Structural and functional investigation on stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya.

Varieties of plant species may affect the composition and structures of the polysaccharides, thus have an impact on their chemical properties and biological activities. Herein, the present study comparatively evaluated the differences in the chemical composition, morphological structures, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory activity of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya. The FT-IR and NMR spectra indicated that the six polysaccharides had similar structural features, whereas the physicochemical characterization showed that they differed significantly in terms of the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and surface morphology. In addition, different varieties of pitaya polysaccharides exhibited different antioxidant activities and similar anti-inflammatory activities. These data suggested that varietal differences resulted in pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides with different monosaccharide compositions and molecular weights, thus led to different antioxidant activities and protection against oxidative damage, while similar structural features were closely related to their similar anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the study of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya can help us to better understand the relationship between their composition and structure and their biological activities. In addition, pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides have the potential to act as antioxidants or to treat inflammatory damage.

Quantitative study of the effects of early standardized ambulation on sleep quality in patients after hepatectomy.

Background: Sleep quality has been always an important problem for patients after hepatectomy. The main purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of early ambulation on sleep quality in patients after liver resection via a quantitative study. Methods: Patients undergoing liver tumor resection were randomly divided into two groups, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the postoperative activities and sleep quality. Results: Patients who started early ambulation after liver resection had significantly better sleep quality, faster recovery of gastrointestinal function and shorter lengths of postoperative hospital stay compared with the control group. And there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. Conclusion: Early standardized physical activities are feasible for patients after liver resection, which can significantly improve patient's sleep quality, reduce patient's pain and the nursing workload, and achieve rapid recovery.

Polyphenols and Alkaloids in Byproducts of Longan Fruits (Dimocarpus Longan Lour.) and Their Bioactivities.

The longan industry produces a large amount of byproducts such as pericarp and seed, resulting in environmental pollution and resource wastage. The present study was performed to systematically evaluate functional components, i.e., polyphenols (phenolics and flavonoids) and alkaloids, in longan byproducts and their bioactivities, including antioxidant activities, nitrite scavenging activities in simulated gastric fluid and anti-hyperglycemic activities in vitro. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents in pericarp were slightly higher than those in seeds, but seeds possessed higher alkaloid content than pericarp. Four polyphenolic substances, i.e., gallic acid, ethyl gallate, corilagin and ellagic acid, were identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Among these polyphenolic components, corilagin was the major one in both pericarp and seed. Alkaloid extract in seed showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Nitrite scavenging activities were improved with extract concentration and reaction time increasing. Flavonoids in seed and alkaloids in pericarp had potential to be developed as anti-hyperglycemic agents. The research result was a good reference for exploring longan byproducts into various valuable health-care products.

An ant-coccid mutualism affects the behavior of the parasitoid Aenasius bambawalei, but not that of the ghost ant Tetramorium bicarinatum.

Mutualisms between honeydew-producing insects and ants change the emission of volatiles from plants, but whether such changes alter the behaviors of ants that tend honeydew-producing insects or wasps that parasitize honeydew-producing insects remain unknown. This study compared the behavioral responses of the ant Tetramorium bicarinatum and the parasitoid wasp Aenasius bambawalei to odors from cotton plants infested with the mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis or infested with the mealybug and the ant, which tends the mealybug. The ant could not distinguish between the volatiles from plants infested with the mealybug alone and those from plants infested with the mealybug and the ant. Likewise, naïve wasps failed to distinguish between volatiles from the two treatments. In contrast, experienced wasps preferred volatiles from plants infested with the mealybug and the ant. Volatile analysis showed that the amounts of MeSA were increased and those of methyl nicotinate were decreased when plants were infested by the mealybug and the ant rather than when plants were uninfested or were infested by the mealybug alone. Thus, the mutualism between the mealybug and ant changed the volatiles emitted by cotton plants such that the attraction of A. bambawalei (but not that of the ant) to the plants was increased.