Docosahexaenoic acid-mediated milk protein treated by ultrasound-assisted pH shifting for enhanced astaxanthin delivery and processed cheese application.

Whey protein isolate (WPI)-based nanodelivery systems have recently attracted an increasing amount of attention. Despite this, research focusing on milk protein concentrate (MPC) and micellar casein (MCC) as carriers loaded in hydrophobic compounds is lacking. This study investigated the mediated effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in 3 different milk proteins for the embedding of astaxanthin (ASTA) after ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting treatment. We then evaluated the application of milk protein carriers in cheese processing by comparing MPC, MCC, and WPI. The particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential results of the milk protein-DHA complex suggested that the addition of 0.36 µmol/mL DHA optimized the delivery of milk protein to ASTA. All 3 DHA-mediated milk proteins induced an improvement in encapsulation efficiency and antioxidant properties of ASTA. Furthermore, the DHA-mediated MPC and MCC played a stronger role in improving the bioaccessibility and thermal and storage stability of ASTA than those without DHA. Tests conducted to examine the application in cheese production indicated that MCC carrier had a positive effect on the texture of cheeses. However, the delivery effect was dependent on the milk protein variety, and MCC exhibited the best protection ability of ASTA, followed by MPC and WPI. The simulated digestion and storage stability results of cheese further confirmed that the protein encapsulation mediated by DHA was more conducive to ASTA absorption. These findings suggested that the DHA-mediated milk protein complexes studied here may be suitable hydrophilic delivery carriers for the hydrophobic nutrient ASTA, potentially playing different roles in improving its storage stability and bioaccessibility.

Ammonium Ion-Pre-Intercalated MnO2 on Carbon Cloth for High-Energy Density Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

With the continuous development of green energy, society is increasingly demanding advanced energy storage devices. Manganese-based asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) can deliver high energy density while possessing high power density. However, the structural instability hampers the wider application of manganese dioxide in ASCs. A novel MnO2-based electrode material was designed in this study. We synthesized a MnO2/carbon cloth electrode, CC@NMO, with NH4+ ion pre-intercalation through a one-step hydrothermal method. The pre-intercalation of NH4+ stabilizes the MnO2 interlayer structure, expanding the electrode stable working potential window to 0-1.1 V and achieving a remarkable mass specific capacitance of 181.4 F g-1. Furthermore, the ASC device fabricated using the CC@NMO electrode and activated carbon electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical properties. The CC@NMO//AC achieves a high energy density of 63.49 Wh kg-1 and a power density of 949.8 W kg-1. Even after cycling 10,000 times at 10 A g-1, the device retains 81.2% of its capacitance. This work sheds new light on manganese dioxide-based asymmetric supercapacitors and represents a significant contribution for future research on them.

The Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Si3N4f/BN/SiBCN Microcomposites Fabricated by the PIP Process.

SiBCN ceramics based on SiC, BN and Si3N4 structures have good comprehensive properties such as high-temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, creep resistance and long life, which makes it one of the very promising ceramic material systems in military and aerospace fields, etc. In this study, SiBCN ceramics, as well as Si3N4f/BN/SiBCN microcomposites, were prepared by a polymer infiltration pyrolysis method using PBSZ as the polymer precursor. The PBSZ was completely ceramized by pyrolysis at 900 °C. The weight loss and elemental bonding forms of the products after the pyrolysis of the precursors hardly changed from 600 °C to 900 °C. After pyrolysis at 600 °C for 4 h and using the BN coating obtained from twice deposition as the interfacial phase, a more desirable weak interface of fiber/matrix with a binding strength of 21.96 ± 2.01 MPa can be obtained. Si3N4f/BN/SiBCN ceramic matrix microcomposites prepared under the same pyrolysis conditions have a relatively good tensile strength of 111.10 MPa while retaining a weak interface between the fibers and the matrix. The results of the study provide more theoretical and methodological support for the application of new composite structural ceramic material systems.

Exploring genetic associations between metabolites and atopic dermatitis: insights from bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis in European population.

Introduction: There is growing evidence indicating a complex interaction between blood metabolites and atopic dermatitis (AD). The objective of this study was to investigate and quantify the potential influence of plasma metabolites on AD through Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods: Our procedures followed these steps: instrument variable selection, primary analysis, replication analysis, Meta-analysis of results, reverse MR analysis, and multivariate MR (MVMR) analysis. In our study, the exposure factors were derived from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), encompassing 8,299 individuals of European descent and identifying 1,091 plasma metabolites and 309 metabolite ratios. In primary analysis, AD data, was sourced from the GWAS catalog (Accession ID: GCST90244787), comprising 60,653 cases and 804,329 controls. For replication, AD data from the Finnish R10 database included 15,208 cases and 367,046 controls. We primarily utilized the inverse variance weighting method to assess the causal relationship between blood metabolites and AD. Results: Our study identified significant causal relationships between nine genetically predicted blood metabolites and AD. Specifically, 1-palmitoyl-2-stearoyl-GPC (16:0/18:0) (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.94), 1-methylnicotinamide (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.98), linoleoyl-arachidonoyl-glycerol (18:2/20:4) [1] (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96), and 1-arachidonoyl-GPC (20:4n6) (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.92-0.96) were associated with a reduced risk of AD. Conversely, phosphate / linoleoyl-arachidonoyl-glycerol (18:2/20:4) [2] (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10), docosatrienoate (22:3n3) (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.04-1.10), retinol (Vitamin A) / linoleoyl-arachidonoyl-glycerol (18:2/20:4) [2] (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.11), retinol (Vitamin A) / linoleoyl-arachidonoylglycerol (18:2/20:4) [1] (OR = 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.12), and phosphate / linoleoyl-arachidonoyl-glycerol (18:2/20:4) [1] (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.07-1.12 were associated with an increased risk of AD. No evidence of reverse causality was found in the previously significant results. MVMR analysis further confirmed that 1-palmitoyl-2-stearoyl-GPC (16:0/18:0) and 1-methylnicotinamide are independent and dominant contributors to the development of AD. Conclusion: Our study revealed a causal relationship between genetically predicted blood metabolites and AD. This discovery offers specific targets for drug development in the treatment of AD patients and provides valuable insights for investigating the underlying mechanisms of AD in future research.

Protocol for cryopreservation of red blood cells that controls ice crystal formation by fulvic acid.

The development of biocompatible ice-controlling materials for non-vitreous cryopreservation of cells is of great importance to the field of biomedicine. Here, we present a protocol to use fulvic acid (FA) for efficient non-vitreous cryopreservation of red blood cells (RBCs) that both promotes the melting of ice crystals and retards their growth/recrystallization. We describe steps for FA fractionation and performing tests for ice recrystallization and ice freezing/thawing. We then detail the freezing/thawing of RBCs, recovering RBCs, and testing their viability. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Bai et al. (2022).1.

Modifying the physicochemical properties, solubility and foaming capacity of milk proteins by ultrasound-assisted alkaline pH-shifting treatment.

This study investigated the effects of different treatment of alkaline pH-shifting on milk protein concentrate (MPC), micellar casein concentrate (MCC) and whey protein isolate (WPI) assisted by the same ultrasound conditions, including changes in the physicochemical properties, solubility and foaming capacity. The solubility of milk proteins had a significant increase with gradual enhancement of ultrasound-assisted alkaline pH-shifting (p < 0.05), especially for MCC up to 99.50 %. Also, treatment made a significant decline in the particle size of MPC and MCC, as well as the turbidity of the proteins (p < 0.05). The foaming capacity of MPC, MCC, and WPI was all improved, especially at pH 11, and at this pH, the milk protein also showed the highest surface hydrophobicity. The best foaming capacity at pH 11 was the result of the combined effect of particle size, potential, protein conformation, solubility, and surface hydrophobicity. In conclusion, ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting treatment was found to be effective in improving the physicochemical properties and solubility and foaming capacity of milk proteins, especially MCC, with promising application prospect in food industry.

Development of a novel starch-based dietary fiber using glucanotransferase.

In this study, a glucanotransferase from prokaryotic Azotobacter chroococcum NCIMB 8003 was recombinantly expressed and its biochemical characteristics and bioconversion ability for starch were investigated. The purified enzyme has the optimum activity at 55 °C and pH 6.5-7.0, as well as a melting temperature of 62 °C. The double-charged ion Ca2+ stimulated the activity of the enzyme by approximately 2.4 times. The kinetic parameters and specificity analysis revealed that this glucanotransferase had a higher affinity for high-amylose starch. During the transglycosylation reaction, the starch molecule was converted into a relatively small polymer with a narrow size distribution. For the enzyme modification of high-amylose starch for 72 h, the amount of α-1,6 linkages increased from 1.9% to 22.7% and the content of resistant starch (RS) increased from 3.18% to 17.83%. In addition, the fine structure displayed the reuteran-like highly branched glucan linked by single linear α-1,6 linkages and α-1,4/6 branching points. These results revealed that a promising prebiotic dietary fiber was synthesized from starch with glucanotransferase modification.

Synthesis and application of a series of amphipathic chitosan derivatives and the corresponding magnetic nanoparticle-embedded polymeric micelles.

Magnetic nanoparticle-embedded polymeric micelles (MNP-PMs) prepared with amphipathic polymers are an important sustained-release carrier for hydrophobic drugs. The amphipathic chitosan derivatives (ACDs) based stimuli-responsive slow-release carriers have attracted considerable attentions because of the bioactivities and modifiability of chitosan. In the current study, a series of ACDs including alkylated N-(2-hydroxy) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (alkyl-HTCC) and alkylated polyethylene glycol N-(2-hydroxy) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (alkyl-PEG-HTCC) were prepared by the reductive amination of HTCC and PEG-HTCC, and their structures and properties were characterized. Octyl-HTCC/O-Fe3O4 and octyl-PEG-HTCC/O-Fe3O4 MNP-PMs were prepared by the hydrophobic interactions between the corresponding ACDs and oil soluble Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (O-Fe3O4 MNPs), and characterized for the structure, magnetic performance and surface charge state. Their potential application as a drug delivery carrier was investigated upon the embedding efficiency and pH dependent sustained-release performance using the hydrophobic drug, paclitaxel (PTX), as a model drug. Our work has provided a new application strategy of ACDs in the multi-functional drug delivery carrier.

Trinitromethyl/trinitroethyl substituted CL-20 derivatives: structurally interesting and remarkably high energy.

A series of trinitromethyl/trinitroethyl substituted derivatives of 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazatetracyclo[5,5,0, 0(3.11),0(5.9)] dodecane (CL-20) were designed and investigated by theoretical methods. Intramolecular interactions between the trinitromethyl/trinitroethyl and the cage were investigated. The effects of trinitromethyl/trinitroethyl groups on stability of the parent compound are discussed. The results reveal a mutual influence of bond length and dihedral angle between the trinitromethyl and the cage. Compared to CL-20, the sensitivity of derivatives is barely affected. Properties such as density, heat of formation and detonation performance of these novel compounds were also predicted. The introduction of the trinitromethyl group can significantly enhance the oxygen balance, density and detonation properties of the parent compound. The remarkable energy properties make these novel cage compounds competitive high energy density materials.