Ultrasound pretreatment enhances moisture migration and drying quality of mulberry via microstructure and cell-wall polysaccharides nanostructure modification.

The effects of ultrasound pretreatment (20 kHz, 30 W/L) on mulberries' texture, microstructure, characteristics of cell-wall polysaccharides, moisture migration, and drying quality were investigated over exposure times ranging from 15 to 45 min. Ultrasound induced softening of mulberry tissue, accompanied by an increase in water-soluble pectin and a decrease in chelate-soluble pectin and Na2CO3-soluble pectin concentrations. Noticeable depolymerization of the pectin nanostructure was observed in the pretreated mulberries, along with a decrease in molecular weight, attributed to side-chain structure cleavage. Ultrasound loosened the cell wall structure, increased free water content and freedom, thereby reducing water diffusion resistance. Ultrasound pretreatment reduced drying time by 11.2 % to 23.3 % at various processing times compared to controls. Due to significantly enhanced drying efficiency, the optimal pretreatment time (30 min) yielded dried mulberries with higher levels of total phenolics and total anthocyanins, along with an increased antioxidant capacity. The results of this study provide insights into the mechanisms by which ultrasound pretreatment can effectively enhance the mulberry drying process.

Whole-protein enteral nutrition formula supplementation reduces Escherichia and improves intestinal barrier function in HIV-infected immunological nonresponders.

People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) have persistent malnutrition, intestinal barrier dysfunction, and gut microbial imbalance. The interplay between gut microbiota and nutrients is involved in the immune reconstitution of PLWH. To evaluate the effects of whole-protein enteral nutrition formula supplementation on T-cell levels, intestinal barrier function, nutritional status, and gut microbiota composition in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected immunological nonresponders (INRs) who failed to normalize CD4+ T-cell counts, with a number <350 cells/µL, a pilot study was carried out in 13 HIV-infected INRs undergoing antiretroviral therapy who received a 3-month phase supplementation of 200 mL/200 kcal/45 g whole-protein enteral nutrition formula once daily. Our primary endpoint was increased CD4+ T-cell counts. Secondary outcome parameters were changes in intestinal barrier function, nutritional status, and gut microbiota composition. We showed that CD4+ T-cell counts of HIV-infected INRs increased significantly after the 3-month supplementation. Dietary supplementation for 3 months improved the intestinal barrier function and nutritional status of HIV-infected INRs. Furthermore, the enteral nutrition formula significantly decreased the relative abundance of Escherichia at the genus level and increased the alpha diversity of gut microbiota in HIV-infected INRs. The findings demonstrated that the whole-protein enteral nutrition formula aids in reducing Escherichia and improving intestinal barrier function in HIV-infected INRs. This study provides insight into the role of nutrients in the improvement of immune reconstitution in HIV-infected INRs. This study is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Document No. ChiCTR2000037839; http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx).

Pectin-interactions and the digestive stability of anthocyanins in thermal and non-thermal processed strawberry pulp.

This study investigated the digestive stability of anthocyanins (ACNs) and their interaction with three pectin fractions-water-soluble pectin (WSP), cyclohexanetrans-1,2-diamine tetra-acetic acid-soluble pectin (CSP), and sodium carbonate-soluble pectin (NSP)-in strawberry pulp processed by pasteurization (PS), ultrasound (US), electron beam (EB) irradiation, and high pressure (HP). Compared with the control group, the ACNs content increased to the highest level (312.89 mg/mL), but the retention rate of ACNs in the simulated intestine decreased significantly after US treatment. The monosaccharide compositions indicated that the WSP and CSP possessed more homogalacturonan (HG) domains than the NSP, which contains more rhamngalacturonan-I (RG-I) domains. The microstructure of US-treated pectin was damaged and fragmented. Comprehensive analysis showed that the retention rate of ACNs was closely related to the pectin structure, primarily reflected by the degree of linearity and the integrity of structure. These results revealed the structure-activity relationship between ACNs and pectin during pulp processing.

Plasma metabolites changes in male heroin addicts during acute and protracted withdrawal.

BACKGROUND: Heroin addiction and withdrawal have been associated with an increased risk for infectious diseases and psychological complications. However, the changes of metabolites in heroin addicts during withdrawal remain largely unknown. METHODS: A total of 50 participants including 20 heroin addicts with acute abstinence stage, 15 with protracted abstinence stage and 15 healthy controls, were recruited. We performed metabolic profiling of plasma samples based on ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to explore the potential biomarkers and mechanisms of heroin withdrawal. RESULTS: Among the metabolites analyzed, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, n-6 docosapentaenoic acid), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid), aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan), and intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (oxoglutaric acid, isocitric acid) were significantly reduced during acute heroin withdrawal. Although majority of the metabolite changes could recover after months of withdrawal, the levels of alpha-aminobutyric acid, alloisoleucine, ketoleucine, and oxalic acid do not recover. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the plasma metabolites undergo tremendous changes during heroin withdrawal. Through metabolomic analysis, we have identified links between a framework of metabolic perturbations and withdrawal stages in heroin addicts.

Prognostic significance of regional lymphadenectomy in T1b gallbladder cancer: Results from 24 hospitals in China.

BACKGROUND: Whether regional lymphadenectomy (RL) should be routinely performed in patients with T1b gallbladder cancer (GBC) remains a subject of debate. AIM: To investigate whether RL can improve the prognosis of patients with T1b GBC. METHODS: We studied a multicenter cohort of patients with T1b GBC who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2016 at 24 hospitals in 13 provinces in China. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare the overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent cholecystectomy (Ch) + RL and those who underwent Ch only. To investigate whether combined hepatectomy (Hep) improved OS in T1b patients, we studied patients who underwent Ch + RL to compare the OS of patients who underwent combined Hep and patients who did not. RESULTS: Of the 121 patients (aged 61.9 ± 10.1 years), 77 (63.6%) underwent Ch + RL, and 44 (36.4%) underwent Ch only. Seven (9.1%) patients in the Ch + RL group had lymph node metastasis. The 5-year OS rate was significantly higher in the Ch + RL group than in the Ch group (76.3% vs 56.8%, P = 0.036). Multivariate analysis showed that Ch + RL was significantly associated with improved OS (hazard ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.26-0.99). Among the 77 patients who underwent Ch + RL, no survival improvement was found in patients who underwent combined Hep (5-year OS rate: 79.5% for combined Hep and 76.1% for no Hep; P = 0.50). CONCLUSION: T1b GBC patients who underwent Ch + RL had a better prognosis than those who underwent Ch. Hep + Ch showed no improvement in prognosis in T1b GBC patients. Although recommended by both the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Chinese Medical Association guidelines, RL was only performed in 63.6% of T1b GBC patients. Routine Ch + RL should be advised in T1b GBC.

Protocol for a gallbladder cancer registry study in China: the Chinese Research Group of Gallbladder Cancer (CRGGC) study.

INTRODUCTION: Gallbladder cancer (GBC), the sixth most common gastrointestinal tract cancer, poses a significant disease burden in China. However, no national representative data are available on the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of GBC in the Chinese population. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Chinese Research Group of Gallbladder Cancer (CRGGC) study is a multicentre retrospective registry cohort study. Clinically diagnosed patient with GBC will be identified from 1 January 2008 to December, 2019, by reviewing the electronic medical records from 76 tertiary and secondary hospitals across 28 provinces in China. Patients with pathological and radiological diagnoses of malignancy, including cancer in situ, from the gallbladder and cystic duct are eligible, according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2019 guidelines. Patients will be excluded if GBC is the secondary diagnosis in the discharge summary. The demographic characteristics, medical history, physical examination results, surgery information, pathological data, laboratory examination results and radiology reports will be collected in a standardised case report form. By May 2021, approximately 6000 patient with GBC will be included. The clinical follow-up data will be updated until 5 years after the last admission for GBC of each patient. The study aimed (1) to depict the clinical characteristics, including demographics, pathology, treatment and prognosis of patient with GBC in China; (2) to evaluate the adherence to clinical guidelines of GBC and (3) to improve clinical practice for diagnosing and treating GBC and provide references for policy-makers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol of the CRGGC has been approved by the Committee for Ethics of Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (SHEC-C-2019-085). All results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04140552, Pre-results.

Pre-Digested Protein Enteral Nutritional Supplementation Enhances Recovery of CD4+ T Cells and Repair of Intestinal Barrier in HIV-Infected Immunological Non-Responders.

AIDS patients with immune non-response are prone to malnutrition, intestinal barrier damage, thus aggravating chronic immune activation and inflammation. However, nutritional interventions targeting malnutrition may be beneficial to restore immune function, improve clinical outcomes, and reduce mortality remains largely unclear. This work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a nutritional supplement in HIV-infected immune non-responders (INRs). The subjects received oral supplementation of a pre-digested protein nutrition formula for three months. We show that the CD4+ T and CD8+ T cell counts were significantly increased after supplementation of the pre-digested enteral nutritional supplement. Among all pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum, only IL-1ß level was significantly decreased, while TNF-ß was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The levels of intestinal mucosal damage markers, diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid (D-lactate), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after the nutritional intervention. Moreover, at month 3 after the intervention, the body weight, body mass index, albumin, and hemoglobin of all subjects were significantly increased (P < 0.05). The correlation analysis demonstrated a significantly negative correlation of CD4+ T cell count with levels of DAO (r = -0.343, P = 0.004), D-lactate (r = -0.250, P = 0.037), respectively, and a significantly positive correlation of IL-1ß level with levels of DAO (r = 0.445, P < 0.001), D-lactate (r = 0.523, P < 0.001), and LPS (r = 0.622, P < 0.001). We conclude that the pre-digested enteral nutrition supplement is effective for HIV-infected INRs.

Neuroprotective effect of breviscapine on traumatic brain injury in rats associated with the inhibition of GSK3ß signaling pathway.

Breviscapine, a standardized Chinese herbal medicine extracted from Erigeron breviscapine, has been widely used to treat cerebrovascular diseases. However, there are no reports about the neuroprotective effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of breviscapine on traumatic brain injury (TBI). Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effects of breviscapine on rats with TBI insult and illuminate the underlying mechanism. We created a traumatic brain-injured model with breviscapine lateral ventricle injection and evaluated the expressional changes of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3ß) as well as the GSK3ß-involved signaling pathways including apoptosis and axonal growth. At 7, 14, 21days after injection, we found a great reduction of motor disability in TBI rats following breviscapine treatment, which was accompanied with a notably increased expression of phospho-Ser9-GSK3ß (p-Ser9-GSK3ß) and decreased expression of phosphor-Try216-GSK3ß (p-Try216-GSK3ß) at 7days after injection. Concomitantly, an enhanced expression of synaptic marker synaptophysin (SYP) together with a weakened expression of pro-apoptotic caspase3 was observed after TBI rats were treated with breviscapine. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxy-UTP-nick end labeling (TUNEL) immunohistochemical assay and SYP immunofluorescence staining also confirmed the result. This study suggests that breviscapine inhibits the GSK3ß signaling pathway to promote neurobehavioral function following neurotrauma. These events may provide a new insight into the mechanism of breviscapine treating brain injury.