Project description:Highland barley liquor is a distilled spirit made from highland barley on the Tibetan Plateau, but its alcohol yield is limited by the high fiber content of the raw material. In the field of biomass resources, functional microorganisms are commonly used in pretreatment to degrade cellulose and other substances, improving fermentation output. In this study, we isolated the cellulose-degrading probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii GR-8 (CMCase 6.21 U/mL) from the traditional vegetable-based fermented food "Jiangshui" and applied biological pretreatment to the fermentation of highland barley liquor. During pretreatment, probiotics enhanced cellulase and amylase activities in the fermented grains, resulting in a 25% reduction in cellulose content and a 112% increase in free reducing sugar content. The pretreatment significantly altered the microbial community structure, enhancing microbial diversity. After distillation, alcohol yield increased by 3.5%, and total acid and ester contents rose by 25% and 23%, respectively. Pyrazine compounds increased by 1290%, while higher alcohols like nonanol, phenylethanol, and hexanol decreased. The treated liquor caused less harm to mice, who showed improved memory, motor skills, and lower oxidative liver damage. This study demonstrates that biological pretreatment enhances both fermentation and the quality of Chinese spirits.
Project description:Small molecular food components contribute to health benefits of diets rich in fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The cellular mechanisms by which non-caloric bioactives promote healthspan are not well understood, limiting their use for disease prevention. Here, we deploy a whole organism, high-content screen in zebrafish to profile food-derived compounds for activation of autophagy, a cellular quality control mechanism promoting healthy aging. We identify thymol and carvacrol as activators of autophagy and mitophagy through short-acting dampening of mitochondrial membrane potential. Chemical stabilization of thymol-induced mitochondrial depolarization blocks mitophagy activation, suggesting a mitochondrial membrane-originating mechanism. Supplementation of thymol prevents excess liver fat accumulation in a diet-induced obesity mouse model, improves pink1-dependent heat stress-resilience in Caenorhabditis elegans and slows decline of skeletal muscle performance and epigenetic aging in SAMP8 mice. Thus, terpenoids from common herbs promote autophagy during aging and metabolic overload, making them attractive for nutrition-based healthspan promotion.
