Stable SERS Detection of Lactobacillus fermentum Using Optical Tweezers in a Microfluidic Environment.

Rapid identification of fermented lactic acid bacteria has long been a challenge in the brewing industry. This study combined label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and optical tweezer technology to construct a test platform within a microfluidic environment. Six kinds of lactic acid bacteria common in industry were tested to prove the stability of the SERS spectra. The results demonstrated that the utilization of optical tweezers to securely hold the bacteria significantly enhanced the stability of the SERS spectra. Furthermore, SVM and XGBoost machine learning algorithms were utilized to analyze the obtained Raman spectra for identification, and the identification accuracies exceeded 95% for all tested lactic acid bacteria. The findings of this study highlight the crucial role of optical tweezers in improving the stability of SERS spectra by capturing bacteria in a microfluidic environment, prove that this technology could be used in the rapid identification of lactic acid bacteria, and show great significance in expanding the applicability of the SERS technique for other bacterial testing purposes.

The application of starch-based edible film in food preservation: a comprehensive review.

Using renewable resources for food packaging not only helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels but also minimizes the environmental impact associated with traditional plastics. Starch has been a hot topic in the field of current research because of its low cost, wide source and good film forming property. However, a comprehensive review in this field is still lacking. Starch-based films offer a promising alternative for sustainable packaging in the food industry. The present paper covers various aspects such as raw material sources, modification methods, and film formation mechanisms. Understanding the physicochemical properties and potential commercial applications is crucial for bridging the gap between research and practical implementation. Finally, the application of starch-based films in the food industry is discussed in detail. Different modifications of starch can improve the mechanical and barrier properties of the films. The addition of active substances to starch-based films can endow them with more functions. Therefore, these factors should be better investigated and optimized in future studies to improve the physicochemical properties and functionality of starch-based films. In summary, this review provides comprehensive information and the latest research progress of starch-based films in the food industry.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of small molecule compounds in scorpions].

Scorpions, a group of oldest animals with wide distribution in the world, have a long history of medicinal use. Scorpio, the dried body of Buthus martensii, is a rare animal medicine mainly used for the treatment of liver diseases, spasm, and convulsions in children in China. The venom has been considered as the active substance of scorpions. However, little is known about the small molecules in the venom of scorpions. According to the articles published in recent years, scorpions contain amino acids, fatty acids, steroids, and alkaloids, which endow scorpions with antimicrobial, anticoagulant, metabolism-regulating, and antitumor activities. This paper summarizes the small molecule chemical components and pharmacological activities of scorpions, with a view to providing valuable information for the discovery of new active molecules and the clinical use of scorpions.

Repair mechanism and application of self-healing materials for food preservation.

The traditional packaging concept has reached its limits when it comes to ensuring the quality of food and extending its shelf life. Compared to traditional packaging materials, food packaging with self-healing function is becoming more and more popular. This is because they can automatically repair the damaged area, restore the original properties and prevent the decline of food quality and loss of nutrients. Materials based on various self-healing mechanisms have been developed and used on a laboratory scale in the form of coatings and films for food packaging. However, more efforts are needed for the commercial application of these new self-healing packaging materials. Understanding the self-healing mechanism of these packaging materials is very important for their commercial application. This article first discusses the self-healing mechanism of different packaging materials and compares the self-healing efficiency of self-healing materials under different conditions. Then, the application potential of self-healing coatings and films in the food industry is systematically analyzed. Finally, we give an outlook on the application of self-healing materials in the field of food packaging.

Application of essential oils as slow-release antimicrobial agents in food preservation: Preparation strategies, release mechanisms and application cases.

Food spoilage caused by foodborne microorganisms will not only cause significant economic losses, but also the toxins produced by some microorganisms will also pose a serious threat to human health. Essential oil (EOs) has significant antimicrobial activity, but its application in the field of food preservation is limited because of its volatile, insoluble in water and sensitive to light and heat. Therefore, in order to solve these problems effectively, this paper first analyzed the antibacterial effect of EOs as an antimicrobial agent on foodborne bacteria and its mechanism. Then, the application strategies of EOs as a sustained-release antimicrobial agent in food preservation were reviewed. On this basis, the release mechanism and application cases of EOs in different antibacterial composites were analyzed. The purpose of this paper is to provide technical support and solutions for the preparation of new antibacterial packaging materials based on plant active components to ensure food safety and reduce food waste.

Effects of Dietary Cholesterol Regulation on Spermatogenesis of Gobiocypris rarus Rare Minnow.

Cholesterol is an important component of cell membranes, and also a precursor for the synthesis of sex hormones, playing an important role in reproduction. However, few studies have focused on cholesterol and reproductive health. To investigate the toxic effects of different cholesterol levels on the spermatogenesis of rare minnows, we regulate the cholesterol content in fish by feeding them a high-cholesterol diet and cholesterol inhibitor pravastatin, and cholesterol levels, sex hormone (T and 11KT) levels, testis histology, sperm morphology and function, and the expression of genes related to sex hormone synthesis were investigated. The research findings indicate that increasing cholesterol levels significantly increases the liver weight and hepatic-somatic index, as well as the total cholesterol and free cholesterol levels in the testis, liver, and plasma of rare minnow, while inhibiting cholesterol has the opposite effect (p < 0.05). However, both increasing and decreasing cholesterol levels can suppress rare minnow testicular development, as evidenced by a decrease in testis weight, lowered gonadosomatic index, suppressed sex hormone levels, and reduced mature sperm count. Further exploration revealed that the expression of sex hormone synthesis-related genes, including star, cyp19a1a, and hsd11b2, was significantly affected (p < 0.05), which may be an important reason for the decrease in sex hormone synthesis and consequent inhibition of testicular development. At the same time, the fertilization ability of mature sperm in both treatment groups significantly decreased. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence polarization tests showed that reducing cholesterol levels significantly increased the rate of sperm head cell membrane damage, while both increasing and decreasing cholesterol levels led to a reduction in sperm cell membrane fluidity, which may be the main reason for the decrease in sperm fertilization ability. This study demonstrates that both increasing and decreasing the levels of cholesterol are detrimental to the fish spermatogenesis, providing fundamental information for the study of fish reproduction and also a reference for the causes of male reproductive dysfunction.

Antifungal mechanism of essential oil against foodborne fungi and its application in the preservation of baked food.

Baked food is one of the most important staple foods in people's life, but its shelf life is limited. In addition, the spoilage of baked food caused by microbial deterioration will not only cause huge economic losses, but also pose a serious threat to human health. At present, due to the improvement of consumers' health awareness, the use of chemical preservatives has been gradually restricted. Compared with other types of synthetic preservatives, essential oils are becoming more and more popular because they are in line with the current development trend of "green," "safety" and "health" of food additives. Therefore, in this paper, we first summarized the main factors affecting the fungal contamination of baked food. Then analyzed the antifungal activity and mechanism of essential oil. Finally, we comprehensively summarized the application strategy of essential oil in the preservation of baked food. This review is of great significance for fully understanding the antifungal mechanism of essential oils and promoting the application of essential oils in the preservation of baked food.

Synergistic interactions of plant essential oils with antimicrobial agents: a new antimicrobial therapy.

The problem of drug resistance of food borne pathogens is becoming more and more serious. Although traditional antimicrobial agents have good therapeutic effects on a variety of food borne pathogens, more effective antimicrobial agents are still needed to combat the development of drug-resistant food borne pathogens. Plant-based natural essential oils (EOs) are widely used because of their remarkable antimicrobial activity. A potential strategy to address food borne pathogens drug resistance is to use a combination of EOs and antimicrobial agents. Because EOs have multi-target inhibitory effects on microorganisms, combining them with drugs can enhance the activity of the drugs and avoid the emergence of food borne pathogens drug resistance. This paper introduces the main factors affecting the antibacterial activity of EOs and describes methods for evaluating their synergistic antibacterial effects. The possible mechanisms of action of EOs and the synergistic inhibitory effects on pathogens of EOs in combination with antimicrobial agents is described. In summary, the combined use of EOs and existing antimicrobial agents is a promising potential new antibacterial therapy.

[UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis of chemical constituents of classical prescription Yiguanjian standard decoction].

An UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method was employed to characterize and classify the chemical components of the standard decoction of Yiguanjian, a classical famous recipe. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Acquity HSS T3(2.1 mm ×100 mm, 1.8 µm) column with a mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid water-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile using gradient elution. The flow rate was 0.4 mL·min~(-1) and the column temperature was 40 ℃. Mass spectrometry was performed on electrospray ionization source(ESI) with positive and negative ion scanning modes. The potential compounds were identified by comparing the reference compounds, analyzing the mass spectrometry data and matching the published articles on Masslynx 4.1 software and SciFinder database. Finally, a total of 113 compounds, including 11 amino acids, 19 terpenoids, 13 phthalides, 11 steroidal saponins, 10 coumarins, 9 alkaloids, 7 flavonoids, 8 phenylethanoid glycosides, 8 organic acids and 17 other categories were identified. The established method systematically and accurately characterized the chemical components in Yiguanjian, which could provide experimental evidences for the subsequent studies on the pharmacodynamical material basis and quality control of Yiguanjian.

Identification and characterization of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) as a functional target of marine natural product grincamycin B.

Grincamycins (GCNs) are a class of angucycline glycosides isolated from actinomycete Streptomyces strains that have potent antitumor activities, but their antitumor mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we tried to identify the cellular target of grincamycin B (GCN B), one of most dominant and active secondary metabolites, using a combined strategy. We showed that GCN B-selective-induced apoptosis of human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cell line NB4 through increase of ER stress and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Using a strategy of combining phenotype, transcriptomics and protein microarray approaches, we identified that isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) was the putative target of GCN B, and confirmed that GCNs were a subset of selective inhibitors targeting both wild-type and mutant IDH1 in vitro. It is well-known that IDH1 converts isocitrate to 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG), maintaining intracellular 2-OG homeostasis. IDH1 and its mutant as the target of GCN B were validated in NB4 cells and zebrafish model. Knockdown of IDH1 in NB4 cells caused the similar phenotype as GCN B treatment, and supplementation of N-acetylcysteine partially rescued the apoptosis caused by IDH1 interference in NB4 cells. In zebrafish model, GCN B effectively restored myeloid abnormality caused by overexpression of mutant IDH1(R132C). Taken together, we demonstrate that IDH1 is one of the antitumor targets of GCNs, suggesting wild-type IDH1 may be a potential target for hematological malignancies intervention in the future.

Electrochemistry at Bimetallic Pd/Au Thin Film Surfaces for Selective Detection of Reactive Oxygen Species and Reactive Nitrogen Species.

In this work, we designed and fabricated Pd/Au bimetallic thin film electrodes with isolated Pd nanoparticles via underpotential deposition of copper on a gold substrate followed by in situ redox replace reaction in a Pd salt solution. The Pd/Au electrode was characterized by AFM and XPS as well as multiple electrochemical techniques including CV and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in sulfuric acid and phosphate buffer electrolytes. Results show that the reduction reactions of the analytes (i.e., H2O2 and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT)) at the Pd/Au thin film surfaces affect the nature and reactivity of Pd/Au surface electrochemistry including the adsorbed/absorbed hydrogen and/or the premonolayer palladium oxide redox processes at Pd. The EQCM experiment supports the arrangement of small size Pd nanoparticles in the Pd thin film in the presence of gold exhibits unusual properties, acting as a new physicochemical dimension between the electrode and target H2O2 and 3-NT molecules. The Pd/Au thin film was demonstrated as an extremely sensitive and selective probe for detection of common ROS and RNS (i.e., H2O2 and 3-NT). The integration of two different metallic species, Pd and Au, into a surface structure on nanoscale by exploiting their unique surface electrochemistry establishes an innovative analytical method for highly sensitive and selective detection of H2O2 and 3-NT simultaneously. This method has a general scope for detecting a broad range of redox active and nonredox active species simultaneously, which opens up new opportunities to develop new electrocatalytic materials and innovative sensing approaches.

Application of starch microcapsules containing essential oil in food preservation.

Consumers' pursuit to a healthy lifestyle has promoted people to develop new technologies that can prolong the shelf life of food without the use of preservatives. Compared with other types of preservation, edible microcapsules containing essential oils (EOs) are becoming more and more popular especially the starch microcapsules containing essential oil (EOs-starch microcapsules) because of their environmentally friendly, healthier characteristics and the ability to carry active ingredients. In addition, the EOs-starch microcapsules can also reduce the flavor influence and prolong the action time of essential oil on food through its slow release effect, which can promote the use of EOs in food. Understanding the different collocation of edible starch microcapsules and EOs and the related antibacterial mechanism will be more effective and targeted to promote the application of EOs in the real food system. The review focus on the contribution of EOs-starch microcapsules to prolong the shelf life of food products, (1) binding characteristics of EOs-starch microcapsules were analyzed, (2) systematically summarizing the main materials and methods for preparing the EOs-microcapsules, (3) specifically addressing the action mechanisms of EOs-starch microcapsules on microorganism, (4) discussing the applications of EOs-starch microcapsules in specific food.

[UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis on chemical constituents of classical prescription Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang standard decoction].

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was used to analyze the chemical constituents from classical prescription Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang standard decoction. Acquity HSS T3 column(2.1 mm × 100 mm, 1.8 µm) was used as the chromatographic column, with 0.1% formic acid solution-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile as the mobile phase for gradient elution. The volume flow rate was 0.4 mL·min~(-1) and the column temperature was 40 ℃. Mass spectrometry data of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang standard decoction were collected in positive and negative ion modes. The chemical constituents from classical prescription Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang standard decoction were analyzed and identified by Masslynx 4.1 software combined with SciFinder database, comparison with reference mate-rials, mass spectrometry data analysis and reference to relevant literature. A total of 110 compounds were analyzed and identified, including 33 flavonoids, 14 monoterpene glycosides, 8 triterpenoids, 8 gingerols, 17 phenylpropanoids, 12 organic acids, 7 amino acids and 11 other compounds. The results of this study provide an experimental basis for the further research on the substance basis and quality control of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Tang standard decoction.

Application of edible coating with essential oil in food preservation.

Compared with other types of packaging, edible coatings are becoming more and more popular because of their more environmentally friendly properties and active ingredients carrying ability. The edible coating can reduce the influence of essential oils (EOs) on the flavor of the product and also can prolong the action time of EOs through the slow-release effect, which effectively promote the application of EOs in food. Understanding the different combinations of edible coatings and EOs as well as their antimicrobial effects on different microorganisms will be more powerful and targeted to promote the application of EOs in real food systems. The review focus on the contribution of the combination of EOs and edible coatings (EO-edible coatings) to prolong the shelf life of food products, (1) specifically addressing the main materials used in the preparation of EO-edible coatings and the application of EO-edible coatings in the product, (2) systematically summarizing the main production method of EO-edible coatings, (3) discussing the antiseptic activity of EO-edible coatings on different microorganisms in food.

The inhibitory effect of plant essential oils on foodborne pathogenic bacteria in food.

In recent years, with the continuous improvement of people's living standard, the importance of healthy lifestyles is becoming more and more recognized. Therefore, food safety has attracted much attention. This has prompted people to study new technologies that can guarantee food safety without the use of preservatives. Compared with other types of food preservatives, essential oils (EOs) are gotten more attention, because they meet the current development trend of food additives about "green", "safety" and "health". Therefore, this paper focuses on the research of effective contribution of EOs to inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens, systematically summarized the commonly used EOs and their main extraction methods and chemical components and, the antibacterial mechanism of EOs on food borne pathogens, systematically analysis the specific application case of EOs in food discussed. Hoping to provide some reference and help to the relevant researchers.

[Network pharmacology-based study on mechanisms of Danhong Injection in treatment of aspirin resistance].

This paper aims to discuss the potential targets,pathways and possible mechanisms of Danhong Injection in treatment of aspirin resistance by using network pharmacology concept and network analysis technique. Active ingredients and potential targets of Danhong Injection were collected from TCMSP database and the ingredients were further screened based on their topological characteristics. The active ingredients with nodal degree of freedom≥9 were selected as the main active ingredients. Targets related to aspirin resistance were collected from Genecards database. Drug-active ingredient-target-disease network was constructed by using Cytoscape3. 7. 0,and Funrich 3. 1. 3 software was used for gene enrichment analysis. Sixty main active ingredients were screened out from 110 active ingredients of Danhong Injection,including 51 ingredients in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and 11 ingredients in Carthami Flos,2 of which were both in Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Carthami Flos. In addition,159 potential targets were collected. The results of gene enrichment analysis showed that Danhong Injection could improve aspirin resistance mainly through21 pathways involving coagulation process,inflammatory response and metabolism. This study revealed the effects of Danhong Injection for improving aspirin resistance in multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway means mainly through regulation in coagulation process,inflammatory response and metabolism,providing more abundant information and basis for subsequent research and experimental work.

[Chemical constituent analysis for seeds of Celosia argentea by UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS].

This Paper aimed to analyze and identify the chemical constituents from the seeds of Celosia argentea by UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS. The analysis was performed on an ACQUITY HSS T3 reverse phase column(2.1 mm ×100 mm, 1.8 µm). The mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous formic acid was used for gradient elution, and the flow rate was 0.4 mL·min~(-1). Mass spectrometry was applied for the qualitative analysis under positive and negative ionization modes and ESI ion source. Data was analyzed by Masslynx 4.1 software, literatures in SciFinder database, and standards. A total of 49 compounds, including 14 triterpenoids, 17 flavonoids, 11 cyclic peptides, 2 phenols, 2 organic acids, and 3 steroids were putatively identified. Among them, 19 compounds were firstly reported from this species. In-depth chemical constituent analysis for the seeds of C. argentea were accomplished here, and the findings could lay a good foundation for its quality control and clarifying the material basis of its efficacy.

Preparation and evaluation of curcumin-loaded self-assembled micelles.

OBJECTIVE: Curcumin being used to treat various chronic diseases while its poor bioavailability issue limited its wide clinical application as a therapeutic agent. The aim of this work was to prepare curcumin-loaded self-assembled micelles using soluplus and solutol®HS15 (SSCMs) to enhance curcumin's solubility and thus oral bioavailability. METHODS: Optimum formulation was investigated and the optimized ratio of drugs and excipients was obtained and the SSCMs were prepared via ethanol solvent evaporation method. The optimal SSCMs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, drug content analysis including loading efficiency (LE%) and entrapment efficiency (EE%), and the cumulative amount of curcumin released from the micelles were all calculated using HPLC method. The in vitro cytotoxicity and the permeability of SSCMs were measured by Caco-2 cell monolayers and the oral bioavailability was evaluated by SD rats. KEY FINDINGS: The solubility of curcumin in self-assembled micelles was dramatically increased by 4200 times as compared to free curcumin. Caco-2 cells transport experiment exhibited that while soluplus and solutol®HS15 were self-assembled into micelles, it could not only promote the permeability of curcumin across membrane for better absorption, but also could restrain the curcumin pumped outside due to the role of P-gp efflux mechanism of soluplus and solutol®HS15. Furthermore, the prepared SSCMs formulation was almost nontoxic and had safety performance on Caco-2 cells model. Moreover, curcumin's oral bioavailability of SSCMs formulation in SD rats had doubled than that of free curcumin. CONCLUSIONS: The prepared SSCMs were characterized by PS, PDI, LE%, EE% data analysis. After the soluplus and solutol®HS15 were self assembled into micelles, both the solubility and membrane permeability of curcumin were evaluated to have been enhanced, as well as the effect of efflux pump of curcumin was inhibited, hence to promote oral absorption and generate an increased bioavailability.

[Chemical constituents from petroleum ether fraction of Swertia chirayita and their activities in vitro].

The present work is to study the chemical constituents from petroleum ether fraction of Tibetan medicine Swertia chirayita by column chromatography and recrystallization. The structures were identified by physical and chemical properties and spectral data as swerchirin (1), decussatin (2), 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5,7-trimethoxyxanthone (3), 1-hydroxy-3,5,7,8-tetramethoxyxanthone (4), bellidifolin (5), 1-hydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxyxanthone (6), methylswertianin (7), 1-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone (8), erythrodiol (9), oleanolic acid (10), gnetiolactone (11), scopoletin (12), sinapaldehyde (13), syringaldehyde (14), and ß-sitosterol (15). Compounds 3, 4, 9, 11-14 were isolated from S. chirayita for the first time. Compounds 9 and 12 were firstly isolated from the genus Swertia. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1, 2, 5, 7 and 8 against human pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and BxPC-3,and the protective effects of these compounds against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in human endothelium-derived EA.hy926 were investigated in vitro. The results showed no obvious effect at the high concentration of 50 µmol•L⁻¹.

Snapshot depth sensitive Raman spectroscopy in layered tissues.

Depth sensitive Raman spectroscopy has been shown effective in the detection of depth dependent Raman spectra in layered tissues. However, the current techniques for depth sensitive Raman measurements based on fiber-optic probes suffer from poor depth resolution and significant variation in probe-sample contact. In contrast, those lens based techniques either require the change in objective-sample distance or suffer from slow spectral acquisition. We report a snapshot depth-sensitive Raman technique based on an axicon lens and a ring-to-line fiber assembly to simultaneously acquire Raman signals emitted from five different depths in the non-contact manner without moving any component. A numerical tool was developed to simulate ray tracing and optimize the snapshot depth sensitive setup to achieve the tradeoff between signal collection efficiency and depth resolution for Raman measurements in the skin. Moreover, the snapshot system was demonstrated to be able to acquire depth sensitive Raman spectra from not only transparent and turbid skin phantoms but also from ex vivo pork tissues and in vivo human thumbnails when the excitation laser power was limited to the maximum permissible exposure for human skin. The results suggest the great potential of snapshot depth sensitive Raman spectroscopy in the characterization of the skin and other layered tissues in the clinical setting or other similar applications such as quality monitoring of tablets and capsules in pharmaceutical industry requiring the rapid measurement of depth dependent Raman spectra.