Toxicity and oxidative stress of HepG2 and HL-7702 cells induced by PAH4 using oil as a carrier.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a widespread class of food pollutants, are commonly exposed to humans along with edible oil. The dietary exposure pattern of PAH4 was simulated to study the toxicity and oxidative stress of oil-based PAH4 on hepatocytes. The findings demonstrated that oil-based PAH4 induced cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential decreased and promoted apoptosis and oxidative stress in a concentration-dependent manner. Benzo[a]pyrene had the strongest toxicity and HL-7702 cells were more sensitive to toxicity than HepG2 cells, due to differences in induced CYP1A enzyme activity. Oil-based PAH4 had greater cytotoxicity than PAH4, attributed to the synergistic effect of oil and PAH4. Furthermore, oil-based PAH4 induced oxidative stress in HepG2 and HL-7702 cells through the same AHR-Nrf2-KEAP1 pathway, which was elucidated by detecting genes and proteins expression. This study lays the foundation for elucidating the harm of dietary exposure to PAHs and reminds us that food composition may increase the harm of PAHs.

Combined toxicity of oil-based PAH4 mixtures on HL-7702 cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a group of prevalent persistent organic pollutants in the environment are always found as mixtures. The combined toxicity of oil-based PAH4 seems seldom to be mentioned. To evaluate the combined toxicity of oil-based PAH4 mixtures on HL-7702 cells, the effects of single, binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures on cell viability were examined, and the concentration addition model and combination index (CI)-isobologram model were selected to predict the toxicological interactions of the mixtures. The results showed that the PAH4 mixtures had a concentration-dependent effect on cell viability. The CI model was more suitable for elucidating the toxicity interactions of mixtures. In addition, the combined toxicity of BaA + BaP and BaA + Chr + BbF + BaP was antagonistic, BaA + Chr, BaA + BbF, Chr + BbF, and BaA + Chr + BbF was synergistic, and the remaining mixtures shifted from antagonistic to synergistic. Antagonistic effects were observed in all mixtures containing BaP, indicating that oil-based PAH4 mixtures containing BaP had a mitigating effect on cytotoxicity. Furthermore, BbF was identified as playing a key role in the synergistic effects in binary and ternary mixtures. This study provided a new acknowledgment to assess the interactions of PAH4 mixtures which is helpful for further study of the toxicity risks in the environment.

Relationship between PAH4 formation and thermal reaction products in model lipids and possible pathways of PAHs formation.

Lipids are closely related to the generation of PAHs during food thermal processing. During heating, lipids mainly triglycerides undergo hydrolysis, oxidation and decomposition. The relationship between the various products and the formation of PAHs is still unclear. This paper investigated the effect of different lipid standards on PAH4 production, and explored their thermal stability and reaction products to delve into nature of the differences in PAH4 production. Fatty acids were more prone to generate PAH4 than glycerides. The higher the degree of esterification of glycerides, the higher its thermal stability and the lower the content of PAH4 generated, implying that hydrolysis of glycerides promoted the generation of PAH4. In addition, there was a positive correlation between unsaturation in lipids and the PAH4 production. After heat treatment, hydroperoxides, unsaturated fatty alcohols and aldehydes, alkenes and aromatic substances were abundant in oleic acid and linoleic acid which produced the most PAH4. Thermal decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides was the pathway for the generation of conjugated hydrocarbon radicals, alcohols, aldehydes, and alkenes. The intramolecular cyclization and Diels-Alder reaction acted as ring-forming reactions, with consequent dehydrogenation, decarboxylation, side-chain breaks and radical reorganization, ultimately facilitating the amplification of the aromatic rings and the formation of PAHs.

Improving the Physicochemical Stability of Soy Phospholipid-Stabilized Emulsions Loaded with Lutein by the Addition of Sphingomyelin and Cholesterol: Inspired by a Milk Fat Globule Membrane.

The emulsifying performance of glycerophospholipids alone is inferior to proteins, etc., while the sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol (Chol) naturally existing in biological membranes could interact with glycerophospholipids to influence the polar lipid arrangement. Inspired by the natural membranes, the effect of SM and Chol on the physicochemical stability of soy phospholipid (SPL)-stabilized emulsions during storage or under environmental stresses was determined. The results indicated that the addition of SM and/or Chol could improve the storage stability of the emulsions and protective effect on lutein significantly (p < 0.05). Except for UV irradiation, the addition of Chol significantly improved the stability of the emulsions against acid, salt, and heat. The strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds and condensed assembly formed by SM and Chol contributed to the best stability of SPL + SM + Chol-stabilized emulsions. The results gave insight into improving the emulsifying properties of glycerophospholipids with SM and Chol.

Intervention Effects of Deer-Tendon Collagen Hydrolysates on Osteoporosis In Vitro and In Vivo.

Deer tendon, a deer processing byproduct, is an excellent protein source for the preparation of peptides for improving osteoporosis by its high protein content and high nutritional value. The optimal process of collagen acid extraction was implemented and the results showed that the acid concentration was 7%, the material-liquid ratio was 1:25, and the soaking time was 48 h. DTCHs could promote MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation and increase alkaline phosphatase activities in vitro. In addition, compared with the model group, the DTCHs treatment groups with an oral dosage of 350, 750, and 1500 mg/kg rat/day could significantly improve the shape, weight, bone mechanics, and alkaline phosphatase activities of tail-suspended mice. Bone microstructure and mineralization also recovered significantly in vivo. This result is expected to provide the structural and biological information for DTCHs-based functional foods.

Advance in Morchella sp. polysaccharides: Isolation, structural characterization and structure-activity relationship: A review.

Morchella sp. is a kind of precious medicinal and edible fungus with a unique flavor and is rich in various amino acids and organic germanium needed by the human body. Most notably, Morchella sp. polysaccharides have attracted widespread attention due to their significant bioactivity in recent years. At present, extensive studies have been carried out on the extraction methods, structural characterization and activity evaluation of Morchella sp. polysaccharides, which provides a good theoretical basis for its further development and application. However, the systematic summary of the related research of Morchella sp. polysaccharides has not been reported yet. Therefore, this review mainly focused on the isolation and purification methods, structural characterization, biological activities and structure-activity relationship of Morchella sp. polysaccharides. This work will help to have a better in-depth understanding of Morchella sp. polysaccharides and provide a scientific basis and direct reference for more scientific and rational applications.

Walnut Protein: A Rising Source of High-Quality Protein and Its Updated Comprehensive Review.

Recently, plant protein as a necessary nutrient source for human beings, a common ingredient of traditional processed food, and an important element of new functional food has gained prominence due to the increasing demand for healthy food. Walnut protein (WP) is obtained from walnut kernels and walnut oil-pressing waste and has better nutritional, functional, and essential amino acids in comparison with other vegetable and grain proteins. WP can be conveniently obtained by various extraction techniques, including alkali-soluble acid precipitation, salting-out, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, among others. The functional properties of WP can be modified for desired purposes by using some novel methods, including free radical oxidation, enzymatic modification, high hydrostatic pressure, etc. Moreover, walnut peptides play an important biological role both in vitro and in vivo. The main activities of the walnut peptides are antihypertensive, antioxidant, learning improvement, and anticancer, among others. Furthermore, WP could be applied in the development of functional foods or dietary supplements, such as delivery systems and food additives, among others. This review summarizes recent knowledge on the nutritional, functional, and bioactive peptide aspects of WP and possible future products, providing a theoretical reference for the utilization and development of oil crop waste.

Formation, migration, derivation, and generation mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during frying.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic and lipophilic, which can be found in frying system. This review summarized the formation, migration and derivation for PAHs, hypothesized the possible mechanism for PAHs generation during frying and presented the research prospects. Some factors like high oil consumption, high temperature, long time and oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids promoted the formation of PAHs and the presence of antioxidants inhibited the PAHs formation. The effect of proteins and carbohydrates in foods on the formation of PAHs is inconclusive. The formed PAHs were migrated into food and air. Moreover, some PAHs transformed into more toxic PAHs-derivatives during frying. The generation of PAHs may be related to low-barrier free radical-mediated reaction and the unsaturated hydrocarbons may be precursors of PAHs during frying. In future, the isotope tracer technology and on-line detection may be applied to discover intermediates and provide clues for studying PAHs generation mechanisms.

Effects of casein phosphopeptides on thermal stability and sensory quality of whey protein emulsions containing calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate.

This study aimed to elucidate the effect of casein phosphopeptides (CPP) on the thermal stability and sensory quality of whey protein emulsions containing calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (WPEs-HMB-Ca). The interaction mechanism among CPP, HMBCa, and WP in the emulsions before and after autoclaving (121 °C, 15 min) was systematically investigated from macroscopic external and microscopic molecular perspectives. It was found that WPEs-HMB-Ca treated by autoclaving resulted in an increase in droplet size (d4,3 = 24.09 µm) due to aggregation/flocculation of proteins, along with a stronger odor with higher viscosity, compared to those without autoclaving. When CPP:HMB-Ca = 1:25 (w/w) in the emulsion, the droplets exhibited a more uniform and consistent state in the emulsion. In addition, CPP was able to inhibit the formation of complex spatial network structures of proteins during autoclaving by binding with Ca2+, thus improving the thermal stability and storage stability of WPEs-HMB-Ca. This work might provide theoretical guidance for developing functional milk drinks with good thermal stability and flavor.

Alterations in Epidermal Biophysical Properties in Autistic Children.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Individuals with autism can exhibit multiple neurological symptoms such as deficit in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. Recent study showed that murine model of autism displays an increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and dry skin. But whether epidermal functions are also altered in children with autism is unknown. In the present study, TEWL, stratum corneum hydration, and skin surface pH were compared between children with autism (N = 56) and normal controls (N = 48). Our results showed that children with autism exhibited lower stratum corneum hydration levels, higher TEWL, and elevated skin surface pH in comparison to normal controls (p < 0.0001 for all). These results demonstrate that children with autism exhibit epidermal dysfunction.

Association between fear of COVID-19 and hoarding behavior during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of mental health status.

Hoarding behavior can effectively improve people's ability to resist risks, so as to reduce the negative effects of risks. However, excessive hoarding behavior will seriously reduce people's quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic can cause excessive hoarding in a large number of people in a short period of time, and also cause a series of economic problems such as social material shortage. It is unclear how hoarding levels are linked to fear and negative emotions caused by COVID-19 among people of different educational backgrounds and social status. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and hoarding behavior in different populations in school and social contexts, as well as the mediating role of negative emotions and the moderating role of subjective/objective social status and education level in this process. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in various provinces in China in January 2022. Demographic information, the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, the Fear of COVID-19 scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress-21, and the Saving Inventory-Revised were used to evaluate the severity of individual hoarding symptoms, the frequency of hoarding, the degree of fear, and the negative emotions (depression, anxiety, stress) caused by COVID-19. Research data showed that fear of COVID-19 was significantly correlated with hoarding behavior (p < 0.05). Fear of COVID-19 was significantly lower in the student sample than in the nonstudent sample (p < 0.05). Negative emotions played a mediating role in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and hoarding behavior (p < 0.05). Educational and economic levels moderated this process, but social status did not. Compared with the student sample, educational background and income had less of a moderating effect on the depression, anxiety, and stress caused by fear of COVID-19 in the nonstudent sample. However, these factors had a more regulative effect on the clutter and excessive acquisition behavior caused by depression, anxiety, and stress, although not on difficulty discarding. These findings suggest that reduce negative emotions in the population, improve cognitive levels, and provide financial support from governments may be effective ways to reduce hoarding symptoms.

Sinapine improves LPS-induced oxidative stress in hepatocytes by down-regulating MCJ protein expression.

Oxidative stress is an important part of the development of NAFLD, and hepatic injury can be prevented by inhibiting oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the potential role of sinapine in protecting the liver. LPS was selected to establish the oxidative stress model of THLE-2 cells, and the treatment concentrations of LPS (5 µg/mL) and sinapine (5 µM, 20 µM, and 80 µM) were determined by toxicity experiments. The MDA of the sinapine (80 µM) pretreatment group was 1.09 ± 0.13 nmol/mg prot which was reduced by 27.67 % compared with the LPS group. Furthermore, SOD and GSH-Px levels were significantly increased by 40.61 % and 49.60 %, respectively. And the ROS levels of 20 and 80 µM sinapine were reduced by 31.47 % and 40.31 %, respectively (p < 0.01) compared with the model group. The mitochondrial membrane potential had similar results. It was also found that sinapine can significantly down-regulate the level of MCJ protein (p < 0.01), which is related to oxidative stress. Our results indicate that sinapine can maintain liver health by down-regulating the expression of MCJ protein to inhibit oxidative stress, which provides a theoretical basis for the use of sinapine as an inhibitor of MCJ.

Subcritical Water Enhanced with Deep Eutectic Solvent for Extracting Polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes and Their Antioxidant Activities.

In the present study, subcritical water extraction (SWE) assisted with deep eutectic solvent (DES) is used to extract Lentinus edodes polysaccharides (LEP). In addition, the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide samples was also investigated. Based on a single factor test and response surface test, the optimal extraction factors were a liquid-solid solvent of 40:1 mL/g, extraction temperature of 147.23 °C, water content of 39.76% and extraction time of 17.58 min. Under these extraction conditions, the yield of LEP was 6.26 ± 0.08%. Compared with the SWE and hot water extraction (HWE), it improved by 19.24% and 17.01%, respectively. In addition, the results of monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, FT-IR, UV and SEM confirmed that the extracts had the features of polysaccharides. Interestingly, the polysaccharides obtained with the SWE assisted with the DES procedure showed a higher DPPH scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, which indicated that the polysaccharides with this method had a stronger antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrated that the SWE-assisted DES is a strong method to obtain polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes for food, biopharmaceutical and other industrial production.

Whey Protein Isolate Nanofibers Prepared by Subcritical Water Stabilized High Internal Phase Pickering Emulsion to Deliver Curcumin.

This study aimed to design a Pickering emulsion (PE) stabilized by whey protein isolate nanofibers (WPINs) prepared with subcritical water (SW) to encapsulate and prevent curcumin (Cur) degradation. Cur-loaded WPINs-SW stabilized PE (WPINs-SW-PE) and hydrothermally prepared WPINs stabilized PE (WPINs-H-PE) were characterized using the particle size, zeta potential, Congo Red, CD, and TEM. The results indicated that WPINs-SW-PE and WPINs-H-PE showed regular spherical shapes with average lengths of 26.88 ± 1.11 µm and 175.99 ± 2.31 µm, and zeta potential values were -38.00 ± 1.00 mV and -34.60 ± 2.03 mV, respectively. The encapsulation efficiencies of WPINs-SW-PE and WPINs-H-PE for Cur were 96.72 ± 1.05% and 94.07 ± 2.35%. The bio-accessibility of Cur of WPINs-SW-PE and WPINs-H-PE were 57.52 ± 1.24% and 21.94 ± 2.09%. In addition, WPINs-SW-PE had a better loading effect and antioxidant activities compared with WPINs-H-PE. SW could be a potential processing method to prepare a PE, laying the foundation for the subsequent production of functional foods.

Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Tea Seed Cake Protein Nanoparticles as Lutein Carrier.

To effectively deliver lutein, hydrothermally prepared tea seed cake protein nanoparticles (TSCPN) were used to fabricate Pickering emulsion, and the bioaccessibility of lutein encapsulated by Pickering emulsion and the conventional emulsion was evaluated in vitro. The results indicated that the average size and absolute value of zeta potential of TSCPN increased along with the increase in the protein concentration, and 2% protein concentration was adopted to prepare TSCPN. With the increase in the concentration of TSCPN, the size of Pickering emulsion decreased from 337.02 µm to 89.36 µm, and when the TSCPN concentration was greater than 0.6%, all emulsions exhibited good stability during the 14 days storage. Combined with the microstructure result, 1.2% TSCPN was used to stabilize Pickering emulsion. With the increase in ionic concentration (0-400 mM), the particle size of the emulsions increased while the absolute value of zeta potential decreased. TSCPN-based Pickering emulsion was superior to the conventional emulsion for both lutein encapsulation (96.6 ± 1.0% vs. 82.1 ± 1.4%) and bioaccessibility (56.0 ± 1.1% vs. 35.2 ± 1.2%). Thus, TSCPN-based Pickering emulsion in this study have the potential as an effective carrier for lutein.

Maternal exposure to triclosan during lactation alters social behaviors and the hippocampal ultrastructure in adult mouse offspring.

We recently reported that exposure to triclosan (TCS), a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, affects social behaviors in adult mice, however, the long-lasting effects of TCS exposure during early life on social behaviors are still elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the long-lasting impacts of adding TCS to the maternal drinking water during lactation on the social behaviors of adult mouse offspring and to explore the potential mechanism underlying these effects. The behavioral results showed that TCS exposure decreased body weight, increased depression-like behavior and decreased social dominance in both male and female offspring, as well as increased anxiety-like behavior and bedding preference in female offspring. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated that TCS exposure increased peripheral proinflammatory cytokine levels, altered serum oxytocin (OT) levels, and downregulated the expression of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) in the hippocampus. Morphological analysis by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that exposure to TCS induced morphological changes to synapses and neurons in the hippocampus of offspring. These findings suggested that TCS exposure during lactation contributed to abnormal social behaviors accompanied by increased peripheral inflammation and altered hippocampal neuroplasticity, which provides a deeper understanding of the effects of TCS exposure during early life on brain function and behavioral phenotypes.

Long-lasting and Sex-dependent Effects of Postweaning Swimming Exercise on Social Dominance in Adult Mice.

Increasing evidence has shown that early life events exert long-lasting effects on brain function and mental diseases. Exercise has been proven to have many positive effects on behaviors, such as reducing anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and alleviating cognitive impairment. However, the long-lasting and even short-term effects of regular swimming exercise on social dominance remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential effects of postweaning swimming exercise on social dominance and metabolic adaptation in adult mice. Three-week-old mice performed 1 h of swimming exercise in warm water for 4 weeks. A series of behavioral tests, such as the social dominance test (SDT), open field test (OFT), and forced swim test (FST), were conducted. Behavioral test results showed that both male and female mice in the swimming group had a higher rank than those in the sedentary group in the SDT of early adulthood, while only female mice in the swimming group maintained the social dominance in late adulthood. There was no difference between the swimming and sedentary groups in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Metabolomics analysis showed that there were alterations in particular metabolites and signaling pathways after one month of swimming exercise, including sphingolipid metabolism, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and caffeine metabolism. In conclusion, our results provide the first evidence that postweaning swimming exercise has long-lasting and sex-dependent effects on social dominance, which may be caused by metabolic adaptation.

Elevation of N-acetyltransferase 10 in hippocampal neurons mediates depression- and anxiety-like behaviors.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most debilitating and severe mental diseases globally. Increasing evidence has shown that epigenetics is critical for understanding brain function and brain disorders, including MDD. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10), acting on histones, mRNA and other substrates, has been reported to be involved in epigenetic events, including histone acetylation and mRNA modifications. NAT10 is highly expressed in the brain. However, the potential effects of NAT10 on MDD are still unknown. Here, we exploited chronic mild stress (CMS) to induce anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice and found that the expression of NAT10 in the mouse hippocampus was upregulated after CMS treatment. Inhibition of NAT10 by pharmacological methods produced anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. Neuron-specific overexpression of NAT10 in the hippocampus resulted in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, accompanied by higher SIRT1 protein levels, and lower dendritic spine densities. Overall, it was found that elevation of NAT10 in hippocampal neurons is involved in the occurrence of anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, suggesting that NAT10 could be a potential new target for developing anxiolytics and antidepressants.

Research on the mechanism of microwave-toughened starch on glucolipid metabolism in mice.

Potato resistant starch (RS) was prepared by microwave-toughening treatment (MTT). This study investigated the beneficial effects of RS on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia in C57BL/6J mice by evaluating changes in the gut microbiota. The mice were fed low-fat diet with corn starch, HFD with corn starch, HFD with potato starch (HFP), or HFD with RS (HFR) for 6 weeks. The results showed that the HFR group had lower body weight and total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared with the HFP group. Moreover, the brown adipose tissue levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), ß3-adrenoceptor (ß3-AR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), and PPAR-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) were increased. Our results showed that RS supplementation increased the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing Allobaculum, Ruminococcus, and Blautia. Our data suggest that RS prepared by MTT may be used as a prebiotic agent to prevent gut dysbiosis and obesity-related chronic diseases, such as hyperlipidemia, and obesity.

Comparative Study of the Oxidation Stability of High Oleic Oils and Palm Oil during Thermal Treatment.

For the controversy still existed about the oxidation stability of the high oleic oils compared with palm oil (PO), this study was aimed to explore the possible reason causing the controversies. Total polar compounds (TPC) was used to evaluate the oxidation stability of oils. Results showed there exist two kinds of lineal changes about the content of total polar compounds (TPC) in each oil, which were closely linked with the fatty acid composition and the tocochromanols content. The possible influence of the initial quality of oils also should be considered. The TPC of high oleic peanut oil (HOPO), high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO), high oleic rapeseed oil (HORO) and PO increased slowly at the initial period mainly owing to the antioxidation of tocochromanols, then sharply after 24, 48, 36 and 72 h respectively, when tocochromanols in each oil almost reduced below the detection limit. After that, the major factor would be fatty acids, particularly PUFA. It showed that the major tocochromanols in different oils (e.g. α, γ-tocotrienols in PO, α, γ-tocopherols in HORO and HOPO, and α-tocopherols in HOSO), could impose the main effects of inhibiting the TPC generation in the initial thermal treatment. The TPC in HORO significantly increased after 84 hours of heat process, which might be caused by the higher content of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (i.e. C18:2 and C18:3). However, the content of the saturated fatty acid (SFA) did not show statistically significant change during the thermal treatment.