Evaluation of the Antioxidant Activities and Phenolic Profile of Shennongjia Apis cerana Honey through a Comparison with Apis mellifera Honey in China.

This study evaluates the phenolic profile as well as the antioxidant properties of Shennongjia Apis cerana honey through a comparison with Apis mellifera honey in China. The total phenolic content (TPC) ranges from 263 ± 2 to 681 ± 36 mg gallic acid/kg. The total flavonoids content (TFC) ranges from 35.9 ± 0.4 to 102.2 ± 0.8 mg epicatechin/kg. The correlations between TPC or TFC and the antioxidant results (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS) were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the phenolic compounds are quantified and qualified by high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS), and a total of 83 phenolic compounds were tentatively identified in this study. A metabolomics analysis based on the 83 polyphenols was carried out and subjected to principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. The results showed that it was possible to distinguish Apis cerana honey from Apis mellifera honey based on the phenolic profile.

[Dynamics of carbon and nitrogen storage of Cupressus chengiana plantations in the arid valley of Minjiang River, Southwest China].

The carbon and nitrogen storage and distribution patterns of Cupressus chengiana plantation ecosystems with different stand ages in the arid valley of Minjiang River were studied. The results showed that carbon contents in different organs of C. chengiana were relatively stable, while nitrogen contents were closely related to different organs, and soil organic carbon and nitrogen contents increased with the stand age. Carbon and nitrogen storage in vegetation layer, soil layer, and the whole ecosystem of the plantation increased with the stand age. The values of total carbon storage in the 13-, 11-, 8-, 6- and 4-year-old C. chengiana plantation ecosystems were 190.90, 165.91, 144.57, 119.44, and 113.49 t x hm(-2), and the values of total nitrogen storage were 19.09, 17.97, 13.82, 13.42, and 12.26 t x hm(-2), respectively. Most of carbon and nitrogen were stored in the 0-60 cm soil layer in the plantation ecosystems and occupied 92.8% and 98.8%, respectively, and the amounts of carbon and nitrogen stored in the top 0-20 cm soil layer, accounted for 54.4% and 48.9% of those in the 0-60 cm soil layer, respectively. Difference in distribution of carbon and nitrogen storage was observed in the vegetation layer. The percentage of carbon storage in tree layer (3.7%) were higher than that in understory vegetation (3.5%), while the percentage of nitrogen storage in tree layer (0.5%) was lower than that in understory (0.7%). The carbon and nitrogen storage and distribution patterns in the plantations varied obviously with the stand age, and the plantation ecosystems at these age stages could accumulate organic carbon and nitrogen continuously.

Neuroprotective effects of resveratrol on ischemic injury mediated by improving brain energy metabolism and alleviating oxidative stress in rats.

In this study, we investigated whether resveratrol could protect against ischemic injury by improving brain energy metabolism and alleviating oxidative stress. Male rats were divided into three groups: sham operation, ischemia treatment, and ischemia combined with resveratrol treatment (resveratrol-treated group, 30 mg/kg intraperitoneally for 7 days). Cerebral ischemia was induced by using the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The dialysates in hypothalamus were obtained by brain microdialysis technique. The effects of resveratrol on neurologic functions and histopathologic changes were evaluated. The levels of ATP, ADP, AMP, adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine and xanthine in microdialysate were monitored by HPLC analysis. The levels of malondialdehyde and the activities of xanthine oxidase in brain tissues were analyzed in three groups. This study shows that the ischemic infarcts were significantly reduced and neurological functions were improved in resveratrol-treated group compared to ischemia group. The analysis results show that resveratrol treatments remarkably enhanced the level of glucose, ATP and energy charge; decreased the levels of lactate during I/R period. Resveratrol treatments significantly increased the basal levels of adesonine and inosine, inhibited the elevations of hypoxanthine and xanthine levels and remarkably decreased xanthine oxidase activity and malondialdehyde levels. This study provides in vivo evidence that resveratrol could exert neuroprotective effect against ischemia injury by improving brain energy metabolism and alleviating oxidative stress via inhibiting xanthine oxidase activity and preventing the production of hypoxanthine, xanthine and oxygen radicals during ischemia/reperfusion.