Effect of postharvest processing on quality traits of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae: A integrative analysis of metabolomics and proteomics.

The dried roots and rhizomes of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae are widely used as food material or medicinal crops. "Sweating" is a traditional postharvest processing method, the basic processing procedure consists of softening, stacking and drying. The aim of this paper is to unveil the scientific connotation responsible for the "Sweating" processing in Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae during postharvest. Thus, the effect of different postharvest processing methods on the metabolic pathways of Radix Gentiasnae Macrophyllae was studied by the non-targeted metabolomic technique in combination with the label-free proteomics approach. The results showed that the differentially accumulated metabolites and abundant proteins were mainly enriched in the pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, polyphenols and terpenoids biosynthesis. "Sweating" has a greater up-regulation effect on these pathways than "Non-sweating", and can induce protein expression and metabolite accumulation associated with the quality traits of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae. The results provide a detailed explanation of the scientific connotation of crucial steps of "Sweating" processing wherein opportunities existed for taking appropriate measures to enhance the accumulation of bioactive ingredients. These findings will serve as significant references for enhancing the postharvest processing technology of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae and similar plants, resulting in higher product quality for food or plant materials production.

Pullulan-Based Active Coating Incorporating Potassium Metabisulfite Maintains Postharvest Quality and Induces Disease Resistance to Soft Rot in Kiwifruit.

Soft rot is a severe postharvest disease of kiwifruit that causes enormous economic losses annually. In this study, we aimed to explore an effective pullulan-based active coating, incorporating food additives to reduce soft rot and extend the shelf life of cold-stored kiwifruit. The results showed that 1 g/L potassium metabisulfite could completely inhibit the mycelial growth of Diaporthe sp., Botryosphaeria dothidea, Phomopsis sp. and Alternaria sp., which were the primary pathogens of kiwifruit soft rot. Furthermore, the pullulan coating, combined with a 10 g/L potassium metabisulfite group, had a decay rate 46% lower than the control (CK) group and maintained fruit quality at the end of shelf life. The retention of physicochemical properties such as soluble solid content (SSC), firmness, weight loss and respiration rate also confirmed the efficacy of the treatment. In addition, at the end of shelf life, pullulan coating, combined with potassium metabisulfite, increased the accumulation of total phenolic content (37.59%) and flavonoid content (9.28%), maintained a high energy charge (51.36%), and enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) (6.27%), peroxidase (POD) (62.50%), catalase (CAT) (84.62%) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) (24.61%) enzyme activities as well as initiating the upregulation of their gene expression levels. As a result, the disease resistance of fruit was improved, and the occurrence of soft rot was delayed. Overall, this study demonstrated that using the pullulan-based active coating incorporating potassium metabisulfite treatment effectively controlled soft rot and retarded the senescence of postharvest kiwifruit.

The importance of supercooled stability for food during supercooling preservation: a review of mechanisms, influencing factors, and control methods.

Supercooling can preserve food in its original fresh state below its ice point temperature without freezing. However, the supercooled state is unstable in thermodynamics, state breakdown can occur at any moment, resulting in irregular and larger ice crystals formation, leading to food tissue damage, and loss of quality and nutrients. While the effectiveness of supercooling preservation has been verified in the lab and pilot scale tests, the stability of the supercooled state of food remains an open question, posing a limitation for larger industrial-scale application of supercooling preservation. Based on this background, this review presents the instability mechanisms of supercooling preservation and summarizes the factors such as food properties (e.g., material size, food components, specific surface area, and surface roughness) and preservation circumstances (e.g., cooling rate, temperature variation, and mechanical disturbance) that influence the stability of the supercooled state of food. The review also discusses novel techniques for enhancing the supercooling capacity and their limitations (e.g., precise temperature control and magnetic field). Further studies are necessary to comprehensively evaluate the effects of influence factors and supercooling technologies on supercooling, realizing the true sense of 'no-crystal' food products under subzero temperature preservation conditions in commercial applications.

Supercooling can maximize the potential of low temperature in food preservation.Supercooled state of food is unstable, with many factors affecting its stability.The quality of foodstuffs with supercooled failure is unacceptable.Instability of supercooling limits its large application in food industry.Novel technologies are developed to enhance the state stability of food supercooling.

High level of LncRNA MAPKAPK5-AS1 predicts poor prognosis and contributes to the malignant proliferation and EMT of non-small cell lung cancer via sponging miR-490-3p from HMGB2.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) show a low survival rate, owing to the lack of early diagnostic method and high invasiveness. Long non-coding RNA MAPKAPK5-AS1 that regulates tumor genesis and progression through multiple signals, is upregulated and involved in the growth and apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether MAPKAPK5-AS1 affected the malignant progression of NSCLC. METHODS: The levels of MAPKAPK5-AS1, miR-490-3p and HMGB2 in lung cancer were first analyzed through StarBase website, and confirmed by a quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. The biological functions of NSCLC cells were examined by CCK-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and flow cytometry assays. The potential binding sequences lncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA were predicted by StarBase software and verified via dual luciferase reporter experiment. The effects of MAPKAPK5-AS1 on tumor growth were evaluated in a xenografted mice model. RESULTS: The expression of MAPKAPK5-AS1 was upregulated in tumor tissues from NSCLC patients. Patients with high expression of MAPKAPK5-AS1 had higher tumor size, advanced TNM stage, higher incidence of lymph node and distant metastasis, and shorter overall survival. Knockdown of MAPKAPK5-AS1 inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis and blocked epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of NSCLC cells. Mechanically, MAPKAPK5-AS1 could upregulate the HMGB2 level in NSCLC cells through competitively binding to miR-490-3p. MiR-490-3p inhibitor reversed the roles of MAPKAPK5-AS1 knockdown on tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis and EMT. Also, HMGB2 knockdown suppressed tumor cell malignant phenotypes. Furthermore, interference of MAPKAPK5-AS1 slowed NSCLC tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION: Knockdown of MAPKAPK5-AS1 inhibited the aggressive tumor phenotypes through miR-490-3p/HMGB2 axis in NSCLC. MAPKAPK5-AS1/miR-490-3p/HMGB2 might be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for NSCLC.

Modeling of Chilled/Supercooled Pork Storage Quality Based on the Entropy Weight Method.

The entropy weight method (EWM) was developed and used to integrate multiple quality indexes of pork to generate a comprehensive measure of quality. The Arrhenius equation and chemical kinetic reaction were used to fit and generate the shelf life prediction model. The pork was stored at the temperatures of 7 °C, 4 °C, 1 °C and -1 °C. Quality indexes, such as drip loss, color, shear force, pH, TAC, TVB-N and TBARS were measured. The results show that low temperatures effectively delay microbial growth and lipid oxidation. The regression coefficients (R2) for the comprehensive scores at each temperature were greater than 0.973 and the activation energy Ea was 9.7354 × 104 kJ mol-1. The predicted shelf life of pork stored at 7 °C, 4 °C, 1 °C and -1 °C was 4.35 d, 6.85 d, 10.88 d and 14.90 d, respectively. In conclusion, EWM is an effective method to predict the shelf life of chilled/supercooled pork.

The Microbial Metagenome of Eluates Obtained From the Surface of Broccoli Heads Subjected to Different Light Treatments.

Foodborne illnesses present a major threat to public health and are frequently attributed to foodborne pathogens present on fresh produce. Some opportunistic pathogens of broccoli are also responsible for causing head rot. Three different light treatments, UV-C, red LED (50 µml/m2/s), and UV-C + LED were used to treat broccoli prior to or during storage. Following the light treatments, microorganisms present in eluates obtained from the surface of broccoli heads were characterized using a metagenomic approach. Metagenomic DNA libraries were subjected to high-throughput sequencing on an Illumina Hiseq platform. Results indicated that the combined treatment of LED red light and UV-C provided the best sensory preservation of broccoli, followed by LED red light and then UV-C. The bacterial communities in the eluates obtained from the surface of broccoli heads in all three light treatments were primarily represented at the phylum level by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, while fungal communities were primarily represented by Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Further analysis indicated that the all three light treatments reduced the presence of foodborne pathogens and bacterial taxa responsible for broccoli spoilage. While UV-C had a significant inhibitory effect on Botrytis cinerea, the light treatments increased the relative abundance of Pseudomonas fluorescens. Results indicate that a metagenomic approach can be used to detect pathogenic bacteria and fungi on fresh vegetables and assess the impact of management practices, such as light treatments, designed to maintain postharvest quality, on the composition of the microbiome present on the surface of harvested produce.

Effect of static magnetic field extended supercooling preservation on beef quality.

Supercooling can preserve beef without freezing damage, whereas maintaining the supercooled state is difficult. An innovative method of static magnetic field extended supercooling (SM-ES) was proposed to maintain the non-frozen state of beef. Effect of SM-ES (-4 °C + SMF) compared with refrigerated (4 °C), slow-frozen (-4 °C) and frozen (-18 °C) treatment on beef quality was investigated. Results demonstrated that SM-ES successfully preserved beef at -4 °C without ice nucleation for 14 days. The SEM images revealed that the microstructure of slow-frozen/frozen samples was damaged due to crystallizing, while the ice nucleation was not observed in SM-ES treated beef. Compared with refrigerated, slow-frozen and frozen treatment, the drip loss of SM-ES decreased by 21.9%, 47.8% and 30.9%, respectively. The lipid oxidation degree of beef decreased following SM-ES treatment. SM-ES treatment extended the shelf-life of beef for more than 6 days compared with refrigeration while prevented its crystallizing.

UV-C treatment inhibits browning, inactivates Pseudomonas tolaasii and reduces associated chemical and enzymatic changes of button mushrooms.

BACKGROUND: Button mushrooms with completely white appearance are popular with consumers. However, button mushrooms are susceptible to infection with Pseudomonas tolaasii, which results in browning. This study evaluates the effects of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) treatment on the inactivation of P. tolaasii in vitro and in vivo and on the physiological and chemical changes of button mushrooms during storage for 21 days at 4 °C. RESULTS: UV-C doses of 0.5 to 9.0 kJ m-2 resulted in 3.91-6.26 log CFU mL-1 reduction of P. tolaasii populations in vitro, and UV-C treatment reduced P. tolaasii populations inoculated on mushroom cap surfaces and browning severity. Moreover, P. tolaasii increased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and decreased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, the accumulation of phenolics and contents of brown melanin precursors, including γ-l-glutaminyl-4-hydroxybenzene (GHB), γ-l-glutaminyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzene (GDHB), and tyrosine in button mushrooms. UV-C treatment was found to reduce the negative changes due to P. tolaasii infection. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that the application of UV-C treatment inhibited browning, inactivated P. tolaasii and reduced P. tolaasii - associated chemical and enzymatic changes of button mushrooms. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enhancing the Nutritional Properties of Bread by Incorporating Mushroom Bioactive Compounds: The Manipulation of the Pre-Dictive Glycaemic Response and the Phenolic Properties.

Wheat bread supplemented with mushroom powder from three different species of mushrooms was investigated in terms of starch characteristics (content, gelatinisation, and digestibility) and antioxidant capacities. The decrease in total starch contents, and increase in phenolic contents of the breads, were associated with increased mushroom powder contents. Mushroom inclusion reduced the rate of reducing sugar released over 120 min in an in vitro digestion compared to the control sample, implying a lower area under the curve (AUC) value with the inclusion of mushroom powder and a potentially lower predicted glycaemic response of the bread. Mushroom powder incorporation also enhanced the DPPH radical scavenging assay and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) compared to control bread. The action of the addition of different mushroom powders on the bread crust and crumb microstructure properties was also studied. Mushroom powder altered the internal microstructure of the bread crust and crumb by affecting the interactions between starch and the other components of the bread. Overall, this shows that mushroom powder could be added to bread to deliver health benefits to consumers.

Edible mushrooms dietary fibre and antioxidants: Effects on glycaemic load manipulation and their correlations pre-and post-simulated in vitro digestion.

In this study, mushroom stems were separated from the fruiting body of two edible mushrooms, white button mushroom (WB, Agaricus bisporus) and oyster mushroom (OY, Pleurotus ostreatus), and their functionalities were compared in wheat flour noodles at fortification levels of 5, 10, 15%. The inclusion of WB led to higher protein content than OY, which had more dietary fibre, especially insoluble dietary fibre. The fortification of mushrooms decreased the area under the curve (AUC) of reducing sugars released during in vitro digestion significantly (p < 0.05). WB fortified noodles yielded higher antioxidant capacities than OY fortification, whereas the digesta following digestion of WB and OY groups shared similar free accessible weighted average antioxidants. Mushrooms derived insoluble dietary fibre was negatively correlated with AUC and positively correlated with antioxidants (p < 0.05), suggesting the efficacy of mushroom stems over post-prandial glucose release of foods and providing the antioxidant environment to the intestine.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Radiation-Induced Temporal Lobe Injury in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to develop and validate a nomogram for prediction on radiation-induced temporal lobe injury (TLI) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: The prediction model was developed based on a primary cohort that consisted of 194 patients. The data was gathered from January 2008 to December 2010. Clinical factors associated with TLI and dose-volume histograms for 388 evaluable temporal lobes were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predicting model, which was conducted by R software. The performance of the nomogram was assessed with calibration and discrimination. An external validation cohort contained 197 patients from January 2011 to December 2013. RESULTS: Among the 391 patients, 77 patients had TLI. Prognostic factors contained in the nomogram were Dmax (the maximum point dose) of temporal lobe, D1cc (the maximum dose delivered to a volume of 1 ml), T stage, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLRs). The Internal validation showed good discrimination, with a C-index of 0.847 [95%CI 0.800 to 0.893], and good calibration. Application of the nomogram in the external validation cohort still obtained good discrimination (C-index, 0.811 [95% CI, 0.751 to 0.870]) and acceptable calibration. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed and validated a nomogram, which may be conveniently applied for the individualized prediction of TLI.

Clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of ascending, descending and mixed types of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the non-endemic areas of china: A propensity score matching analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes of patients with ascending type (type A), descending type (type D), and mixed type (type AD) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in non-endemic areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort included 628 patients diagnosed with type A, type D, and type AD of NPC between January 2009 and December 2014. Type A was defined as T3-4  N0-1 , type D as T0-1  N2-3 , and type AD as T3-4  N2-3 . Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance clinical factors and match patients. Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the impact of different NPC types on survival outcomes. RESULTS: There were 145 patients with type A, 194 with type D, and 289 with type AD. However, after PSM, there were only 130 patients with each type. Compared with patients with type A, those with type D had lower 5-year disease-specific survival (96.9% vs 91.5%) and distant metastasis-free survival (92.3% vs 77.7%) and higher local relapse-free survival (88.5% vs 96.9%) (p < 0.05 for all). Patients with type AD may have an increased risk of disease progression (progression-free survival, 56.9% vs 74.6% and 66.2%) and death (overall survival [OS], 76.9% vs 85.4% and 85.4%) (p < 0.05 for all) compared to patients with the other two types of tumors. We further analyzed the metastasis trend. Similar metastasis patterns were observed in types AD and D, and types AD and A had similar recurrence trends. The mortality rate of patients with types AD and D in the first 3 years after metastasis was remarkably higher than that of patients with type A. CONCLUSIONS: In non-endemic areas of China, metastases and recurrence patterns differed across tumor types. Type AD has the worst OS, and the clinical process is more radical. Type D has a lower recurrence rate, higher metastasis, and disease-related mortality rates, and poorer prognosis after metastasis than type A.

Nobiletin Protects against Acute Liver Injury via Targeting c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK)-Induced Apoptosis of Hepatocytes.

Acute liver injury resulting from several factors such as medication, food toxins, and herbal supplementation often leads to a severe health condition and makes treatment difficult; thereby, the prevention of acute liver injury remains a critical issue and is of great importance. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of nobiletin (NOB) on a mouse model of concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver injury. We observed that NOB (10 mg/kg) pretreatment of ConA-treated mice significantly lowered the levels of liver enzymes including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), decreased the intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and suppressed the release of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Pathological data suggested that pretreatment with NOB ameliorated ConA-induced liver damage by promoting proliferation and alleviating apoptosis of hepatocytes. Furthermore, significant suppression of the c-Jun-activating kinase (JNK) signal was also observed in NOB-pretreated liver tissues compared with that of ConA treatment only. In addition, an in vitro mechanism study confirmed that the addition of NOB protected hepatocytes via inhibition of JNK activation, manifesting that alleviation of JNK-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes is correlated with NOB protection in acute liver injury.

In vitro gastric digestion antioxidant and cellular radical scavenging activities of wheat-shiitake noodles.

A high glycaemic index diet causes a rapid increase in blood sugar level and may lead to chronic metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Shiitake is rich in bioactive compounds. Wheat flour noodles were enriched with shiitake (Lentinus edodes) powder (cap, stem, whole) at different levels to investigate the effects of shiitake addition on the nutritional composition, physical and textural properties. In vitro digestion was conducted to determine the glycaemic glucose equivalents and bioaccessibility of antioxidants in digesta. The addition of 15% shiitake stem powder in the noodles resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in reducing sugars released after in vitro digestion. Digesta also exhibited cellular antioxidant ability on IEC-6 cells after H2O2-induced oxidative stress. These results show the potential beneficial use of shiitake, especially the stem, as a high-value ingredient to improve the nutritional profile and reduce the glycaemic index of foods.

Nobiletin Attenuates DSS-Induced Intestinal Barrier Damage through the HNF4α-Claudin-7 Signaling Pathway.

The intestinal epithelium barrier functions to protect human bodies from damages such as harmful microorganisms, antigens, and toxins. In this study, we evaluated the protective effect and molecular mechanism of a dominant polymethoxyflavone nobiletin (NOB) from tangerine peels on intestinal epithelial integrity. The results from transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) suggested that NOB pretreatment counteracts epithelial injury induced by inflammatory cytokines (TEER value in 48 h: vehicle, 135.6 ± 3.9 Ω/cm2; TNF-α + IL-1ß, 90.7 ± 0.5 Ω/cm2; 10 µM NOB + TNF-α + IL-1ß, 126.1 ± 0.8 Ω/cm2; 100 µM NOB + TNF-α + IL-1ß, 125.3 ± 0.5 Ω/cm2. P < 0.001). Clinical and pathological test results suggested that administration of NOB effectively alleviates intestinal barrier injury induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) as evidenced by the length of colon villi on day 7 (control, 253.7 ± 4.8 µm, DSS 131.6 ± 4.6 µm, NOB + DSS, 234.5 ± 5.1 µm. P < 0.001). Interestingly, when screening tight junction molecules for intestinal barrier integrity, we observed that independent treatment with NOB sharply increased claudin-7 levels (ratio of claudin-7 over GAPDH: control, 1.0 ± 0.06; DSS, 0.02 ± 0.001; NOB + DSS, 0.3 ± 0.07. P < 0.001), which was previously suppressed upon DSS stimulation. Furthermore, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF-4α) transcriptional regulation of claudin-7 contributed to intestinal barrier homeostasis. Therefore, our study suggests potential intestinal protective strategies based on polymethoxyflavones of aged tangerine peels.

Fabrication and assessment of milk phospholipid-complexed antioxidant phytosomes with vitamin C and E: A comparison with liposomes.

Evidences have shown that phytosome assemblies are novel drug delivery system. However, studies of phytosomes in food applications are scarce. The characteristics of milk phospholipid assemblies and their functionality in terms of in vitro digestibility and bioavailability of encapsulated nutrients (ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol) were studied. The phytosomes were fabricated using ethanolic evaporation technique. Spectral analysis revealed that polar parts of phospholipids formed hydrogen bonds with ascorbic acid hydroxyl groups, further, incorporating ascorbic acid or α-tocopherol into the phospholipid assembly changed the chemical conformation of the complexes. Phospholipid-ascorbic acid phytosomes yielded an optimal complexing index of 98.52 ± 0.03% at a molar ratio of 1:1. Phytosomes exhibited good biocompatibility on intestinal epithelial cells. The cellular uptake of ascorbic acid was 29.06 ± 1.18% for phytosomes. It was higher than that for liposomes (24.14 ± 0.60%) and for ascorbic acid aqueous solution (1.17 ± 0.70%).

Effects of Selected Resveratrol Analogues on Activation and Polarization of Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated BV-2 Microglial Cells.

Increasing health-promoting effects of resveratrol and its molecular structural analogues have been discovered, and the acting mechanism has been explored. However, the activity comparison of such compounds in targeting macrophage-related inflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases remains untouched. In this study, we evaluated the activation and polarization transition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 mouse microglial macrophages exposed to resveratrol (RES) and its analogues pterostilbene (PTE), oxyresveratrol (ORES), acetyl-trans-resveratrol (ARES), and trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-glucopyranoside (TSG). At 10 µM, all of the five stilbene compounds have effectively suppressed the LPS-stimulated BV-2 cell release of proinflammatory mediators such as NO, TNF-α, iNOS, IL-1ß, and IL-6. Mechanism study elucidated that they exert anti-inflammatory effects through MAPKs (ERK1/2, JNK, and p38) and NF-κB signaling pathways. Further investigation in treating BV-2 cells with resveratrol and its analogues revealed the reversal of LPS-induced phenotype molecules from M1 (iNOS, IL-1ß, IL-6, and CD86) to M2 (Arg1, CD163, and IL-10) subtypes, manifesting that these five stilbenes suppressed inflammation through modulating the polarized phenotypes of BV-2 microglia. Most importantly, PTE demonstrated the most potent inhibitory activity among these five stilbene compounds. Therefore, this study not only highlights microglia-induced inflammatory responses as a potential therapeutic target but also suggests future insights in considering the options of nutraceutical development for resveratrol and its analogues.

Protective effect of pterostilbene on concanavalin A-induced acute liver injury.

Pterostilbene (PTE) is broadly found in berries and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To examine the effect of PTE on acute liver injury, mice were administrated PTE prior to concanavalin A (ConA). The mice were divided into the following groups: (i) vehicle control, (ii) ConA alone, (iii) ConA with PTE at 10 mg kg-1 (PTE low dose, PTL), and (iv) ConA with PTE at 40 mg kg-1 (PTE high dose, PTH). After the ConA challenge, the mice showed prompt induction of intrahepatic IFN-γ and TNF-α, followed by tissue factor (TF), which aggravated the fibrin deposition and massive liver necrosis. However, these effects were significantly counteracted by the PTE pretreatment. Furthermore, PTE reversed the phosphorylation of ConA-induced intrahepatic inflammatory kinases including JNK, ERK1/2, p38 and p65. Interestingly, PTE did not directly act on the hepatocytes, but inhibited intrahepatic macrophage accumulation and TF generation by inhibiting the activation of inflammatory p38 MAPK. These results suggest a promising avenue for the exploration of pterostilbene in improving acute liver injury.

The Effect of Carbonic Maceration during Winemaking on the Color, Aroma and Sensory Properties of 'Muscat Hamburg' Wine.

This is the first study on the effect of carbonic maceration on the quality (color, aroma profile and sensory properties) of Muscat Hamburg, contrasting two winemaking procedures used in Tianjin (classical white and red-winemaking techniques). The values of C* (psychometric chroma), a* (measure of redness) and b* (measure of yellowness) were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the carbonic macerated wine than in red wine. However, there were no visual differences in color, and classical red wine and carbonic macerated wine had similar h (hue angle) values and located in the red region. Thirty-two aromatic compounds were identified and quantified in Muscat Hamburg wines. The content of volatile compounds (6384.97 µg/L) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the carbonic macerated Muscat Hamburg wine than in the other kinds of wine. This result led to the carbonic macerated wine having the highest odor activity values (OAVs) and sensory evaluation scores (86.8 points), which correlates with an "excellent" sensory perception. This study demonstrated that carbonic maceration significantly improved the quality of Muscat Hamburg wine based on volatile analysis and sensory evaluation compared with other conventional methods. Therefore, carbonic maceration could be well suited for making Muscat Hamburg wine.

Combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of cold stress induced sugar accumulation and heat shock proteins expression during postharvest potato tuber storage.

Plant species differ greatly in their ability to acclimatise to and survive, cold stress. Normally, potato tubers are stored at low temperatures (below 10 °C) to delay sprouting. In this research, combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis was conducted on potato tubers stored at 15 °C, 4 °C and 0 °C to investigate the mechanism of cold responses during postharvest storage. Results showed that soluble sugars were accumulated under low temperatures, regulating by granule-bound starch synthase 1, beta-amylase, invertase inhibitor and fructokinase. In addition, fifteen heat shock proteins (Hsps), including three Hsp70s, two Hsp80s, one Hsp90, one Hsp100 and eight small Hsps, were induced by low temperatures, which may act individually or synergistically to prevent physiological or cellular damage from cold stress in postharvest potato tubers. This research provided general information of sugar accumulation and defense response in potato tuber under cold storage.