Green Extraction of Polyphenols from Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and Evaluation of Bioactivity.

In the study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) were used as alternatives to traditional chemical solvents for the extraction of polyphenols from Elaeagnus angustifolia L. Nine NADESs were tested for the first time and compared with ethanol and water (traditional solvents) regarding the extraction of phenolic compounds from E. angustifolia L. These solvents were particularly effective at extracting polyphenols, whose low water solubility usually requires high amounts of organic solvents. The solvent based on choline chloride and malonic acid provided optimal results and was selected for further optimization. The effects of material-to-liquid ratio, ultrasound time, and ultrasound temperature on the extraction efficiency were studied through single-factor experiments. These parameters were optimized by Box-Behnken design using response surface methodology. The optimal conditions identified were 49.86 g/mL of material-to-liquid ratio, 31.10 min of ultrasound time, and 62.35 °C of ultrasound temperature, resulting in a high yield of 140.30 ± 0.19 mg/g. The results indicated that the NADES extraction technique provided a higher yield than the conventional extraction process. The antioxidant activity of the extract of polyphenols from E. angustifolia L. was determined, and UPLC-IMS-QTOF-MS was used to analyze the phenolic compounds in it. The results revealed that the scavenging ability of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) extracted by NADES was higher than that of polyphenols extracted by water and ethanol. Furthermore, a total of 24 phenolic compounds were identified in the extract. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which a green and efficient NADES extraction method has been used to extract bioactive polyphenols from E. angustifolia L., which could provide potential value in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food additives.

UHPLC-QTOFMS-based metabolomic analysis of serum and urine in rats treated with musalais containing varying ethyl carbamate content.

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of the ethyl carbamate (EC) content in musalais on the metabolism of rats. Electron beam irradiation was performed to decrease the content of EC in musalais, and Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to intragastric administration of musalais with varying EC content (high, medium, and low groups). Control rats were fed normally without any treatment. Serum and urine samples were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were performed to detect changes in the metabolite profile in the serum and urine in order to identify the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways. The results demonstrated clear differences in the serum and urine metabolic patterns between control and treatment groups. Ions in treatment groups with variable importance in the projection of >1 (selected from the OPLS-DA loading plots) and Ps < 0.05 (Student t test) compared to control group were identified as candidate metabolites. Analysis of the metabolic pathways relevant to the identified differential metabolites revealed that high EC content in musalais (10 mg/kg) mainly affected rats through valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, which were associated with energy metabolism. In addition, this work suggests that EC can induce oxidative stress via inhibition of glycine content.

Enterococcus Xinjiangensis sp. nov., Isolated from Yogurt of Xinjiang, China.

A Gram-strain-positive bacterial strain 48(T) was isolated from traditional yogurt in Xinjiang Province, China. The bacterium was characterized by a polyphasic approach, including 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, polymerase α subunit (rpoA) gene sequence analysis, determination of DNA G+C content, DNA-DNA hybridization with the type strain of Enterococcus ratti and analysis of phenotypic features. Strain 48(T) accounted for 96.1, 95.8, 95.8, and 95.7 % with Enterococcus faecium CGMCC 1.2136(T), Enterococcus hirae ATCC 9790(T), Enterococcus durans CECT 411(T), and E. ratti ATCC 700914(T) in the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. The sequence of rpoA gene showed similarities of 99.0, 96.0, 96.0, and 96 % with that of E. faecium ATCC 19434(T), Enterococcus villorum LMG12287, E. hirae ATCC 9790(T), and E. durans ATCC 19432(T), respectively. Based upon of polyphasic characterization data obtained in the study, a novel species, Enterococcus xinjiangensis sp. nov., was proposed and the type strain was 48(T)(=CCTCC AB 2014041(T) = JCM 30200(T)).

Natural polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis residues with typical glucan structure showing inhibition on α-glucosidase activities.

Two neutral Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GP), named GP-LA and GP-HA, with molecular weights of 3.023 × 105 and 1.291 × 105, respectively, were extracted from Glycyrrhiza residues by hot acid extraction (HA) and low-temperature acid extraction (LA) and purified by column chromatography. Comprehensive analysis showed that the backbone of GP was composed of →4)-ß-D-Glcp-(1→. For GP-LA, the side chain probably composed of ß-L-Araf-(1→, →5)-ß-L-Araf-(1→, →4)-ß-D-Xylp-(1→, ß-D-Glcp-(1→, →3,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4,6)-α- D-Glcp-(1→, and for GP-LA, the side chain probably composed of→6)-ß-D-Galp-(1→, -α-D-Glcp-(1→, →3,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →2,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4,6)- D-Glcp-(1→. The GP had a triple helix conformation and numerous irregular spherical particles with smooth surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed that GP-HA possessed single-branched structures and GP-LA possessed cross-linked network structures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that GP-LA had both crystalline and amorphous structures, but GP-HA had no crystal structure. Furthermore, the results indicated that GP-LA and GP-HA exhibited certain inhibition activity on α-glucosidase. CD spectra and fluorescence intensity measurements confirmed that the secondary structure of α-glucosidase changed with the addition of GP.

Fortification of Chinese Steamed Bread with Glycyrrhizauralensis Polysaccharides and Evaluation of Its Quality and Performance Attributes.

Natural polysaccharides are new popular healthy food material, and the materials are widely used in various functional foods. The influences of polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza uralensis on the quality and sensory properties of Chinese steamed bread (CSB), as well as the performance (starch digestion in vitro and starch staling) of CSB, were investigated in this study. The addition of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GP) increased the specific volume of CSB in a dose-dependent manner, and the specific volume of CSB-2 was 2.55 mL/g. GP also contributed to the increase in hardness (from 1240.17 to 2539.34 g) and chewiness (893.85 to 1959.27 g) of fresh CSB. In addition, GP could maintain the integrity of the protein network within the CSB. The scores for sensory evaluation indicators of CSB-1 were relatively balanced. More importantly, the addition of GP altered starch digestive properties, and the content of the resistant starch (RS) was increased from 8.62 (CSB-0) to 43.46% (CSB-2). GP led to a significant reduction of the expected glycemic index (eGI) of CSB, and the eGI of CSB was decreased from 97.50 (CSB-0) to 73.8 (CSB-2), which was classified as a medium-GI (MGI) food. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed the addition of GP delayed the staling of CSB during storage. In general, adding the proper amount of GP could improve the quality of CSB and show the potential as a functional component of CSB to reduce the postprandial blood glucose level resulted by the CSB.

Physicochemical and functional properties of Lycium ruthenicum pectin by different extraction methods.

Three different extraction methods were used to extract high-temperature water-extracted pectin (HWp), high-temperature acid-extracted pectin (HAp), and high-temperature alkali-extracted pectin (HALp) from Lycium ruthenicum. The physicochemical properties, structure, and functional properties of three different pectins were studied. The results showed that HWp and HALp can extract rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) from L. ruthenicum better. Through structural feature analysis, HWp and HALp have a branched structure, and HWp has a higher degree of esterification than HAp and HALp. Zeta potential results show that HWp solution is more stable. The thermal analysis results show that the thermal stability is HALp > HAp > HWp. HWp has the highest viscosity. The inhibitory activity results showed that HWp, HAp, and HALp have a certain inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase activity. This study shows the effects of different extraction methods on the properties of L. ruthenicum pectin and aims to provide a theoretical basis for the pharmaceutical and food industries to choose more suitable pectin extraction methods.

Renal Transcriptomics Reveals the Carcinogenic Mechanism of Ethyl Carbamate in Musalais.

INTRODUCTION: Musalais is a traditional fermented wine produced in southern Xinjiang (a province of China) and is protected as a form of national intangible cultural heritage. However, ethyl carbamate (EC), which is naturally produced during the fermentation process, has been shown to induce carcinogenesis and was classified as a group 2A carcinogen by The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. METHODS: In this work, rats were treated with musalais containing EC at varying contents (0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg). To evaluate the toxicity of EC in musalais, the liver and kidney of the rats were subjected to transcriptomics sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between treated and untreated rats were identified, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed on these genes to investigate the biological functions affected by EC in musalais. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that high EC content in musalais is possibly involved in the regulation of cytochrome P450 metabolism, chemical carcinogenesis, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, Wnt signaling, and p53 signaling by targeting Mgst1, Gstp1, Gsta5, Gsta1, Adh1, Gsta2, and Ccnd1, thereby inducing cancer. CONCLUSION: The present work predicted the potential carcinogenic mechanism of high EC content in musalais, providing a reference for its safety evaluation.

The effect of superfine tea powder addition on the acrylamide content of innovative Xinjiang nang products (tea nang).

In the present study, tea variety and proportions and tea nang production conditions were optimised to improve tea nang flavour, and dynamic changes in polyphenols and acrylamide content were determined. Orthogonal experimental design was adopted to optimise processing of low-acrylamide tea nang through a multi-index integrated evaluation method (MIEM) and a single-index balanced evaluation method (SBEM). Tea nang acrylamide content, polyphenol content and flavour quality were analysed by HPLC, colorimetry and sensory evaluation, respectively. A 180°C baking temperature, 7% matcha tea powder (MTP) content and 11 min of baking time were optimum. From the 11 kinds of tea from four categories, tea nang with 7% Biluochun tea powder exhibited the best comprehensive quality: decreased acrylamide, increased polyphenols, and the highest sensory scores (11.55 µg/kg, 6.1 mg/g and 92, respectively). This tea nang exhibited flavour senses of harmony, a strong tea flavour, and slight sweetness in back.

Transcriptome analysis of pancreatic cancer cell response to treatment with grape seed proanthocyanidins.

Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) have been demonstrated to exhibit potential chemotherapeutic efficacy against various cancer types. To determine the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in GSP-induced apoptosis, the present study prepared pancreatic cancer (PC) cells samples, S3, S12 and S24, which were treated with 20 µg/ml GSPs for 3, 12 and 24 h, respectively. Control cell samples, C3, C12 and C24, were also prepared. Using RNA-sequencing, transcriptome comparisons were performed, which identified 966, 3,543 and 4,944 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) in S3 vs. C3, S12 vs. C12 and S24 vs. C24, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis of the DEGs, revealed that treatment with GSPs is associated with disruption of the cell cycle (CC) in PC cells. Additionally, disruption of transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair were associated with GSP-treatment in PC cells. Network analysis demonstrated that the common DEGs involved in the CC, transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair were integrated, and served essential roles in the control of CC progression in cancer cells. In summary, GSPs may exhibit a potential chemotherapeutic effect on PC cell proliferation.

Grape seed proanthocyanidins inhibit proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells by modulating microRNA expression.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs), which are biologically active components in grape seeds, have been demonstrated to exhibit anticancer effects. The current study investigated whether GSPs can regulate miRNA expression and the possible anticancer molecular mechanisms of GSPs. Pancreatic cancer (PC) cell samples, SS3, SS12 and SS24, were treated with 20 µg/ml GSPs for 3, 12 and 24 h, respectively. Control samples, SC3, SC12 and SC24, were also prepared. Using miRNA-seq, transcriptome analysis identified 24, 83 and 83 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in SS3 vs. SC3, SS12 vs. SC12 and SS24 vs. SC24, respectively. This indicated that treatment with GSPs could modulate the expression of miRNAs. Subsequently, 74, 598 and 1,204 target genes for the three sets of DE miRNAs were predicted. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that multiple target genes were associated with the proliferation and apoptosis of PC cells. In addition, a network was constructed of the DE miRNAs and the target genes associated with PC. The associations identified suggested that treatment with GSPs may inhibit the proliferation of PC cells through the modulation of miRNA expression.

Combination of UV-C treatment and Metschnikowia pulcherrimas for controlling Alternaria rot in postharvest winter jujube fruit.

The potential of using antagonistic yeast Metschnikowia pulcherrimas alone or in combination with ultraviolet-C (UV-C) treatment for controlling Alternaria rot of winter jujube, and its effects on postharvest quality of fruit was investigated. The results showed that spore germination of Alternaria alternata was significantly inhibited by each of the 3 doses (1, 5, and 10 kJ m(-2) ) in vitro. In vivo, UV-C treatment (5 kJ m(-2) ) or antagonist yeast was capable of reducing the percentage of infected wounds and lesion diameter in artificially inoculated jujube fruits, however, in fruit treated with combination of UV-C treatment and M. pulcherrima, the percentage of infected wounds and lesion diameter was only 16.0% and 0.60 cm, respectively. The decay incidence on winter jujube fruits treated with the combination of UV-C treatment and M. pulcherrima was 23% after storage at 0 ± 1 °C for 45 d followed by 22 °C for 7 d. None of the treatments impaired quality parameters of jujube fruit. Thus, the combination of UV-C radiation and M. pulcherrima could be an alternative to synthetic fungicides for controlling postharvest Alternaria rot of winter jujube.