Efficacy of Huaiqihuang granules as adjuvant therapy for bronchial asthma in children: a real-world study. / æ§æžé»„é¢—ç²’è¾ åŠ©æ²»ç–—å„¿ç«¥æ”¯æ°”ç®¡å“®å–˜ç–—æ•ˆçš„çœŸå®žä¸–ç•Œç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the efficacy of Huaiqihuang granules as adjuvant therapy for bronchial asthma in children. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, and registered real-world study was performed for the children, aged 2-5 years, who had a confirmed diagnosis of bronchial asthma in the outpatient service of 21 hospitals in China. Among these children, the children treated with medications for long-term asthma control (inhaled corticosteroid and/or leukotriene receptor antagonist) without Huaiqihuang granules were enrolled as the control treatment group, and those treated with medications for long-term asthma control combined with Huaiqihuang granules were enrolled as the combined treatment group. The medical data of all children were collected. Outpatient or telephone follow-up was performed at weeks 4, 8, 12, 20, 28, and 36 after treatment, including asthma attacks and rhinitis symptoms. A statistical analysis was performed for the changes in these indices. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the frequency of asthma attacks or rhinitis attacks between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the combined treatment group had significantly lower frequencies of asthma attacks, severe asthma attacks, and rhinitis attacks compared with the control treatment group (P<0.05). There was no signification difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups (P=0.667). CONCLUSIONS: Huaiqihuang granules in addition to medications for long-term asthma control can alleviate the symptoms of bronchial asthma and rhinitis and improve the level of asthma control in children with bronchial asthma, with good safety and little adverse effect. Citation.

Assembled milk protein nano-architectures as potential nanovehicles for nutraceuticals.

Nanoencapsulation of hydrophobic nutraceuticals with food ingredients has become one of topical research subjects in food science and pharmaceutical fields. To fabricate food protein-based nano-architectures as nanovehicles is one of effective strategies or approaches to improve water solubility, stability, bioavailability and bioactivities of poorly soluble or hydrophobic nutraceuticals. Milk proteins or their components exhibit a great potential to assemble or co-assemble with other components into a variety of nano-architectures (e.g., nano-micelles, nanocomplexes, nanogels, or nanoparticles) as potential nanovehicles for encapsulation and delivery of nutraceuticals. This article provides a comprehensive review about the state-of-art knowledge in utilizing milk proteins to assemble or co-assemble into a variety of nano-architectures as promising encapsulation and delivery nano-systems for hydrophobic nutraceuticals. First, a brief summary about composition, structure and physicochemical properties of milk proteins, especially caseins (or casein micelles) and whey proteins, is presented. Then, the disassembly and reassembly behavior of caseins or whey proteins into nano-architectures is critically reviewed. For caseins, casein micelles can be dissociated and further re-associated into novel micelles, through pH- or high hydrostatic pressure-mediated disassembly and reassembly strategy, or can be directly formed from caseinates through a reassembly process. In contrast, the assembly of whey protein into nano-architectures usually needs a structural unfolding and subsequent aggregation process, which can be induced by heating, enzymatic hydrolysis, high hydrostatic pressure and ethanol treatments. Third, the co-assembly of milk proteins with other components into nano-architectures is also summarized. Last, the potential and effectiveness of assembled milk protein nano-architectures, including reassembled casein micelles, thermally induced whey protein nano-aggregates, α-lactalbumin nanotubes or nanospheres, co-assembled milk protein-polysaccharide nanocomplexes or nanoparticles, as nanovehicles for nutraceuticals (especially those hydrophobic) are comprehensively reviewed. Due to the fact that milk proteins are an important part of diets for human nutrition and health, the review is of crucial importance not only for the development of novel milk protein-based functional foods enriched with hydrophobic nutraceuticals, but also for providing the newest knowledge in the utilization of food protein assembly behavior in the nanoencapsulation of nutraceuticals.

Nano-architectural assembly of soy proteins: A promising strategy to fabricate nutraceutical nanovehicles.

Use of protein-based nanovehicles has been well recognized to be one of the most effective strategies to improve water dispersibility, stability and bioavailability of nutraceuticals or bioactive ingredients. Thanks to their health-benefiting effects and unique assembly behavior, soy proteins seem to be the perfect food proteins for fabricating nanovehicles in this regard. This review presents the state-of-art knowledge about the assembly of soy proteins into nano-architectures, e. g., nanoparticles, nanocomplexes or nanogels, induced by different physicochemical strategies and approaches. The strategies to trigger the assembly of soy proteins into a variety of nano-architectures are highlighted and critically reviewed. Such strategies include heating, enzymatic hydrolysis, pH shift, urea or ethanol treatment, reduction, and static high pressure treatment. The self-assembly behavior of soy proteins (native or denatured) is also reviewed. Besides the assembly of proteins alone, soy proteins can co-assemble with polysaccharides to form versatile nano-architectures, through different processes, e.g., heating or ultrasonication. Finally, recent progress in the development of assembled soy protein nano-architectures as nanovehicles for hydrophobic nutraceuticals is briefly summarized. With the fast increasing health awareness for natural and safe functional foods, this review is of crucial relevance for providing an important strategy to develop a kind of novel soy protein-based functional foods with dual-function health effects from soy proteins and nutraceuticals.

Effect of pretreatment of acupuncture on learning-memory ability and related protein of NLRP3 inflammasome in hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease like rats / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of pretreatment of acupuncture on the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3(NLRP3), Caspase-1, interleukin1β(IL-1β) and the number of activated microglia (MG) in the hippocampus in Alzheimer's disease (AD) like rats, so as to explore the mechanism of pretreatment of acupuncture in preventing and treating AD.@*METHODS@#A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and an electroacupuncture (EA) group, 12 rats in each group. The AD like rat model was established by 8-week continuous intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (120 mg·kg@*RESULTS@#Compared with the blank group, the average escape latency was prolonged (@*CONCLUSION@#Pretreatment of acupuncture could prevent and treat the learning-memory dysfunction in AD like rats, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammatsome related protein and MG activation.

Fabrication and Characterization of Novel Water-Insoluble Protein Porous Materials Derived from Pickering High Internal-Phase Emulsions Stabilized by Gliadin-Chitosan-Complex Particles.

Pickering high internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) and porous materials derived from the Pickering HIPEs have received increased attention in various research fields. Nevertheless, nondegradable inorganic and synthetic stabilizers present toxicity risks, thus greatly limiting their wider applications. In this work, we successfully developed nontoxic porous materials through the Pickering HIPE-templating process without chemical reactions. The obtained porous materials exhibited appreciable absorption capacity to corn oil and reached the state of saturated absorption within 3 min. The Pickering HIPE templates were stabilized by gliadin-chitosan complex particles (GCCPs), in which the volume fraction of the dispersed phase (90%) was the highest of all reported food-grade-particle-stabilized Pickering HIPEs so far, further contributing to the interconnected pore structure and high porosity (>90%) of porous materials. The interfacial particle barrier (Pickering mechanism) and three-dimensional network formed by the GCCPs in the continuous phase play crucial roles in stabilization of HIPEs with viscoelastic and self-supporting attributes and also facilitate the development of porous materials with designed pore structure. These materials, with favorable biocompatibility and biodegradability, possess excellent application prospects in foods, pharmaceuticals, materials, environmental applications, and so on.

Fabrication of Zein/Pectin Hybrid Particle-Stabilized Pickering High Internal Phase Emulsions with Robust and Ordered Interface Architecture.

Diets containing partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) expose the human body to trans fatty acids, thus endangering cardiovascular health. Pickering high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) is a promising alternative of PHOs. This work attempted to construct stable Pickering HIPEs by engineering interface architecture through manipulating the interfacial, self-assembly, and packing behavior of zein particles using the interaction between protein and pectin. Partially wettable zein/pectin hybrid particles (ZPHPs) with three-phase contact angles ranging from 84° to 87° were developed successfully. ZPHPs were irreversibly anchored at the oil-water interface, resulting in robust and ordered interfacial structure, evidenced by the combination of LB-SEM and CLSM. This situation helped to hold a percolating 3D oil droplet network, which facilitated the formation of Pickering HIPEs with viscoelasticity, excellent thixotropy (>91.0%), and storage stability. Curcumin in HIPEs was well protected from UV-induced degradation and endowed HIPEs with ideal oxidant stability. Fabricated Pickering HIPEs possess a charming application prospect in foods and the pharmaceutical industry.

Molecular Mechanism for Improving Emulsification Efficiency of Soy Glycinin by Glycation with Soy Soluble Polysaccharide.

Glycation with carbohydrates has been considered to be an effective strategy to improve the emulsifying properties of plant storage globulins, but the knowledge is inconsistent and even contradictory. This work reported that the glycation with soy soluble polysaccharide (SSPS) progressively improved the emulsification efficiency of soy glycinin (SG) in a degree-of-glycation (DG)-dependent manner. The glycation occurred in both the acidic (A) and basic (B) polypeptides to a similar extent. The physicochemical and structural properties of glycated SG samples with different DG values of 0-35% were characterized. The emulsifying properties of unglycated and glycated SG were performed on the emulsions at an oil fraction of 0.3 and a protein concentration in the aqueous phase, produced using microfluidization as the emusification process. The glycation with increasing the DG led to a progressive decrease in solubility and surface hydrophobicity but remarkably increased the magnitude of ζ-potential. Dynamic latter scattering and spectroscopic results showed that the glycation resulted in a gradual dissociation of the 11S-form SG at the quaternary level (into different [AB] subunits), in a DG-dependent way, while their tertiary ([AB] subunits) and secondary structure were slightly affected. Besides the emulsification efficiency, the glycation progressively accelerated the droplet flocculation and facilitated the adsorption of the proteins at the interface and formation of bridged emulsions. The results demonstrated that the improvement of the emulsification efficiency of SG by the glycation with SSPS was largely attributed to the enhanced conformation flexibility at the [AB] subunit level as well as facilitated formation of bridged emulsions. It was also confirmed that once the glycated SG adsorbed at the interface, it would readily dissociated into subunits; the dissociated [AB] subunits exhibited an outstanding Pickering stabilization. The findings would be of importance for providing new knowledge about the molecular mechanism for the modification of emulsifying properties of oligomeric globulins by the glycation with polysaccharides.

Octenylsuccinate starch spherulites as a stabilizer for Pickering emulsions.

This study investigated structure and morphology of starch spherulites prepared from debranched waxy maize and waxy potato starches. Debranched waxy potato starch favored the formation of B-type crystals with longer branch chains (average chain length, 26.14), whereas A-type polymorphic aggregates were generated from debranched waxy maize under same recrystallization condition. Spherulites had smaller particle size distribution (D[3,2], ∼3.7µm), higher dissociation temperature (80-120°C) and crystallinity (80∼90%), compared to native waxy starches. Intact spherulites could be used as an edible particle emulsifier after modifying by octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA). The emulsion produced using 2wt.% of octenylsuccinate (OS) starch spherulites as emulsifier was quite stable over 2months, and its Pickering emulsions displayed protective effect on stability of oil droplets.

Soy Soluble Polysaccharide as a Nanocarrier for Curcumin.

The complexation between soy soluble polysaccharide (SSPS) and curcumin at pH 7.0 and 4.0, as well as some physicochemical characteristics of the resultant complexes, was investigated. The encapsulation efficiency and loading amount of curcumin in the complexes at pH 4.0 reached 67.3% and 4.49 µg/mg SSPS, respectively. Ethanol-induced denaturation and structural unfolding of the protein fraction in SSPS was essential for complex formation. The complexation with curcumin resulted in aggregation of SSPS and the subsequent formation of compacted nanoparticles with curcumin as the core. The complexation greatly improved the heat stability and in vitro bioaccessibility of curcumin. In general, the encapsulation efficiency, heat stability, and bioaccessibility of curcumin in the complexes at pH 4.0 were better than those at pH 7.0. The findings are of importance for the development of food grade nanovehicles for enhanced water solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility of hydrophobic bioactives.

Granular size of potato starch affects structural properties, octenylsuccinic anhydride modification and flowability.

Native potato starch (PS) granules were separated into three size fractions: larger than 30µm (P-L), 15-30µm (P-M), and smaller than 15µm (P-S). The morphological and crystalline structure of fractionated potato starches were investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The P-L fraction showed ellipsoidal shape and B-type X-ray pattern, whereas the P-S fraction had spherical shape and A-type pattern. The fluorophore-assisted capillary electrophoresis data showed that the P-L fraction had more B2 chains and less short A and B1 chains than the P-S counterparts. Smaller granules with larger specific surface area had higher degree of substitution when reacted with octenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA), and showed more uniform distribution of octenylsuccinate substituents. Both OSA modified and unmodified P-S samples showed higher flowability compared with the P-L counterparts.

Red ginseng and cancer treatment / 中国天然药物

The ginseng family, including Panax ginseng (Asian ginseng), Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng), and Panax notoginseng (notoginseng), is commonly used herbal medicine. White ginseng is prepared by air-drying after harvest, while red ginseng is prepared by a steaming or heating process. The anticancer activity of red ginseng is significantly increased, due to the production of active anticancer ginsenosides during the steaming treatment, compared with that of white ginseng. Thus far, anticancer studies have been mostly focused on Asian ginseng. In this article, we review the research progress made in the anticancer activities of red Asian ginseng, red American ginseng and red notoginseng. The major anticancer mechanisms of red ginseng compounds include cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis/paraptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The structure-function relationship analysis has revealed that the protopanaxadiol group ginsenosides have more potent effects than the protopanaxatriol group. Sugar molecules in ginsenosides inversely impact the antiproliferative potential of these compounds. In addition, ginsenoside stereoselectivity and double bond position also influence the anticancer activity. Future studies should focus on characterizing active red ginseng derivatives as potential anticancer drugs.

Doxorubicin-loaded mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles to induce apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Selective targeting of chemotherapeutic drugs toward the cancer cells overcomes the limitations involved in chemotherapy. Ideally, targeted delivery system holds great potential in cancer therapy due to specific release of drug in the cancer tissues. In this regard, DOX-loaded chitosan coated mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles (DOX-CMMN) were prepared and evaluated for its physicochemical and biological characteristics. Nanosized magnetic nanoparticles were observed with a high loading capacity for DOX. The drug-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a controlled and sustained release of drug without any burst release phenomenon. The DOX-DMMN showed a concentration-dependent cell proliferation inhibitory action against breast cancer cells. The blank nanoparticles showed excellent biocompatibility with cell viability >85% at the maximum tested concentration. Our results showed that chitosan coated magnetic system has high potential for breast cancer targeting under an alternating current magnetic field (ACMF). The present study showed that magnetic nanoparticles can be targeted to tumor cells under the presence of oscillating magnetic field. The combined effect of chemotherapy and thermotherapy can have a promising clinical potential for the treatment of breast cancer.

Nanocomplexation of soy protein isolate with curcumin: Influence of ultrasonic treatment.

Soy protein isolate (SPI) can act as effective nanocarriers for water-insoluble curcumin, however, the maximal capacity of this protein to load curcumin and molecular mechanism for the formation of the nanocomplexes are still little known. This work investigated the formation and properties of SPI-curcumin nanocomplexes formed at a low concentration of 0.05% (w/v), as well as the influence of a high intensity ultrasonic treatment on the nanocomplexation. Most of the particles in non- or ultrasonic-treated SPIs were present in nanoparticle form with z-average sizes of about 50-52nm. The load amount (LA) of curcumin in the non-treated nanocomplexes reached 103.9µg/mg SPI. The ultrasonic treatment of the protein solution further significantly increased the LA, while the LA was considerably decreased by the treatment after the nanocomplexation. The complexation with curcumin significantly increased the particle size and ζ-potential of both non- and ultrasonic-treated SPIs, but led to a considerable reduction in surface hydrophobicity, with the greater changes observed for ultrasonic-treated SPI. The nanocomplexation with SPIs remarkably improved the storage stability of curcumin, with much better improvement observed for the ultrasonic-treated SPI. Both the number and nature of hydrophobic sites are important for the nanoparticles in SPI to exhibit high capacity to load curcumin molecules. This study confirmed that SPI exhibited a high capacity to load water-insoluble curcumin, and an ultrasonic pretreatment could further improve its encapsulation efficiency and stability of curcumin.

Fabrication and characterization of novel antimicrobial films derived from thymol-loaded zein-sodium caseinate (SC) nanoparticles.

The objective of this research was to fabricate novel antimicrobial films based on zein colloidal nanoparticles coated with sodium caseinate (SC), an emulsifier/stabilizer. Thymol-loaded zein-SC nanoparticles were prepared using an antisolvent technique, with the average particle size and zeta potential about 200 ± 20 nm and -40 mV, respectively. Zein-SC nanoparticle-based films exhibited higher mechanical resistance and water barrier capacity than the SC films and concomitant good extensibility as compared with zein films. Thymol loadings endowed zein-SC nanoparticle-based films with antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella as well as DPPH radical scavenging activity. Water vapor permeability, microstructure, mechanical, and controlled release properties of the films were evaluated. The possible relationship between some selected physical properties and microstructure were also discussed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis indicated that thymol loadings resulted in the emergence phenomena of the nanoparticles to form large particles or packed structure, consisting of clusters of nanoparticles, within the film matrix, in a thymol loading dependent manner. The appearance of large particles or an agglomerate of particles may weaken the compactness of protein network of films and thus impair the water barrier capacity, mechanical resistance, and extensibility of the films. The release kinetics of thymol from nanoparticle-based films can be described as a two-step biphasic process, that is, an initial burst effect followed by subsequent slower release, and zein-SC nanoparticles within the films matrices gave them the ability to sustain the release of thymol. In addition, a schematic illustration of the formation pathway of zein-SC nanoparticle-based films with or without thymol was proposed to illuminate the possible relationship between some selected physical properties and the microstructure of the films.

Structural rearrangement of ethanol-denatured soy proteins by high hydrostatic pressure treatment.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (100-500 MPa) on solubility and structural properties of ethanol (EtOH)-denatured soy ß-conglycinin and glycinin were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy. HHP treatment above 200 MPa, especially at neutral and alkaline pH as well as low ionic strength, significantly improved the solubility of denatured soy proteins. Structural rearrangements of denatured ß-conglycinin subjected to high pressure were confirmed, as evidenced by the increase in enthalpy value (ΔH) and the formation of the ordered supramolecular structure with stronger intramolecular hydrogen bond. HHP treatment (200-400 MPa) caused an increase in surface hydrophobicity (F(max)) of ß-conglycinin, partially attributable to the exposure of the Tyr and Phe residues, whereas higher pressure (500 MPa) induced the decrease in F(max) due to hydrophobic rearrangements. The Trp residues in ß-conglycinin gradually transferred into a hydrophobic environment, which might further support the finding of structural rearrangements. In contrast, increasing pressure induced the progressive unfolding of denatured glycinin, accompanied by the movement of the Tyr and Phe residues to the molecular surface of protein. These results suggested that EtOH-denatured ß-conglycinin and glycinin were involved in different pathways of structural changes during HHP treatment.

Functional and conformational properties of phaseolin (Phaseolus vulgris L.) and kidney bean protein isolate: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgris L.) seed is an underutilised plant protein source with good potential to be applied in the food industry. Phaseolin (also named G1 globulin) represents about 50 g kg(-1) of total storage protein in the seed. The aim of the present study was to characterise physicochemical, functional and conformational properties of phaseolin, and to compare these properties with those of kidney bean protein isolate (KPI). RESULTS: Compared with kidney bean protein isolate (KPI), the acid-extracted phaseolin-rich protein product (PRP) had much lower protein recovery of 320 g kg(-1) (dry weight basis) but higher phaseolin purity (over 950 g kg(-1)). PRP contained much lower sulfhydryl (SH) and disulfide bond contents than KPI. Differential scanning calorimetry analyses showed that the phaseolin in PRP was less denatured than in KPI. Thermal analyses in the presence or absence of dithiothreitol, in combination with SH and SS content analyses showed the contributions of SS to the thermal stability of KPI. The analyses of near-UV circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectra indicated more compacted tertiary conformation of the proteins in PRP than in KPI. PRP exhibited much better protein solubility, emulsifying activity index, and gel-forming ability than KPI. The relatively poor functional properties of KPI may be associated with protein denaturation/unfolding, with subsequent protein aggregation. CONCLUSION: The results presented here suggest the potential for acid-extracted PRP to be applied in food formulations, in view of its functional properties.

Physicochemical and conformational properties of buckwheat protein isolates: influence of polyphenol removal with cold organic solvents from buckwheat seed flours.

The effects of polyphenol removal from common buckwheat seed flours with cold aqueous organic solvents (including 95% ethanol, 70% 2-propanol, and 80% methanol, v/v) on the physicochemical and conformational properties of their protein isolates (BPI) were investigated. The extraction resulted in considerable reduction in its polyphenol content, especially protein-bound polyphenol content, and concomitant increase in its protein content. The efficiency of the removal of the polyphenols was much better in the 2-propanol case than in other two cases. The surface hydrophobicity of the proteins changed slightly, while the disulfide bond contents remarkably increased, partially at the expense of free sulfhydryl group contents. The protein solubility in the pH range of 7.0-11.0 and the proportion of undenatured globulins in BPI products were variably improved by the organic solvent extraction, and the extent of the improvements was highest in the 2-propanol case. Intrinsic emission fluorescence and far-UV and/or near-UV CD spectra showed that polyphenol removal resulted in significant changes in tertiary and/or secondary conformations of the proteins in BPI, and the changes were also related to the efficiency of the removal of the polyphenols. These results suggest that the physicochemical and conformational properties of BPI are closely related to its polyphenol level, and there is also a close relationship between its physicochemical properties and tertiary and/or secondary conformations.

Studies on chemical constituents from herbs of Usnea longissima / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents of Usnea longissima.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The compounds were isolated and purified by the methods of solvent extraction and chromatographic technique, and their structures were identified on the basis of the analysis of spectral data or comparison with those of authentic sample.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Thirteen compounds were obtained and identified as ethyl hematommate (1), friedelin (2), beta-amyrin (3), beta-sitosterol (4), methyl-2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylbenzoate (5), barbatinic acid (6), zeorin (7), ethyl orsellinate (8), 3beta-hydroxy-glutin-5-ene (9), oleanolic acid (10), (+)-usnic acid (11), methylorsellinate (12), and 4-methyl-2,6-dihydroxy-benzaldehyde (13).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 2, 3, 5, and 8-10 were isolated from this genus for the first time, and compounds 1,4 were obtained from this plant for the first time.</p>

Effect of transglutaminase treatment on the properties of cast films of soy protein isolates.

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) treatment on the properties and microstructures of soy protein isolate (SPI) films cast with 0.6 plasticizer per SPI (gg(-1)) of glycerol, sorbitol and 1:1 mixture of glycerol and sorbitol, respectively. Tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) or water vapor permeability (WVP), moisture content (MC), total soluble matter (TSM), lipid barrier property and surface hydrophobicity of control and MTGase-treated films were evaluated after conditioning film specimens at 25 degrees C and 50% relative humidity (RH) for 48 h. The treatment by 4 units per SPI (Ug(-1)) of MTGase increased the TS and surface hydrophobicity by 10-20% and 17-56%, respectively, and simultaneously significantly (P< or =0.05) decreased the E, MC and transparency. The WVTR or TSM of SPI films seemed to be not significantly affected by enzymatic treatment (P>0.05). The MTGase treatment also slowed down the moisture loss rate of film-forming solutions with various plasticizers during the drying process, which was consistent with the increase of surface hydrophobicity of SPI films. Microstructural analyses indicated that the MTGase-treated films of SPI had a rougher surface and more homogeneous or compact cross-section compared to the controls. These results suggested that the MTGase treatment of film-forming solutions of SPI prior to casting could greatly modify the properties and microstructures of SPI films.

An experimental study on the prevention and treatment of postburn intestinal injury and bacterial translocation by Sijunzi decoction in scalded rats / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicine Sijunzi decoction on amelioration of postburn intestinal injury in scalded rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and eighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. scald and treatment (T), scald control (S) and normal control (C) groups. The rats in T group were gavaged with the decoction consisting of tangshen, tuckahoe, large head atractylodes rhizome, glycyrrhizic and rhubarb in a dose of 2 ml twice daily, while the rats in C group were just gavaged with the same amount of distilled water. The rats were sacrificed according to the scheduled postburn observation timepoints. The contents of TNF, NO, MDA and ATPase activity in rat plasma and the intestinal mucosa and the S-IgA content in the intestinal mucus were determined respectively. The changes in histopathology of intestinal mucosa were observed. The samples from internal organ tissue and blood were obtained for bacterial culture.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The contents of TNF, NO and MDA in the intestinal mucosa tissue and the rat plasma in scalded rats were lowered significantly by Sijunzi decoction. Furthermore, S-IgA secretion from intestinal mucous cells was maintained by Sijunzi decoction. T cell count was recovered and intestinal mucous barrier injury were lessened, and the bacterial positive rate in the internal organs was decreased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Traditional Chinese herbal medicine Sijunzi decoction might be helpful in alleviation of postburn intestinal injury and in the prevention of intestinal bacterial translocation.</p>