Capsaicin is a widespread spice known for its analgesic qualities. Although a comprehensive body of evidence suggests pleiotropic benefits of capsaicin, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, metabolic, or cardioprotective effects, it is frequently avoided due to reported digestive side-effects. As the gut bacterial profile is strongly linked to diet and capsaicin displays modulatory effects on gut microbiota, a new hypothesis has recently emerged about its possible applicability against widespread pathologies, such as metabolic and inflammatory diseases. The present review explores the capsaicin-microbiota crosstalk and capsaicin effect on dysbiosis, and illustrates the intimate mechanisms that underlie its action in preventing the onset or development of pathologies like obesity, diabetes, or inflammatory bowel diseases. A possible antimicrobial property of capsaicin, mediated by the beneficial alteration of microbiota, is also discussed. However, as data are coming mostly from experimental models, caution is needed in translating these findings to humans.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/23/5681/pdf

Capsaicin and Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease

Model parameters estimation of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell by a Modified Golden Jackal Optimization

An innovative technique for optimization and sensitivity analysis of a PV/DG/BESS based on converged Henry gas solubility optimizer: A case study

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain associated with defecation or a change in bowel habits. Gut microbiota, which acts as a real organ with well-defined functions, is in a mutualistic relationship with the host, harvesting additional energy and nutrients from the diet and protecting the host from pathogens; specific alterations in its composition seem to play a crucial role in IBS pathophysiology. It is well known that diet can significantly modulate the intestinal microbiota profile but it is less known how different nutritional approach effective in IBS patients, such as the low-FODMAP diet, could be responsible of intestinal microbiota changes, thus influencing the presence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The aim of this review was to explore the effects of different nutritional protocols (e.g., traditional nutritional advice, low-FODMAP diet, gluten-free diet, etc.) on IBS-D symptoms and on intestinal microbiota variations in both IBS-D patients and healthy subjects. To date, an ideal nutritional protocol does not exist for IBS-D patients but it seems crucial to consider the effect of the different nutritional approaches on the intestinal microbiota composition to better define an efficient strategy to manage this functional disorder.

Diarrhea Predominant-Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D): Effects of Different Nutritional Patterns on Intestinal Dysbiosis and Symptoms

With emergence of Flexible Renewable Virtual Power Plants (FRVPPs) as the aggregator of renewable energy systems and flexibility resources such as demand response programs and electric vehicles (EVs) in the Smart Distribution Network (SDN), FRVPPs are expected to have significant capability resiliency enhancement against natural disasters. This paper focuses on the resilient operation of SDN influenced by FRVPPs for flood and earthquake conditions and minimizes the total cost of the SDN against natural disasters. The constraints of the problem include AC optimal power flow equations, resiliency constraints and FRVPP constraints. The uncertainties of load, energy prices, renewable power generation, EVs demand, accessibility of SDN devices and FRVPP components are modeled using a hybrid stochastic-robust strategy. A hybrid metaheuristic optimization algorithm, based on combination of krill herd optimization and sine-cosine algorithm, has been used to solve the proposed optimization model. The achieved results on the IEEE 69-bus SDN approve the significant capability of FRVPP's in improving the resiliency of the SDN against flood and earthquake. Based on the simulation results, the mentioned hybrid algorithm is capable of extracting the optimal point in lower computing time compared to non-hybrid algorithms. Its standard deviation in the final response is very low, around 0.93 %, which means that the above-mentioned solver extracts an almost unique solution. In addition, the proposed design with energy management of FRVPPs has been able to improve resilience by about 95 % compared to power flow studies. This number is about 33 % and 42 % to improve the state of energy loss and voltage profile, respectively. Of course, these characteristics obtained for FRVPP are the result of the optimal performance of mobile energy storage (EVs) along with the demand response program. 

Storage-integrated virtual power plants for resiliency enhancement of smart distribution systems

Unpredictable nature of renewable energy sources puts power system operators in different conditions in terms of maintaining the system reliability. Microgrids (MGs) can provide an effective solution for the problems of grid-connected renewable energy sources due to their tuning capability and flexibility. In this study, a stochastic optimization strategy was proposed for participating in energy market operations considering demand response (DR). The results indicated the operating cost decreased when the MG implemented DR programs. Also, DR program could shift energy consumption from on- to off-peak hours and flatten the load curve. Therefore, a scheduling model was presented for the operation of energy carriers and reserves considering security constraints of power and natural gas grids in interconnected hubs as well as responsive load participation using the developed water wave optimization (WWO) algorithm. The objective function of this model aimed to minimize the operating cost of sources to supply electrical and thermal loads applied to the proposed MG. WWO is a meta-heuristic algorithm inspired by the behavior of water waves. The waves formed on the sea surface have complex, but interesting, relationships that can be used to solve optimization problems. In this algorithm, each problem solution is encoded as a water wave and undergoes changes in the problem search space based on three behaviors of propagation, refraction, and decay of water waves or problem solutions. The simplicity of the structure of this method, elitism and the ability to escape from local points due to the existence of different search operators and the mutation of generations have led to the use of this method. The results indicated a decline in operating costs through electrical and thermal responsive load participation and thermal energy storage system. Results of the proposed model revealed a correlation between the electricity price and natural gas consumption, indicating multi-carrier energy grids should be examined and optimized simultaneously. 

Optimal economic scheduling of microgrids considering renewable energy sources based on energy hub model using demand response and improved water wave optimization algorithm

As a common kind of food, pepper is well known for its special effects on the physiological state of human individuals. Capsaicin, the main component of pepper, is speculated to be linked with intestinal microorganisms on account of their direct contact. Herein, we first utilized mouse models and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to compare the differences in intestinal flora between mouse groups with and without capsaicin treatment by gavage. The mice in the two groups showed significantly distinct performance in terms of body weight, leukocyte count, fecal humidity, and constituent ratios of intestinal bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, Roseburia, Helicobacter, and Bacteroides species. In particular, the Faecalibacterium abundance was the most highly variable among the 5 bacterial genera. Based on statistical analysis and comparison, the variation tendency of body weight, leukocyte count, and fecal humidity was closely related to the bacteria. In conclusion, capsaicin could affect the physiological state of mice by changing the constitution of the intestinal flora.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsomega.9b03798

Study on the Effect of Capsaicin on the Intestinal Flora through High-Throughput Sequencing

Heavy metals, that is Cu(II), are harmful to the environment. There is an increasing demand to develop inexpensive detection methods for heavy metals. Here, we developed a yeast biosensor with reduced‐noise and improved signal output for potential on‐site copper ion detection. The copper‐sensing circuit was achieved by employing a secondary genetic layer to control the galactose‐inducible (GAL) system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The reciprocal control of the Gal4 activator and Gal80 repressor under copper‐responsive promoters resulted in a low‐noise and sensitive yeast biosensor for copper ion detection. Furthermore, we developed a betaxanthin‐based colorimetric assay, as well as 2‐phenylethanol and styrene‐based olfactory outputs for the copper ion detection. Notably, our engineered yeast sensor confers a narrow range switch‐like behaviour, which can give a ‘yes/no’ response when coupled with a betaxanthin‐based visual phenotype. Taken together, we envision that the design principle established here might be applicable to develop other sensing systems for various chemical detections.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/1751-7915.14105

Danli Zhang

Papers

Optimal economic scheduling of microgrids considering renewable energy sources based on energy hub model using demand response and improved water wave optimization algorithm

Study on the Effect of Capsaicin on the Intestinal Flora through High-Throughput Sequencing

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae‐based biosensors for copper detection