Formation of Maillard Reaction Products in Aged Sorghum Vinegar during Ageing and Protective Effects of Pure Vinegar Melanoidin Against CCl4-Induced Rat Hepatic Damage.

Research background: The processing method generally affects the toxicity and biological activity of aged sorghum vinegar. This study investigates the changes in the intermediate Maillard reaction products of sorghum vinegar during ageing and the in vivo hepatoprotective effects of pure melanoidin obtained from it. Experimental approach: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and fluorescence spectrophotometry were utilized to quantify intermediate Maillard reaction products. The CCl4-induced liver damage in rats was used to evaluate the protective role of pure melanoidin in rat liver. Results and conclusions: Compared with the initial concentration, the 18-month ageing process caused a 1.2- to 3.3-fold increase in the concentrations of intermediate Maillard reaction products, i.e. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), 5-methylfurfural (MF), methyglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The concentrations of HMF in the aged sorghum vinegar were 6.1-fold higher than the 450 µM limit standard for honey, implying the need for shortening the ageing of the vinegar in practice for safety concerns. Pure melanoidin (Mr>3.5 kDa) demonstrated significant protective effects against CCl4-induced rat liver damage, as evidenced by normalized serum biochemical parameters (transaminases and total bilirubin), suppressing hepatic lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species, as well as increasing glutathione amount and restoring antioxidant enzyme activities. Histopathological analysis revealed that melanoidin in vinegar reduced cell infiltration and vacuolar hepatocyte necrosis in rat liver. The findings demonstrated that a shortened ageing process should be considered in practice to ensure the safety of aged sorghum vinegar. Vinegar melanoidin is a potential alternative for the prevention of hepatic oxidative damage. Novelty and scientific contribution: This study demonstrates that the manufacturing process had a profound influence on the generation of vinegar intermediate Maillard reaction products. In particular, it revealed the in vivo hepatoprotective effect of pure melanoidin from aged sorghum vinegar, and provides insight into the in vivo biological activity of melanoidin.

The relationship between psychiatric nurses' perceived organizational support and job burnout: Mediating role of psychological capital.

Background: Psychiatric nurses need to keep close contact with patients suffering from mental illness. Because of the special nature of their profession, there is an increasing incidence of job burnout among psychiatric nurses. Aim: This study examined the relationship between psychiatric nurses' perceived organizational support, job burnout, and psychological capital. It also investigated the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between their perceived organizational support and job burnout. Methods: A total of 916 psychiatric nurses were recruited from 6 grade-III mental facilities in Shandong Province using the stratified sampling approach. Their data were collected and examined using a general demographic data questionnaire, The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Perceived Organizational Support Scale, and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire. Results: The total score of job burnout was 53.71 ± 16.37. Specifically, 73.69% of the nurses had moderate to severe emotional exhaustion, 76.75% had moderate to severe job burnout pertaining to depersonalization, and 98.80% had moderate to severe job burnout pertaining to personal accomplishment. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that both psychological capital (r = -0.35, p < 0.01) and perceived organizational support (r = -0.31, p < 0.01) were adversely related to job burnout. Additionally, psychological capital somewhat mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and job burnout. Its mediating impact accounted for 33.20% of the overall effect. Conclusion: This study's participants had a moderate to severe level of job burnout. However, organizational support and psychological capital can be crucial in alleviating this problem among psychiatric nurses. Therefore, nursing managers and medical institutions should undertake timely and positive interventions to improve psychiatric nurses' mental health and prevent job burnout. While exploring the impact of organizational support and psychological capital on job burnout, future studies should consider other effective influencing factors, and the relationship between the different factors should be explored in depth. This would provide a basis for developing a job burnout prevention mechanism.

Novel strategy to improve the bioactivity and anti-hydrolysis ability of oat peptides via zinc ion-induced assembling.

This study aims to use metal ion coordinating method to improve the bioactivity and anti-hydrolysis ability of bioactive peptides. We demonstrated that zinc (Zn) coordination (10:1 mass ratio of peptide to Zn, pH 6.8, 37 °C) induced assembly of oat peptides, improved pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity by 30.4-36.8 % and anti-hydrolysis ability against intestinal proteases by 26.5-38.2 %; meanwhile, the peptide-Zn complex drastically reduced the PL affinity to the substrate. Detailed mechanism analysis showed that the high hydrophobicity (276 of fluorescent intensity) and dense eutectic structure of peptide-Zn complexes caused the hard hydrolysis of complexed peptides by proteases; in particular, the neutralized surface charges (∼-3.6 mV) of complexes imparted the peptide-Zn complex high affinity towards PL (-22.3 mV) thus robust PL inhibitory activity. These findings deepened our understanding of the interaction of peptides with metal elements and set the groundwork for the enhancement and protection of bioactive peptides.

Effect of a combination of Atractylodes macrocephala extract with strychnine on the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway in MH7A cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is now widely recognized as a chronic systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by swelling, pain and stiffness, which are often disabling. Although the number of drugs available for the treatment of RA has increased in recent years, they are generally expensive, leave patients prone to relapse and can result in severe effects when discontinued. Thus, there is a need for an inexpensive drug with fewer side effects that can be adhered to relieve pain and slow down the progression of the disease. Strychnine, a traditional Chinese medicine, was often used in ancient times to treat swollen and painful joints; however, because of its somewhat toxic nature, it is often combined with Atractylodes macrocephala to reduce its toxicity for safer therapeutic action. The present study performed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis to confirm whether the use of strychnine with Atractylodes macrocephala had the effect of reducing strychnine content. MH7A cells were induced using IL-1ß to study the effect of strychnine with Atractylodes macrocephala on the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB/NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) pathway in order to verify its role in the treatment of RA. The results indicated that the combined application of HPLC-MS/MS strychnine and Atractylodes macrocephala had a reducing effect on the strychnine content. From the subsequent experimental results, it can be inferred that Strychnine combined with Atractylodes macrocephala extract could promote the apoptosis of synovial cells, and could inhibit the expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB and NLRP3 in the cells as well as reducing the MH7A-positive cells. The expression levels of TLR4, IκB kinase ß, NF-κB and NLRP3 were significantly reduced after treatment with each administration group, resulting in a decrease in the phosphorylation levels of TLR4 and NF-κB, indicating that the combination potently inhibited their phosphorylation. The combination of strychnine and atractylenolide II was also revealed to be the main active ingredient in the treatment of RA.

Psychological distress and its influencing factors among psychiatric nurses in China: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Psychiatric nurses often face abuse, attacks, escape, suicides, and other situations related to the care of patients with mental disorders, which are more likely to induce psychological distress. Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between coping styles and psychological distress among Chinese psychiatric nurses in Shandong and the significance of sleep quality as a mediating factor. Methods: A total of 812 psychiatric nurses in Shandong, China, were investigated using the Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and self-compiled general information questionnaire. Results: Psychological distress was detected in 571 psychiatric nurses (70.3%). The psychological distress of psychiatric nurses was significantly different with respect to professional title (χ2 = 10.627, P < 0.05) and shift work (χ2 = 9.120, P < 0.01). Psychological distress positively correlated with negative coping style (r = 0.266, P < 0.01) and sleep quality (PSQIT) (r = 0.532, P < 0.01). A significant positive correlation was found between psychological distress and all dimensions of sleep quality (r = 0.158-0.456, P < 0.05). Professional title, positive coping style, negative coping style, sleep quality (PSQIT), subjective sleep quality, sleep disorder and daytime dysfunction predicted psychological distress in psychiatric nurses (R 2 = 0.363, F = 65.343, P < 0.01). The relationship between negative coping style and psychological distress was partially mediated by sleep quality, with the mediating effect accounting for 37.97% of the total effect. Conclusions: Psychiatric nurses have a high rate of psychological distress, which is closely related to coping styles, and sleep quality has a certain regulatory effect.

Inhibitory effects of oat peptides on lipolysis: A physicochemical perspective.

Studies on the control of lipid digestion by food-derived active substances have prioritized the direct inhibition of lipase, ignoring the influence of these substances on the stability of bile salt (BS)-stabilized oil emulsions, which are essential for the hydrolysis of triglycerides by lipase. This study aimed to demonstrate the inhibitory potential of oat peptides (OPs) on lipolysis due to lipase inhibition, in particular, the physicochemical destruction of BS-stabilized emulsions. OPs were characterized by an enterostatin-like X-Pro-Y-Pro-Arg terminal sequence, competitively and/or noncompetitively inhibited lipase, and even caused lipase conformational changes. Interestingly, OPs destabilized BS-stabilized emulsions by weakening the rheological cross-linking structure of the emulsions through competitive hydrophobic binding to BS. Further analysis revealed that the H-bond binding of OP to BS significantly destroyed the hydrophilic and lipophilic balance of BS by increasing the surface hydrophobicity. These findings provided novel insights into the action mechanism of bioactive peptides on lipid digestion.

The isolation, structural features and biological activities of polysaccharide from Ligusticum chuanxiong: A review.

Ligusticum chuanxiong, the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort, has been widely applied in traditional Chinese medicine for treating plague, and it has appeared frequently in the prescriptions against COVID-19 lately. Ligusticum chuanxiong polysaccharide (LCPs) is one of the effective substances, which has various activities, such as, anti-oxidation, promoting immunity, anti-tumor, and anti-bacteria. The purified fractions of LCPs are considered to be pectic polysaccharides, which are mainly composed of GalA, Gal, Ara and Rha, and are generally linked by α-1,4-d-GalpA, α-1,2-l-Rhap, α-1,5-l-Araf, ß-1,3-d-Galp and ß-1,4-d-Galp, etc. The pectic polysaccharide shows an anti-infective inflammatory activity, which is related to antiviral infection of Ligusticum chuanxiong. In this article, the isolation, purification, structural features, and biological activities of LCPs in recent years are reviewed, and the potential of LCPs against viral infection as well as questions that need future research are discussed.

Atractylenolide inhibits apoptosis and oxidative stress of HTR-8/SVneo cells by activating MAPK/ERK signalling in preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe hypertension-related disorder occurring during pregnancy that leads to significant mortality and morbidity in both the foetus and mother. Atractylenolide (ATL), a traditional Chinese natural agent isolated from the herb Atractylodes macrocephala, exhibits a series of pharmacological activities, including anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects. PURPOSE: The impacts of ATL on apoptosis and oxidative stress in HTR-8/SVneo cells during PE development was investigated. STUDY DESIGN: We identified ATL by an overlap analysis of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database using the keyword 'gestational hypertension' and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Batman-TCM) database using the keyword 'Atractylodes macrocephala'. METHODS: Cell viability, proliferation, and migration were detected by CCK-8, EdU, and transwell assays. Flow cytometry and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate were used to assess apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. RESULTS: EdU and CCK-8 assays demonstrated that ATL significantly enhanced the viability of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Transwell assays showed that ATL remarkably induced the migration of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Moreover, ROS production in HTR-8/SVneo cells was induced by H2O2, whilst ATL alleviated this H2O2-induced ROS production and apoptosis in cells. CONCLUSION: ATL attenuated apoptosis and oxidative stress in HTR-8/SVneo cells in PE by activating the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway. ATL has potential to be utilized as a potential therapeutic candidate for PE.

Nested Case-Control Study of Corin Combined with sFlt-1/PLGF in Predicting the Risk of Preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE), a serious pregnancy disorder, is responsible for maternal and fetal mortality worldwide. At present, numerous candidate biomarkers have been studied to predict PE. OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of Corin in PE risk prediction and then evaluate the predictive ability of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1), placenta growth factor (PLGF), and sFlt-1/PLGF after the addition of Corin. METHODS: A total of 135 pregnant women from Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine participated in this study in their first trimester. A nested case-control study was conducted and all subjects were divided into PE groups (n=46) and controls (n=89). The levels of PLGF, sFlt-1, sFlt-1/PLGF ratio, and Corin of the two groups at 12-16 weeks of gestation were measured and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, net reclassification index (NRI) and integrated discrimination index (IDI) were calculated to evaluate the predictive ability of various biomarkers. RESULTS: The concentrations of sFlt-1, sFlt-1/PLGF, and Corin in PE group were significantly higher than that in controls, while the concentration of PLGF in the PE group was lower. The area under curve (AUC) of sFlt-1, PLGF and sFlt-1/PLGF for predicting PE was 0.786, 0.719 and 0.866, respectively. Combined with Corin, the prediction ability of the above biomarkers could be improved to 0.876, 0.847, and 0.897, respectively. Corin in combination with sFlt-1/PLGF resulted in improvements with 12.6% being reclassified and a resulting NRI of 0.142 (0.020~0.263) and IDI of 0.087 (0.037~0.137). CONCLUSION: The addition of Corin to sFlt-1, PLGF and sFlt-1/PLGF can improve the ability of each marker to predict PE risk. Corin in combination with sFlt-1/PLGF can be used as ideal markers to identify the pregnant women who subsequently develop PE, which will help in risk stratification and better therapeutic management.

Experimental Study on the Effect of Aconite and Angelica sinensis on Myocardial Ischemia Rats with Yang Deficiency and Blood Stasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the intervention effect and mechanism of Aconite and Angelica sinensis on myocardial ischemia rats with Yang deficiency and blood stasis. METHODS: SPF-class SD rats were randomly divided into low-dose and high-dose groups. Each group was divided into control group, model group, and drug-administered group (FZ, DG, FG; 1 : 0.5, 1 : 1, 1 : 2). A rat model was prepared by intraperitoneal injection of hydrocortisone and isoproterenol plus cold stimulation. Each group was given corresponding decoction or distilled water for 14 days. The behavioral changes of rats in each group were observed. The morphological changes of rats cardiomyocytes were observed by HE staining. The average optical density (MOD value) and percentage of positive cells of Bcl-2, Bax, and Akt were determined by immunohistochemical staining method, and PEIs were calculated. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to determine the expression of PI3K, Caspase-3, Akt protein, and gene expression. RESULTS: The compatibility of Aconite and Angelica sinensis improved the morphology of rat cardiomyocytes, increased the PEI values of Akt and Bcl-2 protein, and decreased the PEI values of Bax protein (P < 0.01). The compatibility reduced the expression of Caspase-3 protein of rat myocardium and increased the protein expression of p-Akt, PI3K, and p-PI3K (P < 0.01). The compatibility also significantly reduced the expression of Caspase-3 mRNA and increased the expression of PI3K mRNA and Akt mRNA (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the effect of high-dose FG (1 : 2) group is the best. CONCLUSIONS: The method of preparing a rat model of myocardial ischemia with Yang deficiency and blood stasis was feasible. The compatibility of Aconite and Angelica sinensis reduced myocardial fibrosis and inflammatory reaction, protected ischemic cardiomyocytes, and reduced myocardial injury, whose mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway. The compatible group had better intervention effects than Aconite or Angelica sinensis alone. The best one was high-dose FG (1 : 2).

Composition, isolation, purification and biological activities of Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides: A review.

Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides, acidic water-soluble polysaccharides extract from Sargassum fusiforme, are mainly composed of alginic acid, fucoidan and laminaran. Alginic acid is carboxyl-containing polysaccharide formed by joining ß-D-mannuronic acid and α-L-guluronic acid through ß-(1→4)/α-(1→4) glycosidic bond. Fucoidan, a natural water-soluble sulfated heteropolysaccharide with fucose and sulfuric acid groups as the core structure, is mainly linked by L-fucose through α-(1→3) glycosidic bond and has the strongest biological activity. Laminaran is mainly composed of ß-D-glucose through ß-(1→3) glycosidic bond linkage. Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides have a variety of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, promoting immunity, anti-aging, prompting bone growth, lowering blood glucose, anti-coagulation, anti-virus, anti-bacteria, anti-fatigue, promoting growth and development, and skin protection. These activities are closely related to the functions of fucoidan in Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides, which fucoidan is able to strengthen immune system and antioxidation in human body. In this review, the composition, the isolation and purification, and the biological activities of Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides are discussed and can bereference for further study.

[Effect of Peimine on ERCC1 mRNA and LRP Expressions of A549/DDP Multidrug Resistance Cell Line].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of peimine on excision repair cross-complementation 1 (ERCC1) mRNA and lung resistant protein (LRP) expressions in A549/cisplatin (DDP) multidrug resistance (MDR) cell line. METHODS: Lung cancer A549/DDP cells were cultured in vitro.Cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into 4 groups, i.e., the blank control group, the DDP group, the ligustrazine group (DDP+ligustrazine), the peimine group (DDP + peimine). After 48-h drug action, ERCC1 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR and LRP expression detected by cell immunofluorescence. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in expression levels of ERCC1 mRNA and LRP between the DDP group and the blank control group (P > 0.05). Compared with the DDP group, expression levels of ERCC1 mRNA and LRP obviously decreased in the ligustrazine group and the peimine group (P < 0.05). They were obviously lower in the peimine group than in the ligustrazine group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Peimine could reverse MDR of A549/DDP cell line. Its mechanism might be associated with down-regulating ERCC1 mRNA and LRP expression levels.

[Clinical study on treatment of chronic aplastic anemia assisted by TCM for reinforcing shen and activating blood circulation to dredge channels].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of TCM for reinforcing Shen and activating blood circulation to dredge Channels in auxiliary treating chronic aplastic anemia (CAA), and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-nine patients with CAA were randomly divided into the treated group treated with TCM plus western medicine and the control group treated with western medicine alone. The clinical efficacy was observed and levels of plasma sFas and sFasL before and after treatment were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: The basic cure rate and total effective rate in the treated group were 37.50% and 87.50%; while in the control group were 20. 51% and 61.54% respectively. Comparison between the two groups showed significant difference (P < 0.01). The sFas level was markedly lower in both groups before treatment, but after treatment, it got elevated in the treated group significantly (P < 0.05), as compared with that in the control group, the difference was significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: TCM is effective in treating CAA with less toxic and side-effect, the mechanism might be the inhibition on over apoptosis of hematopoietic cells in CAA patients through regulating immune function of organism.