Anthraquinone Removal from Cassia obtusifolia Seed Water Extract Using Baking, Stir-Frying, and Adsorption Treatments: Effects on the Chemical Composition, Physicochemical Properties of Polysaccharides, and Antioxidant Activities of the Water Extract.

Safety issues of the controversial anthraquinones from Cassia obtusifolia seed water extracts (CWEs) limit its application. This work aimed to remove the anthraquinones of CWEs by baking treatment (BT), stir-frying treatment (ST), and adsorption treatment (AT). Effects of these treatments on the chemical composition, physicochemical properties of polysaccharides, and antioxidant activities of CWEs were analyzed and compared. Results indicated that AT exhibited the best removal effect on the total anthraquinone among the three treatments. After AT, the contents of rhein, emodin, aloe-emodin, and aurantio-obtusin of the CWE were below the limit of detection. In addition, AT increased the contents of neutral sugars in CWEs in comparison to BT and ST. None of the treatments had an obvious influence on the structural characteristics of polysaccharides. However, AT decreased the antioxidant activity of CWEs due to their lower anthraquinone content. In summary, AT was considered as an efficient and simple method to remove anthraquinones, while retaining the features of polysaccharides.

The chemical composition and toxic effects of aqueous extracts of Cyclocarya paliurus leaves.

Cyclocarya paliurus leaves, which possess various bioactivities, have been widely used in dietary supplements or as ingredients in functional foods. However, limited information is available about the toxicity or safety concerns. In the present work, the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and potential toxicity of the aqueous extracts of C. paliurus leaves (AECPL) were evaluated. Our results indicated that AECPL was rich in phenolics, flavonoids, and polysaccharides, which might be responsible for the health benefits of C. paliurus leaves. The MTD of AECPL was considered to be > 10,000 mg/kg BW in both male and female rats. The acute toxicity study was carried out by a 14-day repeat dose oral toxicity study. The results showed that the rats were all well-tolerated. No treatment-related mortality, abnormal clinical signs, body weight, or food consumption changes were reported during the study. Moreover, AECPL showed no adverse changes in the hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis parameters, organ weights, gross finding, and histopathology. In this study, the non-observed-adverse-effect level of AECPL was 5,000 mg/kg BW/day, indicating AECPL was safe and can be used in the food industry.

The Structure, Function and Regulation of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type J and Its Role in Diseases.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type J (PTPRJ), also known as DEP-1, HPTPη, or CD148, belongs to the R3 subfamily of receptor protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs). It was first identified as an antioncogene due to its protein level being significantly downregulated in most epithelial tumors and cancer cell lines (e.g., colon, lung, thyroid, breast, and pancreas). PTPRJ regulates mouse optic nerve projection by inhibiting the phosphorylation of the erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptor and abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (c-Abl). PTPRJ is crucial for metabolism. Recent studies have demonstrated that PTPRJ dephosphorylates JAK2 at positions Y813 and Y868 to inhibit leptin signaling. Akt is more phosphorylated at the Ser473 and Thr308 sites in Ptprj-/- mice, suggesting that PTPRJ may be a novel negative regulator of insulin signaling. PTPRJ also plays an important role in balancing the pro- and anti-osteoclastogenic activity of the M-CSF receptor (M-CSFR), and in maintaining NFATc1 expression during the late stages of osteoclastogenesis to promote bone-resorbing osteoclast (OCL) maturation. Furthermore, multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) as substrates of PTPRJ are probably a potential therapeutic target for many types of diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic diseases, by inhibiting their phosphorylation activity. In light of the important roles that PTPRJ plays in many diseases, this review summarizes the structural features of the protein, its expression pattern, and the physiological and pathological functions of PTPRJ, to provide new ideas for treating PTPRJ as a potential therapeutic target for related metabolic diseases and cancer.

Intestinal microbiota and melatonin in the treatment of secondary injury and complications after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a central nervous system (CNS) disease that can cause sensory and motor impairment below the level of injury. Currently, the treatment scheme for SCI mainly focuses on secondary injury and complications. Recent studies have shown that SCI leads to an imbalance of intestinal microbiota and the imbalance is also associated with complications after SCI, possibly through the microbial-brain-gut axis. Melatonin is secreted in many parts of the body including pineal gland and gut, effectively protecting the spinal cord from secondary damage. The secretion of melatonin is affected by circadian rhythms, known as the dark light cycle, and SCI would also cause dysregulation of melatonin secretion. In addition, melatonin is closely related to the intestinal microbiota, which protects the barrier function of the gut through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and increases the abundance of intestinal microbiota by influencing the metabolism of the intestinal microbiota. Furthermore, the intestinal microbiota can influence melatonin formation by regulating tryptophan and serotonin metabolism. This paper summarizes and reviews the knowledge on the relationship among intestinal microbiota, melatonin, and SCI in recent years, to provide new theories and ideas for clinical research related to SCI treatment.

Expression and mechanisms of interferon-stimulated genes in viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) and neurological diseases.

Interferons (IFNs) bind to cell surface receptors and activate the expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) through intracellular signaling cascades. ISGs and their expression products have various biological functions, such as antiviral and immunomodulatory effects, and are essential effector molecules for IFN function. ISGs limit the invasion and replication of the virus in a cell-specific and region-specific manner in the central nervous system (CNS). In addition to participating in natural immunity against viral infections, studies have shown that ISGs are essential in the pathogenesis of CNS disorders such as neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this review is to present a macroscopic overview of the characteristics of ISGs that restrict viral neural invasion and the expression of the ISGs underlying viral infection of CNS cells. Furthermore, we elucidate the characteristics of ISGs expression in neurological inflammation, neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression as well as neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Finally, we summarize several ISGs (ISG15, IFIT2, IFITM3) that have been studied more in recent years for their antiviral infection in the CNS and their research progress in neurological diseases.

The Membrane Interaction of Alpha-Synuclein.

A presynaptic protein closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD), α-synuclein (α-Syn), has been studied extensively regarding its pathogenic mechanisms. As a physiological protein in presynapses, however, α-Syn's physiological function remains unclear. Its location in nerve terminals and effects on membrane fusion also imply its functional role in synaptic transmission, including its possible interaction with high-curvature membranes via its N-terminus and amorphous C-terminus. PD-related mutants that disrupt the membrane interaction (e.g., A30P and G51D) additionally suggest a relationship between α-Syn's pathogenic mechanisms and physiological roles through the membrane binding. Here, we summarize recent research on how α-Syn and its variants interact with membranes and influence synaptic transmission. We list several membrane-related connections between the protein's physiological function and the pathological mechanisms that stand to expand current understandings of α-Syn.

Extraction kinetics, physicochemical properties and immunomodulatory activity of the novel continuous phase transition extraction of polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLP) possess remarkable bioactivity and have been studied widely. However, the application of new technologies in the polysaccharide extraction has not been investigated. Herein, a novel continuous phase transition extraction (CPTE) technology was applied for the extraction of polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum. The extraction kinetics, physicochemical properties and immunomodulatory activity of GLP were evaluated. The kinetics results showed that the extraction process could be fitted to a two-site kinetic model due to the high R2 values in the range of 0.9939-0.9999. Polysaccharides extracted by different technologies showed that GLP yield by CPTE could be significantly improved, which was 3.34 times and 2.68 times that of hot water and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, respectively. Molecular weight distribution analysis indicated that high molecular mass polysaccharide proportion by CPTE was the highest among the three extraction methods, which was 2.03 times and 3.41 times as much as that of the hot water and ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Morphology analysis showed that CPTE treatment caused disruption of most of the cells and effective release of intracellular components, implying that CPTE was beneficial to extract polysaccharides. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory assays demonstrated that GLP significantly enhanced the proliferation and production of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 in macrophages. Therefore, CPTE was more effective for extracting polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum than the common extraction.

Structure and Activity Changes of Phytohemagglutinin from Red Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Affected by Ultrahigh-Pressure Treatments.

Phytohemagglutin (PHA), purified from red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) by Affi-Gel blue affinity chromatography, was subjected to ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) treatment (150, 250, 350, and 450 MPa). The purified PHA lost its hemagglutination activity after 450 MPa treatment and showed less pressure tolerance than crude PHA. However, the saccharide specificity and α-glucosidase inhibition activity of the purified PHA did not change much after UHP treatment. Electrophoresis staining by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) manifested that the glycone structure of purified PHA remained stable even after 450 MPa pressure treatment. However, electrophoresis staining by Coomassie Blue as well as circular dichroism (CD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) assay proved that the protein unit structure of purified PHA unfolded when treated at 0-250 MPa but reaggregates at 250-450 MPa. Therefore, the hemagglutination activity tends to be affected by the protein unit structure, while the stability of the glycone structure contributed to the remaining α-glucosidase inhibition activity.

Effects of high hydrostatic pressure treatments on haemagglutination activity and structural conformations of phytohemagglutinin from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Red kidney beans were subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (50, 150, 250, 350, 450 MPa) and phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was then extracted by affinity chromatography. It appeared that HHP treatment could increase crude extract yield and decrease its haemagglutination activity. For purified samples, PHA yield was not affected at pressures <450 MPa while the haemagglutination activity was noticeably reduced at 450 MPa. The structural changes were investigated using electrophoresis, size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and differencial scanning calorimetry (DSC). Electrophoresis and SEC profiles revealed a new high molecular weight polymer after 450 MPa treatment. At pressures <450 MPa, FTIR showed an increase in ß-sheet structure and a decrease in α-helix. At 450 MPa, the bands at 1688 cm(-1), representing aggregate strands and random coils, increased. The conclusions are that pressures <450 MPa can cause PHA unfolding and induce PHA aggregation at 450 MPa.