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ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to elucidate the microbial characteristics of fermented soybean paste （douchi） in China and explore the microbial interactions in douchi.MethodsThirty-seven representative douchi samples were collected from a Chinese market， and microbial information was obtained by metagenomic sequencing. Douchi samples were clustered and illustrated using non-metric multidimensional scaling. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance was used to evaluate microbial community differences among regions. Mantel tests were performed to analyze the relation between geographic distance and microbiome dissimilarity. Linear discriminant analysis effect size was used to determine the microbial features that most likely explained the differences between the regions. A network was constructed to analyze the interactions between microorganisms.ResultsThe results revealed a nearly significant difference in douchi microbial diversity across different regions， with higher microbial diversity observed in Central China. The Mantel test analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between microbial community distances in douchi and geographical distances. Among the bacteria present in douchi， the predominant phylum was Firmicutes （average abundance： 80.9%）， the most abundant order was Bacillales （average abundance： 66%）， and the most abundant genus was Bacillus （50.3%）. This study also found that beneficial bacteria and foodborne pathogens coexist in douchi. The main beneficial bacteria included Bacillus and various lactic-acid-producing bacteria. Foodborne pathogenic bacteria included Salmonella enterica， Bacillus cereus， Staphylococcus aureus， and Cronobacter sakazakiit. Within the species network， a potential synergistic relation was observed among Bacillales species， whereas competitive interactions were observed between Bacillales and other microbial orders， including Lactobacillales.ConclusionDouchi in China harbors a diverse array of microorganisms and exhibits significant regional variations and distinct features. Most products contain both beneficial and foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

ObjectiveTo systematically investigate the health food containing probiotics approved by the government in China， and analyze the application of strains， function claims， recommended intake and distribution of applicable population， and provide reference for the management reform of probiotics products.MethodsThe information of health food containing probiotics approved by the government in China from 1996 to 2022 were collected and investigated， including the kinds of probiotics， function claims， recommended intake and the information of applicable populations.ResultsA total of 168 health foods containing probiotics were approved in China from 1996 to 2022， 82.14% and 77.98% of the products used Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium respectively， 61.31% of the products used Lactobacillus acidophilus， but all products were not labeled with the level of strain. In terms of function claims， most products claimed “enhancing immunity”， “regulating intestinal flora” and “laxative”. The recommended intake of probiotics ranged from 0.12 to 3.63×1011 CFU/d. Claims such as “immunocompromised people”， “people with intestinal flora imbalance” and “people with constipation” were the most common applicable populations for consumption. 42.86% of the products did not labeled with “the unsuitable population”， and more than 69.79% of the products labeled with “the unsuitable population” targeted at infants and young children.ConclusionThere are some approved health food containing probiotics in China， none of which is clearly labeled to the strain level， which is not in line with the scientific definition of probiotics. The existing products are of a single function， product function claim depends on the results of high-quality population studies. The approval of products suitable for infants and young children should be scientific and prudent.

BACKGROUND: Fusarium infection has caused huge economic losses in many crops. The study aimed to compare the microbial community of suppressive and conducive soils and relate to the reduction of Fusarium wilt. RESULTS: High‐throughput sequencing and microbial network analysis were used to investigate the differences in the rhizosphere microbiota of the suppressive and conducive soils and to identify the beneficial keystone taxa. Plant pathogens were enriched in the conducive soil. Potential plant‐beneficial microorganisms and antagonistic microorganisms were enriched in the suppressive soil. More positive interactions and keystone taxa existed in the suppressive soil network. Thirty‐nine and 16 keystone taxa were identified in the suppressive and conducive soil networks, respectively. Sixteen fungal strains and 168 bacterial strains were isolated from suppressive soil, some of which exhibited plant growth‐promotion traits. Thirty‐nine bacterial strains and 10 fungal strains showed antagonistic activity against F. solani. Keystone taxa Bacillus and Trichoderma exhibited high antifungal activity. Lipopeptides produced by Bacillus sp. RB150 and chitinase from Trichoderma spp. inhibited the growth of F. solani. Microbial consortium I (Bacillus sp. RB150, Pseudomonas sp. RB70 and Trichoderma asperellum RF10) and II (Bacillus sp. RB196, Bacillus sp. RB150 and T. asperellum RF10) effectively controlled root rot disease, the spore number of F. solani was reduced by 94.2% and 83.3%. CONCLUSION: Rhizospheric microbiota of suppressive soil protects plants against F. solani infection. Antagonistic microorganisms in suppressive soil inhibit pathogen growth and infection. Microbial consortia consisted of keystone taxa well control root rot disease. These findings help control Fusarium wilt. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the effect of sulforaphane (SFN) on oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury in hepatocytes. Methods We examined malondialdehyde (MDA) content by ELISA in the liver tissues and the protein expression of the antioxidant enzymes including hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), NADH dehydrogenase quinone 1 (NQO1) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) using Western blotting in the liver tissues from a rat model of hepatic oxidative stress established by high-fat diet. We also assessed the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane protential by fluorescence microscopy, tested glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels using ELISA, and detected mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content using real-time quantitative PCR in cultured hepatocytes (HHL-5 cells) under fatty acid-induced oxidative stress. Results In the rat model of hepatic oxidative stress, SFN significantly reduced high-fat diet-induced elevation of MDA level (P < 0.05) and up-regulated the protein expression of the antioxidant enzymes in the liver tissues (P < 0.05). In cultured HHL-5 cells, SFN obviously reduced free fatty acid-induced elevation of ROS level (P < 0.05) and increased GSH content (P < 0.05), SOD level (P < 0.05), mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05), and the content of mtDNA (P < 0.05). Conclusion SFN can enhance the antioxidant capacity of hepatocytes to improve high-fat diet-induced hepatic oxidative stress in rats and provide protection of mitochondrial function in the hepatocytes.

This paper presents a model predictive thrust force control (MPTFC) method for a multiple-modular permanent magnet synchronous linear motor (PMSLM). It focuses on the thrust assignment and thrust ripple of the motor drive system with a multiple-branch inverter. A discrete time model of the PMSLM is established, and the driving system structure and operation principle of the motor are studied. A multi-mode cost function is designed according to the requirements of the different load conditions, and the optimal voltage vector action time is determined. The operation mode is analyzed to determine the distribution factor, so as to reduce the thrust pulsation during operation and improve the performance of the drive system. The results indicate that the proposed MPTFC method is effective in different operating modes, and the drive system has high efficiency and safer performance compared to a conventional drive system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]