Effects of ferulic acid on growth performance and intestinal oxidation indexes of Jilin white geese under lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress.

In geese breeding, due to the frequent influence of drugs and environmental and other factors, geese are extremely prone to oxidative stress, which adversely affects growth and development, geese meat quality, down production, and severely affects the development of the geese industry. Ferulic acid from plant extracts can be used as a feed additive, which is safe and non-toxic, and it can exert certain therapeutic effects on oxidative stress in geese. This experiment investigated the effect of ferulic acid on the growth performance, organs indices, and intestinal oxidative indices of Jilin white geese under lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress. Geese were randomly divided into six groups: C (blank control), L (lipopolysaccharide control), F1 (60 mg/kg ferulic acid), F2 (120 mg/kg ferulic acid), F3 (180 mg/kg ferulic acid), and F4 (240 mg/kg ferulic acid). Groups L and F1-F4 were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide and group C with an equivalent volume of normal saline on days 14,17 and 20, and 10 animals from each group were randomly selected for slaughter on day 21. The results showed that: 1) On day 14, the final body weight and average daily feed intake were significantly higher in group F3 than in group L, and on day 21, the final body weight was significantly higher in group F3 than in group L. 2) The thymus index was significantly higher in group F4 than in group L. 4) In the duodenum, MDA activity was reduced in group C compared with that in group L. 5) In the jejunum and ileum, MDA was significantly lower in group F3 than in group L. These results show that the addition of 180 mg/kg of ferulic acid to the diet can promote the growth of geese and alleviate the damage caused by oxidative stress in all intestinal segments.

Carnosol inhibits KGN cells oxidative stress and apoptosis and attenuates polycystic ovary syndrome phenotypes in mice through Keap1-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 activation.

Excessive oxidative stress and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells lead to abnormal follicular development and ovulation disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Carnosol is a plant-derived polyphenol that has been proven to exhibit several cell protective effects. In this study, we established hyperandrogenic PCOS models both in vitro and in vivo. In the human ovarian granulosa cell line, KGN cells, decreased viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, and upregulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and apoptosis induced by DHT were partly reversed by carnosol. Western blotting results showed that carnosol treatment inhibited the DHT-activated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by activating nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). Knockdown of Nrf2 by transfecting with siRNA or inhibiting HO-1 by zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) blocked the protective effects of carnosol. Computational modeling and pull-down assay results confirmed the direct binding of carnosol to kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). In vivo results showed that the intraperitoneal administration of carnosol (50 and 100 mg/kg) improved estrous cycle disorders, polycystic ovary, and decreased elevated androgen in the PCOS mice. In summary, Carnosol has an effective role in inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis in DHT-treated KGN cells and protecting against mouse PCOS phenotypes through the Keap1-mediated activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling.

Controlling dough rheology and structural characteristics of chickpea-wheat composite flour-based noodles with different levels of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. gum addition.

The effect of Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch. gum (ASKG) addition on the dough performance and structural characteristics of the wheat-chickpea composite flour-based product was studied. The low levels of ASKG addition (0.03-0.5%) tended to cause a remarkable increase in the viscoelastic properties of the composite dough system, followed by a decreased trend at higher level of gum addition (0.8%). This trend was in agreement with the variations found for cooking loss, free -SH content, and relative crystallinity measured by X-ray diffractometer for dough samples. The confocal laser scanning micrographs (CLSM) further confirmed the above trend. For cooked noodle samples, the variations in pasting properties was supported by the changes in relatively crystallinity and free sulfhydryl content, suggesting a relatively more compact structure was formed at the 0.3% of gum addition. The scanning electron microscopic and CLSM observations both revealed that a relatively denser and more coherent network structure was achieved at 0.3% ASKG addition. On the other hand, the higher levels of gum substitution at 0.5% and 0.8% tended to disrupt this stronger network with visible signs of starch deformation, due to the inefficient entrapment of starch molecules during cooking as a result of the lack of gluten network.

The Effects of Armillarisin A on Serum IL-1ß and IL-4 and in Treating Ulcerative Colitis.

To study the therapeutic effect of Armillarisin A on patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and on serum IL-1ß and IL-4, sixty patients with UC were randomly divided into three groups: Armillarisin A treatment group (Group I), Armillarisin-combined hormone therapy group (Group II), and hormones treatment as the control group (Group III). Patients in Group I received Armillarisin A 10 mg enema in 100 ml saline. Patients in Group II received Armillarisin A 10 mg and dexamethasone 5 mg enema in 100 ml saline. Patients in Group III received only dexamethasone 5 mg enema in 100 ml saline. The therapeutic efficacy and serum levels of IL-4 and IL-1ß were observed. After 4 week treatment, the total effective rates were 90.0 % in Group I and 95.0 % in Group II. Both are higher than it in control group, which was 70.0 %. The serum levels of IL-4 in Groups I and II were significantly higher than it in control group. Compared to IL-4 levels before treatment, the levels of IL-4 after treatment were significantly higher in both Groups I and II. The serum levels of IL-11ß were significantly decreased in Groups I and II in comparison to it in control group. Compared to the levels of IL-1ß before treatment, the levels of IL-1ß were significantly decreased. Armillarisin A shows a significant effect in treating UC. It helps increase IL-4 and lower IL-1ß and the mechanism may be related to the body's immunity regulation.