The plant-derived specialized metabolite montbretin A (MbA) is under development as an improved treatment for Type 2 diabetes, a worldwide epidemic. MbA is an acylated flavonol glycoside so far only ...

Scientific Reports - Microbial metabolite p-cresol associates with constipation in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and induces constipation-like symptoms in mice

Elemental sulfur is an evolutionarily ancient metabolite, yet its generation, storage, and function in animals have remained unclear. We show that mammals harbor elemental sulfur in the form of its most stable allotrope, cyclo-octasulfur (S8). We found ...

AbstractChamaelirium luteum (L.) A. Gray (Melanthiaceae), commonly known as false unicorn, is a North American medicinal herb traditionally used for women’s reproductive health. Its major bioactive constituents are open-chain steroidal saponins, a structurally distinctive compound subclass whose increased conformational flexibility may confer bioactivities distinct from common steroidal saponin scaffolds. Because C. luteum is slow-growing and primarily wild-harvested, it faces conservation concerns. Although individual metabolites, including chamaelirosides A (1) and B (2), have been characterized, commercial reference standards and extract-level authentication methods are lacking. To address this need, we developed complementary orthogonal analytical approaches integrating high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) chemometric profiling with untargeted liquid chromatography−mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics and molecular networking. HPTLC band extraction coupled with LC-MS and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) enabled rapid structural verification of marker compounds while reducing analysis time and resource requirements. The workflow established robust phytochemical profiles for authenticated C. luteum materials and was subsequently applied to purchased commercial formulations. The majority of products lacked characteristic C. luteum profiles, highlighting species substitution and adulteration. The generalizable workflow and reference data presented here provide a practical framework for phytochemical characterization of botanicals containing open-chain steroidal saponins and, more broadly, for other taxa lacking authenticated reference materials.

Researchers analyzed dietary data from 204,938 UK Biobank participants and identified blood protein and metabolite profiles associated with adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet. These profiles showed stro...

Abstract. Metabolite abundances represent the ultimate functional outputs of cellular processes and provide a direct link between genotype and phenotype. W

Elemental sulfur is an evolutionarily ancient metabolite, yet its generation, storage, and function in animals have remained unclear. We show that mammals harbor elemental sulfur in the form of its mo...

Objective: To characterise the pharmacokinetic profile of desloratadine and its main metabolite, 3-hydroxy (3-OH) desloratadine, in a patient population representative of the population studied in the...

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Wang et al. herein review recent progress in the systematic identification of post-translational modifications and non-covalent interactions mediated by the immunomodulatory metabolite itaconate using chemoproteomic methods. These studies have provided rich resources to guide future functional studies to better understand the multiple roles of itaconate in host-pathogen interactions.

Irajizad et al. report a blood-based metabolite panel for earlier detection of lung cancer. The metabolite panel complements clinical risk models for lung cancer incidence and mortality. The panel provides a means for identifying ever-smoker individuals at elevated 1-year risk of lung cancer who would benefit from lung cancer screening.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common member of the healthy skin microbiome that contributes to barrier function and protection against pathogen colonization. In contrast, Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen and the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, owing in part to its robust biofilm-forming capacity and increasing antimicrobial resistance. We previously demonstrated that S. epidermidis cell-free conditioned media (CFCM) inhibit S. aureus biofilm formation by altering bacterial gene expression without affecting growth. Here, we identify the metabolite responsible for this activity. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of S. epidermidis CFCM revealed pyroglutamic acid (PCA) as the active antibiofilm compound. Commercially sourced PCA inhibited S. aureus biofilm formation and reduced adhesion to epithelial cells. In a murine skin infection model, PCA treatment significantly attenuated disease severity, accelerated wound healing, and reduced bacterial burden. Analysis of S. epidermidis CFCM by chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of PCA and identified it as the bioactive constituent responsible for antibiofilm activity. Together, these findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanism by which S. epidermidis suppresses S. aureus virulence and highlight the potential of microbiome-derived metabolites as therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of S. aureus skin infections.

Study from McBrayer Lab shows brain tumors exploit metabolite to activate nearby neurons DALLAS – Sept. 15, 2026 – Virtually all high-grade, aggressive gliomas in adults accumulate massive amounts of ...

Glioma-derived guanidinoacetate depolarizes neighboring neurons through γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptors, and depleting this metabolite reduces both neuronal activity and glioma growth.