Patients with Asian-type DEL can safely be transfused with RhD-positive blood.

Red blood cells (RBCs) of Asian-type DEL phenotype express few RhD proteins and are typed as serologic RhD-negative (D-) phenotype in routine testing. RhD-positive (D+) RBC transfusion for patients with Asian-type DEL has been proposed but has not been generally adopted because of a lack of direct evidence regarding its safety and the underlying mechanism. We performed a single-arm multicenter clinical trial to document the outcome of D+ RBC transfusion in patients with Asian-type DEL; none of the recipients (0/42; 95% confidence interval, 0-8.40) developed alloanti-D after a median follow-up of 226 days. We conducted a large retrospective study to detect alloanti-D immunization in 4045 serologic D- pregnant women throughout China; alloanti-D was found only in individuals with true D- (2.63%, 79/3009), but not in those with Asian-type DEL (0/1032). We further retrospectively examined 127 serologic D- pregnant women who had developed alloanti-D and found none with Asian-type DEL (0/127). Finally, we analyzed RHD transcripts from Asian-type DEL erythroblasts and examined antigen epitopes expressed by various RHD transcripts in vitro, finding a low abundance of full-length RHD transcripts (0.18% of the total) expressing RhD antigens carrying the entire repertoire of epitopes, which could explain the immune tolerance against D+ RBCs. Our results provide multiple lines of evidence that individuals with Asian-type DEL cannot produce alloanti-D when exposed to D+ RBCs after transfusion or pregnancy. Therefore, we recommend considering D+ RBC transfusion and discontinuing anti-D prophylaxis in patients with Asian-type DEL, including pregnant women. This clinical trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03727230.

Molecular and serological analysis of the D variant in the Chinese population and identification of seven novel RHD alleles.

BACKGROUND: The molecular basis of the D variant phenotype in the Chinese differs greatly from that of the Caucasian. Adapting a specific D typing strategy to the spectrum of prevalent RHD variant alleles is necessary. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood samples with ambiguous D phenotypes were collected in the Southern Chinese population. A special three-step typing strategy was applied. First, the common DVI type 3 was identified from epitope profiles of D antigen. Then, another common weak D type 15 (RHD*845A) was identified by epitope profiles of D antigen and Sanger sequencing of RHD exon 6. Finally, the remaining D variants were genotyped mainly by Sanger sequencing. For the novel RHD alleles in the coding region and exon-intron junction, in vitro transfection and minigene splicing assays were performed, respectively. The anti-D investigation was performed. RESULTS: DVI type 3 (65/253, 25.7%) and weak D type 15 (62/253, 24.5%) were common Chinese D variants, and RHD*960A, DFR, RHD*weak D type 25, 72, and 136 were frequent variant RHD alleles. Besides, twenty-two sporadic and seven novel RHD alleles (RHD*188A; RHD*688C; RHD*782 T; RHD*1181C; RHD*165 T, 993A; RHD*148 + 3G > T and RHD*1227 + 5G > C) were identified. The deleterious effect of the novel RHD alleles on D antigen or mRNA expression was confirmed. Anti-D was detected in two DVI type 3 pregnant women. DISCUSSION: The three-step typing strategy provides an effective approach for Chinese D variant typing. It can be anticipated that commercially available RHD genotyping kits have limitations for testing Chinese D variants, as some of the frequent variants are not interrogated.

Serological screening and genetic analysis of RhCE variants in the Chinese Southern Han donors.

OBJECTIVES: To screen RhCE variants in the Chinese Southern Han donors for molecular genetic analysis. BACKGROUND: More than hundreds of RhCE variant alleles have been described to resulting in weak and/or partial expression of RhCE antigens, generation of low-prevalence antigens and/or absence of a high-prevalence antigen of Rh system, which mainly reported in the people of African origin. In this study, the serological screening and molecular genetic analysis of RhCE variants were performed in the Chinese Southern Han donors. METHODS: The blood samples of E(+) donors were preliminarily collected. Then, RhCE antigens of the E(+) samples were further typed by using two sets of monoclonal anti-C, anti-c, anti-e and another anti-E. When weak expression of RhCE antigens was found, direct sequencing for 10 exons of RHCE gene, RH genotyping analysis by using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, flow cytometric analysis and even cDNA sequencing were performed. RESULTS: A total of 4487 E(+) samples were collected and four samples with weak expression of antigens were detected. RHCE*Ce375G and RHCE*Ce667T variant alleles were identified in two samples with weak expression of e antigen, respectively. But no variant alleles were found in another two samples with weak expression of C antigen. CONCLUSION: The variant RHCE*Ce375G validated by mRNA sequencing and the deduced RHCE*Ce667T alleles were firstly identified in the Chinese population. The DCE haplotype might account for the weak expression of C antigen in two donors.

Effect of ingredients on the quality of gluten-free steamed bread based on potato flour.

Response surface methodology was used to analyze effects of the amounts of pregelatinized potato flour (PGPF), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), egg white protein (EWP), and water on the dough fermentation and physical properties of gluten-free (GF) steamed bread based on potato flour. The results showed that PGPF, HPMC, EWP, and water at the appropriate amounts improved the maximum dough height (H m), specific volume (SV) and hardness, as well as H m correlated with SV (R 2 = 0.6993) and hardness (R 2 = 0.7273). Moreover, the optimal formulation contained 4.84 g/100 g PGPF, 1.68 g/100 g HPMC, 5.87 g/100 g EWP, and 69.69 g/100 g water, potato flour basis. Furthermore, the dietary fiber, total polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and estimated glycemic index of the steamed GF bread were, respectively, 3.17-, 1.56-, 1.44-, and 0.75-fold of those of steamed wheat bread. The optimized steamed GF bread was found to be acceptable according to the results of sensory analysis. Information collected within this study may provide further insight for optimizing the formulation of steamed GF bread based on potato flour.

Comparative study of the nutritional quality of potato-wheat steamed and baked breads made with four potato flour cultivars.

We investigated the nutritional quality of steamed and baked breads containing 35% potato flour from four potato cultivars. Compared with traditional wheat varieties, potato-wheat steamed and baked breads contained higher dietary fiber (1.87-fold), K (2.68-fold), vitamin C (28.56-fold), and total polyphenol (1.90-fold) contents and greater antioxidant activity (1.23-fold). Moreover, the estimated glycemic index of potato-wheat breads ranged from 61.20 (Hongmei-wheat baked bread) to 67.36 (Atlantic-wheat steamed bread), which was lower than that of wheat steamed bread (70.22) and baked bread (70.62). In terms of nutritional value, Hongmei was the optimum cultivar, followed by Blue Congo, Shepody, and Atlantic. For the same cultivar, the nutritional value of steamed bread was higher than that of baked bread. In conclusion, potato flour is a potential wheat flour supplement that improves the nutritional and functional properties of breads.

Evaluation of different hydrocolloids to improve dough rheological properties and bread quality of potato-wheat flour.

The aim of study was to investigate the effect of hydroxylpropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), arabic gum (AG), konjac glucomannan (KG) and apple pectin (AP) at 2% (w/w, potato-wheat flour basis) on the potato-wheat dough (the mass ratio was 1:1) rheological, fermentation and bread making properties. The tan δ of potato-wheat dough was significantly increased upon addition of adding HPMC which was close to wheat dough (0.531). Moreover, dough height during fermentation process was significantly improved on addition of hydrocolloids, with the order of HPMC (23.1 mm) > AP (19.3 mm) > AG (18.6 mm) > KG (13.6 mm). Protein bands of potato-wheat dough were pale in the presence of hydrocolloids, suggesting the formation of higher molecular weight aggregates formed between proteins-hydrocolloids or proteins-proteins after fermentation process. Furthermore, HPMC significantly increased specific volume (from 1.45 to 2.22 ml/g), and hydrocolloids restricted the retrogradation of starch in potato-wheat breads.

Effects of particle size on structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of potato residue from starch isolation and quality characteristics of residue-based starch noodles.

The structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of potato residue with different mesh sizes (<180 µm, <150 µm, <106 µm, <75 µm, ultrafine) obtained from starch isolation were investigated, and its effects on the shear strength, tensile strength, cooking time, and in vitro digestibility of 5% potato residue-based starch noodles were further compared. The results showed that the protein, ash, dietary fiber, water holding capacity, and water solubility of fractionated potato residue were decreased with decreasing particle size, while the starch, fat, polyphenols, and α-amylase activity inhibition ratio were increased. Ultrafine particles exhibited the highest phenolic content (2.26 mg chlorogenic acid equivalent/g), glucose adsorption capacity (7.03 mmol/g), cholesterol adsorption capacity (16.54%), and better performance on starch noodles formulation. However, oil holding capacity and microstructure did not show any significant differences. Therefore, potato residues with desired particle sizes could be successfully used to develop fiber-enriched food products for reducing food waste.

Unraveling the Glucosylation of Astringency Compounds of Horse Chestnut via Integrative Sensory Evaluation, Flavonoid Metabolism, Differential Transcriptome, and Phylogenetic Analysis.

The seeds of Chinese horse chestnut are used as a source of starch and escin, whereas the potential use of whole plant has been ignored. The astringency and bitterness of tea produced from the leaves and flowers were found to be significantly better than those of green tea, suggesting that the enriched flavonoids maybe sensory determinates. During 47 flavonoids identified in leaves and flowers, seven flavonol glycosides in the top 10 including astragalin and isoquercitrin were significantly higher content in flowers than in leaves. The crude proteins of flowers could catalyze flavonol glucosides' formation, in which three glycosyltransferases contributed to the flavonol glucosylation were screened out by multi-dimensional integration of transcriptome, evolutionary analyses, recombinant enzymatic analysis and molecular docking. The deep exploration for flavonol profile and glycosylation provides theoretical and experimental basis for utilization of flowers and leaves of Aesculus chinensis as additives and dietary supplements.

Identification of Specific Glycosyltransferases Involved in Flavonol Glucoside Biosynthesis in Ginseng Using Integrative Metabolite Profiles, DIA Proteomics, and Phylogenetic Analysis.

Ginseng contains a variety of flavonol glycosides that possess diverse biological activities; however, scant information of flavonoid glycosylation was reported in ginseng. We found that panasenoside and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside were commonly accumulated along with cultivation years in leaves. In order to explore the procedure of flavonol glycosylation in ginseng, 50 UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) were screened out using differentiated data-independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics and phylogenetic analysis. UGT92A10 and UGT94Q4 were found contributing to the formation of kaempferol 3-O-glucoside. UGT73A18, UGT74T4, and UGT75W1 could catalyze galactosylation of kaempferol 3-O-glucoside. Ser278, Trp335, Gln338, and Val339 were found forming hydrogen bonds with UDP-galactose in UGT75W1 by docking. MeJA induced transcripts of UGT73A18 and UGT74T4 by over fourfold, consistent with the decrease of kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, which indicated that these genes may be related to resisting adversity stress in ginseng. These results highlight the significance of integrative metabolite profiles, proteomics, and phylogenetic analysis for exploring flavonol glycosylation in ginseng.

Optimization of the formula and processing of a sweet potato leaf powder-based beverage.

For the development of a sweet potato leaf powder (SPLP)-based beverage, we investigated the effects of blanching methods on SPLP quality (including color, nutritional and functional compositions and antioxidant activity), and the effects of particle size and stabilizers on suspension stability of final product. The total polyphenol and antioxidant activity of SPLP of uncut group were 1.69 and 1.91 times those of cut group, respectively, and the indices of nutritional quality of copper, manganese and vitamin E of uncut group were significantly greater than cut group. The ultrafine SPLP-produced lowest gravitational sedimentation ratio (49%), indicating it had greatest suspension stability. The optimized formula of SPLP-based beverage was as follows: ultrafine SPLP of uncut group was mixed with 2.5% (w/w, powder basis) xanthan gum, 1% calcium lactate, 2% ascorbic acid, 12% maltodextrin, 20% xylitol, and 0.9% apple essence. The final product had high nutritional value along with consumer-acceptable flavor and texture.

Effect of heat treatments on the structure and emulsifying properties of protein isolates from cumin seeds ( Cuminum cyminum).

The effect of heat treatments (65, 75, 85, and 95 ℃, 30 min) on the structure and the emulsifying properties of cumin protein isolates were investigated. The fluorescence spectra analysis showed that the conformations were remarkably influenced by heat treatments. An increase in the ratio of α-helix in the secondary structure of heated cumin protein isolates was observed from the result of circular dichroism. Thermal treatments at different temperatures led to an increase in the surface hydrophobicity ( Ho) and a decrease in zeta potential ( ζ) of cumin protein isolates. Emulsifying activity index and emulsion stability index of heated cumin protein isolates were reduced at different protein concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0%), while the protein absorption in emulsions stabilized by heated cumin protein isolates gradually increased with heating temperature increasing. Moreover, both emulsions stabilized by native and heated cumin protein isolates showed pseudo-plastic fluid behavior and exhibited a decrease in their viscosities with proteins concentration increasing. But thermal treatments produced different effects on the flow behavior of emulsions formed by various protein concentrations, the flow index for heated cumin protein isolates emulsions increased at protein concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0%, but decreased at a concentration of 0.1%. These results might provide reference for the cumin protein processing and its application in food industry.

Influence of different hydrocolloids on dough thermo-mechanical properties and in vitro starch digestibility of gluten-free steamed bread based on potato flour.

The effects of hydrocolloids (hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), xanthan gum (XG), and apple pectin (AP)) at different concentrations on dough thermo-mechanical properties and in vitro starch digestibility of gluten-free potato steamed bread were investigated. Results showed that hydrocolloids addition significantly increased the gelatinization temperature (from 52.0 to 64.2°C) and water absorption (from 56.22 to 66.50%) of potato dough. Moreover, hydrocolloids may be interacted with protein and starch, the density of potato protein bands was decreased by hydrocolloids addition, the reason might be that higher molecular weight complexes might be formed between proteins-hydrocolloids or proteins-proteins, thus change the protein solubility. Furthermore, steamed breads with hydrocolloids presented higher specific volume and lower hardness, and the rapidly digestible starch and estimated glycemic index were significantly decreased from 45.51 to 20.64, from 69.54 to 55.17, respectively. In conclusion, HPMC and XG could be used as improvers in the gluten-free potato steamed bread.

Optimization of extraction efficiency by shear emulsifying assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and functional properties of dietary fiber from deoiled cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.).

This study evaluated the optimal conditions for extracting dietary fiber (DF) from deoiled cumin by shear emulsifying assisted enzymatic hydrolysis (SEAEH) using the response surface methodology. Fat adsorption capacity (FAC), glucose adsorption capacity (GAC), and bile acid retardation index (BRI) were measured to evaluate the functional properties of the extracted DF. The results revealed that the optimal extraction conditions included an enzyme to substrate ratio of 4.5%, a reaction temperature of 57 °C, a pH value of 7.7, and a reaction time of 155 min. Under these conditions, DF extraction efficiency and total dietary fiber content were 95.12% and 84.18%, respectively. The major components of deoiled cumin DF were hemicellulose (37.25%) and cellulose (33.40%). FAC and GAC increased with decreasing DF particle size (51-100 µm), but decreased with DF particle sizes <26 µm; BRI increased with decreasing DF particle size. The results revealed that SEAEH is an effective method for extracting DF. DF with particle size 26-51 µm had improved functional properties.

Purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) anthocyanins: preventive effect on acute and subacute alcoholic liver damage and dealcoholic effect.

This study aimed to investigate the dealcoholic effect and preventive effect of anthocyanins from purple sweet potato (PSPAs) on acute and subacute alcoholic liver damage (ALD). Seven-week-old male inbred mice were grouped into five groups: control group (without PSPAs and ethanol treatments), model group (with ethanol treatment only), low-dose group (50 mg PSPAs/kg body weight), middle-dose group (125 mg PSPAs/kg body weight), and high-dose group (375 mg PSPAs/kg body weight), and the mice in all groups were administered intragastrically. Biochemical parameters of serum and liver were determined, and the histopathological changes of liver tissue were also analyzed. Results showed that all tested parameters were ameliorated after consumption of PSPAs. Therefore, PSPAs have preventive effect on acute and subacute ALD. It is suggested that PSPAs could be used as a supplementary reagent during prophylactic and curative managements of ALD.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) leaves as nutritional and functional foods.

In this study, the nutritional compositions of leaves from 40 sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars were assessed. The correlations between antioxidant activity and crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, carbohydrate, and polyphenol contents were determined. The crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat, carbohydrate and ash contents ranged between 16.69-31.08, 9.15-14.26, 2.08-5.28, 42.03-61.36, and 7.39-14.66g/100gdryweight(DW), respectively. According to the index of nutritional quality, sweet potato leaves are good sources of protein, fiber, and minerals, especially K, P, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Cu. The correlation coefficient between antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content was the highest (0.76032, p<0.0001), indicating that polyphenols are important antioxidants in sweet potato leaves. Sweet potato leaves, which contain several nutrients and bioactive compounds, should be consumed as leafy vegetables in an attempt to reduce malnutrition, especially in developing countries.

Optimisation of aqueous two-phase extraction of anthocyanins from purple sweet potatoes by response surface methodology.

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) method was investigated for extraction of anthocyanins from purple sweet potatoes using response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that the optimal conditions for anthocyanin extraction were that, 45:1 (mL/g) liquid-solid ratio, 25% (W/W) ethanol, 22% (W/W) concentration of ammonium sulphate and pH3.3; the anthocyanin yield and partition coefficient under the optimal conditions were 90.02% and 19.62, respectively. The result of HPLC-ESI-MS analysis revealed eight kinds of compounds, and the major anthocyanins as cyanidi-caffeoy-fumaroy-sophoroside-3-O-glucoside, peonidin-caffeoyl-hydroxybenzoyl-3-O-glucoside, peonidin-caffeoyl-sophoroside-3-O-glucoside, and peonidin-caffeoyl-fumaroyl-sophorosid-3-O-glucoside. Meanwhile, we found a compound as a dimer of galloyl procyanin. These results suggest that ATPE is efficient in extracting anthocyanins and has the potential to be used in natural anthocyanin extraction industry.