Effects of peanut oligopeptides on the pasting properties of potato starch and digestive characteristics of dry, flat potato starch noodles.

In this study, we developed dry, flat potato starch noodles with an ideal taste and low digestibility. Peanut oligopeptide and potato starch were combined to form dry, flat potato starch noodles containing different peanut oligopeptide contents using a steam-slice method. Adding 5 % and 10 % peanut oligopeptides maintained the dry, flat starch noodles' quality. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that dry, flat starch noodles containing peanut oligopeptides had more pores with pore sizes ranging from 0.30 µm to 2.00 µm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that peanut oligopeptide promoted the recrystallization of amylopectin during the retrogradation process after gelatinization, and the crystallinity of noodles ranged from 4.31 % (control noodles) to 18.24 % (noodles containing 10 % peanut oligopeptides). An in vitro simulated digestion test showed that the slowly digestible starch and resistant starch contents of noodles containing 10 % peanut oligopeptides were 18.24 % and 22.03 %-significantly higher than control starch noodles (14.88 % and 9.9 %, respectively). Therefore, when peanut oligopeptides were added to dry, flat starch noodles, it was a promising material for lowering blood sugar levels after meals.

Improvement of pasting and gelling properties of potato starch using a direct vapor-heat moisture treatment.

Conventional hydrothermal methods are lengthy and require high energy consumption. In this study, a quick and energy-saving direct vapor-heat moisture treatment (DV-HMT) method was used to improve the pasting and gelling properties of potato starch under the condition of high temperature (130 °C) and short periods (1, 3, 5, and 7 min). X-ray diffraction analysis exhibited that the relative crystallinity of DV-HMT starches decreased with the extension of treatment time. Small angle X-ray scattering measurements showed that the average thickness of the crystalline lamellae decreased from 6.193 to 5.937 nm, while the average thickness of the amorphous lamellae increased from 3.160 to 3.395 nm. Rapid visco-analyzer measurements exhibited that the breakdown values decreased to 0 mPa s for DV-HMT starches, indicating that this hydrothermal treatment led to starches with high resistance to heating and shearing. The gel hardness of starch treated by DV-HMT for 3 min (266 g) was around 5.4-fold higher than for non-treated starch (41 g). Considering the simple operation of DV-HMT and the short treatment periods (≤ 7 min) used in this study, DV-HMT could be a superior option to enhance the physicochemical and functional properties of starch.

Properties of curcumin-loaded zein-tea saponin nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent co-precipitation and precipitation.

The properties of nutraceutical-loaded biopolymer nanoparticles fabricated by antisolvent co-precipitation (ASCP) and precipitation (ASP) were compared. Curcumin-loaded zein-tea saponin nanoparticles were fabricated using both methods and then their structural and physicochemical properties were characterized. The diameter of the nanoparticles prepared by ASCP were smaller (120-130 nm) than those prepared by ASP (140-160 nm). The encapsulation efficiency of the ASCP-nanoparticles (80.0%) was higher than the ASP-ones (71.0%) at a zein-to-curcumin mass ratio of 3:1, which was also higher than previous studies. The storage and light stability of curcumin was higher in zein-saponin nanoparticles than in zein nanoparticles. All nanoparticles had good water dispersibility after freeze-drying and rehydration. This study shows that nanoparticles produced by antisolvent co-precipitation have superior properties to those produced by antisolvent precipitation. The co-precipitation method leads to a higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller particle size, and greater storage stability, which may be advantageous for some applications.

The neuroprotective effects of Lutongkeli in traumatic brain injury rats by anti-apoptosis mechanism

Purpose: To explore the neuroprotective effects of Lutongkeli (LTKL) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and detect the related mechanism. Methods: TBI model was established with LTKL administration (2 and 4 g/kg/d, p.o.). Motor function of rats was examined by Rotarod test. Nissl staining was used to show neuron morphology. Furthermore, the disease-medicine common targets were obtained with the network pharmacology and analyzed with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Lastly, the predicted targets were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: After LTKL administration, neural behavior was significantly improved, and the number of spared neurons in brain was largely increased. Moreover, 68 bioactive compounds were identified, corresponding to 148 LTKL targets; 2,855 genes were closely associated with TBI, of which 87 overlapped with the LTKL targets and were considered to be therapeutically relevant. Functional enrichment analysis suggested LTKL exerted its pharmacological effects in TBI by modulating multiple pathways including apoptosis, inflammation, etc. Lastly, we found LTKL administration could increase the mRNA level of Bcl-2 and decrease the expression of Bax and caspase-3. Conclusions: This study reported the neuroprotective effect of LTKL against TBI is accompanied with anti-apoptosis mechanism, which provides a scientific explanation for the clinical application of LTKL in the treatment of TBI.

Comparison of Lutein Bioaccessibility from Dietary Supplement-Excipient Nanoemulsions and Nanoemulsion-Based Delivery Systems.

The impact of lutein-loaded nanoemulsions and excipient nanoemulsions mixed with lutein-based dietary supplements (capsules and soft gels) on the bioaccessibility of lutein was explored using a simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The particle size, particle size distribution, ζ-potential, microstructure, lipid digestibility, and lutein bioaccessibility of all the samples were measured after they were exposed to different environments (stomach and small intestine environments) within a simulated GIT. As expected, the bioaccessibility of lutein from the capsules (1.5%) and soft gels (3.2%) was relatively low when they were administered alone. However, the co-administration of excipient nanoemulsions significantly increased the bioaccessibility of lutein from both the capsules (35.2%) and soft gels (28.7%). This phenomenon was attributed to the fast digestion of the small oil droplets in the excipient nanoemulsions and the further formation of mixed micelles to solubilize any lutein molecules released from the supplements. The lutein-loaded nanoemulsions exhibited a much higher lutein bioaccessibility (86.8%) than any of the supplements, which was attributed to the rapid release and solubilization of lutein when the lipid droplets were rapidly and extensively digested within the small intestine. This study indicates that the bioaccessibility of lutein is much higher in nanoemulsion droplets than that in dietary supplements. However, consuming dietary supplements in the presence of nanoemulsion droplets can greatly increase lutein bioavailability. The results of this study have important guiding significance for the design of more effective lutein supplements.

Anti-freezing starch hydrogels with superior mechanical properties and water retention ability for 3D printing.

As a novel material that can be used at subzero temperatures, anti-freezing hydrogels have been attracting extensive attention. Inspired by the freeze-tolerance phenomenon in seawater, which is achieved by mixing salts into water, an ionic compound (CaCl2) was used to gelatinize starch to form anti-freezing hydrogels. Native potato starch (NPS) anti-freezing hydrogels were formed at -10 °C, -18 °C, -30 °C, and - 50 °C with 6-9 kPa tensile strength and 100-230% elongation at break. The compressive stress of anti-freezing hydrogels at different environmental temperatures increased from 18.586 kPa to 36.551 kPa with the glass transform temperature of starch hydrogels dropped to -50 °C. The anti-freezing hydrogels showed excellent water retention ability, which could maintain a water content of 55% after 7 days at ambient temperature. The prototyping of anti-freezing starch hydrogels broadens the applications of starch in food, adhesives, medical materials, and intelligent materials.

Effect of Sutellarin on Neurogenesis in Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia Rat Model: Potential Mechanisms of Action.

To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Scutellarin (SCU) on neurite growth and neurological functional recovery in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) rats. Primary cortical neurons were cultured to detect the effect of SCU on cell viability of neurons under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Double immunofluorescence staining of Tuj1 and TUNEL then observed the neurite growth and cell apoptosis in vitro,and double immunofluorescence staining of NEUN and TUNEL was performed to examine the neuronal apoptosis and cell apoptosis in brain tissues after HI in vivo. Pharmacological efficacy of SCU was also evaluated in HI rats by neurobehavioral tests, triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining. Astrocytes and microglia expression in damaged brain tissues were detected by immunostaining of GFAP and Iba1. A quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot were applied to investigate the genetic expression changes and the protein levels of autophagy-related proteins in the injured cortex and hippocampus after HI. We found that SCU administration preserved cell viability, promoted neurite outgrowth and suppressed apoptosis of neurons subjected to OGD both in vitroand in vivo. Meanwhile, 20 mg/kg SCU treatment improved neurological functions and decreased the expression of astrocytes and microglia in the cortex and hippocampus of HI rats. Additionally, SCU treatment depressed the elevated levels of autophagy-related proteins and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) in both cortex and hippocampus. This study demonstrated the potential therapeutic efficacy of SCU by enhancing neurogenesis and restoring long-term neurological dysfunctions, which might be associated with p75NTR depletion in HI rats.

Analysis of the potential and mechanism of Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on network pharmacology.

Objective: Study the principle and possible mechanism of Ginkgo biloba in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) which is based on network pharmacology. Methods: The potential targets of active ingredients of Ginkgo biloba were collected by Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database platform (TCMSP). TCMSP is a pharmacological system for drug discovery from Chinese herbal medicine. The disease targets of AD were searched and collected by the database of gene-disease associations (DisGeNET) and literature. The obtained targets were standardized by the UniProt database. STING network platform and Cytoscape were used to construct protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of the key targets. According to Materscape, we clarify the possible mechanism of action including Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Results: The compound-target network contains 27 active ingredients, 191 related targets, 18 key targets, including PLAU, HMOX1, TNF, INSR, MPO, MAOB, IGF2, IL1B, ESR1, BCL2, ACHE, BAX, GSK3B, PPARG, SLC2A4, NOS3, CASP3, VEGFA. GO enrichment analysis has got a total of 640 GO items, including 609 biological process (BP) items (95.1%), 16 molecular function (MF) items (2.5%) and 15 cellular component (CC) items (2.4%). After KEGG enrichment, 44 pathways were obtained. Conclusion: Through the construction of "component-target-pathway", GO biological function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed on core targets, and the possibility of Ginkgo biloba for the treatment of AD was explored from multiple targets and pathways, which provided a new approach for multi-target treatment.

Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Modified Da Chengqitang in Treating Hyperlipidemic Acute Pancreatitis with Damp Heat Accumulation Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the efficacy and mechanism of modified Da Chengqitang in treating hyperlipidemic acute pancreatitis （HLAP） with damp heat accumulation syndrome. Method:A total of 110 patients with HLAP with damp heat accumulation syndrome treated at our hospital were randomly divided into control group and observation group， with 55 cases in each group， both groups were treated with low molecular weight heparin calcium， insulin and alprostadil injection. Control group was given Huazhironggan granules in addition to the basic therapy， while observation group was given modified Da Chengqitang in addition to the basic therapy. After 7 days， the clinical efficacy， traditional Chinese medicine (TCM） syndrome score， gastrointestinal function recovery， acute pancreatitis bedside index （BISAP）， acute physiology and chronic health status Ⅱ （APACHE Ⅱ）， inflammatory factors， such as tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and C-reactive protein （CRP）， oxidative stress， such as malondialdehyde （MDA）， oxidized glutathione （GSSG）， total antioxidant capacity （T-AOC）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， high and low density lipoprotein （HDL-C， LDL-C） blood lipid indicators and safety were evaluated. Result:The clinical efficacy of observation group was significantly better than that of control group （<italic>Z</italic>=3.353， <italic>P</italic><0.05）， and the total effective rate of observation group was 94.55%， which was higher than 74.55% of control group （<italic>χ²</italic>=8.419， <italic>P</italic><0.01）. After treatment， the scores of abdominal pain， stool obstruction， chest tightness and fever in observation group were significantly lower than those of control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The gastric tube indwelling exhaust time， defecation time and recovery time of bowel sounds in observation group were significantly lower than those of control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The scores of BISAP and APACHE Ⅱ in two groups were significantly decreased， and the BISAP and APACHE Ⅱ scores of observation group were lower than control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After treatment， the serum levels of TNF-<italic>α</italic>， IL-6 and CRP in observation group were significantly lower than those in control group. The levels of serum MDA， GSSG in two groups were significantly decreased， whereas the T-AOC level was significantly increased； and the level of serum MDA， GSSG observation group was lower than control group， while the T-AOC level was higher than control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. After treatment， the levels of TC， TG and LDL-C in two groups were decreased， while the level of HDL-C was increased， the levels of TC， TG and LDL-C in observation group were lower than those in control group， and the HDL-C was higher than that control group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:modified Da Chengqitang has a definite clinical efficady in treating HLAP with damp heat accumulation syndrome， and can alleviate TCM syndrome and patient symptoms， reduce inflammatory factors， inhibit oxidative stress of the body. It has a good safety， and is worthy of clinical application.

Anticolorectal Cancer Effects of AUCAN: Effects to Suppress Proliferation, Metastasis, and Invasion of Tumor Cells.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an underlying deadly malignancy with poor prognosis, lacking effective therapies currently available to improve the prognosis. C18H17NO6 (AUCAN), a kind of dibenzofuran extracted from a special plant in Yunnan Province (China), is identified as a natural anticancer agent exerting strong inhibitory activities on various cancers. Our study was committed to investigating the potency of AUCAN against colorectal cancers and further exploring the potential mechanisms via proteomic analysis. METHODS: Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate the effect of AUCAN on the viability and proliferation of HCT-116 cells and RKO cells. The apoptosis of HCT-116 and RKO cells after AUCAN administration was determined by the flow cytometry test. The effects of AUCAN on invasion and migration of tumor cells were investigated by the colony formation assay, wound healing test, and Transwell invasion test. Meanwhile, the energy metabolism and growth of tumor tissues after AUCAN administration with 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg were examined by PET-CT in vivo. The side effects of AUCAN treatment were also evaluated through blood routine and liver function examination. RKO cell proliferation and apoptosis in vivo were further determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining, TUNEL staining, and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) involved in AUCAN treatment were determined by proteomic analysis followed by functional clustering analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that AUCAN suppressed the migratory abilities and enhanced apoptosis of HCT-116 and RKO cell lines. Meanwhile, AUCAN treatment dramatically depressed the growth and volume of colorectal tumors in nude mice and suppressed the survival of RKO cells in tumor tissues without any side effects on the blood routine and liver function. In addition, twenty-four upregulated and forty-two downregulated proteins were identified. Additionally, functional clustering analysis concealed enriched biological processes, cellular components, molecular functions, and related pathways of these proteins involved in cellular metabolic. Finally, the protein-protein interaction analysis revealed the regulatory connection among these DEPs. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, AUCAN exerted its significant antitumor effect without side effects in the blood routine and liver function and the underlying mechanisms were preliminarily investigated by proteomic analysis.

Preparation and Characterization of Tadpole- and Sphere-Shaped Hemin Nanoparticles for Enhanced Solubility.

Hemin is a potent iron supplement. A major limitation of the applicability of hemin is its extremely low aqueous solubility and bioavailability. The aim of this work is to prepare hemin nanoparticles with improved solubility. Transmission electron microscopic images showed that hemin nanoparticles with different initial concentrations of hemin (0.1 and 0.5 mg/mL) were tadpole-shaped (head of approximately 200 nm and tail of 100 nm) and sphere-shaped (50-100 nm), respectively. Moreover, hemin nanoparticles exhibited higher solubility than free hemin. The solubility of sphere-shaped nanoparticles was 308.2-fold higher than that of pure hemin at 25 °C. The hemin nanoparticles were stable in acidic conditions and displayed excellent thermal stability. These results suggested that hemin nanoparticles could serve as a potential iron supplement with potential applications in the food, biomedical, and photodynamic-photothermal therapy fields.

Enhanced viability of layer-by-layer encapsulated Lactobacillus pentosus using chitosan and sodium phytate.

Lactobacillus pentosus (LP) are widely used as probiotics in food products, dietary supplements, and nutraceuticals due to their health-promoting effects. To confer a functional effect, the probiotics need to survive during shelf-life and transit through the high acidic conditions of the stomach and bile salts in the small intestine. Herein, LP was firstly encapsulated in a layer-by-layer approach using chitosan (CS) and sodium phytate (SP). After digestion in simulated gastrointestinal fluid (SGF) for 120 min and 4% bile salts for 3 h, plain-LP exhibited a 7.40 and 6.09 colony forming units/ml (cfu/ml) reduction. Interestingly, two layer coated LP ((CS/SP)2-LP) exhibited less death, which reduced 4.34 and 2.33 log cfu/ml, respectively. Specially, (CS/SP)2-LP also showed a higher survival rate compared to plain-LP in heat treatment experiments, especially 65 °C. In conclusion, layer-by-layer encapsulation of LP has great potential for the protection and delivery of probiotics in food and nutraceutical products.

Preparation of Borax Cross-Linked Starch Nanoparticles for Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Maize Starch Films.

Recently, starch nanoparticles have attracted widespread attention from various fields. In this study, a new strategy for preparing covalent-cross-linked starch nanoparticles was developed using boron ester bonds formed between debranched starch (DBS) and borax. The nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The obtained nanoparticles were spherical with a size of 100-200 nm. The formation of boron ester bonds was confirmed by FTIR. The as-prepared starch nanoparticle exhibited a low relative crystallinity of 13.6%-23.5%. Compared with pure starch film, the tensile strength of starch film with 10% starch nanoparticles increased about 45%, and the elongation at break percentage of starch film with 5% starch nanoparticles increased about 20%. The new strategy of forming starch nanoparticles by using boron ester bonds will advance the research of carbohydrate nanoparticles.

Characterization of Cationic Modified Debranched Starch and Formation of Complex Nanoparticles with κ-Carrageenan and Low Methoxyl Pectin.

The functional modifications of debranched starch (DBS) has been attracting the interest of researchers. This study marks the first time that DBS was modified by cationization through the use of (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride with the introduction of cationic functional groups. The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of cationized debranched starch (CDBS) were systematically assessed. The results demonstrate that the maximum degree of substitution (DS) value obtained was as high as 1.14, and the corresponding CDBS exhibited significantly higher zeta potential values: approximately +35 mV. The minimal inhibitory concentration values of the CDBS of DS 1.14 against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 6 and 8 mg mL-1, respectively. In addition, nanoparticles were successfully prepared with a combination of CDBS and low methoxyl pectin (LMP) and a combination of CDBS and κ-carrageenan (CRG). The maximum encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles for (-)-epigallocatechingallate can reach 87.8%.

Stored autologous blood transfusion does not increase recurrence of prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy: A preliminary study / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To analyze the association of stored autologous blood transfusion (SABT) with tumor recurrence in PCa patients after radical prostatectomy and explore the application of SABT in this surgical procedure.@*METHODS@#Forty-five PCa patients underwent radical prostatectomy in our hospital in recent five years, of whom, 20 received SABT (group A) and the other 25 allogeneic blood transfusion (group B) intraoperatively. After surgery, we followed up the patients regularly for 3－66 months by examination of the levels of total PSA (tPSA) and free PSA (fPSA), digital rectal examination (DRE), and MRI to observe the biochemical recurrence of the tumor. We compared the data obtained between the two groups of patients.@*RESULTS@#In group A, 8 cases were in stages T1a－T1b and 12 in stages T2a－T2c, and in group B, 14 cases were in stages T1a－T1b and 11 in stages T2a－T2c. The volume of transfused blood was 800 ml in group A and 400－1 200 ml in group B. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the operation time, intraoperative blood loss or postoperative Gleason scores (P > 0.05), nor in the tPSA level or the results of DRE and MRI at 12, 24, 36, 48 and over 48 months (P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#SABT is safe for PCa patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and does not increase the tumor recurrence rate after surgery.

Fabrication and Characterization of Starch Nanohydrogels via Reverse Emulsification and Internal Gelation.

Biopolymer-based nanohydrogels have great potential for various applications, including in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Herein, starch nanohydrogels were prepared for the first time via reverse emulsification coupled with internal gelation. The effects of starch type (normal corn, potato, and pea starches), amylose content, and gelation time on the structural, morphological, and physicochemical properties of starch nanohydrogels were investigated. The diameter of starch nanohydrogel particles was around 100 nm after 12 h of retrogradation time. The relative crystallinity and thermal properties of starch nanohydrogels increased gradually with an increasing amylose content and gelation time. The swelling behavior of starch nanohydrogels was dependent upon the amylose content, and the swelling ratios were between 2.0 and 14.0, with the pea starch nanogels exhibiting the lowest values and the potato starch nanogels exhibiting the highest values.

Preparation of Bioactive Polysaccharide Nanoparticles with Enhanced Radical Scavenging Activity and Antimicrobial Activity.

Because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability in vivo, natural polysaccharides are effective nanocarriers for delivery of active ingredients or drugs. Moreover, bioactive polysaccharides, such as tea, Ganoderma lucidum, and Momordica charantia polysaccharides (TP, GLP, and MCP), have antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, and antiviral properties. In this study, tea, Ganoderma lucidum, and Momordica charantia polysaccharide nanoparticles (TP-NPs, GLP-NPs, and MCP-NPs) were prepared via the nanoprecipitation approach. When the ethanol to water ratio was 10:1, the diameter of the spherical polysaccharide nanoparticles was the smallest, and the mean particle size of the TP-NPs, GLP-NPs, and MCP-NPs was 99 ± 15, 95 ± 7, and 141 ± 9 nm, respectively. When exposed to heat, increased ionic strength and pH levels, the nanoparticles exhibited superior stability and higher activity than the corresponding polysaccharides. In physiological conditions (pH 7.4), the nanoparticles underwent different protein adsorption capacities in the following order: MCP-NPs> TP-NPs> GLP-NPs. Moreover, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical, and superoxide anion radical scavenging rates of the nanoparticles were increased by 9-25% as compared to the corresponding polysaccharides. Compared to the bioactive polysaccharides, the nanoparticles enhanced antimicrobial efficacy markedly and exhibited long-acting antibacterial activity.