Preparation, characterization and antioxidant activity of polysaccharide from Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Harald.

This study aimed to investigate antioxidant activities of a polysaccharide from Fallopia multiflora (Thunb.) Harald. F. multiflora polysaccharide (FMP) was prepared and partially characterized by high performance liquid chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectrum and anion chromatography, and its antioxidant activities both in vitro and in vivo were investigated. FMP, with a molecular weight of 17,758Da consisted of glucose. In vivo, FMP had high hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and reducing capacity. In vivo, FMP increased serum superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidise activities and decreased the level of malondialdehyde. These results indicated that FMP exhibits high antioxidant activity both in vitro and in vivo and might retard human ageing associated with free radicals.

Visual cortex and auditory cortex activation in early binocularly blind macaques: A BOLD-fMRI study using auditory stimuli.

Cross-modal plasticity within the visual and auditory cortices of early binocularly blind macaques is not well studied. In this study, four healthy neonatal macaques were assigned to group A (control group) or group B (binocularly blind group). Sixteen months later, blood oxygenation level-dependent functional imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was conducted to examine the activation in the visual and auditory cortices of each macaque while being tested using pure tones as auditory stimuli. The changes in the BOLD response in the visual and auditory cortices of all macaques were compared with immunofluorescence staining findings. Compared with group A, greater BOLD activity was observed in the bilateral visual cortices of group B, and this effect was particularly obvious in the right visual cortex. In addition, more activated volumes were found in the bilateral auditory cortices of group B than of group A, especially in the right auditory cortex. These findings were consistent with the fact that there were more c-Fos-positive cells in the bilateral visual and auditory cortices of group B compared with group A (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the bilateral visual cortices of binocularly blind macaques can be reorganized to process auditory stimuli after visual deprivation, and this effect is more obvious in the right than the left visual cortex. These results indicate the establishment of cross-modal plasticity within the visual and auditory cortices.

[Effect of organs biomass by drought stress on the leaf growing stage of Angelica dahurica var. formosana].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of natural drought stress conditions on Angelica dahurica var. formnosana vegetative organs biomass accumulation and allocation in leaf growing season. To discuss the changing law of Angelica dahurica var. formosana vegetative organs biomass in different drought stress conditions. METHODS: Measured Angelica dahurica var. formnosana leaf and leafstalk's biomass, all aboveground biomass and the ratio of root biomass, leaf biomass, root/shoot ratio etc. in the growing season under the natural drought stress condition. RESULTS: Slight drought stress condition was good for organs' biomass accumulation, medium and serious drought stress conditions were bad for organs biomass accumulation. Slight and medium drought stress conditions were good for biomass transit to the root in the leaf growing season and serious drought stress condition was not good for that. CONCLUSION: Suitable drought stress can improve the root biomass ratio in Angelica dahurica var. formosana leaf growing season and get a better yield.