Novel genomic and phenotypic traits of polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing bacterium ZZQ-149, the type strain of Halomonas qinghailakensis.

BACKGROUND: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are optimal potential materials for industrial and medical uses, characterized by exceptional sustainability, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. These are primarily from various bacteria and archaea. Bacterial strains with effective PHA formation capabilities and minimal production cost form the foundation for PHA production. Detailed genomic analysis of these PHA-generating bacteria is vital to understand their PHA production pathways and enhance their synthesis capability. RESULTS: ZZQ-149, a halophilic, PHA-producing bacterium, was isolated from the sediment of China's Qinghai Lake. Here, we decoded the full genome of ZZQ-149 using Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) technology based on PacBio RS II platform, coupled with Illumina sequencing platforms. Physiological, chemotaxonomic traits, and phylogenetic analysis based on 16 S rRNA gene and single copy core genes of ninety-nine Halomonas type strains identified ZZQ-149 as the type strain of Halomonas qinghailakensis. Furthermore, a low average nucleotide identity (ANI, < 95%) delineated the genetic differences between ZZQ-149 and other Halomonas species. The ZZQ-149 genome, with a DNA G + C content of 52%, comprises a chromosome (3, 798, 069 bps) and a plasmid (6, 107 bps). The latter encodes the toxin-antitoxin system, BrnT/BrnA. Through comprehensive genome sequencing and analysis, we identified multiple PHA-synthesizing enzymes and an unprecedented combination of eight PHA-synthesizing pathways in ZZQ-149. CONCLUSIONS: Being a halophilic, PHA-producing bacterium, ZZQ-149 exhibits potential as a high PHA producer for engineered bacteria via genome editing while ensuring low-cost PHA production through continuous, unsterilized fermentation.

Isolation and Biological Characteristics of a Novel Phage and Its Application to Control Vibrio Parahaemolyticus in Shellfish Meat.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common foodborne pathogenic bacterium. With the overuse of antibiotics, an increasing proportion of drug-resistant strains are emerging, which puts enormous pressure on public health. In this study, a V. parahaemolyticus-specific phage, VP41s3, was isolated. The head length, width, and tail length of the phage were 77.7 nm, 72.2 nm, and 17.5 nm, respectively. It remained active in the temperature range of 30-50°C and pH range of 4-11. The lytic curve of phage VP41s3 showed that the host bacteria did not grow until 11 h under phage treatment at MOI of 1000, indicating that the phage had good bacteriostatic ability. When it was added to shellfish contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus (15°C, 48 h), the number of bacteria in the experimental group was 2.11 log10 CFU/mL lower than that in the control group at 24 h. Furthermore, genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis indicated that phage VP41s3 was a new member of the Podoviridae family. The genome contained 50 open reading frames (ORFs), in which the ORF19 (thymidine kinase) was an enzyme involved in the pyrimidine salvage pathway, which might lead to the accelerated DNA synthesis efficiency after phage entered into host cells. This study not only contributed to the improvement of phage database and the development of beneficial phage resources but also revealed the potential application of phage VP41s3 in food hygiene and safety.

Biphasic Fermentation of Trapa bispinosa Shells by Ganoderma sinense and Characterization of Its Polysaccharides and Alcoholic Extract and Analysis of Their Bioactivity.

BACKGROUND: Trapa bispinosa shells (TBs) and its flesh (TBf) have been recognized for their medicinal properties, including antioxidant, antitumor, and immunomodulatory effects. Despite these benefits, TBs are often discarded as waste material, and their applications remain to be further explored. METHODS: In this study, we optimized the solid-state fermentation process of Ganoderma sinense (GS) with TBs using a response surface experiment methodology to obtain the fermented production with the highest water extract rate and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. We prepared and characterized pre-fermentation purified polysaccharides (P1) and post-fermentation purified polysaccharides (P2). Alcoholic extracts before (AE1) and after (AE2) fermentation were analyzed for active components such as polyphenols and flavonoids using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry). Mouse macrophages (RAW 264.7) were employed to compare the immune-stimulating ability of polysaccharides and the antioxidant activity of AE1 and AE2. RESULTS: Optimal fermentation conditions comprised a duration of 2 days, a temperature of 14 °C, and a humidity of 77%. The peak water extract yield and DPPH free radical scavenging rate of the water extract from TBs fermented by GS were observed under these conditions. The enhanced activity may be attributed to changes in the polysaccharide structure and the components of the alcoholic extract. The P2 treatment group indicated more secretion of RAW 264.7 cells of NO, iNOS, IL-2, IL-10, and TNF-α than P1, which shows that the polysaccharides demonstrated increased immune-stimulating ability, with their effect linked to the NF-кB pathway. Moreover, the results of the AE2 treatment group indicated that secretion of RAW 264.7 cells of T-AOC and T-SOD increased and MDA decreased, which shows that the alcoholic extract demonstrated enhanced antioxidant activity, with its effect linked to the Nrf2/Keap1-ARE pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Biphasic fermentation of Trapa bispinosa shells by Ganoderma sinense could change the composition and structure of the polysaccharides and the composition of the alcoholic extract, which could increase the products' immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity.

Functional Characterization of F3H Gene and Optimization of Dihydrokaempferol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The 1092 bp F3H gene from Trapa bispinosa Roxb., which was named TbF3H, was cloned and it encodes 363 amino acids. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic tree analyses revealed the high homology of TbF3H with flavanone 3-hydroxylase from other plants. A functional analysis showed that TbF3H of Trapa bispinosa Roxb. encoded a functional flavanone 3-hydroxylase; it catalyzed the formation of dihydrokaempferol (DHK) from naringenin in S. cerevisiae. The promoter strengths were compared by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry detection of the fluorescence intensity of the reporter genes initiated by each constitutive promoter (FITC), and DHK production reached 216.7 mg/L by the promoter adjustment strategy and the optimization of fermentation conditions. The results presented in this study will contribute to elucidating DHK biosynthesis in Trapa bispinosa Roxb.

Effect mechanism of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in chili on the oxidative stability of myoglobin in duck meat.

BACKGROUND: Myoglobin (Mb) in duck meat is commonly over-oxidized when heated at high temperatures, which may worsen the color of the meat. Enhancing the oxidative stability of Mb is essential for improving the color of duck meat. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (CA-DI) in chili exhibit antioxidant properties. This study investigated the effects of CA-DI on the structure and oxidative damage of Mb by fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and particle size in duck meat during heat treatment. RESULTS: When the ratio of CA-DI to Mb was 10:1 g kg-1 and heat-treated for 36 min, oxymyoglobin significantly increased, and metmyoglobin significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In parallel, the carbonyl content of Mb in the CA-DI group decreased by 43.40 ± 0.10%, the sulfhydryl content increased by 188 ± 0.21%, and the free radical scavenging activity of Mb was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05). Moreover, the addition of CA-DI resulted in a significant decrease in the particle size of the Mb surface (P < 0.05). When the ratio of CA-DI to Mb was 10:1 g kg-1, CA-DI enhanced the thermal stability and significantly increased the thermal denaturation temperature of Mb. The molecular docking results indicated that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were involved in the binding of CA-DI to Mb. CONCLUSION: CA-DI could combine with Mb and improve the oxidation stability of Mb in duck meat. This suggested that CA-DI could be a potential natural antioxidant that improves the color of meat products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Inhibitory Effect of Two Closely Related Phages on Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a foodborne pathogenic bacterium commonly found in seafood. The emergence of drug-resistant strains poses a threat to human public health and economic development. Therefore, there are increasing needs to develop new technologies in controlling multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains and to evaluate their practical efficiency in seafood or mariculture. In this study, we screened two genetically related V. parahaemolyticus phages, F23s2 and H256D1, which belonged to the siphoviridae family and podoviridae family, respectively. They showed 97.13% and 96.13% identity with Vibrio phage vB_Vpap_MGD1, respectively. Both phages were stable at pH 4-11 and displayed temperature tolerance (<70°C). Meanwhile they showed a broad host spectrum for multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus, and Phage F23s2 lysed 16 of all 23 V. parahaemolyticus strains, while phage H256D1 lysed 10 strains. Phage F23s2 and H256D1 had a good inhibitory effect on V. parahaemolyticus in shrimp meat. Compared with the negative group, the bacterial amount of experimental group with phage F23s2 decreased by 1.60 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL at 12 h. For phage H256D1, the bacterial concentration of shrimp meat contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus H256 increased to 5.65 log CFU/mL at 72 h, while the concentration of the experimental group in presence of phage H256D1 was 3.58 log CFU/mL. All live clams infected with V. parahaemolyticus died after 96 h in the absence of phage, whereas clams with phage F23s2 and H256D1 still had a survival rate of 12% and 4%, respectively. Understanding the gene function and biology of phages facilitates its application for control of V. parahaemolyticus contamination worldwide.

Genomic Characterization of Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Laboratory-Derived Mutants of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

The quinolone ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum bactericidal antibiotic used for human medicine as well as the aquaculture industry. The emergence of ciprofloxacin-resistant Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains is currently a global public health concern. However, the mechanism of ciprofloxacin resistance in V. parahaemolyticus is not yet fully clarified. We generated mutants with decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility using in vitro selection and investigated genes associated with ciprofloxacin resistance on a genetic level. Our selection process yielded mutants that possessed altered minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for ciprofloxacin and other unrelated antibiotics. These included Ser83Ile mutations in GyrA and Val461Glu in ParE as well as mutations in the resistance nodulation cell division (RND) family transporter gene vmeD and the putative TetR family regulator gene vp0040 upstream of the vmeCD operon. Measurements of steady-state mRNA levels revealed that the ciprofloxacin-resistant mutants overexpressed vmeCD. Further, the introduction of the vp0040 mutated allele from H512 into the sensitive parental strain increased the MIC for ciprofloxacin 31.25-fold. Taken together, these results indicated that ciprofloxacin resistance in these mutants was due to the quinolone resistance determining region mutation as well as overexpression of vmeCD caused by a loss of vp0040 gene repression. This also accounted for the presence of the multidrug resistance phenotype for these mutant strains since RND efflux system can export structurally unrelated antibiotics.

Bacteriostatic effects of phage F23s1 and its endolysin on Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common foodborne pathogenic bacterium and drug-resistant strains are now widespread. Phages led by drug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains are promising means to decrease the pressure on public health. We isolated a V. parahaemolyticus-specific bacteriophage F23s1 that was active at wide ranges of temperature (30-60°C) and pH (4-10). Phage F23s1 exhibited a specific host range; in that, only 13 of the 23 V. parahaemolyticus strains were lysed. F23s1 effectively inhibited the growth of V. parahaemolyticus strain F23 in shrimp at 25°C within 12 h at a multiplicity of infection of 1000. We sequenced the genome of phage F23s1 which comprised a 76,648-bp DNA with 105 open reading frames (ORFs) and identified an endolysin gene ORF52 that was then cloned and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant ORF52 protein significantly decreased OD600 nm of V. parahaemolyticus F23 from 0.978 to 0.249 when used at 20 µmol/L within 60 min. The endolysin also showed lytic activity against a panel of 23 drug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus and 12 Salmonella strains with a higher lytic ability for V. parahaemolyticus. The phage F23s1 and its endolysin will be useful for preventing and controlling V. parahaemolyticus in food safety.

Fabrication and Characterization of the Egg-White Protein Chitosan Double-Layer Emulsion.

Egg-white protein has an abundance of hydrophobic amino acids and could be a potential emulsifier after modification. Here, egg-white protein was modified via ultrasonic and transglutaminase treatments to destroy the globular structure. The egg-white protein gel particles (EWP-GPs) were prepared and then a novel highly stable EWP-chitosan double-layer emulsion was constructed. When ultrasonic treatment was applied at 240 W and TGase (20 U/g EWP) treatment, the EWP-GPs had a low particle size and good emulsification performance. The particle size of EWP-GPs was a minimum of 287 nm, and the polymer dispersity index (PDI) was 0.41. The three-phase contact angle (θo/w) of EWP-GPs was 79.6° (lower than 90°), performing with good wettability. Based on these results, the EWP-chitosan double-layer emulsion was prepared through the EWP-GPs being treated with 240 W ultrasound, TGase, and chitosan in this study. When the double-layer emulsion had 0.6% (v/v) chitosan, the zeta potential of the double-layer emulsion was -1.1 mV and the double-layer emulsion had a small particle size (56.87 µm). The creaming index of double-layer emulsion at 0.6% (v/v) chitosan was 16.3% and the droplets were dispersed uniformly. According to the rheological results, the storage modulus (G') was larger than the loss modulus (G″) in the whole frequency, indicating the formation of an elastic gel network structure in the emulsion. It is hoped to develop a novel food-grade stabilizer and a stable double-layer emulsion, providing new environment-friendly processing in hen egg products and delivery systems.

Molecular Cloning, Expression, and Functional Analysis of Glycosyltransferase (TbUGGT) Gene from Trapa bispinosa Roxb.

Trapa bispinosa Roxb. is an economical crop for medicine and food. Its roots, stems, leaves, and pulp have medicinal applications, and its shell is rich in active ingredients and is considered to have a high medicinal value. One of the main functional components of the Trapa bispinosa Roxb. shell is 1-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (ßG), which can be used in medical treatment and is also an essential substrate for synthesizing the anticancer drug beta-penta-o-Galloyl-glucosen (PGG). Furthermore, gallate 1-beta-glucosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.136) has been found to catalyze gallic acid (GA) and uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) to synthesize ßG. In our previous study, significant differences in ßG content were observed in different tissues of Trapa bispinosa Roxb. In this study, Trapa bispinosa Roxb. was used to clone 1500 bp of the UGGT gene, which was named TbUGGT, to encode 499 amino acids. According to the specificity of the endogenous expression of foreign genes in Escherichia coli, the adaptation codon of the cloned original genes was optimized for improved expression. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic tree analyses revealed the high homology of TbUGGT with squalene synthases from other plants. The TbUGGT gene was constructed into a PET-28a expression vector and then transferred into Escherichia coli Transsetta (DE3) for expression. The recombinant protein had a molecular weight of 55 kDa and was detected using SDS-PAGE. The proteins were purified using multiple fermentation cultures to simulate the intracellular environment, and a substrate was added for in vitro reaction. After the enzymatic reaction, the levels of ßG in the product were analyzed using HPLC and LC-MS, indicating the catalytic activity of TbUGGT. The cloning and functional analysis of TbUGGT may lay the foundation for further study on the complete synthesis of ßG in E. coli.

Full-Length Transcriptomic Sequencing and Temporal Transcriptome Expression Profiling Analyses Offer Insights into Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Artemisia argyi.

Artemisiae argyi Folium is a traditional herbal medicine used for moxibustion heat therapy in China. The volatile oils in A.argyi leaves are closely related to its medicinal value. Records suggest that the levels of these terpenoids components within the leaves vary as a function of harvest time, with June being the optimal time for A. argyi harvesting, owing to the high levels of active ingredients during this month. However, the molecular mechanisms governing terpenoid biosynthesis and the time-dependent changes in this activity remain unclear. In this study, GC-MS analysis revealed that volatile oil levels varied across four different harvest months (April, May, June, and July) in A. argyi leaves, and the primarily terpenoids components (including both monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes) reached peak levels in early June. Through single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, corrected by Illumina RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), 44 full-length transcripts potentially involved in terpenoid biosynthesis were identified in this study. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exhibiting time-dependent expression patterns were divided into 12 coexpression clusters. Integrated chemical and transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct time-specific transcriptomic patterns associated with terpenoid biosynthesis. Subsequent hierarchical clustering and correlation analyses ultimately identified six transcripts that were closely linked to the production of these two types of terpenoid within A. argyi leaves, revealing that the structural diversity of terpenoid is related to the generation of the diverse terpene skeletons by prenyltransferase (TPS) family of enzymes. These findings can guide further studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the quality of A. argyi leaves, aiding in the selection of optimal timing for harvests of A. argyi.

Insights from label free-based proteomic analysis into inhibitory effects ε-Poly-lysine against Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is one of the most common pathogenic bacteria that pose a threat to human health. The purpose of this study was to investigate antibacterial mechanisms of ε-poly-lysine (ε-PL) against V. parahaemolyticus using a lable free-based proteomic analysis. The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that a total of 196 DEPs, including 118 up-regulated and 78 down-regulated, were identified in the ε-PL-treated cells compared with control group. Upon Go functional enrichment, 13, 9, and 8 specific Go terms in biological processes, molecular functions and cellular components were identified, respectively. KEGG pathways analysis indicated that the DEPs were mainly involved in bacterial chemotaxis, RNA transport and two-component system, which were significantly enriched (P < 0.05). In PPI analysis, Che R and Che V, both involved in bacterial chemotaxis and RNA transport pathways, are closely related to other DEPs. Therefore, the down-regulation of Che R and Che V in ε-PL-treated cells resulted in the reduction or even loss of bacterial adaptability, and they were the critical action sites of ε-PL to inactivate V. parahaemolyticus.

Characteristics of Antimicrobial-Resistant Vibrio parahaemolyticus Strains and Identification of Related Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Mutations.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains have become a great threat to public health. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in biological characteristics and antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) mutations of V. parahaemolyticus that displayed different levels of antimicrobial resistance. The susceptibility of 74 V. parahaemolyticus strains to 9 common antimicrobials was investigated, of which 88% were resistant to 3-4 antimicrobials and 3% to 5-7 antimicrobials. Interestingly, only 9% were resistant to 1-2 antimicrobials. The MDR strains possessed longer growth lag time than the non-MDR strains and displayed weaker swimming abilities. Whole genome sequencing was performed on strains VP41, VP44, 460, and 469 that were resistant to two to three classes of antimicrobials. ARGs were identified and compared with that of reference strain ATCC17802, and some important mutations were deduced. The Val189Ile mutation emerged in qnr gene of a single strain. Besides, the nonsynonymous mutations existed in four ARGs in different strains, including CatB (Pro165Ser, Gly208Asp), VmeA (Ile313Thr), VmeC (Glu329Ala), and VmeD (Asn205Ser). These results linked resistance gene mutations to enhance resistance in V. parahaemolyticus strains and provide a reference for more effective monitoring and prevention of V. parahaemolyticus infections.

Transcription Profiles Reveal the Regulatory Synthesis of Phenols during the Development of Lotus Rhizome (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn).

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn) is a wetland vegetable famous for its nutritional and medicinal value. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites that play important roles in the browning of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and chemical constituents are extracted from lotus for medicine due to their high antioxidant activity. Studies have explored in depth the changes in phenolic compounds during browning, while little is known about their synthesis during the formation of lotus rhizome. In this study, transcriptomic analyses of six samples were performed during lotus rhizome formation using a high-throughput tag sequencing technique. About 23 million high-quality reads were generated, and 92.14% of the data was mapped to the reference genome. The samples were divided into two stages, and we identified 23,475 genes in total, 689 of which were involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. A complex genetic crosstalk-regulated network involved in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds was found during the development of lotus rhizome, and 25 genes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, 18 genes in the pentose phosphate pathway, and 30 genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway were highly expressed. The expression patterns of key enzymes assigned to the synthesis of phenolic compounds were analyzed. Moreover, several differentially expressed genes required for phenolic compound biosynthesis detected by comparative transcriptomic analysis were verified through qRT-PCR. This work lays a foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms of phenolic compound biosynthesis during rhizome formation.

Effects of a Lysine-Involved Maillard Reaction on the Structure and In Vitro Activities of Polysaccharides from Longan Pulp.

The effects of amino acid-involved Maillard reactions (MRs) on the structure and activities of longan pulp polysaccharides (LPs), which were heteropolysaccharides mainly composed of glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, ribose, and galacturonic acid, were investigated. The changes of browning degree and molecular weight (Mw) distribution in the MR systems containing LPs and amino acids (lysine, proline, or glycine) indicated that lysine was more active in conjugating with LPs. The MR-modified LPs (MLPs) obtained via a 4 h MR between LPs and lysine showed obvious structural differences from LPs. Specifically, particle-like LPs contained 94% fractions with a Mw less than 7.07 kDa, by contrast, network-like MLPs contained 45% fractions with a Mw larger than 264.1 kDa. Moreover, MLPs showed stronger radical scavenging abilities and macrophage immunostimulating effects, but weaker cancer cell growth-inhibitory abilities. The results indicate that the amino acid-involved MR is a promising method to modify native polysaccharides for better biological properties.

Characterization of Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Laboratory-Derived Mutants of Vibrio parahaemolyticus with qnr Gene.

Ciprofloxacin, a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone, is a bactericidal antibiotic targeting DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerase IV encoded by the gyrA and parC genes. Resistance to fluoroquinolones requires the accumulation of multiple mutations including those that alter target genes and increase drug efflux. To examine the development of fluoroquinolones resistance in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, ciprofloxacin induction and selection was used to obtain several resistant V. parahaemolyticus mutants, which showed decreased susceptibilities to quinolones, and increased or decreased susceptibility to other structurally unrelated antibiotics. Quinolone resistance-determining region mutations were characterized, and it was found that gyrA mutations occurred in some of the high-level resistant mutants although qnr was present in both wild-type susceptible and resistant mutant strains. The mutants showed increased qnr expression and exposure to sub-inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin caused a further increase in qnr expression independently of the SOS system. Two mutants demonstrated increased expression of the VmeCD-VpoC pump gene that promotes quinolone efflux. In addition, some of the high-level resistance mutants significantly decreased bacterial fitness. These data suggested that multiple genes contributed to the enhanced ciprofloxacin resistance appeared in V. parahaemolyticus and that acquisition of ciprofloxacin resistance impaired bacterial fitness.

A Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation System with Self-Adaption Threshold Peak Detection Algorithm.

A Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogation system with a self-adaption threshold peak detection algorithm is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this study. This system is composed of a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and advanced RISC machine (ARM) platform, tunable Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and optical switch. To improve system resolution, the F-P filter was employed. As this filter is non-linear, this causes the shifting of central wavelengths with the deviation compensated by the parts of the circuit. Time-division multiplexing (TDM) of FBG sensors is achieved by an optical switch, with the system able to realize the combination of 256 FBG sensors. The wavelength scanning speed of 800 Hz can be achieved by a FPGA+ARM platform. In addition, a peak detection algorithm based on a self-adaption threshold is designed and the peak recognition rate is 100%. Experiments with different temperatures were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system. Four FBG sensors were examined in the thermal chamber without stress. When the temperature changed from 0 °C to 100 °C, the degree of linearity between central wavelengths and temperature was about 0.999 with the temperature sensitivity being 10 pm/°C. The static interrogation precision was able to reach 0.5 pm. Through the comparison of different peak detection algorithms and interrogation approaches, the system was verified to have an optimum comprehensive performance in terms of precision, capacity and speed.

Investigation of the Maillard Reaction between Polysaccharides and Proteins from Longan Pulp and the Improvement in Activities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the Maillard reaction between polysaccharides and proteins from longan pulp and the effects of reaction on their in vitro activities. The polysaccharide-protein mixtures of fresh longan pulp (LPPMs) were co-prepared by an alkali extraction-acid precipitation method. They were then dry-heated under controlled conditions for monitoring the characterization of the Maillard reaction by the measurement of the free amino group content, ultraviolet-visible spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectrum and molecular weight distribution. All the physicochemical analyses indicated the development of the Maillard reaction between polysaccharides and proteins. The in vitro activity evaluation indicated that the Maillard reaction could effectively enhance the antioxidant, antitumor and immunostimulating activities of LPPMs. The enhancement of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power displayed both a positive correlation with the reaction time (p < 0.05). LPPMs dry-heated for three days obtained relatively strong inhibitory activity against HepG2 cells and SGC7901 cells, as well as strong immunostimulating effects on the nitric oxide production and tumor necrosis factor α secretion of macrophages. Maillard-type intermacromolecular interaction is suggested to be an effective and controllable method for improving the functional activities of polysaccharides and proteins from longan pulp.

Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of Lotus Root Varieties.

Lotus root attracts increasing attention mainly because of its phenolic compounds known as natural antioxidants. Its thirteen varieties were systematically analyzed on the content, distribution, composition and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds for a better understanding of this aquatic vegetable. The respective mean contents of total phenolics in their flesh, peel and nodes were 1.81, 4.30 and 7.35 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g fresh weight (FW), and those of total flavonoids were 3.35, 7.69 and 15.58 mg rutin equivalents/g FW. The phenolic composition determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography method varied significantly among varieties and parts. The phenolics of flesh were mainly composed of gallocatechin and catechin; those of peel and node were mainly composed of gallocatechin, gallic acid, catechin and epicatechin. The antioxidant activities of phenolic extracts in increasing order were flesh, peel and node; their mean concentrations for 50% inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical were 46.00, 26.43 and 21.72 µg GAE/mL, and their mean values representing ferric reducing antioxidant power were 75.91, 87.66 and 100.43 µg Trolox equivalents/100 µg GAE, respectively. "Zoumayang", "Baheou", "No. 5 elian" and "Guixi Fuou" were the hierarchically clustered varieties with relatively higher phenolic content and stronger antioxidant activity as compared with the others. Especially, their nodes and peels are promising sources of antioxidants for human nutrition.

Microanalysis, Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution of Polysaccharide-Protein Complexes from Longan Pulp in Mice.

A high performance size exclusion-fluorescence detection (HPSEC-FD) method combined with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) prelabeling was established for the microanalysis of polysaccharide-protein complexes from longan pulp (LPP). FITC-labeled LPP (LPPF) was fractionated by gel filtration chromatography. The weight-average molecular weight and FITC substitution degree of LPPF were 39.01 kDa and 0.20%, respectively. The HPSEC-FD calibration curves linear over the range of 1-200 µg/mL in mouse plasma, spleen and lung samples with correlation coefficients greater than 0.995. The inter-day and intra-day precisions of the method were not more than 6.9%, and the relative recovery ranged from 93.7% to 106.4%. The concentration-time curve of LPPF in plasma following intravenous (i.v.) administration at 40 mg/kg body weight well fitted to a two-compartment model. LPPF rapidly eliminated from plasma according to the short half-lives (t1/2α=2.23 min, t1/2ß=39.11 min) and mean retention times (MRT0-t=1.15 h, MRT0-∞=1.39 h). After administration over 5 to 360 min, the concentration of LPPF in spleen homogenate decreased from 7.41 to 3.68 µg/mL; the concentration in lung homogenate decreased from 9.08 to 3.40 µg/mL. On the other hand, the increasing concentration of LPPF fraction with low molecular weight in heart homogenate was observed.