Vesicle Hydrogels Formed from the Perfluorononanoic Acid/Tetradecyl Dimethylaminoxide Oxide System.

Vesicle hydrogels are supramolecular structures formed by the self-assembly of surfactant molecules in solution, which have great application prospects. The phase behavior of perfluorononanoic acid (C8F17COOH) and an amphoteric hydrocarbon surfactant, tetradecyl dimethylaminoxide (C14DMAO), in an aqueous solution has been studied. By changing the mixing ratio and concentration of C8F17COOH and C14DMAO, the phase diagram of the system was drawn, and interestingly, a hydrogel composed of polyhedral and spherical vesicles was successfully constructed. The formation mechanism of the polyhedral and spherical vesicle hydrogel was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), small-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) measurements, and the rheological properties and influencing factors of the hydrogel were systematically investigated. The formation of the vesicle hydrogels in this system was considered to be caused by the "cocrystallization" of two surfactant molecular chains.

3D MXene/PVA Aerogel Enabling a Dendrite-Free Zn Metal Anode.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries have attracted widespread attention due to their low cost and high safety. Unfortunately, their commercial applications are greatly inhibited by the negative effects of zinc dendrites and side reactions. A solution that utilizes a 3D host can help mitigate these issues. In this paper, we present a 3D host that is composed of an aerogel scaffold with a poly(vinyl alcohol) and MXene structure. The embedded Zn can be densely packed inside the host due to its zincophilic properties. During cycling, the fluorine-based functional groups on the surface of MXene were able to react with the electrolyte to form the ZnF2 solid electrolyte interphase, which can effectively protect the composite anode. As a result, the symmetrical battery was capable of stable cycling for >300 h at a high current density of 10 mA cm-2. More impressively, the assembled full cell retained 93.86% after 800 cycles at a current density of 5 A g-1. This work provides an effective idea for improving the cycling performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

The Efficacy of Chaihu-Guizhi-Ganjiang Decoction on Chronic Non-Atrophic Gastritis with Gallbladder Heat and Spleen Cold Syndrome and Its Metabolomic Analysis: An Observational Controlled Before-After Clinical Trial.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness and explore the mechanism of Chaihu-Guizhi-Ganjiang decoction (CGGD) in the treatment of chronic non-atrophic gastritis (CNAG) with gallbladder heat and spleen cold syndrome (GHSC) by metabolomics based on UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Patients and Methods: An observational controlled before-after study was conducted to verify the effectiveness of CGGD in the treatment of CNAG with GHSC from January to June 2023, enrolling 27 patients, who took CGGD for 28 days. 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the controls. The efficacy was evaluated by comparing the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome and CNAG scores, and clinical parameters before and after treatment. The plasma levels of hormones related to gastrointestinal function were collected by ELISA. The mechanisms of CGGD in the treatment of CNAG with GHSC were explored using a metabolomic approach based on UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS. Results: Patients treated with CGGD experienced a statistically significant improvement in TCM syndrome and CNAG scores (p < 0.01). CGGD treatment evoked the concentration alteration of 15 biomarkers, which were enriched in the glycerophospholipid metabolism, and branched-chain amino acids biosynthesis pathways. Moreover, CGGD treatment attenuated the abnormalities of the gastrointestinal hormone levels and significantly increased the pepsinogen level. Conclusion: It was the first time that this clinical trial presented detailed data on the clinical parameters that demonstrated the effectiveness of CGGD in the treatment of CNAG with GHSC patients. This study also provided supportive evidence that CNAG with GHSC patients were associated with disturbed branched-chain amino acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid levels, suggesting that CNAG treatment based on TCM syndrome scores was reasonable and also provided a potential pharmacological mechanism of action of CGGD.

Chaihu-Guizhi-Ganjiang Decoction is more efficacious in treating irritable bowel syndrome than Dicetel according to metabolomics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chaihu-Guizhi-Ganjiang Decoction (CGGD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription used to treat viral influenza. There is evidence that CGGD can be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but the potential mechanism of action and metabolites produced upon CGGD treatment remains elusive. METHODS: Patients with IBS were treated with pinaverium bromide (Dicetel™) and then CGGD after a washout period of 1 week. Both treatments lasted for 30 days. The efficacy and changes of metabolites in plasma after the two treatments were compared. Plasma samples were acquired before and after each treatment, and untargeted metabolics analysis was performed. RESULTS: Efficacy was measured according to the Rome IV criteria and TCM theory. Our results indicated that CGGD showed significantly better efficacy than Dicetel in the treatment of IBS utilizing each criterion. CGGD exerted greater effects on plasma metabolism than Dicetel. Dicetel treatment led to increased tryptophan metabolism (increased levels of 5-Hydroxyindoleacetaldehyde) and increased protein metabolism (increased levels of L-arginine). CGGD treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased carnitine metabolism, with elevated levels of L-carnitine and acylcarnitine in plasma. Such changes in these metabolites could exert effects against IBS by improving gastrointestinal motility and suppressing pain, depression, and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: CGGD appeared to be more efficacious than Dicetel for treating patients with IBS. The findings provide a sound support for the underlying biomolecular mechanism of CGGD in the prevention and treatment of IBS.