on their formation in nature. Apart from model solutions, these structures have been shown to form in serpentinization-driven natural silica-rich water and by fluid-rock interaction of model alkaline solutions with granites. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that self-assembled hollow mineral vesicles and gardens can be synthesized in natural carbonate-rich soda lake water. We have synthesized these structures by a) pouring saturated metal salt solutions, and b) by immersing metal salt pellets in brines collected from Lake Magadi (Kenya). The resulting structures are analyzed by using SEM coupled with EDX analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Our results suggest that mineral self-assembly could have been a common phenomenon in soda oceans of early Earth and Earth-like planets and moons. The composition of the obtained vesicles and gardens confirms the recent observation that carbonate minerals in soda lakes sequestrate Ca, thus leaving phosphate behind in solution available for biochemical reactions. Our results strengthens the proposal that alkaline brines could be ideal sites for “one-pot” synthesis of prebiotic organic compounds and the origin of life.
23
Ishikawa, Akari, Yoko Kebukawa, Kensei Kobayashi, and Isao Yoda. "Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation during Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions." Life 14, no. 1 (January 9, 2024): 103. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/life14010103.
Abstract:
Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites. In the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, the radioactive decays of short-lived radionuclides, such as 26Al, cause the melting of ice, and aqueous alteration occurs in the early stages of solar system formation. Many experimental studies have shown that complex organic matter, including amino acids and high-molecular-weight organic compounds, is produced by such hydrothermal processes. On the other hand, radiation, particularly gamma rays from radionuclides, can contribute to the formation of amino acids from simple molecules such as formaldehyde and ammonia. In this study, we investigated the details of gamma-ray-induced amino acid formation, focusing on the effects of different starting materials on aqueous solutions of formaldehyde, ammonia, methanol, and glycolaldehyde with various compositions, as well as hexamethylenetetramine. Alanine and glycine were the most abundantly formed amino acids after acid hydrolysis of gamma-ray-irradiated products. Amino acid formation increased with increasing gamma-ray irradiation doses. Lower amounts of ammonia relative to formaldehyde produced more amino acids. Glycolaldehyde significantly increased amino acid yields. Our results indicated that glycolaldehyde formation from formaldehyde enhanced by gamma rays is key for the subsequent production of amino acids.
24
Ershov, Boris. "Natural Radioactivity and Chemical Evolution on the Early Earth: Prebiotic Chemistry and Oxygenation." Molecules 27, no. 23 (December 5, 2022): 8584. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules27238584.
Abstract:
It is generally recognized that the evolution of the early Earth was affected by an external energy source: radiation from the early Sun. The hypothesis about the important role of natural radioactivity, as a source of internal energy in the evolution of the early Earth, is considered and substantiated in this work. The decay of the long-lived isotopes 232Th, 238U, 235U, and 40K in the Global Ocean initiated the oxygenation of the hydro- and atmosphere, and the abiogenesis. The content of isotopes in the ocean and the kinetics of their decay, the values of the absorbed dose and dose rate, and the efficiency of sea water radiolysis, as a function of time, were calculated. The ocean served as both a “reservoir” that collected components of the early atmosphere and products of their transformations, and a “converter” in which further chemical reactions of these compounds took place. Radical mechanisms were proposed for the formation of simple amino acids, sugars, and nitrogen bases, i.e., the key structures of all living things, and also for the formation of oxygen. The calculation results confirm the possible important role of natural radioactivity in the evolution of terrestrial matter, and the emergence of life.
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Wilson, Sofia M., and Kelly S. Swanson. "199 Effects of Dietary Fiber and Biotic Supplementation on Apparent Total Tract Macronutrient Digestibility, Fecal Characteristics, and Fecal Metabolites of Healthy Adult Dogs." Journal of Animal Science 101, Supplement_3 (November 6, 2023): 108–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad281.132.
Abstract:
Abstract Synbiotics, or mixtures of live microorganisms and substrates selectively utilized by host microorganisms, may confer complementary or synergistic health benefits to the host. Although synbiotics have demonstrated the potential to modulate the gut microbiome and improve gastrointestinal health in many host species, research trials in companion animal diets are limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility (ATTD) of diets supplemented with fibers or biotics and to evaluate their effects on the fecal characteristics, metabolites, microbiota, and immunoglobulin (Ig) A concentrations of dogs consuming them. Healthy adult female beagles (n = 12; age= 6.2 ± 1.6 yr; BW = 9.5 ± 1.1 kg) were used in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square design to test three dietary treatments: 1) basal diet based on rice, chicken meal, tapioca starch, and cellulose and without probiotics or prebiotics + a placebo treat (control, CT); 2) diet based on rice, chicken meal, garbanzo beans, and cellulose + placebo treat (GB); 3) diet based on rice, chicken meal, and garbanzo beans, and functional fiber/prebiotic blend (mannanoligosaccharides; fructooligosaccharides, inulin, pea fiber, alfalfa meal, Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product) + probiotic-containing treat (synbiotic treatment, SYN). The probiotic treat contained Bacillus subtilus and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (2 x 109 CFU/d). In each 28-day period, a 22-day diet adaptation was followed by a 5-day fecal collection phase for measurement of ATTD and fecal characteristics, metabolites, microbiota, and IgA concentrations. Fasted blood samples were collected on day 28 for serum chemistry and complete blood count. All data were analyzed using the Mixed Models procedure of SAS 9.4, with P < 0.05 being significant. ATTD of dry matter (DM), organic matter, and energy were less and DM fecal output was greater in dogs fed SYN than those fed CT or GB, whereas ATTD of crude protein was greater in dogs fed CT and SYN than those fed GB. ATTD of fat was higher and wet fecal output was less in dogs fed CT than those fed GB or SYN. Fecal DM% was greater in dogs fed CT than those fed SYN or GB, and greater in dogs fed SYN than those fed GB. Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFA; acetate, propionate, total SCFA) were higher in dogs fed GB than those fed CT or SYN, and higher in dogs fed GB than those fed SYN. Fecal IgA concentrations were greater in dogs fed GB than those fed CT. Serum triglycerides were less in dogs fed GB than those fed SYN or CT. Our results demonstrate that legume-based dietary fibers, with or without prebiotics and probiotics, slightly reduce nutrient digestibility, increase stool output, beneficially shift fecal metabolites, and reduce blood lipids of adult dogs.
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Managadze, G. "Plasma and collision processes of hypervelocity meteorite impact in the prehistory of life." International Journal of Astrobiology 9, no. 3 (March 29, 2010): 157–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s147355041000008x.
Abstract:
AbstractA new concept is proposed, according to which the plasma and collision processes accompanying hypervelocity impacts of meteorites can contribute to the arising of the conditions on early Earth, which are necessary for the appearance of primary forms of living matter. It was shown that the processes necessary for the emergence of living matter could have started in a plasma torch of meteorite impact and have continued in an impact crater in the case of the arising of the simplest life form.It is generally accepted that planets are the optimal place for the origin and evolution of life. In the process of forming the planetary systems the meteorites, space bodies feeding planet growth, appear around stars. In the process of Earth's formation, meteorite sizes ranged from hundreds and thousands of kilometres. These space bodies consisted mostly of the planetesimals and comet nucleus. During acceleration in Earth's gravitational field they reached hypervelocity and, hitting the surface of planet, generated powerful blowouts of hot plasma in the form of a torch. They also created giant-size craters and dense dust clouds. These bodies were composed of all elements needed for the synthesis of organic compounds, with the content of carbon being up to 5%–15%.A new idea of possible synthesis of the complex organic compounds in the hypervelocity impact-generated plasma torch was proposed and experimentally confirmed. A previously unknown and experimentally corroborated feature of the impact-generated plasma torch allowed a new concept of the prehistory of life to be developed. According to this concept the intensive synthesis of complex organic compounds arose during meteoritic bombardment in the first 0.5 billion years at the stage of the planet's formation. This most powerful and destructive action in Earth's history could have played a key role and prepared conditions for the origin of life.In the interstellar gas–dust clouds, the synthesis of simple organic matter could have been explained by an identical process occurring in the plasma torch of hypervelocity collisions between submicron size dust particles. It is assumed that the processes occurred in the highly unbalanced hot plasma simultaneously with the synthesis of simple and complicated organic compounds, thereby ensuring their ordering and assembly.Bona fide experimental evidence presented below indicates that the physical fields generated in the plasma environment in the process of the formation and expansion of the torch meet the main requirements toward “true” local chiral fields. These fields were very likely to be capable to trigger the initial, weak breaking of enantiomer symmetry and determine the “sign” of the asymmetry of the bioorganic world.These fields could have worked as “trapping” fields influencing spontaneous processes occurring in highly overheated and nonequilibrium plasma in the state that is far from the thermodynamical branch of equilibrium and may have contributed to the formation of an environment needed for the synthesis of homochiral molecular structures, which, in turn, were needed for the emergence of the primary forms of living matter.It has been shown experimentally that the plasma-chemical processes in the torch have high catalytic properties and assure the rise of the chemical reaction rates by 10–100 million times. In the process of the plasma flyaway this in turn can assure the fast formation of simple and complicated organic compounds, including hyper-branched polymers. It is possible to assume that predominantly inorganic substances from meteorites were used for the synthesis of complicated organic compounds on early Earth.A laboratory experiment with hypervelocity impact plasma torch modelling by a laser with a Q-switch mode has shown the possibility of high-molecular organic compound synthesis, with mass of approximately 5000 a.m.u. by meteorite impact with an effective diameter of 100 mkm. The target contained only H, C, N and O elements in inorganic forms. The approximation of the curve received in these experiments has shown that molecular structures comparable in mass with the protoviroid (a hypothetical primogenitor of the biosphere) and could have been synthesized as a result of the impact of a meteorite of a millimetre-size range.Observable characteristics of the synthesis processes suggest high catalytic activity of the plasma medium and high speed of plasma-chemical reactions, combined with ordering and assemblage processes. This suggests that the plasma torch with a huge local density of energy and matter may be the optimal medium for the synthesis of complex organic compounds needed for prebiotic evolution and the development of the primary form of living matter.A new view of the impact crater provides the most interesting and unexpected consequence of the concept proposed. When considering the problem, it became evident that at a prebiotic stage of evolution there should be an environment in which a photogenic creature could have survived. The crater of the meteoric impact, which is capable of producing ‘a primogenitor of the biosphere’ environment sated with organic matter, moderate temperature and water for considerable time and becoming ‘a life cradle’, appears to be such an environment.Having enormous energy, the meteorite impact is capable of injecting the newly created complicated organic compounds deep into the space body surfaces, including subsurface water reservoirs, such as Europe, Enchilada and Titan. In this case the meteorite impact has no natural alternative in the creation of initial conditions for the origin of extraterrestrial life. This possibility was confirmed by a laboratory impact model experiment, in which the plasma torch was created under the water surface.The concept proposed is based on physical processes occurring in nature and on experimental results of impact experiments and subsequent modelling of their analogues in laboratory conditions. Thus, the realizability and survivability of this concept should be taken as well grounded due to the simplicity and clarity of the physical processes.
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Oszust, Karolina, Michał Pylak, and Magdalena Frąc. "Trichoderma-Based Biopreparation with Prebiotics Supplementation for the Naturalization of Raspberry Plant Rhizosphere." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 12 (June 14, 2021): 6356. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22126356.
Abstract:
The number of raspberry plants dying from a sudden outbreak of gray mold, verticillium wilt, anthracnosis, and phytophthora infection has increased in recent times, leading to crop failure. The plants suffer tissue collapse and black roots, symptoms similar to a Botrytis–Verticillium–Colletotrichum–Phytophthora disease complex. A sizeable number of fungal isolates were acquired from the root and rhizosphere samples of wild raspberries from different locations. Subsequent in vitro tests revealed that a core consortium of 11 isolates of selected Trichoderma spp. was the most essential element for reducing in phytopathogen expansion. For this purpose, isolates were characterized by the efficiency of their antagonistic properties against Botrytis, Verticillium, Colletotrichum and Phytophthora isolates and with hydrolytic properties accelerating the decomposition of organic matter in the soil and thus making nutrients available to plants. Prebiotic additive supplementation with a mixture of adonitol, arabitol, erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol, and adenosine was proven in a laboratory experiment to be efficient in stimulating the growth of Trichoderma isolates. Through an in vivo pathosystem experiment, different raspberry naturalization-protection strategies (root inoculations and watering with native Trichoderma isolates, applied separately or simultaneously) were tested under controlled phytotron conditions. The experimental application of phytopathogens attenuated raspberry plant and soil properties, while Trichoderma consortium incorporation exhibited a certain trend of improving these features in terms of a short-term response, depending on the pathosystem and naturalization strategy. What is more, a laboratory-scale development of a biopreparation for the naturalization of the raspberry rhizosphere based on the Trichoderma consortium was proposed in the context of two application scenarios. The first was a ready-to-use formulation to be introduced while planting (pellets, gel). The second was a variant to be applied with naturalizing watering (soluble powder).
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Dev, Kapil, Jitendra Singh, Nasir Akbar Mir, Avishek Biswas, Joyshikh Sonowal, Rajiv Kant, Neeraj Ahlawat, and Ashok Kumar Tiwari. "Inflection in nutrient transporter genes leads to potential changes in small intestine histomorphology with improved nutrient retention in chicken under dietary synbiotic supplementation." Letters In Animal Biology 2, no. 1 (April 27, 2022): 23–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.62310/liab.v2i1.75.
Abstract:
This study investigated the role of synbiotic supplementation on gut histomorphology, expression of nutrient transporters, and nutrient utilization in broiler chicken. Bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD), Probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (LBA), and prebiotic Mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) were used to formulate total 6 dietary treatments viz. T1 (control; basal diet), T2 (BMD @ 20 mg/kg diet), T3/T4 (0.1% MOS with 106 and 107 cfu LBA/g diet), and T5/T6 (0.2% MOS with 106 and 107 cfu LBA/g diet). A total of 288 day old chicken were allocated at random among six treatments, each with six replicates of eight chicken (48 birds/treatment). Results revealed higher villus height, crypt depth, villus height: crypt depth ratio, and histological surface magnification ratio values in chicken fed a combination of MOS (0.2%) and LBA (106 or 107 cfu/g diet). BMD supplemented birds had higher values of these parameters compared to control birds. The villus width, villus bottom area, and mucosal unit bottom area were all increased in birds supplemented with BMD, but were similar to birds fed a combination of MOS (0.1 percent) and LBA (107 cfu/g diet). The villus width, villus bottom area, and mucosal unit bottom area were higher in BMD supplemented birds which were similar to the birds fed a combination of MOS (0.1%) and LBA (107 cfu/g diet). The birds fed a combination of MOS (0.2%) and LBA (106 or 107 cfu/g diet) revealed upregulation of SGLT1 and GLUT5 expression in jejunum but no significant effect was observed on the expression of PePT1 and EAAT3 gene. The AME Diet, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium retentions were higher in birds fed a combination of MOS (0.2%) and LBA (106 or 107 cfu/g diet). However, the organic matter digestibility was higher in birds fed a combination of MOS (0.2%) and LBA (106 cfu/g diet) and BMD supplementation also improved the organic matter utilization compared to control. In conclusion, the supplementation of a combination of MOS (0.2%) and LBA (106 or 107 cfu/g diet) improves the intestinal architecture along with upregulation of SGLT1 and GLUT5 nutrient transporters and increase in nutrient digestibility in broiler chicken.
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Van Hoeck, Veerle, Ingrid Somers, Anas Abdelqader, Alexandra L. Wealleans, Sandy Van de Craen, and Dany Morisset. "Xylanase impact beyond performance: A microbiome approach in laying hens." PLOS ONE 16, no. 9 (September 20, 2021): e0257681. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257681.
Abstract:
Anti-nutritional compounds such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) are present in viscous cereals used in feed for poultry. Therefore, exogenous carbohydrases are commonly added to monogastric feed to degrade these NSP. Our hypothesis is that xylanase not only improves laying hen performance and digestibility, but also induces a significant shift in microbial composition within the intestinal tract and thereby might exert a prebiotic effect. In this context, a better understanding on whether and how the chicken gut microbial population can be modulated by xylanase is required. To do so, the effects of dietary supplementation of xylanase on performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and cecal microbiome in laying hens were evaluated in the present study. A total of 96 HiSex laying hens were used in this experiment (3 diets and 16 replicates of 2 hens). Xylanase was added to the diets at concentrations of 0, 45,000 (15 g/t XygestTM HT) and 90,000 U/kg (30 g/t Xygest HT). The diets were based on wheat (~55%), soybean and sunflower meal. The lowest dosage, 45,000 U/kg, significantly increased average egg weight and improved feed efficiency compared to the control treatment (P<0.05). Egg quality parameters were significantly improved in the experiment in response to the xylanase addition. For example, during the last 28 days of the trial, birds receiving the 45,000 U/kg and the 90,000 U/kg treatments exhibited an increase in Haugh units and albumin heights (P<0.05). Compared with the control, the ATTD of organic matter and crude protein were drastically improved in the 45,000 U/kg treatment group (P<0.05). Furthermore, gross energy and the ATTD of crude fat were improved significantly for birds fed 90,000 U/kg group compared to the control. Importantly, 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that xylanase at 45,000 U/kg dosage can exert a change in the cecal microbiome. A significant increase in beneficial bacteria (Bacilli class; Enterococcaceae and Lactobacillales orders; Merdibacter, Enterococcus and Nocardiopsis genera; Enterococcus casseliflavus species) was documented when adding 45,000 U/kg xylanase to the diet of laying hens. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of xylanase 45,000 U/kg significantly improved laying hen performance and digestibility. Furthermore, microbiome data suggest that xylanase modulates the laying hen bacterial population beneficially, thus potentially exerting a prebiotic effect.
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Vazart, Fanny, Cecilia Ceccarelli, Nadia Balucani, and Dimitrios Skouteris. "Quantum Chemical Computations of Gas-phase Glycolaldehyde Deuteration and Constraints on Its Formation Route." Astrophysical Journal 941, no. 2 (December 1, 2022): 196. http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aca3a3.
Abstract:
Abstract Despite the detection of numerous interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs) for decades, it is still a matter of debate whether they are synthesized in the gas phase or on the icy surface of interstellar grains. In the past, molecular deuteration has been used to constrain the formation paths of small and abundant hydrogenated interstellar species. More recently, the deuteration degree of formamide, one of the most interesting iCOMs, has also been explained with the hypothesis that it is formed by the gas-phase reaction NH2 + H2CO. In this paper, we aim at using molecular deuteration to constrain the formation of another iCOM, glycolaldehyde, which is an important prebiotic species. More specifically, we have performed dedicated electronic structure and kinetic calculations to establish the glycolaldehyde deuteration degree in relation to that of ethanol, which is its possible parent species according to the suggestion of Skouteris et al. We found that the abundance ratio of the species containing one D atom over the all-protium counterpart depends on the produced D isotopomer and varies from 0.9 to 0.5. These theoretical predictions compare extremely well with the monodeuterated isotopomers of glycolaldehyde and that of ethanol measured toward the solar-like protostar IRAS 16293–2422, supporting the hypothesis that glycolaldehyde could be produced in the gas phase for this source. In addition, the present work confirms that the deuterium fractionation of iCOMs cannot be simply anticipated based on the deuterium fractionation of the parent species but necessitates a specific study, as already shown for the case of formamide.
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Bellere, A. D., A. J. A. Esteban, and Raseetha S. "Mushroom as a resilient crop: a paradigm shift from agri-litters to healthy and ecofriendly food production." Food Research 7, Supplementary 4 (November 11, 2023): 118–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.7(s4).15.
Abstract:
Nutrient deficiency remains prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, in developed countries, the high standard of living and the fast-growing population rely on fast and processed foods to support their daily nourishment. However, constant consumption of processed foods has been linked to chronic diseases. The unhealthy results of instant foods serve as an eye-opener for the population to demand the availability of healthy food. Some people resort to plant-based food for health reasons and mushrooms are a great option since they have been utilized as food and drugs since time immemorial, and are a great substitute or even a replacement for unhealthy foods. Mushrooms have long been regarded as a high-nutritional-value food and a vital agent in the degradation of organic matter, an ideal decomposer of agricultural and forest litter. Additionally, mushrooms are obligatory saprophytic, spore-forming eukaryotic organisms belonging to the fungal group, which can be harnessed mostly in a healthy environment. Their dominance as a medicinal food gained global traction and are now cultivated worldwide. Mushrooms, in addition to vitamins, nucleic acids, and minerals, contain β-D-glucan, a prebiotic that has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used as an adjuvant in conventional chemotherapy. Furthermore, mushrooms increase food palatability, and their protein and carbohydrate qualities are ideal counterparts to muscle foods such as meat and fish. These edible macrofungi can be considered a superfood and a nutri-med crop with a wide range of biological potentials due to their significant benefits as a combination of food and medicine and because they are grown in an environmentally friendly manner.
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Batbekh, Belgutei, Eslam Ahmed, Masaaki Hanada, Naoki Fukuma, and Takehiro Nishida. "Assessment of the Impact of Coffee Waste as an Alternative Feed Supplementation on Rumen Fermentation and Methane Emissions in an In Vitro Study." Fermentation 9, no. 9 (September 20, 2023): 858. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9090858.
Abstract:
Spent coffee waste is the most common by-product of coffee processing, and it has the potential to be used as a source of organic compounds for ruminant diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the optimal inclusion level and method for using spent coffee waste (SCW) as a ruminant feed and investigate its effects on rumen fermentation characteristics and methane (CH4) production. The present in vitro batch culture study was conducted using two different experimental designs. The first experimental design (TRIAL. 1) was performed using a control diet of 500 mg of fresh matter basal diet (60% hay/40% concentrate), with SCW being used as a feed additive at 1%, 10% and 20% of the substrate. The second experimental design was performed using the same control diet, with spent coffee waste replacing either part of the hay (TRIAL. 2) or some of the concentrate mixture (TRIAL. 3) at four different dosages (30:70, 50:50, 70:30 and 100). When SCW was supplemented as a feed additive, there were increases in the production of volatile fatty acids and gas; however, it did not show any suppressive effects on CH4 production. In contrast, when SCW was included as a replacement for hay or concentrate, there were significant reductions in CH4 production with increasing levels of SCW inclusion. These reductions in CH4 production were accompanied by negative effects on nutrient digestibility and total volatile fatty acid production. These findings demonstrate that SCW could potentially be used as a prebiotic feed additive. Additionally, when SCW is used as a replacement for silage at 70:30 and 50:50 dosages appear to be feasible as a substitute for animal feed (hay and concentrate).
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Finet, Shannon E., Fei He, Heather Mangian, and Maria R. C. de Godoy. "80 Effects of miscanthus fiber on nutrient digestibility and fecal metabolites of adult dogs." Journal of Animal Science 98, Supplement_4 (November 3, 2020): 58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaa278.105.
Abstract:
Abstract Dietary fiber is an important component of pet food that helps to promote colonocyte health by favoring saccharolytic fermentation and short-chain fatty acid production in addition to modulating gut microbiota and aiding laxation. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of miscanthus grass fiber, prebiotic fiber blends, and traditional dietary fiber sources on apparent total tract digestibility, fecal metabolites, and gastrointestinal intolerance in adult canines. Animal procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Twelve female adult beagles were randomly assigned to one of six treatments containing cellulose, beet pulp, miscanthus fiber, or a blend of miscanthus fiber and tomato pomace, miscanthus fiber and resistant starch, or miscanthus fiber and fructooligosaccharide in a replicated 6x6 Latin square design. All treatment diets were formulated to meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient profile (2018). The dogs received each treatment for 21 d, with 17 d of diet adaptation followed by 4 d of total and fresh fecal collection. No difference in fecal score was observed (P < 0.05). Dogs fed the beet pulp diet had the highest organic matter digestibility and total dietary fiber digestibility (P < 0.05) when compared to all other treatments. Crude protein digestibility was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for the cellulose, miscanthus fiber, and miscanthus and resistant starch blend than the beet pulp diet. Fecal total short-chain fatty acid concentration was greatest for beet pulp and lowest for the cellulose treatment (P < 0.05) with the miscanthus fiber and miscanthus fiber blends with resistant starch, fructooligosaccharide, and tomato pomace being intermediate. No difference was observed in fecal total branched-chain fatty acid concentration (P < 0.05). The data suggest that miscanthus fiber is an adequate and functional source of fiber in extruded canine diets, and comparable to the traditional fiber source, cellulose.
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Yousfi, Salima, José Marín, Lorena Parra, Jaime Lloret, and Pedro V. Mauri. "A Rhizogenic Biostimulant Effect on Soil Fertility and Roots Growth of Turfgrass." Agronomy 11, no. 3 (March 18, 2021): 573. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11030573.
Abstract:
The excessive use of chemical fertilizers can lead to severe environmental damages. In recent decades, the application of biostimulants to improve soil composition and stimulate plant growth has contributed significantly to environmental preservation. In this paper, we studied the effect of a rhizogenic biostimulant, obtained from fulvic acids, probiotics, and prebiotics, on the fertility of two types of soils, sandy and sandy loam soils, in which turfgrass was growing. Soil samples from plots treated with biostimulant and controls (untreated plots) were collected. The analyzed parameters from the soil include organic matter, microbial activity, soil chemical composition, catalase, dehydrogenase, and phosphatase enzyme activities. Moreover, root lengths was examined and compared in turfgrass species. The biostimulant application improved microbial activity, organic matter, and enzymatic activity in both types of soils. The soil calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus content increased with the biostimulant application, whereas pH and electrical conductivity decreased. The most relevant improvement was a 77% increase of calcium for sandy loam soil and 38% increase in potassium for sandy soil. Biostimulant application led to a significant increase in turf root length. This increase was greater for sandy soil than in sandy loam soil with an increment of 43% and 34% respectively, compared to control.
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Attia, Y. A., R. S. Hamed, A. E. Abd El-Hamid, H. A. Shahba, and F. Bovera. "Effect of inulin and mannan-oligosaccharides compared with zinc-bacitracin on growing performance, nutrient digestibility and hematological profiles of growing rabbits." Animal Production Science 55, no. 1 (2015): 80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an13286.
Abstract:
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of inulin and mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) vs zinc-bacitracin (ZnB) on rabbit growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles. In total, 108 rabbits 32 days of age were divided into four homogeneous groups fed the same basal diet and submitted to the following dietary treatments: control group, without supplementation; inulin group, supplemented with inulin (0.25 g/rabbit.day); MOS group, supplemented with MOS (0.083 g/rabbit.day); and ZnB group, supplemented with ZnB (0.083 g/rabbit.day). The supplements were administered 2 days per week from 32 to 81 days of age. At 32, 56 and 81 days, the rabbits were weighed and feed intake was measured. Mortality was recorded daily. Nutrient digestibility was measured at 65 days by an ingesta–excreta balance. Samples of blood were collected at 53, 67 and 81 days of age. The control group showed the highest (P < 0.01) mortality rate throughout the trial (17.0%), followed by ZnB (8.18%), inulin (3.7%) and then the MOS group, which had the lowest mortality (1.6%; P < 0.01). Addition of MOS led to a more favourable (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio than addition of ZnB at 32–56 days of age and inulin for the entire trial period. The MOS group showed increased (P < 0.01) digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, ash and crude fibre relative to the control group. All supplements increased (P < 0.01) protein digestibility relative to the control. The level of alanine aminotransferase was reduced due to the use of feed supplements, and MOS supplementation gave the lowest (P < 0.01) value. Administration of prebiotics to growing rabbits as an alternative to ZnB can lead some advantages compared with both antibiotic and unsupplemented diets; MOS was more effective than inulin.
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Toporova, L., V. Lutsyuk, and I. Toporova. "The influence of sebelmin complex on meat traits of pigs and the economic effectiveness of pork production." Kormlenie sel'skohozjajstvennyh zhivotnyh i kormoproizvodstvo (Feeding of agricultural animals and feed production), no. 6 (June 1, 2020): 56–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.33920/sel-05-2006-07.
Abstract:
In matters of animal feeding, scientists and practitioners pay great attention to the problem of improving the eff ectiveness of feed use by improving the digestibility and absorption of nutrients in diets when including enzymes, antioxidants, stabilizers, prebiotics and probiotics, fl avorings and other additives that optimize digestion and metabolism. Recently, it is important to use organic compounds of trace elements in animal diets in the form of chelated compounds, which allow reducing the rate of their input into the diet, ensuring more complete absorption of nutrients and realizing the genetic potential of animal productivity. The purpose of the researches was to establish the infl uence of the organicmineral complex Sebelmin on the meat traits of pigs and the economic eff ectiveness of pork production. Researches have been carried out on the basis of FSUE EF “Klyenovo-Chegodaevo” in the Podolsky area in the Moscow region for fattening livestock of pigs (crossbreds Landrace×Large White breeds). Two groups of animals (control and experimental) have been formed on the principle of pairs of analogs taking into account the origin of yelts, their age, and live weight at the beginning of experiment. It has been found after the control slaughter that the weight of the chilled carcass of pigs in the experimental group was signifi cantly higher and amounted to 81,93 kg against 75,59 kg in the control group (Р ≤ 0,05), which was by 6,34 kg or 8,38 % more. It has been revealed the increase in the slaughter yield in the experimental group was 0,78 abs.%. as a result of calculating the economic eff ectiveness of the results obtained that the use of organic-mineral complex Sebelmin as part of complete diet compound feed for fattened pigs allows us to get additional profi t from the sale of pork in the amount of 436,58 rubles per 1 head.
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Ghazalah, Abdallah Ali, Mohamed Ahmed Fouad El-Manylawi, Hady Fathy Abbas Motawe, Marwa Salah Khattab, and Yara Ibrahem Youssef. "Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Biochemical Properties, Hematological Traits, and Intestinal Histopathology of Broiler Chicks Fed Mannan Oligosaccharides." World's Veterinary Journal 11, no. 4 (December 25, 2021): 621–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.54203/scil.2021.wvj79.
Abstract:
, , , , and Antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry diets are currently restricted, so other feed additives, such as prebiotics and probiotics, have been suggested as an antibiotics alternative to improve the performance and gut health of poultry. The current experiment was conducted to study the effects of adding Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) as a potential replacement for an antibiotic on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, some blood parameters, and caecal microbiota of broiler chickens. For conducting the current research experiment, a total of 180 one–day old Ross broiler chicks were randomly divided into one control group fed a basal diet and four dietary treatments with six replicates for each treatment. The treatment groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with different levels of MOS 0.5, 1, and 2 g/Kg diet and Lincomycin 4.4 mg/Kg diet during 35 days of the feeding trial. With exception of the growing period, the group fed a basal diet supplemented with 2 g MOS/Kg feed had considerably higher body weight and weight gain, while having the lowest feed consumption and best feed conversion ratio compared to the other treatment groups, during all experimental periods. Moreover, dietary supplementation of MOS resulted in a significant decrease in the counts of caecal E. coli and Enterococcus, while Lactobacillus and Yeast bacteria counts were significantly higher, compared to non-supplemented groups. Broiler chicks having a 2 g MOS/kg diet recorded lower values of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), urea, and liver enzymes, including Aspartate transaminase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), while they recorded significantly higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL), compared to the other experimental groups. Group treated with MOS 2 g/Kg feed improved digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract, and organic matter, compared to the control group, Additionally, MOS supplementation also increased the intestinal villi length, width, and crypt depth and decreased intestinal inflammation, compared to the control group. In conclusion, supplementation of MOS at 2 g/kg diet improved growth performance, digestibility, and blood parameters without having adverse effects on the intestine of broiler chickens, comparable to the Lincomycin.
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Yesiltas, Mehmet, Timothy D. Glotch, and Bogdan Sava. "Nano-FTIR spectroscopic identification of prebiotic carbonyl compounds in Dominion Range 08006 carbonaceous chondrite." Scientific Reports 11, no. 1 (June 2, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91200-8.
Abstract:
AbstractMeteorites contain organic matter that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. Carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes and carboxylic acids, which occur in meteorites, may be precursors of biologically necessary organic materials in the solar system. Therefore, such organic matter is of astrobiological importance and their detection and characterization can contribute to the understanding of the early solar system as well as the origin of life. Most organic matter is typically sub-micrometer in size, and organic nanoglobules are even smaller (50–300 nm). Novel analytical techniques with nanoscale spatial resolution are required to detect and characterize organic matter within extraterrestrial materials. Most techniques require powdered samples, consume the material, and lose petrographic context of organics. Here, we report the detection of nanoglobular aldehyde and carboxylic acids in a highly primitive carbonaceous chondrite (DOM 08006) with ~ 20 nm spatial resolution using nano-FTIR spectroscopy. Such organic matter is found within the matrix of DOM 08006 and is typically 50–300 nm in size. We also show petrographic context and nanoscale morphologic/topographic features of the organic matter. Our results indicate that prebiotic carbonyl nanoglobules can form in a less aqueous and relatively elevated temperature-environment (220–230 °C) in a carbonaceous parent body.
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Abigail E. Cruz-Hernández,, Abigail E., Maria Colin-Garcia, Alejandro Heredia-Barbero, Alicia Negron-Mendoza, and Sergio Ramos-Bernal. "Heterogeneous radiolysis of urea. Implications in astrobiology and prebiotic chemistry." Open Chemistry 13, no. 1 (November 26, 2014). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/chem-2015-0016.
Abstract:
AbstractUrea is an organic molecule present in most living organisms. Historically, it was the first organic molecule synthesized in the laboratory. In prebiotic chemistry, urea readily forms in different laboratory simulations using different energy sources. Furthermore, the role of solid surfaces, particularly minerals, might have been crucial to increase the complexity of the organic matter which may have led to the subsequent emergence of life on Earth. In this work, the radiolysis of urea in presence of a clay is studied to determine to what extent the mineral surfaces influence the decomposition of organics. The results indicate that urea is relatively stable to ionizing radiation in aqueous solutions and up to 20 kGy no decomposition is observed. Moreover, the presence of sodium montmorillonite, by a mechanism until now unknown, affects the radiolytic behavior and urea remains in the heterogeneous solution without a change in concentration even at very high doses (140 kGy). These results indicate that solids could have protected some organics, like urea, from degradation enabling them to remain in the environment on the primitive Earth.
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Alahmad, Abdelrahman, Lucas Edelman, Lisa Castel, Aude Bernardon-Mery, Karine Laval, Isabelle Trinsoutrot-Gattin, and Babacar Thioye. "Prebiotics: A Solution for Improving Plant Growth, Soil Health, and Carbon Sequestration?" Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, October 24, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01517-8.
Abstract:
AbstractSoil fertility and productivity are severely impacted by exploitation and degradation processes. These threats, coupled with population growth and climatic changes, compel us to search for innovative agroecological solutions. Prebiotics, a type of soil biostimulant, are used to enhance soil conditions and plant growth and may play a role in carbon (C) sequestration. Two commercial prebiotics, K1® and NUTRIGEO L® (referred to as SPK and SPN, respectively), were assessed for their effects on agricultural soil cultivated with Zea mays L., compared to untreated soil or control (SP). Analyses were performed at two harvesting dates: three weeks (D1) and ten weeks (D2) after the application of prebiotics. Plant growth parameters and soil characteristics were measured, focusing on soil organic matter, soil bacterial and fungal communities, and plant root mycorrhization. Regarding physicochemical parameters, both prebiotic treatments increased soil electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and soluble phosphorus (P) while decreasing nitrates. Meanwhile, the SPN treatment was distinct in elevating specific cationic minerals, such as calcium (Ca) and boron (B), at D2. At the microbial level, each prebiotic induced a unique shift in the indigenous bacterial and fungal communities’ abundance and diversity, evident at D2. Simultaneously, specific microbial taxa were recruited by each prebiotic treatment, such as Caulobacter, Sphingobium, and Massilia from bacteria and Mortierella globalpina and Schizothecium carpinicola from fungi in SPK as well as Chitinophaga, Neobacillus, and Rhizomicrobium from bacteria and Sordariomycetes and Mortierella minutissima from fungi in SPN. These biomarkers were identified as (a) saprotrophs, (b) plant growth-promoting bacteria and fungi, (c) endohyphal bacteria, and (d) endophytic and symbiotic microbiota. This result was reflected in the increase in glomalin content and mycorrhization rate in the treated soils, especially by SPN. We observed that these effects led to an increase in plant biomass (shoots by 19% and 22.8% and roots by 47.8% and 35.7% dry weights for SPK and SPN, respectively) and contributed to an increase in soil C content (organic C by 8.4% and total C by 8.9%), particularly with SPN treatment. In light of these findings, the use of prebiotics ten weeks after application not only increased plant growth by improving soil characteristics and shaping its native microbial community but also demonstrated the potential to enhance C sequestration.
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Ueno, Yuichiro, Johan A. Schmidt, Matthew S. Johnson, Xiaofeng Zang, Alexis Gilbert, Hiroyuki Kurokawa, Tomohiro Usui, and Shohei Aoki. "Synthesis of 13C-depleted organic matter from CO in a reducing early Martian atmosphere." Nature Geoscience, May 9, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01443-z.
Abstract:
AbstractOrganic matter found in early Martian sediment may yield clues to the planet’s environmental conditions, prebiotic chemistry and habitability, but its origin remains unclear. Strong 13C depletion in sedimentary organic matter at Gale crater was recently detected by the Curiosity rover. Although this enigmatic depletion remains debated, if correct, a mechanism to cause such strong 13C depletion is required. Here we show from CO2 photolysis experiments and theoretical considerations that solar ultraviolet photolysis of CO2 in a reducing atmosphere can yield strongly 13C-depleted CO. We suggest that atmospheric synthesis of organic compounds from photolysis-produced CO is a plausible mechanism to explain the source of isotopically depleted organic matter in early Martian sediments. Furthermore, this mechanism could explain 13C enrichment of early Martian CO2 without requiring long-term carbon escape into space. A mass balance model calculation using our estimated isotopic fractionation factor indicates the conversion of approximately 20% of volcanic CO2 emissions on early Mars into organics via CO, consistent with the available data for carbon isotopes of carbonate. Although alternative pathways for organic compound production have been proposed, our findings suggest that considerable amounts of organic matter may have been synthesized from CO in a reducing early Martian atmosphere and deposited in sediments.
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Paschek, Klaus, Mijin Lee, Dmitry A. Semenov, and Thomas K. Henning. "Prebiotic Vitamin B3 Synthesis in Carbonaceous Planetesimals." ChemPlusChem, October 17, 2023. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202300508.
Abstract:
Aqueous chemistry within carbonaceous planetesimals is promising for synthesizing prebiotic organic matter essential to all life. Meteorites derived from these planetesimals delivered these life building blocks to the early Earth, potentially facilitating the origins of life. Here, we studied the formation of vitamin B3 as it is an important precursor of the coenzyme NAD(P)(H), which is essential for the metabolism of all life as we know it. We propose a new reaction mechanism based on known experiments in the literature that explains the synthesis of vitamin B3. It combines the sugar precursors glyceraldehyde or dihydroxyacetone with the amino acids aspartic acid or asparagine in aqueous solution without oxygen or other oxidizing agents. We performed thermochemical equilibrium calculations to test the thermodynamic favorability. The predicted vitamin B3 abundances resulting from this new pathway were compared with measured values in asteroids and meteorites. We conclude that competition for reactants and decomposition by hydrolysis are necessary to explain the prebiotic content of meteorites. In sum, our model fits well into the complex network of chemical pathways active in this environment.
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Vollmer, Christian, Demie Kepaptsoglou, Jan Leitner, Aleksander B. Mosberg, Khalil El Hajraoui, Ashley J. King, Charlotte L. Bays, Paul F. Schofield, Tohru Araki, and Quentin M. Ramasse. "High-spatial resolution functional chemistry of nitrogen compounds in the observed UK meteorite fall Winchcombe." Nature Communications 15, no. 1 (January 26, 2024). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45064-x.
Abstract:
AbstractOrganic matter in extraterrestrial samples is a complex material that might have played an important role in the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth. We report here on the identification of nitrogen-containing compounds such as amino acids and N-heterocycles within the recent observed meteorite fall Winchcombe by high-spatial resolution spectroscopy techniques. Although nitrogen contents of Winchcombe organic matter are low (N/C ~ 1–3%), we were able to detect the presence of these compounds using a low-noise direct electron detector. These biologically relevant molecules have therefore been tentatively found within a fresh, minimally processed meteorite sample by high spatial resolution techniques conserving the overall petrographic context. Carbon functional chemistry investigations show that sizes of aromatic domains are small and that abundances of carboxylic functional groups are low. Our observations demonstrate that Winchcombe represents an important addition to the collection of carbonaceous chondrites and still preserves pristine extraterrestrial organic matter.
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Piast, Radoslaw W. "The bubble theory: exploring the transition from first replicators to cells and viruses in a landscape-based scenario." Theory in Biosciences, May 9, 2024. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12064-024-00417-4.
Abstract:
AbstractThis study proposes a landscape-based scenario for the origin of viruses and cells, focusing on the adaptability of preexisting replicons from the RNP (ribonucleoprotein) world. The scenario postulates that life emerged in a subterranean “warm little pond” where organic matter accumulated, resulting in a prebiotic soup rich in nucleotides, amino acids, and lipids, which served as nutrients for the first self-replicating entities. Over time, the RNA world, followed by the RNP world, came into existence. Replicators/replicons, along with the nutritious soup from the pond, were washed out into the river and diluted. Lipid bubbles, enclosing organic matter, provided the last suitable environment for replicons to replicate. Two survival strategies emerged under these conditions: cell-like structures that obtained nutrients by merging with new bubbles, and virus-like entities that developed various techniques to transmit themselves to fresh bubbles. The presented hypothesis provides the possibility for the common origin of cells and viruses on rocky worlds hosting liquid water, like Earth.
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Rasmussen, Birger, and Janet R. Muhling. "Organic carbon generation in 3.5-billion-year-old basalt-hosted seafloor hydrothermal vent systems." Science Advances 9, no. 5 (February 3, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.add7925.
Abstract:
Carbon is the key element of life, and its origin in ancient sedimentary rocks is central to questions about the emergence and early evolution of life. The oldest well-preserved carbon occurs with fossil-like structures in 3.5-billion-year-old black chert. The carbonaceous matter, which is associated with hydrothermal chert-barite vent systems originating in underlying basaltic-komatiitic lavas, is thought to be derived from microbial life. Here, we show that 3.5-billion-year-old black chert vein systems from the Pilbara Craton, Australia contain abundant residues of migrated organic carbon. Using younger analogs, we argue that the black cherts formed during precipitation from silica-rich, carbon-bearing hydrothermal fluids in vein systems and vent-proximal seafloor sediments. Given the volcanic setting and lack of organic-rich sediments, we speculate that the vent-mound systems contain carbon derived from rock-powered organic synthesis in the underlying mafic-ultramafic lavas, providing a glimpse of a prebiotic world awash in terrestrial organic compounds.
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de Oliveira Matheus, Laura Fantucci, Larissa Wunsche Risolia, Mariane Ceschin Ernandes, Johnny Maciel de Souza, Patrícia Massae Oba, Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini, Vivian Pedrinelli, et al. "Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall addition on feed digestibility, fecal fermentation and microbiota and immunological parameters in adult cats." BMC Veterinary Research 17, no. 1 (November 16, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-03049-8.
Abstract:
Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the effects of increasing dosages of a commercial product composed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast (YAM), with active metabolites, which are beta glucans, nucleotides, organic acids, polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins and minerals (Original XPCtm, Diamond V, IOWA, USA) added to a commercially available dry cat food. Apparent digestibility of dietary nutrients, fecal microbiota, fecal fermentation products and immunological parameters were evaluated. Twenty-seven healthy cats of mixed sexes, with a mean body weight of 4.19 ± 0.83 kg and a mean age of 9.44 ± 5.35 years were distributed by age in an unbalanced randomized block design, consisting of three experimental treatments: CD (control diet), YAM 0.3 (control diet with 0.3% yeast with active metabolites) and YAM 0.6 (control diet with 0.6% yeast with active metabolites). Results The inclusion of the additive elevated the apparent digestibility of crude fiber (p = 0.013) and ash (p < 0.001) without interfering feed consumption, fecal production and fecal characteristics. Regarding fermentation products present in the feces, prebiotic inclusion increased lactic acid concentration (p = 0.004) while reducing isovaleric acid (p = 0.014), only in the treatment YAM 0.3. No differences were noticed on biogenic amines (BA), fecal pH, ammonia concentration, total and individuals short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and total and individuals branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) (except isovaleric acid in YAM 0.3). As regards to fecal microbiota, prebiotic inclusion has resulted in the reduction of Clostridium perfringens (p = 0.023). No differences were found in the immunological parameters evaluated. Conclusion It can be concluded that the additive, at the levels of inclusion assessed shows prebiotic potential and it has effects on fecal fermentation products and microbiota without interfering on crude protein and dry matter digestibility. More studies evaluating grater inclusion levels of the prebiotic are necessary to determine optimal concentration.
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Lee, Anne H., Ching-Yen Lin, Sungho Do, Patricia M. Oba, Sara E. Belchik, Andrew J. Steelman, Amy Schauwecker, and Kelly S. Swanson. "Dietary supplementation with fiber, “biotics,” and spray-dried plasma affects apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and the fecal characteristics, fecal microbiota, and immune function of adult dogs." Journal of Animal Science 100, no. 3 (February 18, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac048.
Abstract:
Abstract A variety of functional ingredients, including fibers, prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics may be added to pet foods to support gastrointestinal and immune health. While many of these ingredients have been tested individually, commercial foods often include blends that also require testing. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diets containing blends of fibers, “biotics,” and/or spray-dried plasma on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), stool quality, fecal microbiota and metabolites, and immune health outcomes of adult dogs. A total of 12 healthy adult intact English pointer dogs (6 M, 6 F; age = 6.4 ± 2.0 yr; BW = 25.8 ± 2.6 kg) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design to test diets formulated to: 1) contain a low concentration of fermentative substances (control diet, CT); 2) be enriched with a fiber–prebiotic–probiotic blend (FPPB); and 3) be enriched with a fiber–prebiotic–probiotic blend + immune-modulating ingredients (iFFPB). In each 28-d period, 22 d of diet adaptation was followed by a 5-d fecal collection phase and 1 d for blood sample collection. All data were analyzed using SAS 9.4, with significance being P < 0.05 and trends being P < 0.10. FPPB and iFPPB diets led to shifts in numerous outcome measures. Dry matter (DM), organic matter, fat, fiber, and energy ATTD were lower (P < 0.01), fecal scores were lower (P < 0.01; firmer stools), and fecal DM% was higher (P < 0.0001) in dogs fed FPPB or iFPPB than those fed CT. Serum triglycerides and cholesterol were lower (P < 0.01) in dogs fed FPPB or iFPPB than those fed CT. Fecal protein catabolites (isobutyrate, isovalerate, indole, and ammonia) and butyrate were lower (P < 0.05), while fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) was higher (P < 0.01) in dogs fed FPPB and iFPPB than those fed CT. Fecal microbiota populations were affected by diet, with alpha-diversity being lower (P < 0.05) in dogs fed iFPPB and the relative abundance of 20 bacterial genera being altered in dogs fed FPPB or iFPPB compared with CT. The circulating helper T cell:cytotoxic T cell ratio was higher (P < 0.05) in dogs fed iFPPB than those fed CT. Circulating B cells were lower (P < 0.05) in dogs fed FPPB than those fed iFPPB, and lower (P < 0.05) in dogs fed iFPPB than those fed CT. Our results demonstrate that feeding a fiber–prebiotic–probiotic blend may provide many benefits to canine health, including improved stool quality, beneficial shifts to fecal microbiota and metabolite profiles, reduced blood lipids, and increased fecal IgA.
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Oba, Yasuhiro, Toshiki Koga, Yoshinori Takano, Nanako O. Ogawa, Naohiko Ohkouchi, Kazunori Sasaki, Hajime Sato, et al. "Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu." Nature Communications 14, no. 1 (March 21, 2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3.
Abstract:
AbstractThe pristine sample from the near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft enabled us to analyze the pristine extraterrestrial material without uncontrolled exposure to the Earth’s atmosphere and biosphere. The initial analysis team for the soluble organic matter reported the detection of wide variety of organic molecules including racemic amino acids in the Ryugu samples. Here we report the detection of uracil, one of the four nucleobases in ribonucleic acid, in aqueous extracts from Ryugu samples. In addition, nicotinic acid (niacin, a B3 vitamer), its derivatives, and imidazoles were detected in search for nitrogen heterocyclic molecules. The observed difference in the concentration of uracil between A0106 and C0107 may be related to the possible differences in the degree of alteration induced by energetic particles such as ultraviolet photons and cosmic rays. The present study strongly suggests that such molecules of prebiotic interest commonly formed in carbonaceous asteroids including Ryugu and were delivered to the early Earth.
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Hansma, Helen Greenwood. "Could Life Originate between Mica Sheets?: Mechanochemical Biomolecular Synthesis and the Origins of Life." MRS Proceedings 1185 (2009). http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/proc-1185-ii03-15.
Abstract:
AbstractThe materials properties of mica have surprising similarities to those of living systems. The mica hypothesis is that life could have originated between mica sheets, which provide stable compartments, mechanical energy for bond formation, and the isolation needed for Darwinian evolution. Mechanical energy is produced by the movement of mica sheets, in response to forces such as ocean currents or temperature changes. The energy of a carbon-carbon bond at room temperature is comparable to a mechanical force of 6 nanoNewtons (nN) moving a distance of 100 picometers. Mica's movements may have facilitated mechanochemistry, resulting in the synthesis of prebiotic organic molecules. Furthermore, mica's movements may have facilitated the earliest cell divisions, at a later stage of life's origins. Mica's movements, pressing on lipid vesicles containing proto-cellular macromolecules, might have facilitated the blebbing off of ‘daughter’ protocells. This blebbing-off process has been observed recently in wall-less L-form bacteria and is proposed to be a remnant of the earliest cell divisions (Leaver, et al. Nature457, 849 (2009).
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Johnson, Keith. "Cosmology, astrobiology and the RNA world: just add quintessential water." International Journal of Astrobiology, January 7, 2021, 1–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550420000403.
Abstract:
Abstract Laboratory generation of water nanoclusters from amorphous ice and strong terahertz (THz) radiation from water nanoclusters ejected from water vapour into a vacuum suggest the possibility of water nanoclusters ejected into interstellar space from abundant amorphous ice-coated cosmic dust produced by supernovae explosions. Water nanoclusters (section ‘Water nanoclusters’) offer a hypothetical scenario connecting major mysteries of our Universe: dark matter (section ‘Baryonic dark matter’), dark energy (section ‘Dark energy’), cosmology (section ‘Cosmology’), astrobiology (section ‘Astrobiology’) and the RNA world (section ‘The RNA world’) as the origin of life on Earth and habitable exoplanets. Despite their expected low density in space compared to hydrogen, their quantum-entangled diffuse Rydberg electronic states make cosmic water nanoclusters a candidate for baryonic dark matter that can also absorb, via the microscopic dynamical Casimir effect, the virtual photons of zero-point-energy vacuum fluctuations above the nanocluster cut-off vibrational frequencies, leaving only vacuum fluctuations below these frequencies to be gravitationally active, thus leading to a possible common origin of dark matter and dark energy. This picture includes novel explanations of the small cosmological constant, the coincidence of energy and matter densities, possible contributions of the red-shifted THz radiation from cosmic water nanoclusters at redshift z ≅ 10 to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectrum, the Hubble constant crisis, the role of water as a known coolant for rapid early star formation and ultimately, how life may have originated from RNA protocells on Earth and exoplanets and moons in the habitable zones of developed solar systems. Together, they lead to a cyclic universe cosmology – based on the proposed equivalence of cosmic water nanoclusters to a quintessence scalar field – instead of a multiverse based on cosmic inflation theory. Recent CMB birefringence measurements may support quintessence. Finally, from the quantum chemistry of water nanoclusters interacting with prebiotic organic molecules, amino acids and RNA protocells on early Earth and habitable exoplanets, this scenario is consistent with the anthropic principle that our Universe must have those properties which allow life, as we know it – based on water, to develop at the present stage of its history.