Effects of ultrasonic and chemical dual modification treatments on the structural, and properties of cornstarch.

This study aimed to explore the changes in the structural and functional properties of cornstarch modified by oxidation, esterification, and cross-linking under ultrasonic pretreatment. FT-IR and XRD characteristic peaks revealed successful access to chemical functional groups. Both ultrasonic and the three chemical treatments eroded the surface of starch granules, reducing their particle size and increasing their RC. Meanwhile, the destruction of the granules was further enhanced by the dual modification treatments. The ultrasonic pretreatment synergized and improved the swelling power, solubility, and translucency of all three chemical treatments. Further, it improved the poorer freeze-thaw stability of cross-linked starch, resulting in a lower water precipitation rate. In addition, both ultrasonic and chemical treatments significantly decreased RDS and SDS, and increased RS content. The ultrasonic-chemical dual modification had a synergistic effect on in vitro digestibility, resulting in a further increase in RS. In conclusion, this study provided ideas for developing new starch modification technology and deep processing of cornstarch, expanding its application areas and thus meeting the different needs of starch-based products.

Association between traditional Chinese Medicine and osteoarthritis outcome: A 5-year matched cohort study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and pain reduction, hospital readmission, and joint replacement in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) prescription patterns were further analyzed to confirm the association with prognosis and quality of life in OA patients. Methods: We retrospectively followed 3,850 hospitalized patients with osteoarthritis between January 2018 and December 2022 using the hospital's HIS system. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used for data matching. Cox's proportional risk model was used to assess the impact of various factors on the outcomes of patients with OA, including pain worsening, readmission, and joint replacement. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was applied to determine the impact of TCM intervention time on patient outcomes. Data mining methods including association rules, cluster analysis, and random walks have been used to assess the efficacy of TCM. Results: The utilization rate of TCM in OA patients was 67.01% (2,511/3,747). After PSM matching, 1,228 TCM non-user patients and 1,228 TCM user patients were eventually included. The outcomes of pain worsening, re-admission rate, and joint replacement rate of the TCM non-user group were observably higher than those of the TCM user group with OA (p < 0.05). Based on the Cox proportional risk model, TCM is an independent protective factor. Compared with non-TCM users, TCM users had 58.4% lower rates of pain, 51.1% lower rates of re-admission, and 42% lower rates of joint replacement. In addition, patients in the high-exposure subgroup (TCM＞24 months) had a markedly lower risk of outcome events than those in the low-exposure subgroup (TCM ≤24 months). Data mining methods have shown that TCM therapy can significantly improve immune-inflammatory indices, VAS scores, and SF-36 scale scores in OA patients. Conclusion: s TCM acts as a protective factor to improve the prognosis of patients with OA, and the benefits of long-term use of herbal medicines are even greater.

Polycarboxylate functionalized magnetic nanoparticles Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-COOH: Preparation, characterization, and immobilization of bovine serum albumin.

Magnetic nanoparticles with increasing superparamagnetism and magnetic targeting have found widespread application in fields such as food and medicine. In this study, polycarboxylated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-COOH) were prepared by surface functionalizing iron tetraoxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a modifier. The appropriate degree of functionalization modification was obtained by adjusting the EDTA concentration and the ratio of cross-linking agents. The prepared magnetic nanoparticles were analyzed with structural and property characterization. The results showed that the Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-COOH magnetic nanoparticles prepared with 4 % EDTA and cross-linking agents at a molar ratio of 3:4 were uniform in particle size, with an average size of roughly 7 nm, and possessed an abundant carboxylate content (310.8064 µmol/g) and a high magnetization intensity (35.05 emu/g). As a model protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was immobilized on the surface of magnetic particles. The largest amount of immobilized protein was 500.4376 mg BSA/g at pH 4.0 and no extra salt ions. According to molecular docking simulations, its immobilization was due to the interaction of amino and carboxyl groups at the Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-COOH/BSA interface. Fe3O4@SiO2@CS-COOH possesses a large number of carboxyl groups, strong protein immobilization, and magnetic responsiveness, which may have potential applications in biomedical and food fields.

M7G modification of FTH1 and pri-miR-26a regulates ferroptosis and chemotherapy resistance in osteosarcoma.

Doxorubicin and platinum are widely used in the frontline treatment of osteosarcoma, but resistance to chemotherapy limits its curative effect. Here, we have identified that METTL1 mediated N7-Methyladenosine (m7G) low expressed in osteosarcoma tissues, plays a critical oncogenic role, and enhances osteosarcoma chemosensitivity in osteosarcoma. Mechanistically, AlkAniline-Seq data revealed that Ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), the main component of ferritin, which is crucial for iron homeostasis and the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, is one of the top 10 genes with the most significant change in m7G methylation sites mediated by METTL1 in human osteosarcoma cells. Interestingly, METTL1 significantly increased the expression of FTH1 at the mRNA level but was remarkably suppressed at the protein level. We then identified primary (pri)-miR-26a and pri-miR-98 in the Top 20 m7G-methylated pri-miRNAs with highly conserved species. Further results confirmed that METTL1 enhances cell ferroptosis by targeting FTH1 and primary (pri)-miR-26a, promoting their maturity by enhancing RNA stability dependent on m7G methylation. The increase of mature miR-26a-5p that resulted from METTL1 overexpression could further target FTH1 mRNA and eliminate FTH1 translation efficiency. Moreover, the reduction of FTH1 translation dramatically increases cell ferroptosis and promotes the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cells to chemotherapy drugs. Collectively, our study demonstrates the METTL1/pri-miR-26a/FTH1 axis signaling in osteosarcoma and highlights the functional importance of METTL1 and m7G methylation in the progression and chemotherapy resistance of osteosarcoma, suggesting that reprogramming RNA m7G methylation as a potential and promising strategy for osteosarcoma treatment.

Vitamin C enhances the sensitivity of osteosarcoma to arsenic trioxide via inhibiting aerobic glycolysis.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant tumor disease in the department of orthopedics, which is prone to the age of adolescents and children under 20 years old. Arsenic trioxide (ATO), an ancient poison, has been reported to play a critical role in a variety of tumor treatments, including OS. However, due to certain poisonous side effects such as cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity, clinical application of ATO has been greatly limited. Here we report that low doses of ATO (1 µM) observably reduced the half-effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) of vitamin C on OS cells. Compared with the treatment alone, the synthetic application of vitamin C (VitC, 800 µM) and ATO (1 µM) significantly further inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OS cells and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. Meanwhile, we observed that the combined application of VitC and ATO directly suppresses the aerobic glycolysis of OS cells with the decreased production of pyruvate, lactate, and ATP via inhibiting the expression of the critical glycolytic genes (PGK1, PGM1, and LDHA). Moreover, the combination of VitC (200 mg/kg) and ATO (1 mg/kg) with tail vein injection significantly delayed OS growth and migration of nude mice by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis of OS. Thus, our results demonstrate that VitC effectively increases the sensitivity of OS to low concentrations of ATO via inhibiting aerobic glycolysis to alleviate the toxic side effects of high doses of arsenic trioxide, suggesting that synthetic application of VitC and ATO is a promising approach for the clinical treatment of human OS.

Xinfeng capsule inhibits lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1/TRAF2 to alleviate NF-κB-p65-induced immuno-inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic rheumatic disease known for its insidious and refractory symptoms, primarily associated with immuno-inflammation in its early stages, that affects the self-perception of patients (SPP). The exploration of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in immuno-inflammation of AS has garnered considerable interest. Additionally, the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine Xinfeng Capsule (XFC) in mitigating immuno-inflammation in AS has also been observed. However, the specific mechanisms still need to be characterized. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study elucidated the mechanism of the lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1/TRAF2/NF-κB axis in the immuno-inflammation of AS and XFC in AS treatment. METHODS: LncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and mRNA expression were assessed utilizing real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Protein level was determined using Western blot, and cytokine expression was measured using ELISA. Furthermore, mass spectrometry was used to analyze the binding proteins of lncRNA and rescue experiments were conducted to validate the findings. Inconsistencies in clinical baseline data were addressed using propensity score matching. The association between the XFC effect and indicator changes was evaluated using the Apriori algorithm. RESULTS: The study revealed a substantial elevation in the expression of lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) in AS-peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Its expression was also notably reduced after XFC treatment. In addition to this, there was a positive correlation between lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and TRAF2 with clinical immuno-inflammatory indicators. On the other hand, they showed a negative association with the SPP indicators. In vitro experiments have demonstrated that lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 activated the nuclear factor (NF)-κB-p65 pathway by promoting TRAF2 expression. This activation resulted in enhanced IL-6 and TNF-α levels and reduced IL-10 and IL-4 levels. Conversely, XFC decreased the expression of lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 and TRAF2, inhibiting the stimulation of the NF-κB-p65 cascade and restoring balance to the cytokines. The association rule analysis results indicated a strong association between XFC and decreased levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and immunoglobulin A. Furthermore, XFC was strongly associated with improved SPP indicators, including general health, vitality, mental health, and role-emotional. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 plays a pro-inflammatory role in AS. XFC treatment may reverse lncRNA NONHSAT227927.1 to suppress TRAF2-mediated NF-κB-p65 activation, which in turn suppresses immuno-inflammation and improves SPP, thereby making XFC a promising candidate for therapeutic applications in AS management.

Releasing and Assessing the Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Biochar Loaded with Iron.

Iron (Fe)-loaded biochar has garnered attention for its potential applications in recent years. However, the pyrolysis process of Fe-loaded biochar generates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can have adverse effects on both human health and the environment. This study explored the correlation between Fe loading and PAH production in Fe-loaded biochar. The results indicate that increasing Fe loading in biochar reduces the PAH concentration, with the most significant decrease observed in naphthalene (0.02-0.08 mg/kg). This reduction can be attributed to the decrease in precursor compounds (e.g., C2H2), substitution of the C=O bond by Fe-O, and a decrease in the dissolved organic matter concentration (3.19-10.76 mg/L) with Fe loading. When Fe loading increased from 0 to 10%, the ecological toxicity of biochar increased by 33.48% due to an elevated production of dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, which poses a significant risk to human health. Therefore, it is imperative to take into consideration the ecological risk of PAHs prior to the application of Fe-loaded biochar. This study presents a comprehensive risk assessment of Fe-loaded biochar and provides valuable insights into the optimization of its production and safe application.

Hypercoagulability in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Bibliometric Analysis and Retrospective Data Mining Study.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic systemic inflammation, leading to joint deformities and functional loss. RA progression is accompanied by abnormalities in the coagulation-fibrinolysis system, clinically manifested as a hypercoagulable state. However, there are currently no bibliometrics or visualization analysis in this field. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to reveal the knowledge structure, research status, and research trends related to hypercoagulability in RA through bibliometric analysis and to evaluate the utility of inflammatory and coagulation markers in RA disease activity through retrospective data mining. METHODS: English articles and reviews on RA hypercoagulability published from 2010 to 2023 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database on March 1, 2023. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used for knowledge mapping analysis of the included papers in terms of countries/regions, institutions, journals, authors, keywords, research hotspots, and frontiers. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general information on RA patients. The demographic and clinical indicators of all participants were collected to determine the correlation of inflammatory and coagulation markers with the Chinese patient-reported activity index for rheumatoid arthritis (CPRI-RA). RESULTS: A total of 957 papers were retrieved. The United States was the most productive country in this field and had the highest h-index, and the most prolific institution was the Karolinska Institute. The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases was the journal with the most publications, and KLARESKOG L. was the most productive author. From keyword analysis, it could be seen that "inflammation", "activation", "disease-activity", and "risk" had long been the focuses of RA hypercoagulability research. "Criteria", "validation", "coagulation", "target", and "anemia" were the latest popular keywords in the past 5 years. Retrospective data mining revealed that the levels of inflammation (RF, ESR, and CRP) and coagulation (PLT and DD) were significantly increased in RA patients. FBG, CRP, and ESR were significantly correlated with CPRI-RA. Additionally, ESR, CRP, and FBG were identified as independent risk factors for CPRI-RA. CONCLUSION: The mechanism and application of hypercoagulability in RA have been research hotspots in recent years. Inflammation and coagulation markers are independent risk factors for CPRI-RA.

Distribution, sources, ecological risk and microbial response of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Qingdao bays, China.

Bay ecosystem has garnered significant attention due to the severe threat posed by organic pollutants, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, there is a dearth of information regarding the extent of PAHs pollutant risk and its impact on microbial communities and metabolism within this environment. In this study, the distribution, sources, ecological risk, and microbial community and metabolic response of PAHs in Jiaozhou Bay, Aoshan Bay, and Lingshan Bay in Qingdao, China were investigated. The results showed that the average concentration of ∑PAHs ranged from 120 to 614 ng/L across three bays, with Jiaozhou and Aoshan Bay exhibiting a higher risk than Lingshan Bay due to an increased concentration of high-molecular-weight PAHs. Further analysis revealed a negative correlation between dissolved organic carbon concentration and ∑PAHs concentration in water. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that higher levels of PAHs can lead to decreased microbial diversity, while the abundance of PAHs-degrading bacteria is enhanced. Additionally, the Erythrobacter, Jannaschia and Ruegeria genera were found to have a significant correlation with low-molecular-weight PAH concentrations. In terms of microbial metabolism, higher PAH concentrations were beneficial for carbohydrate metabolic pathway but unfavorable for amino acid metabolic pathways and membrane transport pathways in natural bay environments. These findings provide a foundation for controlling PAHs pollution and offer insights into the impact of PAHs on bacterial communities and metabolism in natural bay environments.

Fabrication and characterization of succinylated and glycosylated soy protein isolate and its self-assembled nanogel.

In this study, we used succinic anhydride (SA) acylation and dextran (DX) glycosylation modified soybean isolate protein (SPI) to develop self-assembled SPI-SA-DX adduct-based nanogels. Degree of modification, SDS-PAGE, and FT-IR studies showed that the amino group of the SPI was replaced by hydrophilic dextran and succinic acid carboxyl groups. Dextran chain and anhydride group attachment to the soybean protein surface enhanced hydrophilicity and spatial site blocking. Modification-induced protein structure unfolding, free sulfhydryl groups to be converted to disulfide bonds, and reduced surface hydrophobicity (H0). H0 was lowest at 33,750 ± 1008.29 when SA content = 10 % protein content (SPI-SA3-DX). The nanometer gel based on SPI-SA3-DX had the maximum turbidity and clear transparent solution without precipitation. Its particle size and polymer dispersibility index (PDI) were also the smallest, with values of (106.87 ± 4.51) nm and 0.21 ± 0.009, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy showed that nanogels had subspherical shell-core structures. Nanogels were stable under different pH, ionic strength, high temperature, and storage conditions.

Traditional Chinese medicine may be associated with a reduced risk of recurrent exacerbation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A matched cohort study based on 1383 individuals.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This study determines whether traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment is associated with the risk of recurrent exacerbation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we selected 1383 patients who were diagnosed with RA between 2013 and 2021 from the medical record information management system of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Then, patients were classified into TCM users and non-TCM users. Gender, age, recurrent exacerbation, TCM, death, surgery, organ lesions, Chinese patent medicine, external medicine, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were adjusted one TCM user-to-one non-TCM user with propensity score matching to reduce selection bias and confusion using propensity score matching (PSM). A Cox regression model was used to compare the hazard ratio of the risk of recurrent exacerbation and the Kaplan Meier curve of recurrent exacerbation proportion between the two groups. Results: Most of the tested clinical indicators in this study improved in patients, which was correlated with the use of TCM, with a statistical significance. TCM was preferred in female and younger (<58 years old) patients with RA. Of note, recurrent exacerbation was observed in more than 850 (61.461%) RA patients. The results of the Cox proportional hazard model showed TCM as a protective factor for the recurrent exacerbation of RA patients (HR = 50%, 95% CI = 0.65-0.92, P < 0.01). Kaplan Meier curves demonstrated that the survival rate of TCM users was higher than that of non-TCM users (log-rank P < 0.01). Conclusion: Conclusively, the use of TCM may be related to a lower risk of recurrent exacerbation in RA patients. These findings provide evidence for the recommendation of TCM treatment for RA patients.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Preparations Are Associated with Low Disease-Related Complication Rates in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 11,074 Patients.

Objective: To evaluate whether traditional Chinese medicine compound preparations (TCMCPs) are associated with rheumatoid arthritis- (RA-) related complications (including readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death) in patients with RA. Methods: Clinical outcome data were retrospectively collected from patients with RA discharged from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2009 to June 2021. The propensity score matching method was used to match baseline data. Multivariate analysis was conducted to analyze sex, age, the incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia and identify the risk of readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death. Users of TCMCP and nonusers of TCMCP were defined as the TCMCP and non-TCMCP groups, respectively. Results: A total of 11,074 patients with RA were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 54.85 months. After propensity score matching, the baseline data of TCMCP users corresponded with those of non-TCMCP users, with 3517 cases in each group. Retrospective analysis revealed that TCMCP significantly reduced clinical, immune, and inflammatory indices in patients with RA, and these indices were highly correlated. Notably, the composite endpoint prognosis for treatment failure in TCMCP users was better than that in non-TCMCP users (HR = 0.75 (0.71-0.80)). The risk of RA-related complications in TCMCP users with high-exposure intensity (HR = 0.669 (0.650-0.751)) and medium-exposure intensity (HR = 0.796 (0.691-0.918)) was significantly lower than those in non-TCMCP users. An increase in exposure intensity was associated with a concomitant decrease in the risk of RA-related complications. Conclusion: The use of TCMCPs, as well as long-term exposure to TCMCPs, may lower RA-related complications, including readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death, in patients with RA.

CD5 expression by dendritic cells directs T cell immunity and sustains immunotherapy responses.

The induction of proinflammatory T cells by dendritic cell (DC) subtypes is critical for antitumor responses and effective immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Here, we show that human CD1c+CD5+ DCs are reduced in melanoma-affected lymph nodes, with CD5 expression on DCs correlating with patient survival. Activating CD5 on DCs enhanced T cell priming and improved survival after ICB therapy. CD5+ DC numbers increased during ICB therapy, and low interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations promoted their de novo differentiation. Mechanistically, CD5 expression by DCs was required to generate optimally protective CD5hi T helper and CD8+ T cells; further, deletion of CD5 from T cells dampened tumor elimination in response to ICB therapy in vivo. Thus, CD5+ DCs are an essential component of optimal ICB therapy.

Chinese herbal medicine reduces the risk of readmission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis combined with hyperlipidemia: A population­based retrospective cohort study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is associated with high degrees of disability and mortality. Patients with RA are generally more prone to a multitude of comorbidities, with hyperlipidemia (HL) one of the most frequently observed. Therefore, the present study investigated the possible association between Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatment and the risk of readmission in patients with RA combined with HL (RA-HL). The aim of the present study was to potentially provide an evidence-based strategy for decreasing the risk of readmission in patients with RA-HL. The present study enrolled 839 patients with RA admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of the Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2014 to June 2015. Subsequently, 425 patients with RA were included into the present study after those with incomplete follow-up and laboratory parameter data were excluded. These 425 patients were then classified into the RA-HL and RA-non-HL groups, before incidences of sex distribution, age group, medication and readmission with propensity score matching were all compared. In total 263 patients with RA-HL were then included and arranged into the CHM and non-CHM groups. In particular, the variables of age, sex and diagnosis year between one patient in the CHM group and one in the non-CHM group were adjusted with propensity score matching to decrease selection bias and interference from confounding factors. Finally, 127 patients with RA-HL were included into the CHM group and 127 patients with RA-HL were allocated into the non-CHM group. The proportion of readmitted patients (including RA-HL and RA-non-HL, RA-CHM and RA-non-CHM) was analyzed and compared using the χ2 test and Kaplan-Meier curves. Bivariate logistics regression analysis was used to evaluate the possible factors that can influence the readmission of patients with RA-HL, whereas the potential association between CHM and improvements in the clinical indicators of the patients with RA-HL was assessed using association rules based on Apriori algorithm. It was found through the follow-up data that patients with RA-HL were at higher risk of readmission compared with that in those with RA-non-HL (P<0.05). The CHM treatments included both oral CHM decoction and Chinese patent medicine, including Xinfeng capsule and Huangqin chubi capsule, which may reduce the risk of readmission and improve the recovery of immune-inflammatory indicators in patients with RA-HL (P<0.05). Overall, CHM, as a protective factor, is associated with a reduced risk of readmission in RA-HL.

The increased oxygen vacancy by morphology regulation of MnO2 for efficient removal of PAHs in aqueous solution.

Manganese dioxide (MnO2) is considered to have a promising future in degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aqueous phase because of its low cost and environmental friendliness. In this study, various MnO2 morphologies were prepared, and their removal performance and mechanism were evaluated using benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) as model molecule. Results showed that nanoflower MnO2 with higher concentration of oxygen vacancies exhibited better oxidative and easier oxygen migration properties, and thus enhanced PAHs removal by 14.28%-43.21% compared with other MnO2 samples. Additionally, the transformation rate of PAHs is correlated with their ionization potential (IP) values. Further mechanism studies showed that the degradation of B[a]P by MnO2 process was first to form a combination and then oxidized by non-radical Mn species and superoxide radical (O2-•) to produce degradation product (B[a]P-6-one and B[a]P-6,12-quinone). The specific surface area was not the main factor affecting the removal of B[a]P by MnO2 and oxidation was the main removal mechanism of degrading B[a]P by MnO2. Mn3+ and absorbed oxygen (Oabs) played an important role in the process of removing PAHs by MnO2. Additionally, synergistic effects of oxygen vacancy and Mn3+could be benefit for transforming Oabs to O2-•, leading to the efficient degradation of PAHs.

Effects of electron beam irradiation treatment on the structural and functional properties of okara insoluble dietary fiber.

BACKGROUND: Insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) has beneficial physiological effects, such as the promoting of intestinal peristalsis, the improving of intestinal flora, and the absorbing of some harmful substances. Okara, a byproduct of soybean processing, is a potential source of IDF. But the larger particle size and poor water solubility of okara IDF have adverse effects on sensory properties and functional characteristics. Therefore, we used an emerging type of physical method is electron beam irradiation (EBI) to modify okara, and investigated that the effects of EBI doses on the structure and functional properties of okara IDF. RESULTS: It was found that the electron beam treatment damaged the crystalline structure of IDF. Observation of the surface of EBI-treated IDF revealed a loose and porous morphology rather than the typical smooth structure. At a dose of 6 kGy, a smallest particle size and largest specific surface area of IDF was obtained, and these factors increased the apparent viscosity of an IDF dispersion. The water holding capacity, swelling capacity and the oil holding capacity upon irradiation at 6 kGy increased 74.13%, 84.76% and 41.62%, respectively. In addition, the capacity for adsorption of cholesterol, sodium cholate, glucose and nitrite ion were improved after electron beam treatment. CONCLUSION: The modified okara IDF showed improved particle sizes and hydration properties, and these changes correlated with an improvement to the rough taste of IDF and improvements to the texture and storage period upon supplementation into food. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza for Ankylosing Spondylitis: Determining Potential Inflammatory Molecular Targets and Mechanism Using Network Pharmacology.

Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (RSM) is widely used for the clinical improvement of inflammatory diseases. However, the actions of RSM in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have not been fully explored. Therefore, this study was designed to use retrospective clinical data mining approach to understand the effects of RSM on AS-related immuno-inflammatory processes, use network pharmacology to predict therapeutic targets of RSM, and to further investigate the pharmacological molecular mechanism in vitro. RSM treatment has a long-term correlation with the improvement of AS-related immuno-inflammatory indicators through computational models. We established protein-protein interaction networks, conducted KEGG analysis to enrich significant TNF pathways, and finally obtained three core targets of RSM in the treatment of AS, namely, prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Screening of RSM active ingredients with node degree greater than 20 yielded cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, and previous studies have reported their anti-inflammatory effects. In vitro, both cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA significantly inhibited the expressions of PTGS2, IL-6, and TNF-α in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in AS patients. In conclusion, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, which are the active components of RSM, may inhibit the activation of TNF signaling pathway in AS patients by downregulating the expression of PTGS2, IL-6, and TNF-α. These findings illustrate that RSM may be a promising therapeutic candidate for AS, but further validation is required.

METTL14 Regulates Osteogenesis of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Inducing Autophagy Through m6A/IGF2BPs/Beclin-1 Signal Axis.

The development of osteoporosis is often accompanied by autophagy disturbance, which also causes new osteoblast defects from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. Methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14) is the main enzyme for N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent internal modification in mammalian mRNAs, and it has been implicated in many bioprocesses. Herein, we demonstrate that METTL14 plays a critical role in autophagy induction and hinders osteoporosis process whose expression is decreased both in human osteoporosis bone tissue and ovariectomy (OVX) mice. In vivo, METTL14+/- knockdown mice exhibit elevated bone loss and impaired autophagy similar to the OVX mice, while overexpression of METTL14 significantly promotes bone formation and inhibits the progression of osteoporosis caused by OVX surgery. In vitro, METTL14 overexpression significantly enhances the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs through regulating the expression of beclin-1 depending on m6A modification and inducing autophagy; the opposite is true with METTL14 silencing. Subsequently, m6A-binding proteins IGF2BP1/2/3 recognize m6A-methylated beclin-1 mRNA and promote its translation via mediating RNA stabilization. Furthermore, METTL14 negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation. Collectively, our study reveals the METTL14/IGF2BPs/beclin-1 signal axis in BMSCs osteogenic differentiation and highlights the critical roles of METTL14-mediated m6A modification in osteoporosis.

Mechanism of Xinfeng Capsule in the Treatment of Hypercoagulable State of Ankylosing Spondylitis Based on Data Mining and Network Pharmacology.

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a rheumatism that mainly affects the axial bones and joints. Xinfeng capsule (XFC) is a preparation with a remarkable clinical effect that is used in our hospital. And it has definite curative effect and less side effects in the treatment of AS. Objective: Data mining and network pharmacology were used to analyze the efficacy of Chinese medicine Xinfeng capsule on treating the hypercoagulable state of ankylosing spondylitis and the underlying mechanism behind it. Methods: Clinical data were collected and compiled from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine. Cluster analysis was used to investigate herbs that frequently used to treat AS, Apriori module was used to analyze the association rules between herbs and laboratory indexes, and the random walk model was used to reveal the therapeutic efficacy of XFC against AS. The TCMSP database was used to acquire the active components and targets of XFC, and the GeneCards and OMIM database were used to obtain the targets of AS. Afterward, an active ingredient-target network was established and core targets were screened for; overlapping targets were screened for the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Molecular docking was adopted to investigate the interactions between main active components and core targets. Results: Frequently used herbs could be divided into three groups, and according to the analysis of Apriori module, there is a strong correlation between XFC and the improvement of ESR and hs-CRP, and the results of the random walk model demonstrated that the effect of XFC on improving PLT, ESR, and hs-CRP was superior to the use of traditional Chinese medicine alone. In total, 103 active compounds of XFC and 59 overlapping targets were obtained. The PPI relationships were obtained through the STRING database, and 13 core targets were identified. 1786 GO enrichment results and 205 KEGG enrichment results were obtained, including NF-kappa B signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and IL17 signaling pathway. The outcomes of molecular docking revealed a close relationship between the active compounds of XFC and core targets. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that XFC can effectively improve the hypercoagulable state and the inflammatory indices of AS patients through data mining, and it has a strong correlation with the clinical improvement of inflammation. The active compounds of formononetin, triptolide, quercetin, and kaempferol may be the key active components of XFC in regulating AS, possibly through inhibiting the activation of NF-kappa B signaling pathway to improve hypercoagulable state.