Vitamin A with L-ascorbic acid sodium salt improves the growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigs.

Vitamin A is easily degraded by environmental factors. Therefore, it is very important to add antioxidants during Vitamin A production. In the past, ethoxyquin (EQ) was widely used, but recent studies have found that it has potential toxicity. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the antioxidant activities of 4 antioxidants in vitro: EQ, butylated hydroxytoluene, α-tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid sodium salt (Vitamin C sodium). In vitro experiments showed that Vitamin C sodium had better antioxidant capacity. Then, we explored the effects of different antioxidant types of Vitamin A on the growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigs. In total, 288 weaned piglets with an initial mean BW of 8.34 ±â€¯0.02 kg at 30 days old were randomly divided into three groups with four replicates and 24 piglets per replicate for 35 days of feeding. The experimental diets were as follows: i) basal diet without external Vitamin A (NC); ii) basal diet supplemented with 12000 IU/kg EQ Vitamin A and iii) basal diet supplemented with 12000 IU/kg Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A. On day 36, two pigs from each replicate were selected to collect serum samples. The in vivo results showed that pigs in the EQ Vitamin A and Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A groups had significantly higher final weight and average daily gain (P < 0.05). During the trial, the levels of IgG and glutathione peroxidase in the EQ Vitamin A and Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A groups were significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.05), and the malondialdehyde content was significantly lower (P < 0.05). On the 36th day, the levels of IgA and total antioxidant capacity in the Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A group were significantly higher than those in the EQ Vitamin A and NC (P < 0.05) groups. Thus, Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A can significantly improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immune function of weaned pigs. Meanwhile, Vitamin C sodium may replace EQ as an antioxidant additive for Vitamin A.

[The protective effect of Xuebijing on paraquat-induced HK-2 cells apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Xuebijing (XBJ) on paraquat (PQ) -induced apoptosis in Human kidney cell line-2 (HK-2) cells. Methods: Routinely cultured HK-2 cells, (1) Cell growth inhibition experiment after PQ and XBJ intervention: PQ was divided into 0、200、400、800、1600 and 3200 µmol/L PQ groups, and the cell survival rate was detected after intervening 24、48 and 72 h. XBJ was divided into 0、5、10、20、40 mg/ml XBJ groups, and the cell survival rate was detected after intervening 24、48 and 72 h.To determine the rational drug concentration and the duration of action of XBJ and PQ. (2) PQ-induced HK-2 cell growth inhibition experiment antagonized by XBJ: The cells were divided into normal control group, PQ group (800 µmol/L) and PQ+XBJ group (The cells were pretreated with 5、10 and 20 mg/ml XBJ for 1 h, then cultured with PQ of 800 µmol/L) , After cultured 24 h、48 h and 72 h separately, the cell survival rate was detected. (3) HK-2 cells were divided into normal control group、PQ group (800 µmol/L PQ cultured for 24 h) 、PQ+XBJ group (pretreated with 10 mg/ml XBJ for 1 h, and then 800 µmol/L PQ cultured for 24 h) and XBJ group (10 mg/ml XBJ cultured 24 h). The apoptosis of cells was detected by flow cytometry. The protein expression of Bcl-2 and BAX in each group was detected by Western blotting. The expressions of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were detected by caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity kit active. Results: (1) PQ could significantly reduced the survival rate of HK-2 cells and showed time and concentration dependence. The survival rate of HK-2 cells was about 55% after 800 µmol/L PQ contacted 24 h, XBJ under 20 mg/ml was no significant effect on the survival rate of HK-2 cells after cultured 72 h. (2) Compared with the PQ group, the survival rate of HK-2 cells of PQ+XBJ group was significantly increased (P<0.05). (3) Compared with the normal control group, the cell apoptosis rate of PQ group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the PQ group, the cell apoptosis rate of PQ+XBJ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). (4) Compared with the normal control group, Bcl-2 protein expression in PQ group was significantly decreased and BAX protein expression in PQ group was significantly increased (P<0.05) ; compared with PQ group, Bcl-2 protein expression in PQ+XBJ group was significantly increased, BAX protein expression in PQ+XBJ group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). (5) Compared with the normal control group, the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in PQ group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with PQ group, the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in PQ+XBJ group were decreased significantly (P<0.05) . Conclusion: XBJ (10 mg/ml) has obvious protective effect on HK-2 cell injuried by PQ (800 µmol/L) , It can improve the survival rate of cells through reducing the apoptosis of HK-2 cells which induced by PQ.

Maternal dietary linoleic acid supplementation promotes muscle fibre type transformation in suckling piglets.

As meat quality is basically dependent on muscle fibre characteristics, it is important to know how muscle fibres are regulated and transformed. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal dietary supplementation on muscle fibre types using 3% saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid, PA) or 3% unsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid, LA) from 80 days of gestation to the weaning of offspring (25 days post-natal). The results indicated that higher mRNA levels of MyHCI type genes were found in the soleus muscles of piglets that suckled from LA-supplemented sows than from PA-supplemented sows. In addition, LA treatment increased the gene expression of the type I muscle fibre marker troponin I (p < 0.01), suggesting that LA promoted muscle fibre type transformation to type I fibres. Moreover, PGC-1α (p < 0.01) and MEF2c (p < 0.05) mRNA levels were higher in the piglets from the LA treatment group than in those from the PA treatment group. Furthermore, LA supplementation also significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mRNA levels (p < 0.05), which is an upstream regulator of PGC-1α. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that maternal dietary LA supplementation promoted muscle fibre transformation to type I fibre and that this process may be mediated through an AMPK-dependent pathway.

Fusarium solani and Fusarium oxysporum Associated with Root Rot of Glycyrrhiza uralensis in China.

Liquorice (root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) is an important Chinese traditional medicine for many ailments (4). From 2002, severe outbreaks of root rot occurring on cultivated G. uralensis plants in Ningxia, China, have affected the yield and quality of liquorice and been considered as a major threat to commercial production of liquorice. Approximately 30% of the plants die from this disease in Ningxia every year. The disease, mainly affecting 2- to 4-year-old G. uralensis seedlings, begins with brown rot of root tips or lateral roots followed by internal decay of taproots during June to August every year. The infected plants are wilted with chlorotic foliage and easily pulled up from the soil. Root rot is clearly visible as a severe brown discoloration of vascular tissue along taproots. In severe cases, white mycelia are clearly visible on the surface of diseased roots and roots are decomposed. Isolations from diseased roots were made on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with streptomycin sulfate. Isolates (n = 78) were recovered from symptomatic roots (n = 105) and pure cultures were established by the single spore method. The two most frequently isolated fungi were transferred to potato sucrose agar and identified as Fusarium solani (61.5%) and F. oxysporum (30.8%) (1). The monophialides bearing microconidia of F. solani are long when compared to those of F. oxysporum. Genomic DNA of strains F. solani G013 and F. oxysporum FLR were extracted from mycelia with the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Primers EF1-728F and EF1-986R were used to amplify the translation elongation factor-1α (TEF-1α) gene (2). The TEF-1α sequences of F. solani G013 (GenBank Accession No. AB777258) and F. oxysporum FLR (AB777257) shared 99 and 100% similarity with F. solani isolate NRRL52790 and F. oxysporum isolate NRRL 38328, respectively. Pathogenicity tests with one representative isolate of each species were conducted in the greenhouse on 1-month-old potted G. uralensis seedlings (12 plants per treatment). Isolates of the tested fungi were transferred to PDA and incubated in darkness at 24 ± 1°C for 7 days. Plant taproots about 5 cm below the soil surface were wounded with a sterile needle and five 5-mm-diameter fungal disks on the margin of colony were taken and firmly placed on the wounded location of each taproot with tinfoil; wounded taproots of seedlings inoculated with sterile PDA disks were used as controls (3). Root rot was assessed 2 months after inoculation. F. solani G013 and F. oxysporum FLR produced root rot symptoms on inoculated plants that were the same as those observed in field plants, and the fungi were reisolated from roots with typical symptoms. Control plants inoculated with sterile PDA disks remained asymptomatic, and no pathogen was isolated from them. To our knowledge, this is the first report of root rot caused by F. solani and F. oxysporum on G. uralensis in China. Effective control strategies are needed to minimize losses. References: (1) C. Booth. The Genus Fusarium. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Farnham Royal, 1971. (2) I. Carbone and L. M. Kohn. Mycologia 91:553, 1999. (3) M. Guo et al. Plant Dis. 96:909, 2012. (4) T. Wu et al. Am. Assoc. Pharm. Sci. J. 13:1, 2011.

Diterpenoids from Isodon lophanthoides.

A new diterpenoid was isolated from the leaves of Isodon lophanthoides, together with two known diterpenoids, lophanic acid and 8(17),12,14-labdatriene-19-oic acid. The structure of the new compound was determined to be 11 beta-hydroxyisopimara-8,15-diene-3-one (1) on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.

ent-kaurane diterpenoids from Isodon lungshengensis.

Six new ent-kaurane diterpenoids, lungshengenins B-G (1-6), together with three known diterpenoids, lungshengenin A (7), inflexin (8), and lushanrubescinsin C (9), were isolated from the leaves and tender branches of Isodon lungshengensis. Their structures were elucidated by means of spectroscopy, mainly 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Lungshengenins A (7), C (2), and G (6) were cytotoxic toward K562 cells, having IC(50) values equal to or less than 10 microg/mL.

[Controlled observation on naoxuenin in treating 22 hypertensive encephalorrhagia patients].

42 cases of hypertensive encephalorrhagia (HER) were randomly divided into two groups. All cases received treatment within three days after the attack, group I received current conventional treatment as control, group II took 100ml Naoxuenin (NXN) oral liquid with conventional treatment. Effects were evaluated after 14-day treatment. Results indicated that NXN had direct therapeutic effect or/and synergistic effect on HER in acute phase, the mortality was significantly lowered (P < 0.05) and the recovery of nerve function speeded up in group II. And NXN displayed similar effect on different Syndromes and Types of the acute phase of HER (P > 0.05). Analysis of results of hemorheological examination of pre- and post-treatment suggested that NXN could improve the microcirculation and prevent the high hemo-viscosity syndrome caused by dehydration therapy.

Ginseng extract inhibits protein degradation and stimulates protein synthesis in human fibroblasts.

Aqueous extracts of Panax ginseng inhibit intracellular protein degradation in confluent cultures of IMR-90 human diploid fibroblasts. The magnitude of the inhibition is similar to that observed with insulin and polypeptide growth factors. Furthermore, the inhibition of proteolysis by ginseng, like that produced by insulin and growth factors, is selective in that it applies to long-lived proteins but not to short-lived proteins. Ginseng also stimulates protein synthesis in human fibroblasts indicating that components of ginseng extract are capable of acting directly on human cells to promote protein accumulation.