Retrieval of Trophoblast Cells from The Robertsonian Translocations for Prenatal Diagnosis.

Objective: To provide genetic information about the fetuses from carriers of Robertsonian (Rob) translocation and to explore the application value of extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) cells collected from the cervical canal for prenatal diagnosis. Method: Trophoblast retrieval and isolation from the cervix (TRIC) is an approach that non-invasively isolates homogeneous trophoblast cells. In this study, the EVT cells were collected from the cervix of 20 pregnant women between 5-7 weeks gestation. Thereafter, STR analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed on these trophoblast cells. Results: In 1 case (P5), we failed to collect the trophoblast cells, STR analysis showed maternal cell contamination in 4 cases, 6 cases were normal/balanced chromosome, and 9 cases were associated with unbalanced chromosome. The results of these 15 cases were consistent with those of villi FISH examination or cytogenetic analysis of cultured amniocytes. Conclusion: The collection of fetal trophoblast cells from the cervix provides a feasible approach for prenatal diagnosis. Rob translocation homozygosity could be seen as a potential means of speciation in humans with 44 chromosomes.

Integrated network pharmacology and pharmacological investigations to explore the potential mechanism of Ding-Chuan-Tang against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ding-Chuan-Tang (Abbreviated as DCT) is frequently prescribed for treatment of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is characterized by coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, the potential mechanism of DCT has not been investigated. AIM OF STUDY: The aim of the study is to explore the efficiency of DCT in the treatment of COPD in vivo and in vitro, and to illustrate the possible mechanism against COPD. METHODS: COPD model was induced by exposure of mice to cigarette smoke (CS) for 16 weeks. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay, Western blot, etc., were used to explore the efficiency and mechanisms of DCT. Network pharmacology analysis, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, etc., was performed to explore the potential targets in the treatment of DCT on COPD. RESULTS: DCT significantly alleviated pulmonary pathological changes in mouse COPD model, and inhibited inflammatory response induced by CS and LPS in vivo and in vitro. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that DCT alleviated COPD via inhibiting inflammation by regulating PI3K-AKT pathway. In cell-based models, DCT suppressed the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, which further regulated its downstream targets Nrf2 and NF-κB, and inhibited inflammatory response. CONCLUSIONS: DCT effectively attenuated COPD in the mouse model induced by CS. The therapeutic mechanism of DCT against COPD was closely associated with the regulation of PI3K-AKT pathway and its downstream transcription factors, Nrf2 and NF-κB.

Five new sesquiterpenoids isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz.

Five new sesquiterpenoids, dictamtrinorguaianols E and F (1-2), and dictameudesmnosides F, G, and H (3-5), along with seven known sesquiterpenoids (6-12) were isolated from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz. The structures of all new compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and 1D and 2D NMR. The In-vitro anti-proliferative activities of all the compounds against two human cancer cell lines (SW982 and A549) were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Compounds 1 and 4 showed medium anti-proliferative activity against SW982 cells, with IC50 values of 3.49 ± 0.10 and 6.42 ± 1.23 µM, respectively. Additionally, compounds 2, 7, and 8 exhibited medium anti-proliferative activity against A549 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.80 ± 0.05 to 6.60 ± 0.46 µM.

Seizing the fate of lymph nodes in immunotherapy: To preserve or not?

Lymph node dissection has been a long-standing diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for metastatic cancers. However, questions over myriad related complications and survival outcomes are continuously debated. Immunotherapy, particularly neoadjuvant immunotherapy, has revolutionized the conventional paradigm of cancer treatment, yet has benefited only a fraction of patients. Emerging evidence has unveiled the role of lymph nodes as pivotal responders to immunotherapy, whose absence may contribute to drastic impairment in treatment efficacy, again posing challenges over excessive lymph node dissection. Hence, centering around this theme, we concentrate on the mechanisms of immune activation in lymph nodes and provide an overview of minimally invasive lymph node metastasis diagnosis, current best practices for activating lymph nodes, and the prognostic outcomes of omitting lymph node dissection. In particular, we discuss the potential for future comprehensive cancer treatment with effective activation of immunotherapy driven by lymph node preservation and highlight the challenges ahead to achieve this goal.

A latent profile analysis of psychological resilience associated with work fatigue among Chinese nurses.

Nurses' psychological resilience has been studied using a variable-centered rather than a person-centered approach, impeding a comprehensive understanding of the holistic expression of these different forms of psychological resilience. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of psychological resilience in a sample of Chinese nurses during COVID-19 using latent profile analysis (LPA) and the relationships between these unique profiles and nurses' work fatigue. A total of 471 Chinese nurses were recruited from three hospitals in Hebei Province between June and July 2020. The participant samples were investigated with the psychological resilience scale and the work fatigue inventory. LPA showed that a three-profile model of psychological resilience best fit this study. The resulting profiles were low psychological resilience, medium psychological resilience, and high psychological resilience. Notably, there were significant differences in nurses' work fatigue among different profiles of psychological resilience. The study provided a new view of nurses' psychological resilience, which may be used to effectively reduce nurses' work fatigue and evaluate nursing work status comprehensively.

Phenolic components from the fruits of Solanum xanthocarpum with anti-inflammatory activity.

Two new compounds (1 and 2), along with thirty-one known compounds (3-33) were isolated from the fruits of Solanum xanthocarpum. The structure of isolates was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data and the physicochemical methods. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory activity of isolates was determined using LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. The results of anti-inflammatory assays indicated that most isolated compounds (3, 4, 6, 8-14, 17-20, and 30) possessed significant nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values ranging from 14.33 to 48.55 µM.

Terpenoid compounds from the fruits of Solanum virginianum.

Eleven compounds were isolated and identified from ethanolic extracts of Solanum virginianum fruits, including two new compounds (1-2) and nine known compounds (3-11). Their structures were determined to be melongenaterpene C15-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), (9Z)-3,7,11,15-tetramethyl -hexadeca-1,6,10-triene-3,5,14,15-tetraol-5-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), actini-dioionoside A (3), byzantionoside B (4), citroside A (5), 7Z-roseoside (6), matenoside A (7), megastigmane (8), dihydrophaseic acid 3'-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9), taraxerol (10), and huzhangoside C (11). In this paper, NMR spectroscopy was used to study the structures of the compounds, comparing their data with those in the literature. In addition, the potential anti-inflammatory activity of the compounds was also evaluated using the RAW264.7 cell inflammation model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The terpenoids showed no significant anti-inflammatory activity.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) as potential resuscitation factors that promote the isolation and culture of uncultured bacteria in marine sediments.

Many marine bacteria are difficult to culture because they are dormant, rare or found in low-abundances. Enrichment culturing has been widely tested as an important strategy to isolate rare or dormant microbes. However, many more mechanisms remain uncertain. Here, based on 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics technology, it was found that the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in metabolites were significantly correlated with uncultured bacterial groups during enrichment cultures. A pure culture analysis showed that the addition of SCFAs to media also resulted in high efficiency for the isolation of uncultured strains from marine sediments. As a result, 238 strains belonging to 10 phyla, 26 families and 82 species were successfully isolated. Some uncultured rare taxa within Chlorobi and Kiritimatiellaeota were successfully cultured. Amongst the newly isolated uncultured microbes, most genomes, e.g. bacteria, possess SCFA oxidative degradation genes, and these features might aid these microbes in better adapting to the culture media. A further resuscitation analysis of a viable but non-culturable (VBNC) Marinilabiliales strain verified that the addition of SCFAs could break the dormancy of Marinilabiliales in 5 days, and the growth curve test showed that the SCFAs could shorten the lag phase and increase the growth rate. Overall, this study provides new insights into SCFAs, which were first studied as resuscitation factors in uncultured marine bacteria. Thus, this study can help improve the utilisation and excavation of marine microbial resources, especially for the most-wanted or key players. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00187-w.

Chemical upcycling of polyethylene, polypropylene, and mixtures to high-value surfactants.

Conversion of plastic wastes to fatty acids is an attractive means to supplement the sourcing of these high-value, high-volume chemicals. We report a method for transforming polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) at ~80% conversion to fatty acids with number-average molar masses of up to ~700 and 670 daltons, respectively. The process is applicable to municipal PE and PP wastes and their mixtures. Temperature-gradient thermolysis is the key to controllably degrading PE and PP into waxes and inhibiting the production of small molecules. The waxes are upcycled to fatty acids by oxidation over manganese stearate and subsequent processing. PP ꞵ-scission produces more olefin wax and yields higher acid-number fatty acids than does PE ꞵ-scission. We further convert the fatty acids to high-value, large-market-volume surfactants. Industrial-scale technoeconomic analysis suggests economic viability without the need for subsidies.

Tributyrin alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis to repair intestinal damage in antibiotic-treated mice.

Tributyrin (TB) is a butyric acid precursor and has a key role in anti-inflammatory and intestinal barrier repair effects by slowly releasing butyric acid. However, its roles in gut microbiota disorder caused by antibiotics remain unclear. Herein, we established an intestinal microbiota disorder model using ceftriaxone sodium via gavage to investigate the effects of different TB doses for restoring gut microbiota and intestinal injury. First, we divided C57BL/6 male mice into two groups: control (NC, n = 8) and experimental (ABx, n = 24) groups, receiving gavage with 0.2 mL normal saline and 400 mg/mL ceftriaxone sodium solution for 7 d (twice a day and the intermediate interval was 6 h), respectively. Then, mice in the ABx group were randomly split into three groups: model (M, 0.2 mL normal saline), low TB group (TL, 0.3 g/kg BW), and high TB group (TH, 3 g/kg BW) for 11 d. We found that TB supplementation alleviated antibiotics-induced weight loss, diarrhea, and intestinal tissue damage. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that TB intervention increased the α diversity of intestinal flora, increased potential short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (such as Muribaculaceae and Bifidobacterium), and inhibited the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria (such as Bacteroidetes and Enterococcus) compared to the M group. TB supplementation reversed the reduction in SCFAs production in antibiotic-treated mice. Additionally, TB downregulated the levels of serum LPS and zonulin, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß and NLRP3 inflammasome-related factors in intestinal tissue and upregulated tight junction proteins (such as ZO-1 and Occludin) and MUC2. Overall, the adjustment ability of low-dose TB to the above indexes was stronger than high-dose TB. In conclusion, TB can restore the dysbiosis of gut microbiota, increase SCFAs, suppress inflammation, and ameliorate antibiotic-induced intestinal damage, indicating that TB might be a potential gut microbiota modulator.

Investigating the role of Zibai ointment on apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and Bax in wound healing after anal fistula surgery.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the impact of Zibai ointment on wound healing by analyzing the expression levels of two key apoptosis-related factors-B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), in patients following surgery for anal fistula. METHODS: We included 90 patients with anal fistulas who were treated in the People's Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment with Zibai ointment (n = 45) or petroleum jelly (n = 45). The levels of apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and Bax were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while cell apoptosis was assessed using Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay. RESULTS: The results of ELISA showed that on Day 21 after the surgery, the levels of Bcl-2 and Bax in the Zibai ointment group were significantly different compared to the petroleum jelly group, with values of (60.11 ± 1.31) ng/mL and (7.05 ± 0.01) versus (83.79 ± 1.74) ng/mL and (6.00 ± 0.05) ng/mL, respectively (p < .05). Furthermore, light microscopy revealed a large number of apoptotic cells within the field of vision 14 days postsurgery in the Zibai ointment group, and the healing time in the Zibai ointment group was significantly different from that in the petroleum jelly group (p < .05). CONCLUSION: We found that Zibai ointment effectively promoted wound healing in patients following anal fistula surgery, possibly by regulating Bcl-2 and Bax apoptosis-related factors.

The Combination of Inositol Hexaphosphate and Inositol Inhibits Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Upregulating Claudin 7.

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), a widely found natural bioactive substance in grains, effectively inhibits the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) when used in combination with inositol (INS). We previously showed that supplementation of IP6 and INS upregulated the claudin 7 gene in orthotropic CRC xenografts in mice. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of claudin 7 in the inhibition of CRC metastasis by IP6 and INS, and explore the underlying mechanisms. We found that IP6, INS and their combination inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of colon cancer cell lines (SW480 and SW620), as indicated by upregulation of claudin 7 and E-cadherin, and downregulation of N-cadherin. The effect of IP6 and INS was stronger compared to either agent alone (combination index < 1). Furthermore, the silencing of the claudin 7 gene diminished the anti-metastatic effects of IP6 and INS on SW480 and SW620 cells. Consistent with in vitro findings, the combination of IP6 and INS suppressed CRC xenograft growth in a mouse model, which was neutralized by claudin 7. Taken together, the combination of IP6 and INS can inhibit CRC metastasis by blocking EMT of tumor cells through upregulation of claudin 7.

Discovery of potent heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors: structure-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulation, and biological evaluation.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is considered an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment due to its high expression in many cancers. In this study, four potent Hsp90 inhibitors (HPs 1-4) were identified using structure-based virtual screening. Among them, HP-4 exhibited the most potent inhibitory effects (IC50 = 17.64 ± 1.45 nM) against the Hsp90 protein, which was about 7.7 times stronger than that of MPC-3100 (a positive inhibitor targeting Hsp90). In vitro cytotoxicity assay suggested that HP-4 could effectively inhibit the proliferation of a series of tumour cells, including HCT-116, HeLa, A549, A2780, DU145, HepG2 and A498. Furthermore, in vivo assay displayed that HP-4 had significant anti-tumour effects on HCT-116 cell-derived xenograft models. These data demonstrate that HP-4 could be a potential lead compound for the further investigation of anti-tumour drugs.

Green Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extracts of Ageratum Conyzoides and Their Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

The NLRP3 inflammasome, which plays a central role in innate immunity, is linked to a variety of inflammatory diseases, and thus it may provide a new target for the treatment of those diseases. Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), particularly those synthesized using medicinal plant extracts, have recently been shown to be a promising therapeutic option. Herein, the aqueous extract of Ageratum conyzoids was used to prepare a series of sized AgNPs (AC-AgNPs), in which the smallest mean particle size was 30 ± 1.3 nm with a polydispersity of 0.328 ± 0.009. The ζ potential value was -28.77 with a mobility of -1.95 ± 0.24 cm2/(v·s). Its main ingredient, elemental silver, accounted for about 32.71 ± 4.87% of its mass, and other ingredients included amentoflavone-7,7⁗-dimethyl ether, 1,3,5-tricaffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol 3,7,4'-triglucoside, 5,6,7,3',4',5'-hexamethoxyflavone, kaempferol, and ageconyflavone B. In LPS+ATP-stimulated RAW 264.7 and THP-1 cells, AC-AgNPs significantly inhibited the release of IL-1ß, IL-18, TNF-α, and caspase-1, indicating that AC-AgNPs can inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. The mechanistic study revealed that AC-AgNPs could decrease the phosphorylation levels of IκB-α and p65, resulting in decreased expression of NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins, including pro-IL-1ß, IL-1ß, procaspase 1, caspase 1P20, NLRP3, and ASC, and also scavenge the level of intracellular ROS to prevent NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. Furthermore, AC-AgNPs attenuated the in vivo expression of inflammatory cytokines by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in a peritonitis mouse model. Our study provides evidence that the as-prepared AC-AgNPs can inhibit the inflammatory process by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation and might be used to treat NLRP3 inflammasome-driven inflammatory diseases.

The aqueous extracts of Ageratum conyzoides inhibit inflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asteraceae), a well-known and widely distributed traditional tropical medicinal herb, has been used to treat diverse diseases. Our preliminary research has shown that aqueous extracts of A. conyzoides leaf (EAC) have anti-inflammatory activity. However, the detailed underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of EAC is still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the anti-inflammatory mechanism of action of EAC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The major constituents of EAC were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) combined with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). LPS and ATP were used to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome in two types of macrophages (RAW 264.7 and THP-1 cells). The cytotoxicity of EAC was measured by the CCK8 assay. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins were detected by ELISA and western blotting (WB), respectively. The oligomerization of NLRP3 and ASC and the resulting inflammasome complex formation were observed by immunofluorescence. The intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was measured by flow cytometry. Finally, an MSU-induced peritonitis model was established to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of EAC in vivo. RESULTS: Twenty constituents were identified in the EAC. Kaempferol 3,7-diglucoside, 1,3,5-tricaffeoylquinic acid, and kaempferol 3,7,4'-triglucoside were found to be the most potent ingredients. EAC significantly reduced the levels of IL-1ß, IL-18, TNF-α, and caspase-1 in the two types of activated macrophages, implying that EAC can inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. A mechanistic study revealed that EAC inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation by blocking NF-κB signalling pathway activation and scavenging the level of intracellular ROS to prevent NLRP3 inflammasome assembly in macrophages. Furthermore, EAC attenuated the in vivo expression of inflammatory cytokines by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in a peritonitis mouse model. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that EAC inhibited inflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation, highlighting that this traditional herbal medicine might be used to treat NLRP3 inflammasome-driven inflammatory diseases.

Rhubarb Peony Decoction Downregulates the Expression of c-Fos after Intestinal Epithelial Cells Hypoxia-reoxygenation Injury.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs in several clinical situations and after intestinal transplantation. This study aimed to examine the role of rhubarb peony decoction (RPD) in intestinal I/R injury. METHODS: Different concentrations of RPD were set to treat IEC-6 and Caco-2 cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was performed on IEC-6 cells treated with hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) or HR and RPD. RESULTS: RPD treatment significantly promoted the proliferation of IEC-6 and Caco-2 cells and inhibited apoptosis. Sequencing results identified 109 significantly up-regulated genes and 36 significantly down-regulated genes in the RPD group. In addition, the results of western blot suggested that HR induced the expression of c-Fos, and the treatment of RPD prevented the HR-induced c- Fos expression. Importantly, knockdown of c-Fos rescued the HR-inhibited cell proliferation and HR-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, RPD was beneficial in protecting the survival of intestinal epithelial cells under HR stress. Furthermore, the increase in c-Fos expression after HR stress was closely related to the proliferation and apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells.

[Application of 1470 nm semiconductor laser in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia in ultra-aged patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of transurethral 1470 nm semiconductor laser vaporization and cutting in the treatment of super high age and high risk benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients with super-high-risk prostate who underwent transurethral surgery in our hospital from April 2016 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had obvious progressive dysuria. The diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia was confirmed by urinary color Doppler ultrasound, anal finger examination, PSA, prostate biopsy, etc., and prostate cancer was excluded. Each patient was aged ≥85 years old and combined with one or more types. Senile basic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, emphysema, sequelae of cerebral infarction, etc. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. The observation group was treated with transurethral 1470 nm semiconductor laser vaporization and the control group was treated with transurethral plasma electrotomy. To observe the changes of vital signs, bleeding, duration of surgery, postoperative bladder irrigation time, urinary catheter retention time, and changes of hemoglobin before and after surgery. Surgical safety. The international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and post-void residual urine volume (PVR) were evaluated 2 months after surgery and compared with preoperative evaluation to evaluate the surgical outcome. RESULTS: All 38 operations were successfully completed.The vital signs of the patients were stable during the operation. The average operation time of the observation group and the control group was (79.6±24.7 vs 69.5±19.8) min, P>0.05. The hemoglobin decreased by (6.9±3.0) g/L vs (13.2±4.0) g/L， after operation.P<0.05; postoperative bladder irrigation time (14.7±2.8 vs 23.5±5.3)h, P<0.05; average postoperative urinary catheter retention time (3.8±0.4 vs 5.7±0.9)d, P<0.05; average postoperative hospital stay (5.3±1.1 vs 7.2±1.9)d, P<0.05; all patients were followed up for 2 months, IPSS, QoL, Qmax, PVR and other indicators were significantly improved compared with preoperative, no major bleeding, urinary incontinence, cardiopulmonary failure and Significant urinary tract irritation symptoms occur. CONCLUSION: Compared with plasma electric resection, transurethral 1470 nm semiconductor laser treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia has the advantages of high safety and remarkable effect, especially suitable for patients with high age and high risk.

Transparent cellulose-based bio-hybrid films with enhanced anti-ultraviolet, antioxidant and antibacterial performance.

Developing the biodegradable and eco-friendly materials to substitute for the traditional petroleum-derived plastics is significant, and cellulose is the most promising candidate to replace petroleum-derived plastics. However, the high-cost dissolving pulps are still the major raw materials in industry. Moreover, the traditional cellulose materials lack functions, limiting their application and service life. Herein, multi-functional cellulose/tea polyphenols (TPs) bio-hybrid films were fabricated successfully via employing low-cost waste cotton textiles as cellulose source. It was found that the cellulose/TPs films displayed high anti-ultraviolet capacity and irradiation stability without sacrificing their transparency, and UV-A and UV-B blocking values can reach 85.08 % and 99.97 %. Besides, cellulose/TPs films show up to 63 % of radical scavenging activity and possess obvious antibacterial capacity, due to the copious phenolic hydroxyls within TPs. Hence, the cellulose/TPs bio-hybrid films with enhanced anti-ultraviolet, antioxidant and antibacterial performance were manufactured successfully, which demonstrated great potentials in packaging fields.

Dietary effects of aucubin on growth and flesh quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) based on metabolomics.

This aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary aucubin on the growth, flesh quality, and metabolomics of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Five diets were designed with the aucubin inclusion of 0 (control diet), 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 g/kg (Auc-0.2, Auc-0.4, Auc-0.6, Auc-0.8) and were fed to grass carp with an initial body weight of 17.0 ± 0.2 g for 60 d. The results indicated that dietary aucubin did not significantly affect the growth performance of grass carp (P > 0.05). Compared to the control, dietary supplementation with 0.2 to 0.8 g/kg aucubin increased flesh hardness, chewiness, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the contents of total free amino acids (TFAA) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) (P < 0.05). The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactic acid (LD) in the flesh were significantly decreased by the addition of 0.4 to 0.6 g/kg aucubin and by the addition of 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg aucubin (P < 0.05), respectively, while the content of delicious amino acids (DAA) was significantly enhanced by the addition of 0.4 to 0.8 g/kg aucubin (P < 0.05). Moreover, the contents of collagen and C22:6n3 (DHA) in the flesh of the Auc-0.8 group were significantly higher than those of the control (P < 0.05). In the metabolomics profiling of flesh, 133 and 135 named differential metabolites were identified in the Auc-0.4 and Auc-0.8 groups, respectively, compared to the control, and these metabolites were found to be involved in the second-grade pathways of "lipid metabolism" and "amino acid metabolism". Regarding gene expression, the mRNA levels of CuZn-SOD, CAT, COL1A1, COL1A2, Smad4, and FAS in flesh were upregulated in the Auc-0.4 and Auc-0.8 groups, and the expression levels of GPx, Nrf2, and TGF-ß1 mRNA were also upregulated in the Auc-0.8 group (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary aucubin did not promote growth, but improved the flesh quality of grass carp, which might be associated with the TGF-ß/Smad and Nrf2 pathways. The recommended supplementation level of aucubin in the diet of grass carp was 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg.

Aucubin is an iridoid glycoside that is widely distributed in green plants and exhibits various biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and protecting the liver. In previous studies, we explored the effects of different dietary levels of iridoids including geniposide and geniposide acid, on the flesh quality of grass carp. As aucubin shares a similar chemical structure to that of geniposide and geniposide acid, it was speculated that aucubin might exhibit the same function of promoting flesh quality in fish. Our study was conducted to explore the effects on the growth and flesh quality of grass carp. We found that dietary aucubin did not affect the growth of grass carp but improved flesh quality by increasing the contents of collagen, free amino acids, and n-3 PUFA; increasing the activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx; and decreasing the contents of MDA and PC in flesh, which might be associated with the TGF-ß/Smad and Nrf2 pathways.

Transcriptomic and biochemical analyses revealed the improved growth, lipid metabolism, and flesh quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) by dietary Eucommia ulmoides bark and leaf supplementation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the dietary effects of Eucommia ulmoides bark and leaf (EB, EL) supplementation on the growth, lipid metabolism, flesh quality, and transcriptome of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). EB and EL were individually added to the basal diet (control) at concentrations of 20 g/kg and 40 g/kg, respectively, and then the three diets were fed to grass carp (59.7 ±â€…0.3 g) for 60 d. The results showed that the weight gain was improved, and the feed conversion ratio was decreased by supplementation with EB and EL (P < 0.05). Compared to the control, the EB and EL groups showed higher flesh hardness; water-holding capacity; and collagen, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFAs) contents and lower mesenteric lipid and muscle crude lipid contents (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary EB and EL supplementation increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and decreased the contents of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl in flesh (P < 0.05). In muscle transcriptome profiling, a total of 979, 1980 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and 29, 199 Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 13, 39 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were significantly enriched in the EB and EL groups, respectively. Some key pathways and genes involved in promoting growth, lipid metabolism and flesh quality were obtained, including mTOR and PPAR signaling pathways, muscle cytoskeleton- and extracellular matrix-related genes (myosin and collagen), etc. Overall, dietary EB and EL supplementation improved the growth, lipid metabolism, and flesh quality of grass carp, and several potential pathways and genes were identified behind the improvement mechanism of EB and EL supplementation.

As a traditional herb, Eucommia ulmoides (E. ulmoides) has been utilized in East Asia for at least 2 000 years. In recent years, E. ulmoides has been applied in the culture of fish for its functions of promoting growth, lipid metabolism, and flesh quality. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of improving growth, lipid metabolism, and flesh quality is not well understood. Our study showed that the improvement of flesh quality is the combined effect of antioxidant capacity, muscle texture, water-holding capacity, and nutritional composition. Additionally, several potential pathways and differentially expressed genes were identified through RNA sequencing to further study the improvement mechanism of dietary E. ulmoides bark and leaf supplementation on growth, lipid metabolism, and flesh quality in fish.