Contamination with bacterial endotoxin causes the disruption of the tight junction (TJ) barrier. We investigated the ameliorative effect of dietary flavonoids genistein (Ge) and daidzein (Di) in normal or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced disruption of epithelial barrier function of the endometrium. Using the immortalized porcine glandular endometrial epithelial cells (PEG), transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and FITC-dextran flux (FD-4) across the monolayer were measured. The mRNA expression of TJ proteins, zona occludens-1 (ZO1), and claudin-1, -3, -4, -7 and -8 was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR for coinciding effect of Ge or Di occurred at the gene transcription level. The results revealed that Ge and Di altered the TER, depending on times and concentrations. Low concentration (10 K10 M) of both compounds decreased the TER, whereas higher concentrations (10 K8 and 10 K6 M) increased the TER which was not related to the FD-4 flux. The increased TER by Ge or Di was parallel to the induction of claudin-3 and -4 or -8 mRNA expression respectively. With LPS inoculation, all isoflavone treatments inhibited the decreased TER induced by LPS, but only Ge (10 K8 or 10 K6 M) or Di (10 K10 or 10 K6 M) was coincidence with the decreased FD-4 flux. Under this LPS-stimulated condition, some or all examined TJ gene expressions appeared to be promoted by specific concentration of Ge or Di respectively. Our findings suggest that the soy isoflavones treatment could promote and restore the impaired endometrial barrier function caused by LPS contamination.

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Thai traditional fermented fish products (Plaa-som) from four provinces (Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, and Khon Kaen) in the northeast part of Thailand were collected and analyzed to determine their salt content, total acidity, and pH. Yeasts in all samples were isolated and identified to the genus and species level based on sequence analysis of the D1/D2 of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The results revealed that the salt content, total acidity, and pH values are in the range of 2.01–6.9%, 0.62–1.9%, and 4.4–6.57%, respectively. Moreover, 35 strains of yeast were isolated and identified as eight genera, namely Candida, Diutina, Filobasidium, Kazachstania, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Torulaspora, and Yarrowia with 17 species. The ascosporogenous yeast, Kazachstania, was the most dominant genus found and was widely distributed among the fermented food samples. In addition, a new strain of yeast, Kazachstania surinensis, was also discovered in Plaa-som samples. Thus, this study is the first to report the presence and wide distribution of these yeasts in fish fermentation products.

Mucosal epithelial cells lining female reproductive tract (FRT) periodically expose to potential pathogenic organisms. It serves as a component of innate immunity response to invading pathogen through toll‐like receptors (TLRs) in a family of pattern‐recognition receptors (PRRs). Antimicrobial peptides such as porcine beta defensins (PBD1) and PBD2 is one of key effectors of pathogen and TLRs signaling mechanism in the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems to neutralize/control the progression of infection. In this study, we investigated the mRNA expression of TLRs and PBD in primary (PE‐I) and immortalized (IMM) porcine glandular epithelial cells which represented non‐cancer cell lines. TLRs mRNA expression in PE‐I and IMM cells was characterized by RT‐PCR. Both PE‐I and IMM cells showed the similar expression of all known TLRs and PBD but not TLR6, which were different from cancer cells. However, TLR2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 exhibited higher expression in estrogen‐deprived media. This evidence provides the first evidence of TLRs and beta‐defensin the antimicrobial peptide mRNA expression in normal porcine glandular epithelium. Functional relevance of TLRs mRNA expression and their functions based on cytokine production mediated by stimulation of pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or microbial products could be further accessed by using this model.

<abstract> <p>This research aimed to evaluate the diversity of yeasts recovered from fermented foods gathered from some areas of Northeastern Thailand. The fermented food items included Pla-som, Nham-pla, Kem-buknud, Isan-sausage, Pla-ra, Mhum-neu, Mhum-Khai-pla, Nham-neu, Nham-mu, Kung-joom, Som-pla-noi, and Poo-dong. Their probiotic characteristics were also investigated. A total of 103 yeast isolates of nine genera were identified using 28S rDNA sequencing. The yeast genera were <italic>Candida</italic> (20.3%), <italic>Diutina</italic> (2.9%), <italic>Filobasidium</italic> (1.0%), <italic>Kazachstania</italic> (33.0%), <italic>Pichia</italic> (3.9%), <italic>Saccharomyces</italic> (1.0%), <italic>Starmerella</italic> (28.2%), <italic>Torulaspora</italic> (2.9%), and <italic>Yarrowia</italic> (6.8%). Based on probiotic characteristic analysis of ten selected yeast strains, <italic>Kazachstania bulderi</italic> KKKS4-1 showed the strongest probiotic characteristics in terms of hemolytic activity, antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, tolerance to low pH and bile salt and hydrophobicity. Isolated yeasts with probiotic characteristics may be useful in fermented food and animal feed production to improve their nutritional values.</p> </abstract>