Fractionation of phenolic compounds from hickory by-products using solid phase extraction-sonication: Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

Hickory is an abundant source of phenolic compounds that exhibit a diverse range of bioactivities. In this study, phenolic compounds were extracted and purified from hickory green husk (HG), hickory nutshell (HN), and hickory seed coat (HS) using solid-phase extraction and ultrasonication (SPE-US). The effects of the SPE-US treatment on the structure and properties of the phenolic compounds were then investigated, including their composition, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity. The dominant phenolic substances in the different extracts after SPE-US treatment were: ellagic acid and trans ferulic acid (HS); ellagic acid and sinapic acid (HN); and rutin (HG). The HS-SPE-US1 extract exhibited the highest total polyphenol content (416 ± 11 mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoid content (47.51 ± 0.68 mg RE/g DW), Fe3+ reduction ability (74.2 ± 1.0 mmol Fe2+/g DW), radical (DPPH and ABTS) scavenging ability, and antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Biological significance of METTL5 in atherosclerosis: comprehensive analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing data.

BACKGROUND: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). Limited studies have examined the role of the m6A methyltransferase METTL5 in AS pathogenesis. METHODS: This study subjected the AS dataset to differential analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify m6A methylation-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Next, the m6A methylation-related DEGs were subjected to consensus clustering to categorize AS samples into distinct m6A subtypes. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis was performed to investigate the proportions of each cell type in AS and adjacent healthy tissues and the expression levels of key m6A regulators. The mRNA expression levels of METTL5 in AS and healthy tissues were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. RESULTS: AS samples were classified into two subtypes based on a five-m6A regulator-based model. scRNA-seq analysis revealed that the proportions of T cells, monocytes, and macrophages in AS tissues were significantly higher than those in healthy tissues. Additionally, the levels of m6A methylation were significantly different between AS and healthy tissues. METTL5 expression was upregulated in macrophages, smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and endothelial cells (ECs). qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the METTL5 mRNA level in AS tissues was downregulated when compared with that in healthy tissues. CONCLUSIONS: METTL5 is a potential diagnostic marker for AS subtypes. Macrophages, SMCs, and ECs, which exhibit METTL5 upregulation, may modulate AS progression by regulating m6A methylation levels.

Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from an anaerobic fermentation cellar of Chinese strong-flavour baijiu.

A Gram-stain-negative, coccus-shaped, obligately anaerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming bacterium, designated strain JN500902T, was isolated from the mud in a fermentation cellar used continuously over 30 years for Chinese strong-flavour baijiu production. Colonies were white, circular, convex and smooth-edged. Growth was observed at 20-40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 5.0-10 (optimum, pH 7.5), with 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl and with 0-4 % (v/v) ethanol. The Biolog assay demonstrated positive reactions of strain JN500902T in the metabolism of l-fucose and pyruvate. The predominant cellular fatty acids (>10 %) consisted of C16 : 0 and C14 : 0. The major end metabolites of strain JN500902T were acetic acid and ethanol when incubated anaerobically in liquid reinforced clostridial medium. Acetate was the major organic acid end product. The complete genome size of strain JN500902T was 3 420 321 bp with 3327 identified genes. The G+C content was 43.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences affiliated strain JN500902T with the family Lachnospiraceae, having low sequence similarity (92.8 %) to the nearest type strain, Syntrophococcus sucromutans DSM 3224T and forming a clearly distinct branch. Core genome phylogenetic analysis of the isolate and 134 strains belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae also revealed that strain JN500902T was well-separated from other genera of this family as a monophyletic clade. The average nucleotide identity and amino acid identity values between strain JN500902T and 134 Lachnospiraceae strains were less than 74 and 65 %, respectively. Considering its polyphasic characteristics, strain JN500902T represents a novel genus and species within the family Lachnospiraceae, for which the name Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JN500902T (=CICC 24502T=JCM 33939T).