As it is known that food waste can be reduced by the larvae of Hermetia illucens (Black soldier fly, BSF), the scientific and commercial value of BSF larvae has increased recently. We hypothesised that the ability of catabolic degradation by BSF larvae might be due to intestinal microorganisms. Herein, we analysed the bacterial communities in the gut of BSF larvae by pyrosequencing of extracting intestinal metagenomic DNA from larvae that had been fed three different diets. The 16S rRNA sequencing results produced 9737, 9723 and 5985 PCR products from larval samples fed food waste, cooked rice and calf forage, respectively. A BLAST search using the EzTaxon program showed that the bacterial community in the gut of larvae fed three different diets was mainly composed of the four phyla with dissimilar proportions. Although the composition of the bacterial communities depended on the different nutrient sources, the identified bacterial strains in the gut of BSF larvae represented unique bacterial species that were unlike the intestinal microflora of other insects. Thus, our study analysed the structure of the bacterial communities in the gut of BSF larvae after three different feedings and assessed the application of particular bacteria for the efficient degradation of organic compounds.

PurposeTo investigate the influences of smartphone use on ocular symptoms, status of the tear film, and oxidative stress indices in the tears and at the ocular surface.MethodsEighty healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Subjective symptoms and asthenopia were evaluated using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), visual analogue scale (VAS), and computer vision syndrome (CVS) score before and after smartphone or computer display (control) use. The status of the tear film was evaluated using fluorescein film break-up time (FBUT), non-invasive keratograph break up time (NIKBUT), Schirmer score, keratoepitheliopathy (KEP), and tear meniscus height (TMH). Oxidative stress markers in the tear film including hexanoyl lysine (HEL), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in the tear film were measured using ELISA. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the ocular surface were measured through 2’,7’-dichloro-dihydrofluorescein diacetate. All measurements were conducted at baseline, and after use for 1 and 4 h.ResultsAll parameters showed no significant group-wise differences at baseline. Scores of OSDI, VAS, fatigue, burning sensation, and dryness showed significant increases after 1 and 4 h of smartphone use compared with those at baseline (all P < 0.05). The smartphone group showed higher OSDI, fatigue, burning, and dryness scores than the control group at 4 h. Smartphone use showed significantly decreased FBUT and NIBUT at 4 h than those at baseline (P < 0.01). In the smartphone group, the concentration of HEL significantly increased at 4 h compared with that at baseline and 1 h (P < 0.01). Both groups showed increased ROS with higher value in the smartphone group versus the control group at 4 h (P < 0.01).ConclusionsSmartphone use could not only aggravate subjective symptom indices such as the OSDI, VAS, and CVS but also induce tear film instability and oxidative stress indices in the tears and at the ocular surface.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate multi-microbe submerged liquid (SLF) and solid substrate (SSF) fermented probiotic products in broilers. The SLF and SSF probiotics were comprised of Lactobacillus acidophilus (1.1×10 9 and 4×10 8 cfu/g), Bacillus subtilis (1.1×10 9 and 4.8×10 9 cfu/g), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1.5×10 7 and 1.0×10 4 cfu/g) and Aspergillus oryzae (2.6×10 7 and 4.3×10 7 cfu/g), respectively. In Exp. 1, 640 day-old Ross chicks were allotted to 4 treatments, each comprising 4 replicates (40 chicks/replicate). The basal diet was prepared without any antimicrobials (negative control, NC), and 20 mg/kg avilamycin (positive control, PC), 0.3% SLF and 0.3% SSF probiotics were added to the basal diets as treatments. Birds fed PC and SSF diets showed improved (p<0.001) overall weight gain and F/G than birds fed NC and SLF diets; whereas, birds fed SLF diet had better weight gain and F/G than birds fed NC diet. Retention of CP was higher (p<0.05) in birds fed the SSF diet than birds fed PC, SLF and NC diets. Birds fed the SLF diet tended to have higher (p<0.10) cecal total anaerobic bacteria than birds fed PC and NC diets; whereas, lesser cecal coliforms were noticed in birds fed PC, SLF and SSF diets than birds fed the NC diet. In Exp. 2, 640 day-old Ross chicks were randomly allotted to 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Each treatment had 4 replicates (40 chicks/replicate). Two different multi-microbe probiotic products (0.3% SLF or SSF) each with two different antibiotics (10 mg/kg colistin, or 20 mg/kg avilamycin) were used as dietary treatments. Birds fed the SSF diet had greater weight gain (p<0.001), better F/G (p<0.05), greater retention of energy (p<0.001) and protein (p<0.05), and lesser cecal Clostridium (d 35) than birds fed SLF diet. Birds fed the colistin-supplemented diet had less (p<0.01) cecal coliforms when compared with birds fed the avilamycin diet. Additionally, birds fed the avilamycin diet had greater energy retention (p<0.05) than birds fed the colistin diet. Thus, the results of this study suggest the multi-microbe probiotic product prepared by a solid substrate fermentation method to be superior to the probiotic product prepared by submerged liquid fermentation; moreover, feeding of probiotics with different antibiotics did not elicit any interaction effect between probiotic and antibiotic.

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