Strong intramolecular charge-transfer effect strengthening naphthoquinone-based chemosensor: Experimental and theoretical evaluation.

An aminophenol-linked naphthoquinone-based fluorometric and colorimetric chemosensor 2-chloro-3-((3-hydroxyphenyl) amino) naphthalene-1,4-dione (2CAN-Dione) was synthesized for selective detection of Sn2+ ion in aqueous solution. The amine and conversion of carbonyl into carboxyl groups play a vital role in the sensing mechanism when Sn2+ is added to 2CAN-Dione. Comprehensive characterization of the sensor was carried out using standard spectral and analytical approaches. Because of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect and the turn-on sensing mode, the strong fluorometric emission towards Sn2+ was observed at about 435 nm. The chemosensor exhibited good selectivity for Sn2+ in the presence of coexisting metal ions. An improved linear connection was established with a low limit of detection (0.167 µM). FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and quantum chemistry methods were performed to verify the binding coordination mechanism. The chemosensing probe 2CAN-Dione was successfully employed in bioimaging investigations, demonstrating that it is a reliable fluorescent marker for Sn2+ in human cancer cells.

The fibronectin concentration that optimally maintains porcine satellite cells.

OBJECTIVE: 'Cultured meat' has been suggested as means of solving the problems associated with overpopulation and gas emissions. Satellite cells are a major component in the production of cultured meat; however, these cells cannot be maintained in vitro over long periods. Fibronectin is a glycoprotein that affects biological processes such as cell adhesion, differentiation, and migration. Unfortunately, the characteristics of porcine satellite cells grown in a long-term culture when exposed to fibronectin-coated dishes are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the appropriate concentration of fibronectin coated dishes for proliferation and maintenance of porcine satellite cells at long-term culture. METHODS: In this study, we isolated the satellite cells and fibroblast cells with pre-plating method. We next analyzed the cell doubling time, cell cycle, and rate of expressed paired box 7 (Pax7) and myogenic differentiation 1 (MyoD1) in porcine satellite cells cultured with 20 µg/mL of fibronectin-, gelatin-, and non-coated dishes at early and late passage. We then analyzed the proliferation of porcine satellite cells with various concentrations of mixed gelatin/fibronectin. We next determined the optimal concentration of fibronectin that would encourage proliferation and maintenance of porcine satellite cells in a long-term culture. RESULTS: Doubling time was lowest when 20 µg/mL of fibronectin was used (as tested during an early and late passage). Levels of expressed Pax7 and MyoD1, assessed using immunocytochemistry, were highest in cells grown using fibronectin-coated dishes. The proliferation of gelatin/fibronectin mixed coatings had no significant effect on porcine satellite cells. The concentration of 5 µg/mL fibronectin coated dishes showed the lowest doubling time and maintained expression of Pax7. CONCLUSION: Fibronectin with 5µg/mL effectively maintains porcine satellite cells, a discovery that will be of interest to those developing the next generation of artificial meats.

Proteomic changes in broiler liver by body weight differences under chronic heat stress.

The increasing global temperature is causing economic losses and animal welfare problems in the poultry industry. Because poultry do not have sweat glands, it is difficult for them to return to their usual body temperature. Heat stress has negative impact on production and health in broilers. Given the effects of chronic stress on broilers, the objective of this study was to identify physiological changes in differentially expressed proteins in broilers with different growth performances using liver tissue from 35-day-old chickens (Ross-308). Changes in protein levels were analyzed with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and mass spectrometry. This study contained 2 groups (control and heat treatment groups) with 8 replicates per group. After d 20, ten birds were assigned to each replicate. On d 35, the heat treatment group was subdivided into 2 groups, a heat stressed high body weight group (HH) and a heat stressed low body weight group (HL). Body weight was lower in the heat treatment group than that in the control group. In the heat treatment group, the HH group had a significantly higher body weight than the HL group. The expression of heat shock protein 70 significantly increased in the HL group. Protein spots with significant differences in 2DE analysis were screened and selected. Thirteen significant spots were excised and analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF). Among the 13 spots, 8 spots were identified. The identified spots were MRP-126, fatty acid binding protein, ferritin heavy chain, glutathione S-transferase, agmatinase; mitochondrial, alpha-enolase, 60 kDa heat shock protein; mitochondrial, and tubulin beta-7 chain. Our study has showed that high temperature stress aggravated oxidative stress in broilers, which resulted in comparatively slow growth to preserve body homeostasis.

Proteomic Analysis of the Protective Effect of Early Heat Exposure against Chronic Heat Stress in Broilers.

The increasing trend of global warming has affected the livestock industry through the heat stress, especially in poultry. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of heat stress in poultry would be helpful for maintaining the poultry production. Three groups were designed to determine early heat stress effects during chronic heat stress: CC, raised at a comfortable temperature; CH, chronic heat exposure at 35 °C for 21-35 days continuously; and HH, early heat exposure at 40 °C for 24 h at 5 days old with 35 °C temperature for 21-35 days continuously. In this study, proteome analysis was carried out to identify differentially expressed proteins in the liver tissue of broilers under chronic and early heat exposure. There were eight differentially expressed proteins from early heat stress during chronic heat exposure, which were related to actin metabolism. According to KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) analysis, the proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism were expressed to promote the metabolism of carbohydrates under chronic heat stress. Early heat reduced the heat stress-induced expression changes of select proteins. Our study has shown that early heat exposure suggests that the liver of broilers has various physiological mechanisms for regulating homeostasis to aid heat resistance.

Comparison of the quality characteristics of chicken breast meat from conventional and animal welfare farms under refrigerated storage.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the meat quality characteristics, bioactive compound content, and antioxidant activity during refrigerated storage of breast meat of Arbor Acres broilers (carcass weight: 1.1 kg, raised for 35 D) obtained from a conventional farm (BCF, n = 30) and an animal welfare farm (BAF, n = 30) in Korea. The BCF and BAF did not differ in their proximate composition, color, water-holding capacity, creatine, creatinine, and carnosine contents. However, the shear force value was significantly higher in BAF than in BCF (P < 0.05). The 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels in BCF on days 7 and 9 were significantly higher than those in BAF (P < 0.001). During storage, the total volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) content of BAF was significantly lower, except on day 1. The fatty acid composition of samples was not affected by the storage period, however, saturated fatty acid and unsaturated fatty acid contents did differ among the types of farm systems (P < 0.05). Although the creatine, creatinine, and carnosine contents in BAF and BCF did not differ significantly, the carnosine and creatinine contents decreased with the increase in storage period (P < 0.05). The anserine content of BAF was significantly higher than that of BCF throughout storage. Superoxide dismutase activity was not affected by the type of farm system but was affected by storage period. Overall, BAF showed lower pH, microorganism, TBARS, and VBN values, and higher anserine contents than BCF. These findings can serve as reference data for the evaluation of chicken meat quality of broilers raised in animal welfare farm and conventional farm.

Modulatory effect of low-shear modeled microgravity on stress resistance, membrane lipid composition, virulence, and relevant gene expression in the food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes.

The present study investigated the influence of low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) conditions on Listeria monocytogenes stress response (heat, cold, and acid), membrane fatty acid composition, and virulence potential as well as stress-/virulence-associated gene expression. The results showed that LSMMG-cultivated cells had lower survival rate and lower D-values under heat and acid stress conditions compared to cells grown under normal gravity (NG). Interestingly, the cold resistance was elevated in cells cultivated under LSMMG conditions when compared to NG conditions. A higher amount of anteiso-branched chain fatty acids and lower ratio of iso/anteiso were observed in LSMMG cultured cells, which would contribute to increased membrane fluidity. Under LSMMG conditions, upregulated expression of cold stress-related genes (cspA, cspB, and cspD) was noticed but no change in expression was observed for heat (dnaK, groES, clpC, clpP, and clpE) and acid stress-related genes (sigB). The LSMMG-grown cells showed inferior virulence capacity in terms of infection, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction in Caco-2 cells compared to those grown under NG conditions. Approximately 3.65, 2.13, 4.02, and 2.65-fold downregulation of prfA, hly, inlA, and bsh genes, respectively, in LSMMG-cultured cells might be the reason for reduced virulence. In conclusion, these findings suggest that growth under LSMMG conditions stimulates alterations in L. monocytogenes stress/virulence response, perhaps due to changes in lipid composition and related genes expression.

Simple Fluorescence Turn-On Chemosensor for Selective Detection of Ba2+ Ion and Its Live Cell Imaging.

A phenoxazine-based fluorescence chemosensor 4PB [(4-(tert-butyl)-N-(4-((4-((5-oxo-5H-benzo[a]phenoxazin-6-yl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)benzamide)] was designed and synthesized by a simple synthetic methods. The 4PB fluorescence chemosensor selectively detects Ba2+ in the existence of other alkaline metal ions. In addition, 4PB showed high selectivity and sensitivity for Ba2+ detection. The detection limit of 4PB was 0.282 µM and the binding constant was 1.0 × 106 M-1 in CH3CN/H2O (97.5:2.5 v/v, HEPES = 1.25 mM, pH 7.3) medium. This chemosensor functioned through the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism, which was further confirmed by DFT studies. Live cell imaging in MCF-7 cells confirmed the cell permeability of 4PB and its capability for specific detection of Ba2+ in living cells.

Effect of In Ovo Injection of L-Arginine in Different Chicken Embryonic Development Stages on Post-Hatchability, Immune Response, and Myo-D and Myogenin Proteins.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of in ovo injection with different ratios of L-arginine (L-Arg) into Ross broiler eggs at three different embryonic developmental stages (eighth day (d), 14th day, and 18th day) on the survival, hatchability, and body weight (BW) of one-day-old hatched chicks. Additionally, we have analyzed the levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), the protein expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), and we have also determined micronuclei (MN) and nuclear abnormality (NA). In addition, the genotoxic effect was observed in peripheral blood cells such as the presence of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in the experimental groups. The results showed that survival and hatching rates as well as body weight were increased on the 14th day of incubation compared to the eighth and 18th day of incubation at lower concentrations of L-Arg. Moreover, the levels of SGOT and SGPT were also significantly (p < 0.05) increased on the 14th day of incubation at the same concentration (100 µg/µL/egg) of injection. In addition, immunoglobulin (IgM) levels were increased on the 14th day of incubation compared to other days. The protein expressions of HSP-47, HSP-60, and HSP-70 in the liver were significantly down-regulated, whereas the expression of myogenin and myoblast determination protein (MyoD) were significantly up-regulated on the 14th day after incubation when treated with all different doses such as 100 µg, 1000 µg, and 2500 µg/µL/egg, namely 3T1, 3T2, and 3T3, respectively. However, the treatment with low doses of L-Arg down-regulated the expression levels of those proteins on the 14th day of incubation. Histopathology of the liver by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that the majority of liver damage, specifically intracytoplasmic vacuoles, were observed in the 3T1, 3T2, and 3T3 groups. The minimum dose of 100 µg/mL/egg on the 14th day of incubation significantly prevented intracytoplasmic vacuole damages. These results demonstrate that in ovo administration of L-Arg at (100 µg/µL/egg) may be an effective method to increase chick BW, hatch rate, muscle growth-related proteins, and promote the immune response through increasing IgM on the 14th day of the incubation period.

Synthesis and Anticancer Evaluation of 1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives Containing a Phenylaminosulfanyl Moiety.

1,4-Naphthoquinones are exceptional building blocks in organic synthesis and have been used to synthesize several well-known pharmaceutically active agents. Herein we report the synthesis, structural characterization, and biological evaluation of new phenylaminosulfanyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives. We evaluated the cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds against three human cancer cell lines: A549, HeLa, and MCF-7. Most of the synthesized compounds displayed potent cytotoxic activity. Specifically, compounds 5 e [3,5-dichloro-N-(4-((4-((1,4-dioxo-3-(phenylthio)-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)benzamide], 5 f [N-(4-((4-((1,4-dioxo-3-(phenylthio)-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)-3,5-dinitrobenzamide], and 5 p [N-(4-((4-((1,4-dioxo-3-(phenylthio)-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)amino)phenyl)sulfonyl)phenyl)thiophene-2-carboxamide] showed remarkable cytotoxic activity. The synthesized compounds showed low toxicity in normal human kidney HEK293 cells. The cytotoxic mechanism of compounds 5 e, 5 f, and 5 p was explored in MCF-7 cells. The results confirmed that these three compounds induce apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle at the G1 phase. In addition, compounds 5 e, 5 f, and 5 p were found to induce apoptosis via upregulation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 proteins as well as by upregulation of the gene expression levels of caspases-3 and -7. Our findings demonstrate that compounds 5 e, 5 f, and 5 p could be potent agents against a number of cancer types.

Effect of long chain fatty acids on triacylglycerol accumulation, fatty acid composition and related gene expression in primary cultured bovine satellite cells.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) on triacylglycerol (TAG) content, as well as on genes associated with lipid synthesis and fatty acid composition in bovine satellite cells. Both saturated (palmitic and stearic) and unsaturated (oleic and linoleic) fatty acids stimulated the TAG accumulation at a concentration of 100 µM and oleate increased it significantly more than stearate and palmitate. The results revealed that the lipid droplet formation was markedly stimulated by linoleate and oleate at 100 µM. Compared to control, the expressions of adipose triglyceride lipase, carnitine acyltransferase 1 and the fatty acid translocase 36 were upregulated by LCFAs. All the fatty acids also significantly increased diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 than the untreated control (p < 0.05). The monounsaturated fatty acids significantly increased (p < 0.05) in response to oleate and linoleate compared to the control as did the polyunsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.05), in addition to stearate, linoleate and oleate. In contrast, saturated fatty acids were significantly decreased in the oleate and linoleate-treated groups. The study results contribute to our enhanced understanding of LCFAs' regulatory roles on the bovine cell lipid metabolism.

Effect of Kaempferol on Cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox2) and Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) Protein Expression in BALB/c Mice.

Kaempferol, a phytochemical found in many edible plants, is known to alleviate diseases such as cancer, allergy, and inflammation. The objective of this study was to investigate whether kaempferol could reduce omega-6 and ovalbumin-mediated allergic reactions at lung and trachea in BALB/c mice. Mice were allocated into five groups: 1) control group (CON); 2) positive control group with orally administration of omega-6 (POS); 3) bovine serum albumin (BSA) sensitization group (with BSA injection and ovalbumin inhalation); 4) BSA+K10 group: BSA injection, 10 µg/g of kaempferol administration and ovalbumin inhalation; and 5) BSA+K20 group: BSA injection, 20 µg/g of kaempferol administration and ovalbumin inhalation. Results revealed that serum histamine level was the highest (p<0.01) in BSA group. In lung tissue and trachea, cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox2) expression was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the BSA group compared to that in other groups. However, phosphorylated cytosolic phospholipase A2 (p-cPLA2) expression in the trachea was not significantly different among groups. Taken together, results of this study suggest that kaempferol might be useful for alleviating inflammation reaction associated with Cox2 expression. However, the exact mechanism of action involved in the effect of kaempferol on inflammatory response remains unclear.

Modulatory effect of linoleic and oleic acid on cell proliferation and lipid metabolism gene expressions in primary bovine satellite cells.

This study was performed to elucidate the effects of linoleic acid (LA), oleic acid (OA) and their combination (LA + OA) on cell proliferation, apoptosis, necrosis, and the lipid metabolism related gene expression in bovine satellite cells (BSCs), isolated from bovine muscles. Cell viability was significantly increased with the OA and LA treatment. Furthermore, LA + OA enhanced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (10 to 100 µM), whereas it lowered at 250 µM. In addition, a cell-cycle analysis showed that 100 µM of LA and OA markedly decreased the G0/G1 phase proportion (62.58% and 61.33%, respectively), compared to controls (68.02%), whereas the S-phase cells' proportion was increased. The ratio of G2/M phase cells was not significantly different among the groups. Moreover, analyses with AO/EtBr staining showed that no apoptosis occurred. Necrosis were determined by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC/PI staining which revealed no early apoptosis in the cells pretreated with LA or OA, but occurred in the LA + OA group. We also analyzed the mRNA expression of lipid metabolizing genes such as peroxisome proliferator receptor alfa (PPARα), peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma (PPARγ), acyl-CoA oxidase (ACOX), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT-1), and fatty-acid binding protein4 (FABP4), which were upregulated in LA or OA treated cells compared to the control group. In essence, LA and OA alone promote the cell proliferation without any apoptosis and necrosis, which might upregulate the lipid metabolism related gene expressions, and increase fatty-acid oxidation in the BSCs' lipid metabolism.

Fabrication of nanofiber coated with l-arginine via electrospinning technique: a novel nanomatrix to counter oxidative stress under crosstalk of co-cultured fibroblasts and satellite cells.

The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize novel polyurethane (PU)-nanofiber coated with l-arginine by electrospinning technique. This study determined whether l-arginine conjugated with PU-nanofiber could stimulate cell proliferation and prevent H2O2-induced cell death in satellite cells co-cultured with fibroblasts isolated from Hanwoo (Korean native cattle). Our results showed that l-arginine conjugated with PU nanofiber could reduce cytotoxicity of co-cultured satellite cells. Protein expression levels of bcl-2 were significantly upregulated whereas those of caspase-3 and caspase-7 were significantly downregulated in co-culture of satellite cells compared to those of monoculture cells after treatment with PU-nanofiber coated with l-arginine and which confirmed by Confocal microscope. These results suggest that co-culture of satellite cells with fibroblasts might be able to counter oxidative stress through translocation/penetration of antioxidant, collagen, and molecules secreted to satellite cells. Therefore, this nanofiber might be useful as a wound dressing in animals to counter oxidative stresses.

One-Pot Facile Synthesis of Pt Nanoparticles Using Cultural Filtrate of Microgravity Simulated Grown P. chrysogenum and Their Activity on Bacteria and Cancer Cells.

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) was synthesized via a facile and cost competitive ont-pot green mediated synthesis using cell free cultural filtrate (microgravity simulated grown Penicillium chrysogenum) as a reducing agent. The toxicity effect of synthesized Pt NPs toward myoblast C2C12 carcinoma cells was then investigated. The particle size analyzer (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results demonstrates that both NG-Pt NPs and MG-Pt NPS are spherical in shape with an average diameter of 15 nm and 8.5 nm, respectively. The results from UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis show a characteristic strong resonance centered at 265 nm and a single crystalline nature, respectively. The results derived from in vitro cytotoxicity showed a significant concentration-dependent decrement in cell viability when C2C12 cells were exposed to Pt NPs. Such decrement in cell viability is because of increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Cell apoptosis was proved by acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) dual staining, annexin V-FITC/PI-staining and immunocytochemistry. Moreover, the protein expression of both (i) apoptosis related proteins such as cas-3 and cas-9, (ii) inflammatory response proteins such as TNF-α, TGF-ß and NF-κB were significantly upregulated in MG-Pt NPs treated cells than NG-Pt NPs treated cells. Uptake and intracellular localization of MG-Pt NPs caused by accumulation of autophagosomes in C2C12 cells and bacterial cells, indicate that synthesized MG-Pt NPs enable for the swift cell apoptosis than NG-Pt NPs. Interestingly, At the concentration of 40 and 80 µg/ml MG-Pt NPs showed more potent cytotoxicity toward cancer cells while, under identical concentration, NG-Pt NPs exhibited rather lower cytotoxicity. Overall, our results demonstrated that MG-Pt NPs could be selectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells via ROS-mediated nucleus NF-κB and caspases activation when compared to NG-Pt NPs.

Low-shear-modeled microgravity-grown Penicillium chrysogenum-mediated biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial activity and its anticancer effect in human liver cancer and fibroblast cells.

Gravitational force and shear forces induce various changes in gene expression and metabolite production of microorganisms. Previous reports have shown that there are differences in the expression of different sets of proteins and enzymes under microgravity conditions compared to normal gravity. The aim of this study is to utilize culture filtrates of Penicillium chrysogenum grown under microgravity and normal conditions to synthesize silver nanoparticles and to examine whether there is any difference between their physiochemical and biological function. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, and TEM. Biological functional studies such as antimicrobial activity, cytotoxic studies, and anticancer activity were carried out. Antimicrobial activity was tested using antibiotic susceptibility testing by Kirby-Bauer method and cytotoxicity tests were carried out using 3T3-L1 normal fibroblasts cells and Hep-G2 cancer cell lines. Interestingly, our results indicated that microgravity-synthesized silver nanoparticles possess enhanced antibacterial activity and cytotoxic effect against cancer cells compared to normal gravity-synthesized silver nanoparticle. This work highlighted the importance of gravitational vector on the fungal enzyme profiles and their role in silver nanoparticle synthesis with enhanced biological activity.

Interaction of silver and gold nanoparticles in mammalian cancer: as real topical bullet for wound healing- A comparative study.

The present study evaluates in vitro cytotoxic effects and the mode of interaction of biologically synthesized Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) using Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra (BOL) against HT-1080 cancer cells and bacterial cells as well as their wound healing efficacy using a mouse model. UV-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis have ascertained the formation of nano-sized Ag and Au particles. Fourier transform infrared analysis has confirmed that polyphenol and amide groups in BOL act as capping as well as reducing agents. The free radical scavenging activity under in vitro conditions is found to be higher for the Ag NPs when compared to the Au NPs. Acridine orange-ethidium bromide dual staining and comet assay have indicated that the cytotoxic effects are mediated through nuclear morphological changes and DNA damage. The intracellular localization of Ag and Au NPs in HT-1080 cells and their subsequent effect on apoptosis and necrosis were analyzed by flow cytometry while the mode of interaction was established by scanning electron microscopy under field emission mode and by bio-transmission electron microscopy. These methods of analysis clearly revealed that the Ag and Au NPs have easily entered and accumulated into the cytosol and nucleus, resulting in activation of inflammatory and apoptosis pathways, which in turn cause damage in DNA. Further, mRNA and protein expression of caspase-3 and caspase-7, TNF-α, and NF-κB have provided sufficient clues for induction of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis and inflammatory pathways in Ag NP- and Au NP-treated cells. Evaluation of wound healing properties of Ag and Au NPs using a mouse model indicates rapid healing of wounds. In addition, no clear toxic effects and no nuclear abnormalities in peripheral blood cells are observed. Ag NPs appear to be a better anticancer therapeutic agent than Au NPs. Nonetheless, both Ag NPs and Au NPs show potential for promoting topical wound healing without any toxic effects. Graphical abstract Schematic representation of biological synthesis of Ag and Au NPs and its application on cancer and wound healing.

Anticancer activity of biologically synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles on mouse myoblast cancer cells and their toxicity against embryonic zebrafish.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer activity of bioinspired silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) against mouse myoblast cancer cells (C2C12). Both AgNPs and AuNPs were biologically synthesized using Spinacia oleracea Linn., aqueous leaves extract. UV-Vis. spectrophotometer, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies supported the successful synthesis of AgNPs and AuNPs. Both these NPs have shown cytotoxicity against C2C12 cells even at very low concentration (5µg/mL). Acridine orange/Ethidium bromide (AO/EB) dual staining confirmed the apoptotic morphological features. The levels of caspase enzymes (caspase-3 and caspase-7) were significantly up-regulated in NPs treated myoblast cells than the plant extract. Furthermore, in zebrafish embryo toxicity study, AgNPs showed 100% mortality at 3µg/mL concentration while AuNPs exhibited the same at much higher concentration (300mg/mL). Taken together, these results provide a preliminary guidance for the development of biomaterials based drugs to fight against the fatal diseases for example cancer.

Meat Quality and Physicochemical Trait Assessments of Berkshire and Commercial 3-way Crossbred Pigs.

In this study, we compared qualities and physiochemical traits of meat from Berkshire (black color) pigs with those of meat from 3-way Landrace (white color) × Yorkshire (white color) × Duroc (red color) crossbred pigs (LYD). Meat quality characteristics, including pH, color, drip loss, cooking loss, and free amino acid, fatty acid, vitamin, and mineral contents of longissimus dorsi muscles, were compared. Meat from Berkshire pigs had deeper meat color (redness), higher pH, and lower drip loss and cooking loss than meat from LYD pigs. Moreover, meat from Berkshire pigs had higher levels of phosphoserine, aspartic acid, threonine, serine, asparagine, α-aminoadipic acid, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, histidine, tryptophan, and carnosine and lower levels of glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, and ammonia than did meat from LYD pigs. The fatty acids oleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were present in significantly higher concentrations in Berkshire muscles than they were in LYD muscles. Additionally, Berkshire muscles were significantly enriched with nucleotide components (inosine), minerals (Mg and K), and antioxidant vitamins such as ascorbic acid (C) in comparison with LYD muscles. In conclusion, our results show that in comparison with LYD meat, Berkshire meat has better meat quality traits and is a superior nutritional source of all essential amino acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, and minerals (Mg and K).

Effects of ripening duration and rosemary powder addition on salchichon modified sausage quality.

The ripening durations and ingredients for the Salchichon sausages were modified to increase pork rear leg consumption by Korean consumers. The salchichon, a ripened pork sausage, was produced to evaluate the efficacy of two different ripening durations with and without rosemary powder on salchichon sausage quality, and the treatments were: i) 45 days of ripening without rosemary, ii) 60 days of ripening without rosemary, iii) 45 days of ripening with 0.05% rosemary, and iv) 60 days of ripening with 0.05% rosemary. Significant differences were observed in both moisture and fat content for ripening durations, with the highest moisture and least fat content observed in salchichon modified sausage (SMS) ripened for 45 days. Ripening duration and rosemary addition appeared to influence water activity (aw) of salchichon sausages. The aw of SMS ripened for 45 days was 0.80, whereas the other had aw values <0.80. Lactic acid bacteria were predominant, as Korean traditional fermented red pepper paste was added to sausages; however, the Bacillus cereus population was significantly affected by rosemary powder addition. Chewiness and gumminess decreased significantly due to the addition of rosemary powder compared to SMS without rosemary powder, and both 45 days of ripening and rosemary powder addition influenced the hardness of SMS. In conclusion, ripening duration of SMS for 45 days in the presence of rosemary powder provided superior SMS quality with an economical ripening duration compared to that of ripening with rosemary powder or ripening for 60 days.

Studies on Intramuscular Fat Percentage in Live Swine Using Real-time Ultrasound to Determine Pork Quality.

In the modern pork industry, selection of high intramuscular fat (IMF) in pigs is necessary to improve pork quality. Ultrasound has been used previously to predict subcutaneous fat thickness and IMF in the longissimus muscles of line pigs and Real-time ultrasound has also been reported as a reliable method for estimating IMF in live pigs. So we estimate the correlation between meat quality traits and IMF percentage to investigate the possibility of utilizing real-time ultrasound technology for predicting IMF percentage in line pigs to improve pork quality. The genetic and phenotypic correlations for chemical intramuscular fat (CIMF) and ultrasound intramuscular fat (UIMF) were estimated to be 0.75 and 0.76, respectively. These results suggest that genetic factors strongly influence meat quality. The genetic and phenotypic correlation between UIMF and CIMF were 0.75, 0.76, respectively. The heritability of UIMF and CIMF were 0.48 and 0.50, respectively. So we concluded that CIMF can be replaced with UIMF and Ultrasound machines can be used to test IMF in live swine. In future, UIMF can be utilized to improve pork quality as an alternative to CIMF.