Antioxidant activity of organic sulfides from fresh Allium macrostemon Bunge and their protective effects against oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Long-stamen chive (Allium macrostemon Bunge; AMB), which is prevalent in the Wuling Mountain area of China, is a characteristic food of the nation. In the study, we evaluated the as-yet-unknown nutritional value and antioxidant activity of fresh AMB. The free amino acid content, volatile components, and free radical-scavenging capacity of isolated organic sulfides were analyzed to evaluate the qualitative and physiological properties of fresh AMB. The plant was found to be rich in free essential amino acids and contain multiple flavor-imparting amino acids. The organic sulfides showed an apparent free radical-scavenging activity in vitro. Furthermore, these sulfides alleviated oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. Notably, the organic sulfides isolated from AMB enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; improved motility; and extended the lifespan in oxidative stress-affected nematodes. In conclusion, our study indicates that AMB is a nutritious vegetable with potential to be developed as a functional food. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Long-stamen chive is a wild edible vegetable belonging to the genus Allium (A. macrostemon Bunge; AMB). However, its quality and physiological properties have not been comprehensively investigated. Herein, we analyzed the free amino acid content, composition of volatile compounds, and potential antioxidative properties of AMB. Our results indicated that AMB is rich in essential amino acids, making it a highly nutritious food. Further analysis indicated that AMB contains a high proportion of organic sulfides, which have been previously been shown to have antioxidative properties. Together, our findings indicate that AMB contains important bioactive components and can be developed as a functional food or health supplement. Furthermore, our findings will enhance public awareness regarding this wild resource and provide new directions for the research and development of natural products derived from it.

Evaluation of the antioxidant property and effects in Caenorhabditis elegans of Xiangxi flavor vinegar, a Hunan local traditional vinegar.

Xiangxi flavor vinegar (XV) is one of Hunan Province's traditional fermented vinegars. It is produced from herb, rice, and spring water with spontaneous liquid-state fermentation techniques. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant property of XV by analyzing its antioxidant compounds, its free radical scavenging property in vitro and in vivo, and its effects on antioxidant enzyme activity and apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that XV is rich in antioxidants. In particular, ligustrazine reached 6.431 µg/ml. The in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH•), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and superoxide anion radical (O2•-) scavenging rates of XV were 95.85%, 97.22%, and 63.33%, respectively. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in XV-treated C. elegans decreased significantly (P<0.01) compared to the control group. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were remarkably increased (P<0.01) in C. elegans after XV treatment. In addition, XV could upregulate CED-9 protein expression and downregulate CED-3 protein expression in C. elegans. These results prove that XV is rich in antioxidants and scavenges radicals in vitro efficiently. XV inhibits apoptosis in C. elegans probably by scavenging ROS and increasing the activities of its antioxidant enzymes.

Long-term effects of oral tea polyphenols and Lactobacillus brevis M8 on biochemical parameters, digestive enzymes, and cytokines expression in broilers.

This study investigates the long-term effects of oral tea polyphenols (TPs) and Lactobacillus brevis M8 (LB) on biochemical parameters, digestive enzymes, and cytokines expression in broilers. In experiment 1, 240 broiler chickens were selected to investigate the effects of 0.06 g/kg body weight (BW) TP and 1.0 ml/kg BW LB on broilers; in experiment 2, 180 broiler chickens were assigned randomly to three groups to investigate the effects of different dosages of TP (0.03, 0.06, and 0.09 g/kg BW) combined with 1.0 ml/kg BW LB on broilers; in experiment 3, 180 broiler chickens were assigned randomly to three groups to investigate the effects of different dosages of LB (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 ml/kg BW) combined with 0.06 g/kg BW TP on broilers. The results showed that TP and LB affected serum biochemical parameters, and TP reduced serum cholesterol (CHO) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) abundances in a dosage-dependent manner (P<0.05) on Day 84. Meanwhile, broilers fed a diet supplemented with TP or LB had a lower intestinal lipase activity on Day 84 compared with the control group (P<0.05). Middle and high dosages of TP increased pancreatic lipase and proventriculus pepsin activities (P<0.05). Also middle and high dosages of LB significantly enhanced pancreatic lipase activity (P<0.05), while high LB supplementation inhibited intestinal trypsase (P<0.05) on Day 84. Furthermore, both TP and LB reduced intestinal cytokine expression and nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) mRNA level on Days 56 and 84. In conclusion, long-term treatment of TP and LB improved lipid metabolism and digestive enzymes activities, and affected intestinal inflammatory status, which may be associated with the NF-κB signal.

Rare gas atomic number dependence of the hyperpolarizability for rare gas inserted fluorohydrides, HRgF (Rg = He, Ar, and Kr).

The three structures of rare gas inserted fluorohydrides HRgF (Rg = He, Ar, and Kr) with all real frequencies are obtained at the QCISD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level. The static first hyperpolarizabilities (beta(0)) at the QCISD/aug-cc-pVQZ level are 8 a.u. (HF), 384 a.u. (HHeF), 737 a.u. (HArF), and 465 a.u. (HKrF). The beta(0) value remarkably increases by about 50-90 times from 8 a.u. (HF) to 384-737 a.u. (HRgF) due to the inserted rare gas (Rg). The Rg atomic number dependence of beta(0) for HRgF (Rg = He, Ar, and Kr) is found at the first time. The order of beta(0) is unmonotonic to be HHeFHKrF, but not monotonic (HHeF

[Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on microbial physiological characteristics].

Physiological characterizations of Listeria monocytogenes NCTC 11994 and Escherichia coli ATCC 80739 have deeply changed by high hydrostatic pressure. The results showed that counts of both microbial strains decreased 7 log cfu at 400MPa, 10 min. Pressure treatments also resulted in change of Intracellular pH value, lowed membrane potential, have internal potassium filtered out, and decreased ATP concentration.