Properties and Characterization of Sunflower Seeds from Different Varieties of Edible and Oil Sunflower Seeds.

Sunflower seeds, oil, and protein powder are rich in nutritional value, but the quality of different varieties of sunflower seeds is quite different, and the comprehensive comparative analysis characteristics of edible and oil sunflower seeds are still unclear. The comprehensive analysis and comparison of the raw material indicators, physicochemical properties, and processing characteristics of four edible and four oil sunflower seed varieties were investigated. The results showed that the engineering properties, texture characteristics, single-cell structure, and oil, protein, and starch granule distribution were different between edible and oil sunflower seeds. The composition of fatty acids and amino acids was different among edible, oil sunflower seeds and different varieties. The oleic acid (18.72~79.30%) and linoleic acid (10.11~51.72%) were the main fatty acids in sunflower seed oil, and in amino acid composition, the highest content was glutamic acid (8.88~11.86 g/100 g), followed by aspartic acid (3.92~4.86 g/100 g) and arginine (4.03~4.80 g/100 g). Sunflower meal proteins were dominated by 11S globulin and 2S albumin, and the secondary structure was dominated by ß-folding, with -SH and S-S varying greatly among different varieties. Sunflower meal proteins vary widely in terms of functional properties among different varieties, and specialized quality screening was necessary. This study provided a reference and theoretical support for understanding sunflower seeds to further promote the processing and utilization of sunflower seeds.

Preparation of sunflower seed-derived umami protein hydrolysates and their synergistic effect with monosodium glutamate and disodium inosine-5'-monophosphate.

Sunflower seeds are rich in protein and can be an excellent raw material for the production of umami peptides. In this study, sunflower seed meal, which was defatted at a low temperature, was taken as the raw material, and proteins were separated, followed by hydrolyzation for 4 h by flavourzyme® to obtain hydrolysates with strong umami intensity. These hydrolysates were deamidated using glutaminase to increase the umami intensity. The highest umami value of 11.48 was recorded for hydrolysates deamidated for 6 h, and the umami intensity was determined. The umami hydrolysates mixed with 8.92 mmol IMP + 8.02 mmol MSG showed the highest umami value of 25.21. Different concentrations of ethanol were used for further separation of hydrolysates, and the highest umami value of 13.54 was observed for 20% ethanol fraction. The results of this study provide utilization method for sunflower seed meal protein and a theoretical basis for the preparation of umami peptides. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A large number of sunflower seed meals after oil production are used as feed for livestock and poultry. Sunflower seed meal is rich in protein, and umami amino acid composition in sunflower seed meal is up to 25%-30%, which is potentially an excellent raw material for the production of umami peptides. The umami flavor and synergistic effect of obtained hydrolysates, with MSG and IMP, were analyzed in the present study. We intend to provide a novel way for utilization of protein from sunflower seed meal along with a theoretical basis for the preparation of umami peptides.

Toll-Like Receptor 8 Agonist GS-9688 Induces Sustained Efficacy in the Woodchuck Model of Chronic Hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: GS-9688 (selgantolimod) is an oral selective small molecule agonist of toll-like receptor 8 in clinical development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy of GS-9688 in woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV), a hepadnavirus closely related to hepatitis B virus. APPROACH AND RESULTS: WHV-infected woodchucks received eight weekly oral doses of vehicle, 1 mg/kg GS-9688, or 3 mg/kg GS-9688. Vehicle and 1 mg/kg GS-9688 had no antiviral effect, whereas 3 mg/kg GS-9688 induced a >5 log10 reduction in serum viral load and reduced WHV surface antigen (WHsAg) levels to below the limit of detection in half of the treated woodchucks. In these animals, the antiviral response was maintained until the end of the study (>5 months after the end of treatment). GS-9688 treatment reduced intrahepatic WHV RNA and DNA levels by >95% in animals in which the antiviral response was sustained after treatment cessation, and these woodchucks also developed detectable anti-WHsAg antibodies. The antiviral efficacy of weekly oral dosing with 3 mg/kg GS-9688 was confirmed in a second woodchuck study. The antiviral response to GS-9688 did not correlate with systemic GS-9688 or cytokine levels but was associated with transient elevation of liver injury biomarkers and enhanced proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to WHV peptides. Transcriptomic analysis of liver biopsies taken prior to treatment suggested that T follicular helper cells and various other immune cell subsets may play a role in the antiviral response to GS-9688. CONCLUSIONS: Finite, short-duration treatment with a clinically relevant dose of GS-9688 is well tolerated and can induce a sustained antiviral response in WHV-infected woodchucks; the identification of a baseline intrahepatic transcriptional signature associated with response to GS-9688 treatment provides insights into the immune mechanisms that mediate this antiviral effect.

Structural characterization of calcium-binding sunflower seed and peanut peptides and enhanced calcium transport by calcium complexes in Caco-2 cells.

BACKGROUND: Peptide-Ca complexes can promote Ca absorption. The present study aimed to determine the transport mechanism and structural characteristics of sunflower seed and peanut peptides with high Ca binding capacity with respect to developing third-generation Ca supplements and functional food ingredients. RESULTS: High Ca-binding fractions of 1-3 kDa sunflower seed peptide (SSP4 ) and ≥ 10 kDa peanut peptide (PP1 ) had higher amount of Ca transported than CaCl2 and two hydrolyzed proteins in Caco-2 cells. SSP4 and PP1 were separated by Ca ion metal chelate affinity chromatography, and high Ca-binding fractions were observed for SSP4 -P2 and PP1 -P2 . The amino acid sequences of SSP4 -P2 and PP1 -P2 were characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Seven and eight peptides were identified from SSP4 -P2 and PP1 -P2 , respectively. These peptides had molecular weights ranging from 1500 Da to 2500 Da and a large number of characteristic amino acid sequences, such as EEEQQQ, EQ-QQQ-QQ, QQ-QQQQQ, E-EEE, EE-EEQ, RR, Q-QQ-QQQ, EE-EQ-EE-Q, QQ-QQQQ, and Q-QQQQ, where 'E' is glutamic acid and 'Q' is glutamine. CONCLUSION: SSP4 and PP1 can promote Ca transport in Caco-2 cells without affecting cell permeability. The amino acid sequences of SSP4 -P2 and PP1 -P2 with high Ca-binding abilities contain characteristic sequences, such as continuous glutamic acid and glutamine, and have low molecular weights. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

An endothelial and astrocyte co-culture model of the blood-brain barrier utilizing an ultra-thin, nanofabricated silicon nitride membrane.

The endothelial cells comprising brain capillaries have extremely tight intercellular junctions which form an essentially impermeable barrier to passive transport of water soluble molecules between the blood and brain. Several in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) have been studied, most utilizing commercially available polymer membranes affixed to plastic inserts. There is mounting evidence that direct contact between endothelial cells and astrocytes, another cell type found to have intimate interaction with the brain side of BBB capillaries, is at least partially responsible for the development of the tight intercellular junctions between BBB endothelial cells. However, the membranes commonly used for BBB in vitro models are lacking certain attributes that would permit a high degree of direct contact between astrocytes and endothelial cells cultured on opposing sides. This work is based on the hypothesis that co-culturing endothelial and astrocyte cells on opposite sides of an ultra-thin, highly porous membrane will allow for increased direct interaction between the two cell types and therefore result in a better model of the BBB. We used standard nanofabrication techniques to make membranes from low-stress silicon nitride that are at least an order of magnitude thinner and at least two times more porous than commercial membrane inserts. An experimental survey of pore sizes for the silicon nitride membranes suggested pores approximately 400 nm in diameter are adequate for restricting astrocyte cell bodies to the seeded side while allowing astrocyte processes to pass through the pores and interact with endothelial cells on the opposite side. The inclusion of a spun-on, cross-linked collagen membrane allowed for astrocyte attachment and culture on the membranes for over two weeks. Astrocytes and endothelial cells displayed markers specific to their cell types when grown on the silicon nitride membranes. The transendothelial electrical resistances, a measure of barrier tightness, of endothelial and astrocyte co-cultures on the silicon nitride membranes were comparable to the commercial membranes, but neither system showed synergy between the two cell types in forming a tighter barrier. This lack of synergy may have been due to the loss of ability of commercially available primary bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells to respond to astrocyte differentiating signals.